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LURGIO NEWS
June 2, 2017
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Dear Parents,
Lurgio Middle School’s students never fail to impress me. This week, students made me very proud to be the principal of this outstanding school. On Tuesday evening, over 200 students participated in the Spring Concert. Mr. Demers and I had the pleasure of performing on stage with the students, and it was easily the highlight of our week. The show concluded with an amazing rendition of Homeward Bound played by the band and sung by the choir. On another note, eighth grader James Trent is currently participating in the National History Bee and is making his family and the Lurgio Community awfully proud. Congratulations to James and thank you to all of our students for a tremendous week.
Best,
Ed Joyce
Over 200 students perform together at Tuesday’s Spring concert.
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James Trent
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Important Dates
June 2 (Friday)
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8th Grade Dance 6PM-9PM
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June 7 (Wednesday)
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8th Grade Awards Night - BHS Theater - 6PM
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June 9 (Friday)
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7th Grade Gunstock Trip (7th Grade)
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June 14 (Wednesday)
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8th Grade Canobie Lake Trip (8th Grade)
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June 16 (Friday)
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Rain date - Canobie Lake Trip (8th Grade)
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June 19 (Monday)
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Last Day of School
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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.”
This week’s Cub is Mya Russell from pod 7-North! Mya was nominated by her teachers for her fantastic work ethic and positive inclusiveness. Mya is know as a kind and thoughtful student who is always looking out for her peers and making sure everyone is included in all activities. Congratulations, Mya!
Attention 8th Grade Parents: BHS Fall Sports Info
Please click [HERE] for information regarding the 2017 fall sports season at Bedford High School.
8th Grade Johns Hopkins CTY Talent Search Participants
If your 8th grader participated in the Johns Hopkins CTY Talent Search as either a 7th or 8th grader AND was invited to a Johns Hopkins awards ceremony for achieving high honor scores, please e-mail Mrs. Rockwell at rockwella@bedfordnhk12.net. We like to recognize this accomplishment at the 8th grade awards night and we don’t want to miss anyone!
Next Week Lurgio Celebrates Diversity!
Check out the wonderful image Lurgio students created for Diversity Week! This image along with other student-created art will be featured on Diversity Week posters throughout the school next week.
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Book Buzz
This week, Lurgio was abuzz with talk about books. Here are two of our favorites:
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Posted by John David Anderson goes to the heart of cellphone use in middle schools striking a chord about bullying, broken friendships and communication break downs between kids. In middle school, words aren’t just words. They can be weapons. They can be gifts. The right words can win you friends or make you enemies. They can come back to haunt you. Sometimes they can change things forever. When cell phones are banned at Branton Middle School, Frost and his friends Deedee, Wolf, and Bench come up with a new way to communicate: leaving sticky notes for each other all around the school. It catches on, and soon all the kids in school are leaving notes—though for every kind and friendly one, there is a cutting and cruel one as well.
In the middle of this, a new girl named Rose arrives at school and sits at Frost’s lunch table. Rose is not like anyone else at Branton Middle School, and it’s clear that the close circle of friends Frost has made for himself won’t easily hold another. As the sticky-note war escalates, and the pressure to choose sides mounts, Frost soon realizes that after this year, nothing will ever be the same.
Great ending and be sure to read the author's comments about being bullied as a middle schooler himself.
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The Last Cherry Blossom by Kathleen Burkinshaw is set in Hiroshima, Japan before the bomb was dropped. Yuriko is happy growing up in Hiroshima when it's just her and Papa. But her aunt Kimiko and her cousin Genji are living with them now, and the family is only getting bigger with talk of a double marriage! And while things are changing at home, the world beyond their doors is even more unpredictable. World War II is coming to an end, and Japan's fate is not entirely clear, with any battle losses being hidden from its people. Yuriko is used to the sirens and air raid drills, but things start to feel more real when the neighbors who have left to fight stop coming home. When the atomic bomb hits Hiroshima, it's through Yuriko's twelve-year-old eyes that we witness the devastation and horror.
This is a story that offers young readers insight into how children lived during the war, while also introducing them to Japanese culture. Based loosely on author Kathleen Burkinshaw's mother's first-hand experience surviving the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, The Last Cherry Blossom hopes to warn readers of the immense damage nuclear war can bring, while reminding readers that the "enemy" in any war is often not so different from ourselves.
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Lurgio Tech Corner Update
If your child is having issues with their chromebook, please have them come and see us in the Tech Corner in the back of the Media Center and Mrs. Dennis or Mrs. Manley will help to resolve their issue. Students whose chromebooks are out being repaired should check their school email for updates on the status of any repairs.
Custom Lurgio Wear Available
Did you know that you can order custom Lurgio wear in our new school colors? Check out the BedfordWear website to see all they have to choose from.
Guidance Corner
Donna LaRue, MA, MLADC, LCMHC, RAL Guidance Counselor, posts a weekly, helpful parenting newsletter article, as well as other relevant material on her website. This week she focuses on School Boundaries. Click here to learn ways you can help instill this important asset. Check out Ms. LaRue’s web page for weekly Asset newsletters by clicking here.
Claudette Stone, RAL Behavior Specialist, posts helpful information about executive functioning skills, which are developmental, meaning that each of these skills develop with age, and not on a set schedule. Just as children learn to walk and talk at different times, it is normal for our brains to learn to organize, inhibit, and plan at different times. More information can be found at Mrs. Stone's Website--Executive Functioning Skills.
Jack Slatoff Ph.D. is a retired clinical child psychologist with over 55 years of practice in southern New Hampshire. Specializing in therapy for adolescents and consultation with their parents, Dr. Slatoff has been a psychological consultant for the Bedford School District for 35 years. He continues to consult weekly at Ross A. Lurgio Middle School, and he now writes a weekly column for our news: Ask Dr. Jack [LINK].
Bicycle Rodeo - June 3 from 10:00 to 2:00
The Bedford Police and Fire Departments will be hosting their annual Bicycle Rodeo on June 3 from 10:00 to 2:00 in the parking lot of the Bedford Mall. Police and Fire Department personnel will be on hand to provide bicycle and motorcycle demonstrations while educating participants about bicycle safety.
UPDATED 2017-2018 School Calendar
There is one change in the calendar and the updated 2017/18 calendar is now attached 2017-18 School Calendar. The first day of school for students is Tuesday, August 29.
5th Annual Friends of Aine Kid’s Try-athlon
The 5th Annual Friends of Aine Kid’s Try-athlon will be be held on Sunday, August 13, 2017. The only event of its kind in the area, the kid’s try-athlon is designed specifically for children ages 4-15 years, in memory of Aine Phillips, who was a student at Riddle Brook School. Beginning at the Bedford town pool, participants ages 4-10 years will swim 25 yards, run 1/2 mile and bike 1 mile. Older participants ages 11-15 will swim 50 yards, run 1 mile and bike 2 miles. We are pleased to announce that this year Millennium Running will be our event partner. At the finish line, families are invited to enjoy music, jump roping, an obstacle course, water games, face painting, concessions, raffle prizes and much more! Friends of Aine is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization. All proceeds from this event go toward support for grieving children. For more information, to register, volunteer or to make a donation, please visit www.friendsofaine.com or www.facebook.com/friendsofaine
