1-14-22

Due to a high number of student absences in grades 7-12 Swink will be going to remote learning for the week of January 17-21.  Activities scheduled for this time will be rescheduled.  Grades K-6 will remain in person during this time.

Otero County Health finalized their guidance on the 5 day isolation/quarantine procedures.  OCH Updated Isolation/Quarantine Guidance

Area superintendents met with OCH Thursday morning to review this guidance.  The Swink School District will be following the new isolation protocols effective now.  We will also be adjusting timelines for the existing Test To Stay Protocols 

According to the new guidance individuals testing positive will now have a choice.  

1. They may isolate for 10 days (date of last exposure being day 0) before returning to activities.
2. Under the new guidance individuals may isolate for 5 days and return to activities wearing a mask for days 6-10.

Close Contacts would now have three choices

1. They may quarantine for 10 from the date of last exposure before returning to activities.
2. They can elect to participate in the Test To Stay option and remain in normal activities by agreeing to test as long as they remain symptom free.  ( timing of testing determined by District based on factors including timing of exposure)
3. Under the new guidance they may quarantine  for 5 day and return to activities wearing a mask for days 6-10.

Swink School District has a large supply of masks and to avoid issues around what is and is not a “well fitting” mask under the guidance will provide masks for staff and students choosing the shorter isolation/quarantine option.  If your student cannot or will not wear a mask properly please keep them at home to finish the isolation/quarantine.   Students choosing the shorter option and not wearing their masks properly may be sent home.

These procedures lay out a general guideline for implementation; each situation is different and may require modifications in timing.  This is especially true with at home exposures when complete isolation between members of the same household is not possible.  The District will make these determinations on a case by case basis.

We started in March of 2020 with a near total lockdown.  Since then we have been moving slowly to a less restrictive response.  In the compromise between mitigation and participation the latest change in guidance is yet another shift toward participation. While hospitals across the state and nation remain at or near capacity we cannot completely abandon mitigation.  Let us work together to implement guidelines that provide a measure of safety to everyone while still allowing participation in a wide range of activities.  While it gets most of the attention COVID is not the only form of illness we are dealing with.  Please, whatever the cause, keep your children home if they are ill.  Working together we can provide a safer environment with fewer disruptions.

1-10-22

The Swink School Board has contracted with McPherson & Jacobson LLC to conduct a search for the next Superintendent.  Dr. Henry Roman is coordinating that search.  Dr. Roman invites any interested community members to meet with him in the MultiPurpose Room Tuesday January 11th at 6:30 to help him get a sense of what the community is seeking in its next superintendent.  This meeting is open to parents and community members.

11-15-21

Over the past couple of weeks we have seen an increase in the number of positive COVID cases, predominantly in the elementary.  The rate of increase dropped off this week, but the total increased. Combined with flu, strep and quarantines we have a large number of absent students in the elementary.  In addition to the absences in the elementary we have some staffing shortages that will impact our secondary students.  The combination of events leads us to take the following actions.

1. Elementary school will be on break starting tomorrow November 16th.  There will be no remote instruction students will all resume school on the 29th following Thanksgiving break.  Teachers will be available remotely the remainder of this week to assist students who have been absent prior to Tuesday to complete their work.  Please communicate with individual teachers to find out what available remotely means for individual classrooms.
2. 7-12 Will have remote instruction for the remainder of the week (November 16,17,18).  This move to remote is driven by staffing concerns and not by a large number of positive COVID tests in the 7-12 building.  For that reason extracurriculars will continue as planned. These groups are smaller and well cohorted and do not seem to be the source of any spread at this time.
3. Thanksgiving break will be extended to the 22nd and 23rd for staff and students.

This will give families a chance to manage their own risk through the Holidays.  Please monitor your child's symptoms closely if they have had an exposure.

11-11-21

So much of public school since the spring of 2020 has been about restriction, and regulation.  We may not do this, we must do that.  Public education can be a challenging endeavor during the best of times.  The changing landscape of evolving regulation makes it even more difficult.  Guidance and mandates from different levels sometimes conflicting add to the stress of educating kids.  It is easy to become discouraged by what seems to be a never ending carousel of shifting regulation.  

This might be a good time to step back and focus on some of the positive changes this year.  We were in school 8 days this year before a quarantine situation moved third grade to remote learning for 2 days.  This is not the good news.  The good news is that since that incident despite positive staff and student tests in the building we have remained in person the entire time.  This is largely due to the shift in the regulatory climate this year.  The current approach from both CDPHE and the Otero County Health department has been on local decisions based on local conditions. With the exception of the federal requirement for masks on public transportation (including school busses) we now work with our local health agency to determine what works for us.

Our ability to remain in school is a direct result of Otero County Health’s willingness to look at how quarantine was being handled and try to find a better way.  On Sept 20th 2021 they approved an In Person Quarantine plan. Link to In Person Quarantine Guidance  This change in approach has been a game changer for area schools and their ability to keep kids in the building learning.  From the state level down there has been more of an emphasis on keeping kids in school this year.  

Last year and up through Sept 20th of this year we followed a state dictated quarantine process that was focused on minimizing the spread of COVID and was very disruptive to our ability to maintain in person learning.  The basic process worked like this.  When a positive case was discovered we drew a fairly large circle around that student as they went through their day and anyone inside that circle for more than 15 minutes was considered a close contact.  Close contacts were then sent home to quarantine for a period of 10-14 days.  All close contacts were sent to quarantine.  Often so many teachers were considered to be close contacts, especially at the JH/HS level that we did not have enough staff to maintain in person learning resulting in the whole building being moved to remote.  Students were being removed from class and excluded for activities for sitting too close to someone who had tested positive. This was dictated by the state. It was extremely frustrating and disruptive to say the least.

This year our local health department has the latitude to try different approaches and they have shifted the focus to keeping kids in schools.  We still follow the same basic process for identifying close contacts although sitting in the same classroom no longer results in automatically being a close contact.  Students in classes where everyone sits quietly in one seat for the period generally do not result in students being considered close contacts.  Classes like PE where there is no static seating and the activity levels are much higher often result in the whole class being considered a close contact.  Narrowing the definition of a close contact has helped but the big change occurs after the close contacts have been identified.  Positive cases are sent home to isolate.  This has not changed.  Close contacts can either elect to test for 2-3 cycles or go home and quarantine.  In each case we work closely with OTCH to identify who should be considered a close contact. The difference is that close contacts remain in school during their testing cycles as long as they remain negative and symptom free.  

The In Person Quarantine is a compromise that seeks to balance the important but often conflicting goals of preventing the spread of disease and keeping kids in school.  As with all compromise it accomplishes neither task perfectly.  The emphasis is on keeping kids in school.  The timing of the testing cycles means that there will be some additional exposure from kids who remained in school while waiting for the next test.  The trade off is that many more kids will remain in school with no additional exposure and in person learning for all kids can continue with fewer disruptions.

We continue to work closely with OTCH to implement and adapt the plan to meet our changing needs.  Many tweeks to the plan are made as needed based on a case by case basis. Individual schools may make adjustments to meet their unique needs as long as they stay within the framework of the plan.  The shift in focus this year toward more local decision making means that each agency can implement stricter requirements as needed.  There is no state mask mandate but counties may implement one.  Otero County has no mask mandate but school districts in the county may implement one.  We have not chosen to go that route.

The In Person Quarantine has provided us with some stability and I believe improved our safety.  In addition to keeping more kids in school we test a changing sample of kids each week.  This provides a snapshot of what the rate of COVID looks like in our school.  Until this past Monday that picture was very encouraging.  We had a low incidence of positive cases and those that we did have could usually be traced to exposures from outside the school.  We did not see evidence of student to student transmission.  This past Monday we had an increase in cases and the evidence concerning student to student transmission is a little less clear.

Each week the area Superintendents meet with OTCH via Zoom to discuss our status and response to COVID in the county.  The schools and county are both experiencing some increase. We will continue to monitor that but do not anticipate any changes in the In Person Quarantine at this time.  As a district we will continue to make adjustments as needed but see it as a valuable tool to keep kids in the building.

We began the year focused on maintaining in person learning in the least restrictive environment that we could.  We remain dedicated to that end.  The In Person Quarantine plan allows us to follow up exposures with testing that identifies and isolates positive cases.  We are also aggressive in following the Return to Learn guidance Link to Return to Learn   We focus on keeping COVID out of the building so that we can continue learning in a less restrictive environment inside the building.  Please help us with these efforts by keeping sick children at home.  If symptoms do not resolve quickly we have access to rapid PCR tests that can quickly answer these COVID related symptoms questions. We need your help and cooperation to keep everyone safe and in person.

The new quarantine is a shift from last year's thinking but I believe a big improvement.  We now have a choice.  Where last year was, close contacts go home, this year provides choice.  Sign up to test for 2-3 test cycles and remain in school or go home and follow the old quarantine procedure.  Choice is always better.  I am grateful for the response we have had.  As situations arise and we contact people to let them know what their options are, most people have been understanding and cooperative whatever choice they made.  In these still difficult times it is great to work in such a supportive community.

8-17-21

Back to School

Welcome back, I hope all of you are as excited as we are to get started on a new school year.  While COVID remains much in the news lately we are encouraged by our local situation and look forward to starting without some of the restrictions we experienced last year.  The District continues to monitor guidance from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the Otero County Health Department (OCHD) in an effort to provide effective instruction in a safe and healthy environment.  

Currently district, county, state and national guidance aligns around the following mitigation strategies.

1. Effective Screening-  The district will not screen at doors or at the bus at this time.  We will not require parents to submit a screening form but want to emphasize the importance of screening.  Keeping sick or symptomatic individuals at home is our best first line of defense against the spread of all forms of illness, not just COVID.  Please take a little time each morning to assess your students and keep them at home if necessary.  At Home Symptom Screening
2. Good Hand Hygiene and Respiratory Etiquette- Wash hands often and cover coughs.
3. Vaccination- Vaccines are available for everyone 12 and older at this time.  Communities with a vaccination rate greater than 70% have additional flexibility in responding to positive cases.  Vaccines are recommended but not required.  We encourage each individual to talk with their healthcare provider to see if the vaccine is a good choice for them. Vaccinations also provide protection from quarantine.
4. Masks- Indoor mask use is recommended for all individuals in areas of high or sustained transmission.  Otero County currently has a Moderate transmission rate using the CDC metric.  Those who wish may certainly wear masks at school in any setting but they are not required. (Masks are required on school busses which fall under the federal public transportation guidelines)
5. Monitor Testing- Colorado is developing a serial testing program that students and staff can utilize for weekly testing.  This will be available for those who choose at no cost to the individual.  Monitor testing will provide some protection against quarantine

CDPHE School Reentry Guidance

As part of a BEST grant the Swink School District replaced the roof and HVAC equipment in the building.  The new equipment is going to give us much higher air exchange than the older system did, providing greatly improved ventilation.  We will also be following distancing and cohorting measures we utilized last year.  

We will also be limiting traffic from outside the building.  We do not want to exclude anyone and if parents need to see someone at the school we can accommodate that.  Let us know what you need and check in at the office and we can find an appropriate space to have those conversations.  We will also be using the table in the foyer as a drop off and pick up point for items.  We had some feedback that parents appreciated the convenience of being able to just drop something off or pick something up without needing to come into the office.

A major shift in the approach this year compared to last is the emphasis from state and local health departments on local decisions based on local conditions.  At this time we do not anticipate one size fits all requirements to come from the state.  Health agencies at every level have expressed the importance of keeping students at school in person.  As long as we remain in an area of lower transmission quarantining students from exposure in typical classroom settings will not be required.

Swink Draft Plan  This will remain a draft plan as adjustments are made as required throughout the year.

USDA will be continuing their waiver process for this year.  Swink has applied to continue with the program that will provide free lunch and breakfast to all students eating a school meal.  Extra milk and seconds are not included and will be billed to the student.

If last year taught us anything it is that all plans are subject to change.  We will continue to work with our state and local health agencies to monitor conditions and will respond to changes as required.  We are excited about the opportunity we have now to begin the year educating students in person in a more normal environment.  We appreciate the support that the Swink community has demonstrated in the past and will continue to do our best to earn that trust.  No doubt there will be challenges this year but as in the past we will work together to overcome them.

8-2-21

Welcome Back

We are excited about the start of a new school year.  Currently Otero County has a very low infection rate.  Based on that rate and current guidance from state and local health agencies we anticipate a more normal start to the school year.  The Center for Disease Control has issued guidance for masks in school.  This guidance is for areas with Sustained to High transmission rates and is only guidance.  Currently the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is issuing guidance based on local conditions.  CDPHE recommendations will no doubt inform local guidance but at this time only local health agencies have the authority to require action.  The Otero County Health Department has recently issued school guidance that aligns with the guidance published by CDPHE. Link to CDPHE Slides

This guidance is aligned in its focus on the importance of in person education and minimizing the disruptive effects of quarantine efforts on that education. It is encouraging to see the emphasis on maintaining effective in person learning.  Let's all do our part to keep transmission rates low.

From Otero County Health

Prioritizing in person learning:  On page 7 of the document “Practical Guide for Operationalizing CDC’s School Guidance” (and found here Practical Guide for Operationalizing CDC’s School Guidance | Colorado COVID-19 Updates) it states the following:  “We must support and prioritize uninterrupted, full-time, in-person learning in all communities. While we must remain vigilant, particularly when it comes to deadly COVID-19 variants, we recognize there are fewer cases of COVID-19 than earlier in the pandemic, and children under the age of 12 are less likely to experience severe disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. We also know that vaccinations are our best defense against COVID-19. Therefore, Colorado will move from an individual case-based response strategy to a transmission mitigation strategy, where instead of quarantining students and staff after individual exposures, the risk of the whole school community, including the risk of interruptions to learning,  is considered. Because in-person learning is essential for communities and students to thrive, CDPHE is recommending reduced incidents of quarantine in schools and child care specifically.”  OCHD understands, appreciates, and fully supports this concept.

Based on current CDPHE and OTC health guidelines, areas with  higher vaccination rates and lower transmission rates will operate with fewer disruptions.  Otero County Health will be on site at registration August 3rd, from 7:30-1:30 and August 4th, from 3-7 to provide vaccines for any parents, students or staff that are interested.

The Swink School District agrees with the importance and emphasis of in person learning.  We will monitor and review guidance as it comes out and respond to changing situations as required.  As always our number one priority is safe, effective in-person learning for all students.

4-28-21

Last year we finished the year on remote learning.  That experience reinforced the value of face-to-face instruction in a classroom with a teacher.  We started this year excited about the prospect of being back in the classroom with kids and dedicated to taking all of the precautions we could to ensure that we continued in-person learning to the greatest extent possible.

Through the year we have had to accept that occasionally that commitment to in-person learning has to give way to reality.  This appears to be one of those times.  While in-person learning is still clearly the preference, this year has taught us that mixed classes with shifting rosters are the most difficult for teachers and least effective for students.  We can continue to fight through the least effective option or we can plan to mitigate it.

We will move to remote learning for grades 9th -12th starting Monday, May 3rd.  K-8th grade students will remain in-person. 9th-12th grade will resume in-person learning Monday, May 10th.  This will give us a chance to reset the quarantine cycle.  All of our Season D activities are held outside and do not involve close contact so they will proceed as normal.  Prom, also outside,  will continue as planned.  All school-related quarantines will have cleared by then.

We will resume school in-person for  9th -12th grade on Monday, May 10th with the intention of finishing the year with a solid two weeks of in-person learning.  The Senior’s last day is on the 14th, so any additional school-related quarantine will not jeopardize graduation.

No doubt we would all love to be done with all of this but we are not quite there yet.  Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we continue to work together to conclude this challenging school year.

3-25-21

The state has released Dial 3.0 the newest version moves many of the state’s counties into Protect Our Neighbor status.  PON is the least restrictive level of the dial.  Under the green PON level that Otero County is operating under there are no restrictions on crowd size for outside events.  Inside events are limited to 50% of capacity or 500 people whichever is smallest.  Our posted capacity for the new gym is under a thousand so we will fall a little short of using the 500 number but this should allow us to move forward with either an indoor or outdoor graduation plan that should accommodate the needs of this year's graduates and their families.  The Junior class has reserved Encore for a May 8th prom.  It is encouraging to look ahead to a prom and graduation without restrictive crowd limits.  

Volleyball will also be taking a step toward the normal.  We will allow general admission for the remaining home games (provided we remain at PON). Please check on requirements for away games as those will vary.  Fans will no longer be required to be placed on a gate list to attend home games.  We can accommodate over 400 people with the new limits and look forward to having students, staff and the general public in attendance.  We will operate with a cash gate.  Fans will need to sign in as part of the screening process and to help provide a count and allow for contact tracing if needed. We will sit our student section behind our bench, visiting fans will sit behind their bench and our home crowd will be able to spread out across the whole home side.  Elementary and JH students will need to sit with their families on the home side.  400 should accommodate those who wish to watch but if it looks like we are exceeding our limit we may need to close the gate.

There will be no concessions and no outside food is allowed.  Fans are reminded that everyone in attendance is required to wear a face covering.  If you are unable or unwilling to wear a face covering you may watch the game through our live stream.  Please do not jeopardize the season for our athletes.

Current trends are encouraging and we remain hopeful that they will continue in a positive direction and that restrictions will soon be based on local decisions that reflect our local conditions.  Again, thank you to the community and parents for your cooperation and support.  

If you see an educator, thank an educator.  These people have demonstrated incredible dedication and resilience to provide instruction through this challenging year.  Let’s continue to work together to keep things moving in a positive direction.

3-21-21

Otero County has recently moved to Protect Our Neighbors Status.  This is good news as it means that the level of COVID incidence in the county is very low.  We were approaching PON status in October before the numbers started moving the other direction and we had reached the Red level by Christmas.  

     The change to PON will not greatly change the way things look at school.  It does not remove the mask mandate or change the CHSAA/CDPHE guidelines for athletics.  Masks will still be required of everyone in the gym for Volleyball.  We will be able to have larger crowds at events.

        While incidence may be decreasing in Otero county it is not 0.   The vaccination rate is increasing in the county.  The school has access to BINAX rapid tests that can help manage symptoms and quarantine situations that might arise.  We started the third quarter with 3 remote learning days for the JH/HS and have been 100% in person since then. As many of us travelled over the past week for spring break we need to be diligent in following the precautions that have helped us reach PON status. Let's work together to finish the fourth quarter 100% in person.  Please if you have any symptoms or questions contact the school nurse at stacy.davis@swink.k12.co.us

Let's continue to work together to bring this school year to a strong finish.

1-14-21

The latest information from CHSAA indicates that we are still on schedule to begin season B (Girls and Boys Basketball and Wrestling).  We are currently considered to be in the Orange level on the COVID Dial.  This limits our indoor seating for events to 50 people.  This number does not include players, officials, scorekeepers, etc. involved in the management of the game.  Unfortunately, it does include any students not involved in the current game.  Boys watching the girls' game would count toward the 50 spectator limit and vice versa.  This CHSAA/CDPHE requirement could be managed in different ways. Boys and girls not playing could be sent to another location, bus, classroom, or other.  Boys and girls could be played in different locations.  For example, if Swink was scheduled to play in Rocky Ford the boys' games could be played in Rocky Ford and the girls' games in Swink. Even with this option fan access would be limited.  Each team is allowed 12 on a roster so for teams with a full roster if the varsity girls remain in the gym while the JV game is played 24 (varsity roster of 12 X 2 teams) of the 50 fan seats are taken up by the girls watching their teammates play.

The Santa Fe league consists of 10 teams playing out of 7 different counties and 6 different health jurisdictions each with different restrictions in place.  In an effort to provide some consistency in game management across the league the Superintendents of the Santa Fe league met to formulate some common procedures for playing games within the league. It was agreed that the league would prioritize keeping students in the gym allowing kids to play in front of their peers and friends.  Unfortunately given the limited capacities allowed at this time, this will mean no fans onsite at the games.  Each team will provide a live stream of the games so that fans will be able to watch the games in real-time from home. Most are recorded and will be available later as well.  Some of the teams will make games available through networks that will require a subscription either per game or monthly at a minimal cost.  Swink home games and wrestling matches will be available through our Swink News Youtube channel.

This is by no means a perfect solution and certainly not what we would have hoped for at this time.  From the start of this school year, the number one priority of the Swink School District has been to keep students in the building learning.  The District realizes the importance of extracurricular activities to students and their families and is working to develop and follow procedures to allow those activities to move forward in a way that will not jeopardize our ability to remain in the classroom.  For months I have talked to parents who have told me “I just want the kids to be able to play”.  This is clearly not what we all hoped for but it will allow the kids to not only play but to play in front of their friends and their peers.  We can and will revisit these procedures if and when seating capacities increase or decrease.  Games played with teams from outside the league will be played based on procedures in place for the home site.  JH BB will be played during the HS B season boys first and then girls the seasons will be separate but have some overlap.  JH games will be played under the same procedures as the HS games. I sat in on a meeting this morning (Jan. 14) With CHSAA, CDPHE, and a host of superintendents and others for a long and far-ranging discussion on mask-wearing for basketball during competition.  The short summary of the conversation is that it appears for now the requirement remains.

While this is not how any of us would have wanted it to look I encourage everyone to focus on the positives.  Those kids who want to will have the opportunity to get on the court and not only play but play in front of their friends and classmates.  They can get together after games and relive the stories of their on-court heroics with their friends who were there to see it happen.  That is not a small thing.

Mrs. Benedict will be in touch as we learn more about what our non-league road contests might look like.

1-4-21

Grades 6-12 will begin remote learning on Tuesday.  As in the past, remote learning will follow the in-person schedule.  Grades K-5 will not have school this week.  All grades will return to in-person learning on Monday, January 11th.  Meals will be available to students K-12 this week. Families may pick up student meals outside the Multi Purpose Room from 11:30 to 1:30.  Meals will include lunch for one day and breakfast for the next day.  Please use the jotform to enter a lunch count so we can prepare enough meals. Lunch Count form 

The latest news from CHSAA has season B starting practice (Basketball, Wrestling) on January 18th.  Season B Schedule

We should get more information on what that will look like this week and will get that information out when we get it.

Please contact our Health Nurse Stacy Davis, stacy.davis@swink.k12.co.us with any information regarding tests, quarantines, or symptoms that families may be experiencing so that we may better prepare for the start of in person learning on January 11th.

12-16-20

Return to School January-  Prior to the Thanksgiving break we heard from health agencies at various levels that there could be a surge in cases as families traveled to visit friends and relatives over the holiday break.  We experienced some of that surge when we resumed school on the 30th.  We started with staff and students who were out due to positive tests, waiting for test results, quarantine related to exposures over the break and some who were starting to show symptoms.  As we moved through that first week back we continued to have an increasing number of kids out for various reasons, especially 7-12.  The increasing absence rate within our school population at the secondary level prompted a move to remote learning to finish the semester.

As we approach the Christmas/New Year break, we hear those same concerns being echoed of a surge related to holiday travel.  In an effort to mitigate the impact of that surge to the extent possible, we will make some adjustments to our return to school schedule in January.

Students are scheduled to return to school January 5th.  6th grade through 12th grade will return to remote learning January 5th, 6th, and 7th.  K-5 students will have an extended break during this time.  They will not be in session and will not be engaged in remote learning.  Minimum instructional hour requirements from CDE are different for grades K-5 than for 6-12.  Remote learning for grades 6-12 is necessary to help meet minimum instructional hour requirements.  In an effort to provide more flexibility to families given the increased difficulty of remote learning for younger kids, they will simply have an extended break.  K-5 will easily meet instructional hour requirements.  Please note  the remote learning for these three days does include 6th grade.  

This delay to returning in-person in combination with the new shortened quarantine guidance should allow us to ride out any impact of a holiday surge before starting in-person.  We plan to start in-person K-12 on January 11th.  This is a full 11 days after New Years and should alleviate the majority of any exposure that might happen during the break.  This should also allow us to start in-person learning with a clearer picture of what is happening in our school  population.  

Staff will have a work day on the 4th of January and the office will be open January 4-7 if you have any questions.  Again we encourage families to email our Health Nurse, Stacy Davis

stacy.davis@swink.k12.co.us with any information that might impact health-related attendance.  Close communication and cooperation with our families will allow us to return in a safe manner.  While this adjustment will delay our return to face-to-face learning, we believe that it will allow us to start on stronger footing and provide fewer disruptions in the long run.  Once again, I would like to thank our families and community for the tremendous cooperation and support they have shown.  These are difficult times but we are strong and we will get through this together.

12-7-20

Swink School District will continue with remote learning for grades 7-12 until our return in January.  Grades K-6 will continue with in-person learning with the exception of 2nd grade, which is on remote and will return to in-person on Thursday, December 10th.  The District will provide lunch and the next day's breakfast each day for 7-12 grade students who want it.  The kitchen will provide drive-through delivery outside the doors of the Multi-Purpose Room from 1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. each school day until December 17th.  Please use the Lunch Count form on the web page or call the office by 8:30 a.m. each day to provide a count.

The Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) has received a reply from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment regarding the start of seasons B through D.  CDPHE Response to CHSAA  Based on the response from CDPHE, CHSAA has amended the schedule for the remaining seasons.

 Revised Schedule Under the revised schedule, practice for season B is set to begin on January 25th.

Swink Student Government will be administering the Giving Tree again this year.  As with everything else it will look a little different this year. Click on a tag (there are arrows that will let you click from one tag to the next) and enter your information in the form.  STUGO will also be putting together food boxes.  Please drop off your donations at the front door of the school or contact the office.

12-2-20

We will be going to remote learning on Monday December 7th for grades 7-12.  We will have classes as normal for all grades tomorrow so 7-12 students will have an opportunity to go through their schedules and gather supplies and any instructions from teachers in preparation for remote.  It will also allow staff and students some closure to the semester.  7-12 teachers have been working to have students attend live classes remotely.  This access may be limited tomorrow as teachers focus on preparing in person students for the transition.  Our elementary numbers are much more positive and given the difficulty of remote instruction with younger students we plan to continue in person learning with the elementary students. 2nd grade will be on remote learning until next Thursday due to staffing concerns. 2nd grade students do not need to quarantine. As always conditions can change rapidly and we will notify parents if things change.

12-1-20

As we continue to move forward with in person learning I again encourage each of you to stay in contact with the school nurse stacy.davis@swink.k12.co.us to report symptoms or testing updates.  In order for all us to move forward safely we need to have accurate information about what is happening in our school population.  We are counting on each of us to do our part to keep all of us safe. Please report symptoms and keep kids at home when necessary.  We will do our best to keep students in a safe face to face learning environment to Christmas break and beyond.  Much of that decision is driven by things beyond our control.  We encourage parents to be prepared for the possibility of a return to remote learning at any time.  We will resume normal breakfast and lunch service this week. Menu Dec. 1-3

No afternoon snack for elementary.

11-27-20

We are scheduled to resume in-person learning Monday, November 30th.  We will have limited kitchen capacity on Monday.  Breakfast Monday will be limited to cereal and we ask that each student bring a lunch for Monday. We will get out an update  Monday on the status of meal service for the remainder of the week.

While we plan to be in-person until the Christmas break, plans can change on short notice.  Students should be prepared to resume remote learning at any time.  

Please continue to email stacy.davis@swink.k12.co.us  with the status of any symptoms and testing that would impact the school.  Please be aware of symptoms and keep kids at home if they are showing symptoms or have family members being tested. How Sick is Too Sick

The increased prevalence of the virus imposes a risk on any personal contact.  We cannot entirely eliminate that risk.  Current research indicates that schools following appropriate safety protocols have very low rates of transmission.  While the risk is not zero, schools remain one of the safest places to be.  We need to work together as a school, family, and community to share information that will help us provide the most secure environment possible.  We will get through this together.

11-19-20

Reminder that we will be out of school on the 23rd, and 24th.  We plan to resume with in person learning for all grades on Monday,  November 30th.  We encourage everyone to limit their contact with others as much as possible and to follow safety precautions when contact is necessary.  In order to assist us in preparing for a return to school I encourage everyone to keep our school nurse informed of any symptoms or testing students may be having.  Please email her at stacy.davis@swink.k12.co.us 

We will post updates here if the situation changes in a way that we would not be able to resume on the 30th.  Everyone have a good break and stay safe.

11-16-20

Due to staffing constraints we will be moving to Remote Learning for grades K-12.  Students will be dismissed as normal Monday, November 16th. K-12 will be on Remote Learning November 17th through the 20th.  The District will not be providing meal service during this time.  November 23rd and 24th will be considered “Snow Days” with no instruction occurring during these days.  We will return to in-person learning on Monday, November 30th.  Anyone who needs to quarantine at this time has been contacted.  If we get any additional information impacting anyone's quarantine status, we will make contact through text and or phone. General Quarantine Information

Please follow local recommendations for the Thanksgiving holiday.  Limit your interaction with people outside of your immediate family.  If we are going to be able to continue in-person learning on a consistent basis moving forward we will all need to work together to take appropriate precautions.  Together we can get through this.

Students may pick up meals in Rocky Ford. Drive up service is from 11:00 to 1:00 Monday through Thursday at the bus loop on the east side of the high school. Please use the Jot Lunch Form  by 8:00 AM. so we can give them an estimate on a count.

11-10-20

We received notice from County Health that the county would be moving from the Yellow to the more restrictive Orange level.  Email County Health While this limits some crowd sizes and limits some other activities it does not impact how we conduct our face to face education at this time. Levels 

From the beginning our #1 priority has been getting students safely into the building for in-person instruction.  Our best instruction is provided in the classroom face-to-face.  Providing remote instruction to the primary grades is very difficult.  If we needed to move toward remote learning, we would prioritize keeping our youngest kids in the classroom. We took the things we learned from our experience last spring and provided some training through the summer to improve our ability to provide instruction remotely.  If it becomes necessary to move to remote learning, we will be able to provide better instruction than we did last spring, but it will not be equal to or replace face-to-face instruction.   For that reason we will continue to monitor the situation in the area and work with County Health to maintain in-person learning for as long as possible. Colorado COVID Dashboard

I understand the value of extracurricular activities. I look forward to returning to a full and busy schedule of activities.  In the meantime, we will focus on continuing in-person classroom instruction and draw back from some of the extracurricular activities.  We will attempt to finish our varsity football season, but will end football at the sub varsity level.  Our last JV and JH games have been cancelled. We will end our “summer open gyms” and wait for guidance from CHSAA and state health officials on the start of the remaining seasons.  We are still on schedule for showings of the Fall Play, but if we move to a more restrictive level those plans will have to be adjusted.

I encourage each of you to be careful in your interactions and to follow health guidelines so that we can finish this year the way we started;  with kids in classrooms, learning from teachers who are excited to have them there.

10-25-20

SWink School District will be closed Monday October 26th due to inclement weather and poor road conditions.

10-6-20

Fall is in the air and football is on the menu.  As with most things, the 2020 fall football season will look a little different.  According to CHSAA guidelines, even though this is an outdoor event, fans are still required to socially distance and wear masks.  Fans not part of the same family group need to maintain social distance of at least 6 feet while also wearing a mask.  We have a fan capacity of 250.  In order to manage crowd numbers and be able to track attendance in the event of an outbreak, we will be utilizing an electronic ticketing service this year.  All ticket transactions will be cashless and contactless, and handled through GoFan. In order to allow access to all families each transaction will be limited to 5 tickets. All ticket prices will include a $1.00 charge to cover the cost of GoFan. We will email a link to parents on 10/8/20. We will post a link to the website for public use on 10/14/20. All admission will be handled through the GoFan website or App. You will need to bring your smartphone, open to the GoFan page, and show the gate person your ticket for entry to the game. In order to help facilitate contact tracing, should it prove necessary, families bringing younger kids to the game will need to keep those kids with them in the stands.   Please do not bring children to the game and turn them loose. Concessions will be open outside limited to pre-packaged items (i.e. pop, candy).

While some things may look a little different, it will still be Friday night high school football with all the excitement that brings.  We ask that each of you attending do your part, wear masks, socially distance, and keep your kids with your family group.  Together we can help ensure that our kids will be able to finish the season with the same excitement they started with.

For junior high and junior varsity games we will use a self ticketing system. We will not charge for these games. Fans will need to bring a card or piece of paper that lists the attendees and a phone number where they can be reached. This will provide a means of contact tracing. The mask and social distancing requirements will still be in effect.

10-1-20

We live in interesting times.  The internet gives us access to the sum total of all humanities knowledge.  Never in history have people had so much information at their fingertips.  This wealth of information causes problems of its own.  The volume of information coming at us daily overwhelms our ability to process it.  What is true, what is not.  How do we know?  What information will we trust to guide our behavior.

I have over 30 years of training and experience in public education.  Over twenty as a school administrator.  I have 0 years of training and experience as a public health administrator. As we continue to adapt our response to the evolving guidance we receive, we have to lean on the people who have been tasked with protecting public health.  As a school administrator my primary focus is on keeping kids in the building in a classroom with their teacher receiving a face to face education, while keeping them safe.  Public Health is tasked with protecting the wider community and limiting the spread of deadly diseases.  While it might seem at times that we have different goals, we will all be more successful in cooperation than in conflict.

We will continue to work in cooperation with Otero County Health Department (OCHD) and through them the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.  As we get additional guidance from these agencies we will modify our procedures to meet changing requirements.  Early on we were focused on procedures that would limit the risk of spread within the school in the event of an outbreak.  We have had two positive tests.  Those were followed up with a drive through clinic that tested over 40 people with no new positives.  I take this as an indication that the steps we have taken as a school community to limit the spread were effective.  We appreciate the parents and wider community for their support and cooperation as we implemented those changes.

We realize that infection is not the only way that families can be impacted by COVID. Quarantine puts an additional burden on those impacted.  We continue to work with OCHD to understand their guidelines and to share our procedures so we can look at ways to limit the number of people who would need to be quarantined in the event of another case.

One area we have identified is our 7-12 lunch procedures.  We stagger the release times of students and as kids finish eating they move outside to the courtyard area outside the new gym.  This avoids overcrowding in our cafeteria.  In bad weather we had planned to move them into the gyms.  As we reviewed this with OCHD we learned that they had received additional guidance and this process would result in our 7-12 grade students being considered one cohort.  This means that if a student had a case of COVID all of the students who were in the cafeteria with him would be considered a “Close Contact” and need to be quarantined.

We will be modifying lunch at the secondary level so that students will eat in a classroom with their advisory group.  Elementary students have been eating in shifts by grade.  Elementary kids are “Close Contact” with all of their classmates but not with other grade levels.  With the change in lunch seating 7-12 grade students will be “Close Contact” with the students they share a class with and not with every other 7-12 grade student.  The important thing to remember is that “Close Contacts” are required to quarantine in the event of a positive case.  Close contacts of “Close Contacts” are not required to quarantine.  If a student is quarantined because he/she was a close contact to a positive case in class that “Close Contact’s” family is not quarantined.  The family of a positive case are “Close Contacts” to that student and would be quarantined.

Students who ride a bus together are “Close Contacts”.  If a student on the bus becomes a positive case students who rode the bus with that student would be quarantined, but family members not on the bus would not be.  Parents who are able may want to consider transporting their student if they have concerns about quarantining.

Students who are on a team or participate in activities with prolonged contact together will be considered “Close Contacts”.  We are organizing club meetings in a way that does not make all of the participants close contacts.

We are taking steps to work with our health agencies to provide the safest environment possible and to minimize the impact of any outbreaks as they occur.  While we can limit the students impacted by quarantine it is still most likely that if we have cases in the secondary it may still be necessary to move to remote learning with all 7-12 grade students.   This is based on the number of teachers who would most likely be impacted if classrooms are quarantined.  Just keep in mind that not everyone who is out on remote learning is quarantined.  The number of students actually under quarantine will normally be much smaller.

It has been said that it appears that we are attempting to build the airplane while we are flying it.  I cannot disagree.  I would add that in addition to building it while flying it we are building it with a constantly changing specifications.  We build an engine the specs on that engine change we have to build another engine and swap it out while the plane is in the air.  I am grateful through all of this that I work in a district with a tremendously dedicated staff and supportive parents.  We are all in this together and we will get through this together.

9-24-20

Congratulations Swink Elementary School

At 1:00 PM Eastern time the United States Department of Education announced that Swink Elementary was one of 367 2020 Blue Ribbon School of Excellence award winners.  The award is given each year to a select few high achieving schools in the country.  Press Release

CDE Blue Ribbon Press Release      Department of Education Announcement Video

This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our educators, students and community.  No school thrives without a supportive community behind it.  While the current times are certainly challenging this award reminds us of what we can accomplish when we work together and support each other.  Excellence is not an accident.  Thank you staff, students, parents, and community for your efforts and commitment to building a culture of achievement in the Swink School District.  Job Well Done!

9-21-20

CHSAA has approved a fall season for Football, Field Hockey, and Cheer based on new variances approved by the Governor’s office.  Swink has elected to play in this fall season.

First games will be played 10/8-10.

6 game “regular” season will end on 11/14.

Round of 8 playoffs will be 11/21.

Semi-Finals will be 11/28.

All Championships will be 12/5.

After CHSAA clarifies the guidelines for players and fans we will post those here.

9-18-20

Swink School District was notified by Otero County Health today that of the 40 plus samples collected from the drive though test clinic there were no positive tests.  Thank you OCH for providing this opportunity for concerned community members to be tested.  A reminder that due to the long incubation period of this virus a negative test does not change a person’s quarantine status.  We will resume in-person learning 7-12 on September 28th.  Thank you Swink Community for all of your efforts to keep each other safe.

9-15-20

The United States Department of Agriculture has issued another waiver to allow Swink to offer free and reduced priced meals to all students.  We will currently be serving all students attending in person.  Any student meals from September, 1st forward will be marked as free. The district is working to develop a service schedule that would allow us to provide meals for both in person students and remote students on the same day.  That will not be in place before our scheduled return on the 28th.  This program will be supported by USDA while available funds last or until December 2020.  We encourage parents to fill out free and reduced lunch applications.  Not only will this provide a smoother transition for families when the waiver ends but many programs that benefit the District are based on a free and reduced lunch count.

There will be a .50 charge for extra milk or milk taken without a meal.

Free Reduced Income Guidlines

9-14-20

Swink School District was notified today of another positive COVID test in the secondary School.  Impacted students have been notified.  County Health is setting up a drive through testing clinic in the parking lot of the Swink High School Gym.  The clinic will be Tuesday September 15, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.  Testing Clinic Link. Click link for more information.

Remote learning has been extended for grades 7-12.  In person learning will resume on September 28th.

9-10-20 Today Swink School was notified of a positive student test in our high school.  Protocol requires that close contacts of that student (students or teachers who share a class) be quarantined for 14 days from the onset of symptoms.  All of the close contacts who need to quarantine have been notified by phone.  Due to the number of teachers who would be in quarantine the District made a decision to move all 7-12 graders to remote learning for the quarantine period.  Students who did not receive a phone notification from the District are not close contacts and are not required to quarantine but will be remote learning until the quarantine period ends.   7-12 will return to in person learning on Monday September 21.  The elementary is not impacted; they will continue with in person learning.

If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID please call OCHD at 719-468-8083.

Click on Link to Quarantine Document 

8-13-20

CDPHE has put out a clarification on screening. CLICK HERE to See CDPHE Doc Just a reminder that school policy has always required students and staff to go home if they have a fever.  That prompts a conversation between the school nurse and parents about what the next steps should be.  This is not any different than what has happened in the past.  What is different is that we will be screening in an attempt to catch those fevers before students enter the building or get on the bus.  

8-13-20

Parents, Monday we make our long-awaited return to in-person learning.  Things will look a little different as we move forward in these rapidly changing times. Thank you for your patience as we worked through new procedures and processes for having in-person learning.  We ask that you continue to be patient as we work through any new challenges that arise.  It is a mark of the support that this community has always shown for the school district that so many of our families have elected to return in-person.  As educators we will strive, as always, to be worthy of that support.  We will be screening everyone who enters the building. We ask that parents not come into the building with students in the morning.  This will slow down our screening process and delay our ability to get kids to class on time in the mornings.  It is also important that we limit, to the extent possible, the traffic into the building.  If you have business at the school we ask that you try to do as much as possible over the phone.  If you need to come in person please do so outside of the morning screening process.  We realize that kids normally bring a lot of supplies that first day.  It may be necessary to divide that up over a few days and plan to have your kids bring things in a little at a time starting with academic school supplies.  

Teachers are excited about the opportunity to once again be working with students in person even if that process will not look the same as it did before spring break last year.  We look forward to working together as an education community to provide the best instruction possible in the current environment.  Thank you in advance for your cooperation.