See inside Tomahawk Elementary in Overland Park, SMSD’s newest rebuilt school
Tomahawk Tigers walked into a brand new, nature-inspired building on the first day of school, Aug. 11.
Teachers also took to reading circles on the first day of school. Above, a student listens intently to his teacher on the first day of class at Tomahawk. Photo credit Juliana Garcia.
Shawnee Mission students went back to school last week, including those in the district’s newest building: Tomahawk Elementary.
The three-day rollout for the beginning of the school year in Shawnee Mission started on Monday, Aug. 11, with students in grades 1-7 and high school freshmen. Students in remaining grades returned to school shortly after that.
The return to school was especially exciting for the Tigers who came back to the district’s newest building: Tomahawk Elementary, 6301 W. 78th St., Overland Park.
Here’s a look at how the first day of school in a new building — and likely with some new faces — went for the Tomahawk Tigers.
A large, colorful tree is the first thing Tomahawk Tigers walked in to see in their new building on Aug. 11. Photo credit Juliana Garcia.Students got to walk around and explore the halls of the new building on the first day of school. Photo credit Juliana Garcia.Nature-inspired designs and murals cover multiple walls inside the school, including this first-floor mural showing the roots of a tree. Photo credit Juliana Garcia.While some students led lines on the first day of school, others, like this second grader, got straight to activities like coloring. Photo credit Juliana Garcia.Fourth graders also paid attention to teachers as they organized supplies and familiarized themselves with new classrooms, which feature garage-style doors. Photo credit Juliana Garcia.Tomahawk Tigers on their first day of class in a brand new building in 2025. Photo credit Juliana Garcia.The new media center features a large sun in the corner of the room. Photo credit Juliana Garcia.Students were hard at work on the first day of school, too. Above, a third grader follows his teacher’s instructions on the first day of class. Photo credit Juliana Garcia.Luckily for Tigers, there are plenty of spots to take breaks inside the new Tomahawk building, including two life-sized “Lite-Brite” installations. Photo credit Juliana Garcia.Students interacted with their peers and teachers on Monday, including this fourth grader giving her teacher a “thumbs up.” Photo credit Juliana Garcia.The school’s nature-inspired design also flows into the new cafeteria, with some of the tree’s leaves lining the ceiling. Photo credit Juliana Garcia.All in all, the first day of school for the 2025-26 year saw plenty of smiles from students, like this fourth grader who got to be the line leader for his class. Photo credit Juliana Garcia.
👋 Hi! I’m Juliana Garcia, and I cover Prairie Village and northeast Johnson County for the Johnson County Post.
I grew up in Roeland Park and graduated from Shawnee Mission North before going on to the University of Kansas, where I wrote for the University Daily Kansan and earned my bachelor’s degree in journalism. Prior to joining the Post in 2019, I worked as an intern at the Kansas City Business Journal.
