Superintendent’s Update ~ October 28

Superintendent Conrad’s weekly message for October 28, 2022, topics include BPD Halloween Safety Tips; Davis School Fall Festival; Bedford METCO and PDC tour at Nubian Square; BHS Prom Dress Pop-Up; Enhanced 911; COVID-19; Impact Aid Forms; BHS “Murder on the Orient Express”; and Workshop on Section 504 Plans. 

BPD Halloween Safety Tips

Thank you to Chief Fisher and the Bedford Police Department for sharing guidance and safety tips for Halloween. BPD urges all families to head out and enjoy the sweet and spooky fun that Halloween has to offer. For more information please navigate to BPD Halloween Safety Tips.

Davis School Fall Festival Review 

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Last Saturday many Davis School families came together to enjoy beautiful weather and fun activities. Students were excited to see each other, and the staff, and to have some fun. The day was made possible thanks to the donations, discounts, and volunteer efforts of many around our Bedford community. Davis School administration would like to thank the staff and BHS volunteers that came to help supervise crafts and activities as well as the high school band that came to perform. Thank you also to the Edge, Chip-In Farm, Bedford Farms, the Bedford Fire Department, Callahan’s Karate, the Bedford Recreation Department, and our balloon artist, “Mr. Twister”. A huge thank you goes to BEST for funding the event and all of the many families that donate and participate through BEST. To join BEST please go to their website at https://bestptoma.wordpress.com/

Bedford Parents Diversity Council and METCO

The Bedford Parents Diversity Council, a community group devoted to creating a culture of belonging in Bedford schools, brought the diverse families of Bedford High School together to Roxbury on a beautiful Saturday afternoon for a delicious Dominican meal and a tour of METCO’s Breaking Down Barriers exhibit and Nubian Square. The events were led by Bedford High School senior Mya Brewster. “We want the suburban kids to have a better understanding of and appreciation for the rich history and culture of the neighborhood and how the community is thriving,” said BPDC’s Heather Leavell. The group was intrigued and engaged as they learned, mingled, and ate together. Thank you to METCO for hosting this event. For more information about METCO please visit them on the web at https://metcoinc.org/ or visit the PDC on their FaceBook page.

BHS Prom Dress Pop-Up Event

Prom and semi formal events are coming up soon and BHS will be sponsoring recurring “Prom Dress Pop-Up” events throughout the year. Students will be able to “borrow” a prom dress and accessories, or formal suits from our donated collection. At this time See we are looking for donations of formal dresses – both long and short – that are sitting in closets at home not being used; as well as formal wear accessories like shoes, purses, jewelry and shawls. We are also looking for formal suit, ties and tuxedo donations and would greatly appreciate any contributions beginning this week. Please dry-clean your donations before dropping off.

If you want to help but don’t have a dress to donate, you can make a financial contribution to offset program costs, which include alterations, dry cleaning, purchase of dress racks and refreshments for the Pop-Up event. Checks can be made payable to BHS – Prom Pop-Up. All donations can be dropped off in the Bedford High School front vestibule after notifying the main office via the buzzer that you’re donating for the Pop-Up. Please email Sandy Arena or Heather Thacore for more information. The schedule for the Prom Dress Pop-Up is 

Monday, November 7th from 7:45 – 8:45 AM (Locker Room Area) 
Wednesday, November 30th from 7:45 – 8:30 AM (Locker Room Area)
Wednesday, January 11th (Jr/Sr Prom Pop-Up) from 7:45 – 8:30 AM (Locker Room Area)
Monday, April 3rd (Jr/Sr Prom Pop-Up) 7:45 – 8:45 AM (Locker Room Area) 

Massachusetts Enhanced 911

The Massachusetts Next Generation 911 system has added two new lifesaving features. The first is “Text-to-911”, which allows a person that is unable to speak or hear to communicate via text with a 911 dispatcher. The second is the “Silent Call Procedure”, which allows a person that is unable to speak to call 911 and when the call is answered by the dispatcher to press the following digits on their phone: 1 for the police department, 2 for the fire department, and 3 for an ambulance or medical services. This way the dispatcher can immediately send help. These two features of the 911 system are valuable and can provide the ability to save a life when used.

Please be sure to share these new features with friends and family throughout Massachusetts. 

COVID-19

The Bedford Public School nursing staff is able to provide COVID-19 symptomatic testing at school. This testing service is optional and consent is required prior to testing. See the link below to sign up for your student.  The school nurses will administer rapid antigen testing using Abbott BinaxNOW or iHealth tests on-site at each school health office. 

2022-2023 Student Consent Form for Symptomatic COVID-19 Testing at School 

This service is for students who develop symptoms while already at school.  Please continue to screen your children each day before school and refer to the COVID-19 symptoms checklist on the BPS website. If your child has mild symptoms of illness, please test them at home with a rapid home antigen test before sending them to school.  

We encourage all families to keep a supply of COVID-19 home rapid antigen tests on hand.  Home test kits are available from the following town offices during normal business hours:  Health Department, Council on Aging, Town Manager’s Office, or the Bedford Free Public Library. Students may attend school with mild symptoms as long as they are testing negative on an antigen test before coming to school.

Many families signed up for iHealth home tests last Spring and may still have them left over.  The expiration date for this product has been extended.  You can check the expiration dates with the lot # using this link: iHealth Expiration Date Extension

We encourage everyone to get vaccinated with the most recent booster.

For the latest information on COVID-19 cases within the school district please navigate to the Bedford COVID-19 Dashboard 

2022 Impact Aid Survey Is Closing Soon

The 2022 Impact Aid Survey opened on October 3, 2022, and will remain open until October 31, 2022, we are asking parents, guardians, and caregivers to complete the annual Military Impact Aid Survey. Completing this survey allows us to meet the requirements of Public Law 874. Under the provisions of Public Law 874, The Bedford Public Schools must conduct an annual Military Impact Aid Survey. The Town of Bedford receives a substantial sum of money under this provision, which lowers the cost of education for ALL taxpayers.  

Parents/Guardians/Caregivers received a unique email with a survey link for each student. It is very important that all surveys are completed and electronically signed for each student, as reimbursement is made for all eligible students on a per-pupil basis.  This year the survey is fully electronic with e-signature – The district uses DocuSign for the survey. This survey is repeated annually.

If you have any questions, please contact the Business Office of the Bedford Public Schools at (781) 275-7708. We thank you very much for your assistance with this important annual survey.

Save the Date for Murder on the Orient Express 

Bedford High School’s Performing Arts Department will present Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express from Thursday, November 10 to Saturday, November 12. The theatrical production is based on the Agatha Christie novel of the same name. The performances will take place in the BHS Auditorium at 7:00 PM on November 10, 11, and 12. The show runs for about two hours, and is appropriate for middle schoolers and up. Tickets can be purchased at https://bhschorusandtheater.weebly.com/tickets.html.

Workshop on Section 504 Plans

Our Bedford Parent Groups BEST PTO, Middle School Parents Association, BHS Parents Association, Parent Diversity Council, and SEPAC (BEST, MSPA, BHSPA, BPDC, BSEPAC) are co-sponsoring a free virtual workshop on Section 504 plans.  All parents and families are welcome. Section 504 plans are formal plans that school-based teams develop to provide students with disabilities the support they need.  The information will be presented by the Federation for Children with Special Needs (FCSN). The workshop will discuss Section 504 qualification criteria, the contents of a plan, and the major differences between a Section 504 Plan and an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). It will be held virtually on Thursday, November 13, 2022, from 7:00 until 9:00 in the evening. To register please use the following link: Bedford Parents Section 504 Workshop.

As always, thank you for your patience, your participation, and your continued commitment to our schools.

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