RBS Principal’s Notes
December 4, 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 11: Group A (A-K)
December 18: Group B (L-Z)
January 8: Group A (A-K)
January 15: Group B (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:
Driving on the RBS Campus
This year, we’ve had several cars bypass our cones in order to drive in the lane closest to the school entrance. Please understand that cars should not be driving or parking anywhere on our campus during the school day other than to park in Visitor Parking. Among other times, it is happening during recess when the students are outside (or transitioning in or out) and it causes a safety hazard.
Coat Drive
As we have in past years, Riddle Brook School is sponsoring a Coat Drive. Items collected will be donated to needy families. The drive runs from Monday, December 7th – Thursday, December 17th. Items to be collected include: clean hats, mittens/gloves, scarves and coats for men, women, children and infants. Boxes are located in the library hallway.
Holiday Cheer at RBS
We have some fun and festive “Spirit Day” events coming up for RBS students and staff!
Wed., Dec. 16th & Thurs., Dec. 17th: All School Holiday Pajama Day. Students and staff may wear their comfiest and coziest holiday PJ’s. (No stuffed animals or slippers, please.)
Tues., Dec. 22 & Wed., Dec. 23rd: Festive Sweater Day. Students and staff may wear their most “festive” sweaters/vests/dresses, etc.
Meadow Farms Prizes
Prizes related to sales for the Meadow Farms Gifts, Wraps and more fundraiser are being processed. Meadow Farms will ship them directly to students homes next week. Enjoy your prizes students!
Lost and Found
We have many coats and other items in our Lost and Found right now. If you see any of your child’s items in the pictures below, please have your child visit the Lost and Found to pick them up. Otherwise, items will be donated over the holiday break.
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
IT’S A G.A.S PROGRAM:
The Great Artists Have Returned! The PTG is excited to announce the return of the (Virtual) It’s a G.A.S. program to our elementary schools. The Great Artists Series is a beloved arts-enrichment program in the elementary schools. We wanted to find a way to continue to share the life and works of some of the world’s greatest and most loved artists in our new hybrid and remote learning models. So we have adapted our program by creating monthly video presentations and at-home art projects exploring the lives and works of artists ranging from the old masters to some of today’s most popular artists. Be on the lookout for information and links to the virtual It’s a G.A.S. Program from your child’s teacher. A huge thank you to Kenn Archibald our, It’s a Gas District Coordinator, for updating the artists and making this program available virtually.
PTG FEATURED IN BEDFORD LIVING MAGAZINE: PTG is excited to be featured in the December issue of Bedford Living Magazine. Be sure to read all about the PTG…how we operate in a usual year and how you can help during this unique year.
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 everytime you shop at Amazon a percentage of your purchase price is donated to the Bedford PTG!
REMINDERS:
Information/Reminders from Superintendent Fournier
Community Transmission
As you know, rates across the country and in NH are rising. Click HERE to check out our Metrics page. Each week I meet with a team consisting of two Infectious Disease MD’s, a Pediatrician and our local Health Officer as well as teachers, administrators, a school nurse, and a school board member to evaluate transmission rates and risk in our schools. Given our 6’ of distancing, mask wearing and frequent sanitizing, we have seen zero evidence of transmission in our schools. As a result, we will continue to maintain our Hybrid Model.
Moving to a fully remote model for all students will become a necessity under the following conditions:
Governor’s Order
Transmission Rates we cannot mitigate
Insufficient Staffing
Quarantine vs. Elective Travel
Our schools have an obligation to provide an education to students who are required to quarantine and be excluded from school. 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.
New Quarantine Guidelines
The Bedford School District follows the guidelines of DHHS. DHHS follows CDC recommendations and adjusts them to meet NH’s needs. Click HERE for the updated guidance.
Semester II & Hybrid Learning
On July 28th families were invited to make selections regarding a Hybrid or Remote model of instruction. School schedules were built around those choices. As we approach the second half of the year, we will be sending out a second survey.
Survey Dates:
Important Considerations:
The Bedford School District believes that most students should participate in the Hybrid Model. Our schools are safe as a result of:
Masks
Social Distancing
Sanitizing
The 9-12 schedule and teaching assignments allow for greater flexibility with respect to hybrid and remote learning. The K-8 model has less flexibility due to teacher assignments.
The district will NOT shuffle an entire schedule/classroom assignment at each school to accommodate new requests (i.e., reassign hybrid students to accommodate remote requests).
Students will remain in their current model of instruction unless there is a change requested and that change can be accommodated.
Bedford will continue to follow its Phases of Reopening Model. Note: Given what we have learned in the last several months, we are looking to adjust the phases where appropriate. This will be updated prior to the new year.
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.
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:
December 10-18 – Happy Hanukkah!
December 16 & 17 – Ellis Island (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
