Notes from the Superintendent’s Update – Friday, Jan. 26

This is a portion of the Superintendent’s Update by Superintendent Cliff Chuang mailed to Bedford Public School community on Friday, January 26. Please find this week’s full issue of Superintendent’s Update and back issues at bedfordps.org.

Cliff’s Notes

Dear Bedford Public Schools Community,

This past week was a busy and productive one for our students and staff. I had many opportunities to see our staff and students in action outside of the traditional classroom setting, including on the basketball court, ice rink, wrestling mat, ski slopes, and last night in the BHS library for the 18th annual BHS History Fair. I encourage you to take a look at the amazing work of our students whose individual interest propelled the research they conducted on a range of interesting topics–I learned a lot! (View some images of the event from Principal Galante’s Instagram account: Post One – Post Two.) I enjoy seeing the teaching and learning happening in all of these other settings, where both students and staff can pursue, share, and hone other facets of their skills and interests. The wide arrange of activities that welcome and include students at all stages of development is one of the things that I truly appreciate about our school system.

On Tuesday, the School Committee also took action on two major items that will enhance services for students this year, approving the FY25 budget ($49,383,798, representing a 5.66% increase over the FY24 budget level) and the 2024-2025 BHS Program of Studies. More details can be found below.

And last night, the District Literacy Leadership Team met for the first time to begin the process of selecting a new literacy curriculum for the district. Read more about this in Assistant Superintendent Tricia Clifford’s blog.

Sincerely,
Cliff Chuang 莊宏毅
Superintendent, Bedford Public Schools

Upcoming Events

January 27, 2024: 2-3:30 pm at Lane Elementary – PDC Lunar New Year Celebration
February 6, 2024: 6:00 pm – Davis Family Forum with Dr. Alex Hirshberg and Beth Benoit (rescheduled from January 9th)
February 7, 2024: 6:30 pm at BHS – Well Balanced Student Presentation with Jon Kleinman
February 8, 2024: 6:00 pm- Student Art Soiree at Barrett Sotheby’s International Realty, Bedford
February 8, 2024: 6:30 pm at BHS – 50 Years of METCO Celebration
February 10, 2024: 7-10:00 pm – Dollars for Scholars Trivia Night at the Bedford American Legion
February 12, 2023: 6:30 pm at BHS – Presentation by Catherine Steiner-Adair, author of The Big Disconnect
February 13, 2024: 7:00pm – School Committee Meeting

District Literacy Leadership Team (DLLT) January 2024

By Assistant Superintendent Tricia Clifford, Ed. D.

The District Literacy Leadership Team (DLLT) met for the first time, last night, January 25th, at the Lane School. Even though the meeting began at 3:45 p.m. and went until 5:45 p.m., after a very busy day for all of the participants-the energy in the room was positive, and energetic. The members of the DLLT were very engaged in learning about the process that they would undertake to make the core program selection. As we worked through the process timeline, and activities as a preview, we also participated in capturing what our vision collectively is for excellent literacy teaching… Read more at Assistant Superintendent Tricia Clifford’s blog.

School Committee Meeting & FY2025 Budget Update

The School Committee met on Tuesday January 23rd to hold the FY25 Open Budget Hearing. After discussion, they approved a FY25 budget of $49,383,798, representing a 5.66% increase over the FY24 budget level. This budget invests in our workforce to maintain our current levels of service and commitment to excellence and equitable opportunities for all students, and also makes strategic new investments in:

a new literacy program with robust support for teachers;
additional services to support students with intensive needs;
a new elementary teacher coverage model; and
expansion of the cafeteria waste sort/reduction program to all schools

This budget will be presented to the Finance Committee on Thursday, February 1st at 7 pm in the Town Hall Select Board Room.

The Committee also received an update on literacy (see the Assistant Superintendent’s Blog) and approved a new BHS program of study that includes an accelerated course selection process developed by the high school team (thank you!) in response to feedback. The new timeline allows for the student course selection process to be completed prior to the end of the current school year, which means that “Arena Day” in its current form will no longer be necessary. Full details about both of these changes can be found via the links provided in the School Committee update below.

Their next meeting is scheduled for February 13th. The next School Committee meeting is Tuesday, February 13th at 7:00pm at the Select Board Room at Town Hall and via Zoom Webinar. Full supporting materials can be found here: School Committee – Meeting Schedule & Supporting Documents. Feel free to reach out with any questions.

January 27th: Parent Diversity Council – Lunar New Year Celebration

Come celebrate the Year of the Dragon with us! This event is co-sponsored by the Bedford Free Public Library, but since we have outgrown the library space and are featuring live performances this year, we’ll be celebrating at the Lane School! Featuring:

a variety of crafts to celebrate the Year of the Dragon
books and activities showcasing how Lunar New Year is celebrated in different countries
live performance of Chinese classical music by JGMS students
live dance performance from the Korean Dance Academy
sensory-friendly area also available

Drop-in event, no registration required! Event begins at 2 pm, performances begin at 2:30 pm.

Open to all! Crafts and activities great for pre-k and elementary ages. For more details, email [email protected]