Coyote Connection
Volume 1 Issue 3
Updated Car Rider Drop Off and Pick Up Information
Beginning this Monday, our car rider line will operate as a single lane. When dropping off or picking up your student, please use the right lane. The left lane is for parking and early dismissal only. Please see the graphic below for the new traffic pattern. As always, our goal is to ensure that our students are able to get to and from school safely and as efficiently as possible. Thank you for your help and patience as we continue to learn and grow as a school community.
Thank you for pulling all the way up to the crosswalk at the awning closest to the Tower side doors. These are the doors that our car riders enter and exit each day.
Please load and unload under the awnings where there are adults to help supervise your student's arrival and dismissal.
Remember to send a water bottle to school with your student each day!
Reminders/Helpful Info
STUDENTS in the BUILDING:
- Students can access the building starting at 7:45 AM. All car riders and bus riders enter our building via the Tower doors.
- On-site supervision begins at 7:45am.
- Students should report directly to their Homeroom class unless eating breakfast in our cafeteria.
- Students report to their Homeroom class upon arrival.
- School begins at 8:10 AM and ends at 3:10 PM.
- Parents are not permitted to walk students into the building.
- Car riders drop off and pick up - please review the updated map above.
- EARLY DISMISSAL NOTES: Walk in dismissals are discouraged as it increases exposure to students, staff, and parents. Early dismissals are not permitted between 2:40pm-3:10pm. When picking up a student prior to 2:40pm, please come to our front door buzzer to speak with Mrs. Miller.
- All students not involved in approved after school activities should be off campus/picked up by 3:30pm each day.
LUNCH/BREAKFAST:
- Breakfast and lunch are provided to all students at no cost at the middle level.
- We have designated seating areas for our breakfast eating students, and will practice social distancing at our tables based on the number of students eating breakfast.
- Once a student finishes breakfast, s/he reports directly to Homeroom.
- We will have 2 lunches. While half of the grade level is eating lunch, the other half will be enjoying recess/blacktop time. We have reduced seating at our cafeteria tables. Each table top usually holds six students, but will now seat 3 per table top. On a rainy day lunch day, half of our students are in the cafeteria for lunch while the other half are supervised in classrooms by teachers to enjoy some socializing time. Then, they switch.
- Breakfast and lunch are always supervised and adults are available to help as needed.
- FOOD DELIVERIES WILL NOT BE ALLOWED – Parents will not be allowed to bring in food from outside. Breakfast and lunch are offered through Student Nutrition free of charge again this year. Our FCMS students will not go hungry!
- We encourage all of our students to bring a water bottle filled with water every day. We have refilling stations in our cafeteria, and others have been ordered for all grade level floors.
BUS ROUTES:
- Bus route info can be found HERE.
VISITORS:
- Parents will be allowed in the front office and guidance office for meetings only. We will conduct as much school business and information virtually and by telephone.
- There will be no visitors during lunch.
FCMS School Improvement Council Nomination Form
Please use this form to nominate a parent/guardian to serve on our FCMS SIC.
Do you like to laugh? Do you know any funny jokes?
Laughter is good medicine for sure!
FCMS Family members may submit Fun-Tastic Friday jokes on our Fun-Tastic Friday Google Form: https://forms.gle/sMawodskAhguSgmV7
If your joke makes Mrs. McNeil laugh, it might get read over our intercom on an upcoming Friday!
Come on students, parents, teachers, and staff, we know you have some great jokes to share!
Interested in the FCMS PTO?
Looking for Athletics Information?
Message from Nurse Hazen
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) wants to assure that all children and teens receive recommended vaccines to prevent disease. DHEC reminds parents and guardians that South Carolina law requires that all students entering 7th grade receive one (1) dose of Tdap vaccine. The Tdap vaccine protects preteens and teens from three serious diseases: tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough). It is important to know that there are three other vaccines that all preteens and teens are recommended to receive: human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine, a cancer prevention vaccine, meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY) that prevents some types of meningitis, and the yearly flu vaccine.
Talk to your child’s health care provider now about what vaccines he or she needs. You should also ask about these vaccines at a physical exam required for sports or camp. Don’t forget to make sure you get an updated SC Certificate of Immunization at the visit to give to your school nurse. This certificate is required by state law for school attendance.
Your local DHEC health department also can provide these vaccines. Call 1-855-472-3432 to make an appointment. For more information about vaccinations in South Carolina, go to http://scdhec.gov/Health/Vaccinations/
Covid Information / FMSD Dashboard
Current High/Middle School Mitigation Strategies
High/Middle School Mitigation Strategies
The district is maintaining a number of mitigation strategies in accordance with CDC and SC DHEC guidance at the middle and high school levels, including, but not limited to:
· 3ft social distancing where possible.
· Additional lunch periods and available areas of the school to allow for distancing during lunch periods.
· Hand sanitizer stations throughout the school.
· Isolation room for any individual displaying COVID-19 symptoms at school.
· Water bottle fillings stations in place of water fountains.
· Limiting the number of outside visitors during the school day.
Other Covid Information
Use of Masks
While the CDC and SC DHEC currently recommend the use of masks indoors for all persons regardless of vaccination status, mask use will be optional for students and staff in school buildings, facilities and buses without the need for an opt-out form per the Governor’s order, along with Proviso 1.108 adopted by the General Assembly and recent information from the South Carolina Department of Education. Click here to read the S.C. Department of Education memo provided to school districts regarding mask use.
Use of Desk Shields in Classrooms
Both the CDC and SC DHEC have removed the recommendation for the use of desk shields in classrooms. The CDC removed this recommendation during last school year but the district decided to keep them in place through the end of the school year since they were mounted to the individual desks. Following this change in guidance in conjunction with issues that arose from their use, the district has removed the desk shields from all classrooms.
Vaccination Requirement and Reporting to Parents
At this time SC DHEC has not added the COVID-19 vaccination to the immunization requirements for school. You can view the complete list of required vaccinations here. Under state and federal privacy laws, the district cannot share any personal medical information including vaccination status of any student or staff member with the public.
Contact Tracing (Includes FMVA Students)
The district will continue to perform contact tracing for any positive case reported among our students and staff. Isolation and quarantine protocols determined by SC DHEC will be implemented for any positive case or identified close/household contact.
Students and staff are asked to report positive case results or close/household contact status immediately to the district. Reporting can be done via the district website here.
Under DHEC guidelines any person who has been fully vaccinated at least two weeks prior to close/household contact exposure may provide proof of vaccination to be exempt from quarantine protocols at the time of identification. Click here to view DHEC guidelines for quarantine protocols.
Go 'Yotes!
Christine V. McNeil, Principal
Website: https://fcms.fortmillschools.org/
Location: 2212 White Road Fort Mill SC 29715
Phone: 803-396-3450
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/forestcreekmiddleschool