Republic School District #309

Subject- Hoax “Swatting” in Spokane Public Schools Republic Families, Community, and Staff, I want to share a quick note regarding the recent false reporting of an incident at three Spokane Public School District high schools, around Washington State, and the country. These false reports are referred to as “swatting.” Swatting, by definition, is the action or practice of making a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of armed police officers to a particular address. These situations are taken seriously and emergency protocols will place schools into a "Lockdown" until the situation is resolved and cleared. Any time this happens, which includes this type of a prank, it causes undue stress to staff, students, and families throughout those areas. The Republic School district practices safety drills throughout the year to ensure staff and students know and understand the safety protocols. Below is a link to a media report concerning those false reporting situations: https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/police-spokane-lewis-and-clark-high-school-north-central-high-school-placed-on-lockdown-due-to-hoax/293-16d99903-c97c-43e3-bf38-22058d643568 Again, this did NOT occur in the Republic School District, but we wanted to alert you of the situation and assure you that we remain diligent in keeping our students and staff safe. This is a good opportunity to talk with your students about school safety protocols and the importance of sharing any information with school officials in the event of a safety concern. Please remember to follow all school communication for directions and information during any and all safety events. John Farley Republic School District Superintendent

Basketball Update: There will be Junior Varsity Basketball tomorrow night (12-14) at Northport. JV games start at 4:30, Girls Varsity at 6 pm and Boys Varsity at 7:30 pm. GOOOOOO TIGERS!!!

Basketball Update: Please note that the times for tomorrow's basketball games in Oroville have been changed due to not having a Girls JV game. Times are as follows: Boys JV @ 3:45 pm Girls Varsity @ 5:15 pm Boys Varsity @ 6:45 pm

Republic School District has openings for a substitute custodian and substitute bus drivers. Both positions along with full job descriptions are posted on our website: www.republic309.org. If you need further information, you can contact the District Office @ 509 775 -3173, or the Transportation Department @ 509 775-3654.

Basketball Spirit packs are available to order through this Sunday! If you would like to place an order, click the link below! GOOOOO TIGERS! https://republicmensbasketball.itemorder.com/shop/home/

Due to the incredible support from the community of Republic, Mr. Zakar's 6th Grade class was able to go on their first winter snow shoe adventure to Boulder Pass. This was the first time many of the students experienced being on snowshoes. After a short walk, students applied what they learned on their survival skills adventure and were able to build a fire and enjoy a roasted marshmallow.

Basketball Update! Friday's game at Columbia (Hunters) has been cancelled. The majority of their players are out sick. We are currently working on a reschedule date for when they are healthy again. Stay tuned!

Here is the link to Curlew's Youtube channel to watch tonight's basketball games starting at 4:30 pm. GOOOOOO TIGERS! https://youtu.be/pxC6kiR4mLc

Music concert are around the corner!

Elementary Spirit Week! December, 12th -16th

Just a reminder that the Beginning Band Concert that was scheduled tonight (12/1) has been rescheduled for Tuesday, December 13th. Thank you!

High School Basketball Update: There will be no Girls' JV game tomorrow (12-1). Inchelium does not have enough Junior Varsity players at this time. New game times are as follows: 2 Quarters of JV Boys at 4 pm; Girls Varsity at 5 pm and Boys Varsity at 6:30 pm. Thanks and GOOOOOO TIGERS!

Thank you Hetland Electric for the generous donation! The ROAR program and the students of Republic Elementary are very excited to put these to use.

THANK YOU KINROSS!

Winter weather information: With the perfect combination of extreme cold and snow on the way, now is the perfect time to review our safe school operating procedures and delay/closure options. Republic Schools will REMAIN OPEN if safe to do so. Extreme weather and snowfall could have an adverse effect on roads and bussing, heating classrooms, water pipes, utilities/power, and staffing. We will exhaust all options at our disposal to ensure we can serve our students every day and will do our best to make announcements in a timely manner (early morning) when and if a closure, delay, or bus route cancellation is needed. Please be aware of the following options: ***School Closure - All schools, offices, and activities/clubs/sports canceled for the day. ***2 Hour Late Start - Schools and bus routes start 2 hours late (example…7:10 AM bus route is now 9:10 AM and school starts at 10:00 AM instead of 8:00 AM). PM bus routes remain unchanged. This gives us time to prepare/heat up classrooms, clear roads, and plow. ***Early Release - Schools are dismissed early and an all call will go out to families. This is usually due to power failure or lack of heating, etc…buses will still run. ***Bus Route/s Cancellation - Specific bus or buses are canceled (parents may transport or excuse their students for the day). Schools will still operate as scheduled. Please check the Republic School District website, Facebook page, and email/text/all call for any school/district operating or inclement weather announcements.

Basketball Update! Please note that the times for today's basketball games in Springdale have changed to the following: Girls Varsity 4:30 pm and Boys Varsity at 6 pm. Please also note that there will be NO boys JV today. Please call with any questions 775-3171. Thanks and GOOOOO TIGERS!

Ferry County Search and Rescue members Bob Venters and Sam Jenkins spent a snowy winter day teaching Mr. Avila's 4th Grade class what to do if you become lost in the woods. Students were also challenged to think creatively about the many different ways a garbage bag could be useful in an emergency survival situation.

In recognition of the Thanksgiving Holiday, students are released at 11:30 and the Republic School District will be closed at 12:00 PM today. We look forward to seeing students once again on Monday after the holiday break. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

Big Thank You!

Your Junior High Republic Tigers will take on the Curlew Cougars today. Girls play at 3:30 pm and boys play at 5 pm. This is the link: https://youtu.be/Wsoq8NCxeR4 GOOOO TIGERS!