Fordland Focus

Fordland Families,

One phrase that I often think about is "time flies". Have you ever wondered why time seems to pass by quicker each year? Regardless of the reason, Thanksgiving is almost here. The holiday brings a mixed set of emotions for me. I look forward to seeing family over the break but begin to dread the onset of winter weather. Unfortunately, snow and ice have a new meaning for me as a superintendent. In advance of inclement weather, please see our snow day protocol below. I hope this helps as you think about the process behind our decision-making in the event of winter weather.

There are so many activities, games and programs coming up. Please see our district calendar for events you might be interested in.

Once again, your partnership matters to us. Successful schools depend on the support and involvement from families and the local community. Our Fordland team looks forward to continuing the collaboration between home and school. Thank you for supporting your child and our team.

Let's continue to make it a great year! #DoTheWork

Sincerely,

Dr. Stephanie Vickers

Superintendent

Fordland R-3 Schools

Meet Mrs. Humble! She teaches English at Fordland High School. She is also the Yearbook Advisor and Co-Sponsor of FCA. Mrs. Humble has been with our district for 11 years. She is described as caring, compassionate, and a hard-working educator. Her favorite thing about working at Fordland are her students and coworkers. "I am incredibly blessed to spend each day with people who truly care for one another and who keep me laughing no matter what the day might bring."

Q: Tell us something that might surprise you?

A: "I spent a summer banding birds to study migration for the Missouri Conservation Department in a field research program and originally wanted to be a science teacher because of it."

Q: What's your favorite thing to do when you're not at work?

A: "I love to be outdoors with family and friends."

Q: What advice would you give our students?

A: "You can do hard things. A person's true character, their strengths and weaknesses, become most apparent when they are facing difficult situations or challenges."

Meet Mrs. Halcomb! She is a paraprofessional at Fordland Elementary School. She has been with our district for 6 years. She is described as reliable, trustworthy and caring. Her favorite thing about working at Fordland are finding baby goats in backpacks for show and tell.

Q: Tell us something that might surprise us about you.

A: "I studied orangutans in Borneo and in high school, I sang the star spangled banner at ball games."

Q: What's something you can't live without?

A: "Jesus"

Q: What is your favorite thing to do when you're not at work?

A: "I love to be outside-we have goats, chickens, ducks, guineas, a goose, 3 dogs and 2 cats. I also like canoeing and motorcycle rides and traveling."

Q: What advice would you give our students?

A: "Not advice really, but I want them to know they are loved."

Have you ever wondered what goes into the decision-making process for a superintendent when it comes to calling off school? It is definitely a complicated decision and not taken lightly. We understand the last-minute impact is has on our Fordland families and aim to consider all factors in a careful yet timely manner so families can make other arrangements. Here are some action steps taken during the process:

National Weather Service Calls: Our NWS office holds conference calls for area superintendents at 4:15 am if bad weather is moving in. These calls are informative and give us a better idea as to when inclement weather will arrive in Fordland and how roads will be impacted.

Transportation: Before making a decision, I drive around Fordland to check the road conditions. This process usually begins the night before or in the morning around 4:30 am or earlier if there's no weather call. My goal is to drive part of every bus route so we have a good idea of what road conditions will be like for our bus drivers, student drivers and parents. My own children attend Fordland Schools too, so I would never want to put any of our students, including my own, in a dangerous situation.

Communication: When school is cancelled, we communicate it to our families in multiple ways. You should receive a telephone call, email, notification (if you have the Fordland app), and it is also posted to our social media sites-Facebook and X. If you have not received school communication this year, please call our offices and we'll make sure that your contact information is updated in our system. School day closings will also be posted to KY3. Ideally, we would love to communicate cancellations to our families the night before, however this is not always possible since weather doesn't always match the forecast.

Make-up Days: With our current calendar, we have built in enough hours to forgive two snow days. After that, we will start making up snow days on Mondays. In addition, we have added the option of AMI this year. AMI days will only occur if we have more than 8 snow days. Your child's school will communicate the AMI plan in December. Please see the school calendar below for the order of make up days vs forgiven days.

Feel free to reach out if you have additional questions regarding snow days. Thank you for your support.

Website: https://www.fordlandschools.org
Location: 1230 School Street, Fordland, MO, USA
Phone: 417-767-2298
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087640789888
Twitter: @FordlandR3Scho1