October 16, 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
October 23: Group A (A-K)
October 30: Group B (L-Z)
November 6: Group A (A-K)
November 13: Group B (L-Z)
If you need to report a case of COVID-19 over the weekend or during off hours, please email me at mccarthym@sau25.net. I am checking my email often, and this will allow me to start the contact tracing in a timely manner.
IN THE NEWS:
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.
From the School Health Office
Please click HERE for specific information on how Bedford and DHHS are working in concert to keep our students and staff healthy. This information includes school exclusion thresholds, testing sites, and an updated dismissal note.
Picture Retake Information (A Message from Geskus Photography)
Great News! We are excited to be able to offer the opportunity for ALL students to have a school picture, so we have scheduled an OPEN RETAKE DAY! The date will be November 14, 2020 at several locations throughout our school communities from 9am-3pm by appointment only. Please see THIS FLYER for details.
The facilities do have strict COVID-19 guidelines for safety of all; to reduce the risk of contact between individuals. If gatherings are too large, we will unfortunately be forced to end this event. Please adhere to these rules:
Please remain in your vehicle until your scheduled appointment time.
Only one person allowed in building with student.
If you are not present at your scheduled time, we will not be able to accommodate your appointment.
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).
Destination Imagination – Registration Closes TONIGHT!
Registration is now open for Destination Imagination. New and returning students must complete this google form. Registration closes TODAY, Friday, October 16, 2020. Destination Imagination is an extracurricular program that requires parent volunteers. There is no guarantee that your child will be placed on a team, but we work very hard to place every child who registers.
NEW INFO K-6 teams will not be using school facilities for meetings. Teams who wish to come together outside of the schools must adhere to the same safety precautions as in school with regards to masks and social distancing. Most teams will meet virtually this year. For more info on this wonderful extracurricular program offered by our district, please check out www.nh-di.org or contact our coordinator, Marie Russell at bedfordrocksdi@gmail.com.
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
MEADOW FARMS GIFTS, WRAP AND MORE: Bringing you quality gift wrap, unique gifts, home & kitchen items, gourmet food, Kringle Candles and more. Our popular GIFTS, WRAP, AND MORE fundraiser is happening now. Brochures with ordering details were sent home with elementary students. Elementary remote families should have received ordering information from their teachers. Families, students, and staff at McKelvie, RAL and BHS can order HERE
Online ordering only this year. 40% of sales will go back to our schools and orders ship directly to home! Students in elementary schools who sell at least 5 items earn a coupon for a free ice cream at Inside Scoop. Online orders must be placed by October 23rd.
COMMUNITY CONVERSATION WITH SUPERINTENDENT FOURNIER: You are invited for an evening Community Conversation with Superintendent Mike Fournier. This is the place to get up to date information directly from our Superintendent on issues impacting our district. Ask your questions, share your opinions or just come to listen!
Thursday, October 22nd; 6.30PM at the SAU Office (Boardroom)
RSVP required. Please click HERE if you’d like to attend.
Due to limited seating we are unable to accommodate children at this meeting. Apologies for this inconvenience. Social distancing and masks are required.
LOOKING TO VOLUNTEER: The schools and the PTG appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue to focus on the safety of staff and students while minimizing volunteers in the buildings at this time. In order to hear about volunteer opportunities either IN SCHOOL or available REMOTELY you will need to fill out a Volunteer Google Form for each school that you have a child in. We will communicate volunteer needs as the PTG is made aware of them. To access the form click HERE or you can find them on the PTG website www.bedfordptg.org under PTG Forms.
REMINDERS:
Flu Shots - and Bedford's Response to Symptoms
(Per recent DHHS Update): If a student receives a flu shot and develops mild symptoms (muscle aches, low fever, etc.,) is it ok to accept a doctor’s note to explain the new symptoms? This must be a case-by-case decision. You cannot be certain if symptoms are due to COVID-19 without testing. It is reasonable to associate symptoms with recent vaccine administration if the child usually has symptoms after vaccination, but, again, this is not certain. In circumstances where it is not clear whether a person’s symptoms are new and unexplained and in the absence of documentation to explain chronic or recurring symptoms, DPHS recommends exclusion and testing for COVID-19.
Harvest Festival Raffle Calendar
Information about our annual calendar raffle can be found HERE. The raffle will run from Monday, October 19-Thursday, November 12. The grand prize ($500) will be drawn on Friday, November 13th.
Families in Need (A note from our School Counselor, Mrs. Blaine)
If your family or someone you know needs support during the holidays, we are here to help. Please click HERE for more information from Mrs. Blaine.
Permanent Sub Position at RBS
Each school in the district is looking for a permanent substitute to work in our buildings 4 days/week. If anyone is interested in this position for RBS, please feel free to apply. If you have any questions about it, please reach out to Mr. Munsey or me. We’d be happy to answer your questions. The position is advertised on the district’s website, and the job description is as follows:
Description: Riddle Brook School is seeking a qualified candidate for the role of a School Assigned Substitute Teacher for the 2020-2021 School Year. Substitute will be assigned to Riddle Brook School four days each week. Schedule to be established by school. Successful candidates will be required to work in-person as well as remotely during the school year.
Schedule is as follows:
4 days a week
Rate of pay $110/day
This assignment is for the 2020-2021 school year.
Job Duties: Substitute teachers are responsible for implementing lesson plans and daily duties of the absent teacher.
Qualifications: Bachelor's degree preferred and prior experience working with school age students preferred. NH Dept of Education certification in elementary education preferred
Application Procedure: Apply Online
UPCOMING EVENTS:
October 30 – End of Quarter 1
October 31 – Happy Halloween!
November 3 – Presidential Election – NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
November 6 – Report Cards Released Online (Grades 2-4)
November 11 – Veterans’ Day Observance – NO SCHOOL
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
