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Category: District News

Service and work-based learning—a win for students and the school community

A high school student, who has long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail and is wearing eyeglasses and a short sleeved black t-shirt, works to fill a shopping bag with food items from a table. The student has turned and looks at and is smiling for the camera.
Students in our Jr./Sr. High School Life Skills program gain important life and work-ready skills while taking part in activities that support and enhance our school community.

Kevin Bogus Memorial Garden beautified – check. Weekend snack bags prepped for peers – check. Coffee served and Kristy’s Closet stocked – check and check.

Thanks for these and many other activities that support and enhance our school community go out to the learners in the Jr./Sr. High School Life Skills classroom of Dorene Goodwin.

“Our curriculum is designed to support the students in gaining essential academics and life skills. With all the activities we do throughout the school and to support the community, the students are learning by doing,” explained Goodwin.

Consider an activity such as preparing weekend snack bags for peers. Steps such as taking inventory, grocery shopping for essentials, preparing and then delivering the completed bags to each school site further the weekly project. They also offer students hands-on practice with subjects such as math and English Language Arts (ELA) and with practical life and workplace skills such as problem solving, teamwork, collaboration, customer service, perseverance and much more.

“What I like about the students participating in all of these projects around the school, is that it gives them a chance to build their own skills. It also allows them to give back to our community in ways that really matter,” Goodwin said.

November menus, new Fresh Bar option

This week, Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School debuted its new Fresh Bar. Now, along with our daily lunch offerings, Jr./Sr. High School students can build-their-own-lunch from the Fresh Bar items.

With lighter options such as sandwiches and salad, yogurt, hummus, veggies, fruit and more, this addition to our jr/sr. high school lunch offering is already a big hit with students!

View the November breakfast and lunch menus for all students, k-12. 

Enriching student learning—in and outside our classrooms

A group of Fort Plain first graders and teachers sit together in a wooden wagon at Bellinger's apple orchard. They are gathered close together and all look at and smile for the camera. It is a clear, sunny fall day and green grass, trees and mountains appear in the background.
Fun field trips such as the one Harry Hoag Elementary School first graders took this fall to Bellinger’s Apple Orchard help bring classroom learning to life.

Throughout the school year, a host of fun field trips and enrichment activities help deepen our students’ learning. These hands-on and multi-sensory (learning with all the senses) experiences help bring classroom lessons to life… and may even inspire a passion or future career path!

Here are just a few fun examples of the enriched learning happening for students this fall:

  • Kindergarteners recently donned their own helmets and climbed aboard a big red Fort Plain fire truck to learn about fire safety and the important job firefighters play in our community. This annual visit from the fire company helped mark Fire Safety Awareness Month and is just one of many ways our first responders and community helpers expand students’ learning throughout the year.
  • Fall wouldn’t be the same without a trip to the orchard for apples and a wagon ride. After learning about the season and how apples grow, first graders visited Bellinger’s Apple Orchard for some apple picking, tasting and lots of other seasonal fun.
  • The sweet smell of pumpkin spice filled the air as learners in our third-grade classrooms made (and got to sample!) fresh butter, pumpkin pie and homemade whipped cream. Thank you educator Wendy Richardson and the Cornell Cooperative Extension/Herkimer County for leading us in this fun and delicious culinary exploration.
Dozens of Fort Plain High School students sit in plush, dark red seats at Proctor's Theatre in Schenectady before a producation of Mrs. Doubtfire. All are looking at and smiling for the camera.
“[The trip to Proctors Theatre to see Mrs. Doubtfire] was a cool opportunity for students who would not otherwise get to see these shows. It is important for students to be exposed to these cultural events.” – Fort Plain High School Junior Jasmine Lapi
  • Meanwhile at the high school, youth participating in the OK2XL gifted and talented program shared lots of laughs and took in the beauty of the historic Proctors Theatre in Schenectady while watching the stage production of Mrs. Doubtfire. “This was a cool opportunity for students who would not otherwise get to see these shows,” said High School Junior Jasmine Lapi. “It is important for students to be exposed to these cultural events.” District and grant funding makes these and other types of dance, music, drama, media and visual arts experiences a possibility for students across the grades, in and outside of our classrooms.

We are so grateful for our many community partners, educators and area venues that help expand our students’ learning and help them grow in new and creative ways by sharing their knowledge and expertise.

Help Fort Plain NHS build a Field of Flags

Fly a flag, honor a veteran

The Fort Plain chapter of the National Honor Society is hosting  a fundraiser in honor of our veterans.

For a $10 donation, your flag will be added to the Fort Plain Field of Flags, on display at the Jr./Sr. High School from Nov. 10 – 17, 2023.

Each flag dispalyed will represent one veteran—and our school community’s unwavering commitment to honoring those who have served our country.

Visit this site to donate a flag.

Questions about this fundraiser? Please email NHS & NJHS Advisor Kolbe Gray at kolbe.gray@fortplain.org.

Thank you!

Fifth grade team climbs to new heights on annual ADK trek

A group photograph taken from above of the fifth grade team at Harry Hoag Elementary. Students and teachers are all wearing hiking clothing and standing on bright green grass with rocky patches.
The annual Harry Hoag fifth grade trip to Kane Mountain in the Adirondacks is a tradition that has been making fond memories students for nearly 50 years.

This September, Harry Hoag fifth graders took their turn with an annual outing to Kane Mountain/Kane Mountain Fire Observation Station in Caroga N.Y.  This nearly 50 year old district tradition was, by all accounts, a fan-favorite for the fifth graders new to the trek and for our teaching team who lead this hike each year.

“This is such a great way for the students to get to know each other outside of the classroom early in the school year,” said fifth grade teacher Patrick Hanifin, who has been leading the outing for the past 25 years. “The experience is all about sharing the joys of hiking with the kids and being able to mix in history, geography and physical education.”

Making memories for generations of Fort Plain students

While Hanifin said he just missed the opportunity to take the hike while a student at Fort Plain (the tradition didn’t begin until he was in seventh grade), it is often mentioned fondly in graduation speeches and many of the parents and family members of current fifth graders also had their turn with the trip when they were Fort Plain students.

“It meant a lot to me to get to take this hike,” said fifth grader Colton White. “My dad went when he was in fifth grade, but he said he was too scared to go up into the fire tower. He was impressed when he found out I had climbed up into the tower!”

Along with the fire tower, students mentioned the many different types of rocks they saw along the trail (“Some were shiny, some were smooth, some were rough but they all were so pretty,” said Isabella Shibley), the great view (“It was awesome. I never saw a better view than when we went up the fire tower,” said Preston Spraker) and the icing (or ice cream!) on the cake: a stop on the way back to school for ice cream at Grannies.

“A former fifth grade colleague, Barry Kahn, who was actually my fifth grade teacher, used to say that it’s not just a great way to show the kids the many joys of hiking but to also show them how fortunate we are to live so close to the Adirondack Mountains,” said Hanifin. “His hope, and mine, too, was that after we hiked some of the families would make a return trip to Kane Mountain or explore other hiking trails. It’s certainly been my favorite field trip every year!”

A welcome message from Superintendent Lauren Crisman

Fort Plain Central School District Superintendent Lauren Crisman, who has long blond hair and is wearing a printed short sleeved black blouse, sits at a wooden table in an office space and is looking at and smiling for the camera.
Fort Plain Central School District Superintendent Lauren Crisman

Dear Fort Plain Central School District Community Members,

I wish to take this opportunity to warmly welcome everyone back to school for the 2023-2024 school year!

The first day of school for students kindergarten through grade 12 is Wednesday, September 6, 2023.

While you were away, the summer teams remained busy preparing for your return.  I extend a deep notion of gratitude to all summer employees.

In addition, many stakeholder groups including administrators, teachers, parents and community leaders spent time identifying the types of skills and knowledge that we believe will best prepare our students for success beyond graduation.  The summer conversations helped begin our process of long term planning. As adults, we passionately agreed that school should be a safe place where students can explore their interests and aspirations, thoroughly enjoy their school day experience, and be held accountable to display self worth and good character.  During the fall, student stakeholder groups will be consulted to learn more about their very important perspectives on these topics and more.

Last year, the Board of Education identified five enduring goals:

  • Improve safety in our schools.
  • Improve student learning outcomes.
  • Build and maintain trusting relationships with students and their families.
  • Support social and emotional wellness for all school community members.
  • Ensure responsible and strategic use of fiscal and human resources to best support the needs of our students.

In alignment with our enduring goals, the leadership team has prioritized the development of a comprehensive, Multi Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Plan as a necessary project for the upcoming year.  When completed, the plan will be a resource for both professionals and parents that can be used to address questions related to academic and social-emotional intervention services.

A second priority for both buildings will be to ensure that every student attends school regularly.  We will do a comprehensive review of our local attendance policy and delve deeply into attendance data to analyze the excuses associated with high rates of absenteeism specific to Fort Plain CSD.  Students who miss more than 10 days of school are at risk for failure related to learning milestones and often become disengaged with the school process in general.  Our teachers and leaders believe in the promise of education and we feel strongly that being in school daily guarantees each student the opportunity to get what they need from us in order to pursue a life filled with success and enduring happiness.

I’m excited for what’s to come and, again, thank you for the opportunity to be a part of your children’s education and well being.

Take good care and see you soon,

Lauren Crisman

Superintendent of Schools

 

Program helps families pay for internet service

The federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) helps New York State families pay for internet service.

Under this program, households are eligible to receive $30 per month assistance toward internet/broadband service if they are enrolled in the Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch Program and/or the School Breakfast Program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision.

Visit the Affordable Connectivity Program website for more information.

View a flyer with more information about this program.

If you are not able to access the information in this flyer and need it in another format, please contact the Fort Plain CSD district office at 518-993-4000 ext. 1000.

Questions about the Affordable Connectivity Program?

If you have questions or need to know if you are eligible for this program, please contact the Fort Plain CSD district office at 518-993-4000, ext. 1000.

Fort Plain mourns the passing of Cheryl Ann Phillips

Fort Plain Central School District mourns the passing of Cheryl Ann Phillips, a longtime supporter of the Fort Plain community and member of our teaching staff.

Most recently, Mrs. Phillips had worked as a Speech Therapist, a position she held for over 25 years.

“Mrs. Phillips had a true love for the Fort Plain community and an unwavering sense of Topper Pride.  She worked tirelessly behind the scenes supporting and loving not only her own children but many other student athletes who became family.  She supported her husband while he more publicly helped an endless number of student athletes obtain otherwise unobtainable goals,” reads a tribute, in part, to Cheryl Ann Phillips.

View the tribute to Mrs. Phillips and learn about her many interests and life experiences.

Our thoughts are with her family and friends.

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