Notes from the Superintendent’s Update – Friday, March 29

This is a portion of the Superintendent’s Update by Superintendent Cliff Chuang mailed to Bedford Public School community on Friday, March 29. 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,

We are very grateful to Bedford voters for approving the FY25 school budget, capital projects, and special education stabilization fund at Town Meeting earlier this week. We look forward to investing these resources wisely as we embark on improvements in FY25 and beyond. Also, at this week’s school committee meeting, I presented my entry plan findings and received feedback from school committee members on the proposed framework for strategic planning and potential focus areas outlined in my Report of Entry Plan findings. Now it’s your turn! Strategic Planning Survey #2 (which should take 3 to 5 minutes) is the second anonymous survey in a series designed to provide an opportunity for students, parents, staff, and community members to provide feedback as the Bedford Public Schools begins the 2024-2027 District Improvement Plan development process. Thank you in advance for your participation!

Sincerely,
Cliff Chuang 莊宏毅
Superintendent, Bedford Public Schools

Upcoming Events

March: Women’s History Month
March 10-April 9: Ramadan
March 31: Easter Sunday
March 31: Transgender Day of Visibility
April: Month of the Military Child
April 6: 2-4pm – Eid-Al-Fitr Celebration at Lane School, Presented by the Parent’s for Diversity Council
April 7: Faces of Bedford Celebration by Bedford Embraces Diversity
April 9: School Committee Meeting
April 15-19: NO SCHOOL – Spring Vacation
April 22-30: Passover
April 23: School Committee Meeting at METCO HQ

School Committee Meeting Update

At the last school committee meeting on March 27th, the committee welcomed new member Angel Petitt, heard from students who participated in the History Fair Program, heard an update about the work of the District Literacy Leadership Team, discussed Superintendent Chuang’s Report of Entry Plan findings. The next School Committee meeting is on Tuesday, April 9th at 7:00pm. Full supporting materials can be found here: School Committee – Meeting Schedule & Supporting Documents. Feel free to reach out with any questions.

Eid-Al-Fitr Celebration, Saturday April 6, 2-4 PM, Lane School

Join the Parents Diversity Council and Bedford families to learn about Ramadan and celebrate Eid. We will have crafts, traditions for Ramadan and Eid, and henna for all! This event is open to anyone – crafts are best for K-5 children. No RSVP required.

Updated COVID-19 Guidelines

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has released updated guidelines for COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses to reflect the recently updated CDC guidance. Instead of guidance specific to testing positive for COVID-19, this updated information is for respiratory viruses like influenza, RSV and COVID-19 as they share similar transmission methods, symptoms and prevention strategies.

There is no longer the requirement to stay home for 5 days if you test positive for COVID-19. Instead the guidance is that people with COVID-19 along with ANY respiratory virus (flu, RSV) including those with new symptoms of a fever, sore throat, cough, runny nose should initially stay home and away from others and can return to normal activities when:

At least 24 hours have passed with no fever and without the use of fever-reducing medications such as Tylenol and Motrin and
have an improvement in symptoms over 24 hours

It is important to note that the guidance doesn’t end with staying home and away from others when sick. The guidance recommends taking added precautions over the next 5 days. Some recommendations for schools are:

Wear a well-fitting mask except when actively eating, drinking or outside.
Keep distance from others, especially the elderly and those who are immunocompromised.
Getting tested for respiratory viruses can lower the chance of spreading the virus to others

As always, practice good respiratory hygiene and wash hands or use sanitizer frequently.

For more detailed information:
MA DPH Respiratory Virus Guidance update
CDC Respiratory Guidance Update FAQs