Author: heather.nellis

Fort Plain Central School District Interim Superintendent Kathy Dougherty has resigned from her position effective today, Feb. 11, due to family responsibility.

HFM BOCES Superintendent Dr. David Ziskin, the former Fort Plain superintendent, will assume the role of superintendent at no cost to the district. In their statutory duties as representatives of the New York State Education Department, it is the responsibility of a BOCES district superintendent to assume the role of superintendent in any component district when the position becomes vacant.

Dougherty said she is resigning from her position so she can be closer to her daughter, who is expecting a baby.

“This is a special opportunity to serve my family in a new capacity as a grandmother,” Dougherty said. “After much thought, I have decided that this is the best decision for my family. My daughter lives a considerable distance away, so this is a relocation for me.”

Dougherty was appointed in June to fill the vacancy created by Ziskin’s appointment as HFM BOCES district superintendent and chief executive officer.

“It’s been a privilege to have served the Fort Plain Central School District,” Dougherty said. “I need to express how impressed I am with the district’s core values and how they are focused so strongly around students. A common thread around everything we do in Fort Plain is based on what’s best for students. There is a very unselfish and altruistic culture in this district.”

Ziskin will serve as the Fort Plain superintendent until either another interim is selected or a new superintendent is appointed. The district’s search for a new superintendent is underway. The call for applications from potential candidates closed on Jan. 30. Interviews will conclude by the end of  March, with a final appointment anticipated in early April. The new superintendent is expected to start in July.

“On behalf of the Fort Plain community, I would like to thank Mrs. Dougherty for her service to the school district. We wish her well in the next chapter of her life,” Ziskin said.

Who doesn’t love to be read to? The Cross-Age Reading Buddies group recently met in the Harry Hoag Elementary School Library under the direction of Melissa Caponera, teaching assistant in the library. The objective of this newly formed group is to bring children together to foster literacy through mentor relationships. Students in Kayleen Snow’s fifth grade English language arts class partnered with prekindergarten students from Stephanie Parkinson’s class. Together they selected books of interest, found a quiet reading spot and shared their love of reading. The group meets on Tuesday mornings in the school library.

Congratulations to the Harry Hoag Elementary School Students of the Month for December!

Above from the left are fourth grader Gabreilla Steinhauer, fifth grader Devon Medina, fifth grader Lyllie Handy, Principal Lauren Crisman, second grader Kayden Minckler, sixth grader Devannan Ragoo and second grader Elijah Shostek. Below is kindergartner Bryson Dodson, right, with teaching assistant Paula Colvin.

Extra, extra, read all about it! Sixth graders are helping their peers at Harry Hoag Elementary School stay in-the-know with the publication of a monthly student newspaper.

The “Hilltopper Herald” is written and produced by a group of Matt Heiser’s technology students known as Team Tech. Students are gaining valuable future-readiness skills as they experience the thrill of seeing their names in print on a finalized product.

“The first time I saw the finished newspaper, I thought it was awesome,” student Ezra Brown said. “My favorite part is how people are learning about me; both my friends who I work with, and the people who read the newspaper.”

• Hot off the press: Read the January edition of the Hilltopper Herald

The work is just like that of a real-life printed publication. Students do the leg work of writing questions, conducting interviews and taking photographs. Then they use laptops, computer programs and applications to write their stories, upload pictures and design their pages. Once it has been edited, the paper is printed and students fold the pages to create a final product.

“Creating the newspaper is an authentic experience for the kids,” Heiser said. “They’re developing collaboration and digital skills.”

It’s also a creative outlet for the kids. Each 32-page paper is chock-full of work that was created by the students — photographs, fictional stories, news articles, fake ads and fun features that are timely and reflect the season. For instance, the October edition included a Trick or Treat Safety article by Madison Clayburn, a movie review of “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” a spooky ghost story by Jacob Herringshaw and a review of the Harry Hoag Open House by Kimberly Kirby.

There are also coloring sheets, opinion articles, jokes, tech tips, video game reviews and an advice column called “Dear Jessica.” There is even a mailbox outside of Heiser’s classroom where people can leave their letters seeking advice.

Each student has a role in creating the content. For example, Brown is a sports writer and the team’s photographer. Kirby is an interviewer and writer. And every team member has a role in the newspaper layout, designing their own pages.

“My favorite things about working on the newspaper are getting to write, work with my friends and make new friends,” Kirby said.

“I’m learning about the basics of using a camera and I learned how to upload the pictures from the camera to the computer,” Brown said.

Participation in Team Tech is a voluntary extracurricular activity. Students can spend their free class periods in Heiser’s technology classroom and contribute to the newspaper.

The Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School held an Elective Fair recently to help students decide which courses to take next school year.

Students in grades 8-11 were invited to participate in the fair. The event helps the faculty and staff gauge student interest in the course offerings. It also gives teachers an opportunity to pitch their courses to students.

A teacher from each department was available to answer questions and distribute informational materials. Students also received a “Classroom Classified” to take with them, which lists every course that was proposed, along with a brief course description.

The Fort Plain CSD will launch a pilot program this month that is intended to enhance safety and improve the efficiency of the district’s school bus management system. Using a software system called Traversa on school buses, the district will be able to track student bus riders and the locations of all buses in real-time mode whenever they are on the road.

“The Fort Plain CSD administration and Board of Education take very seriously our charge to ensure the safety and security of our students,” interim Superintendent of Schools Kathy Dougherty said. “Adding this system to a transportation program that prioritizes extensive driver training and meticulous vehicle maintenance helps our district demonstrate safety as an unquestionable first priority.”

This pilot launch will involve one school bus, but the long-term goal is that the system will be implemented district-wide. Parents of children involved in the first phase of the pilot program were mailed a letter with detailed information. As more buses are included in the program, parents of those students will be notified accordingly.

• View a list of frequently asked questions & answers about the swipe card system

Under the system, students will each be given a swipe card that is programmed with a student’s name, where they are picked up by the bus and where they are dropped off. Students will use their cards whenever they get on or off a school bus.

The system instantly alerts the driver if a student tries to get off the bus at an unassigned stop. Drivers can also receive messages from the school buildings if any student’s drop-off location changes over the course of the trip. Knowledge of where and when a student boarded or left a bus allows our district to proactively manage student safety and prevent errors such as students boarding the wrong bus.

The system has additional benefits for bus drivers to generate turn-by-turn directions to each stop on their bus routes.

“We are proud to launch a system that enhances our ability to bus our students to and from school in the safest way possible,” Fort Plain Transportation Supervisor Tom Hajczewski said. “The system makes it easier for our bus drivers to keep both eyes on the road and both hands on the wheel.”

The swipe cards will be provided at no charge to the students or families. Students must have their cards with them at all times whenever riding the school bus to enable the system to run efficiently. Elementary students’ cards will have clips so they can be attached to their book bags or jackets. It is suggested that high school students keep their cards in their wallets or their purses.

Should the first card become lost or damaged, the district will issue a second card at no cost. If the second card is lost or damaged within a year, there will be a fee of $5 for a third or subsequent card.

If a student forgets their card, they will still be able to ride the bus. Their information will be entered manually into the system by the school bus driver.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the swipe card system mean for students?

• Each student gets a swipe card. Students will scan their cards into a card reader whenever they get on or off a school bus.
• Students should bring their cards with them to school every day. It is suggested that elementary students clip their cards to their backpacks or jackets; high school students should carry them in their wallets or purses.

What happens if a student forgets their card?

• If a student forgets their card, they can still ride the school bus. Their information will be entered manually into the system by the school bus driver.

Do I have to pay for my child’s card?

• The swipe cards will be provided at no charge to the students or families.
• Should the first card become lost or damaged, the district will issue a second card at no cost.
• If the second card is lost or damaged within a year, there will be a fee of $5 for a third or subsequent card.

Parents who have questions should call the transportation department at 518-993-4000 ext. #4001.

The Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School Class of 2020 collaborated with Santa Claus to bring some holiday magic to the kindergarten classes at Harry Hoag Elementary. The kindergartners were visited by Santa and the senior class on Dec. 18 to give the children an opportunity to share their wishes, listen to stories and receive some goodies.

Each child got to visit with Santa and tell him what they wanted for Christmas. While they waited to tell Santa their Christmas wishes, they listened to the seniors read “How The Grinch Stole Christmas.” The class took Polaroid pictures of each student with Santa and created ornaments the children could share with their parents.

The students in Lisa Trembley’s English 12 class worked for weeks to prepare for the visit. The seniors consulted with Santa and helped him reply to each kindergartner’s letter to him, and they read the replies to the students after they met with Santa. The seniors also prepared for the visit by creating ornaments and goody bags and baking cookies for every kindergartner.

“The Class of 2020 had so much fun visiting with the elementary children, especially reading their letters to them from Santa!” Trembley said. “Merry Christmas to all!”

The Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School collected more than 750 canned goods as part of the grade-level competitions for Spirit Week this week. Student Council members delivered the donation to the Fulmont Community Action Agency, Inc.‘s center in Fort Plain.

You won’t find a seating chart or traditional rows of desks and chairs in Tracey Conover’s kindergarten classroom at the Harry Hoag Elementary School. Instead, at any given moment, students could be sitting on stools, bobbing on exercise balls, lounging on bean bags, leaning in scoop chairs on the floor, or even kneeling at tables. 

It’s known in education circles as flexible seating. It’s a seating arrangement that allows students to sit where they choose, offering a wide array of options to work at different heights and in different positions. 

“We transition multiple times during the day, and each time, the children can pick a new seat,” Conover said. “This is beneficial to the kids because they have the option of choice.”

Conover has fully embraced flexible seating arrangements in recent years because of how it has positively impacted student learning. Conover attributes it to increased student productivity because the kids are comfortable and able to move. 

“A few years ago, I had a student who had trouble focusing,” Conover said. “One day, he was sitting at a table on an exercise ball. He was gently bouncing, fully engaged in his work. It showed how something as simple as having a seat that was comfortable to him could make a big difference.”

“I know it’s hard for me to focus and get things done when I’m uncomfortable,” she continued. “The same goes for kids.”

Though they have options, each seating arrangement has its own rules. Students always have to be seated safely, and they have to stay in their spot until they transition to the next activity. 

The students say they like to pick their seats. 

“It’s fun because we get to explore new seats,” Tabatha Romanello said. 

“I like to sit on the counter to do my work,” Chase Woodcock said. 

Flexible seating also helps students learn to problem-solve. One student opted to lay on the classroom carpet during a writing workshop. He got to work, but his pencil kept poking holes through the paper on the carpet. So, he solved his problem by grabbing a clipboard from a stack that Conover has stored in a bucket.

“They figure out what works for them. For some students, that means having a forever seat, because they don’t like moving around,” Conover said. 

Students also learn about how to resolve conflicts in a positive way. 

“There are only so many seats available for each option. If there aren’t enough, they have to figure it out, or no one can use it,” Conover said. “Most of the time they solve the problem without adult intervention.”

Nine Fort Plain Jr./Sr High School students recently participated in a Model United Nations simulation at the Carey Institute for Global Good in Rensselearville. Students Nate Beam, Emma Karker, Sophia Rogers, Brady Fureno,Taylor Gifford, Michaela Stockwell, Jenna Reese, Emma Oldick and Tucker Jones represented the nations of Austria-Hungary, Portugal, Mexico and Russia. Fureno served as the president of the simulation. Our students represented the stance of each nation on global imperialism. They had to write resolutions that were proposed to the United Nations Security Council. The mock UN Security Council debated and voted on each resolution. Fort Plain presented a resolution on behalf of Austria-Hungary and it was approved!