Category: District News
Miles, smiles and talent: new runner raises spirits and awareness
Fort Plain eighth grader Dustin Welch trained as a new runner with the high school cross country team this fall, and he quickly became known for his infectious enthusiasm, love of life and always having a “big smile on his face that brightens everyone’s day.”
According to Patrick Petty, cross country assistant coach, “Dustin was one of the hardest workers on the team and eagerly took on any challenge. He improved greatly over the season and brought many laughs to all of us.”
The conclusion of Dustin’s first season proved to be as energizing and uplifting as the hours he spent training with his teammates. In early November, Dustin joined with Coach Petty in running the 5K for Autism Awareness, a charity event presented through the Moon Joggers Virtual Running Events series.
While the event was virtual – meaning it didn’t involve crowds of runners, large support crews or formal staging – the run itself was very much real for Dustin and his coach, and exciting and inspiring for his cross country teammates, family, Life Skills Teacher Lisa Petty, and High School Principal Dr. Deborah Larrabee, who presented Dustin with his finisher’s medal.
“We had Dustin ‘race’ the Fort Plain athletic complex course as ‘Dustin’s Dash’,” said Coach Petty, “and he did an OUTSTANDING job, completing the 3.1-mile course in 22:40 AND with a big grin on his face!”
Justin’s mom, Jenn Welch, said, “Dustin has a lot of energy, and so we asked Dustin if he would like to run cross country with his brother Clayton, and he said yes and was all excited. We asked Mr. Petty if he could just run with the team,” she continued, “and Mr. Petty was like, absolutely, we would love to have him run.
“The whole team was really great with him. We really appreciate what everyone has done for Dustin,” she said.
Dustin, who is on the autism spectrum, said he loves to run and train with the team. And he is justly proud of earning his Autism Awareness 5K finisher’s medal.
“Dustin looked great after the race; he wasn’t at all tired,” said Dr. Larrabee. “He’s a great student and a talented runner.”
“In addition to bringing out the best in everyone, Dustin serves as a role model and is a true inspiration as well,” Coach Petty said. “Dustin is a remarkable young man; working with him this fall was the most fun and rewarding experience in my coaching career!”
Fort Plain eighth grader Dustin Welch, pictured here receiving his medal from Fort Plain High School Principal Dr. Deborah Larrabee, is an enthusiastic, inspiring and talented runner who completed his first official 5K event in just 22:40 while raising awareness for autism. He loves to run and is coached by Fort Plain science teacher Patrick Petty. Local cross country runners beware: formal competition may be in Dustin’s future.
How instruction will continue if school is closed due to COVID-19
In the interest of planning ahead, the district would like to inform Fort Plain families about how instruction will continue to be provided if one or both of our schools are required to close due to COVID-19.
If school is closed, instruction will continue to be provided remotely/virtually to students according to a schedule set specifically for the Jr./Sr. High School and a schedule set specifically for Harry Hoag School. Information about these schedules follows below.
At Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School, instruction will continue to follow the same schedule as when school is open, but will be provided remotely to all students. This will occur regardless of the length of the school closure.
Letter from High School Principal Dr. Deborah Larrabee, November 2020:
Dear FP Junior-Senior High School Families,
We are happy to have students in our classrooms and cherish the in-person learning days we have with them. We continue practicing social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands and learning to support each other so that our blended learning model may continue. However, if we need to switch to Remote Learning we want you to be prepared. We have created a schedule to ensure continuity of learning for our students. Please see the schedules below.
For a short term closure (24 hours to two weeks), students will follow their regular classroom schedule of periods one through eight daily with classes beginning at 8:00 a.m. and ending at 2:38 p.m. Teachers will provide content and instruction to students daily via Google Classroom.
For a long term closure (beyond two weeks), students will follow their regular classroom schedule of periods one through eight, but times will be shortened to help limit daily screen time. Classes will begin at 8:00 a.m. and end at 1:00 p.m. Instruction will be provided daily by teachers via Google Classroom. Office hours and extended class time will be 1:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Junior- Senior High School Shortened Schedule:
Period 1: 8:00-8:33
Period 2: 8:35-9:08
Period 3: 9:10-9:43
Period 4: 9:45-10:18
Brunch Break: 10:19-10:49
Period 5: 10:50-11:23
Period 6: 11:25-11:58
Period 7: 12:00-12:33
Period 8: 12:35-1:08
1:15- 3:15: Office Hours, Extended Class, Meetings
Our students are accustomed to having a daily schedule that they can refer to throughout the day. The remote learning schedules were created to provide predictability and grounding for your child during a time that feels very different to them and us. To help support your child, we recommend that you:
• Make sure your child has a consistent physical space for work
• Make sure that your child keeps their Chromebook charged
• Encourage your child to contact their teachers with questions
• Check Google Classrooms daily for each day’s assignments
• Observe work hours for teachers; they will respond to your emails within 24 hours
• Think about how to manage technology at home, to minimize distractions and maximize learning
The home-school partnership is essential to making this a successful year for your children. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions. Thank you for your continued support during these uncertain times.
Best regards,
Deborah Larrabee, Ed.
At Harry Hoag School, instruction will be provided remotely according to one of two schedules: a schedule for short-term closures lasting 24 hours to one week, or a schedule for long-term closures lasting beyond one week.
Letter from Harry Hoag Principal Lauren Crisman, November 2020:
Hello Families of Harry Hoag!
This letter serves to give you information regarding Harry Hoag’s intentions for instruction should we be asked to transition to an all remote (virtual) model for any period of time throughout the school year. If the District transitions to an all remote model for any amount of time, the hybrid Day A/ Day B cycle will not apply to elementary students. All elementary students should plan to attend remotely as outlined below.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns. Thank you for your ongoing interest and investment in your child’s academic success!
Proud to be your Principal,
Mrs. Crisman
New HS parking loop offers safety, efficiency for students, families, staff
As part of the district’s capital project, work has been completed on a new parking lot and traffic loop at Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School. Located just beyond the tennis and basketball courts, the new lot and loop provide families with a safer and more efficient way to drop off and pick up their students, as well as additional spaces to park.
Traffic guards are helping to guide drivers as they enter and exit the parking loop and are ensuring that students safely use the cross walk.
After entering the campus from Clyde Street, parents/guardians should follow the road to the new parking lot and loop, where they will find a number of spots to park, as well as space line up safely, away from the bus loop, while they wait for their students. The new loop and lot will ease congestion on local roads and at the school, allow bus traffic to flow in and out of campus, and most importantly, increase student, staff and family safety.
Reviews of the new loop have been positive to-date, according to High School Principal Deborah Larrabee. “One parent commented she ‘loved the new parent loop. It was so easy and stress free.’ She said she was in and out with no problem at all!”
High school named a Scholar-Athlete School of Distinction
Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School has been named a School of Distinction by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHAA) for achieving Scholar-Athlete status for all of its varsity teams during the past school year. Fort Plain is one of only 56 high schools in the state to achieve this honor.
The school received a School of Distinction and Scholar-Athlete trophy and certificate from NYSPHAA after the close of the 2019-20 school year. All of the members of Fort Plain’s varsity teams achieved honor roll.
The award recognizes excellence in both athletics and the classroom by members of Fort Plain’s teams who were able to compete before closure in March, including boys and girls basketball, boys and girls bowling, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls cross country, golf, cheerleading, swimming, wrestling and volleyball.
NYSPHAA’s Scholar-Athlete award honors students and teams for excellence in their studies. To be named a Scholar-Athlete team, at least 75 percent of a roster must achieve a grade point average of 90 or above.
From lockers to art gallery
High school lockers may not be in use for student belongings at this time, but they make an awesome gallery for pixel murals by Geoff Snyder’s Experiences in Art Class.
“Each student planned their design on graph paper first,” Mr. Snyder said. “Next, they calculated how many squares they would need and how many colors of each.
“Some of the murals are made up of more than 200 squares. Each student then arranged the squares, line by line, on larger paper for glueing.”
The students’ larger-than-life creations are displayed near the main high school entrance.
Local heroes teach fire safety
Members of the Fort Plain Fire Department visited primary students at Harry Hoag to talk about fire prevention and fire safety. In addition to learning many great safety tips, the students were excited to use the fire hose. Thank you to our local heroes for the visit!
View more photos on the Fort Plain Central Schools Facebook page.
Thank you, Board of Education
In honor of National School Board Appreciation Week, Oct. 19-23, 2020, Fort Plain recognizes the seven dedicated members of our Board of Education for their volunteerism, service and commitment to our schools, our students and their future.
The Fort Plain Board of Education helps guide the district to achieve its mission of providing each student with the opportunity to develop intellectually, socially, emotionally and physically in a safe, orderly and positive environment, and to prepare every student for success beyond graduation.
Keeping ill children home helps keep everyone safe and healthy
Dear Fort Plain Parents and Guardians,
I’d like to thank you for your ongoing support of our efforts to provide a positive environment for all of our children to learn and grow. In view of the incidence of positive COVID-19 cases in surrounding regions, this is a friendly reminder that in order for us to keep everyone safe and healthy, we request your continued due diligence in keeping your children home if they are sick.
The New York State Department of Health has created a Pre-K-12 COVID-19 Toolkit to assist parents and guardians in making decisions when their children are ill. Especially helpful are the toolkit flowcharts for “Can my child go to school today?” and “My child has COVID19 symptoms. When can they go back to school?” These step-by-step guides will walk you through the decision-making process. Images of these guides appear at the end of this letter. In addition to these guides, the full toolkit offers other resources.
I would also like to remind you of our district’s protocol should a positive COVID-19 case be confirmed. In the event of a positive COVID-19 case connected to the Fort Plain Schools community, we will work with the county health department and will issue a notification to families as guided by the health department.
Please note that while notification of a positive case will indicate the school the individual is connected to, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other privacy laws restrict the district from disclosing or confirming any personally identifiable information, and we cannot identify anyone who has tested positive.
The county health department will reach out to all contacts of the individual confirmed to have COVID-19 and advise on the need for quarantine and testing of those exposed.
I’d also like to note that to keep the Fort Plain community informed, we regularly post important updates and resources related to COVID-19 on our district website’s School Reopening/COVID-19 Updates webpage.
In closing, I’d like to say that as always, we trust our parents and guardians will continue to use your best judgment when making decisions about keeping children home from school. I appreciate your understanding and thank you again for your cooperation. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
John Bishop
Superintendent of Schools
All families receive free school meals and NY EBT cards
All students enrolled in the Fort Plain Central School District, regardless of family income, receive free breakfast and lunch during the school year because the district is part of the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the National School Lunch Program.
New York State is sending EBT cards to all Fort Plain Central School District families as part of the CEP program, and all families are receiving the EBT benefits, regardless of whether they usually receive EBT or SNAP benefits. The EBT card can be used at the grocery store. The card comes with instructions to set up a PIN and then can be swiped at the store, the same as a debit or credit card.
For more information please check out the Frequently Asked Questions for the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) Food Benefits .
Responsibilities for Learning
Fort Plain Learning Expectations for in-person and remote learning have been designed to give students and families a clear vision for academic success.
Fort Plain students will be using Google Classroom as a consistent format to promote engagement and minimize confusion across all content areas.
It is important that students and families understand their responsibility and take ownership for their learning by engaging with academic routines on a daily basis. The expectations listed below expand on the expectations that are outlined in the Fort Plain Code of Conduct and the Attendance Policy.
Remote Learning Expectations:
- Create a quiet space to work at home.
- Follow your daily class schedule.
- Arrive on time to Google Meets.
- Camera should be set to “ON” and student should be in camera view.
- Microphone should be set to “mute” unless otherwise directed by faculty.
- Stay on topic (no side conversations).
- Type your questions in the chat box.
- Complete all assignments on time.
- Participate and be attentive.
- Practice appropriate online etiquette.
- Wear appropriate attire (Dress Code still applies).
- Exit Google Meets when dismissed.
- Do not hesitate to reach out to school staff for help to:
- Teachers, Counselors, Principal, etc.
- Charge your school device nightly.
- Please adhere to the Code of Conduct for the 2020-2021 school year.
In-person Learning Expectations:
- Mask should be worn properly by covering the mouth and nose at all times when social distancing is not possible or when otherwise directed by your teachers.
- Be on time and prepared for in person instruction.
- Bring a fully charged school device everyday.
- Please adhere to the Code of Conduct for the 2020-2021 school year.
Attendance for the Hybrid Model:
- During this time of heightened awareness for wellness, we encourage families to keep children home if they are ill.
- Students with a temperature of 100 degrees or higher will not be allowed to attend in -person learning.
- In order for students to be successful, it is important that they attend their classes whether in-person or remote following their hybrid schedule.
- NYSED mandates attendance to be taken daily whether in-person or remote. For remote learning days, teachers will take attendance via Google Meet. During in-person learning days, attendance will be taken as normal.
- If a student is sick or unable to attend their remote learning classes, an excuse or doctor’s note should be sent to the school just as you would for an absence during in-person learning.
Please adhere to Board of Education approved Attendance Policy for the 2020-2021 school year.