Notes from the Superintendent’s Update – Friday, May 3

This is a portion of the Superintendent’s Update by Superintendent Cliff Chuang mailed to Bedford Public School community on Friday, May 3. 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,

Last week, I had to share the sobering news about FY24 budget challenges. This week, I am happy to share that Bedford has been approved for $1,000,304 in state relief funds to help cover the extraordinary special education costs facing our district this year. We appreciate the support of the state in helping local communities with this challenge. I will provide an update regarding the FY24 budget at the next school committee meeting scheduled for May 8.

I also want to encourage parents and caregivers to attend one of the two upcoming community learning sessions on Cultivating Safe Learning Communities for All on May 6 and May 15. This is an opportunity to learn more about how are school are using restorative practices to address disciplinary situations and to build essential skills for conflict resolution.

Finally, In recognition of Teacher Appreciation Week (and school principal’s day on May 1), I want to express my sincere thanks to all of our teachers, administrators and staff for the dedication and hard work to create inclusive and welcoming learning environments in which our students thrive. One small testament to this is the fact that though the emergency shelter is now closed, students continue to return to our schools.

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 3-5: K-12 Art Shows at BHS
May 5: 2:00-4:00 pm – Bedford Holi 2024 (presented by South Asian Association of Bedford)
May 6: 6:30-7:35pm – Bedford Family Forum #1 at BHS LGI (sponsored by Bedford PDC & Equity Imperative)
May 7: 6:00-7:00 am – Trail Walk at Minuteman Bikeway
May 8: 7:00 pm – Boston Family Feedback Session via Zoom
May 8: 8:30 pm – School Committee Meeting with Executive Session (Zoom only)
May 11: 10:30-11:00 am – Trail Walk at Franklin Park Zoo, Boston
May 14: 5:30-6:30 pm – Trail Walk at Hartwell Town Forest
May 15: 7:30-8:45pm – Bedford Family Forum #2 at BHS LGI (sponsored by Bedford PDC & Equity Imperative)
May 16: 5:30-6:30 pm – Trail Walk at HAFB Castle Park Loop
June 6-7: Class of 2024 All Night Graduation Celebration

School Committee Meeting Update

A summary of the April 23 meeting was provided in last week’s update. The school committee will meet virtually on May 8 to discuss the latest developments related to our FY24 budget. Full supporting materials can always be found at School Committee – Meeting Schedule & Supporting Documents.

District Literacy Leadership Team (DLLT) Update – April30th

by Tricia Clifford, Ed. D., Assistant Superintendent

The District Literacy Leadership Team (DLLT) has met five times during the past four months: January 25th, February 15th, February 29th, March 21st, and April 11th. We have currently completed Round 1 which was a review of Into Reading, and Round 2, My View. We are currently involved in Round 3, which consists of reviewing Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA).

District Literacy Leadership Team Agenda, April 11, 2024
Review Tool Completion for Round 2 Review of (Program B) My View

We broke into our three groups (Red Group: Phonological Awareness, Phonics, and Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Education. Yellow Group: Fluency, Vocabulary, Motivation and Engagement, Listening and Speaking. Blue Group: Instructional Design, Comprehension, Assessment, Writing).

We discussed our ratings, and entered them into the larger rubric/database. We also met as a larger group and shared our overall impressions.

To read the full blog, click here.

May 3-5: Spring K-12 BPS Art Show

Where: Bedford High School

When: Friday, 5/3 are 6pm-9pm, Saturday 5/4 are 10am-2pm, Sunday, 5/5 are 11am-2pmThis year marks the 30th anniversary of the Bedford Public Schools K-12 Art Show! This is one of Bedford’s most highly attended events, with thousands of visitors coming to view student work each year. As in years past we will be displaying thousands of individual works of art from all grade levels, including a senior exhibit with musical accompaniment from senior Zach Shen and the Funky Bunch. New additions to the show this year will be large scale author murals painted by the BHS Art Club, as well as an art making station in the cafeteria. We will also be selling Bedford Farms ice cream, with proceeds benefiting senior art scholarships, so leave room after dinner!

Read more about the art show in the Bedford Citizen Article: “Painting the Picture of Behind the Scenes of the Bedford Public Schools K-12 Art Show”

May 6 & May 15: Community Learning Session-Cultivating Safe Schools

Have questions? We are collecting questions before the event to be sure they are answered in the presentation – submit your question(s) here.

May 8: Boston Family Feedback Session via Zoom

Dear Boston Families,

We (the Superintendent and METCO Director) would like to get your feedback on a number of items related to supporting Boston students in the Bedford Public Schools. These include:

Bus safety (including cameras, monitors, attendance, etc.)
The GPS pilot
The district’s 2024-2027 strategic plan priorities

We also invite you to the Trail Walk at Franklin Park on May 11. Sign up here.
Topic: Bedford Public Schools Boston Family Feedback Meeting

Time: May 8, 2024 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting: https://bedfordps-org.zoom.us/j/86025684006?pwd=ZVEwb21lTkM0eXFmcWFlOWJCbHBidz09

Class of 2024 All Night Graduation Party!

For over three decades, from 1988 to 2023, the BHS All Night Graduation Celebration Committee has held a safe, substance-free overnight party for the graduating class. Throughout the night, the Class of 2024 graduates will enjoy live entertainment, games, trivia, music, prizes, food, and more, at Bedford High School from 10:30 PM – 5:30 AM. Families, friends, and local businesses are encouraged to make a tax-deductible monetary donation or prize donation to support the celebration. Volunteer opportunities are also available! To learn more, read our parent/caregiver letter here.

You can learn more about the All Night Graduation Celebration by visiting our website: All Night Grad Party – BHSPA

‘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 Yoko Chun. Ms. Chun has lived in Bedford for about 23 years and works as an acupuncturist in Bedford, as well. Ms. Chun is Japanese and was born in Singapore. After living in Singapore for six years, she moved to Brazil for another six years, then lived in Japan for six years before moving to the United States for college at the age of 18. To learn more, please view the video.