Friday, August 28, 2015

Friday, August 28, 2015

Hello PWS Families,

It has been a great start to our school year!  Thank you for getting up and getting to school on time. A couple of cute stories...."The Kindergartner".....so sweet.  At lunch they face all different directions to see what is going on.  On the school yard today, a first grade boys asked, "Did you see the orange dinosaur over there?"  A third grader shared in a proud voice, "I am wearing deodorant today!"  A group of girls in the second grade showed me a gem they found on the school yard.  And our fourth graders, well they are just so proud to be the oldest in the school, they have already showed their kindness by helping younger students to their lines in the morning.  


Morning Drop Off/Afternoon Pick Up

Morning drop off begins at 7:30 am at the back of the building.  There are two staff members there to greet students and get them to the school yard.  A red flag is put up at 7:50 a.m.  Parents who arrive after this have to go around to the front of the school, park their car, and walk their child(ren) in. Any student who arrives after 8:00 a.m. needs to be walked and signed in to school.

Afternoon pick up is in the gymnasium.  Please put your child(ren)'s name on a a green slip and hand it to the adult on the way out the gym door.  If you are taking another child it is the same process only with a pink slip.  We are going to work on getting laminated slips for parents/family who regularly pick up their children. 



Garden Club Volunteers Needed
Soon there will be volunteer opportunities through sign up genius, but 
the Garden Club could really use some help starting next week. 

This summer, the garden club was able to harvest 8 bushels of food 

for 2 different charities; Caregivers of Bedford and a charity for 
Mothers and Children. Students love being able to join Garden Club 
as a choice during recess. This year even the first graders will be 
able to participate at their recess times. 

The coordinators: Peggie Hart, Jess Ferenc and Kasey Meisner are flexible with whatever time you can commit. Come help the children enjoy fun discoveries in nature all around our school yard including harvesting, weeding, drying the seeds for next year's harvest and more.


Garden Club will be a choice at recess times on Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursdays from September 1- October 8.


1st gr. 11:00-11:30

2ndgr. 10:30-11:00
3rd gr. 11:30-12:00
4th gr. 12:00-12:30

If interested, please contact either
Peggie Hart at hartm@bedfordnhk12.net  or
Jess Ferenc at ferencj@bedfordnhk12.net

Go Binders

This is the second year we are implementing Go Binders.  Please make sure you read the teacher's message about this. It really helps to keep us all organized.  


Infosnap – Action Item
If you have not already done so, please take a few minutes to complete the Infosnap process.  If you do not have the email with the link/snapcode that was sent to you please contact the school office. 

Automated Attendance Call
Again this year families in the Bedford School District will receive a phone call confirming their child's absence via our "School Messenger" system.  Once we have taken attendance, a message will be generated confirming your child's absence.  The elementary calls will go out at approximately 9:30 AM, McKelvie and Lurgio will go out at 10:30 AM and the BHS at 11:00 AM.  If this call comes to you in error, please contact the Main Office so that we can correct the attendance report.

Principal/Parent Communication
As my primary form of communication, I will be sending you an email update every week—typically Friday afternoon/evening.  The email will include a link to the weekly blog posting. The blog will contain action items (highlighted in yellow), reminders, and other important information. Parents, it is vital that you review these principal notes each week and take action on the action items, when necessary.  I appreciate your partnership in this.

Smarter Balanced Assessment Results
Last spring, schools throughout New Hampshire (and in many other states around the country) administered a new test known as "Smarter Balanced."  The tests, in language arts and math, were taken by students in grades 3 through 8 and grade 11.  They are computer-based tests that replaced the annual NECAP assessment.  

We have recently learned that the public release of the assessment results will occur in November.  This is a later release date than originally announced.  The delay was caused, in part, by the need to hand score those few tests that were taken using paper and pencil.  The results will include both school and statewide summaries and individual student level results.  We will send more information as it becomes available to us.

New Traffic Pattern at the BHS/RAL Complex
Please read Superintendent McGee’s blog for important information on this new traffic pattern.

Have a great weekend,

Mrs. Cheryl Daley      Mr. Dan Mitchell

Principal                     Assistant Principal