Friday, October 14, 2016

Lurgio News for October 14, 2016

LURGIO NEWS
October 14, 2016
 

Dear Parents,

The second half of this month holds much in store for our students and community.  Next week, our 8th graders will set off to Mt. Cardigan, while our 7th grade students will enjoy a special cultural art program.

All the hiking our 8th graders will be doing next week will most certainly prepare them for the Witch Way to the 5K.  If you haven’t signed up for the race already, please consider joining us.  If you are unable to run in the race, you can still support the fundraiser by making a donation. If you wish to sign up or make a donation, please click here to visit our registration/donation website.

For more information about the race visit: http://www.sau25.net/ww5k
To register for the race or make a donation visit: http://www.lightboxreg.com/ww5k2016

Hope to see you there,

Ed

Important Dates

October 17 (Mon)
Pods 8-North & 8-West Leave for Cardigan
October 19 (Wed)
Pods 8-South & 8-East Leave for Cardigan
October 28 (Fri)
First All-School Dance
October 28 (Fri)
Picture Retakes
October 29 (Sat)
Seventh Annual Witch Way to the 5K
November 8 (Tue)
No School- Election Day
November 11 (Fri)
No School- Veterans’ Day
November 16 (Wed)
School-wide Parent Conferences
November 17 (Th)
School-wide Parent Conferences
November 23 (Wed)
No School- Thanksgiving Recess
November 24 (Th)
No School- Thanksgiving Recess
November 25 (Fri)
No School- Thanksgiving Recess
 

Cub of the Week
Each week, teachers 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 is Jennifer McDonald from pod 8-West. While in homeroom, Jennifer was kind enough to speak in an intelligent and compassionate manner about some differences among her peers. The time she took to educate others about tolerance will undoubtedly go a long way in making her homeroom a caring and accepting place for all. Congratulations, Jennifer!

Student Return from Cardigan - 8th Grade Parents Please Read
When students return from the mountain on Wednesday and Friday, we ask that parents and guardians NOT pick-up their student(s) prior to dismissal. Upon their return to school, students will be treated to pizza, desserts, and water. Teachers also use this time to clean and organize the equipment used on the trip as well as providing students the opportunity to share scientific data collected on the trip with one another.

As always, if you do need to dismiss your student(s) early, you may do so and sign them out from the Main Office. Furthermore, students may also take their regular bus home from school, but please note, their packed frame packs will not be allowed on the bus. You will have to make arrangements to transport the frame pack home at a later time. If you have any questions, please contact the Main Office at (603) 310-9100.

7th Annual Witch Way to the 5K - October 29
Join us for the 7th annual Witch Way to the 5K  on Saturday, October 29, 2016.   The kids 1K race starts at 9:30am and the adult race begins at 10am at Lurgio Middle School.  Register by Sunday, October 9 to pay a discounted registration rate.

For more information about the race visit: http://www.sau25.net/ww5k
To register for the race visit: http://www.lightboxreg.com/ww5k2016

Winter Sports
Winter sports are just around the corner. During the winter season, Lurgio Middle School offers girls’ basketball, boys’ basketball, spirit, coed volleyball (late winter), and wrestling. Please note the dates below. More specific information regarding sign-ups for teams and concussion testing will be emailed home the week of October 24th.
  • Concussion Testing - November 3
  • Girls’ Basketball Tryouts - November 7
  • Boys’ Basketball Tryouts - November 7
  • Spirit Tryouts - November 7
  • Wrestling Practice Begins - November 28
  • Coed Volleyball - February 6

Safe Sports Youth Safety Week
Please click [HERE] for more information about a free CPR course and free sports physicals.

Book Buzz
The first Book Buzz of the year is from Meghan in 8 East:

Michael Vey is a series by Richard Paul Evans and the first in the series is called Prisoner of Cell 25.  I liked all the action, all the mystery and how it is a fiction story about kids who have electric powers because something happened to them as babies.  Now a corporation is hunting them down so they can take over the kids' powers and use the kids to rule the world.  The kids are then running from the corporation and it's Michael Vey who tells the story.  He has a learning disability and can shoot lightning bolts.  His learning disability gives him more powers.  There are six books in the series and I have read the first five.  Mrs. Snow is getting number six and and I can't wait to read it.  The book trailer is great and I love this series!
 

PTG Cardigan Help Needed
Eighth Grade Parents!  We need help celebrating the Cardigan Experience!   Be the first to hear stories from your student as you help serve pizza and brownies on the day they return.  There are slots open on both Wednesday 10/19 and Friday 10/20.  

Can't come in on those days?  Then drop off some treats or drinks beforehand!  We need brownies (homemade or store bought) and waters.

A Note from our School Cafeteria:
Eating breakfast at school helps children perform better.  Studies show that children who eat breakfast regularly are less likely to be overweight and have a better quality of nutrient intake.

We serve breakfast daily at Ross Lurgio Middle School between 8:15-8:50 am. A complete Grab N Go breakfast is offered for $1.25.  Students may use their lunch account to purchase a grab n go breakfast. Options include:  Breakfast sandwiches, whole grain muffins, bagels and pancakes,  just to name a few. All breakfasts include a variety of fresh fruit and low-fat milk

Guidance Corner
RAL Guidance Counselor, Donna LaRue, MA, MLADC, LCMHC posts a weekly, helpful parenting newsletter article, as well as other relevant material on her website.  This week she focuses on Family Communication.  Check out Ms. LaRue’s web page for weekly Asset newsletters by clicking here.

Executive Functioning Skills:  The “Air Traffic Control” of our brains.  RAL is piloting a new curriculum this year to help students identify and strengthen these very important “life skills.” An overview of the program is available on the Behavior Specialist’s website:   Ms. Stone, Behavior Specialist  

Skill of the Week: Response Inhibition.  Also known as Impulse Conrol, this is the ability to “think before you speak or act” and is the cornerstone of all successive EF skills.  It vital for all successful social interactions from childhood through adulthood.  

Examples of weak response inhibition are

  • A student speaks out during a class lesson,
  • Your daughter angrily snips back to you when you ask her to pick up her sweatshirt,
  • Your son throws the game controller at the screen when he loses a point during the game, and
  • Other impulsive actions.

There are several simple and practical strategies that can help your child first be aware of and then help control his or her impulsive behaviors.  These can be found at Executive Skills: Response Inhibition.  

Lurgio Tech Corner Update
Some of you may have questions about what to do when your child’s chromebook stops working.  Our first suggestion is to have them reset their chromebook.  To do this, the student needs to press and hold down the power button and count to 20 - this will shut off the chromebook.  They then should be able to press the power button and it should power back on.  If they are still experiencing issues, please have them come to the Tech Corner in the back of the Media Center and Mrs. Dennis or Mrs. Manley will help to resolve their issue.  If the issue cannot be resolved here in the Tech Corner, your student will be placed on one of our loaner programs until the issue is resolved.

Ecosmith Recycle Bins for Destination Imagination
Did you know that every school in the district has an Ecosmith Recycle Bin?  This is a great way to donate/recycle old clothes, while helping raise funds for our teams who advance to Global Finals each year.  You can put any kind of fabrics in these bins, towels and stuffed animals too.  Ripped shirts and pants with holes are fine, as well as well worn shoes.  Bedford DI greatly appreciates your continued participation in this program.

PTG Corner:
Volunteer Opportunities - Its Cardigan time!  We need help!    
Want to welcome them home by serving pizza on Wednesday or Friday? Sign up here:
Can’t be there at lunch time? Donate brownies or water! Sign up here

We also have two open PTG positions at RAL.  We are looking for a Gift Card Coordinator and a Grandparents' Day/Senior Citizens' Day Coordinator to shadow the current person this year to take over the role for next year.  These are fun positions and a great way to get in the school.  If you'd like more info please email Wendy Emerson at wendyemo@aol.com.
GIFT CARDS are back! Gift giving and every day shopping is easy when you order Gift Cards through the PTG. We are excited to offer gift cards to locally owned businesses along with a wide variety of local and online retailers. There is NO expiration date on the gift cards and you receive the FULLvalue of the gift card while the retailers will give a portion of the sale to the Bedford PTG (see order form for details). Order by November 2nd for pre-Thanksgiving delivery and order byNovember 30th for pre-Christmas delivery. Order forms will be going home with students K-8 and are available to download at www.bedfordptg.org
Stand By Me, a day long event for all 7th grade students and their parents, will be having our first event planning meeting on Thursday, October 20th from 9:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. at the Ross A. Lurgio Middle school front office. If you are interested in finding out more about Stand By Me or would like to join the event planning committee, email Shana Potvin at shanapotvin@gmail.com or simply join us on October 20th. You do NOT need to have a 7th grader to participate on the committee or as a volunteer for the event.
COMMUNITY MEETING - Save the Date and please join the Bedford PTG along with guest speaker, Superintendent Chip McGee, at BCTV (10 Meetinghouse Road, Bedford) on Thursday, November 3rd at 6p.m.. At this community event Mr. McGee will be speaking on important topics such as enrollments, current budget drivers/priorities, and academic performance. There will be discussion and Q&A, light refreshments will be served, and your children are welcome to attend.
The annual Ski & Skate sale will be held on Saturday, November 19th, 2016 at BHS. More information to come.

Wendy Emerson, Kerry Sullivan, Kira Hatem - Your PTG volunteer team at RAL

Bedford Education Foundation:
SAVE THE DATE
The Bedford Education Foundation Fall Fundraiser
Friday November 4, 2016
Manchester Country Club
7:00pm  
Tickets available at www.seatyourself.biz/befnh
$50 for community members and $25 for faculty and staff in Bedford
Don’t miss this fantastic evening out for a great cause

Bedford Skis Crotched Program
Registration is now open!  Go to http://www.crotchedmtn.com/52-school-program/ for information about the options available.  "CMBEDFORD" is the User Name and "bsdmember" as the Password (both are case sensitive).  Rentals, lessons, and adult passes are available.  The program begins Friday, January 6, 2017, and the deadline to purchase 5+2 passes is November 15, 2016.  Contact Isabelle Grenier at isabelleg@comcast.net with any questions.

Pat’s Peak Ski Program
Bedford students in grades 1-8 are invited to take advantage of discounted ski/snowboard lessons at Pat’s Peak Ski Area in Henniker, NH. This five week Friday night program includes 1 hour lessons and free ski time – under the lights until the 10PM closing time. Discounted lift tickets are available for students who do not need lessons. Included in the program is a free bonus day at Pat’s Peak, Gunstock, and Cranmore to be used from February 27 th to the close of the 2017 season. The 2017 Bedford Ski Program begins on Friday, January 6 th and runs for 5 weeks. The choice of lesson times are 3:30 – 4:30PM or 4:30 – 5:30PM. Parents are responsible for providing transportation or arranging carpools. Easy Online Registration is available at www.patspeak.com. Click on “Learn to Ski & Ride Program” and “Register Here”. The username for bedford330 and bedford430 for the 4:30 lesson. The Password is patspeak17. More details are available at www.patspeak.com. Visit our table at the Bedford Ski and Skate Sale. Contacts – Kim Ahnen – kim.ahnen@comcast.net & Martha Cronin – bplmartha@gmail.com