2nd Quarter Honor Roll

8th Grade: Emerson Cross, Emily Anger*, Evelyn Bukac*, Grace Schaefermeyer*, Jennifer Fernandez, Lane Petersen, Lola Swanson*, Lucy Bamford*, Madeleine Haas*, Makena DesErmia*, Mason Elhard, Mikinley Williams, Pamela Hillestad, Olin Liljemark, Olivia Jones, Otto Nipp*, Poppy Terry

7th Grade: Addison Gerlach, Amara Ransom, Ava Nappi*, Crystal Maddox, Indigo Leslie*, Jaelyn Crites, Jonas Moseman*, Josie Andrews*, Lia Shank, Logan Johnson, Natalie Saltamacchio, Olive James*, Raegan Hillestad, Regan Seibert, Sevin Phillips , Tyler Burnett

6th Grade: Alta Liljemark*, Alyssa Kirchner, Amiyah Tatum*, Andrew Ennis, Atigun Petersen, Avery Staggs, Carter Ivy, Claire Anger*, Cora Ellsworth*, Dylan Bond*, Gabrielle Murdock, Hanna Leatherman, Isabel Jones*, James Fernandez*, Kirra DesErmia*, Kyler Barlow, Leo Nipp*, Nash Bamford, Olivia Jordan, Paxton Craytor, Quinn Humbert, Rebecca Brackin, Sadie Haas*,Tenley Olsen

*4.0 GPA

No longer require universal masking 2/3/22

Thank you for your effort in the past two weeks to keep as many people attending school in person. Our school will no longer require universal masking beginning 2/3/2022. However, we strongly encourage face coverings indoors at school. Factors that impacted this decision include reduction of positive COVID-19 cases in schools; less identified close contacts and a lower student absenteeism rate; available staffing and substitute teachers; local hospital and ICU capacity; community transmission rates, and ability to physical distance in our school.

KPBSD Budget Meeting

The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District requests input from staff, parents, and community members at the districtwide KPBSD budget meetings scheduled at the following times:

  • Homer Community – Tuesday, February 15, 2022 @ 6:00pm Homer High Library
  • Central Peninsula Community – Wednesday, February 16, 2022 @ 6:00 pm KCHS Library
  • Seward Community – Thursday, February 24, 2022, @ 6:00 pm Seward High Library

The February 16th meeting will also be a Zoom Meeting.  The link is posted on the KPBSD Events Calendar.

Additional information and the number to call in with questions will be posted on the Finance Page of the KPBSD website.  As new budget information becomes available, it will also be posted on the Finance page.  If you have questions, please call Natalie Bates at 714-8888.

2hr delay start 1/25/2022

There will be a 2 Hour Weather Delay for all Seward schools on 1/25/2022.  Additionally, that means the 6th Grade Alyeska Trip won’t happen tomorrow- it will have to be postponed.  If the weather warrants cancellation of school an additional notification will be sent out around 7 AM (if you don’t hear anything, only a two hour delay will be in place).

Schedule:

Period 19:50-10:28
Period 210:31-11:09
Period 311:12-11:50
Lunch/Adv11:53-12:23
Lunch/Adv12:26-12:56
Period 412:59-1:38
Period 51:41-2:20

Universal Masking for 2 weeks

Dear Seward Middle School families,

When 2022 arrived, the omicron variant did too, and is affecting our school and community with an increase of positive COVID-19 cases. To keep as many people as possible working and attending school in person, as an added safety measure, our school will join other KPBSD schools, and begin universal masking on Jan. 18th, 2022 for two weeks.

This will help slow in-school exposure to COVID-19, and keep students in school without a need to quarantine if they are exposed to someone who is positive for COVID-19.* Factors that impact this decision include positive COVID-19 cases in schools; the number of identified close contacts; absenteeism rates; high community transmission; and local health care capacity. You can read about the decision-making process that was followed in the KPBSD Mitigation Plan to make this temporary change.

Seward Middle will require face coverings for all students and staff while indoors at school, beginning Jan. 18, 2022. This will be reevaluated after 2 weeks. Face coverings continue to be required for everyone who rides a bus.

In addition, in December KPBSD added a Close Contact Monitor, Test, and Stay Protocol so close contacts can leave their quarantine and go to work or school if they have no symptoms and wear a mask for 10 days. On January 12, 2022, a new COVID-19 Positive Monitor, Mask and Return Protocol for people who test positive and never have any symptoms was added, so isolation can end early and they can return to school or work on day 6.

I am asking us all to do our part to help keep everyone safe during this trying time. Wearing face coverings will help us keep more students in school because students will not be considered close contacts if both the student who tests positive is wearing a mask and the students sitting close to them are also wearing a face covering. Universal masking in our school will result in less students needing to quarantine. Superintendent Holland supports this temporary change. Thank you for your consideration and help in this trying time.

Sincerely,

Matt Potter

SMS Principal

New Monitor, Mask and Return Protocol

Staff and students who test positive for COVID-19 and have not experienced any symptoms of illness may choose an option to end isolation and return to work or school on Day 6. Staff and students must follow the KPBSD Monitor, Mask and Return Protocols to return to school or work.

MONITOR

  1. Be symptom free from illness (asymptomatic) on Days 0-5. The first day of a positive COVID-19 test is Day 0. If you have never developed symptoms of illness, on Day 6 you may return to work or school, and strictly follow the KPBSD Monitor, Mask and Return protocol.

MASK and RETURN

  • Wear a well-fitting mask in school at all times days 6-10. If any symptoms of illness develop, you must stay home and isolate. When you cannot wear a face covering (i.e., when eating or drinking) you should maintain a minimum of six feet of distance from other individuals to every extent possible.

Athletes: In addition to the above protocols, to continue to participate in school sponsored co-curricular activities, athletes must also continue Daily Symptom Check Protocols.

Do you have symptoms and a positive COVID-19 test?

KPBSD staff and students who have COVID-19 and have or had symptoms may return to school or work ten days after their positive COVID-19 test or symptom onset date. They must be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.

KPBSD is continuing to work with public health and may revise this protocol in the next few weeks.

Definitions

  • Isolation separates someone who is infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 (or presumed to be infected because they have symptoms) away from people who are not infected, including household members.
  • Quarantine separates people who were exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19 from others, including household members, during the time when they could become sick and infect others.

KPBSD COVID-19 Hub: covid19.kpbsd.org

MAPS Testing Monday – Wednesday

SMS Community-

We will be taking our Winter MAP Tests Monday, January 10th, Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 12th.  Make-up Tests will be that Thursday and Friday.  As the whole district is now utilizing MAPs Testing the data becomes more important, especially as our students prepare for High School.  The data is used as a piece for placement in Math and ELA classes so please talk to your students about the importance of taking their time and trying their best.  Also, please make sure that they bring there Chromebooks fully charged and are getting a full nights sleep, and either eat breakfast at home or at school.  Please see the schedule for  what the school day is going to look like M, T, W.

Testing Schedule Monday-Wednesday:

Testing:  7:50-9:10 

Period 1:  9:15-10:02 

Period 2:  10:07-10:54

Period 3:  10:59-11:46 

Lunch/ Advisory:  11:46- 12:11 

Lunch/ Advisory:  12:11- 12:41 

Period 4:  12:41- 1:28 

Period 5:  1:33- 2:20 

There will no exploratories Monday-Wednesday