St. Paul's Episcopal Day School

💙 At St. Paul’s, academic integrity is more than a rule—it’s a value we live by. This week, our 5th–8th grade students gathered for our annual Honor Code Chapel, where they pledged to approach all their work truthfully and responsibly. ✍️✨

Mrs. Hoad, Middle School Division Head, shared why integrity matters today and in the future—from resisting the temptation to copy online resources or use AI tools to complete assignments, to building the confidence and skills that will serve them in high school and beyond.

By signing the Honor Code, students commit to being confident learners, ethical leaders, and compassionate citizens—the very heart of the St. Paul’s mission. 🌟

Visit speds.org/technology to learn more about how we integrate technology thoughtfully in our classrooms.

Our first graders are learning that their brains are muscles too! 🧠💪

Students learned about neurons and how learning new things—and practicing things that feel tricky—helps our neurons grow dendrites and build stronger connections. Then they made their very own edible neurons to bring the lesson to life! 🍭

We can’t wait to see all the ways our first graders will stretch, challenge, and strengthen their brains this year! 💙

Learn more about our lower school curriculum at speds.org/lowerschool

Yesterday, our 6th graders found out which Middle School house they’ll call their own! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️💙

They joined the 7th and 8th graders in Armour, Linwood, Oak, Walnut and Warwick—and judging by these entrances, there was a lot of excitement to find out where everyone belonged!

Each week, our houses come together for games, activities, friendly competitions, and even holiday celebrations. It’s one of the best parts of our Middle School community—and we’re so excited to see these groups grow together! 💙💛

Learn more about our programs at speds.org/middleschool

✨ Sneak Peek was the perfect way to kick off the 26-27 school year!✨

Today, our halls were filled with excited students and families meeting new teachers, exploring new classrooms, reconnecting with friends, and getting ready for all that’s ahead. 💙

There were lots of smiles, many “I’m so happy to see you!” moments, and plenty of excitement for tomorrow.

We’re officially ready, St. Paul’s! The first day of school is TOMORROW! 🎉📚

The halls are buzzing again! 💙💛

Today, our faculty and staff returned to St. Paul’s for a new school year—and there’s already so much happening! From welcoming new members of our team and sharing a wonderful lunch (many thanks to our Parents’ Guild! 💙) to divisional meetings, classroom setup, and plenty of catching up, our teachers are getting ready for another incredible year.

We’re counting down the days until we can fill these halls with our students again! 🎉

We can’t wait to welcome students and families back for Sneak Peek on Monday, August 17!

Here’s to a fantastic 2026–27 school year! 🎉📚✨

✨ New Year. New Role. Same Commitment to Our Students. ✨

This school year, we're celebrating three familiar faces as they step into exciting new roles at St. Paul's!

📖 Mel Creveling is beginning a new chapter as our K–2 Reading Specialist after seven years as a second grade teacher at St. Paul's. With more than 20 years of classroom experience and specialized training in the Science of Reading, Mel will support our students as they build strong literacy skills.

📚 Jessie Quance officially joins our faculty as Sixth Grade Humanities Teacher after serving in the role on an interim basis last year. Her thoughtful teaching, collaborative spirit, and passion for helping students grow made her a natural fit, and we're thrilled she'll continue leading our sixth graders this year.

💙 Abby Crady is transitioning from the classroom to serve as our new Executive Assistant to the Head of School. After making a meaningful impact as a Kindergarten and Pre-K teacher, Abby will bring her organization, positivity, and care for our community to this important role.

Please join us in congratulating Mel, Jessie, and Abby on their new roles! We're grateful to have such talented educators and staff continuing to grow alongside our school and can't wait to see all they'll accomplish this year.

Read more about all our new faculty and staff at speds.org/news.

🎉 Two familiar faces are stepping into exciting new roles at St. Paul's! 🎉

Please help us welcome Kimber Vaughan and Hailey Kilbourn as they begin the new school year in these important positions!

📖 Kimber Vaughan returns as our new 5th–8th Grade Learning Specialist after previously serving as a fourth grade teacher at St. Paul's. With more than a decade of teaching experience and a master's degree in Education and Innovation, Kimber is passionate about helping every student succeed. This year is especially meaningful for her family—her husband is a St. Paul's alum, and their two sons will begin their own St. Paul's journey as Early Learners this fall!

🌟 Hailey Kilbourn is also a familiar face around campus! After serving in our summer camp and aftercare programs, substituting in classrooms, and coaching middle school athletics, she's joining us as our new Pre-Kindergarten Teacher. Hailey is excited to be part of the St. Paul's faculty because of the strong sense of community and the meaningful relationships that make our school so special. Fun fact: Her Blue Heeler, Bluey, is named after everyone's favorite cartoon pup!

We're so excited to see Kimber and Hailey continue making a difference in the lives of our students. Please join us in giving them a warm St. Paul's welcome! 💙💛

🎉 Help us welcome two more educators to the St. Paul’s community! 🎉

We’re excited to introduce Wes Cotter and Sandra Ramirez-Cunningham, who are joining our faculty this fall!

📚 Wes Cotter will be our new 1st–8th Grade Instructional Support Teacher. After more than a decade as an Air Traffic Control Specialist, Wes is bringing his exceptional communication skills and heart for working with students to St. Paul’s. He’s already a familiar face as the parent of two St. Paul’s students, and when he’s not at school, you’ll likely find him traveling with his family—or listening to The Beatles with his dog, Pepper, who was named after Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band!

🍎 Sandra Ramirez-Cunningham joins our second grade team with 22 years of experience in education as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, and instructional coach. She also recently completed her Math Specialist degree and is passionate about helping every child grow as a learner. Outside the classroom, Sandra enjoys reading, writing poetry, and spending time with her family.

Please join us in giving Wes and Sandra a warm St. Paul’s welcome! 💙💛

We’re so excited to welcome our newest Spartans to the St. Paul’s family! 💙💛 Here is Isabella, and we are thrilled to celebrate her as she gets ready for her St. Paul’s journey! 🎉

This summer, you’ll spot “Welcome to St. Paul’s,” “Welcome to Kindergarten,” and “Welcome to Middle School” yard signs popping up all around Kansas City as we celebrate the students joining our community or reaching a milestone school year this fall.

If you received a welcome sign, we’d love to see it! 📸 Snap a photo with your student, tag us or send it our way ([email protected]), and we’ll share it to our Stories throughout the rest of summer.

Welcome to St. Paul’s, Isabella, and welcome to all our new Spartan families—we can’t wait to see you on campus soon! 💙