Notes from the Superintendent’s Update – Friday, May 10

This is a portion of the Superintendent’s Update by Superintendent Cliff Chuang mailed to Bedford Public School community on Friday, May 10. Please find this week’s full issue of Superintendent’s Update and back issues at bedfordps.org.

Cliff’sNotes

Dear Bedford Public Schools Community,

This week, I shared the latest FY24 budget information with the School Committee and Finance Committe. We continue to work hard to contain costs while minimizing impact on core services. We appreciate the community’s ongoing support and will continue to provide budget updates at upcoming School Committee meetings.

Due to the busyness of this season, please note that we are postponing the second Cultivating Safe Learning Communities for All forum to the fall, and I am also canceling a few of the scheduled Trail Walk & Talks (see below). I do hope to see many of you at the various celebratory end-of-year events at our schools and welcome continued feedback.

Sincerely,
Cliff Chuang 莊宏毅
Superintendent, Bedford Public Schools

Bedford Trail Walk & Talks with the Superintendent – Spring 2024 Edition

I am looking forward to getting back on the trails this spring, revisiting some favorites from the fall and trying some new ones, guided by the Bedford Trail Guide. This is an opportunity for community members to provide additional feedback and ideas about the proposed framework for our 2024-2027 district improvement plan outlined in my Report of Entry Plan findings. Here are the dates and times for these Trail Walk & Talks, which will each last for roughly an hour. These are intended for adult caregivers and community members, though kids are welcome if accompanied by an adult. For planning and communication purposes, please register here where full details about where to park and meet are provided. Walks will be canceled in case of poor weather.

Upcoming Events:

May: Asian American & Pacific Islander and Jewish American Month
May 14: 5:30-6:30 pm – Trail Walk at Hartwell Town Forest
[Note: Bedford Family Forum previously scheduled for May 15 **POSTPONED TO FALL**]
May 16: 5:30-6:30 pm – Trail Walk at HAFB Castle Park Loop
May 27 – NO SCHOOL – Memorial Day
May 28: 5:30-6:30 pm – Trail Walk at Elm Brook
May 28: 7:00 pm – School Committee Meeting
June 6: BHS Graduation
June 6-7: Class of 2024 All Night Graduation Celebration

School Committee Meeting Update

The May 8th School Committee meeting focused exclusively on the latest FY24 budget information. To view this meeting, click here. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 14th when we will provide some preliminary information about the FY25 budget and discuss some shifts in math at JGMS. Full supporting materials can always be found at School Committee – Meeting Schedule & Supporting Documents.

May 6: Holocaust Remembrance Day at HAFB

On May 6th, BHS students attended the HAFB Holocaust Remembrance Day event featuring guest speaker Werner Salinger who was 6 years old in Berlin, Germany, when an organized attack known as Kristallnacht, or “Night of Broken Glass,” occurred against the Jewish community in November 1938.

Salinger and his family escaped Germany and moved to the United States in 1939. During the Korean War, Salinger joined the U.S. Air Force and was later stationed in Germany, where he met his future wife.

On Oct. 7, 1980, then-President Jimmy Carter signed Public Law 96-388 to establish the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. The council is responsible for leading the nation in observing Days of Remembrance and for encouraging observances throughout the United States. Holocaust Remembrance Day marks the anniversary of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, this year on May 6. The Days of Remembrance begin the Sunday before Holocaust Remembrance Day and last until the following Sunday.

‘Faces of Bedford’ Series of Video Interviews

We are happy to share a new series of profiles called Faces of Bedford prepared by volunteers from Bedford Embraces Diversity with technical support from Bedford TV, featuring members of our diverse community, many with connections to the Bedford Public Schools.

This week, in recognition of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we are featuring the Bhatia Family, a family of three who moved to Bedford in 2014. Nibha Jolly and Ashish Bhatia were born and raised in India. Nibha works at the Bedford Free Public Library and Ashish works for Microsoft. Their son, Akshat, a 6th grader at John Glenn Middle School, was born in Southern India and maintains a job as a dog walker.

To learn more, please view the video below.