November 24, 2020

 RBS Principal’s Notes

November 24, 2020

 

Happy Thanksgiving to all!  I hope everyone is able to spend some time over the break to rest and reflect on just how much we have to be thankful for.  It’s hard to go into the holiday season unable to be with our extended family and friends, but it’s important to focus on what and who we do have in our lives to be thankful for. 

 

Reminder…there is no school tomorrow (Wednesday, November 25th).  We’ll see our A Group back on Monday, November 30th. 

 

Parent Resources

K-8 Hybrid Calendar                               Daily Health Screening for Students

RBS Hybrid Parent Guide                      Quarantine Protocols/Flowchart

RBS Remote Parent Guide                     RBS Welcome & Orientation Video

Bedford Reopening Plan                     COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

 

Monthly Friday Schedule

December 4:  Group B (L-Z)

December 11:  Group A (A-K)

December 18:  Group (L-Z)

January 8:  (A-K)

 

PROCEDURE TO REPORT COVID CASES

If you need to report a case of COVID-19 over the weekend or during off hours, please fill out THIS FORM

 

IN THE NEWS:

Thank You

Thank you to the volunteers who organized and provided special breakfast treats to our staff!  Your thoughtfulness and gratitude mean a lot to all of us—especially during the Thanksgiving season.  We are so lucky to have such supportive, caring and giving parents!

Thanksgiving Read Aloud Room

Please click THIS LINK to access the RBS Thanksgiving Read Aloud Room.  In addition to 12 stories read by RBS staff members, please have your child look for some "hidden" links.  There are a few "How to Draw" video links and one link to a "Being Grateful" video.  Our plan is to have more read aloud rooms in the future, so please be on the lookout for a December edition!  Thank you to Mrs. Blaine for organizing this!

Food Drive Information

A big "thank you" to all of our generous families who donated non-perishable food items to the Bedford Community Food Pantry for our annual food drive.  They picked up our boxes on Monday...just in time for Thanksgiving and the long Thanksgiving weekend.

 

REMINDERS:

A Shift in Contact Tracing

NH DHHS has informed us that they are no longer able to do contact tracing for positive COVID cases that originate outside of school.  It is now up to schools to assist with the tracing and set the return date for students in these cases.  As such, we are relying heavily on parents/guardians reporting positive cases of family members or others with whom their child has had close contact to our school nurses.  We greatly appreciate you working with us to keep our schools a safe place to teach and learn.

 

Governor's Mask Order

Yesterday, the Governor issued a mask order for NH.  Click HERE to see that order.  While K-12 schools are considered exempt from that order, the Bedford School District will be adhering to it in the areas where we had not been before.  The rationale behind this decision is two-fold.  1.  An added layer of mitigation is prudent given the rising cases of Covid and transmission rates around us.  2.  This additional measure supports our ongoing effort to keep our schools open.  Thank you for your support during these challenging times.  

 

Hybrid through the Holidays

The Bedford School District will remain in our hybrid model of education through the holiday season.  Our layered approach to mitigate Covid has proven successful since the start of school.  While we have seen many individual cases throughout the district, we have not experienced transmission, clusters or outbreaks.  Bedford would consider a move to fully remote learning under 3 conditions:

1.  Governor's Order

2.  Transmission in a school or schools that we are unable to contain

3  Lack of staffing to keep a school open

 

Holiday Travel

The CDC  recently recommended that families DO NOT TRAVEL for Thanksgiving.  Please keep in mind that individual decisions made by all members of our community can have a direct impact on one another.  The Bedford School District humbly asks that each of us do our part to stay safe, flatten the curve, and maintain open schools.

 

School Nurses

Our School Nurses are working around the clock to keep our schools safe and open.  When they call you, please respectfully engage with them.  The questions they are asking are required and part of their job.  Let’s make their work easier by engaging kindly in what we know are frustrating conversations.

School Work for Travel

Teachers may not be able to provide advance work for students who knowingly travel outside of New England and must quarantine.  Even though students are in a hybrid model, their teachers are not.  Teachers are fully engaged each day with students each day.  They are already working to engage the students who are actively having to quarantine.  The capacity to provide advance work may not be available.  

Change in Meal Pick Up Site for Distance & Remote Learners

Our drive through meal pick up site has moved to the high school concession stand (building outside by the football field) and will no longer be at the high school gym entrance. It's open every school day from 9am-12pm. Meals are all FREE for any children in the community ages 2-18. 

 

Toys for Tots at RBS

Ms. Pennington and the RBS Music Department will kick off our annual TOYS FOR TOTS collection starting next week.  TOYS FOR TOTS is a well-known charity run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.  We will collect toys between the dates of Monday, November 16th and Friday, December 11th.  RBS students can deposit new, unwrapped toys in any of our 4 boxes, which are located outside of our music room and in the office hallway.  Through our generosity, the holidays will be filled with happiness for children who need our help!  

 

RBS Clothing

You can order Riddle Brook School clothing and other items online!  Please go to www.bedfordwear.com.  They have a variety of colors and styles.  An order typically takes 7-10 business days to be delivered.  10% of profits come back to the school.

  

UPCOMING EVENTS:

November 25-27 – Thanksgiving Break

December 10-18 – Happy Hanukkah!

December 14-18 – Ellis Island Week (Grade 4)

December 24-January 1 – Holiday Recess

December 25 – Merry Christmas!

January 15 – End of Quarter 2

January 18 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Observance

January 22 – Report Cards Released Online

February 14 – Happy Valentine’s Day!

February 22-26 – Winter Vacation

March 9 – District Workshop Day – NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

March 27-April 3 – Passover

April 2 – End of Quarter 3

April 2 – Good Friday

April 4 – Happy Easter!

April 9 – Report Cards Released Online

April 26-30 – Spring Vacation

May 31 – Memorial Day Observed – NO SCHOOL

June 11 – Tentative Last Day of School

 

 

 

November 20, 2020

RBS Principal’s Notes

November 20, 2020

Parent Resources

K-8 Hybrid Calendar Daily Health Screening for Students

RBS Hybrid Parent Guide Quarantine Protocols/Flowchart

RBS Remote Parent Guide RBS Welcome & Orientation Video

Bedford Reopening Plan COVID-19 Schools Dashboard 

Monthly Friday Schedule

December 4:  Group B (L-Z)

December 11:  Group A (A-K)

December 18:  Group (L-Z)

January 8:  (A-K)

PROCEDURE TO REPORT COVID CASES

If you need to report a case of COVID-19 over the weekend or during off hours, please fill out THIS FORM.

IN THE NEWS:

A Shift in Contact Tracing

NH DHHS has informed us that they are no longer able to do contact tracing for positive COVID cases that originate outside of school.  It is now up to schools to assist with the tracing and set the return date for students in these cases.  As such, we are relying heavily on parents/guardians reporting positive cases of family members or others with whom their child has had close contact to our school nurses.  We greatly appreciate you working with us to keep our schools a safe place to teach and learn.

 

Governor's Mask Order

Yesterday, the Governor issued a mask order for NH.  Click HERE to see that order.  While K-12 schools are considered exempt from that order, the Bedford School District will be adhering to it in the areas where we had not been before.  The rationale behind this decision is two-fold.  1.  An added layer of mitigation is prudent given the rising cases of Covid and transmission rates around us.  2.  This additional measure supports our ongoing effort to keep our schools open.  Thank you for your support during these challenging times.  

 

Hybrid through the Holidays

The Bedford School District will remain in our hybrid model of education through the holiday season.  Our layered approach to mitigate Covid has proven successful since the start of school.  While we have seen many individual cases throughout the district, we have not experienced transmission, clusters or outbreaks.  Bedford would consider a move to fully remote learning under 3 conditions:

1.  Governor's Order

2.  Transmission in a school or schools that we are unable to contain

3  Lack of staffing to keep a school open

 

Holiday Travel

The CDC  recently recommended that families DO NOT TRAVEL for Thanksgiving.  Please keep in mind that individual decisions made by all members of our community can have a direct impact on one another.  The Bedford School District humbly asks that each of us do our part to stay safe, flatten the curve, and maintain open schools.

 

School Nurses

Our School Nurses are working around the clock to keep our schools safe and open.  When they call you, please respectfully engage with them.  The questions they are asking are required and part of their job.  Let’s make their work easier by engaging kindly in what we know are frustrating conversations.

School Work for Travel

Teachers may not be able to provide advance work for students who knowingly travel outside of New England and must quarantine.  Even though students are in a hybrid model, their teachers are not.  Teachers are fully engaged each day with students each day.  They are already working to engage the students who are actively having to quarantine.  The capacity to provide advance work may not be available.  

Change in Meal Pick Up Site for Distance & Remote Learners

Our drive through meal pick up site has moved to the high school concession stand (building outside by the football field) and will no longer be at the high school gym entrance. It's open every school day from 9am-12pm. Meals are all FREE for any children in the community ages 2-18. 

Enrichment Riddle of the Week

Ms. Babine will post a new riddle each Friday (below) and reveal the answer the following Thursday.  Families are encouraged to think together and come up with as many creative solutions as possible, and can submit responses through the Google Form link included on my website. 

Enrichment Riddle of the Week

PTG News and Information

HANNAFORD COMMUNITY BAG PROGRAM: During November, the PTG will receive a $1.00 donation for each purchase of the Community Reusable Bag (cost of bag is $2.50) at the Hannaford store located on KILTON ROAD.

AMAZON SMILE: Make a purchase on Amazon and support the PTG! Visit AmazonSmile, and select "Bedford NH PTG" as the organization that you wish to support or simply go to Bedford PTG's unique link HERE. Bookmark this unique link as only purchases made at smile.amazon.com are eligible for donations. Now every time you shop at Amazon a percentage of your purchase price is donated to the Bedford PTG!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM THE PTG: We wish you a Wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday! We are thankful for the amazing support we receive from families, staff and the community.

REMINDERS:

Toys for Tots at RBS

Ms. Pennington and the RBS Music Department will kick off our annual TOYS FOR TOTS collection starting next week.  TOYS FOR TOTS is a well-known charity run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.  We will collect toys between the dates of Monday, November 16th and Friday, December 11th.  RBS students can deposit new, unwrapped toys in any of our 4 boxes, which are located outside of our music room and in the office hallway.  Through our generosity, the holidays will be filled with happiness for children who need our help!  

RBS Clothing 

You can order Riddle Brook School clothing and other items online!  Please go to www.bedfordwear.com.  They have a variety of colors and styles.  An order typically takes 7-10 business days to be delivered.  10% of profits come back to the school.

Contact Tracing through NH DHHS

It has been our experience lately that NH DHHS is very delayed in contacting families with contact tracing information, and as a result, it’s possible that students come to school without knowing they have been in close contact with a COVID positive person (and should be quarantining).  Please know that if your child has been contact traced as a result of contact within school, you will be called by the school (most likely, Michele Ouellette, our nurse) rather than wait for DHHS.  However, if the contact happens outside of school, we will not know about it.  My ask is that if your child tests positive, you contact the parents/guardians of any child who has been contact traced as a result of outside of school activities, so that the child can quarantine and/or get tested in a timely fashion.  Hopefully, things will slow down soon at DHHS.  Thank you!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

November 25-27 – Thanksgiving Break

December 10-18 – Happy Hanukkah!

December 14-18 – Ellis Island Week (Grade 4)

December 24-January 1 – Holiday Recess

December 25 – Merry Christmas!

January 15 – End of Quarter 2

January 18 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Observance

January 22 – Report Cards Released Online 

February 14 – Happy Valentine’s Day!

February 22-26 – Winter Vacation

March 9 – District Workshop Day – NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

March 27-April 3 – Passover 

April 2 – End of Quarter 3

April 2 – Good Friday

April 4 – Happy Easter!

April 9 – Report Cards Released Online

April 26-30 – Spring Vacation

May 31 – Memorial Day Observed – NO SCHOOL

June 11 – Tentative Last Day of School

 

November 13, 2020

 RBS Principal’s Notes

November 13, 2020

Parent Resources

K-8 Hybrid Calendar Daily Health Screening for Students

RBS Hybrid Parent Guide Quarantine Protocols/Flowchart

RBS Remote Parent Guide RBS Welcome & Orientation Video

Bedford Reopening Plan COVID-19 Schools Dashboard 

Monthly Friday Schedule

November 20:  Group A (A-K)

December 4:  Group B (L-Z)

December 11:  Group A (A-K)

December 18:  Group (L-Z)

PROCEDURE TO REPORT COVID CASES

If you need to report a case of COVID-19 over the weekend or during off hours, please fill out THIS FORM.

IN THE NEWS:

Kindness Day Read Aloud

Friday, November 13th is National Kindness Day.  Mrs. Blaine made a Friendship and Kindness Read Aloud Room for teachers to share with the students. Some of us recorded ourselves reading a book about friendship or kindness. I hope that your kids enjoy it!

Raffle Winners

This week’s Calendar Raffle winners:

Monday, November 9 – Samantha Astarita (sold by Lola Astarita) – $50 to Barnes & Noble

Tuesday, November 10 – Stephanie Zimmerman (sold by Gwen Astarita) – $50 to Lowe’s

Wednesday, November 11 – Ryan Earley (sold by Griffin Earley)– $50 to Target

Thursday, November 12 –Peter Sullivan (sold by Colleen Sullivan) – $50 to Bed, Bath & Beyond

Friday, November 13 – Daniel Cohen (sold by William Cohen) – $50 to Amazon

Grand Prize Winner ($500):  Kathy Ladd (sold by AJ Troiano)

Toys for Tots at RBS

Ms. Pennington and the RBS Music Department will kick off our annual TOYS FOR TOTS collection starting next week.  TOYS FOR TOTS is a well-known charity run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.  We will collect toys between the dates of Monday, November 16th and Friday, December 11th.  RBS students can deposit new, unwrapped toys in any of our 4 boxes, which are located outside of our music room and in the office hallway.  Through our generosity, the holidays will be filled with happiness for children who need our help!  

Enrichment Riddle of the Week

Ms. Babine will post a new riddle each Friday (below) and reveal the answer the following Thursday.  Families are encouraged to think together and come up with as many creative solutions as possible, and can submit responses through the Google Form link included on my website. 

Enrichment Riddle of the Week

PTG News and Information

GIFT CARD FUNDRAISER: ONE order only this year (order due date is at the end of next week, November  20th). We are featuring many local area merchants, along with your favorite national businesses. Purchasing gift cards through the PTG provides support for the Bedford schools with no additional cost to you!

For Hybrid Student Families: To download an order form and memo with program information, please click HERE.

For Remote Student Families: To download an order form and memo with program information, please click HERE.

For more information about this program on the PTG’s website click HERE.

HAPPY SHOPPING!

HANNAFORD COMMUNITY BAG PROGRAM: During this month, the PTG will receive a $1.00 donation for each purchase of the Community Reusable Bag (cost of bag is $2.50) at the Hannaford store located on KILTON ROAD.

AMAZON SMILE: Did you know that every time you make a purchase on Amazon you can support the PTG? Visit AmazonSmile, and select "Bedford NH PTG" as the organization that you wish to support or simply go to Bedford PTG's unique link HERE. We recommend that you bookmark this unique link as only purchases made at smile.amazon.com are eligible for donations. Now every time you shop at Amazon a percentage of your purchase price is donated to the Bedford PTG!

 

REMINDERS:

Report Cards

In order to access your child’s report card in PowerSchool, please follow THESE DIRECTIONS.

RBS Clothing 

You can order Riddle Brook School clothing and other items online!  Please go to www.bedfordwear.com.  They have a variety of colors and styles.  An order typically takes 7-10 business days to be delivered.  10% of profits come back to the school.

Picture Retake Day (REVISED)

Rather than having to travel to a central site, Geskus Photography has agreed to come to Bedford schools for retakes on Monday, November 23rd, which is an A-K day.  However, L-Z and Remote families are welcome to come in for retakes during that time as well.  The photographers intend to arrive at approximately 10:00 AM and be here 1.5 hours or so.  For planning purposes, it would be helpful to know how many students will be having retakes, so that we can put together a rough schedule.  Please fill out THIS FORM if you would like your child to have a retake.  You will need to fill it out for each of your children who will be having a retake.

• The form will be closed at 3PM on Friday November 20th.  

• Please see THIS FLYER for ordering information. 

• Pictures will be taken inside in rooms 216/218.

• We will maintain our distancing and mask protocols.

• The photographer will fill out our HEALTH SCREENING FORM prior to being allowed in our building. 

 

Travel Reminder

As you begin to plan for Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday season, please keep in mind the NH DHHS Travel Guidance, which the Bedford School District is following:

If a staff member or student travels outside of New England, do they need to self-quarantine for 14 days upon their return to New Hampshire? Yes. The general recommendation from the NH DHHS General and Employee Travel Guidance is that those who have traveled outside of New England need to self-quarantine and self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for 14 days upon their return to New Hampshire. Exceptions to this recommendation can be made for “essential employees” or for staff who have to conduct “essential travel” as outlined in the public health guidance linked above, and the Universal Guidelines. Schools/districts should develop policies to address situations in which students may need to travel for child custody and/or education related purposes (e.g., visiting colleges).  You can find a link to this document HERE (pg. 6).

Also, students cannot test out of quarantine with a negative COVID-19 test.  They must complete the entire 14 days. Please take a look at our Quarantining Protocol/Flowchart for more information.

In order to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff, it is essential that we adhere to the policies and procedures outlined in our Hybrid plan.

Contact Tracing through NH DHHS

It has been our experience lately that NH DHHS is very delayed in contacting families with contact tracing information, and as a result, it’s possible that students come to school without knowing they have been in close contact with a COVID positive person (and should be quarantining).  Please know that if your child has been contact traced as a result of contact within school, you will be called by the school (most likely, Michele Ouellette, our nurse) rather than wait for DHHS.  However, if the contact happens outside of school, we will not know about it.  My ask is that if your child tests positive, you contact the parents/guardians of any child who has been contact traced as a result of outside of school activities, so that the child can quarantine and/or get tested in a timely fashion.  Hopefully, things will slow down soon at DHHS.  Thank you!

Food Drive – October 19 – November 20

This year more than ever, the Bedford Community Food Pantry is a valuable resource for those in our community who are facing hunger or food insecurity.  The Food Pantry is a 501(c)3 organization that is a well-coordinated effort between 5 area churches, local organizations, including the Bedford Lion's Club and the Boy Scouts, and individuals and families in Bedford. 

They are always in need of THESE FOOD ITEMS, but any nonperishable food items are welcomed.  At RBS, we would like to make a concerted effort to collect these items for our food drive.  If you are able to make a donation, I know the Food Pantry would GREATLY appreciate it!  We will donate the food items just in time for Thanksgiving.

*Monetary donations are also welcomed in order to purchase food from the NH Food Bank (checks made out to Bedford Community Food Pantry). 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

November 25-27 – Thanksgiving Break

December 10-18 – Happy Hanukkah!

December 14-18 – Ellis Island Week (Grade 4)

December 24-January 1 – Holiday Recess

December 25 – Merry Christmas!

January 15 – End of Quarter 2

January 18 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Observance

January 22 – Report Cards Released Online 

February 14 – Happy Valentine’s Day!

February 22-26 – Winter Vacation

March 9 – District Workshop Day – NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

March 27-April 3 – Passover 

April 2 – End of Quarter 3

April 2 – Good Friday

April 4 – Happy Easter!

April 9 – Report Cards Released Online

April 26-30 – Spring Vacation

May 31 – Memorial Day Observed – NO SCHOOL

June 11 – Tentative Last Day of School