Here is Selkirk's last holiday video for 2020! Our music teacher, Randi Lithgow, along with her middle and high school school music students produced this 13-minute video: https://youtu.be/A0EzSLX94Pw With physical distancing requirements, a few students under quarantine, and other safety precautions, she and the students were creative in their efforts! We hope you have enjoyed our four holiday "shows": K-5 music program, 6-12 music program, and our two drama productions! See our webpage (www.selkirkschools.org) for links to all of them!
To continue celebrating the holiday season, we have two Selkirk drama productions to share! The 10-minute "How the Covid Stole Christmas" starring our high school actors (https://youtu.be/55PvI7q7iQc) is a fun parody of a holiday classic, and the 5-minute" Letters to Santa" stars our middle school cast (https://youtu.be/lnkxdFWgSm4). Most of the "letters" came from a purchased script and students who allowed to edit them. One middle school student, Novalee, even wrote one herself! She reads three "letters", so see if you can guess which one she wrote! Again, with the restrictions regarding how long students could be near each other and the need for PPE, our drama advisor, Clarinda Vandyke had to be creative in filming and editing! We hope you enjoy these Selkirk productions from the comfort and safety of your homes. Happy Holidays!
Even with the safety restrictions that we were faced with this school year music teacher, Randi Lithgow, produced a wonderful elementary holiday "concert"! She was even able to work in cameo appearances by some of our students who were at home. Please click on the link to see our creative 25-minute 2020 Selkirk Elementary Holiday Concert:https://youtu.be/6sIO7I2NRfI
No BLUE bus today, Thursday December 3. Route times for Orange, Purple, and Green routes may vary by a few minutes this afternoon.
In this 2-minute video Dr. Sam Artzis, Northeast TriCounty Health District (NETCHD) health officer, dispels rumors about school closures in the region and explains the health district's guidance to schools. NETCHD provides guidance to schools in Pend Oreille, Stevens, and Ferry counties. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=196865345218290 We appreciate Dr. Artzis and the rest of NETCHD staff who have been integral to Selkirk's ability to hold in-person education this fall.
This is a notification so parents and community can stay updated on facts related to school. Today, December 1, we had an elementary paraeducator test positive for COVID-19, likely from outside exposure. The employee has not been in school since the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. We have two elementary staff members who are considered close contacts and 8 elementary students that we are asking to quarantine. No other school personnel or students have tested positive or have symptoms. Remember close contacts are simply people who have spent more than 15 minutes within 6 feet of a person testing positive. It does not mean the close contact has the virus or will develop it. Quarantine is simply so those close contacts can watch for symptoms and not expose others if symptoms do develop. This is the best way to stop the spread of the virus. At the time of this notice, all close contacts have been sent home already. We knew we were not going to avoid this once the virus became more prevalent in our community. We will simply focus on what we can control: wearing masks, physical distancing, and hand hygiene. Please contact the school if you have questions.
11/12/20 Update: Our first positive COVID case 14 days ago resulted in 13 high school students identified as close contacts. Close contacts were required to quarantine at home for 14 days which is an VERY long time if you are a teenager! Today is their last day of quarantine and no one else has had a positive test result! The quarantine for those students is now over! We appreciate the effort that students and parents made to follow quarantine rules! We still have about 20 students and staff on quarantine for our other two positive cases but, hopefully, we can stop the spread with our efforts!
Thank You Veterans for Your Service...Part 2! Selkirk High School Drama and Music programs collaborated to create a video tribute to those that have served. While we wish we could have held our annual in-person Veterans Day program for our community, in its place we hope you will take time to watch this wonderful production from our students and staff honoring veterans: https://youtu.be/e9iFVB9NQD0.
Thank You Veterans for Your Service!
Kathy Milliren's 3rd Class has created a video tribute to veterans: https://youtu.be/7uPmFLjHZNs. In addition to our veterans, Mrs. Milliren would like to the following who made this project possible:
Selkirk Elementary Third Graders
Fifth Grade Students: Raising the American Flag
Mrs. Lithgow- Leading the Drumming
Mrs. T.- Bulletin Board “Home of the Brave”
Phaedrea Parker & Mailei Jungblom-Service Songs
Nicol Lyons: Putting the Video together
11/10/20 Update: We knew we were never going to avoid a case in our school, but we made it to week #10 before we did! We have received the test results we'd been waiting on, so as of tonight, there are 3 confirmed COVID cases total: 1 staff member and 2 students all in grades 6-12. Any student (or staff member) determined to be a close contact of any of the three have already been notified by phone and are under a two week quarantine. Almost all of the quarantined students and staff are at the high school. However, a small number of elementary students were identified as close contacts because of their proximity to the students on the bus. One elementary staff member is under quarantine for close contact outside of school. It is important to note that close contacts are not ill but are asked by the health department to quarantine for 14 days to watch for symptoms. If someone under quarantine does develop symptoms, individuals with close contact to them from up to 48 hours before symptoms develop are then their close contacts, which is how the virus continues to spread. Most of the time, people are contagious before they recognize symptoms. However, if the identified individuals stay in quarantine, chances are we will stop or slow the spread because the only new close contacts will be those in their family. With the high school in remote learning for two weeks, we hope we can get a reset on this. Just like the popular children's book, "We're Going on a Bear Hunt", we can't go over it, we can't go under it, we just need to go through it!! We are building the best plans possible to keep everyone healthy and in school as much as we can. Stay healthy and remember to wear your masks, wash your hands, and maintain physical distancing when possible!
BUS UPDATE FOR WEEK OF 11/9-11/12: The blue route will be combined with the orange, green, and purple routes for the remainder of the week just as it was today. Remember no school on Wednesday, November 11 which is Veterans Day!
BUS UPDATE FOR MONDAY, NOV. 9: The blue route will be combined with the orange, green, and purple routes on Monday only. Bus times could vary for those 4 routes by five minutes. Blue route students will be picked up by the other three buses. All bus stop locations remain the same. This change is unrelated to our move to remote learning at the high school....we simply have a shortage of substitute bus drivers! Let us know if you care to apply!
Check out the 6-minute Selkirk School District video update for November 6, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYD7ZHshPrQ
We knew it was not IF we had to face COVID, but WHEN and it seems the time is now. A high school staff member tested positive for COVID late this afternoon. In larger districts, close contacts are simply quarantined and school continues. However, in a small district the number of close contacts who must quarantine leaves us with too many missing staff members to operate grades 6-12. Therefore, starting Monday, November 9, middle school and high school students will move to remote learning (at home) for two weeks. In-person school for grades 6-12 is scheduled to resume on Monday, November 23. Students in grades 6-12 who would like to pick up a free breakfast/lunch at 11:00 a.m. at the high school on Monday, should call 446-3505 by 8:30 a.m. each morning to order a meal. Any student who is determined to be a close contact of the staff member will receive a phone call from the school. Students in grades K-5 at Selkirk Elementary will continue to attend in-person school for now.
SURPLUS TREES FOR FIREWOOD
Thanks to the windstorm this fall, several trees on school property were blown over. The wood has been declared surplus, and will be auctioned. Sealed bids will be accepted at the Selkirk District Office through 1:00pm on December 16th. Visit the NEWS section on our website for details (www.selkirkschools.org)
Another fun and successful Halloween celebration at Selkirk Elementary...even though it was a little different this year! Don't worry...we posed for less than 15 minutes and then immediately moved 6 feet apart! What a great bunch of respectful students we have here! Ask your kids about our "Zoom Assembly" and their new "dog tags"! Selkirk Elementary Staff is wishing you all a safe and happy Halloween weekend!
October 27 - Purple Bus is having some mechanical issues so other drivers are picking up students. All routes will be slightly off this morning. Sorry for the inconvenience! Thank you!
Selkirk 6-12 drama and music students are putting together a video about local veterans. We are seeking veterans to interview as well as photographs of local veterans, living and deceased. Photos, along with full name, branch of service, and dates of service can be emailed to Ms. VanDyke at cvandyke@selkirkschools.org or can be dropped off at the either school to be scanned. Thanks for your help!
After the first full week of school for students in grades 1-12, we have posted a video on our future plans. Please check it out: https://youtu.be/loA5TPcaZTw
We would like to remind everyone to be at their bus stop 5-10 minutes before scheduled pickup time. Our bus drivers have a bit more to handle this year and your cooperation is essential to make sure all our students arrive at school on time. Your help and understanding is appreciated!