Fonda-Fultonville remains committed to communicating all elements of this reopening plan to students, parents and guardians, staff and visitors. The plan is available to all stakeholders via the district website at www.fondafultonvilleschools.org/reopening-plan, and will be updated throughout the school year, as necessary, to respond to local circumstances. The link to the plan appears on the district’s website homepage and from school homepages. Every effort has been made to ensure that the plan is accessible to all individuals in accordance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level A/AA. The plan can also be translated into other languages, via a G-Translate feature that will be made available on the district website by Aug. 15.
As part of its planning for the reopening of schools and the new academic year, the district has developed a plan for communicating all necessary information to district staff, students, parents/guardians, visitors and education partners and vendors. The district will use its existing communication channels – including the website, all calls, emails and signage to share information. This includes new protocols and procedures, expectations, requirements and options related to school operations throughout the pandemic.
The district is committed to establishing and maintaining regular channels of communication and has reviewed and determined which methods have proven to be the most effective in communications with our school community. The district will rely on its website and its mass notification system School Messenger to communicate news, requirements and updates related to reopening and in-person instruction. The information that we will share will be based on state guidance, the district’s reopening task force and community feedback.
Parents and guardians should complete the emergency contact forms that are mailed to homes to ensure the school district can reach them with important information. They should contact the main office of their child’s school any time their contact information is updated.
The district will also use Parent Portal to share important information about students’ academic progress. Parents who have not registered for the Parent Portal should contact the main office to get connected.
- Main number 518-853-4415
- Elementary school office ext. 5001
- Middle school office ext. 4246
- High school office ext. 4239
In support of remote learning, the district will make computer devices available to students and teachers who need them. The district issued a technology survey to families to assess needs and determine access. The district will provide students and their families with multiple ways to contact schools and teachers during remote learning.
The district will use existing internal and external communications channels to notify staff, students and families/caregivers about in-person, remote and hybrid school schedules with as much advance notice as possible. Families will receive all-calls and emails, and the schedule will be updated on the district’s daily calendar available on the home page or https://www.fondafultonvilleschools.org/calendar/.
The district will follow its existing engagement and communication protocols with parents regarding the provision of special education services for their child. Staff will make weekly parent contact when necessary to be responsive to student needs. Meetings about students’ Individual Education Plans will continue as required, either in person or virtually.
In addition, the district will make every effort to ensure that communication to parents/legal guardians is in their preferred language and mode of communication. Staff will make daily parent contact with students who are English language learners to be responsive to student needs. Meetings about students’ Individual Education Plans will continue through virtual platforms as required. The district will continue to employ the translation features in its mass notification system to ensure parents are receiving communications in their preferred language.
The district is committed to ensuring that all of its students and their families are taught and re-taught new expectations related to all public health policies and protocols. As part of this continuous training, the district will assess the best approach to communicating the information for each students’ age group and will provide frequent opportunities for students to review these policies and protocols. This targeted education will help ensure that all students and their families know what is expected of them as they successfully return to the school setting. These trainings will be provided on the district website and through virtual orientations and classroom instruction. They will cover:
- Hand hygiene
- Proper face covering procedures (how to wear and remove)
- Social distancing
- Respiratory hygiene
Parents/guardians will notify the school if their child develops symptoms by contacting the school nurse. Students’ health screenings and temperature checks will be conducted at home prior to coming to school or boarding a school bus. Parents/guardians will be given a link to answer yes or no to whether or not their child has a temperature over 100 degrees. Students are not to come to school if their temperature is over 100 degrees.
The district will use signage throughout the district to address public health protections surrounding COVID-19. Signage will address protocols and recommendations in the following areas:
- Proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Acceptable face coverings and requirements related to their wear
- Hand washing
- Adherence to social distancing instructions
- Symptoms/prevention of COVID-19
- Hallway traffic patterns
In addition to signage, the district will encourage all students, faculty, staff and visitors through verbal and written communication to adhere to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and DOH guidance regarding the use of PPE.
The district is committed to creating a learning environment that protects student and staff health, safety and privacy. Our district will operate under a standard procedure for addressing situations in which an individual has tested positive for COVID-19 or appears symptomatic. These procedures are outlined in the Health & Safety section of our reopening plan.
In the event that a student or staff member is sick or symptomatic, notification to exposed individuals will occur pursuant to the state’s contact tracing protocols as implemented by the local health department. The district will not notify the wider community unless specifically directed to do so by local health officials. Confidentiality will be maintained by the school district, per federal and state regulations.
School Closures
The district is preparing for situations in which one or more school buildings need to close due to a significant number of students or staff testing positive for COVID-19 or a considerable regional increase in COVID-19 cases.
Determinations about opening and closing schools as the COVID-19 pandemic continues will be made based on the state’s micro-cluster strategy https://forward.ny.gov/
The district may choose to modify operations in one or more schools prior to closing to help mitigate a rise in cases. The district will consult its medical director and the local health department when making such decisions.
School building administrators will communicate with each other regularly and, if needed, will consider closing school if absentee rates impact the ability of the school to operate safely.
The district will rely on its website and its mass notification system School Messenger to communicate any school closings or related changes.