Superintendent Conrad’s weekly message for April 28, 2023.
BHS Jon Sills Tenacity Challenge
This Saturday, April 29, 2023, the Bedford Public Schools hosted The Jon Sills High School Tenacity Challenge. This in-person event included 22 teams from 10 different school districts. The all-day scholarly competition is a free event open to all. Congratulations to all of our students, teachers, mentors, and guests. Hope to see you there.
School Committee Adds Two
The Bedford School Committee voted to add two non-voting members to represent our Hanscom Air Force Base and METCO families. The two communities will be represented for the next two years by Kim Howell for our HAFB families and Peter-Ann Williams for our METCO families. Congratulations to both! Thank you to HAFB for their coverage of this event HAFB and BPS Strengthen Partnership Article
Walk, Bike, and Roll to School Day
Davis School is excited to announce that we will be participating in the annual Massachusetts Walk, Bike, and roll to School Day! So strap on your helmet and lace up your shoes to participate! Students, parents, and staff will meet at the Lutheran Church parking lot at 8:50 and travel together to school.
Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. The National Alliance on Mental Health is amplifying the message of Mental Health Awareness Month with the theme “Together for Mental Health.” For more information on Mental Health Awareness Month please navigate to NAMI Mental Health Awareness Month
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Sunday begins Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. In 1978, a joint congressional resolution established Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Week; it was expanded to a month in 1992. The month was chosen to coincide with two important milestones in Asian/Pacific American history: the arrival in the United States of the first Japanese immigrants (May 7, 1843) and the contributions of Chinese workers to the building of the transcontinental railroad which was completed on May 10, 1869. For more information about the contributions of Asian/Pacific Islander Americans please navigate to Asian/Pacific Islander History Month
BPS Art Show
The Bedford Public Schools’ Art Department is excited to announce the 29th annual K-12 Art Show at Bedford High School this year! The show will feature thousands of works from Bedford students from Davis, Lane, JGMS, and BHS. Additionally, there will be a senior exhibit where senior art majors will have their artwork and artist statements on display. JGMS and Lane student work will be located in the main gymnasium space this year, which will offer a more gallery-type feel! The dates for the show are Friday, May 5th- Opening Night 6:00 pm-9:00 pm, Saturday, May 6th- 10 am-2 pm, and Sunday, May 7th- 11 am-2 pm. We hope to see you there!
Bedford Historical Society Presentation
Molasses: From Slave Trade to the Great Molasses Flood on Sunday, April 30, 2023, at Old Town Hall Great Room (3rd Floor). Doors open at 2:00 pm for refreshments and socializing. The program will begin at 2:15 and will feature noted historian and author Anthony Sammarco who will trace the influence of molasses in the “Triangle Trade” of the 18th-century world economy. The discussion will center around the world economy of rum, sugar cane, and human beings, and the connection to Massachusetts. Mr. Sammarco has written seventy books and will be remembered here in Bedford for his past presentation entitled “The Baker Chocolate Company.” This program is free and open to the public. For more information please navigate to the Bedford Historical Society
Sign up for the BEST/PTO Color Run
The BEST/PTO Color Run will take place on Saturday, September 9th from 4:00 PM to 6:00 pm and is the largest fundraiser for Davis and Lane Schools. Register to support enrichment programs and other educational improvements at our schools. Since 2016, this event has raised over $100,000! Run, walk, stroll, or roll as volunteers blast powder onto the race course. Or just come to enjoy the food, face painting, raffles, music, and more!
Register here (https://runsignup.com/Race/MA/Bedford/VirtualColorRun2021) by May 6th to get the early bird registration discount. Each registration includes (1) a t-shirt & (2) food tickets. Additional shirts & food tickets may be purchased on the event registration website. Early bird pricing is $25 per individual and $75 per household. Beginning May 7th, regular prices are $30 per individual or $90 per household. (Registrations received after June 30th are not guaranteed a participant t-shirt and bag).
DECA
The seven DECA state champions have returned from five busy days in Orlando, Florida after attending the National DECA Competition. The conference had over 22,000 attendees and was held at the Orlando Convention Center.
The team had an awesome experience! It was a lot of work and also some fun. I am so proud of these girls! Bedford High School had its first ever team finalists! Bianca Tiwari and Roza Shaikh were finalists in the Business Law and Ethics category. They received medals in front of thousands of people. This is a HUGE accomplishment and a nod to their dedication. All the young women worked incredibly hard to get to Nationals! Please congratulate the following for their outstanding work and professionalism: Reyna Matrona, Arushi Naidu, Anya Yajnik, Bianca Tiwari, Roza Shaikh, Diya Singh, Maya Singh. Thank you to everyone who supported the students and DECA this year!
METCO Tours of Nubian Square
Please join METCO HQ Staff and our high school-age METCO students as they help you to uncover the past and present of Boston’s historic Nubian Square in Roxbury. This unique 90-minute walking tour highlights the research students have done into the artistry, activism, and achievement in the backyard of METCO’s new Headquarters. The FREE experience culminates with a guided tour of HQ’s new exhibit on the history of educational activism in Boston—including the origin of METCO itself! This opportunity is made possible by the generosity of the Boston Bridges Initiative. The Nubian Square tours also include a delicious ethnic food meal! Sign up here.
Town Manager Search Screening Committee
Applications are now being accepted for the Town Manager Search Screening Committee. The Select Board anticipates appointing a committee consisting of two Select Board Members and five at-large representatives. The committee will work in collaboration with an executive search firm that will be overseeing the search for a new Bedford Town Manager. The committee, in partnership with the executive search firm, will meet frequently over the next several months to set criteria for the ideal Town Manager candidate, participate in community outreach, conduct initial interviews with candidates, and recommend finalists for public interviews with the Select Board. If you would like to be considered for the Screening Committee please fill out the Volunteer Questionnaire Form and return it to the Town Manager’s Office or email it to [email protected]. The application Deadline is Monday, May 1, 2023, at 4:00 p.m. The Select Board anticipates appointing members of the Town Manager Search Screening Committee on Monday, May 22, 2023. Please contact the Town Manager’s Office, the Select Board, or the Volunteer Coordinating Committee for questions or more information.
Dollars for Scholars Fundraiser
The Citizens Scholarship of Bedford is proud to announce the 58th Annual Dollars for Scholars Fundraising Campaign. The campaign is now underway. Bedford High students have recently prepared the Mail-a-thon letters. The letters have recently been mailed to Bedford neighbors in hopes that we will all support the Mail-a-thon as we have in the past. Please continue your wonderful support to help make this year’s scholarships for the Class of 2023 the largest awards yet. In May 2022, CSF of Bedford Dollars for Scholars awarded almost $165,000 to graduating seniors. Thank you to everyone at CSF of Bedford for all that they do to support our students! For additional information, please see their website, bedfordma.dollarsforscholars.org
Bedford DPW Paving Schedule
We’ve received an alert from the Bedford DPW about the schedule for the paving projects this year. The paving project on South Road from Railroad Avenue to the south of Hartwell Road has been delayed until summer. For more information please go to the DPW Website at https://www.bedfordma.gov/378/Public-Works
PDC Evening with Boyah Farah
The Parents Diversity Council is proud to sponsor an evening with Boyah Farah, the author of America Made Me a Black Man, on Thursday, May 4, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. at the BHS LGI. America Made Me a Black Man, is a memoir published in the fall of 2022. Mr. Farah is a Somalian refugee, who resettled in the U.S. in the 90s. He lived with his mother and siblings here in Bedford, MA, upon arrival in the U.S., then across the greater Boston area for nearly 20 years before moving back to Somalia. He attended Bedford High School for several years and has fond memories of his time in Bedford that he will share with us. He also will talk about his childhood in Somalia and his experiences with racism in the U.S. Please join us to welcome Mr. Farah back to Bedford! Copies of his book are available from the PDC either before or at the event for $10. To RSVP or request a copy of the book, fill out this form.
PDC BHS Paint Night in Boston
The Parent Diversity Council is pleased to announce a Paint Night in Boston for BHS Parents and Caregivers on Thursday, May 11, 2023, from 6:30 until 8:30 pm at Canvas Studios, 55 Fairmount Avenue in Hyde Park. Enjoy a free, fun, and creative night out with friends from the Bedford High School community! Refreshments will be provided. Space is limited to 18 people so please RSVP to [email protected].
Trusted Traveler Program at Hanscom Air Force Base
HAFB announced that beginning on Sunday, April 23, 2023, the 66th Security Forces Squadron on base will implement a Trusted Traveler Program. The program will expedite access for those visiting the installation as guests of service members, dependents, Department of Defense employees, and military retirees, by allowing those with base access to vouch for the occupants in their vehicle. “Being able to facilitate a greater sense of connectedness between the community and our military families here was a major factor in putting this program into action,” said Maj. Brandon Casso, 66 SFS commander. Casso continued, “We’re trusting our base community with this program because they understand what it means to live and work on an installation, and they know who should and shouldn’t be on the base when it comes to keeping everyone safe.”
To be eligible a co-traveler must be a U.S. citizen, have a valid photo ID if over the age of 18, and would otherwise be permitted on the installation per Air Force regulation. Trusted personnel must be in the same vehicle, or mode of transport, as those they’re vouching onto the installation. For additional information about the Trusted Traveler Program see the Trusted Traveler Program at HAFB Article or contact the 66 SFS Visitors Center at 781-225-6642.
Waste Sorting at JGMS
I’m pleased to share that in May, John Glenn Middle School will be the first school in our district to roll out a waste sorting station for students in the cafeteria. Waste sorting separates Liquids, Compostable, and Recyclables from Trash. This program will allow us to reduce what ultimately goes to incineration as “trash”. Having been part of a waste sorting program previously I’m confident we will have success here in Bedford! This will allow us to comply with the Massachusetts State Waste Bans, reduce the amount of waste we produce, and protect the environment our students will inherit. More information will be available soon!
The Last Day of the School Year
On Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at the School Committee meeting the last day of school for the school year was set as Wednesday, June 21, 2023.
As always, thank you for your patience, your participation, and your continued commitment to our schools.
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