 |
LURGIO NEWS
January 6, 2017
|
Dear Parents,
I hope everyone had a restful and relaxing holiday break. It was wonderful to return this week to a school filled with students, staff, and learning. I know that some find long the New England winter begins to drag as we head through January, but the excitement of the heart of the academic year always goes so fast for me. Please note, mid-year teacher conferences will be held at the end of the month. Your student’s teachers will be sending you information on how to sign up at the end of next week. These conferences will are especially helpful with course selection as students move from eighth grade to the high school.
Happy New Year!
Ed
Important Dates
Mon., Jan 16
|
NO School - Martin Luther King Day of Observance
|
Thurs., Jan. 19
|
The Five Signs - Justice Broderick 6-8pm RAL Library
|
Wed, Jan., 25 and Fri., Jan. 31
|
SAVE THE DATE - Parent Teacher Conferences - (Teachers will send out sign up info next week)
|
Feb. 10 - Feb. 11
|
Lurgio Players Performance - Beauty and the Beast
|
Thursday, Feb. 9
|
Grandparents’ Day
|
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 Cubs are Rhys Lossman and Holly Souter from pod 8-South. Holly is described by her teachers as diligent, kind, and thoughtful. Of particular note, she is said to enhance the classroom greatly with her intelligence and great positive attitude. Rhys is described by his teachers as diligent, engaged, and reflective. He humbly demonstrates great ability and consistently treats others with the highest respect. The Cub of the Week Committee was so impressed by both students that we gave the award to both Holly and Rhys. I off a sincere thank you to both students, for being such a positive part of our Lurgio school community! Congrats Holly and Rhys!
Registration for “You Be The Chemist Challenge”
Lurgio students have the opportunity to participate in the "You Be the Chemist" (YBTC) Challenge, organized by the Chemical Educational Foundation. The YBTC Challenge is a fun and interactive academic competition that engages students in learning about important chemistry concepts, scientific discoveries, and laboratory safety.
To qualify for the state competition, students will take a 25-multiple-choice qualifying exam on Friday, January 27 at 2:30 in the media center. The top students from Lurgio will advance to the state competition on March 11 at Bishop Guertin High School. The top student from the state will win an expenses-paid trip to the National Challenge in Philadelphia in June.
If your child is interested in participating, please fill out this Google Form to register. Registration deadline is Friday, January 20. If you have any questions, email Mrs. Rockwell at rockwella@bedfordnhk12.net.
To prepare for the exam, CEF recommends students explore all of the study materials at ChemEd, as well as other outside chemistry resources.
The Five Signs
Justice Broderick will be speaking to our Bedford community on the evening of January 19th from 6:00 pm to 8:00 p.m. at the Lurgio Middle School Library. You and all those in our community to attend, to listen to his message, and to join in this effort to recognize that mental illness is a disease. Just like any other disease, it cannot be treated with silence and stigma, but instead with communication and active treatment. [The evening event will be most appropriate for parents. There is a voluntary student event at the high school at 1:30 and a staff event at 3:30 at Peter Woodbury School.]
Parent Teacher Conferences
More information will follow in the next Lurgio News. In the interim please save the dates of Jan. 25 - 3:30-6:30 and Jan. 31- 5:30 - 8:30. Teachers will be sending out instructions on how to schedule an appointment next week. We will be using the same system that was used in the Fall.
Grandparents’ Day
RAL will once again host its annual Grandparent and Senior Citizen’s Visitation Day on Thursday, February 9th. Guests will enjoy the dress rehearsal performance of Beauty and the Beast. Grandchildren will meet their grandparents at the end of the production for a tour of the school followed by a light luncheon in the Media Center. Invite your grandparents to join us for this fun event!
Due to the limited seating for lunch, pre-registration is required for this event. Please complete this form and return to your child’s teacher as soon as possible or electronically to Judy Emmert no later than Friday, February 3.
If you have any questions, please contact Judy Emmert at Judy.emmert@comcast.net. This event is sponsored by the Bedford PTG.
Lurgio Players Present - Beauty and the Beast
Please join us as the Lurgio Players proudly present Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” on Friday, February 10 at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, February 11 at both 2:00 and 7:00 p.m. in the BHS Theater. Ticket prices are $7 for adults and $5 for students, and can be purchased at the door or online at http://www.seatyourself.biz/rosslurgio. We hope to see you there!
Book Buzz
This week’s Book Buzz come from a number of our Books for Breakfast participants who were raving about these three books:
Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach:
 |
Felton Reinstein is not stupid funny but he is stupid fast! The football coach sees how fast he is and recruits Felton. His life changes from being a joke to being a jock! Of course there is a girl he likes. This is action packed and funny.
|
The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen:
 |
Jessica is a HS track team star who is in a bus accident on the way home from a meet. On the first page, you learn that Jessica is waking up in a hospital with an amputated leg. So begins her journey to run again. There is a reason why this book has been chosen as our Whole School Read.
|
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs:
 |
A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.
|
RAL/BHS Equestrian Club
Lurgio Middle School and Bedford High School have partnered together to make BHS’s equestrian club team accessible to middle school students. Please click [HERE] for more information.
Yoga Club
Take Time for School Breakfast:
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 A. 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 Community Values Youth. 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
Over the last week in Academic Support we have introduced the Executive Functioning skill of Flexibility, which “refers to the ability to revise plans in the face of obstacles, setbacks, new information, or mistakes.” (Dawson & Guare, 256) Being a flexible thinker involves the ability to think in a different way than you usually do, and being open to other people’s opinions and methods. It entails trying a new system after you determine that your old one is no longer effective. For more information, click Skill of the Week: Flexibility
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.
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:
Happy New Year and Best Wishes for a great 2017!
Please mark your calendars to join us on January 19th, 2017, 6p.m. - 8p.m.in the Lurgio Middle School Media Center. Retired NH Supreme Court Chief Justice John Broderick will present “Mental Health: A Little Knowledge Can Go a Long Way”. Chief Justice Broderick is leading a statewide campaign to bring mental illness out of the shadows. He will share his own story and will lead a discussion on ways to address this important issue here in Bedford. Space is limited, please come early. The PTG is proud to be co-sponsoring this must-see event with the Bedford School District and BeBOLD.
Our annual "Barnes and Noble Days" will be held January 26th - January 29th with family activities scheduled on the 27th and 28th. Look for informational flyers and the schedule of events coming out in a couple of weeks.
Volunteer Opportunities -
We 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.
