November 2020

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NOVEMBER 2020

View current and past e-Communicators by visiting www.seamanschools.org/eCommunicator


Important Dates

November 9: Board Meeting - 6:00 pm at Seaman High School
November 11: No School - Parent-Teacher Conferences
November 23: Student Group A on-site (SMS & SHS)
November 24: Student Group B on-site (SMS & SHS)
November 25: No School - Thanksgiving Break
November 26: No School - Thanksgiving Break
November 27: No School - Thanksgiving Break

Message from the Superintendent

Winter weather is here and with three different learning environments active throughout the district, there are many questions around how snow days will be handled. At this time, we will continue the plan with the first two snow days following our board approved schedule of traditional snow days with no makeup dates. Our teaching and learning department will be working with principals to develop snow day plans for any additional inclement weather days thereafter.

Also new this year is the possibility of a late start day in lieu of a traditional snow day. A late start schedule could enable the school district to have school after a two-hour delay. This would allow road crews and mother nature to help make it safe for students, staff, and families to travel to school. Principals will be reviewing a "late-start schedule" with building staff.

Please take a moment to review the new mask guidelines and modified classroom quarantine requirements from the Shawnee County Health Department. The mask guidance includes acceptable and unacceptable face coverings. The new modified classroom quarantine allows preschool through 8th grade classrooms to follow a different criteria for quarantining after exposure in a classroom.

“If there is a close contact in the classroom and both individuals (the positive case and the exposed individual) are wearing a mask correctly and for the entire duration of the close contact, in general the exposed individual(s) will not be placed into a 14 day quarantine. Each case/situation will continue to be evaluated on a case by case basis, through collaboration with the school(s)/district POC and SCHD.”

As always, thank you for taking the time to read through our monthly eNewsletter as we try to keep you all informed with updates and information.

Dr. Noble
Dr. Steve Noble
Superintendent


Winter Weather
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. 

Bus Transportation Notice 

Bus Masks
As you all know, the district had solicited parent assistance for transportation so we could continue our mitigation efforts on bus rides which includes one rider per seat (with the exception of family units and daycare). Since then, we have seen an increase in the number of bus riders registered.

With the increased number of students currently registered for busing and the continued impact of the coronavirus pandemic, we anticipate the future need of either running double routes (greatly impacting pick-up and drop times for certain families) or putting more than one student per seat regardless of family and daycare cohorting which would increase the possibility of COVID spread and quarantines. Masks will still be required for riders.

If you have signed up for transportation but find yourself able to transport your child(ren), please call the transportation office at 785-286-8440 to be removed from routing. Reducing riders will allow us to continue our one child per seat safety measure.

Thank you for your help in keeping our students and staff safe while we continue our mitigation efforts the best we can. The safety of our students, staff, and community remain our top priority as we continue the school year.


Winter Break Schedule

December 24 - January 1: No School 
January 4: School Resumes

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 done 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. 

SHS Fall Sports Review

Football
The Viking football team completed their regular season with a 7-1 record and earned the 5A East #1 seed. The Viking football team will host Blue Valley Southwest in a second round(Regional) playoff game on Friday, November 6 at 7:00pm. Congratulations to Coach O’Neil and the entire football staff for an outstanding regular season and good luck in the playoffs!

SVTV Live Streaming Football Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPDxBcMi3-8ifp0hWytcbFQ

Boys Cross Country
Congratulations to Coach Wiens & Coach Kennett and our boys cross country team for tier 9th place team finish at the State Cross Country meet on Saturday, October 31 at 4 Mile Course in Augusta. Seaman’s top finisher at State was Corbin Atkins(37th).

Congratulations to the Regional Championship team: Corbin Atkins(6th), Jace Moore(8th), Jack Horacek (11th), Anson Appelhanz (12th), Landon Stuke (13th), Ryan Buckley (15th) & Branen Moore(21st) in qualifying for the State meet.

Girls Cross Country
Congratulations to Coach Brading and Coach Stueve for their 9th place team finish at the State meet on Saturday, October 31 at 4 Mile Course in Augusta. Bethany Druse(So.) finished 9th overall in covering the 3.1 mile race in a time of 19:50.32, earning 1st team All-State honors.

Congratulations to the Lady Vikes 5A Regional championship team: Bethany Druse(2nd), Emma Schultz(5th), Gabby Grace(8th), Megan Allacher(10th), Tara Spencer(15th), Savannah Sampson (23rd) & Brooke Polter(26th) in qualifying for the State meet.

Volleyball
Congratulations Coach Schafer and the Lady Vikes volleyball team(28-8) who concluded their season in a 4-set, State Quarterfinal match to eventual State Runner-Up, Lansing on Tuesday, October 27. Congratulations to the Lady Vikings for winning their Sub-State tournament and qualifying for the State Tournament for the first time since 2014.

Boys Soccer
The boys soccer team(7-6-1) defeated Highland Park a first round home playoff game on Tuesday, October 27. The soccer team concluded their season on Thursday in 2-1 overtime loss at Shawnee Heights in the second round of the playoffs.

Girls Golf
Congratulations to Coach McLaughlin and Coach Etzel and our Girls golf team on their season. Aspen Burgardt(So) and Molly McLaughlin(Sr) qualified for the State meet in Emporia. Molly McLaughlin was named first-team All-City and Aspen Burgardt was named to the second team. Also receiving honors were two Centennial League honorable mention selections in Molly McLaughlin and Avery Samuelson(Fr). Avery was also announced as the Centennial League Newcomer-of-the-Year.

Girls Tennis
Congratulations to Coach Gill & Coach Horton and the Lady Vikes tennis team for winning the City Tennis championship. The ladies also added runner-up finishes in both the Centennial League and Regional meets. The Lady Vikes City Championship winning team were paced by four All-City selections; Sarah Latendresse, champion in #2 Singles, while Lauren Sweeny & Grace Unruh won the City and Centennial League titles in #1 Doubles. Elise Schreiner finished 3rd in #1 Singles at City and 4th in League. Elise was also crowned Regional champion in #1 Singles while Lauren & Grace were Doubles champions. This marks the first time is school history the #1 Singles and #1 Doubles teams were both crowned Regional Champions! Lauren Sweeney and Grace Unruh capped their record-setting season by finishing 4th at State and concluded their outstanding season with an overall record of 32-3.

SMS Fall Sports Review

Football
Seaman Middle School football had a great season; our athletes learned the importance of hard work and dedication. The 8th Grade Football team had 5-2, which we are very proud of. The 7th Grade Football team worked hard and learned a variety of skills that will help them continue to seek success in 8th grade.

Cross Country
Our SMS Cross Country teams were amazing this season. There was plenty of hard work and dedication which translated into many personal records. The 8th grade boys finished the season as the Centennial League Champions! Our 8th grade girls finished the season in 2nd place. Our 7th grade girls finished in 3rd place and the 7th grade boys 4th place We are so proud of their accomplishments this fall season.

Volleyball
Both of our volleyball teams came in with a lot of experience and talent. They battled hard all season and finished strong. The 8th grade girls finished with a League Championship, way to go Lady Vikings! The 7th graders fought hard in a competitive league and placed third in the league.

Girls Tennis
Girls tennis worked incredibly hard this season. They were dedicated the entire season and were able to make it to practices at 6 am in the morning. Our season was very limited due to the restrictions for COVID many of our competitors were unable to compete. We had many matchups with our friends from Washburn Rural and finished the season in a great place.


Mobile Food Pantry

Harvesters
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. 

November 9
December 14
January 11
February 8
March 8
April 12
May 10
 
Who to Call

2020-21 Calendar

The hybrid calendars below show the student group days assigned for in-person learning as well as an overview of no school days.

Click here to view the 2020-21 Updated Elementary Calendar for Full On-Site Transition.

Click here to view the 2020-21 Hybrid School Year calendar.

Shawnee County Health Dept Updates

Please review the following COVID-19 updates from the Shawnee County Health Department.

Face Coverings/Cloth Face Masks
A face covering or cloth face mask is intended to trap droplets that are released when the wearer talks, coughs or sneezes. Asking everyone to wear cloth masks can help reduce the spread of the virus by people who have COVID-19 but don't realize it. Cloth face coverings and masks are easy to find or make, and can also be washed and reused. Masks must fit securely over the mouth and nose, and can be made from common materials, such as sheets made of tightly woven cotton and should include multiple layers of fabric. Click here to read more.

Close Contact Quarantine Modification in the School Setting – Shawnee County Elementary and Middle Schools ONLY
Close contact is defined as any individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 10 minutes starting 2 days before illness onset or, for asymptomatic individuals, 2 days prior to positive specimen collection. The best approach for prevention of COVID-19 transmission continues to be wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing of 6 feet at all times. However, there are instances when a close contact may occur within a school. In those cases, appropriate isolation or quarantine precautions need to be taken. Based on a review of the information from SNCO schools over the past 6 to 8 weeks, we are implementing a close contact follow-up modification for elementary and middle school students, effective Wednesday, Oct. 21st, 2020. Click here to read more.


SMS Play

Come one come all for the SMS Theaterworks Fall play, Disorder in the Court. The kooky cast of characters in this funny, farcical court case is unlike any other. Casey Licit has been charged with an outrageous triple crime. As she maintains her innocence she soon realizes the courtroom of Berserksville is not normal and has no order. How will Casey ever prove she is innocent?

Purchase your tickets at lunchtime the week of Nov 2 or at the door. Performance dates are November 5th and 6th at 7pm.

  • Each cast member is allowed 3 tickets per night.
  • Ticket Prices are $3 adults and $2 for senior citizens and students.
  • The performance will either be live streamed or recorded and uploaded to the SMS facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/SeamanMiddleUSD345
  • All those entering for watching the play will have temperature taken at door.
  • Performances are Nov 5 and 6 at 7 pm at SMS

SHS Play

It's a Wonderful Life is the story of George Bailey, the unsung, beloved hero of Bedford Falls. As a child, George risked his own life to save his brother from drowning. As he grew older, his countless small deeds mattered very much in the lives of the Bedford Falls townspeople. George prepares to leave town and go to college to fulfill his dream of building skyscrapers. However, many setbacks, George postpones his dreams, manages the family company, and finds happiness in his marriage to Mary Hatch. When Uncle Billy accidentally misplaces company funds, George faces financial ruin and almost certain imprisonment. Seeing no way out, he runs to the bridge over the river, prepared to plunge to his death. Enter Clarence, George's lovable, bumbling guardian angel, who has come to Bedford Falls to prove to George that his life is worth living and to earn wings for himself. He grants George one wish: to see what the world would be like if he had never been born. Suddenly Bedford Falls is a very unpleasant place. George returns to the bridge and begs to have his life back. Clarence grants it and George runs home to find his children, his wife, and a town that rallies to support him. Finally, George comes to realize…it truly is a wonderful life.

  • Tickets $5. In person and online (link will be posted on SHS Facebook)
  • This will also be broadcasted on the radio in the month of December via KMAJ-AM
  • Following USD 345 health guidelines, Masks worn the whole time, Social Distance (Every other Row, Family Units, handwashing stations.)

Technology Support

Laptop
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. 

COVID Exposure Guidelines


Lunch Menu

Food
Click here to view the lunch menu. You can also subscribe to calendar feed for quick access as you're planning for your day.  

Tips from the School Nurse

Cold and Flu season is upon us. It is important for children to attend school, but when a child is truly sick, they need to stay home to get well and prevent spreading illness to others. Please help us keep our students and staff healthy by reviewing the following illness prevention strategies.
  • Wash hands frequently with soap and water
  • Cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing; preferably into the inside of your elbow
  • Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth
  • Eat right, exercise, and get plenty of rest to help boost your immunity
It’s not too late to get a flu shot!
Please keep your sick child home from school until they have been FREE FROM FEVER, VOMITING, AND/OR DIARRHEA FOR 24 HOURS (without use of medication)

Please feel free to contact the school nurse in your child’s building if you have questions or wonder if you should send your child to school or not. When calling the school to report an absence due to illness you will be asked to provide your child’s symptoms. This is so we can track the spread of certain illnesses in a particular grade or classroom and respond accordingly. Thank you for giving us this information. Please see the Seaman USD #345 school district communicable disease guidelines for further information regarding when to keep your child home from school.


Board Digest

Discovery Award
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 at the Seaman High School, 4850 NW Rochester Rd, in the Band Room 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:
November 9, 2020
December 14, 2020
January 11, 2021
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.