FEBRUARY 2021
View current and past e-Communicators by visiting www.seamanschools.org/eCommunicator.
Important Dates
February 3 - 8th Grade Curriculum Fair
February 8 - Board Meeting
February 5 - Elementary Early Release Friday (1:30 pm)
February 10 - Freshman Parent Night
February 24 - No School: Parent-Teacher Conference
2021-22 Kindergarten Orientation
Mark your calendars for April 22, 5:30 - 7:30 pm!
If you have a child who will be five years old on or before August 31, 2021 and you live in the Seaman School District, please register for Kindergarten Orientation.
To be sure everyone is pre-registered and ready to enroll in July, we are asking that you complete the New Student Information sheet and supply us with your Proof of Residency.
Proof of Residency:
- A copy of a current lease with your name and address
- A home purchase document with your name and address
- A current utility bill with your name and address on it (if you just moved, an email from a utility stating that service will starting at a Seaman address.)
Please email these documents to
[email protected]. If you do not have the ability to scan and email, taking a CLEAR picture on your cell phone and emailing the picture.
You can also mail the documents to Theresa Dunham, Seaman Education Center, 901 NW Lyman Rd., Topeka, KS 66608.
If neither of these options will work for you, please contact your elementary school to arrange a time to come fill out the
New Student Information sheet and provide Proof of Residency.
Elmont: 785-286-8450
Logan: 785-575-8700
North Fairview: 785-286-8500
Northern Hills: 785-286-2992
West Indianola: 785-286-8550
The other documents (Birth Certificates, immunization record, and health assessment) can be brought to kindergarten orientation.
Registration Links Below
View our Boundary Map: www.seamanschools.org/map
ELMONT ELEMENTARY
785-286-8450
6432 NW Elmont Rd. 66618
Registration Link
LOGAN ELEMENTARY
785-575-8700
1124 NW Lyman Rd. 66608
Registration Link
NORTH FAIRVIEW ELEMENTARY
785-286-8500
1941 NE 39th St. 66617
Registration Link
NORTHERN HILLS ELEMENTARY
785-286-2992
5620 NW Topeka Blvd. 66617
Registration Link
WEST INDIANOLA ELEMENTARY
785-286-8550
4201 NW Brickyard Rd. 66618
Registration Link
2021-22 MELC Preschool Registration
Please complete our registration form for your child to be considered to attend Mathes Early Learning Center (MELC) for the 2021-2022 school year.
MELC serves an inclusive model of 3- and 4-year-old students, in high-quality, half-day preschool classrooms. All information on the form must be complete to be considered for placement. Families will be contacted for a screening date. Once a child is selected from this registration process, the family will be contacted to complete paperwork for school and to determine eligibility. Slots are limited and all preschool students in the Seaman School District receive priority preference. Go Little Vikes!
Morning Class: 8:30 am – 11:30 am
Afternoon Class: 12:45 pm – 3:45 pm
Fees: $52.50 Annually (Free & Reduced Rates Available)
The completion of this registration form does NOT guarantee your child a placement into the school.
2021-22 8th Grade Curriculum Fair
Each year, the high school hosts a curriculum fair for incoming freshmen. This fair provides students the opportunity to learn about elective courses and programs offered at the high school. Teachers of these courses share what students will learn in their classes, including some demonstrations, and they explain the pathways associated with the courses in which students can progress. The fair takes place prior to students enrolling for their freshman year so that they can make well-informed choices about the classes they choose. We look forward to sharing with our future freshman Vikings the many academic opportunities they will have at Seaman High School!
Curriculum Fair Schedule
Group A: 7:50-10:20
Group B: 12:15-2:55
Students who are being picked up and dropped off will need to do so at SHS. Students please plan to eat breakfast and lunch at home. The Curriculum Fair will be recorded for those who cannot attend.
2021-22 Freshman Parent Night
Incoming freshman parents will also have an opportunity to hear from high school counselors and administration at our Annual Freshman Parent night. This event will take place in the Seaman High School Auditorium on February 10, from 6:30-8:30 pm. Due to gathering limitations, we are asking that only one parent from the household attend. The event will be live streamed and available on the district YouTube channel.
2021-22 Program Planning Guides
Our Seaman Middle School and Seaman High School Program Planning Guides for next school year are now online. These guides are designed to assist students and parents with the enrollment process with course descriptions and other helpful information. School counselors will be available to assist students with any enrollment questions they may have during this process.
Seaman High School Program Planning Guide
Seaman Middle School Program Planning Guide
Inclement Weather School Closures
How will you know when school is canceled or a late start will be implemented due to inclement weather?
- Media channels are contacted to relay information to the public
- Websites are updated with a pop-up notification
- SchoolMessenger (mass messaging service) messages are sent to families & staff. These messages will be sent in all formats to ensure all parties receive the message (email, text, and voice).
- Social media pages will be updated to reflect our status
Please be sure your contact information is up-to-date. You can make changes by contacting your school office.
2020-21 School Year Snow Days
- A two hour late start will be a consideration for all inclement weather days
- Our first two snow days will be traditional snow days. No school for on-site or remote learning.
- After our first two snow days, we will implement our new Inclement Weather/Snow Day Learning Plan which will allow teachers and students to work and learn from home.
Two Hour Late Start
As we all know, weather can change quickly in Kansas. Road conditions in the early morning might be worse than they are mid-day after Mother Nature and road crews have had a chance to make travel safer. The two hour late start is a new possibility for our district so I wanted to run through what that would look like should a late start be called.
MELC
-AM Preschool program will not be in session due to reduction in timeframe.
-PM Preschool program will operate as normal.
-Full-day program will operate on a two-hour delay.
Elementary
-Two hour late start
-All schools will enact a modified master schedule to reflect the two hour delay.
-A reduction in staff plan times may occur.
SMS
Due to the late start, we will eliminate Advisory.
Hour 1: 9:50-10:20
Hour 2: 10:25-10:55
Hour 3: 11:00-11:30
Hour 5: 11:35-12:50 (this keeps our lunch rotation the same)
Viking Time: 12:55-1:15
Hour 4: 1:20-1:50
Hour 6: 1:55-2:25
Hour 7: 2:30-3:00
SHS
1st/2nd: 10:00 – 11:10
5th/6th: 11:15 - 12:50
Lunches: (This time slot keeps the same lunch rotation)
1st Lunch: 11:20-11:47
2nd Lunch: 11:51-12:18
3rd Lunch: 12:22-12:50
3rd/4th: 12:55 – 1:55
7th/8th: 2:00 - 3:05
Pleasant Hill Learning Campus
-Two hour late start
-Individual student schedules will be determined by the principal and teachers of each student
District-wide Considerations
In a two hour late start schedule, transportation will run their regular morning routes beginning two hours later than their normal start times. Breakfast will only be available at the middle and high school. Lunch will be served as normal according to late start building schedules.
Thank you for taking the time to familiarize yourself with our inclement weather and snow day plans for this school year. We will continue to keep you updated through our normal methods of communication. The safety of our staff and students remains our top priority as decisions are made.
KSHSAA Update
KSHSAA Board of Directors met to revisit per participant spectator rules. The rule changes the maximum number of spectators per participant from two to four. This policy begins January 29 and ends with the winter activities regular season. Final decision on per participant spectator rule remains with local school districts.
USD 345 will remain aligned with Shawnee County & district R2R guidelines from the original KSHSAA Board of Director's recommendation that occurred on December 8, 2020 in allowing two parents/guardians per participant. We will amend our two "parents/guardians" to now become two “spectators."
Weekly COVID Report/Impact
This district report includes detailed information on the impact of COVID in the Seaman School District. This can be accessed from any school website and is updated every Monday with data from the week prior.
Click here to view the report.
Community Health Needs Assessment
Stormont Vail Health, Heartland Healthy Neighborhood, and the Shawnee County Health Department (SCHD) need your input to understand the scope of wellness in the community and the challenges in reaching optimal health.
Please take this short online survey, available in both English and Spanish, to receive feedback from you about health needs affecting you and your family. It will take less than 10 minutes, and all responses are confidential.
Spanish:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BS5BKB5
English:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BKJ53RQ
After you've completed the survey, please share with your co-workers, friends, neighbors, and other Shawnee County contacts so they will receive robust feedback representative of our entire County. The greater the participation, the better the information gained – so please forward and share.
Thank you in advance for your time and support in participating with this important request. You can also find the survey on Stormont Vail’s website and social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn), as well as SCHD’s website. Paper surveys are also available. Please provide your feedback by Sunday, February 28, 2021.
Feedback will be combined with data to create a comprehensive voice of the community at our Shawnee County town hall, which will be held in April.
If you have any questions about CHNA activities, please contact Karla Hedquist 785.270.0139, Brett Martin 785.581.0231, or Craig Barnes 785.251.5612.
2020-21 Elem, SMS, & SHS School Calendar
Below are links to the most recently updated calendars for this school year. Calendars on the
district calendar page will be updated as changes in learning environments are made.
2020-21 SHS Calendar (Revised 12/14/20)
2020-21 SMS Calendar (Revised 1/26/21)
2020-21 Elementary Calendar (Revised 12/14/20)
2021-22 School Calendar (NEXT School Year)
Kansas regent universities and colleges have agreed to adopt the following spring break schedule, allowing school districts the opportunity to align spring break dates. Last month, the board voted to revise our 2021-22 calendar to benefit high school students who are pursuing dual credit as well as families with student enrolled in different education systems. Going forward, we will continue to follow this schedule.
Spring Break
2022: March 14-18
2023: March 13-17
2024: March 11-15
2021-22 School Year Calendar
Free Breakfast and Lunch
Students are encouraged to take advantage of FREE breakfast and lunch until the end of school year 2020-21 at Seaman. School meals include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, milk, and other nutrient dense foods to help keep students ready to learn. Students do not need to be qualified for free or reduced price meals to receive meals at this time at no charge. Free meals are available to every student.
Remote meal pickup registration is completed weekly. There is no charge for remote order meals, but we kindly ask for registration weekly now to help with production numbers. Please look for weekly emails from Candace LeDuc.
Lunch Menu
Click here to view the K-6 on-site lunch menu. You can also subscribe to calendar feed for quick access as you're planning for your day.
Mobile Food Pantry
We have new dates, times, and location for Harvesters thanks to a partnership with IBEW Local Union 226. USD 345 will have the Harvesters Mobile Distribution at IBEW 1620 NW Gage (this is off Lower Silver Lake Road). We will continue having the Mobile Distribution at this location and time on the second Monday of the month. Future dates are as follows.
February 8
March 8
April 12
May 10
Seaman High School Museum News
We have exciting news to share on how the Seaman community will soon have the opportunity to interact and engage with the history of the district. The Seaman High School Museum and Archives is now managed by students in the Museum Studies class at Seaman High School after many years of hard work from dedicated volunteer community members. Students in this class are learning how to preserve and archive district artifacts while sharing information and experiences with others.
From homecoming queens to sports teams, their exhibits have already impacted current students and faculty. Their goal is to continue creating engaging exhibits to further the historical knowledge of the district by providing even more access to the Seaman community in new and different ways. Currently, the class is working to revitalize the museum through the digitization of archival material onto a website, frequent creation of exhibits, and modernization of the space to enhance the museum experience. The students have had a successful beginning and a positive outlook for its future, however they need your support.
The museum is relocating to the high school to become part of the educational experience while also increasing community access during the school day and at school events. As part of this move, the class would like to invest in an open storage concept to expand the existing space with more shelving for storage, exhibits, and research space while simultaneously protecting and displaying district collections.
The museum studies class is diligently working to digitize every artifact within the museum to allow for convenient virtual viewing. With your generous donations, these students can preserve materials virtually and physically through the purchase of archival storage materials. Your support will help students create: traveling trunks, mobile museum exhibits, and teaching materials. These funds will assist in preserving, displaying, discovering, and retelling the history of the Seaman community! Previous funds from museum memberships and donations have been rolled over to cover future student scholarships.
How can you support the Seaman High School Museum and Archives?
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Donation Opportunities: The SHS Museum and Archives gratefully accepts monetary donations of any level. Please send your tax deductible donation payable to: SHS Museum and Archives: 4850 NW Rochester Rd., Topeka, KS 66617
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Exhibit and Archival Storage Sponsorship Opportunities: Sponsoring an exhibit or archival storage will assist in preserving our community’s vital history. For an annual sponsorship of $250, your family, business, or organization will receive recognition on the SHS Museum and Archives website and a plaque on each exhibit sponsored. Sponsorship levels can be viewed below. To become a sponsor contact us TODAY!
Patron Level: 1 Exhibit $250
Historian Level: 2 Exhibits $500
Archivist Level: 3 exhibits $750
Viking Level: 4 exhibits $1,000
Centennial Level: 5+ exhibits $1,250+
For more information, contact:
Nathan McAlister
Phone: 785-286-8300
Email: [email protected]
Family Service and Guidance Center Resources
If you’re struggling to get through your day, every day, you’re not alone. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of us in different ways. Some people are feeling sad, isolated or extremely stressed. Others need help feeding their families. Some people have lost their jobs and even their homes. Family Service & Guidance Center wants to help.
Trained FSGC staff members are ready to connect you with Shawnee County resources. Complete this form and they will call back within two business days to find out how they can help. This is a FREE service.
If you are experiencing a medical or mental health emergency, do not complete this form. Call 9-1-1 immediately.
Family Service & Guidance Center is affiliated with the Kansas: Stronger Together initiative. You can also call the Kansas Crisis Counseling Program: 1.800.273.8255.
Technology Support
Please call the USD 345 Technology Department Help Desk on Monday-Friday between 7:00 am-4:00 pm at 785-286-8483 for help with your district-issued device.
Student Technology Support
Parent Technology Support
COVID-19 Response
If/when the district is notified of a positive COVID-19 patient, the custodial staff will be informed so impacted areas are thoroughly disinfected. If possible, custodial staff will close the area and wait 24 hours or as long as possible prior to disinfecting. However, if that is not possible or school is in session, the cleaning will occur immediately.
Please refer to the following exposure guidelines for information on how the district will respond to COVID-19 positive cases. As you can see, the district will be responsible for contact tracing within our buildings. It is very important to monitor your health on a daily basis and if your student has symptoms, please stay home to protect our school community.
Board Digest
Following each board of education meeting, the Director of Communications recaps the board meeting in the Board Digest.
Click here to review the latest board meeting.
The Seaman USD #345 Board of Education will meet on the second Monday of each month at 6:00 PM with the exception of March and April, which will be held on the third Monday, and any regular scheduled meeting may be adjourned to another time and place when necessary.
Regular meetings remaining for the 2020-21 school year:
February 8, 2021
March 15, 2021
April 19, 2021
May 10, 2021
June 14, 2021
July 12, 2021
Parents and other community members frequently request help in knowing the best way to communicate with the school. The communication guideline chart below will serve as a helpful resource. By contacting the following people in the prescribed order, questions will be answered more efficiently and effectively.
Click here to view the Concern Chain of Command.
TSCPL @ School
Seaman School District libraries will be partnering with TSCPL to give our students even more access to library resources. Every USD 345 student will be assigned a digital student library card with 24/7 access. Students can use this service to check out books, movies, & digital resources like online databases, digital ebooks, digital audio and streaming videos! More information will be coming from school librarians.
TSCPL Student Library Card Benefits
- No late fees
- No fees for damages or lost material
- Access to full range of physical and online resources
- No physical card needed
- School student ID numbers work as library card numbers
Does your student already have a TSCPL card?
If yes, that's okay! They can continue to use that card as well, or use this digital card instead to take full advantage of the student card benefits.
Click here for more information on the program.
Click here if you would like to opt your student out of this program. Student accounts are not yet activated but will be activated sometime after February 5, 2021. If you would like to opt out, please do so by Feb 5.