September 5, 2024

Dear APW Families,

Yesterday was the first day back for our students, and it was heartwarming to see their excited faces as they returned to school. We are thrilled to welcome everyone back for another fantastic year of learning and growth.

In this newsletter, you will find the following important information:

1. Introduction of New Staff
2. Overview of District Goals
3. Important Dates
4. Emergency Drill Notification
5. Back-to-School Tips and Resources
6. Capital Project Update

Be sure to keep scrolling through for details!

Keep an eye out for key dates, including parent-teacher conferences, school breaks and holidays, and special events. For the most up-to-date information, please visit our website for the District Calendar, as well as the Elementary and JSHS calendars.

The safety of our students and staff is very important to us. To keep everyone safe we have safety and security procedures, such as having a single point of entry for each building, requiring visitors to sign in at the main office, utilizing security cameras, partnering with School Resource Officers, outlining expectations in our Code of Conduct, and conducting various drills throughout the year.

NYS requires the use of the following emergency response terms:

• Lockdown: To secure school buildings and grounds if an immediate threat of violence happens in the school or outside. Students and staff move from hallways into rooms. Doors and windows are closed and locked and students and staff move away from doors and windows and remain quiet and out of sight.

• Secure Lockout: To secure school buildings and grounds against a danger outside of the school. All students and staff outside move into the school building. Outside doors and windows are closed and locked. Some visitors to the building may not be allowed inside the building. The school day continues as normal.

• Evacuation: To move students and staff from the school building to a safe location.

• Shelter-in-Place: To keep students and staff safely inside the building when there is a safety concern outside the building. Students may stay in their classrooms for a continuation of instruction. Sometimes students and staff may need to shelter together in a predetermined safe area of the school, such as for weather emergencies.

• Hold-in-Place: To keep students and staff in their classrooms while dealing with short-term emergencies, such as a student needing medical help in the hallway. Students stay in their classrooms and instruction continues.

Our school works with local law enforcement (police), fire departments, and other emergency response partners to make sure we are prepared in an emergency. Part of this work includes the following:

• A District-Wide Safety Plan on our website.

• A confidential Building-Level Emergency Response Plan in place at each school building.

• Safety drills in each school to practice and learn what to do in case of an emergency. State law requires we have eight evacuation (fire) drills, four lockdown drills, and an early dismissal drill during the school year.

• At least three school bus safety drills each year.

We will notify parents/guardians within a week before each safety drill. Please note: We will be conducting bus safety and fire drills starting no earlier than one week from today. For all additional drills, we will send out the Upcoming Drill Notice linked below.

Safety Drills

Each school year before we have drills, we teach our students and staff about our emergency procedures to be sure that everyone knows what to do in an emergency. We teach in a trauma-informed way, which means we try not to scare anyone or make it seem like a real emergency. In a developmentally appropriate way, we talk about the kinds of safety drills we will practice during the school year, how a safety drill will be announced, and what students should do in each type of safety drill. When we practice evacuation (fire) drills, the drill is announced by the fire alarm

going off. For all other drills, we always tell students and staff that it is a drill and not a real emergency.

In an Emergency

If there is an emergency at your child’s school, our first priority is to keep all students and staff safe. School officials must be able to communicate with emergency responders. In addition, emergency personnel must be able to access facilities. With that in mind, please:

• Do not go to the school. Coming to the school can prevent emergency personnel (e.g., police, fire department) from getting to the school quickly.

• Do not call the school. Our priority is to protect the wellbeing of our students and communicate with emergency personnel, and we cannot respond to callers.

• We will contact parents/guardians using our notification system (Parent Square, text, email, automated call) as soon as possible. Please make sure your emergency contact information is always up to date at your child’s school. If you need to make an update, you may do so in the SchoolTool Parent Portal, or you may call our District Registrar at (315) 625-5275.

• Check the district website and APW Facebook page. We will provide information to the public as soon as possible, as well as any updates. Information that is not from our school administration or our communications office may not be correct.

• If you get a call or text from your child, help your child stay calm.

If you have any questions regarding school safety, please contact your school's main office. Thank you for helping us protect the wellbeing of our students.

The transition from summer to the school year can be difficult for kids (and parents -- I have 3 in school still, so I'm right there with you.) Having consistent routines and providing support makes a difference. Here are some things you can do to help support your child as they get used to being back at school.

Establish a Consistent Routine

Help your child maintain a consistent schedule for homework, dinner, and bedtime. A steady routine will ease them into the schedule of the school day and support better focus and energy levels.

Set Homework Expectations

Designate a space for homework, whether that's the kitchen table, their bedroom, the couch, or some other place in your home, and set expectations for completing it each day. Check in regularly to make sure your child is managing assignments and deadlines.

Encourage Open Communication

Talk with your child about how things are going at school—socially and academically. This will help them feel supported, and they'll be more likely to open up if they face challenges.

Support Organizational Skills

Help younger students organize their materials at home so they’re prepared for each day. For older students, they may find it helpful to use planners or digital tools to keep track of assignments, upcoming tests, and other important dates.

Monitor Sleep and Screen Time

Ensure your child is getting enough sleep (8-10 hours) and set limits on screen time to avoid distractions from homework and rest.

Stay Involved and Informed

Keep in regular contact with your child’s teachers. The SchoolTool Parent Portal is a helpful tool for you to access to check grades and attendance.

Promote Self-Care and Emotional Well-being

Remind your child to take short breaks during homework. Encourage physical activity, and ensure they have time to unwind.

Take Advantage of School Resources

Check out the school’s website or contact the office for resources such as tutoring, counseling, or extracurricular activities that could benefit your child.

Over the summer, great progress was made on our Capital Project, which includes updates to our facilities to better serve our students and staff. Our JSHS students and staff have several remodeled classrooms and furniture, and the auditorium should be ready for our winter concerts in December! We also have a beautiful new pole barn to be used in conjunction with the trades classes. The elementary outdoor classroom is underway, as well. Here are a few pictures to show some of the changes.