OCTOBER 2020
View current and past e-Communicators by visiting www.seamanschools.org/eCommunicator.
Important Dates
October 5: 4-6th Grade Hybrid Students Transition to Full On-site
October 6: Wellness Night - Cancelled
October 7: No School - PD Day
October 12: Regular School Board Meeting
October 28: Early Release
SMS & SHS Transition to Full On-Site Update
The board reviewed feedback from Seaman Middle School and Seaman High School parents, students, and staff at the September 28, 2020 special board meeting. SMS survey results indicated 44.6% of staff, 81.9% of parents, and 82.6% of students are comfortable with a return to full on-site learning. SHS survey results indicated 34.34% of staff, 74.4% of parents, and 54.2% of students are comfortable with a return to full on-site learning. The district also shared COVID-19 mitigation strategies and county and local COVID metrics with the board of education.
The district presented a plan that would transition SMS and SHS students on-site with all students working remotely on Wednesdays. After discussion, district administration will be revising their plan to include the following.
- SMS and SHS will begin identifying and bringing in students to on-site learning four or five days a week in the next couple of weeks.
- SMS hybrid students will attend on-site learning on October 21 for a trial run and transition to full on-site learning beginning October 26 with nearly all students working remotely every Wednesday and a few students attending five days a week.
- SHS hybrid students will be offered the option to remain in hybrid or transition to full on-site learning (with Wednesdays as remote days).
- Family Choice Remote Learning will continue as planned.
The board will review the revised plans and take action at the October 12 board meeting.
Fall Into Fitness 5K - Postponed
The annual Fall Into Fitness 5K has been postponed due to uncertainty surrounding the continued impact of the coronavirus pandemic. A new date will be posted once determined by the USD 345 Wellness Council.
SHS Football Live Streams
10/2 - Manhattan -
https://youtu.be/W1WsUY1PR7c
10/23 - Washburn Rural -
https://youtu.be/wZOwMKZpLrs
Follow the links below for more detail on athletic and activity plans.
Seaman Middle School Fall Athletic Plans
Seaman High School Fall Athletic Plans
Other Seaman High School Fall Activity Plans
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.
October 12
November 9
December 14
January 11
February 8
March 8
April 12
May 10
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. A new calendar for elementary is also available to represent the transition to full on-site.
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.
Community Partner Remote Learning WiFi
The Shawnee North Community Center
The Shawnee North Community Center has recently added wifi and Seaman students are welcome to use this new resource.
Shawnee North Community Center hours vary due to program schedules. The center is open at least 8am-5pm Monday – Friday. Later hours are available when programming allows. Please call ahead any time after 5 pm for evening hours or for any other questions. No guardian is required but there will be no direct supervision.
Shawnee North Community Center phone number is 785-251-6900.
Study Lounge at Northland
The Northland Study Lounge will be open weekly on Wednesdays from 7:30 am-12:00 pm. Northland Christian Church is providing space for students in 7th-12th grade to work on school work. They will have access to free wifi, a secure and supervised environment, and a socially distance work space.
Students will have the opportunity to schedule a session with a background checked tutor as needed. Spots are limited so register to reserve a spot in the Cafe at northland.cc.
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.
Remote Day Lunch & Breakfast
Due to a high volume of lunch and breakfast orders with no pick up, the remote day ordering has been revised. Parents will now receive an email to place an order each week. Pick up locations will only be available at Seaman Middle School on Wednesdays from 10:00-11:00 am.
If you would like to order meals for remote days, please fill out the form below. Meals may be requested for three days if a student is in hybrid (grades 7-12), or five days for a student in Family Choice Remote Learning.
Order Form:
https://forms.gle/uHniJh7D3TcpAnbKA (Deadline October 5)
Pick up at Seaman Middle School (5530 NW Topeka Blvd.) at 10:00 to 11:00 AM on October 7, 2020.
Lunch Menu
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
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 2019-20 school year:
October 12, 2020
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.
Information on Lockdowns
When the district becomes aware of an incident or situation that has the potential to compromise the safety of our schools, we will initiate a lockdown. During these incidents, our first priority is to secure our students and keep them safe. For safety reasons, parents are not allowed to pick their children up during a lockdown and students are not permitted to leave the building.
Our second priority is communicating with our families. We will use our messaging service, SchoolMessenger, during emergency situations. This service will notify affected families using text and email. It is important to be sure your contact information is current and updated so you can receive these updates, as our school personnel will not always be available to answer phone calls during these instances. If a lockdown occurs at the end of the day, students will still be kept inside and bus service may be temporarily interrupted.
In some cases, schools will initiate a brief “soft” lockdown when it is necessary for students to remain in classrooms while an incident is managed (ie medical emergency). During “soft” lockdowns, normal school activities continue, with the exception of hallway traffic and outdoor recess. These incidents will not be mass communicated to protect the privacy of students involved. If the incident affects your child, you will be contacted.
The safety of our students is our number one priority and we will keep parents notified of procedures, pick-up instructions (if necessary) and other information pertaining to all emergencies.