RBS Principal’s Notes
January 29, 2021
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
February 5: Group A (A-K)
February 12: Group B (L-Z)
February 19: Group A (A-K)
March 5: Group B (L-Z)
PROCEDURE TO REPORT COVID CASES OR CONTACT TRACES
For reporting purposes during out of school hours:
Please use THIS FORM to report if your child has tested positive for COVID.
Please use THIS FORM to report if your child has been contact traced.
In reference to Superintendent Fournier’s note about moving to “full in” for K & 1 Monday – Friday and full in on Fridays for grades 2-8 after 2 consecutive “green weeks,” I wanted to let RBS families know that we did some initial planning in the fall for this possible scenario. As we now have experienced one “green week,” we are doing some more detailed planning. We will be in touch with families to provide any new information/procedures that may come up as a result of having more students in the building. One change that I am confident will occur is the length of time that parent drop off and pick up will take on Fridays. We are all going to need to be patient as we acclimate to the volume of students (and cars) on these days.
IN THE NEWS:
Thank You
RBS volunteers spearheaded a grab and go breakfast for staff members this past Monday morning. Thank you so much to those families who donated and helped to organize the event. It means a lot that our parents go above and beyond to show their support and appreciation!
Drills
As many of you “veteran” RBS families know, we conduct at least 10 drills a year. Most of those drills are fire evacuations. We were able to do one fire drill each month for all of our students from September – December. When the cold weather sets in, we then conduct our indoor drills. Last month we conducted a Lock Down Drill (during an A day) and today we conducted a Shelter in Place Drill (B day). Moving forward, we will do our best to schedule these 2 drills on opposite days or on Fridays, so that all of our students experience them.
Spirit Days
Here is our upcoming schedule:
Thursday & Friday, Feb. 4 & 5 – Retro Day (Dress from your favorite decade.)
Wednesday & Friday, Feb. 10 & 12 – Valentine’s Day
Thursday & Friday, Feb. 18 & 19 – RBS Spirit Day
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.
PTG News and Information
THANK YOU FROM THE PTG: Thanks to everyone who tuned in to enjoy stories read by our Principals and Assistant Principals at Principal Winter Reading Night! You can watch them again by using this link: Principal Winter Reading Night 2021
LOVE YOUR SCHOOL - THIS VALENTINE’S DAY! From Feb. 8th-12th, “Love Your School” by donating to the Bedford PTG to help us continue our focus on organizing virtual programming and events, enhancing outdoor spaces, COVID mitigation supplies for teachers/classrooms, and assisting with student needs through guidance and nursing department support. Along with these efforts, a portion of funds raised during this drive will be used to do something special for our staff and administration at each school.
To donate via PayPal, click HERE or simply send a check made out to Bedford PTG (turn into your child's school or mail to PO Box 10077 Bedford, NH). Anyone who donates this week will be entered for a chance to win a $50 BVI or $50 T-Bones gift card. We appreciate your continued support!
COLOR BLAST FUN RUN/WALK: We're bringing the Color Blast Fun Run/Walk to your front door! Just because things are a little different this year doesn't mean we can't have any fun. Join us for a virtual Color Blast Fun Run/Walk over the week of May 22. We will miss throwing color at you, but we'll make sure you have enough color to throw at your family :) Stay tuned for more details.
REMINDERS:
Quarantine vs. Elective Travel
As some families start to plan for February Vacation, I wanted to send a reminder about elective travel. Also, if you do plan to travel outside of New England at any time, please make sure that you contact our nurse, Michele Ouellette (in addition to your child’s classroom teacher) as she is responsible for setting quarantine dates for our students and staff members.
Our schools have an obligation to provide an education to students who are required to quarantine and be excluded from school due to exposure. These students are a priority for our teachers (aside from the ones in front of them, of course). Families who elect to stay home or travel will not receive the same service as those students who are required to be excluded.
Blue Ribbon Volunteer Award
Once again, Riddle Brook School has earned the Blue Ribbon Award for excellence in volunteerism for the 2019/2020 school year. This is quite a feat since we were remote for the last quarter of the school year. A HUGE “thank you” to all of our volunteers for putting in so many valuable hours of volunteering during the 2019/2020 school year. Thank you especially to our Volunteer Coordinator, Emily Tolson, and our PTG Liaisons, Becca Durrell and Lauren Martin!
Kindergarten and 1st Grade Registration (2021 – 2022)
Starting Monday, February 1st, you may download and print out registration packets from the RBS website (under the School Information tab—New Student Registration) or stop by our school to pick one up.
*Forms are being updated, and will not be available until February 1st.
The packets need to be returned to the school by Thursday, March 4th. A $525 deposit is required with the K+ registration (checks made out to Bedford School District).
A child must attain his/her 5th birthday on or before September 30, 2021 to be eligible for kindergarten.
A child must attain his/her 6th birthday on or before September 30, 2021 to be eligible for first grade.
Kindergarten students who are currently enrolled at RBS (or anywhere in the district) do not need to register for 1st grade.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
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 12-25 – Online Scholastic Book Fair (more details to come)
April 26-30 – Spring Vacation
May 31 – Memorial Day Observed – NO SCHOOL
June 11 – Tentative Last Day of School
