Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Lurgio News for December 23, 2015


LURGIO NEWS
December 23, 2015

Dear Parents,

The last three days have been full of activity here at Lurgio.  While the students were busy finishing up their academic units during the first two days of the week, today was filled with pod team building.  Your student will come home today with great stories about fun pod activities, special treats, and even the appearance of a few Jedi Knights at the lunches.  That said, for me the highlight of this week was the extraordinary charity shown by students and staff in their donations to food baskets for local families in need.  Through food and cash donations, the students and staff filled 23 holiday dinner baskets complete with a turkey and a ham. Well done Lurgio!

Enjoy the vacation,

Ed
Staff members work to organize the donations.
Important Dates

Dec. 24 - Jan. 1
No School - Holiday Break

You Be The Chemist Challenge
Lurgio students have the opportunity to participate in the "You Be the Chemist" (YBTC) Challenge, organized by the Chemical Educational Foundation. The YBTC Challenge is a fun and interactive academic competition that engages grade 5–8 students in learning about important chemistry concepts, scientific discoveries, and laboratory safety.

To qualify for the state competition, students will take a 25-multiple-choice qualifying exam on Tuesday, February 2 at 2:35 in the media center.  The top students from Lurgio will advance to the state competition on March 5 in Nashua.  The top student from the state will win an expenses-paid trip to the National Challenge in Philadelphia in June.

If your child is interested in participating, please e-mail Mrs. Rockwell at rockwella@bedfordnhk12.net to register.  To prepare for the exam, CEF recommends students explore all of the study materials at ChemEd, as well as other outside chemistry resources.


Adjustment to the Traffic Pattern at Bedford Middle and High School
On January 4, 2016, the traffic on the BHS/Lurgio Campus will change slightly. (Map,Explanation)​  We know that we will always have heavy traffic at the start and end of school, but we hope this change will reduce congestion during these peak times.
  • Changes
    • Reverse the direction of the Parent Pick Up and Drop Off Area so parents will not need to make left turns at the two main intersections.
    • Extend two-way traffic to the concession stand ending at the West Parking Lot so parents can exit Parent Pick Up and Drop Off that way.
    • Close the central loop area during parent pick up and drop off (except for buses and students with special needs) to reduce the places where parents are crossing traffic.
  • As before, we ask all drivers to do the following:
    • Yield to pedestrians at all times when on campus.
    • Take turns at the main intersections when congestion is high.
    • Be patient.

Cardigan Feedback
As part of our ongoing analysis of our Cardigan program, we are inviting all 8th grade parents, chaperones, teachers and students to take a brief survey about the 2015 Cardigan experience. Please click here for the survey. The survey will be open through December 23rd.

Media Center Resources
Lurgio’s Library Media Generalist, Mrs. Snow, invites you to visit the Digital Resources and Databases website and explore the variety of resources available to the Lurgio Middle School Community 24/7. Username and password for these resources is “lurgio”.

These databases are the kind of quality resources that the Library Media Center strives to provide the students of Lurgio Middle School as Mrs. Snow works to support the RAL curriculum, promotes information literacy and digital citizenship, and spreads the love of reading.

Guidance Corner
Youth Counselor, Donna LaRue, MA, LADC, LCMHC posts a weekly, helpful parenting newsletter article, as well as other relevant material on her website. Check out Ms. LaRue’s webpage for more information about drug abuse prevention as well as past asset newsletters by clicking here.

Caring  :   The next Asset Category we'll explore is Positive Values.  Positive Values is broken down into six assets.  Caring, Equality and social justice, Integrity, Honesty, Responsibility, and Restraint.  Earlier this school year I posted an article titled "Restraint".   This week you can click here for the Search Institute article titled "Caring".  Through our annual survey we ask our students if they feel they place a high value on helping other people.  

Social Media Apps
Guidance Intern Sarah Demers will be posting information about social media apps that may be popular with students. These informational pages can be found in the Lurgio News; you can also find a backlog of them on the Guidance webpage. Here is a link to this week’s app of interest. What's that App: Down Dating

Yearbook Weekly Meeting Change
Due to the advisors schedules, yearbook will start meeting on Thursdays from 3:15-4:30 after vacation. We are always looking for new members to help take photos and with designing the yearbook. Any questions please contact Mrs. Dennis (dennisd@sau25.net) or Mrs. Wells (wellsj@sau25.net).

PTG CORNER
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU ALL FROM THE BEDFORD PTG!!!

Stand By Me

Hannaford Books Fundraiser - Proceeds to benefit Stand By Me

Got any used books to donate?  Anyone looking for a new read?  From 1/3/16 - 1/23/16 all the proceeds from the book bin at the Bedford Hannaford (Colby Court location) will be donated to the Stand By Me program.

How does it work?
Hannaford Supermarket has a book bin located at the front of the store.  People donate used books to the bin for others to purchase.  Every two weeks, Hannaford donates all of the proceeds from the book bin to a different cause.

2 ways to support us...
DONATE BOOKS ‐  Drop off books  to the bin that you would like to donate.  Both adult and children books are accepted.
PURCHASE BOOKS ‐ Please take a few minutes to browse the used books in the Hannaford Book Bin during the first two weeks of January. It is an inexpensive way to build your child’s library or to find a good book for yourself!

Thank you to Hannaford for this opportunity.
We appreciate the support!


Stand By Me: Save the Date - Friday, May 20, 2016
Stand By Me is a full day of off-campus workshops for 7th grade students and their parents/guardians. This year’s program is scheduled for Friday, May 20, 2016 (save the date!).  
Each year we look to provide engaging and relevant speakers.  Because parent input is integral to the process of speaker selection, please take a moment to complete a brief survey to let us know what topics you would be interested in (i.e. communicating with my teen, managing social media and technology, organizational strategies, etc...).  Workshops are offered as Student Only, Parent Only and Student/Parents together. Students will also have an opportunity to complete the survey during school.

Please take our Stand By Me Survey (click link below)

Friday, December 18, 2015

Lurgio News for December 18, 2015


LURGIO NEWS
December 18, 2015


Dear Lurgio Students, Parents and Staff,

Wow! What an amazing show last night. I am so impressed with our Lurgio musicians, music instructors and music program. With over 200 students performing last night, I was blown away at the broad-based talent that was on display. One of my favorite moments was the full chorus maintaining focus while Mrs. DePerri dodged Mr. Demers as he played “Cool Santa” during a choral rendition of “Skateboardin’ Santa.” But the highlight of the night certainly had to be to finale, the band performance of “We Need A Little Christmas” with full choral accompaniment.

Congratulations to all of the Lurgio musicians who performed last night. Fantastic job!

Enjoy the pictures below,

Ed


Important Dates

Dec. 18 (Friday)
Holiday Dance 7-10PM
Dec. 24 - Jan. 1
No School - Holiday Break

RAL Cub of the Week
Each week, teachers will nominate students for the Cub of the Week Award. Nominated students are those who have shown exceptional kindness, tolerance, and respect during the week. Each Friday, the Lurgio administration and guidance staff will review all nominees and will select the the “Cub of the Week.” The Cub will be announced in the Lurgio News.

This week’s Cub of the Week is Laura Fuentes from Pod 8 South. Laura’s teachers describe her as a smart, kind, and inclusive student.  This week Laura was nominated for Cub of Week for how super welcoming she was to a student brand new to our school.  Congratulations, Laura! Thank you for being such a positive force in our school.   


Cardigan Feedback
As part of our ongoing analysis of our Cardigan program, we are inviting all 8th grade parents, chaperones, teachers and students to take a brief survey about the 2015 Cardigan experience. Please click here for the survey. The survey will be open through December 23rd.

Media Center Resources
Lurgio’s Library Media Generalist, Mrs. Snow, invites you to visit the Digital Resources and Databases website and explore the variety of resources available to the Lurgio Middle School Community 24/7. Username and password for these resources is “lurgio”.

These databases are the kind of quality resources that the Library Media Center strives to provide the students of Lurgio Middle School as Mrs. Snow works to support the RAL curriculum, promotes information literacy and digital citizenship, and spreads the love of reading.

Guidance Corner
Youth Counselor, Donna LaRue, MA, LADC, LCMHC posts a weekly, helpful parenting newsletter article, as well as other relevant material on her website. Check out Ms. LaRue’s webpage for more information about drug abuse prevention as well as past asset newsletters by clicking here.

The fifth and last Asset in the "Commitment to Learning" category is Reading for Pleasure.  Middle school students are asked if they read for pleasure three or more hours per week.  Please consider supporting Lurgio's own "Books for Breakfast" Club which meets on Friday mornings at 8am in the Media Center.  Starting your own family "book club" is a great way to connect to your child's interests as well as support their active reading strategies. Click here for this week's newsletter.

Social Media Apps
Guidance Intern Sarah Demers will be posting information about social media apps that may be popular with students. These informational pages can be found in the Lurgio News; you can also find a backlog of them on the Guidance webpage. Here is a link to this week’s app of interest. What's that App: Down Dating

Yearbook Weekly Meeting Change
Due to the advisors schedules, yearbook will start meeting on Thursdays from 3:15-4:30 after vacation. We are always looking for new members to help take photos and with designing the yearbook. Any questions please contact Mrs. Dennis (dennisd@sau25.net) or Mrs. Wells (wellsj@sau25.net).

Book Buzz
This morning was the Book Swap Party at Books for Breakfast Cafe. Many students are excited about their next read, and this is what they had to say about the new books they received:

Kate from 8-West got Powerless by Matt Cody and is so excited to read it because her 6th grade teacher read it out loud to the class.  She is happy to read it again on her own!  Kids have powers to do good things in the neighborhood until they turn 13 then the powers stop along with their memory of them.

Lavinia from 7-East got The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseunonymous Bosch and she can't wait to read it because her friend read it.  Magic and a mysterious box of vials!  

Will of 7-East got Shelter by H. Coben and said it looks great just from the blurb on the back of the book!  Part mystery, part literary puzzle, part life-and-death quest and all chillingly magical.  

V.N. from 7-North got Infinity by S. Kenyon and loved that Mrs. Parker read it and said that "it reads like a video game."

Emma from 8-East got Endless and said that since she swapped with Sammy it has to be great!  

Roisi from 7-North got Indian Captive and is excited since she loves history and historical fiction.  Author Lois Lenski constructs the real life story of Mary Jemison who was captured in a raid as a young girl and raised by the Seneca Indian tribe.

Sammy from 8-East got Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas and loves any murder mystery that Emma B. suggests!  

Nicole from 8-East got the highly coveted Harry Potter History book saying that "I'm a total Harry Potter geek and I can't wait to learn all the details about this collection!"  NOTE:  Mrs. Snow purchased copies for our library collection!

Meghan from 7-North got Roar by Emma Clayton and wants to delve into this post apocalypse world stating, "This is new to me and looks interesting so I'm excited to try it!"

Gabe from 8-North got Vietnam Walking Wounded by Chris Lynch and is thrilled to learn about this war.  Four best friends enlist, promise to care for one another, and when one is killed the others see how changed they all are.

Anna from 8-North got Fenway Fever by John Ritter and is jumping up and down to read about baseball and Fenway Park because they are her two favorite things in the world!

Alexis from 8-North got Breadcrumbs by A. Ursu and is excited to read what her best friend, Anna suggested!  Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen, Breadcrumbs is a fairy tale in modern day America.

Taylor from 7-West got Scrumble by Ingrid Law and since she loved the book Savvy by the same author she is excited to this book that is full of more fantasy and magic.

Mrs. Parker from FACS got Pillage by Obert Skye and said that, "This book is new to me and I'm excited to read it because I have read all his other books and I met him when he came to Lurgio!  I have the picture of the two of us!  This one has Beck Phillips traveling by train to a secluded village and he discovers some dark family secrets.  A buried basement, a forbidden wall, and old book referencing dragons?  What's not to love?"

Katherine from 7-South got View from Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg and said, "My friend said it was good so I know it will be good for me!"  She can't wait to see about the wins of the the sixth grade Academic Bowl Team.

PTG CORNER
The Bedford PTG is adding a photo booth to the December dance festivities! Your child will have an opportunity to have keepsake photos taken with friends, with or without props.  The students will pay for their photos when they are taken, and the photos will be delivered to their classroom the following week.  Cost of the photos are $3.00 for each 5x7. Please do not forget to bring $$$ for your keepsake photos. All proceeds support the Bedford PTG.  Without your support, we would not be able to provide the wonderful programs brought to your child's school each and every year!
Also, we’d like to extend a special thank you to all of our volunteers who contributed goodies to our Books for Breakfast Club this morning.  The students enjoyed them while participating in a book swap. Great fun had by all!

Thank you!
Bedford PTG

Stand by Me: Save the Date - Friday, May 20, 2016
Stand By Me is a full day of off-campus workshops for 7th grade students and their parents/guardians. This year’s program is scheduled for Friday, May 20, 2016 (save the date!).  
Each year we look to provide engaging and relevant speakers.  Because parent input is integral to the process of speaker selection, please take a moment to complete a brief survey to let us know what topics you would be interested in (i.e. communicating with my teen, managing social media and technology, organizational strategies, etc...).  Workshops are offered as Student Only, Parent Only and Student/Parents together. Students will also have an opportunity to complete the survey during school.

Please take our Stand By Me Survey (click link below)

Friday, December 11, 2015

Lurgio News for December 11, 2015


LURGIO NEWS
December 4, 2015


Dear Lurgio Students, Parents and Staff,

Next week promises to be jam packed with many positive events here at Lurgio.  On Thursday evening at 7PM in the BHS Theater, the Lurgio Band, Chorus, and Percussion Ensemble will be presenting their winter concert.  With nearly 200 students involved in the music program, the evening promises to be a very special event.  On Friday, Lurgio will host our December Dance.  As a special feature this year, the Bedford PTG will be running a photo booth. Your child will have an opportunity to have keepsake photos taken with friends, with or without props.  The student will pay for the photos when they are taken and the photos will be delivered to their classroom the following week.  Cost of the photos are $3.00 for each 5x7.

Enjoy,

Ed

Important Dates

Dec. 13 (Sunday)
Fan Club Star Wars Movie Marathon
Dec. 17 (Thursday)
Winter Concert (7:00PM)
Dec. 18 (Friday)
Holiday Dance
Dec. 24 - Jan. 1
No School - Holiday Break

RAL Cub of the Week
Each week, teachers will nominate students for the Cub of the Week Award. Nominated students are those who have shown exceptional kindness, tolerance, and respect during the week. Each Friday, the Lurgio administration and guidance staff will review all nominees and will select the the “Cub of the Week.” The Cub will be announced in the Lurgio News.


Cardigan Feedback
As part of our ongoing analysis of our Cardigan program, we are inviting all 8th grade parents, chaperones, teachers and students to take a brief survey about the 2015 Cardigan experience. Please click here for the survey. The survey will be open through December 23rd.

The Lurgio Fan Club Presents: Star Wars Movie Marathon!
Star Wars Fans!  Join the Lurgio Fan Club for a Star Wars Movie Marathon on Sunday, December 13, from 9:45-4:30 at the Bedford High School Theater. We will be showing the original Star Wars trilogy in anticipation of the new release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Admission is only $5.00 and drinks and concessions will be sold on site.  Please bring a bag lunch!  May the force be with you!

Media Center Resouces
Lurgio’s Library Media Generalist, Mrs. Snow, invites you to visit the Digital Resources and Databases website and explore the variety of resources available to the Lurgio Middle School Community 24/7. Username and password for these resources is “lurgio”.

These databases are the kind of quality resources that the Library Media Center strives to provide the students of Lurgio Middle School as Mrs. Snow works to support the RAL curriculum, promotes information literacy and digital citizenship, and spreads the love of reading.

Guidance Corner
Youth Counselor, Donna LaRue, MA, LADC, LCMHC posts a weekly, helpful parenting newsletter article, as well as other relevant material on her website. Check out Ms. LaRue’s webpage for more information about drug abuse prevention as well as past asset newsletters by clicking here.

Bonding to School

We are continuing to explore the asset category "Commitment to Learning."  This week's newsletter article focusses on "Bonding to School", click here to find it. How can you help your child bond to school?
1.Set up a school bulletin board in a prominent place in your home. Hang up the school calendar and school notices. Meet once a month to choose which school activities to attend as a family.
2.Subscribe to the school newspaper/ Principal Notes through the mail/ email. When it arrives, read and discuss it with your child.
3.Make supportive signs for big events.

Social Media Apps
Guidance Intern Sarah Demers will be posting information about social media apps that may be popular with students. These informational pages can be found in the Lurgio News; you can also find a backlog of them on the Guidance webpage. Here is a link to this week’s app of interest. What's that App: Down Dating

Yearbook Weekly Meeting Change
Due to the advisors schedules, yearbook will start meeting on Thursdays from 3:15-4:30 after vacation. We are always looking for new members to help take photos and with designing the yearbook. Any questions please contact Mrs. Dennis (dennisd@sau25.net) or Mrs. Wells (wellsj@sau25.net).

Book Buzz
Our Book Buzz for today is from our Writer-in-Residence, Sigmund Brouwer. Sigmund shared two books this morning during a webcast with our Books for Breakfast attendees.

You can upload Unleashed for free on our Lurgio Writer-in-Residence website, right to your device. The book just came out this October. It's about a teenager, Jace, who has it all: money, cars and status. What he doesn't have is a happy home life. He is forced to protect his father and neglectful mother because of a mean father, so Jace lives a double life on the wrong side of the tracks. He learns to box and plots to expose his father. Working reluctantly with two girls who have their own thoughts of vengeance, Jace finds that he is not as alone as he thought and that there are people he can trust.

The other book of mine to share is historical fiction based on my father's life in a Japanese internment camp during WWII. It is called Thief of Glory, and it follows the story of Jeremiah as he takes on the responsibility of caring for his younger siblings when his father and older stepbrothers are separated from the rest of the family, and he is surprised by what life in the camp reveals about a woman he barely knows--his frail, troubled mother.


PTG CORNER
SUPPORT
The Bedford PTG is adding a photo booth to the December dance festivities! Your child will have an opportunity to have keepsake photos taken with friends, with or without props.  The student will pay for the photos when they are taken and the photos will be delivered to their classroom the following week.  Cost of the photos are $3.00 for each 5x7. Please do not forget to bring $$$ for your keepsake photos and help raise money to support the Bedford PTG.  Without your support, we would not be able to provide the wonderful programs brought to your child's school each and every year!

Thank you!
Bedford PTG

VOLUNTEER
To all our parent volunteers at RAL, we could use your help!  Our Books for Breakfast club is having a book swap on Friday, December 18th and we have been asked to help provide goodies for students to enjoy during the meeting.  If you are able, please consider helping out and making this event extra special.  Please see our signup for more information.

Stand by Me: Save the Date - Friday, May 20, 2016

Our next committee meeting is scheduled for December 17, 2015 at 9:15AM. There are plenty of seats available at our table!  Please come and join us!