Superintendent Conrad’s weekly message for November 10, 2022, focuses on Veteran’s Day Reminder; “Murder on the Orient Express” performance; Fall Athletics; Native American Heritage Month; DPH and AAP Prevention Letter; Workshop on 504 Plans; Special Town Meeting; Prom Dress Pop-up; COVID-19; Test kits for Holidays.
Welcome to the Thursday letter! With the Holiday tomorrow I am sending out the Friday letter a day early.
Veterans Day Reminder
Please note that tomorrow, Friday, November 11, 2022, is Veterans Day. It is a Federal holiday and therefore the schools will be closed and no classes will occur.
The annual Bedford Veterans Day ceremony will take place at 11:45 am. At Veterans Memorial Park. For more information please navigate to Veterans Day in Bedford
Veterans Day marks the armistice that ended World War I on November 11, 1918. The armistice went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.” In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…” Since that time our nation has used this day as a day of reflection for all who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. For more information about Veterans Day visit the Veterans Administration website at Veterans Day
Murder on the Orient Express
Bedford High School’s Performing Arts Department presents Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express TONIGHT! 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.
Fall Athletics
The fall athletic season is in playoff-mode and we have some important games this weekend. Please take an opportunity to check out these games. Tonight our Boys Soccer team will host Canton High School at 7:00 pm at Sabourin Field. The Football team will host Foxboro High School tomorrow Friday, November 11, 2022 at Sabourin Filed at 7:00 pm, and our Cheerleading Squad will compete in the MSAA Sectional Meet at Billerica Memorial High School at 3:00 pm. For more information about any of these events please navigate to The BHS Athletics Page of our Website.
Native American Heritage Month
In 1990, Congress passed and President George H. W. Bush signed into law a joint resolution designating the month of November as the first National American Indian Heritage Month (also known as Native American Indian Month). “American Indians were the original inhabitants of the lands that now constitute the United States of America,” noted H.J. Res. 577. “Native American Indians have made an essential and unique contribution to our Nation” and “to the world.” Introduced by Hawaii senator Daniel Inouye, the joint resolution stated that “the President is authorized and requested to issue a proclamation calling upon Federal, State, and local governments, interested groups, and organizations, and the people of the United States to observe the month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.” In 2008 the commemorative language was amended to also include the contributions of Alaskan Natives. Every year, by statute and/or presidential proclamation, the month of November is recognized as National Native American Heritage Month. For more information about Native American Heritage Month please navigate to https://nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/
DPH and AAP Prevention Letter
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics are disseminating a letter outlining steps families can take to prevent illness and stay healthy as we head into the winter season. The letter is available at https://www.doe.mass.edu/covid19/on-desktop.html in both English and Spanish.
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.
Special Town Meeting – November 14, 2022
Reminder to all voters that a Special Town Meeting will be held on Monday, November 14, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. at the Bedford High School gymnasium. Please note that the location has been moved to the gymnasium in order to better accommodate a larger number of citizens. The Town Meeting webpage contains information about the Town Meeting in general as well as video and printed presentations, background materials, and links to project web pages related to articles on the warrant.
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 can “borrow” a prom dress and accessories, or formal suits from our donated collection. At this time, See we are looking for donations of long and short dresses that are sitting in closets at home and not being used; as well as formal wear accessories like shoes, purses, jewelry, and shawls. We are also looking for formal suits, ties, and tuxedo donations and would greatly appreciate any contributions beginning this week. Please dry-clean your donations before dropping them 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, and the 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:
- 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)
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
Test Kits for the Holidays
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will make iHealth Test Kits available to school districts just prior to Thanksgiving for students and staff. The Bedford Public Schools plans to participate in this free program. More information will follow soon.
As always, thank you for your patience, your participation, and your continued commitment to our schools.
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