Lurgio News for January 8, 2021

LURGIO NEWS January 08, 2021

Dear Lurgio Families,

It has been a hard week both locally and nationally, nevermind the ongoing pandemic. If you are able, please take some time to rest this weekend. 

Be well,

Ed Joyce

Parent Resources

K-8 Hybrid Calendar Daily Health Screening for Students

RAL Hybrid Parent Guide Quarantine Protocols/Flowchart

RAL Remote Parent Guide RAL Welcome & Orientation Video

Bedford Reopening Plan COVID-19 Schools Dashboard 

Important Dates

January 18 (Mon)	Martin Luther King Jr. Day - NO SCHOOL
January 13 (Wed)	Joppa Hill Distance Learning Day (L-Z)
January 14 (Thur)	Joppa Hill Distance Learning Day (A-K)
January 21 (Thur)	BHS Course Selection Information Night (BCTV), 6:30PM
January 28 (Thur)	Principal Winter Reading Night (BCTV), 6:30PM
February 2 (Tues)	BHS Course Registration Opens (8th to 9th)
February 15 (Mon)	BHS Course Registration Closes (8th to 9th)

New News

Distance Learning Day Opportunities @ Joppa Hill

In an effort to identify ways in which our students can engage in educational extension activities during the distance learning days, we have partnered with the Joppa Hill Educational Farm to offer some outdoor learning opportunities this winter. This is also a way for students to get in some social time with their peers while practicing safe social distancing.

The first opportunities are on January 13 (L-Z) and January 14 (A-K). Click here for all the details.

Sigmund Brouwer Kicks Off Online Classes

Many thanks to the Bedford PTG for sponsoring our online kick-off presentation from author Sigmund Brower (Click here for Thursday’s Recorded Presentation - password: storyninja).  Sigmund will continue to offer two online classes per week for our students.  To access the schedule and learn about how to connect click here.

MathCounts

MathCounts is finally starting up! The schedule is compressed this year so if you want to join you must attend practice this Thursday (L-Z) or Friday (A-K) BEFORE school at 7:30 in Mr. Arendarczyk's room (8 South). Regular practices after this week will be held Tuesday or Wednesday before school at 7:30. If you are interested in joining but cannot attend please email Mr. Arendarczyk.

Lion’s Den

Be sure to check out the great work in the first issue of the Lion’s Den.

Yearbook

Photo Contest

We are excited to continue our Yearbook photo contest! Each contest will be theme based and will run for two weeks. Photos taken with multiple students must be socially distanced and students must have on masks. Prizes will be awarded after each contest! Our current contest themes are:  first day of school and masked selfies! To submit pictures: email photos to lurgioyearbook@sau25.net OR upload via google form https://bit.ly/ralphotos2021.

Thank you for helping us fill the yearbook with student candids!

Weekly Meetings

Yearbook Club will start meeting on Friday, January 15th in the Media Center from 8:00-8:30. We are looking for students that are interested in photography and want to help create content for the 2020-2021 Lurgio yearbook. Students will attend meetings on their in-school day. Remote students should contact Mrs. Dennis dennisd@sau25.net or Mrs. Manley manleyj@sau25.net if they are interested in attending virtually. 

RAL Indoor Athletics Events

Home basketball games are not open to spectators during the 2020-2021 season, with the exception of (2) household family members from each player. Families will sit socially distanced on the bleachers, 6 feet apart, and masks should be worn at all times.

Students, staff, and athletes who are members of other teams (including basketball) are not permitted to attend games. A staff member will be at the door checking in spectators no earlier than 15 minutes before the start of the game. Spectators are asked to leave immediately after the game, especially when there is another game afterwards.

There will be no spectators permitted at any away games this season.

Specific information will be sent out early next week to basketball families regarding all of our modifications this season. 

Reminders

Intramural Sports

Intramural sports will be held on Wednesdays for A-K students and Thursdays for L-Z students. Participants will engage in a variety of activities and sports from 3:15 to 4:00 on these days. Intramurals will primarily be held outside. It is important that students dress warm and wear a mask while attending. If you have any questions please feel free to email Mr. Gookin at gooking@sau25.net. Students attending will meet Mr. Gookin in the RAL cafeteria at 3:15. Any Lurgio student (remote or hybrid) is welcome to join.

Concurrent Learning

The Bedford School District continues to adapt our practices to support the needs of learners. As you are aware, the state of New Hampshire has seen increased positive COVID-19 cases. As a result we have had more students who have been required to quarantine and are unable to attend school in person. To support these students, our K-8 schools will offer synchronous opportunities for students to connect with their teachers. For some, this will be in the form of concurrent learning.

Concurrent learning occurs when students who are receiving instruction in the classroom are joined by their peers who are in a virtual setting. This is more difficult for the teacher to navigate; however, they have been offered training opportunities in order to assist quarantined students who would otherwise not have direct access to their teachers while at home. Please find the expectations for students and parents in THIS document.

Feel free to contact your building leaders and teachers with any questions.

Spelling Bee

This is the last week to take the online grade-level spelling bee. The last day to complete the test is January 15th. Please email Ms. Rockwell at rockwella@bedfordnhk12.net if you have not signed up and plan on doing so so she can send you the lists. 

Directions for signing up are here: Spelling Bee Registration

The top eight students from each grade level will move on to the online school competition. Here is the list to study for the school-wide competition should you want to get a head start. School Bee Spelling List

Physical Education/Gym Classes

As we are approaching colder weather, please be advised that PE classes are going outside weather permitting. Some classes can be outside for over an hour. To help keep our students warm and prepared, please remind them to dress in layers and have their winter coat, hat, and gloves handy.

Contact Tracing through NH DHHS

It has been the district’s experience lately that NH DHHS is very delayed in contacting families with contact tracing information, and as a result, it’s possible that students come to school without knowing they have been in close contact with a COVID positive person (and should be quarantining). Please know that if your child has been contact traced as a result of contact within school, you will be called by the school (most likely, Evelyn Chessie, our nurse) rather than wait for DHHS. However, if the contact happens outside of school, we will not know about it. My ask is that if your child tests positive, you contact the parents/guardians of any child who has been contact traced as a result of outside of school activities, so that the child can quarantine and/or get tested in a timely fashion. Hopefully, things will slow down soon at DHHS. Thank you!

RAL Extracurriculars Update

Are you looking to get involved in something here at Lurgio? Then be sure to listen to the daily announcements (print version), check out the Lurgio News, and check the RAL Extracurriculars Calendar. Three clubs starting up in the coming week are CBY@ RAL, Math Counts, and Yearbook.

Staying Safe Outside of School Hours

We know it isn’t always easy, but we are encouraging students to continue using mitigation strategies outside of school hours. This means that students should be wearing masks and maintaining distance when arriving to school, departing school, and attending after school activities and athletics. Let’s work together to keep everyone healthy, safe, learning, and playing. 

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.

 

Updated Band and Chorus Information

The Band and Chorus are continuing to hold their rehearsals virtually through Google Meet. 

 

Band Schedule

Concert Band meets Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday from 4:30-5:00 p.m.

Jazz Band meets Friday from 5:00 - 5:30 p.m.

 

Chorus Schedule

Students can check the Chorus Google Classroom for their assigned Group):

On A-K in person (L-Z Remote) Days:

10:25 - 11:10 - Group 1

11:10 - 11:55 - Group 2

12:40 - 1:25 - Group 3

1:25 - 2:10 - Group 4

2:10 - 2:55 - Group 5

On L-Z in person (A-K Remote) Days:

1:25 - 2:10 - Group 6

3:00 - 3:45 - Group 7

The Band and Chorus have a combined (optional) Friday Fun Meet every Friday afternoon from 4:30 - 5:00 p.m.

 

Flu Shots - and Bedford's Response to Symptoms

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. We cannot be certain if symptoms are due to COVID-19 without testing. It is reasonable to associate symptoms with recent vaccine administration if your child usually has symptoms after vaccination; however, 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 through testing for COVID-19. 

BSD Food Service 

Food Service has received a formal waiver from the USDA to provide FREE breakfast and lunch to all children ages 2-18 in the community through December 31, 2020. Meals will be offered at each school when students are on site and at the drive through pick-up located at the high school gym entrance for distance & remote learning students. Please continue to pre-order lunch through:  https://www.sendmoneytoschool.com/. Monthly menus can be found on the district Food Service website. Breakfast is available at MIS, RAL & BHS in the morning and at the drive through pick-up service. Please contact Emily Murphy, Director of School Nutrition with any questions,  murphye@bedfordnhk12.net.

 

Breakfast is being offered every morning in the RAL cafeteria from 7:30-9. Students don't miss out! Come down to the cafe and grab a healthy, nutritious breakfast to start your school day!

COVID-19 Positive Test Protocols

Please see the following information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services and New Hampshire Department of Education regarding procedures that take place if a member of our school community tests positive for COVID-19.

Weekly Features

Enrichment Corner

Are you looking for a challenge? Do you have an interest or hobby you would like to explore in more depth? Let Ms. Rockwell, our enrichment coordinator, help! Check out her website below for more information about the enrichment opportunities offered at Lurgio. Just click on the “enrichment opportunities” tab and fill out the application to get started. 

Note: If you are interested in exploring some things on your own, check out the “resources” tab on the website.

National Contests

Interested in doing historical research on a topic of your choosing and getting involved in National History Day? Learn more about National History Day on the website and sign up to learn more.

Is chemistry more your thing? Check out the You Be The Chemist Challenge! 

All information can be found at the Lurgio Enrichment Corner.

Hybrid Instruction Corner

Hybrid Schedule Calendar

We know that the new hybrid schedule can be confusing at times. In general, students with last names A-K come to school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and alternating Fridays. Students with last names L-Z come to school on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and alternating Fridays. Here is a handy color-coded district calendar for  kindergarten through grade 8 to help your family plan in advance.

Distance Learning Days

On Distance Learning Days, hybrid students should be engaged in different types of work assigned by their teachers on their in-person days. Students are not expected to sit in front of a computer screen for 6.5 hours, but they will be expected to complete tasks to create a bridge between their in-person days. Google Classroom is a resource for students to check assignments and tasks when they are working independently. Teachers are not immediately available to answer questions or work synchronously with students because they are instructing students in person every day. Teachers will answer questions via email if and when they are available.

Remote Instruction Corner

Google Meet Expectations:

We strive to provide the best possible education and support for our students, while maintaining the privacy within each home. We are respectfully requesting that, if possible, when your child meets in small groups or one-to-one with an educator, that those meetings take place in a public part of your home. We thank you for your consideration as we continue to support students in productive and engaging experiences.

Please find the Google Meet Expectations in the link.

 

Guidance Corner

 

Holiday Vacation Ideas

The Lurgio Guidance Department reached out to the staff for their favorite winter break activity ideas. Click here for our reminder to do those simple things during a winter pandemic vacation. We hope you all have a wonderful time with your family!

 

Weekend Lunch Bags

The Food Pantry at Bedford Presbyterian Church provides our school with free weekend lunch bags for students who are facing hunger or food insecurity. Please contact our Guidance Secretary, Lisa Mullen, for this confidential aid.

Tech Corner

It is important that students restart their chromebooks on a frequent basis as Google pushes chrome updates out on a regular basis.

Please be sure that your child brings their charged chromebook to school every day they are here at Lurgio. If students are having technical issues, they should complete a BSD Help Desk Ticket.

Athletics Corner

Wrestling and Spirit start next week! Please see the entire Lurgio Athletics Weekly Schedule for information about basketball, wrestling, spirit, and intramurals. 

Book Buzz

Both Kyle P. of 7 East and Phaedra B. of 7 South found out they're reading the same book: Rick Riordan's Trials of Apollo The HIdden Oracle. Kyle and Phaedra love the pacing and plot development:

How do you punish an immortal? By making him human. After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disoriented, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favor. But Apollo has many enemies—gods, monsters, and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go... an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.

Irene A. of 8 East was thrilled with her book gifts, which included The Treasure at the Heart of the Tanglewood by Meredith Ann Pierce.

First she is Brown Hannah, a drab healer living in the enchanted Tanglewood. Then, when she challenges the magician who holds her captive, she becomes Green Hannah. Next, she is Golden Hannah traveling through the land, with talking animals and birds by her side. And, finally, Russet Hannah, when she makes the long journey back to where she first grew, and learns her true story.

Another gift for Irene was Edge of the Sword by Rebecca Tingle. 

When fifteen-year-old Æthelflæd is suddenly and reluctantly betrothed to an ally of her father, the king, her world will never be the same. For as a noblewoman in the late 800s, she will be expected to be meek and unlearned—and Flæd is anything but meek and unlearned. Her marriage will bring peace to her land, but while her royal blood makes her a valuable asset, she is also a vulnerable target. And when enemies attack, Flæd must draw upon her skills and fight to lead her people to safety and prove her worth as a princess—and as a warrior.

And Irene is also excited to read Airs Beneath the Moon by Toby Bishop. 

In the Duchy of Oc, the most precious of creatures are the winged horses blessed by the goddess Kalla. When one is born, it is immediately taken to the Academy of Air to be trained and watched over. But this time, the Academy is getting more than it bargained for.

Mrs. Detwiler loved Renee Watson's Piecing Me Together, an award winning book. 

Acclaimed author Renee Watson offers a powerful story about a girl striving for success in a world that too often seems like it's trying to break her. Jade believes she must get out of her poor neighborhood if she's ever going to succeed. Her mother tells her to take advantage of every opportunity that comes her way. And Jade has: every day she rides the bus away from her friends and to the private school where she feels like an outsider, but where she has plenty of opportunities. But some opportunities she doesn't really welcome, like an invitation to join Women to Women, a mentorship program for "at-risk" girls. Just because her mentor is black and graduated from the same high school doesn't mean she understands where Jade is coming from. She's tired of being singled out as someone who needs help, someone people want to fix. Jade wants to speak, to create, to express her joys and sorrows, her pain and her hope. Maybe there are some things she could show other women about understanding the world and finding ways to be real, to make a difference.

Mrs. Schoedinger read a true story called The Radium Girls by Kate Moore. 

The Curies’ newly discovered element of radium makes gleaming headlines across the nation as the fresh face of beauty, and wonder drug of the medical community. From body lotion to tonic water, the popular new element shines bright in the otherwise dark years of the First World War. Meanwhile, hundreds of girls toil amidst the glowing dust of the radium-dial factories. The glittering chemical covers their bodies from head to toe; they light up the night like industrious fireflies. With such a coveted job, these “shining girls” are the luckiest alive — until they begin to fall mysteriously ill. But the factories that once offered golden opportunities are now ignoring all claims of the gruesome side effects, and the women’s cries of corruption. And as the fatal poison of the radium takes hold, the brave shining girls find themselves embroiled in one of the biggest scandals of America’s early 20th century, and in a groundbreaking battle for workers’ rights that will echo for centuries to come. Written with a sparkling voice and breakneck pace, The Radium Girls fully illuminates the inspiring young women exposed to the “wonder” substance of radium, and their awe-inspiring strength in the face of almost impossible circumstances. Their courage and tenacity led to life-changing regulations, research into nuclear bombing, and ultimately saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

PTG Corner

WELCOME BACK AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

  

Principal Winter Reading Night

Our principals are coming to you this year! Dress in your PJ’s, find a favorite spot in the comfort of your home, then tune in to BCTV on January 21st at 6:30 p.m. to hear our principals read you a story! This is sure to be a fun-filled family event. Please click HERE for details.