August eCommunicator

Welcome to a brand-new school year! I hope your summer has been filled with opportunities to relax, recharge, and make lasting memories with family and friends. As we prepare to welcome students back into our classrooms, our staff is excited to begin another year of learning, growth, and success together.

At Seaman School District, our mission is simple: Working together, we will prepare each student for lifelong success. That partnership between our schools and families is one of the greatest strengths of our district, and we appreciate the trust you place in us each day.

This school year brings new opportunities for students to learn, grow, and discover their potential. Whether your child is walking into school for the very first time or beginning their final year before graduation, and everything in between, our staff is committed to creating safe, welcoming learning environments where every student can thrive.

As a reminder, this year also marks the beginning of our Instructional Collaboration Mornings. Every Wednesday, students will begin school one hour later than usual. During that time, our teachers and staff will work together to strengthen instruction, analyze student learning, share effective practices, and collaborate on ways to best meet the needs of every child. Research consistently shows that high-quality teacher collaboration leads to stronger instruction and improved student outcomes, making this investment in our staff an investment in every student.

We encourage families to look ahead and review the Wednesday schedule and plan accordingly. We appreciate your flexibility and support as we implement this important opportunity for continuous improvement.

I would also like to encourage you to stay connected with your child's teachers, celebrate their successes, ask questions, and remain engaged in their time at school. When schools and families work together, students benefit in countless ways.

Thank you for being an important part of the Seaman School District family. We are honored to serve your children and look forward to another outstanding year of learning, growth, and celebration.

As families plan for the rest of the 2026-27 school year, below are important dates to keep in mind.

Aug 3: District Back to School Bash at LO 4:30-6:00 pm

Aug 3: Senior schedules with incomplete schedules: Counselors Available 8:30 am-2:30 pm

Aug 4: Junior Schedules with incomplete schedules: Counselors Available 8:30 am-2:30 pm

Aug 4: SMS schedule changes at building 9 am-12:00,1:00-3 pm

Aug 4: SHS laptop checkout 8:00-11:00 am

Aug 5: Soph Schedules with incomplete schedules: Counselors Available 8:30 am-2:30 pm

Aug 5: SMS schedule changes at building 9 am-12:00,1:00-3 pm

Aug 5: SHS laptop checkout 11:00 am-3:00 pm

Aug 6: Last day to enroll in order to get bussing on the first day of school

Aug 6: Freshman/New SHS Orientation 5:30 pm

Aug 6: SHS laptop checkout 8:00-11:00 am

Aug 6: Fresh/New students with incomplete schedules: Counselors Available 8:30 am-2:30 pm

Aug 10: SMS Parent Night 5:00-6:30 pm

Aug 11: Elementary Sneak Peeks 5:00-6:00 pm

Aug 11: LO Family Connection Conferences 3:00-5:00 pm

Aug 12: SHS new student schedules: Counselors Available 8:30 am-2:30 pm

Aug 12: MELC Sneak Peek 5:00-6:00 pm

Aug 13: First Day of School (K-10) (PHLC)

Aug 14: First Day of School (MELC) (11-12)

Aug 19: Transportation changes turned in take effect 8/24

Aug 24: EL Kindergarten Parent Night 5:00-5:45 pm

Aug 24: EL 1st-6th Parent Night 5:45-7:15 pm

Aug 25: NH Parent Night 6:00-7:00 pm

Aug 25: WI Parent Night - Kindergarten 5:00-5:45 pm

• 2nd, 4th, 6th 5:45-6:15 pm
• 1st, 3rd, 5th 6:30-7:00 pm

Aug 26: SHS Open House 5:30 pm

Aug 27: NF Kindergarten Parent Night 6:00 -7:00 pm

Sep 3: NF Parent Night 1st, 3rd, 5th grade at 6:00 pm & 2nd, 4th, 6th grade 6:30 pm

Sep 3: MELC Parent Night 5:30-7:00 pm

Sep 10: NH Grandparents Breakfast 8:00-9:00 am (last names A-M)

Sep 11: NH Grandparents Breakfast 8:00-9:00 am (last names L-Z)

Sept 17: WI Family Night

Sept 22: NF Grandparents Breakfast

Sept 24: NF Book Fair/Family Fun Night 5:30-7:00 pm

We want to make families aware of an important change regarding student cell phone use that will take effect beginning with the 2026-2027 school year.

During the most recent legislative session, the State of Kansas passed House Bill 2299, which requires all Kansas school districts and accredited nonpublic schools to adopt updated policies regarding “personal electronic communication devices” during the school day. Because this is now state law, school districts are required to comply with the provisions outlined in the bill.

USD 345 has had student cell phone expectations and procedures in place; however, this new law establishes requirements that are significantly different from previous practices.

Under HB 2299, school districts must:

• Prohibit students from using or accessing personal electronic communication devices during the school day;

• Require devices to be turned off and securely stored away from the student’s person in an inaccessible location during the school day;

• Establish enforcement procedures and disciplinary actions for violations.

The law defines “personal electronic communication devices” broadly to include cell phones, smart watches, tablets, wireless headphones or earbuds, and similar personal devices not issued by the school district. The law defines the “school day” as the entire school day from the start of school until dismissal, including classrooms, passing periods, recess, and lunch periods.

The legislation does provide limited exceptions for students whose device use is required as part of an IEP, 504 Plan, or documented medical necessity approved by a licensed physician.

Schools will be communicating procedures, handbook language, and building-specific expectations with parents prior to the start of the 2026-2027 school year. We understand this represents a significant adjustment for students and families, but it is important to note that these changes are being implemented in response to state legislation and required compliance with Kansas law.

Thank you for your partnership and understanding as we work through these new state requirements together.

• Jointly plan high-quality lessons
• Align curriculum across grade levels and courses
• Analyze student data to adjust instruction
• Share effective teaching strategies
• Solve instructional challenges together
• Support ongoing professional growth

Boys and Girls Club of Topeka is partnering with USD 345 to provide a Wednesday only option for our families in addition to their other programing to help those who need a one-day-only model for Instructional Collaboration Mornings.

https://www.bgctopeka.org/joinaclub

We are excited to share that Donna McGinty will serve as our Board President and Braden Werner as Vice President this school year! We are even more excited to note that our new Board President is a retired educator, while our new Vice President is a current educator, combining years of experience with an active, firsthand understanding of today's classrooms.

Thank you to Christy Weiler for serving as our past president and to all of our Board of Education members for their service, leadership, and dedication to Seaman USD 345. We look forward to another great year of working together to prepare each student for lifelong success!

Seaman Middle School students earned national recognition this summer as they represented Kansas at the 2026 National History Day competition, held June 14-18 at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland.

National History Day is a yearlong academic program that challenges students to conduct in-depth historical research and present their findings through exhibits, documentaries, performances, papers or websites. This year's theme, Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History, encouraged students to explore how significant moments in history have shaped communities and changed the world.

Under the guidance of social studies teacher Jeff Schuh, Seaman Middle School students advanced from regional and state competitions to compete on the national stage against thousands of students from across the country.

The following Seaman Middle School students qualified for the National History Day competition:

Junior Individual Website

• Owen Mason – The Battle of Blair Mountain: When Revolution Sparked Reform in the Coalfields
• Keaton Mengarelli – Breaking the Soil: How the Tractor Revolution Transformed American Farming

Junior Group Website

• Caleb Hidy, Grant Wade, Grayson Adams and Kaden Ewing – The Monongah Spark: Igniting the Fire for Mine Safety
• Kate Sloyer, Marley Brading and Tinsley Maycock – From "Skirted Soldiers" to Permanent Soldiers: Revolutionizing Women's Roles, Reacting to Resistance and Reforming the Armed Services

In addition to qualifying for nationals, one Seaman Middle School project earned a Top 10 national finish.

Junior Group Documentary – Top 10 National Finish

• Adilyn Brown, Bryanna Dowty and Tarryn Rhodes – A Camera as a Weapon: The Revolutionary Work of Lewis Hine

Their documentary also received the Junior State Award for Kansas, recognizing it as one of the state's outstanding History Day projects.

Congratulations to all of our Seaman Middle School students for their hard work, dedication and outstanding representation of Seaman School District on the national stage. Their achievements reflect months of research, collaboration and critical thinking, as well as a passion for learning that extends far beyond the classroom.

We have an exciting update coming to report cards this school year!

Families of students in grades 2-4 will notice clearer language on report cards. While the way students are assessed is not changing, the language used to describe what students are learning will be much easier to understand.

In elementary school, Seaman School District uses standards-based grading. Instead of receiving one overall grade for a subject, students are evaluated on specific skills they are expected to learn based on the Kansas Academic Standards.

In the past, report cards listed the state standards exactly as they were written. While accurate, these standards are often long and written in technical language, making it difficult for families, and even students, to quickly understand what each skill meant.

Beginning this year, those standards will be written as simple "I Can…" statements that clearly describe the learning goal in student-friendly language. For example, instead of reading a lengthy state standard, families may see a statement such as, "I can compare three-digit numbers using greater than, less than, and equal to."

This change was driven by our teachers, who have spent the past year working together to align curriculum and identify the most essential learning standards for each grade level. They carefully transformed the state standards into language that is easier for students and families to understand while keeping the academic expectations exactly the same.

Why was this work important to us?

• Conversations on student learning between parents and their child is important. With this report card enhancement, parents will have a clearer understanding of each skill their child is learning and can more easily discuss progress with their child and teacher.
• When students take ownership, they become active participants in their education. Students will now be able to better identify what they know and what they are still working toward because the learning targets are written in language they understand.
• Teachers can now spend less time translating educational jargon and more time discussing student growth, strengths, and next steps with parents at conferences.

The report card's 1-5 proficiency scale will remain the same, helping families understand how well a student is demonstrating each skill. Only the wording of the learning targets has changed.

Working together, we are continually looking for ways to strengthen our partnerships and improve communication between school and home. These new "I Can" statements create a common understanding between students, families, and teachers, leading to more productive conversations and stronger partnerships in support of student learning.

Footballs, soccer balls, tennis balls, and any other sports equipment are not permitted past the entry gates into the football stadium and grounds, in order to create a safer and more enjoyable experience for all attendees.

We are excited to have everyone out to watch some Viking football this season! Go Vikings!

Note: The 2026-27 Calendar includes a one-hour late start for Instructional Collaboration Mornings every Wednesday and an added five minutes to the beginning of each day.

Parents can create an account in Titan LINQConnect to submit free and reduced applications, view menus, and pay meal fees. To make meal payments, please create a new account at https://www.linqconnect.com. You can also submit a free and reduced application through LINQConnect for the current school year.

Click on “REGISTER” to create a new account.

You will need the following information to successfully link your student(s) to your account:

1. First Name: As registered with the school

2. Last Name: As registered with the school

3. Date of Birth (MM/DD/YYYY)

For further questions, please call Seaman Unified School District 345’s Food and Nutrition Services at 785-575-8650 or the contact support line for LINQConnect at 916-467-4700 option two.

Free or Reduced Price Meals

Parents or guardians of students attending Seaman schools participating in federal school meal programs must be informed of the availability of reimbursable school meals and provided with information about eligibility and the process for applying for free or reduced price meals on or before the start of school each year. Parents or guardians are financially responsible for any charges incurred before an application is received and approved by the Food Service Procedures for the administration of the free and reduced price meal program of the Seaman School District will be the same as those prescribed in current state and federal laws and regulations.

Unpaid Meal Charges

A charge account for students paying full or reduced price meals may be established with the district. Students may charge no more than $25 at any grade level for the purchase of meals to this account without initiating the district’s debt collection proceedings as outlined in this policy and board policy DP (Collections Procedures). Charging of à la carte or extra items, with the exception of one milk per meal, to this account will not be permitted.

Parents and guardians of students with negative account balances will be notified electronically at least weekly of the negative balance in their student’s account. When an account reaches -$25 or more, the food service office will send a first notice of delinquency. If payment is not received within 10 business days, a second notice of delinquency will be sent. If payment is not received within 10 business days of the second notice, a third and final notice of delinquency will be sent from the food service office. If no payment is received to the food service office after 10 days of the third and final food service notice the account becomes bad debt and will be turned over to the Seaman Business Office to proceed with Debt Collection Proceedings. The district must transfer funds for bad debt to the Food Service from non-federal sources.

When the charge level identified in this policy has been met, a student’s meal account becomes delinquent. Students who have delinquent accounts and cannot pay out of pocket for a meal will be provided a regular, reimbursable meal from the cafeteria menu, which shall be charged to the student’s account while the district proceeds with attempts to resolve the delinquent debt with the student’s parent or guardian. If attempts to receive payment for charged meals do not result in full payment of the debt in the timelines provided herein, debt collection proceedings will begin in accordance with board policy DP.

The food service office or the district is not responsible for cash sent with students to school. All meal account balances at the end of the school year will carry over to the next school year. Any negative balances must be paid prior to the start of the following year.

This policy is pending board approval.

Families with children prenatal through age five are invited to join this free program. Parents as Teachers (PAT) provides monthly visits, screenings, playgroups, group connections, family events, and valuable resources. Their mission is to support parents as their child’s first and most important teacher, helping you strengthen connections, understand development, and navigate parenting with confidence.

This program is funded by Seaman School District, so families can participate at no cost. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!

Regular board meetings are scheduled on the second Monday of each month at 6:00 pm. Regular meetings may be adjourned to another time and place when necessary. Special meetings may also be scheduled on an as-needed basis.

Regular meetings typically take place at the Seaman Education Center. When meeting locations change, notice is sent out to the public and made available online. Board agendas go live on the Friday afternoon prior to the regular board meeting.

Regular meetings for the 2025-26 school year:

August 10, 2026

September 14, 2026

October 12, 2026

November 9, 2026

December 14, 2026

January 11, 2027

February 8, 2027

March 8, 2027

April 12, 2027

May 10, 2027

June 14, 2027

July 12, 2027