REMINDER: No school on September 16
Weekly Update with Mr. Rizzo
This week, Mr. Rizzo checks in from a very special 2nd grade class. Click here to watch.
Remembering September 11 Parent Resource
This Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of the attacks that took place in the United States on September 11, 2001. Memories of 9/11 are still vivid for many adults today, but children in grades K-12 were not alive then and have no personal memories of the event. Parents can click here for an age appropriate guide to talking to your child about September 11 from today.com.
BusPatrol Rolling into Spring-Ford
The Spring-Ford Area School District is proud to partner with BusPatrol starting this school year. BusPatrol is a safety technology company with the mission of making the journey to and from school safer for children. BusPatrol's safety programs change driver behavior and create a culture of awareness and responsibility around school buses. In addition, they provide accessibility for school districts, and municipalities to modernize their entire school bus fleets by outfitting them with the latest stop-arm, route planning and route execution technology.
The district’s entire fleet of 109 school buses will be enhanced with automated stop-arm enforcement technology and cloud-managed safety cameras. The program and cameras will go-live starting in October.
According to national reports from bus drivers, more than 90,000 drivers illegally pass stopped school buses every day in the United States. Every time a driver ignores a school bus stop-arm, a child is put at risk.
The partnership with BusPatrol will reduce the number of illegal passes in Spring-Ford, by educating drivers and helping local law enforcement to capture and enforce violations. The AI-powered stop-arm cameras capture the license plates of vehicles that ignore school bus stop-arms.
As well as stop-arm cameras, the entire school bus fleet at Spring-Ford Area School District will be outfitted with 360° cloud-managed safety cameras and a silent alarm system. This will improve safety on the school bus and allow the school district to respond immediately if there is an emergency. The technology, installation, and maintenance are provided at zero cost through BusPatrol’s violator-funded business model.
Upcoming Events from Montgomery County Health and Human Services
Please join the upcoming events hosted by Montgomery County Health and Human Services.
- September 8, 6:30-8 p.m. – QPR Suicide Prevention Training. Click here to learn more.
- September 13, 6:30-8 p.m. – Protective Power of Parents to Keep Young People Safe and Build Them to be their Best Selves. Click here to learn more.
- September 22, 6:30-8 p.m. – Positive Parenting Strategies for Less Worrying and More Connection. Click here to learn more.
- September 29, 6:30-8 p.m. – A Discussion to Support Family and Youth Wellness With Panelists from Access Services. Click here to learn more.
Accessing Canvas
Canvas is a learning management system (LMS) used by all Spring-Ford students and teachers grades K-12 as an online support and supplement for face-to-face classes. Canvas allows teachers to manage content, record and measure learning, and communicate with students and families. Students have the ability to connect with their teacher and peers, access activities and assignments and receive feedback. Families will have access to function as "observers" of the course, which allows them to view work pertaining to their individual student(s).
New families can click here to learn more about setting up a parent account.
Bee Kind Ella Day
September 20 is #BeeKindElla Day! Help us in continuing the tradition of keeping Ella's spirit alive through friendship, community and kindness.
Ella Smith was the definition of light and love. Her smile was infectious, her grit was unmatched and her spirit resonated with everyone she came into contact with. She believed with her entire soul that kindness mattered, right up until she lost her battle with cancer in the spring of 2020.
With September being Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, once again we are asking the Spring-Ford community to wear blue and do something kind for someone else on September 20th in Ella's honor.
Click here to learn more about Bee Kind Ella Day.
Parent Group Spotlight: The A Team
The A Team is Spring-Ford Area's Autism Support Network. You may know them from their Sensory Santa event in December or the Autism Family Fun Day in April. The A Team has a wide variety of resources to draw from, so please check them out!
Click here to learn more about the A Team.
2021 Annual Public Notice of Special Education Services and Programs
Click here to review the Annual Public Notice detailing how a student qualifies for special education and gifted services, programs available, the screening process, evaluation process, rights and protections of parents and confidentiality.
Hurricane Ida Support and Resources
Montgomery County officials have released updated information on the County’s response to the remnants of Hurricane Ida, including the location of its Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC). Residents can opt-in to receive updates by texting MontcoIda to 888-777.
Montgomery County will operate a Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) for residents affected by Hurricane Ida. The MARC will be open on Wednesday, September 8 from 12 noon to 7 p.m. and on Thursday, September 9 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. At the MARC, residents will have access to representatives from non-profit disaster relief organizations; municipal, County, and State emergency management agencies; elected officials; and various County and State government human services agencies.
Click here to learn more.
SFASD Dashboard
Spring-Ford Level of Community Transmission: Schools should work with local public health officials to determine the additional prevention strategies needed in their area by monitoring levels of community transmission (i.e., low, moderate, substantial, or high). SFASD will refer to the Montgomery County Office of Public Health (MCOPH) COVID-19 Rates by School District Dashboard (link below). MCOPH will update their weekly data each Tuesday. Click here for the 2021-2022 Dashboard.
Montgomery and Chester County COVID Dashboard Trends:
Click here to view the full Montgomery County dashboard.
Click here to view the full Chester County dashboard.
Find Available Vaccine Appointments: Many local locations have vaccines available, some offering same-day appointments or walk-in appointments. MCOPH will release vaccine appointments within phases randomly, not by the date registered. Click here to register for a vaccine appointment.
Local Vaccine Search: Enter your zip code for a listing of local sites.
