Fordland Focus
District Updates and E-News
February 19, 2024
Fordland Families,
I hope this newsletter finds you enjoying the new year and the more mild temperatures we've had this month. It's also my hope that most of our cold, wintry weather is behind us.
Our winter sports season is wrapping up in the next few weeks. The boy's and girl's basketball teams are playing in districts this week. The boys are playing Tuesday night in Mansfield and our girl's are competing in Crane tonight. Good luck to both teams! Next up is Middle School Volleyball and our spring softball and baseball seasons. Check out our district calendar or follow our school Facebook pages for game times and other school events.
I included the January article we published about snow days. If you didn't get to check it out last month, be sure to look it over. Hopefully, we won't need to use any more snow days but living in Missouri, you never know.
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 us.
#BelieveInBlue
Sincerely,
Stephanie Vickers
Superintendent
Fordland R-3 Schools
Fordland Elementary School
Art projects with Mrs. Morris
Mrs. Tunnell's small group time
Mrs. Cochara's class pets
Fordland Middle School
Problem-solving in math
Eagle store is a success
Cooperative learning
Fordland High School
Shave the Stache with FFA
Homecoming Court
Last game in the old gym
Faces of Fordland
Stephanie Coleman
Q: What is your favorite thing about working at Fordland?
A: "The students, they have a way of grabbing your heart."
Q: Tell us something that might surprise you.
A: "I have my Bachelor's of Science degree in Nursing."
Q: What is your favorite thing to do when you're not at work?
A: "Read, watch crime TV and hang out with my family."
Q: What's something you can't live without?
A: "My son"
Q: What advice would you give our students?
A: "Always ask for help, be yourself and don't get down on yourself from failure-learn from it!"
Snow Day Protocol-Worth repeating from January
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 Twitter. If you have not received snow day communication, 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 5 snow days. Currently, we have forgiven 5 snow days and have two make-up days scheduled. 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.
Check out photos of our new FEMA room and gym
Fordland R-3 School District
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
X/Twitter: @FordlandR3Scho1