November 9, 2020

Board Digest

November 9, 2020

 

Following each board of education meeting, the Director of Communications recaps the board meeting in the Board Digest. To view the full agenda, click here.

Learning Without Limits

The Kansas Horizon Award program identifies and recognizes exemplary first-year teachers in the elementary and secondary classrooms of the state. Each year, the district selects one elementary nominee and one secondary to be considered for the KSDE Horizon awards. This year's USD 345 Horizon Award nominees are as follows.

Sarah Kennedy
Sarah Kennedy - Elementary - West Indianola 2nd Grade Teacher

Ashley Womack
Ashley Womack - Secondary - Seaman High School Social Studies Teacher

Take a look at the following statements from students in their classrooms.

"After COVID-19 started making people sick, Mrs. Kennedy made sure to keep our 2nd grade year going. She mailed packages to my classmates that had prizes, worksheets, and a laminated picture of her in it," said a student in Mrs. Kennedy's class. "She told us to keep the picture with us while we were in quarantine and out of school and said to take her with us on our adventures and send her pictures so we could keep in touch. My favorite thing about remote learning with Mrs. Kennedy was that she read us bedtime stories on See-Saw, that made me feel like she really cared about my class."

"As a student of Ms. Ashley Womack’s during her first year in education, I was absolutely blown away by the relevance and engagement she added to her classes," said one of Ms. Womack's students. "In regards to coursework, Ms. Womack goes above and beyond to make sure she is teaching the utmost relevant and up-to- date information – knowledge that will certainly benefit students in the future. In her classes, she engages students by allowing them to guide discussion, allows for project-based learning, and truly is committed to ensuring that her students are prepared for the future in terms of the information that is being taught to them. Although alterations had to be made to her coursework as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Womack was still determined to create a virtual environment that allowed her students to learn to the best of their abilities."  


Superintendent Remarks

Dr. Noble reviewed the USD 345 learning trend report for the past five years. This report will be one of four items included in the district's annual report that is released in February.  

Click here to view the learning trend report.

Dr. Noble also reviewed the current state of the county coronavirus numbers and how the community spread is impacting the district's staff and students. 

Shawnee County recently reported an increase of seven points from 14 to 21 and is in the “Uncontrolled” index. The County is experiencing a sharp increase (70%) in the number of cases diagnosed last week with the percentage of positive tests increasing from 5.4% to 10.7% (the first time it crossed the 10% mark). Both hospitals report an increase in the level of utilization of testing and inpatient services, and the health department is currently unable to follow up timely with every new case diagnosed. Dr. Noble reiterated the mitigation strategies the district is using in USD 345 schools to reduce the spread.
  1. Masks
  2. Handwashing Breaks
  3. Physical Distancing (Secondary Schools)
  4. Cohorting (Elementary Schools)
  5. Temperature Checks
  6. Contact Tracing
  7. Cleaning and Disinfecting
Parameters for Changing Learning Environments - R2R
Shawnee County Scorecard
COVID Impact

Dr. Noble recently sent a letter asking our community to partner with the district in helping reduce the spread of COVID-19. "The mitigation strategies implemented in our schools are only effective if these same strategies are utilized outside of our schools. Thank you for your continued partnership and support as we work together to keep our students, staff, and community as safe as possible throughout this pandemic."

District administration and building principals are beginning to work on plans for a rapid transition to required remote so buildings and classrooms are prepared for a possible change in learning environments.

President's Remarks

On behalf of the USD 345 School Board, I would like to commend our student journalists, Tristan Fangman and Madeline Gearhart, on publishing the research of two of our high school teachers that proves the rumor of Fred A. Seaman’s connection to the Ku Klux Klan. Racism and hate have no place in our schools or our community and the views that this group represents in no way reflect the inclusive environment that we are dedicated to providing for each one of our students and their families.

Last summer, the school district began organizing a community event where we could all come together to have a conversation around eliminating racism and social injustice. The event was scheduled to take place on July 23, 2020. After the pandemic hit and the school year was disrupted, the event was postponed. We are excited to announce the new date for this community conversation, for both in-person and online, to be December 7th from 7:00-8:00pm in the Seaman High School gym. This Community Conversation is organized by a committee of parents, students, administrators, and other professionals. We hope to talk about our history as a district, where we are now, and where we want to be, as we strive for an inclusive and anti-racist school community. This is the beginning of the process in determining how to move forward. Our community is much bigger than one person.

James Adams
James Adams
USD 345 Board President  


Board of Education Consent Agenda

The consent agenda contains items packaged into one agenda item. They are often routine and garner very little discussion. A full list of consent items can be found by visiting the BoardDocs website


Discussion Items 

  • R2R Update
  • Snow Day Plan / Late Start Schedule
  • Teaching and Learning Report
  • KCTC Survey
  • Special Services Report
  • Building and Grounds Report
  • Business and Finance Report
  • Certified 2020-21 Assessed Valuation and Mill Levy


  • Action Items (approved)

     

    Next 345 Board of Education Meeting

    The next regularly scheduled board meeting will take place on December 14. It is scheduled to start at 6:00 pm. The Seaman USD #345 Board of Education will plan to meet at Seaman High School, 4850 NW Rochester Rd, in the Band Room.


    Board of Education Agenda

    To review previous board of education agendas, click here.


    How Can I Watch a Previous Board of Education Meeting?

    The video from the meeting will be available by the Tuesday at noon following the meeting. The video can be viewed by clicking here.

     

    Seaman School District USD #345
    901 NW Lyman Rd | Topeka, KS 66608