About Forts Ferry

Welcome to Forts Ferry – Home of the Lions!

School Hours

The arrival bell rings at 9 a.m., and students arriving by bus or being dropped off enter the building. Students who are located in the “walk zone” are to walk to the school’s main entrance no earlier than this time. There is no supervision before school for those who are not directly part of the Colonie Youth Center’s Before/After School Program.

The official academic day at Forts Ferry is from 9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Since we are encouraging independence in our students, parents and/or guardians who walk their child(ren) to school are asked to say their “good-byes” in the foyer of the main entrance. If a student arrives to school after the official arrival period after 9:15 a.m., a parent or guardian will need to walk the student into school and report to the main office.

At the end of the school day, dismissal by bus and parent pick-up begins at 3:30 p.m. Students walking home are dismissed prior to the buses being loaded for the ride home.

Attendance

You can report a student absence here.

District policies detailing attendance requirements can be found here.

Code of Conduct

View the district’s policy on Student Conduct and Discipline (5300)

Nursing Notes

A child who is sick will not be able to perform well in school and is likely to spread the illness to other children and staff. We suggest making a plan for childcare ahead of time so you will not be caught without a comforting place for your child to stay if he/she is ill.

Our school policy states that you should NOT send your child to school if he/she has:

• An abnormal temperature in the past 24 hours; 100 degrees or above.
• Has been vomiting/diarrhea in the past 24 hours.
• A sore throat waiting for a strep culture.
• Been diagnosed with an infection (i.e. Pneumonia, bronchitis, strep throat, scarlet fever.) The child must be taking an antibiotic for at least 24 hours prior to returning to school.
• A bad cold with a very runny nose or bad cough.
• Head lice, until your child has been treated according to the doctor’s instruction.

If your child becomes ill at school and the school nurse feels that the child is too sick to benefit from school or is contagious to other children, you will be called to come and take him/her home. It is essential that we have a phone number where you can be contacted during the day and an emergency number in the event you cannot be reached.

Please remember to report to the school nurse when your child has been diagnosed with a communicable illness, for example: strep throat, head lice, pneumonia etc.

Reminders:

• All children new to the district and in grades K, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 must provide the school nurse with an updated physical exam.
• Sixth graders are required by NY State to have one Tdap booster and two Varicella vaccines prior to entering into sixth grade or within 14 days of their birthday.
• Our school district may be selected by NY State to participate in its BMI (Body Mass Index) Survey. In this survey it is my duty to report all student’s BMI’s in grades K, 2, and 4. No names will be included in this survey. If you wish your child’s BMI not be included you have the option to opt out. Please contact me if you wish to opt out of the BMI survey.
• In winter months it may be helpful to send with your child to school an extra pair of clothing including socks, in the event they get wet during recess. The health office does not have an abundance of extra clothing to loan out.
• Please be advised that all students new to the district and in grades K, 1, 3, and 5 will receive vision and hearing screenings by the school nurse in the health office unless completed and noted by the physician on a recent physical. Also girls in grade 5 will receive scoliosis screening by the school nurse in the health office unless completed and noted by the physician on a recent physical. Any and all abnormal screening results will be sent home in writing.

Please feel free to email me with any questions. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping the children safe and well this year!

Sincerely,
Christine Terhune, RN
School Nurse

Christine Terhune, RN (Lead Nurse)
Forts Ferry Elementary School
95 Forts Ferry Road
Latham, NY 12110
Phone: 518-785-9203 ext. 3910
Fax: 518-785-2763
Email: christine.terhune@nccsk12.org