Author: heather.nellis

The New York State Public High School Athletic Association, Inc. recently announced its 2019-20 Scholar-Athlete School of Distinction and School of Excellence Award winners.

Fort Plain was one of just five Section II schools to earn the School of Distinction award. Fourteen of the district’s teams earned scholar-athlete team awards.

Schools can apply for School of Distinction status by having 100 percent of its varsity teams qualify for and receive the Scholar-Athlete team award during their respective sports seasons.

To earn the School of Excellence Award, 75 percent of a school’s varsity teams must qualify and receive the Scholar-Athlete team award. For the 2019-20 school year, the School of Distinction and School of Excellence winners were based on fall 2019 and winter 2020 Scholar-Athlete submissions because the spring 2020 program was canceled.

The purpose of the School of Distinction and School of Excellence Awards are to unite varsity coaches in challenging their teams to achieve a statewide academic honor.

This year, 56 schools earned the School of Distinction Award and 140 schools earned the School of Excellence Award.

An additional 21 schools received the School of Distinction Award and 13 more received the School of Excellence Award compared to 2018-19 school year.

“We are excited once again to see the numbers of schools honored increase and it is a true testament to the kind of student-athletes we were have here in New York State,” said NYSPHSAA Executive Director Dr. Robert Zayas in a news release. “We continue to be proud of this program which highlights and celebrates schools that value the importance of academics, as well as athletics. The fact that so many student-athletes thrived in the face of a pandemic this past winter is truly remarkable.”

NYSPHSAA’s Scholar-Athlete team award was initiated in 1991-92 school year.

The School of Distinction Award was established in 2002-03 while the School of Excellence Award began in 2016-17. All awards are sponsored by Pupil Benefits Plan.

Construction is underway at the Fort Plain Central School District for its capital improvement project. Work is being conducted at both school buildings and the district bus garage. The project includes health and safety upgrades, addresses maintenance needs and enhances the district’s facilities.

Construction firms have put in 5,000 man hours in recent months to conduct the work. Superintendent of Schools John Bishop says the project is on-time and on-budget. It is anticipated that much of the work will be completed before the first day of instruction on Sept. 8.

“This project allows the district to realize greater operational efficiencies and supports the district’s goals, especially in the areas of health and safety,” Bishop said. “We’re updating aging building systems and making much-needed infrastructure improvements. This work helps reduce long-term maintenance costs and keeps our facilities in top working order.”

District voters approved the $11.2 million project in December 2018. The project does not have an impact on the tax levy. It is financed in part by $1.3 million from the district’s capital reserve fund. The remaining funds are provided by the sale of bonds. Fort Plain is eligible to receive a 94.9 percent reimbursement from the state on allowable expenditures. 

The capital project addresses three major areas of need:

Health and Safety

• 

  Fire alarm system upgrades at both schools

• HVAC upgrades at both schools
• Classroom door security upgrades at both schools
• Installation of an emergency generator at the Jr./Sr. High School
• Cafeteria renovation and kitchen upgrades at Harry Hoag Elementary School

Building Maintenance and Enhancements

• Roof reconstruction at both schools
• Replace outdated windows in a portion of the elementary school
• Masonry restoration at both schools
• Refinish gym floor, install new divider curtain and wall pads in the high school gymnasium
• Server room expansion
• Enclose open maintenance area at bus garage

Site Maintenance and Improvements

• Replace water main/sanitary line at the elementary campus
• Replace pumps serving athletic complex
• Reconstruction of track and fields at the athletic complex
• Paving reconstruction including tennis and basketball courts at the high school and parking and site improvements at the elementary school
• Drainage reconstruction behind the bus garage

The officers of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) voted this week to delay the official start date of the fall 2020 sports season. They also canceled the fall 2020 regional and state championships.

NYSPHSAA also announced it is prepared to implement a condensed season schedule in January 2021 if high school sports remain prohibited throughout 2020 due to COVID-19. This decision comes at the recommendation of the NYSPHSAA COVID-19 Task Force.

“As the state considers reopening, it is unrealistic to believe athletic seasons can start on August 24 as originally scheduled,” NYSPHSAA President Paul Harrica said. “The priority will continue to be on the educational process and a return to learning in the safest way possible.”

The NYSPHSAA officers’ decision includes:

• Delaying fall sports start date until Monday, Sept. 21.
• Canceling fall regional and state championship events.
• Waiving the seven-day practice rule.
• Maintaining current practice requirements.
• Encouraging geographic scheduling for games and contests.
• The option for schools, if permitted by state officials, to offer off-season conditioning workouts.

With regional differences, schools and areas will be impacted differently by the COVID-19 crisis. At the discretion of the NYSPHSAA officers and authorization from state officials, if the fall sports seasons are interrupted or impacted by COVID-19 crisis (i.e., state official guidance, school closings, cancelation of high-risk sports, etc.) then a condensed seasons plan will be implemented.

The Condensed Season plan would entail the following, with the stipulated dates being tentative.

Season 1, Winter Sports

Dates: Jan 4 – March 13

Season 2, Fall Sports

Dates: March 1 – May 8

Season 3, Spring Sports

Dates: April 5 – June 12

A Reopening Task Force with representation from all stakeholder groups is working on a plan for the reopening of Fort Plain schools in fall 2020. This work is based on all available guidance from the state and public health agencies as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

The task force held a virtual kickoff meeting earlier this month. The task force includes two subcommittees: Teaching & Learning and Facilities & Operations.

How are decisions being made?

The steering committee will make recommendations related to how schools reopen, as well as practices and protocols designed to mitigate risk, provide for the safety and health of all and ensure the best possible academic experience for students. Reopening plans will be submitted to NYSED on or before July 31st for final approval

The task force’s subcommittees are focused on all aspects of the reopening process, from transportation and disinfecting procedures to student scheduling, instructional planning and classroom setup. The Teaching & Learning Subcommittee is reviewing parent and faculty feedback from the virtual learning surveys to help develop next steps.

The topics being addressed by the subcommittees include:

• Remote Learning
• Health and Safety Protocols (students & staff)
• Mental Health/Special Education/English Language Learners
• Classroom and Transition
• Athletics/Extracurricular Activities
• Communication
• Scheduling
• Transportation
• Cafeteria/Nutrition

What will reopening look like?

The district is preparing for multiple scenarios for how school will take place in September.

Given the nature of the COVID-19 situation, this will be a fluid process. It is expected that all reopening considerations will be shaped by state and federal guidance, in consultation with local health departments.

No decisions about how school will reopen in the fall have been made. At this time, there has been no change to the school calendar for 2020-21. Instruction will begin on Sept. 8.

The district will submit plans for the following potential operating conditions for the 2020-21 school year:

• Full virtual learning: Buildings are closed and all learning occurs remotely from home.
• Blended approach: Certain student groups/grades/levels are in classrooms (e.g. social distancing, cleaning, masks) while others are fully virtual.
• Full opening: Buildings are open. All students are in buildings full-time with restrictions (e.g. social distancing, cleaning, masks) or no restrictions due to vaccine/CDC guarantees.

When will decisions be made?

Gov. Andrew Cuomo at his press briefing on July 8 gave an official timeline for districts to submit school reopening plans. He said he will make a decision on whether or not to reopen schools statewide in the fall by early August.

The state released finalized reopening guidance for school districts on July 13. School districts will then submit their safety plans for reopening by July 31.

Cuomo said New York state will review school district plans the week of August 1-7. The state then will approve, deny or suggest changes to those plans. A decision to reopen schools to students statewide in the fall will also be made by the state at that time, he said.

Communications: How can you stay updated?

This Reopening Our Schools page is the best source of information about the reopening plan.

Fort Plain will additionally use Remind to send text updates as needed through the summer. To sign up, text @fpcsd1 to 81010 and follow the on-screen instructions.

Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School Valedictorian Michaela Stockwell will be featured on WNYT NewsChannel 13’s valedictorian special, The Class of 2020 Speaks.

Stockwell’s speech will be included in a full two-hour special that will air Sunday, June 28 from 1-3 p.m. on My4/WNYA. WNYT anchor Jerry Gretzinger says snippets of a few of the speeches will run during a few newscasts on NewsChannel 13 this Friday, and it is anticipated the entire program will be shared online after it airs in its entirety.

The Harry Hoag Elementary School At-Home Learning site has been updated with summer enrichment opportunities. Please visit the page to access these resources.