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LURGIO NEWS
April 10, 2015
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Important Dates
April 10 (Friday)
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- Midnight Madness
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April 15 (Wednesday)
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- Chris Waddell student presentation (9:00AM)
- Chris Waddell community presentation (7:00PM)
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April 24 (Friday)
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- Grade 8 Course Registration Due
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April 27 to May 1
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- School Vacation Week
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May 1 (Friday)
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- Marvel Movie Marathon
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May 22 (Friday)
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- No School for Students (Teacher Workshop)
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June 4 (Thursday)
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- 8th Grade Awards Night (5 p.m.)
- 7th Grade Cardigan Information Night (7 p.m.)
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June 5 (Friday)
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- 8th Grade Dance
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June 17 (Wednesday)
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- Tentative Last Day of School
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Course Registration
Registration for 8th grade courses is now open. All recommendations from teachers have been entered, and you are able to access the registration portal by clicking here.
If you need a refresher on how to navigate the course registration process, please find step-by-step instructions here.
Please remember that if your child is in band or chorus, you should register them for that class at this time as well.
Dress Code Revision Process
As you know from last week’s News, we are currently in the process of examining and revising the Lurgio dress code. Students, parents and faculty have all weighed in through a variety of feedback mechanisms from focus groups to surveys. Through this process, it has become clear that the Lurgio Community wants the Lurgio dress code to reflect the students’ age and maturity while respecting students’ individuality and expression. We will be using all of this information as we tweak the Lurgio dress code over the coming weeks. In the mean time, there are a few minor but time-sensitive changes regarding after-school activities that we would like to implement immediately:
Students are permitted to wear appropriate athletic wear including yoga pants at after-school activities like Midnight Madness.
Students are permitted to wear appropriately fitting strapless dresses at school dances.
As we go through this change process, please keep in mind that the goal of the Lurgio dress code has always been and continues to be to create an appropriate environment for teaching and learning. We ask that students observe acceptable rules of modesty and decorum at all school functions.
Save-the-Date: Chris Waddell
Inspirational speaker Chris Waddell will be visiting Lurgio on Wednesday, April 15. Mr. Waddell is a wheelchair athlete and founder of the One-Revolution foundation. He has visited Lurgio in the past, and we are excited to have the opportunity to have him return. He will present to our students during the school day, and we are invited parents and community members to see him speak at 7:00PM in the BHS Theater. Click here to learn more about Mr. Waddell and One-Revolution.
Smarter Balanced Test
This is just a reminder that we sent out an informational letter about the Smarter Balanced testing a while back. If you missed that communication, please click here to view the letter.
Lurgio Wins Tri-County Athletics Sportsmanship Award
Lurgio Middle School has been awarded the Tri-County Athletics 2014-2015 Division I Sportsmanship Award. All Lurigo athletes and coaches should be very proud of how they’ve conducted themselves during their games/matches. Although it is always exciting to win championships, that feeling may be fleeting. This Sportsmanship Award shows that the Lurgio community values strong character and respect of others, two important attributes that will affect our student-athletes well into their futures. Go Lions!
Lurgio Tennis Club Begins Monday
The Lurgio Spring Tennis Club will begin on Monday, April 13 at 7:00 a.m. on the courts on County Road. The Tennis Club will meet every Monday, Wednesday, & Friday morning from 7:00 a.m. to 8:20 a.m. If you have any questions about the Tennis Club, please contact Coach Luby at bobluby.pamluby@verizon.net
Bedford Crew Club
The Bedford Crew Club is once again holding a camp for current 7th and 8th graders (those who will be entering 8th and 9th grade in the fall of 2015). The camp is open to anyone in this age group who wants to learn to row or improve his/her current skills. Campers must be enrolled in the Bedford School District. Campers will be broken down into groups by experience and ability, no experience is necessary. Lots of fun and laughs are guaranteed! It’s a great opportunity to see if rowing is what you might like to do in high school. Or, if you know it’s what you want to do, it’s a great way to get a head start!
Or, to register, please go to, http://www.bedfordcrew.org/. Click on the link for summer camp registration
For more information, please email Lori Ashooh at lashooh@comcast.net.
Destination ImagiNation
Bedford DI is having a special drive through Ecosmith Recyclers. From now until May 15th, you can donate all your old shoes, bags and belts (any condition) in the special blue bags in marked boxes in our school lobby. This is a great way to get your spring cleaning under way, while helping raise funds for this this program. Remember, clothing can always be donated in the bin in the parking lot. We appreciate your support.
Shorty's Fundraiser - Thursday 4/16
The Lurgio team going to Destination Imagination Global Finals in TN next month is hosting a fundraiser at Shorty's next Thursday. Whether you eat in for lunch/dinner or take-out, please let your server know that you are there for the DI Fair Share event and don't forget to drop your receipt in the envelope on your way out at the host stand. Thank you for your support.
Guidance Corner
Youth Counselor, Donna LaRue posts a weekly, helpful parenting newsletter article, as well as other relevant material on her website. The featured Asset Article this week is Service to Others.
Asset #9 "Service to Others" is one of the rare assets the Middle School Children in Bedford NH have reported less and less a part of their lives over the years. In 1998 when the question was first asked "Do you serve your community as a volunteer one or more hours per week?" 50% of our students reported affirmatively. In 2014 47% responded "yes" to that question.
This year, Students Against Destructive Decisions is designing a raised bed garden in our courtyard area. We will construct 8 raised beds (one for each pod) and will ask each pod to sponsor a bed, plant, maintain and harvest produce to be donated to the New Horizons Food Pantry each autumn. Each student will contribute on some level to this project of volunteerism in our community. We are hoping for 100% report in 2018!
Laura Urie is the Lurgio Behavioral Counselor. Click here to access her webpage where you'll find information, strategies, and current research on parenting and working with adolescents.
Stand by Me 2015: Friday, May 15th from 9:00-2:30PM
As you may or may not know, Stand By Me does not receive any funds from Lurgio Middle School or the Bedford School District. The program's longevity depends solely on volunteer efforts and donations. All funds come directly from parents, businesses and civic organizations in our local community. We would like to take a moment to thank all those who participated in the April 1st fundraiser at Chipotle in Bedford. The fundraiser at Chipotle was a huge success!
The Stand By Me brochure is officially online for your viewing pleasure!! Copies of the brochure will be going home with your student on Monday, April 13th. Accompanying the brochure, is an introduction letter and registration form. The signed registration form is due back on Friday, April 17th. Each student will receive only one copy of the brochure, but if it is lost, please visit our website at (www.sau25.net/standbyme) to view the online version. A downloadable registration form and instruction letter will be posted on our website on Monday in the event the original is lost. Please note that we do our best to accommodate everyone's top speaker choices, but it is done on a first come-first serve basis. Get your registration forms in quickly!
To view the brochure:
PTG Corner:
Geoff Gookin, the Lurgio Track coach, has asked for 12 volunteers to help with 2 home track meets. The meets are Thursday, April 23 and Thursday, May 21 at 3:30 in the BHS Stadium.
Volunteers would help with time keeping or assist with the field events. If you are able to help with either/both of these, please email Sally Thomas at lurgiosally@gmail.com. Provide your contact info, and Sally will forward it to Geoff. The meets are after school, at the track.
If you would like to learn more about how to get involved at RAL, please contact Lynne Natale at lynatale@aol.com or Sally Thomas at lurgiosally@gmail.com.
Book Buzz!
This week we saved the best for last. With so many great books buzzing around our school, we’re excited to share all of them with you. On the heels of our very successful Read-a-Thon and the great funds it brought in to support literacy at Lurgio, the books are really buzzing today. See all the entries below.
8-South student Henry writes:
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I loved reading Moneyball: Ther of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis since it incorporates math with baseball. How can you not love that! It's all about the fact that the statistician becomes the main driving force rather than the athleticism of the athletes. Different tactics are used to win that showcase the athletes strengths and abilities. All this was such a new way to go about winning the game. This was a great book to read.
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Sara in 8-South writes:
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I babysit so I really like the book Peas and Thank-you by Mike Nawrocki. It's a great picture book that teaches manners. It's fun too since the Peas all have good manners and on the other side of town, the Beans are rude. Kids have fun seeing the bad manners and the good manners. If you babysit or have younger siblings, read this to them!
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8-South student Henry writes:
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This book, Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--The World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin is great because it switches all these points of view from other countries. Great Britain, the US, Soviet spies, Norway are all involved with the race. This is all the behind the scenes risks and the genius that created the atomic bomb.
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Abby from 7-West writes:
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I love the book Lily's Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff because the first book is all from the girl's point of view and this book is all from her best friend's point of view. It's all set in WWII and a Hungarian refugee is in NY with Lily while her father is away drafted in the military. The Hungarian is named Albert. What gets all the action going is that both Lily and Albert have told lies. This impacts the whole story. The pace is great because so much happens because of the lies.
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Henry from 8-South writes:
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I read Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand and there is also a YA version called Unbroken: An Olympian's Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive." Louie Zamperini grew up to be a great runner and participated in the Olympics, enlists in the Air Force, crashes on a rescue mission, and is captured by the Japanese. What is amazing is his constant display of American spirit. After being freed, he seeks out the one Japanese commander, known as The Bird, who actually tried to kill him every day, and forgives him. His spirit is definitely unbroken.
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Haelie and Sara, both from 8-South, are buzzing about the same book:
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We love the books called Covert Affairs by Elizabeth Cage. The series is called License to Thrill and then Live and Let Spy and Nobody Does it Better. It's about three girls who are all secret agents and are all trained to save people. Jo, Caylin, and Theresa are regular girls and then they are chosen to be part of a top-secret organization. Now they are trained to protect the world--with modern devices, like lipstick tubes that are weapons. Their mottos now are Never Blow your Cover, Never Get Caught, and Never, Ever Fall for a Guy! Each girl shares her point of view and each girl has a distinct personality in the books. If you like James Bond, thrillers, and mysteries, you'll love this series as much as we do! Each girl is so different and you learn how each one deals with spy gadgets, training and schemes. Get these books!!
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