Category: Harry Hoag News

Each week at Snack Bag time, Lisa Petty’s Life Skills classroom in Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School is a whir of activity as students organize and count, assemble and package, and decorate dozens of bags of meals and snacks to be sent home on Thursdays and Fridays with students in need.

Thanks to the generosity of the Canajoharie Loyal Order of Moose Lodge, the Snack Bags will continue to head home each weekend. On December 9, Doc Davis of the Moose Lodge visited the high school to present a $1,000 donation check to Principal Dr. Deborah Larrabee, Life Skills teacher Lisa Petty and Life Skills teacher assistant Lori Shults. The Moose Lodge is a charity organization, and their donation to the Snack Bag program is just one of the ways they have shown their commitment to the community.

“We are so grateful to Doc Davis and the Moose for their generous support of the Snack Bag program,” Dr. Larrabee said. “Their donation helps us continue a program that serves 19 high school students and 25 elementary school students, helping them with meals and snacks each weekend. The program is also an important instructional activity for our Life Skills class.”

“Our students enjoy getting the Snack Bags weekly,” said Harry Hoag Principal Lauren Crisman. “Each bag is decorated by a member of Mrs. Petty’s class. The students look forward to seeing the unique designs, and they always show appreciation for the delivery. We are grateful for the partnership.”

In addition to preparing the Snack Bags, the Life Skills class delivers them to the elementary school, walking them there when the weather permits.

Prior to the pandemic, the Life Skills students were assisted in preparing the Snack Bags in their classroom by visiting clients from Liberty ARC. Lori Shults, who previously worked with Liberty, praised the partnership. “Many of the clients formed friendships with the Life Skills students and would specifically ask for the Snack Bag assignment.”

“Without the help from Liberty this year,” said Lisa Petty, “our class has risen to the challenge on their own, filling 44 bags each week with tasty fare such as ravioli, cereal, applesauce and pudding, and fun items like goldfish crackers and cookies. We are very grateful to the Moose Lodge for their donation to help us continue the Snack Bag program.”

In addition to recognizing the Canajoharie Moose, Dr. Larrabee noted that Fort Plain faculty and staff have also been very generous in assisting the Snack Bag program and thanked them for their ongoing support.

Photo information

In the photo at top: Doc Davis of the Canajoharie Moose Lodge (third from left) presents a $1,000 check to Life Skills teacher assistant Lori Shults, as Life Skills teacher Lisa Petty (far left) and Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School Principal Dr. Deborah Larrabee (far right) look on during a Dec. 9, 2020 donation ceremony at the school.

In the photo below, Life Skills students and their teacher Lisa Petty pack Snack Bags in their classroom. 

Dear Members of the Fort Plain School Community:

I hope you had a safe and happy Thanksgiving. Given the rising number of positive COVID-19 cases in our state and region, it is important that we reconnect about how we can work together to keep our schools open and our students learning and growing.

Schools have been recognized by Governor Cuomo and nationally for successfully taking precautions to help control the spread of the virus, and your partnership in these efforts is most appreciated. Thank you.

State and local guidance
I’d like to share information about new guidance from the state on tracking and slowing COVID-19 infection that could potentially impact our school community.

As part of its Micro-Cluster Initiative  and Cluster Action Initiative to slow the spread of the virus, New York State is designating certain geographic areas as Yellow, Orange or Red zones. The zones are based on the prevalence of COVID-19 and take into account multiple factors including numbers of positive tests, hospital capacity, etc. The zones come with certain restrictions and protocols aimed at limiting the spread of the virus, including school-based COVID testing.

While our community is not currently within one of these zones, it is helpful to be aware of this information should it be designated in the future. Our school district continues to work with the Montgomery County Public Health Department and HFM BOCES to stay informed of the guidance and how it affects our students, staff and community.

A proactive partnership
We also continue to work proactively to prevent and limit exposure to the virus in our schools. As I noted earlier, your partnership in this effort is invaluable.

We can all help to promote health and safety in our schools and community by:

• Wearing masks, practicing social distancing and frequently washing our hands.
• Adhering to guidelines for sizes of family and social gatherings. (In his Nov. 30 news conference, Governor Cuomo noted that 65% of recent COVID-19 cases have been attributed to small gatherings).
• Observing updated travel regulations, including quarantine and/or testing requirements.
• Staying home when we don’t feel well or are having symptoms, and keeping our children home when they are experiencing the same.

Our number one goal in Fort Plain is to provide the safest possible environment for teaching and learning, in order to keep our schools open.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,
John Bishop
Superintendent of Schools

Fort Plain Schools’ annual early release drill, which was originally scheduled for Nov. 24, will be held on Friday, Dec. 11, 2020. This is a change from the printed calendar sent in late summer.

This is a friendly reminder for all Fort Plain parents and guardians that physical health exams are mandated by New York State for all students who are newly enrolled in a school district or who are in grades pre-k or kindergarten, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11. This includes students who are enrolled as in person, hybrid or remote learners.

Please return completed physicals to the school nurse’s office as soon as possible. More information on physicals is posted on our health services webpage, under Health Screenings.

Dear Members of the Fort Plain School Community,

On Thursday, November 12, 2020, the district was informed that a member of the school community had tested positive for COVID-19. Fort Plain Schools were closed on November 13 for deep cleaning and disinfection of any potentially impacted areas. Instruction was provided remotely for all students.

In working with Public Health we are implementing our Short-term remote learning plans through November 24. The health and safety of the students and employees of the Fort Plain School District are our highest priorities. In person classes will resume on November 30, 2020.

During the remote learning period, transportation will continue to be provided for all out-of-district programs, including special education, career and technical education, PTech, AgTech, and Adirondack Academy. Meals will be provided for students of both schools and may be picked up at either Harry Hoag or in the Village Office parking lot in downtown, between 10:30 a.m. and 12 noon. The main offices will remain open.

Fort Plain School District has been working in conjunction with Montgomery County Public Health to review policy and procedure for COVID-19 exposure, and is following their guidance. Montgomery County has provided the district with additional PPE and cleaning supplies. Students and staff who have been identified as close contacts will be contacted by the local health department in the county where they reside.

We ask that our community remain diligent with wearing masks and washing hands frequently. Please note that if you do not receive a call from the health department, you have not been identified as a close contact. Also keep in mind, this is one positive confirmed case at this time and does not rise to the level of an outbreak or cluster.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding as we move forward.

Sincerely,
John Bishop
Superintendent of Schools

The district has been informed that a member of the school community has tested positive for COVID-19. Out of an abundance of caution, Fort Plain Schools will be closed on Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, for deep cleaning and disinfection of any potentially impacted areas.

Please note that instruction will continue to be provided, remotely, for all students at both schools, according to schedules posted on our website’s Important Updates webpage (direct link to schedules.)

The district is working closely with the County Department of Health and is following their guidance. They are taking the lead role in any further steps that may be necessary, such as additional testing of individuals, contact tracing and quarantine.

Under federal and state laws and regulations, we cannot identify the individual who tested positive. We will continue to monitor this situation and keep you informed. Thank you for your understanding.

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