Friday, March 27, 2020

Lurgio News for March 27, 2020

     
LURGIO NEWS
March 27, 2020

Dear Lurgio Families,

There is no other way to say it: this week we have faced extraordinary challenges. I can’t thank you enough for your patience and support as we begin to figure out our best practices for teaching and learning in a remote environment. We’re nowhere near perfect yet, but despite all of the challenges, we had some tremendous successes this week.  

As we all found out with Governor Sununu’s latest executive order, we’re going to have at least a few more weeks to build upon those successes. Per that order, the Bedford School District will continue to provide remote instruction through May 4, 2020. I look forward to taking advantage of the stability that this timeline provides to continue to improve the remote learning experience for our students.

As we proceed through these uncharted waters, it is important for us to get your feedback about how things are going at home. Families have always been an essential aspect of our students’ education, and in these times we are relying on you even more. Please fill out this brief survey to help us understand more about how your student is navigating the remote learning environment.

Stay safe and be well.

Sincerely,

Ed Joyce

Important Dates


April 27 (Mon) - May 1 (Fri)
NO SCHOOL - April Vacation
May 4 (Mon)
Return to school buildings/school schedule (projected)
May 25 (Mon)
NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day 

New News

School Buildings Closed to Public

All physical buildings in the Bedford School District are closed to outside public effective Monday, March 23. Main office staff are working remotely and can still be reached via email and phone (603) 310-9100. The custodial staff is working hard to sanitize surfaces in the building and The main office may not always be staffed but school phones (just the main number) will be answered remotely between the hours of 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

Recreational Facilities & Social Distancing

Teens are social creatures. Parents, please encourage your students to avoid social gatherings, particularly at school district fields, facilities, and playgrounds. Our efforts to flatten the curve and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by closing schools can be amplified if the families self-enforce social distancing and practice recommended self-quarantine measures as much as possible. Our public use areas (fields and playgrounds) are open but may be roped or gated off and closed for the duration if needed.

Lurgio Instagram Account

Did you know that there is an official Lurgio Instagram account? We have been using our account to post reminders and resources for staff and students. These notifications are also posted on our Lurgio Facebook page. If Instagram is your prefered social media tool, we welcome you to follow us.  

Reminders

Remote Instruction Updates & Resources

Please refer to the Lurgio homepage for district updates and school-specific resources. We will continue to update those links as new information becomes available.

Remote Learning Guide

On Wednesday, you should have received a link to our Remote Learning Guide. Within this document are the details of how our school will function with a remote instruction setting. You will find answers to many of your questions about the logistics of this new adventure. We will continue to update the guide as needed in order to reflect current practice.

BSD Breakfast and Lunch

The breakfast and lunch grab-n-go is moving location beginning on Monday. The pickup will still be at the high school but is being moved to the Bedford High School Gymnasium entrance. Those doors are nearer the kitchen and make the logistics of delivery easier. If you’ve never been to that entrance, it’s at the back of the building. A sign will be along the sidewalk as it has been this week.

Lurgio School Athletic & Other Events

We are adjusting Lurgio athletic schedules and other school events in light of recent school closing due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in New Hampshire. 

For athletics, we are following guidance from the Bedford School District, as well as Tri-County Athletic League and the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association. The spring sports tryout schedule will be modified and announced once the building reopens. The status of all athletic competitions is to be announced as we work in conjunction with other schools in our league.

For all other school events, our general consideration was to modify any school event that would result in a large gathering, especially those that would allow admission to the general population beyond Lurgio staff and students. For any of these events that we felt we could reasonably postpone, we have done so. Unfortunately, other events needed to be cancelled. 

Please click here for a full schedule of how we intend to proceed with school events between now and April vacation. As the situation with COVID-19 evolves, we will continue to be flexible with our plans based on current guidelines from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.

BHS Summer School - In Writing and BASE Camp

Attention all 8th Graders:  If you registered during Open Enrollment for Summer In-Writing, the BHS website is updated with dates and other important information. You will need to do the following: Complete the Enrollment for Summer In-Writing or B.A.S.E. Camp and Submit Payment.

Lurgio Yearbooks ON SALE

The 2019-2020 Lurgio Yearbook is on sale!! Online sales will be open until Friday, April 17th. To Order Visit: bit.ly/BuyLurgioYearbook2020. Questions? Contact Donna Dennis dennisd@sau25.net or Jennifer Manley manleyj@sau25.net.

Hannaford Helps Schools

Hannaford has officially launched their Hannaford Helps Schools for 2020! They have moved the program to spring, and this year it will run March 1 - May 16.

How does the program work? As in previous years, with the purchase of 4 participating Hannaford Helps Schools items, a customer will receive a printout for 3 School Dollars at the register. The customer can place that printout into your school's slot in the Hannaford Helps Schools collection tower, which is located at the front of the store your school is registered with.

NEW for 2020! Customers who shop with Hannaford To Go can either specify which school should receive their School Dollars in their order notes when placing their order, OR let the store associate know which school to give their School Dollars to when they pick their order up from the store.

Please check our Hannaford Helps Schools web page for additional information and links to downloadable PDFs.


Weekly Features

Athletics Corner


Weekly Schedule

Please see previous sections for information on school closure and athletic schedules.

Lurgio Guidance Corner

The Lurgio Guidance Department is still available to speak with students and parents. We will continue to update our webpage with a number of resources, including:  

- Ways to contact your counselor
- Maintaining schedules
- Talking to your kids about COVID-19
- Stress Management
- Staying Healthy

Lurgio Tech Corner

The Lurgio Tech Corner has been busy posting resources for students.  Please check out the Lurgio Tech Corner Resource Site for helpful links.  We also will be posting new resources on our Tech Tips from the Tech Corner blog which is linked on the Tech Corner Resource Site.  If students are having technical issues, please have them submit a Help Desk Ticket.  Someone from the District Tech Department will get back to them as soon as they can.

PTG Corner


Color Blast Fun Run/Walk Community Event

Save the date: Sunday, May 31st as PTG hosts another Color Blast Fun Run/Walk. Registration opens March 13. More exciting details coming in the next few weeks...

Local businesses… want to join the PTG’s efforts in providing enriching educational opportunities, creating community events, and helping support the individual needs of our Bedford School District, while gaining positive exposure for your business? Consider becoming a Color Blast Fun Run/Walk sponsor! Visit HERE for more information or contact bedfordcolorblast@gmail.com.

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Special Note: Google Meet

Dear Parents, Staff, and Students,

I hope this email finds everyone well, and that you all are settling into remote learning in Bedford. With two students in the District myself, I am in the same boat as many of you. We’re learning new routines, managing remote work spaces for everyone, and generally getting used to new modes of teaching and learning online. 

I am writing to let you know that we are adding a new tool to our remote learning toolbelt: Google Meet. I want to emphasize to everyone that this is simply a new tool, not the only tool that teachers and students can utilize. While we are adding the ability to utilize Google Meet, students and staff members are not required to use it in the remote classroom. We respect the individual needs and comfort levels of students, families, and staff members, and therefore we will continue to offer all core instruction through the asynchronous technologies that we have been utilizing to date.

So, what does this new tool add to our instructional capabilities at Lurgio? Google Meet is a video conferencing tool that allows teachers to create synchronous video classrooms to meet with their students for face-to-face interactions. For families, we have already sent out an online permission form for you to indicate whether you want your students to have access to Google Meet. For teachers, we will be providing additional information and training under a separate cover should you choose to engage your students on Google Meet. For everyone, you can find our general guidelines about Google Meet here.

Administrators and teachers have already been using Google Meet with one another each day since we transitioned to remote learning. We now have the flexibility to offer this same face-to-face support to our students. I imagine that teachers who are comfortable with the format will be using it in a variety of ways, from small group instruction to extra help sessions to just being able to connect with students again. Google Meet will not be utilized in a required way, which means it is not the tool for student attendance, required group lectures, or other core instructional efforts. Those all will still be offered in an asynchronous way.

Finally, thank you all for your patience as we are navigating these new waters. I have received many emails of support and praise for our teachers and our community. While this was not how any of us thought we’d be spending our spring, it is a reality that we have come to knowing that we can overcome these new challenges together.

Be well and be safe.

My best,

Ed

Friday, March 20, 2020

Lurgio News for March 20, 2020

                         
LURGIO NEWS
March 20, 2020

Dear Lurgio Families,

Click here for a video message from the Lurgio administrative team.

Sincerely,

Ed Joyce

Important Dates


March 23 (Mon)
Remote Learning Begins (see first New News item below)
April 6 (Mon)
Return to school buildings/school schedule (projected)
April 27 (Mon) - May 1 (Fri)
NO SCHOOL - April Vacation

New News

Remote Instruction Updates & Resources

Please refer to the Lurgio homepage for district updates and school-specific resources. We will continue to update those links as new information becomes available.

Remote Learning Guide

On Wednesday, you should have received a link to our Remote Learning Guide. Within this document are the details of how our school will function with a remote instruction setting. You will find answers to many of your questions about the logistics of this new adventure. We will continue to update the guide as needed in order to reflect current practice.

BSD Breakfast and Lunch

The breakfast and lunch grab-n-go is moving location beginning on Monday. The pickup will still be at the high school but is being moved to the Bedford High School Gymnasium entrance. Those doors are nearer the kitchen and make the logistics of delivery easier. If you’ve never been to that entrance, it’s at the back of the building. A sign will be along the sidewalk as it has been this week.

Reminders

Lurgio School Athletic & Other Events

We are adjusting Lurgio athletic schedules and other school events in light of recent school closing due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in New Hampshire. 

For athletics, we are following guidance from the Bedford School District, as well as Tri-County Athletic League and the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association. The spring sports tryout schedule will be modified and announced once the building reopens. The status of all athletic competitions is to be announced as we work in conjunction with other schools in our league.

For all other school events, our general consideration was to modify any school event that would result in a large gathering, especially those that would allow admission to the general population beyond Lurgio staff and students. For any of these events that we felt we could reasonably postpone, we have done so. Unfortunately, other events needed to be cancelled. 

Please click here for a full schedule of how we intend to proceed with school events between now and April vacation. As the situation with COVID-19 evolves, we will continue to be flexible with our plans based on current guidelines from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.

BHS Summer School - In Writing and BASE Camp

Attention all 8th Graders:  If you registered during Open Enrollment for Summer In-Writing, the BHS website is updated with dates and other important information. You will need to do the following:
  1. Complete the Enrollment for Summer In-Writing or B.A.S.E. Camp 
  2. Submit payment.


Lurgio Yearbooks ON SALE

The 2019-2020 Lurgio Yearbook goes on sale tomorrow! Online sales will be open Saturday, March 7th until Friday, April 17th. To Order Visit: bit.ly/BuyLurgioYearbook2020. Questions? Contact Donna Dennis dennisd@sau25.net or Jennifer Manley manleyj@sau25.net.

Hannaford Helps Schools

Hannaford has officially launched their Hannaford Helps Schools for 2020! They have moved the program to spring, and this year it will run March 1 - May 16.

How does the program work? As in previous years, with the purchase of 4 participating Hannaford Helps Schools items, a customer will receive a printout for 3 School Dollars at the register. The customer can place that printout into your school's slot in the Hannaford Helps Schools collection tower, which is located at the front of the store your school is registered with.

NEW for 2020! Customers who shop with Hannaford To Go can either specify which school should receive their School Dollars in their order notes when placing their order, OR let the store associate know which school to give their School Dollars to when they pick their order up from the store.

Please check our Hannaford Helps Schools web page for additional information and links to downloadable PDFs.


Weekly Features

Athletics Corner


Weekly Schedule

Please see previous sections for information on school closure and athletic schedules.

Lurgio Guidance Corner

The Lurgio Guidance Department is still available to speak with students and parents. We will continue to update our webpage with a number of resources, including:  

- Ways to contact your counselor
- Daily blog
- Maintaining schedules
- Talking to your kids about COVID-19
- Stress Management
- Staying Healthy

PTG Corner


Color Blast Fun Run/Walk Community Event

Save the date: Sunday, May 31st as PTG hosts another Color Blast Fun Run/Walk. Registration opens March 13. More exciting details coming in the next few weeks...

Local businesses… want to join the PTG’s efforts in providing enriching educational opportunities, creating community events, and helping support the individual needs of our Bedford School District, while gaining positive exposure for your business? Consider becoming a Color Blast Fun Run/Walk sponsor! Visit HERE for more information or contact bedfordcolorblast@gmail.com.