KSD eSpotlight
Saturday, November 21
To keep our schools open, it will require all of us working together and taking the necessary precautions. Please continue to be diligent about following safety protocols, including mask-wearing, physical distancing and staying home when sick. In addition, please be mindful of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday break. Consider how your holiday plans can be modified to reduce the spread of COVID-19 to keep your family and friends safe. This plan can help minimize the spread of the virus.
Please remember, all KSD schools will be virtual Monday, November 30, and Tuesday, December 1. We will resume in-person learning on Wednesday, December 2.
Precautions and safety measures do make a difference and will give us the best chance of continuing to offer in-person learning. We can’t let our guard down. Thank you for your continued support and assistance as we continue to work together to meet our students’ needs.
Information from the St. Louis County Department of Health
Because of the surge in COVID-19 cases, DPH may not be able to quickly contact every person who has tested positive or every person who is a close contact of someone who has tested positive. Therefore, it’s crucial that you know how to self-isolate and self-quarantine. The intent of a new order on isolation and quarantine is to assure that people who have COVID-19 immediately isolate themselves, and that people who have been exposed to COVID-19 immediately quarantine themselves. Isolation and quarantine are important components of a multi-layered strategy to prevent, limit, and contain the spread of COVID-19 in St. Louis County. Unsure what what some of these terms really mean? They are defined in the public health order as the following:
- "Close Contact" is an individual who was within 6 feet of a Positive Person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24 hour period starting from 2 days before illness onset, or for asymptomatic Positive Persons, 2 days prior to the date of testing;
- "Isolation" and "isolated" mean the separation of a Positive Person or of a Person Under Investigation from any other person;
- "Quarantine" means the restriction of movement and separation of a person or group of people reasonably believed to have been exposed to COVID-19 but who is/are not symptomatic from people who have not been exposed to COVID- 19;
- "Self-isolate" means a person who has self-observed COVID-19 Symptoms separating themselves from others who are asymptomatic while seeking advice from a healthcare provider or DPH.
For Home Quarantine Instructions for Close Contacts to People with COVID-19 please click here. For Home Isolation Instructions for People with COVID-19 please click here and for the Third Amended Quarantine and Isolation Order its entirety please click here.
Turkey Week-Spirit Week
Next week, all KSD students and staff, pre K-12, are invited to participate in:
Tacky Day on Monday, November 23 wear orange and black
Spirit Day on Tuesday, November 24 wear red and white.
KHS is also planning on a virtual pep rally that afternoon.
Chili Challenge
THE KSDF CHILI CHALLENGE IS ON! In light of St. Louis County’s new COVID order, our support of local businesses is now more important than ever. You can still participate in the Chili Challenge November 19-25 by ordering online or visiting any of our participating restaurants who offer outdoor seating. We also encourage you to order more than chili. Explore these restaurants' menus and find a favorite dish; order lunch and/or dinner! Please call ahead, place your orders early, and practice social distancing at all times. Wear a mask when picking up your orders! Let's all show our love for these restaurants who work tirelessly to support and feed our community.
After sampling the chili from the restaurants you visited, please vote for the Best Chili in Town and the Most Unique Chili on the KSDF website. One vote allowed per category.
Digital Citizenship Strand 5: Relationships & Communication
We continue teaching K-12 digital citizenship lessons throughout the fall, as part of our district wellness initiative. Our fifth strand of the year is Relationships and Communication. Lessons and family engagement activities will help students develop the habit of self-reflecting before posting or texting, asking themselves questions such as "Who is my audience?" and "What's the purpose of this message?" and "In what context will people be reading this?"
All digital citizenship lessons come from Common Sense Education and are aligned with CASEL and ISTE Standards for Students.
Wellness Week: November 30-December 4
For more information, please visit kirkwoodschools.org/WellnessWeek. We will share more information and opportunities to participate next week!
Virtual Cooking Class
As part of Wellness Week, join us for a unique fundraising opportunity for KSD NOW during "Eat Well Wednesday." Chef Lydia Gwin from Gwin’s Tiny Kitchen will lead an hour-long virtual cooking class (via Zoom). Participants will make creamy sausage kale tortellini soup and popovers. The cost is $20 with all money going to KSD NOW. To sign up, visit kirkwoodschools.org/KSDCooks. Once registered, recipients will receive a shopping list and zoom link upon payment.
Kirkwood School District
Email: news@kirkwoodschools.org
Website: kirkwoodschools.org
Location: 11289 Manchester Road, Kirkwood, MO, USA
Phone: 314-213-6100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KirkwoodSchoolDistrict/
Twitter: @kwoodschools