Fordland Focus

District Update

December 2024

Fordland Families,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! First semester is behind us and 2025 is around the corner. We are so proud of the work and accomplishments our students have achieved this year. Fordland is a amazing place to be!

Fortunately, we've had not inclement weather thus far, but it's inevitable. Did you read my snow day protocol in the last month's newsletter? If not, I included it below. I hope this helps as you think about the process behind our decision-making in the event of winter weather.

Winter sports and activities are underway. You can catch our girl's basketball team in action at Walnut Grove over the break. Shout out to our Academic Team-they remain undefeated! 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.

School resumes Monday, January 6. Have a wonderful break!

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

Sincerely,

Dr. Stephanie Vickers

Superintendent

Fordland R-3 Schools

Fordland Early Childhood

Fordland Elementary

Fordland Middle School

Fordland High School

Faces of Fordland

Mashell Kirkpatrick

Meet Mrs. Kirkpatrick! She is a paraprofessional at Fordland Middle School. This is her first year with the district. She is described by her co-workers as patient, considerate and always attentive to the needs of those around her. Mrs. Kirkpatrick meets students where they are, encouraging them to take the next step with confidence. Her favorite thing about working at Fordland is having an opportunity to give back to the community and being able to celebrate victories with the students.

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

A: "I cannot live without my kids. They are my world."

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

A: "My favorite things to do when I'm not at work are reading books and spending time with my family."

Q: Who is your biggest inspiration?

A: "My family-they encourage me to do my best and I know they always have my back."

Q: What advice would you give our students?

A: "Dream big and never give up. Always believe in yourself!"

Tanya Price

Meet Mrs. Price! She is a Math Intervention Teacher at Fordland Elementary School. She has been with our district for 6 years. Mrs. Price is described as hard-working, dedicated and strives to help her students be successful. Her colleagues say she is helpful to new teachers and works diligently to support each student in their learning and growth. Her favorite thing about teaching is making a positive impact on the lives of her students.

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

A: "I can't live without my faith in the Lord Jesus and the knowledge of my salvation."

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

A: "I enjoy spending time with my family and being outside in my flower garden."

Q: What advice would you give our students?

A: "It's important to work hard and always do your best!"

Snow Day Protocol

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.