03.01.22
Effective immediately (this afternoon), the Basehor-Linwood School District will be mask optional on buses or in school vehicles, as a result of last Friday's update from the CDC that says: 

Effective February 25, 2022, CDC is exercising its enforcement discretion to NOT REQUIRE that people wear masks on buses or vans operated by public or private school systems, including early care and education/child care programs.

Please note that masking in USD 458 school buildings and on buses/in district vehicles is still an option for students/staff/parents who prefer to do so. 

02.16.22
Basehor-Linwood ELC families -

We hope you are all excited for this 5 day break!

As you might have recently noticed, our daily student COVID-positive rates have been drastically reduced since peaking on January 28th. We have consistently been under 1% in our building since February 3rd, and as a result, we are moving to mask-optional beginning Monday, February 21st! (This is a no-school day for pre-k, but child care students will be in the building.)

The Board of Education has agreed the 4% threshold will remain in place for all buildings, including ELC, and we will continue to monitor this on a daily basis. Beginning next week, however, the District will begin reporting just a weekly snapshot on Friday mornings - but please note that all building principals will continue to monitor our numbers daily. Should we exceed the 4% threshold at any time, we will let parents know via email that we will implement mandatory masking again for 10 consecutive days.

If you would like your child to stay masked, please notify his/her teacher. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at 913.662.7150.

01.18.22

Basehor-Linwood families - 

As you are aware, the current surge in the omicron variant is creating immense pressure on our schools and staff members as we work to keep classrooms staffed and in-person learning possible. We thank you for your efforts in keeping up with the changes in exposure guidelines made over the last few weeks. 

To help alleviate some of the pressure on our schools, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), along with the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), support schools implementing a 30-day temporary suspension on all contact tracing activities.

This means that beginning today, Tuesday, January 18, all students and staff who have tested positive and/or are showing symptoms, please continue to stay home. Anyone else who has previously been a close contact, who is not showing symptoms, can return to school - this applies to all Pre-K-12th grade students, our district child care classrooms, and all staff members. To learn more about this guidance change, visit KDHE’s website.

Recommendations for parents:

• Consider keeping your child home for 5 days after the exposure (minimum 5-day home quarantine), if possible. After that, they may resume normal activities but should wear a well-fitting mask around others, indoors and outdoors, for an additional 5 days, regardless of whether or not the school building is mask optional.
• Regularly monitor your children for symptoms of COVID-19 disease.
• If your child is symptomatic, have your child tested.
• Do not send your child to school if they are sick or if they test positive.
• If a child cannot or will not wear a mask, consider keeping your child home for 10 days after the exposure.
• Have your child wear a well-fitting mask while around others, indoors and outdoors, for 10 full days after the exposure, regardless of whether or not the school building is mask optional.

What has stayed the same:

• Everyone who tests positive for COVID-19 disease should stay home for at least 5 days and be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication before leaving home (minimum 5-day home isolation). After that, they may resume normal activities but should wear a well-fitting mask around others, indoors and outdoors, for an additional 5 days, regardless of whether or not the school building is mask optional.
• Notify your school if your child tests positive. 

Right now, every household in the US is eligible to receive 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests - please feel free to take advantage of this offer here: https://www.covidtests.gov/ 

Please see our updated exposure guidelines below that reflect the updated KSDE/KDHE information.

Thank you for your continued support as we navigate this challenging time for our schools and communities. We will continue to keep you informed as guidance changes are announced.

Basehor-Linwood families - 

 

This is just a reminder the Basehor-Linwood Board of Education approved a motion to make all buildings mask optional (for K-12th graders), effective Tuesday, January 4 during their November meeting. (Pre-K students and ELC staff will still fall under the USD 458 mask mandate while indoors, as there is not yet a vaccine in place for children under the age of 5.) Additionally, masks must still be worn while on school transportation, per federal guidelines.

 

This decision states that if there is a 4% (or greater) COVID positivity rate in any building (based on building enrollment), a two-week masking period will be implemented until the rate goes back below the 4% threshold.

Please take these guidelines into consideration when choosing whether or not to mask your children:

 

• Masks must still be worn while on school transportation, per federal guidelines.
• Students and staff who are vaccinated and unmasked, and who are a close contact, will only have to monitor for symptoms.
• Students and staff who are unvaccinated and MASKED, and who are a close contact, will only have to monitor for symptoms.
• Students and staff who are unvaccinated and unmasked, and who are a close contact (within 3 feet for 15 minutes or more), will be contacted by LvCo Health Department for quarantine guidelines.
• If a student/child has tested positive for COVID-19, the parent should notify the school of the positive result immediately and see our Exposure Guidelines below.
• If a building should reach a 4% positive COVID rate based on enrollment, masking will be implemented in two-week increments.

 

In addition, we do not offer remote schooling for students, so if a student needs to quarantine, they will need to follow up with their teacher(s) regarding makeup work.

 

Please see the updated Safe Return to Schools document for more information and exposure guidelines below!

11.09.21

At last night’s Board of Education meeting, the board approved a motion to make masking optional for BLHS students and staff as of today, November 9, 2021. In addition, they approved a motion to make masking optional for K-12 buildings as of January 4, 2022 (when students arrive back from the holiday break). Pre-K students and ELC staff will still fall under the USD 458 mask mandate while indoors, as there is not yet a vaccine in place for children under the age of 5.

Masks must still be worn while on school transportation, per federal guidelines, and 9-12th grade students entering other District buildings as Care Cats, etc., will need to abide by the masking mandates still in place for K-8 through December 17, 2021.

These decisions state that if there is a 4% (or greater) COVID positivity rate in any building (based on building enrollment), a two-week masking period will be implemented until the rate goes back below the 4% threshold.

Please take these Leavenworth County Health Department quarantine guidelines into consideration when choosing whether or not to mask your children:

• Students and staff who are vaccinated and unmasked, and who are a close contact or a positive case, will only have to monitor for symptoms.
• Students and staff who are unvaccinated and masked, and who are a close contact or a positive case, will only have to monitor for symptoms.
• Students and staff who are unvaccinated and unmasked, and who are a close contact or a positive case, will be contacted by LvCo HD for quarantine guidelines.

In addition, we do not offer remote schooling for students, so if a student needs to quarantine, they will need to follow up with their teacher(s) regarding makeup work.

 

Due to high community transmission rates of COVID-19 in Leavenworth County, and to safely ensure in-person learning for all students, the Basehor-Linwood Board of Education will require masking of all students, staff, and visitors in grades PreK-12 and in all district facilities until further notice. This applies to all students, staff and visitors in buildings, regardless of vaccination status. Please see the updated Safe Return to Schools document below.

 

Additionally, all bus riders or students on district-provided transportation at all levels will be required to wear a mask or face covering while riding, per federal mandate.

 

The Board of Education will continue to receive updates weekly from the Leavenworth County Health Department and will re-evaluate the mandate each month at their meetings. 

 

The district will continue with COVID-19 mitigation measures put into place in our buildings last year including:

•        Maintaining 3 feet of social distancing where possible:

•        Enhanced cleaning and sanitation practices;

•        Frequent hand washing;

 

The district is committed to providing a safe and supportive learning environment for all students and staff, so we ask parents to continue to self-monitor for illness and stay home or keep children home when sick. We understand that wearing a mask is inconvenient for most, and even a challenge for some, but in these next few weeks, our school community will need to continue working together with the community at large to make this a productive and successful school year where we can continue to teach students in-person. 

USD 458 Plan for Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services

 

 

As we near the end of the school year, we wanted to let families know that tomorrow, April 21st, will be our last Remote Wednesday of this school year. Because we will be finishing up our assessments with remote students and any interventions typically conducted on Remote Wednesdays, all Wednesdays in May will be on-site days! 

Families who are using a District hotspot, please return the hotspot in the original box to the District Office (2008 N. 155th St., Basehor, KS) as soon as possible after Wednesday, April 21st.

In addition, as mentioned in Mr. Howard’s Superintendent’s Report at last week’s board meeting, we have moved the LAST DAY for students to May 27th, and it will be a full school day, with teachers having a full workday on Friday, May 28th.

Thank you for your continued patience and support of the Basehor-Linwood School District as we finish out this school year!

 

 

 

At Monday night’s Board of Education meeting, the Board agreed to make Thursday, February 25th a remote learning day, as many of our staff will be receiving their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, February 24th (also a remote learning day). 

The second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine has been known to pose more significant side effects to recipients, and out of an abundance of caution, we want to make sure our staff are still able to deliver instruction that day. Making Thursday, February 25th a remote learning day will ensure that we do not have to close a building early that morning due to staffing issues.

Please see the updated remote and on-site learning calendar below reflecting the addition of Thursday, February 25th. Again, no students will report to buildings that day unless previously instructed by their teacher, all learning will take place remotely.

Thank you for your cooperation in working with us to facilitate our staff through the COVID-19 vaccination process.

 

Happy New Year! We hope this week of remote learning for your students has given you and your family a chance to monitor for COVID-19 symptoms, as we are looking forward to having On-Site students back in our buildings on Monday! (If you selected Remote Learning or Virtual School, your students will remain in those platforms.

As a reminder, the first week of On-Site will still have a remote Wednesday (January 13th), and then alternate every other Wednesday after that. Please reference the calendar on page 6 of the USD 458 Spring 2021 Reopening Plan to see our planned remote learning Wednesdays in yellow (you can also find them on the District Events Calendar here).

Mitigation procedures will still be in place as students return next week (temperature checks as they enter the building, mask-wearing and social distancing as much as possible). We will also continue to follow the Leavenworth County Health Department positivity rate and new cases per 100,000, and if BLMS and BLHS should need to go to remote learning as a result of these numbers, the change would take effect with two weeks notice and last for at least two weeks, similar to our procedure in the fall.

If you have questions about the learning platform you selected for your student(s), please contact your building secretary.

 

At the USD 458 Board of Education meeting last night, the BOE approved a revision to the gating criteria for the Spring 2021 plan. The only change is that the gating criteria has been updated based on a recommendation from Kansas State Department of Education to allow K-5 students to stay On-Site even if the Leavenworth County Positivity Rate and New Cases per 100,000 are in the “Red” gating column. Please see the revision to the plan in the documents below.

 

What parents need to know:

• January 4th - 8th will be Remote Learning for all K-12 students.
  
• Students who selected On-Site will go to school 4- and 5-days a week, depending on the week, with every other Wednesday remote. (See calendar in the documents below.)
  

• The Gating Criteria document has been updated to keep K-5 students On-Site if we are in the "Red" column, per a recommendation from KSDE. 
  

• Remote Learning and Basehor-Linwood Virtual School are still offerings for those students who do not wish to attend On-Site.
  
• There will still be a 2-week determination if/when the gating criteria is in the “Red” column to determine if/when BLMS and BLHS will be back in a remote learning environment.
  

• Students are still required to wear a mask at all times on a bus and on district property. Students who cannot adhere to this procedure will not be allowed to ride the bus or attend the On-Site learning environment.
  

• No outside visitors or parents will be permitted past the office/triage point during the pandemic for the health and safety of all students and staff. Only visitors with needed educational supports for students and staff will enter the building.
  

 

 

Last night at the Board of Education special meeting, the Board took no action on the learning platform and gating criteria approved in August. Because of the 15.89% positivity rate in Leavenworth County and new cases per 100,000 numbers released yesterday afternoon, our K-12 buildings will go to a Remote Learning platform beginning next Monday, November 30th for at least a two-week period. Should the positivity rate and new cases per 100,000 continue to be in the “Red” column on Monday, November 30th, we will continue to stay remote through December 18th.

Devices will be sent home with students today before the Thanksgiving break, and curbside pick up lunches will continue to be available for any enrolled students for the next two weeks at BLHS, BLMS and LES. Please RSVP for meals at the link below before Friday at 5 p.m. for next week’s breakfasts and lunches wherever you plan to pick up your meals. (Any student can pick up at either building.)

https://bit.ly/BLCurbsideLunchRSVP

We look forward to the time in which we are able to safely and responsibly open our schools for 100% on-site instruction. Now, more than ever, parents and the district share the responsibility for our children’s education, and your trust, partnership and dedication are greatly valued. 

11.10.20

At their November meeting, the Basehor-Linwood Board of Education unanimously approved the USD 458 administration’s recommended Spring 2021 Reopening Plan for K-12. As we have stated before, we know that most students learn best in the classroom and our goal has been to slowly work back to having all our students in our buildings during this pandemic.

Similar to the Strategic Reopening Plan in August, parents of students in grades K-12 will be tasked with making a learning platform selection in Skyward via Online Form by Sunday, November 29. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO CHANGE YOUR PLATFORM FROM THIS FALL YOU DO NOT NEED TO COMPLETE THE FORM AGAIN. Choices are On-Site Learning, Remote Learning or Basehor-Linwood Virtual School (see brief descriptions of each below and in more detail in the following documents). This deadline will allow our building administration and teachers to plan for the number of On-Site students, as we understand several current Remote Learning and BLVS students will be changing to the On-Site platform.

Because Leavenworth County Health Department has advised that mask-wearing in classrooms will limit the amount of staff and students needing quarantining, we will be offering On-Site, alternating four days a week and five days a week, beginning on January 11th, after a week of remote learning at home following the winter break. Our hope is that parents and students will take the week of January 4th - 8th to stay home, log on each day for Remote Learning, and make sure students are symptom-free before returning to school on the 11th. The week of January 11th, will then be a 4-day week, with Remote Learning that Wednesday, the 13th, and the following week will be a 5-day week with all students On-Site each day, except for the January 18th holiday. See an updated calendar in the attached reopening documents for information on which weeks will have Remote Learning Wednesdays. We will follow this pattern throughout the spring semester as long as we continue to stay in the GREEN on the updated gating criteria sheet. We will still be taking precautions to mitigate COVID-19 spread in our buildings like temperature checks, sanitization and mask-wearing, like we are currently doing in our buildings. 

The Board also approved a change to the gating criteria, so instead of a 3-pronged (Green/Yellow/Red) criteria, we will move to a 2-pronged (Green/Red) approach. This assures consistency throughout the semester, only moving us to Remote Learning for all students once the Leavenworth County positivity rate exceeds 15%, cases are continuing to rise and if the community cases per 100,000 is above 200. You can find the updated Gating Criteria sheet in the documents below.

Remote Learning at the elementary level will be the same as what it currently is. For 6th - 12th graders, however, depending on classes, Remote Learning may look a little different in that teachers will check in with students at the beginning of each class, but students may not receive the same direct instruction they may have received this semester. Depending on the class, it may be more of a self-paced, self-guided approach. However, students can continue to reach out to teachers for help at any time during the school day, if needed.

Basehor-Linwood Virtual School allows students to work independently to complete classwork at their own pace. There is no daily direct instruction available through this option.

For special education students, the amount/type of service time for individuals could change on some IEPs since the time for On-Site and Remote Learning will be changing.

It is important to note that no changes will be made before the end of the semester, unless it is determined that we need to go fully to Remote Learning should the positivity rate rise above 15% before winter break. We have heard from many parents and teachers that consistency is key, hence the plan for the 4- and 5-day On-Site Learning to begin after winter break.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call the District Office at 913.724.1396.

Since the beginning of school, the Leavenworth County Health Department has worked closely with school administrators to identify cases and close contacts within the schools, and to monitor the spread of COVID-19.


If individuals are appropriately masked inside school, they will no longer be subject to exclusion from school. High risk exposures as outlined in the guidance attached (i.e. high-risk sports activity, household/family/friend close-contact of a laboratory-confirmed case and no mask usage) are still subject to the 14-day quarantine and will not be allowed to return to school until the quarantine period has been completed.

We are excited to announce the USDA has extended their Free Meals Program, and USD 458 will be able to offer meals at no cost to students enrolled in our District through the first semester of the 2020-2021 school year. It is important to note that the duration of the program is contingent upon adequate funding at the national level. At this time, the program is scheduled to conclude at the end of the first semester.

Next Tuesday, we welcome students to our buildings to begin the Fall 2020 semester! We want to communicate that FREE school breakfasts and lunches will be available to ALL ENROLLED STUDENTS, whether students are On-Site, Rigorous Remote Learners, or On-Site students at home on their “off-site” days. 

Breakfast and lunch menus are currently being finalized, but you can view them later today on our website. You’ll find a Pick Up Option for all off-site students for each day. When we say “off-site,” we are referring to Rigorous Remote Learning students and On-Site students who are at home on their “remote” days. So, you can see that each Wednesday, since no students will be in our buildings, there is only a Pick Up Option available that day. (Menu screenshot below is for example purposes only.)

On-Site students attending school will eat at school in a modified fashion (some grades will eat in the classroom, some will eat in the cafeteria, etc.). 

Off-site students (Rigorous Remote Learners and On-Site students “at home”) will only be able to reserve the Pick Up Option listed on the menu (see options circled in the screenshot below).

Off-site students must reserve a breakfast and/or lunch on the days they will be at home and need to pick up a meal, please fill out the Google form at the link below for the appropriate school:

BES: http://bit.ly/BESLunch2020

BIS: http://bit.ly/BISLunch2020

BLHS: http://bit.ly/BLHSLunch2020

BLMS: http://bit.ly/BLMSLunch2020

GRES: http://bit.ly/GRESLunch2020

LES: http://bit.ly/LESLunch2020

 

Parents who want to only pick up at one building can reserve the appropriate number of meals for all of their children at whichever building is most convenient for pick up, HOWEVER, BLHS Pick Up is only for BLHS students. We will close these forms at 5 p.m. each Friday. Each Monday, we will reopen the form for the following week’s reservations.

 

Pick up times and locations are listed below for each building:

Basehor Elementary - North (gym) door - Pick up time: 12:30pm-12:50pm

Basehor Intermediate - Bus Circle (back of building) - Pick up time: 12:00pm-12:20pm

BLHS - Activities/athletic entrance in the circle drive - Pick up time: 12:30pm-12:50pm

BLMS - BLMS - Front Activities Entrance - Pick up time 12:15pm-12:35pm

Glenwood Ridge - Car Loop (gym door) - Pick up time 12:30pm-12:50pm

Linwood Elementary - Front of the building (main office doors) - Pick up time 12:30pm-12:50pm

Ideally, we ask that parents/guardians or students pick up these meals, and we will ask for each student's first and last name to verify enrollment and for KSDE record-keeping.

If you reserve a lunch, and decide you do not need it or cannot pick it up, please email Della Lucas at [email protected]

 

 

Bobcat Nation,

As we are fast approaching our first opportunities for extra-curricular events, we want to inform you of some differences in our procedures and protocols for this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As we prepare for this season, it is imperative that we all work together to follow all of the safety and mitigation procedures so that we can continue to offer extra-curricular activities for our students throughout the remainder of the school year.

The Kansas State High School Activities Association has provided us with recommendations to follow for each of our extra-curricular activities. These strategies were provided with input from the National Federation of High School Activities and local health officials. We also have collected input from the schools in our United Kansas Conference.

Pictured here are the mitigation strategies that impact you as a spectator for events that we host, as attendance will be limited. Competitions that are hosted by other schools may use additional mitigation strategies that we will be expected to follow.

Our goal is to have as many events broadcast as possible either through livestream or the NFHS network. Please look for those releases prior to each event.

We thank you in advance for your support in these efforts as we continue to work towards mitigation of the COVID-19 virus while being able to continue with extra-curricular activities.

 08.25.20

We are nearing our September 8th start date, and are very excited to have students join us in our buildings!

Our plan at this time (as we are now within two weeks of our start date) is to begin in the YELLOW gating column as originally planned, with on-site elementary students attending Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, BLMS and BLHS students Mondays/Thursdays or Tuesdays/Fridays, and all students remotely working from home on Wednesdays. Attached are the Strategic Reopening Plan and the USD 458 BOE approved Leavenworth County gating criteria chart we sent out last week. No changes have been made, and the Positivity Rate is at 6.99% as of yesterday, so the plan is the same as previously communicated.

Many parents have asked about device check out for remote students, and for times when Kindergarteners, 6th and 9th graders can take a look at their buildings before attending on-site. We are providing the dates and times for these events, but be on the lookout for specific information to come from your building principals.

Basehor Elementary and Basehor Intermediate - September 1st from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

BLHS - 9th grade and new student MacBook check out will be September 2nd from 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. Remote learners device pick up will be from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. on September 3rd and September 4th.

BLMS - Monday, August 31 and Wednesday, September 2nd from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

Early Learning Center - September 1st from 4:00 - 6:30 p.m.

Glenwood Ridge Elementary - September 3rd from 3:00 - 5:30 p.m.

Linwood Elementary - September 3rd from 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Rigorous Remote Learners will begin from home on September 8, and should hear from their teacher by next week. If your elementary Rigorous Remote students are in need of a device, please fill out the form for your student’s attendance center below:

Basehor Elementary - https://forms.gle/qnLV8sLhct77Dg8W6
Basehor Intermediate - https://forms.gle/Thu1sCXWCPTF3SEs5
Glenwood Ridge Elementary - https://forms.gle/aNVMjcV89F8LpF6y7
Linwood Elementary - https://forms.gle/U9JF79sXW8A4fz8E8

Also, please note that all student schedules should be showing in Skyward by this Thursday at 4 p.m.

As a reminder, you can find the most current information on our website here, and if you have any questions, please contact the District Office at 913.724.1396. Thank you for your continued support and positivity as we strive to do what is best for ALL of our students and employees during this challenging time.

 

08.18.20

We are excited to have our staff back in our buildings and have experienced a renewed energy with the collaboration and team building that took place last week. Thanks to all of the community and staff input, we have modified our plans to include the following elements:

 

• Recommended Learning Modes Based on COVID-19 Community Transmission
• Modified On-Site Learning Environment (Rigorous Remote and BLVS are still options for students)

In order to help direct school operations, the attached learning modes have been adopted from the Leavenworth County Health Department and adjusted to meet the needs of our Basehor-Linwood community. Our team will use this as a guiding document to determine if changes in learning environments are needed. Each change would take effect with 2 weeks notice and last for at least 2 weeks, unless a substantial increase in positive cases arises causing us to go to remote-only learning. The current Leavenworth County positivity rate is 7.62% (08/17/20 update).

Our Modified On-Site Learning Environment plan provides decreased class sizes for our elementary classrooms and modified on-site/remote learning environments for our secondary students when we are in the yellow recommendation of the learning modes document, where we are currently in Leavenworth County. This plan has been adjusted based on parental and staff input to allow for safe mitigation practices along with needed collaboration time to maximize the learning environments for all students. 

In the Modified On-Site learning plan that was approved last night, elementary students will attend Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays on-site. BLMS and BLHS students will attend on Mondays/Thursdays OR Tuesdays/Fridays based on the first letter of their last name. Wednesdays will be “at home” days where ALL students in the District will do remote learning. Buildings will do their best to schedule Wednesday check-ins for students at staggered times so multiple students in one family will ideally not all be meeting with their teachers at the same time.

When Leavenworth County is able to maintain less than a 5% positivity rate all students that have chosen on-site as their learning platform will attend school 5 days a week. Students who have selected remote learning as their platform will remain as remote learners for the entirety of the first semester.

The Basehor-Linwood Board of Education approved the three attached documents tonight, so we are opening our student learning platform survey in Skyward Family Access to give parents the opportunity to adjust their selection from Modified On-Site to Remote or Basehor-Linwood Virtual School, if desired. If you have already made your selection and do not wish to change there is no need to edit or modify your selection. If you would like to adjust your selection, please change your selection by Thursday, August 20th at 5 p.m.

If you’d like to change your decision, please log into Skyward Family Access and edit your choice in the Online Form (screenshots below).

We appreciate continued support of our staff and community as we work together to adjust to the ever changing needs during this COVID-19 pandemic. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the District Office at 913.724.1396.

08.07.20

Basehor-Linwood parents and guardians - 

We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we continue to work through our Strategic Reopening plans for Basehor-Linwood students. District and building administrators, as well as  district and building leadership teams, have been focused on developing a safe reopening plan for all students and staff. 

 

As a result of parent feedback, we have learned that over 75% of students would like to return to school on-site. With this in mind, we have built a framework for a temporary Hybrid On-Site learning platform that we will be presenting to the Basehor-Linwood BOE on Monday evening, August 10th. This plan will provide the ability to appropriately social distance and keep our staff and students safe and healthy. The Hybrid On-Site model could be modified to include more or less time in the buildings, under the guidance of the Leavenworth County Health Department and dependent upon the status of COVID-19 cases in our community, with our ultimate goal eventually being 100% on-site again.

 

In the attached document, you will find elementary, middle and high school procedures for the Hybrid On-Site learning environment. Please take a look through these procedures, and if the Board of Education approves this framework on Monday evening, we will open up the Skyward survey again to allow parents to change their platform selection before next Friday, August 14, if they’d rather opt for the Hybrid On-Site model.

 

A few things to note: 

• Pre-K students will already be in a hybrid model with limited class sizes and attending ½ days, so all Pre-K will be on-site. 
• Rigorous Remote learning and BLVS are still options for K-12th graders, so if you have selected one of those platforms and would like to stay with that, there will be no need to fill out the form again. If you previously selected on-site then you will be automatically in the Hybrid On-Site platform.

 

If parents have selected Basehor-Linwood Virtual School and are ready to move forward with enrollment, we encourage you to fill out the New Student Online Enrollment link in Skyward Family Access, selecting the Virtual School (KG-12 & Adult) option at this time. Since all of the student information is already housed within Skyward, most of the enrollment information will auto-populate!

 

It is our plan to email parents on Monday evening after the Board meets if the Hybrid On-Site plan is approved to notify you the form is open again for choice selection. 

 

As always, we appreciate your patience and support. We will continue to provide updates as they become available. 

07.30.20

We have put together a list of FAQs for parents that should answer some of your questions about our Fall 2020 learning platforms (please see 2020 Strategic Reopening document for UPDATED FAQs above).

07.27.20

Tonight, the Basehor-Linwood Board of Education approved the proposed Strategic Reopening Plan and updated the academic calendar (found here) with a start date for students of September 8, 2020. This date applies to all students (including Pre-K - see their calendar here), and we will not do the staggered two-day start as we have in years past.

 

We have now added an Online Form in Skyward Family Access for parents to fill out to officially make their choice for the first semester of our 2020-2021 school year: on-site learning, rigorous remote learning, or enrolling in Basehor-Linwood Virtual School. If you are planning for your student to attend on-site learning, please also fill out the busing question to let us know if you plan to utilize bus services for your student. We ask that you have this form completed for EACH STUDENT in your household by this Friday, July 31st.

 

You can find the Online Form on the left navigation bar in Skyward Family Access, and there should also be an alert in the middle of your dashboard upon login to Skyward that says “Fill out online form for …(student’s name).”

 

If you wish to complete returning student online registration at this time, it will be open as well, but we ask that you please prioritize completion of your learning selection in the Online Form first! We will need the results of this form to move forward in our preparation for the beginning of the school year. Again, we want to reiterate that if we do not have enough students select remote learning or virtual school, we will likely have to adjust to a hybrid model to decrease the number of students in the building to meet social distancing procedures.

 

Please know that the safety of our students and staff is our top priority and we are closely following CDC and Leavenworth County Health Department guidelines to make sure students and staff are safe in our on-site learning option. It is important to remember that this is all still a work in progress, and may continue to change as we come closer to our start date. We will continue to send out updates as they arise.

 

If you have questions about any of the Reopening learning opportunities, please reply to this email or contact the District Office at 913.724.1396.

 

07.23.20

Thank you for your continued patience and support as we navigate the current pandemic and its impact on our Basehor-Linwood community. We have put together preliminary descriptions of what on-site learning, remote learning and Basehor-Linwood Virtual School would look like at the start of school, including social distancing and mask requirements. Please take a look at the attached Reopening Plan to see which method might be best for each child in your family.

 

After the BOE meeting Monday, July 27, if this plan is approved, a new survey will be sent out to parents asking which of these three options they’ll choose for each student in the family (you will fill it out once for each student). The choice selected by each student/guardian will be the student’s learning platform for the complete semester of the Fall 2020 school year unless we are required to close all buildings and move to a remote learning environment. 

 

If we do not have enough students/guardians select remote learning or virtual school, our district will likely have to adjust to a hybrid model (schedule yet to be determined) to decrease the number of students in the building at one time to meet social distancing protocols. District administration is recommending to the USD 458 Board of Education on Monday night to delay the start of school to September 8, 2020, as we believe this will create time for teachers to prepare their classrooms for social distancing and remote learning while also allowing building leadership teams to set up a hybrid schedule for each student, if needed. 

 

Please note online enrollment in Skyward Family Access has been paused until we are able to see results of the parent survey and accurately take in enrollment information per each platform offered.

 

As we have learned these last few months, things are constantly changing, so the attached Reopening Plan is a living document and is subject to change due to the ever-changing nature of this pandemic. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the District Office at 913.724.1396 or reply to this email.

 

 

07.22.20

The State Board of Education rejected Governor Kelly's executive order delaying schools to a start date of 9/9. The Basehor-Linwood School District will communicate a preliminary plan to parents and the community by the end of this week, with the USD 458 BOE approving the plan at a special meeting Monday, July 27, 2020.

05.15.20

The plan is for students to return to school in August. The school day may look differently than what students and teachers are used to, but exactly how that will look will be determined by KSDE guidelines put out in mid-July. We plan to communicate necessary changes to parents in our community as soon as we've received KSDE guidelines and applied them to our school building protocols.

 

04.02.20

We hope that this first week of our Continuous Learning Plan has gone somewhat smoothly for your children (and for you!). We thank you for your patience, communication and grace in aiding your students' learning while at home during this unprecedented time.

Closing school buildings and stay-at-home orders like this are most likely something many of us haven’t imagined even in our wildest dreams, but it’s a necessary action to slow the spread of Coronavirus. I’m extremely proud of Governor Kelly for being ‘ahead of the curve’ and hopefully we are able to flatten the curve and our families stay healthy and safe throughout these next few months.

One of the tools available to our teachers which may be used to provide instruction and some social interaction for our students during this time is video technology. The ability to provide our students with an opportunity to see and interact with their teachers and fellow classmates is an important aspect of their education, and it allows them to feel some normalcy during this unusual situation. Participation by your child in any virtual class by video is completely optional and is not required, though we do encourage participation by all students. The use of video will mean that your child is appropriately dressed, and all school rules regarding student conduct are in effect. You should also be aware of your child’s background when a class by video is in progress, and help to reduce background noise and other items which might be a distraction to the other students. If you decide to not utilize the video feature, your child is still able to participate by audio if you wish.

I would also like to include a helpful reminder for parents: we’d like to make sure that students and parents do not post or share photos on social media of students meeting for learning experiences (an example is sharing the picture of your student on a Zoom meeting with their peers where the screen with student names and faces is visible). Some students may not have a photo release, and many families have rules and preferences about posting photos of their children online. We have shared this same message with our teachers. We appreciate your cooperation in making sure the privacy of students and staff is protected throughout this continuous learning initiative. 

Daily lunches (and the next morning’s breakfast) will continue to be distributed at BLHS, BLMS and LES, but we are ending the lunch reservation form. We believe we have a good idea of numbers day-to-day now, so we will not require lunch sign ups from here on out. You will still have to give the names of your children (ages 1-18) when checking in at lunch pick up. We encourage you to use this free lunch opportunity, and have adjusted the pick up times to the following:

BLMS - 11:00 - 11:30
BLHS - 11:30 - 12:30
LES - 11:45 - 12:15

Construction on the Early Learning Center and additions to BLMS continue as construction has been determined an essential business. We are still on track to open the ELC in August and are extremely excited about the opportunities for our early learners.

Lastly, we understand there are still a lot of unanswered questions out there regarding the end of the school year, but as time passes, when we know more about the Coronavirus and how long we need to practice social distancing, we will know when we can start planning celebrations and gatherings again, and we will know if next school year will begin as planned on August 18. We will keep parents informed as we learn more. Stay safe and healthy! 

03.27.20

Continuous Learning plans are being communicated by building principals today, and your student most likely has been contacted by their teacher(s) for remote learning to take place next week!

 

The District would like to reiterate our Continuous Learning expectations for Basehor-Linwood families: Student participation and progress through this continuous learning opportunity will secure grade level advancement (example: 3rd graders will move up to 4th grade in the 2020-2021 school year). This is uncharted territory, and school as we know it, will look different the next few months. All students will continue to receive grades throughout the fourth quarter. It is our expectation that all students will be active participants in the learning process and grades will be based on students competency in the priority standards delivered by our certified educators in the learning activities they provide. Please understand that we will provide various learning opportunities to students, and with parental support and flexibility, and believe these next few weeks will be filled with meaningful learning.

 

03.23.20

 

03.17.20
Today, March 17, 2020, Governor Laura Kelly announced all school facilities will be closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This will place tremendous hardship on our families and staff, and potentially impact the social and emotional well-being of our students.

We, along with KSDE, have been working on contingency plans, including how we can meet the ongoing learning needs of our students. Teachers will be reporting to work next week virtually to develop plans for continuous learning. These plans could consist of online learning or learning by print material.

We also plan to provide lunch for any children ages 1-18 beginning Monday, March 23rd. We will offer grab and go sack lunch pick up from 11:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. at Linwood Elementary School, Basehor-Linwood Middle School and Basehor-Linwood High School. In order to have accurate lunch counts, please fill out this confidential form to submit your lunch order for your family: http://bit.ly/BL458Lunch

Our staff and board of education are also working on other critical issues, such as what this means for our seniors, spring activities, prom and graduation. At this time, the Board has approved payment for all hourly classified employees and teachers per their contracts/work agreements. 

We are committed to working together as a community to support one another throughout these unprecedented times, and communication will remain a top priority. We plan to continue updating parents via email, our Facebook page and on our website www.usd458.org

As a reminder, this school closure is in response to the current public health crisis. The focus should remain on preventing the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Please continue to be mindful of the following:

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing (cough/sneeze into your sleeve or a tissue).
• Please stay home if you are sick.
• Avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms.
• Practice social distancing.

Follow additional guidance from these sources:

National Center for Disease Control (CDC) 

Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) 

Leavenworth County Health Department

  

03.16.20

The Basehor-Linwood School District is committed to keeping families informed, and we are writing to update you on the most current developments regarding the effect of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). 

Yesterday, KSDE announced that they strongly recommended schools suspend operations for this week (March 16 - 20) so Kansas officials can take the time needed to develop a comprehensive plan on how to address schooling moving forward. As we continue on our break, there’s no additional required school work at this time. We do support working through online learning opportunities as well as any home activities you may have or develop to continue to sharpen your student’s skills with Math, Reading, Writing, Science, Social Studies and STEM activities. KSDE has also established a Continuous Learning Task Force of 25 top teachers in the state to give guidance on how to proceed with alternative learning for all students in future weeks, should there be an extended period of school closures. We will hear and share more from them later this week.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 17 from 8 - 11:30 a.m., our buildings will be open for staff and students to come in and get what they need from their classrooms or lockers (student instruments, iPad/laptop, etc.). We ask that staff and students leave immediately to limit contact with one another and not stop in the office. PLEASE DO NOT BRING ANYTHING FROM HOME TO THE BUILDING OR COME IN IF YOU ARE NOT FEELING WELL OR SICK. 

For the protection of students and staff, and to maintain the disinfecting schedule of our buildings, no one will be allowed in Basehor-Linwood facilities for the remainder of this week. This means all athletic facilities including the track, Health & Wellness Center, gyms, etc. are closed. (KSHSAA has also suspended all practices for spring sports and activities this week, and we are still waiting on guidance from KSHSAA on how spring activities will continue.) The District Office staff will be working this week as well, but the office is closed to the public.

Please continue to check our district website (www.usd458.org) for the latest updates regarding Basehor-Linwood schools closing. The CDC website (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html) and KDHE (http://www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus/index.htm) are also great resources for continuous updates during this time.

We are continuing to work diligently with KSDE and KDHE to make the best decisions for our students and community. As things continue to evolve with our response to the virus, please keep in mind that we will continue to update families as decisions are made. Thank you for your support and understanding with this closure, as we understand it comes as an inconvenience to many parents/guardians.

03.13.20
The Leavenworth County Health Department has made the recommendation to suspend all school classes, athletics and activities effective immediately in our district through March 22, 2020. They believe this time period will allow Leavenworth County Health Department to evaluate the health concerns and situations within our communities, and make further recommendations to help minimize the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Student success and safety is at the forefront of our planning at all stages. During this additional week, our custodial crew will be working to reduce the risk of spreading the virus and Easton Bus Service will be deep cleaning buses before school resumes again.

Due to the number of travelers returning to our district from out of state and out of the country, we are hoping that this additional week will allow our families to practice social distancing and monitor their health for possible symptoms. The Health Department reiterates that all families who traveled abroad to a high-risk country or on a cruise since February 28, 2020 check in with Leavenworth County Health Department and self-isolate, checking for symptoms anywhere from 2-14 days after returning. Also, please continue to stress with your children the importance of hand washing and use this time to stay home to limit exposure to the virus.

We have attached the directive from Leavenworth County Health Department for your information. We understand that this may bring about many questions, we hope to be able to provide answers to those questions in a timely manner.

Please continue to check on our Facebook page or here on our website (www.usd458.org) for further updates.

03.11.20 
We understand that parents may be concerned about novel coronavirus (COVID-19), as there are still a lot of unknowns surrounding the spread and symptoms of the illness. The safety and well-being of our students and staff is our top priority, and as of right now, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) still says that the health risk to the general public in Kansas remains low at this time. They are monitoring the situation closely and keeping in close contact with Kansas school districts. At the Basehor-Linwood District Office, we are receiving almost daily guidance from KDHE, the State Department of Education and/or Leavenworth County Health Department, and at this time, because we do not have a COVID-19 case identified in our community (even in our county), the most important thing we can do is plan and prepare.

Coming back from Spring Break travel, it is okay to monitor your health and that of your children, and even to limit interactions with others. At this time, we are not requiring self-quarantine before sending your students back to school unless you have traveled to the CDC’s list of high risk countries (China, Iran, Italy and South Korea), or if you have been exposed to a case of COVID-19 or are experiencing fever, cough or having trouble breathing.  

Basehor-Linwood students or staff who traveled to high risk countries, or have members of their household who are returning from these areas, should self-quarantine and not return to school (including any off-campus student activities or athletics) for 14 days following their return to the United States and obtain medical clearance before returning to school.  

If you have traveled on a cruise over the last 14 days, please see below for the CDC’s recommendation for cruise travelers: 

• Monitor your health and limit interactions with others for 14 days after returning to the United States.

• If a case of COVID-19 was reported on your ship during the cruise, stay home during these 14 days and practice social distancing.

• Stay home if you feel sick with fever, cough, or have trouble breathing and call ahead before you seek medical care.

• When seeking medical advice, call ahead before going to a doctor’s office or emergency room. Tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.

• Do not travel while sick.

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.

• Clean your hands often by washing them with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60%–95% alcohol. Soap and water should be used if hands are visibly dirty.

• Pay attention to your health for 14 days after returning to the US. Stay home and seek medical advice if you get sick with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing.

Our schools will work with any students who will need to self-quarantine after Spring Break to support their ongoing learning. As we work together to navigate the uncertainty and anxiety that go along with this rapidly changing situation, we must also take personal responsibility for the decisions we make for ourselves and our families. That could mean, whether you are a student or a staff member, staying home if you are sick. The health of our students, our families and our staff is our top priority. 

 

We have been asked if/when schools may close, as COVID-19 hasn’t been showing serious symptoms in children, but we do understand they are able to carry and spread the virus to those who might be at a higher risk. At this point, the spread of COVID-19 in Kansas has not reached the point where health officials are recommending we close schools. However, should that become the recommendation, we are preparing to take that step. The plans we are putting in place will allow for continued learning with the use of technology from home. If there is a need for schools to close, we will communicate the plan and timeline to students and parents as soon as possible via our Skylert messaging system.

 

As a reminder, you can help by sharing strategies with your children that help prevent the spread of a wide variety of infectious diseases, including COVID-19:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

• Stay home when you are sick or if you suspect you may have been exposed to a virus.

• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

• Clean and disinfect frequently-touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

• Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a face mask.

• CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a face mask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.

• Face masks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

 

The next few weeks may show trying times for our school community and the state of Kansas, but we are confident we can work through this together in a way that will continue to allow our students to learn while also keeping students and staff healthy and safe. As always, we will share any news or changes that affect our school community with you at the earliest possible opportunity. We do realize that the uncertainty of how this may progress in Kansas, along with media exposure, can create fear and anxiety for parents and guardians. If you have additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact your school’s nurse or building principal.