PWS PrinciPal's News: 2020

Friday, December 18, 2020

Friday, December 18th, 2020

PWS PrinciPal’s News

We are a community that inspires and develops, engaged, successful learners every chance, every day.

Peter Woodbury School-A Place Where People Care!

December 18, 2020

Dear PWS Families,

We hope that everyone had a wonderful week as we head into the last few school days before the holiday vacation! We experienced our first snow day of the school year and we loved to hear all about the wintery adventures that our students had yesterday! The students and staff at Peter Woodbury have been gearing up with various lessons and activities to help welcome the winter season. A reminder that students will return to school from the holiday vacation on Monday, January 4th and this will be an A cohort week.

Thank you again for all of your support and well wishes throughout these challenging times. Peter Woodbury School is a strong community and your efforts as families help support our mission as a school and district. We wish you all a wonderful holiday season and we look forward to getting back to work in 2021! Please take a moment to check out some important updates and offerings around Peter Woodbury and the Bedford School District.

District News:

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, when appropriate, for students to connect with their teachers. For some, this will be in the form of concurrent learning. Teachers will determine when and how students join concurrently, and will work with parents as to what will be best in those situations.

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.This will enable teachers 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.

Semester II & Hybrid Learning

On July 28th families were invited to make selections regarding a Hybrid or Remote model of instruction. School schedules were built around those choices. As we approach the second half of the year, we will be sending out a second survey.

Survey Dates:

Semester II starts 1.19.21	K-8	9-12
Send Out Survey	January 4, 2021	December 11, 2020
Survey Due	January 6, 2021	December 18, 2020
Communicate Decision	January 13, 2021	January 11, 2021

Important Considerations:

The Bedford School District believes that most students should participate in the Hybrid Model. Our schools are safe as a result of:

Masks
Social Distancing
Sanitizing

The 9-12 schedule and teaching assignments allow for greater flexibility with respect to hybrid and remote learning. The K-8 model has less flexibility due to teacher assignments.
The district will NOT shuffle an entire schedule/classroom assignment at each school to accommodate new requests (i.e., reassign hybrid students to accommodate remote requests).
Students will remain in their current model of instruction unless there is a change requested and that change can be accommodated.
Bedford will continue to follow its Phases of Reopening Model. Note: Given what we have learned in the last several months, we are looking to adjust the phases where appropriate. This will be updated prior to the new year.

PWS News:

Notes from the Library:

I'm excited to share that PWS students and staff have a new ebook and audiobook platform available for free. Please visit Mrs. Baldi's blog to learn more about Sora: https://sau25baldia.blogspot.com/. Happy Holidays and Happy Reading!

SNOW GEAR:

It is really important that you have students bring in their snow gear for the winter months. We currently have the students in five quadrants at recess. If your child does not bring in their snow gear they could be in a mixed cohort with students on the hardtop area. It is important to get the students outside as much as possible. Thanks for your understanding in this situation.

Backpack Recommendations:

Please see the following Update from the PWS OT/PT Department. We shared this update with the teachers as well.

Bedford Strings:

Please click on the following Link to view the most recent flyer and offerings from the Bedford Strings Program!

PTG News:

IMPACT OF YOUR PTG SUPPORT:

Thanks to your support, PTG has been able to fund Sigmund Brouwer's Story Ninja Writing Class at RAL, where students will have the opportunity to participate in a virtual writing class. We’ve also recently funded an interactive virtual tour of the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum for the third graders of PWS and a virtual Pulpit Rock Field Trip for fourth graders at RBS.

AMAZON SMILE:

Make a purchase on Amazon and support the PTG! Visit AmazonSmile, and select "Bedford NH PTG" as the organization that you wish to support or simply go to Bedford PTG's unique link HERE. Bookmark this unique link as only purchases made at smile.amazon.com are eligible for donations. Now every time you shop at Amazon a percentage of your purchase price is donated to the Bedford PTG!

Have a relaxing and safe vacation!

Mrs. Cheryl Daley and Mr. Marc Robitaille

Friday, December 11, 2020

PWS PrinciPal’s News

We are a community that inspires and develops, engaged, successful learners every chance, every day.

Peter Woodbury School-A Place Where People Care!

December 11, 2020

Dear PWS Families,

It has been an exciting week at PWS as we held our traditional Ellis Island Day! This was a huge success! The students traveled through six stations, in order, before officially entering America. A special thank you to Mrs. Speaker and the 4th grade teachers for making this a wonderful experience! Get some tissues ready and take a moment to watch this video. Two of our favorite stories:….I asked a student what he was going to do in America? He said, “Work in an Oreo cookie factory!” And two, I was showing a student a picture that represents Thanksgiving. I asked her, “What do you see?” Her response, “The love in the family!” These examples are some of the many reasons why we are thankful to work with your children on a daily basis.

Message from Superintendent's Office:

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

PWS News:

Notes from the Library:

I'm excited to share that PWS students and staff have a new ebook and audiobook platform available to them for free. Please visit Mrs. Baldi's blog to learn more about Sora: https://sau25baldia.blogspot.com/. Happy Holidays and Happy Reading!

SNOW GEAR:

Long Term Substitute Opportunity:

PWS is looking for a long term substitute for 4 days a week. The purpose of this position to substitute for any staff member that is absent. Teacher certification required. Competitive daily salary. Please reach out to daleyc@bedfordnhk12.net if you are interested.

Substitutes:

Looking for ways to be involved in the schools? Bedford School District is in need of substitute teachers. New increased pay rate of $100/day. Flexible schedule based on your availability. You will need to be available and able to work in-person and you will be responsible for managing the classroom and daily duties of the absent teacher. Bachelor degree preferred but not necessary. Prior experience working with school age students is helpful. For more information contact the SAU at 472-3755.

PTG News:

IMPACT OF YOUR PTG SUPPORT: Thanks to your support, PTG has been able to fund Sigmund Brouwer's Story Ninja Writing Class at RAL, where students will have the opportunity to participate in a virtual writing class. We’ve also recently funded an interactive virtual tour of Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum for the third graders of PWS and a virtual Pulpit Rock Field Trip for fourth graders at RBS.

AMAZON SMILE: Make a purchase on Amazon and support the PTG! Visit AmazonSmile, and select "Bedford NH PTG" as the organization that you wish to support or simply go to Bedford PTG's unique link HERE. Bookmark this unique link as only purchases made at smile.amazon.com are eligible for donations. Now every time you shop at Amazon a percentage of your purchase price is donated to the Bedford PTG!

Again, we wish you a safe and relaxing weekend! We will see you all next week!

Mrs. Cheryl Daley and Mr. Marc Robitaille

Friday, December 4, 2020

Friday, December 4th, 2020

PWS PrinciPal’s News

We are a community that inspires and develops, engaged, successful learners every chance, every day.

Peter Woodbury School-A Place Where People Care!

December 4, 2020

Dear PWS Families,

We hope that everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday and enjoyed some time family and friends. Although we know that this season might look a little different we would like to still express our thanks and gratitude to be able to work with your students and watch them learn and grow. We were so proud of how the students transitioned back to school this week after the holiday. They were excited to get back into their classrooms and see their teachers and friends! Please take a moment to check out the latest news and happenings from PWS and from the PTG. We wish everyone a fantastic weekend!

PWS News:

SNOW GEAR:

With the pending snowstorm this weekend it is very important to read the following note: It is really important that you have students bring in their snow gear for the winter months. We currently have the students in five quadrants at recess. If your child does not bring in their snow gear they could be in a mixed cohort with students on the hardtop area. We strive to get the students outside as much as possible. Thanks for your understanding.

Long Term Substitute Opportunity:

Substitutes:

PTG News:

IT’S A G.A.S PROGRAM:

The Great Artists Have Returned! The PTG is excited to announce the return of the (Virtual) It’s a G.A.S. program to our elementary schools. The Great Artists Series is a beloved arts-enrichment program in the elementary schools. We wanted to find a way to continue to share the life and works of some of the world’s greatest and most loved artists in our new hybrid and remote learning models. So we have adapted our program by creating monthly video presentations and at-home art projects exploring the lives and works of artists ranging from the old masters to some of today’s most popular artists. Be on the lookout for information and links to the virtual It’s a G.A.S. Program from your child’s teacher. A huge thank you to Kenn Archibald our, It’s a Gas District Coordinator, for updating the artists and making this program available virtually.

PTG FEATURED IN BEDFORD LIVING MAGAZINE:

PTG is excited to be featured in the December issue of Bedford Living Magazine. Be sure to read all about the PTG…how we operate in a usual year and how you can help during this unique year.

AMAZON SMILE:

PWS ROOM PARENT UPDATES:

Would you like to stay connected with the grade level Room Parent group? Please complete the link to allow the Room Parent coordinators to contact you via email to share updates. This year our grade level groups are replacing the traditional Room Parents. Room parent communication link: https://forms.gle/kgHSMzBEMtTdMXNW7

Again, we wish you all a safe and happy weekend! We will see you all next week!

Mrs. Cheryl Daley and Mr. Marc Robitaille

Friday, November 20, 2020

PWS PrinciPal’s News

We are a community that inspires and develops, engaged, successful learners every chance, every day

Peter Woodbury School-A Place Where People Care!

November 20, 2020

Dear PWS Families,

Another great week at PWS! Walking around some students are learning about shadows, how to self check when reading, math word problems and answering comprehension questions. Thank you for sharing you child(ren) with us! They make us smile everyday!

The temperature this week got down into the 30's. It is a good reminder have your child(ren) wear warm clothing.

As always, we will continue with our yearly tradition of our Annual Food Drive. Students love to participate in this event while giving back to our community.

An important reminder: Picture retakes for students are Monday, 11/23 from 8:30-9:30 am.

The Bedford School District Offices will be closed to the public next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in observance of Thanksgiving. Please have a safe and healthy weekend. We would also like to take a moment and wish you all a relaxing Thanksgiving holiday!

PWS NEWS:

Important Note from School Nurse:

Parents please notify the school nurse of any upcoming travel plans outside New England to determine dates of quarantine and confirm a return to school date.

A Shift in Contact Tracing:
NH DHHS has informed us that they are no longer able to do contact tracing for positive COVID cases that originate outside of school. It is now up to schools to assist with the tracing and set the return date for students in these cases. As such, we are relying heavily on parents/guardians reporting positive cases of family members or others with whom their child has had close contact to our school nurses. We greatly appreciate you working with us to keep our schools a safe place to teach and learn.

Isolation and Quarantine Guidelines

Governor's Mask Order:
Yesterday, the Governor issued a mask order for NH. Click HERE to see that order. While K-12 schools are considered exempt from that order, the Bedford School District will be adhering to it in the areas where we had not been before. The rationale behind this decision is two-fold.

1.) An added layer of mitigation is prudent given the rising cases of Covid and transmission rates around us.

2.) This additional measure supports our ongoing effort to keep our schools open. Thank you for your support during these challenging times.

Hybrid through the Holidays:
The Bedford School District will remain in our hybrid model of education through the holiday season. Our layered approach to mitigate Covid has proven successful since the start of school. While we have seen many individual cases throughout the district, we have not experienced transmission, clusters or outbreaks. Bedford would consider a move to fully remote learning under 3 conditions:
1.) Governor's Order
2.) Transmission in a school or schools that we are unable to contain
3.) Lack of staffing to keep a school open

Holiday Travel:

The CDC recently recommended that families DO NOT TRAVEL for Thanksgiving. Please keep in mind that individual decisions made by all members of our community can have a direct impact on one another. The Bedford School District humbly asks that each of us do our part to stay safe, flatten the curve, and maintain open schools.

School Work for Travel:
Teachers may not be able to provide advance work for students who knowingly travel outside of New England and must quarantine. Even though students are in a hybrid model, their teachers are not. Teachers are fully engaged with students each day. They are already working to engage the students who are actively having to quarantine. The capacity to provide advance work may not be available.

PTG NEWS:

HANNAFORD COMMUNITY BAG PROGRAM: During this month, the PTG will receive a $1.00 donation for each purchase of the Community Reusable Bag (cost of bag is $2.50) at the Hannaford store located on KILTON ROAD.

AMAZON SMILE: Did you know that every time you make a purchase on Amazon you can support the PTG? Visit AmazonSmile, and select "Bedford NH PTG" as the organization that you wish to support or simply go to Bedford PTG's unique link HERE. We recommend that you bookmark this unique link as only purchases made at smile.amazon.com are eligible for donations. Now every time you shop at Amazon a percentage of your purchase price is donated to the Bedford PTG!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM THE PTG: We wish you a Wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday! We are thankful for the amazing support we receive from families, staff and the community.

We wish you all a wonderful and safe weekend! We will see everyone next week!

Mrs. Cheryl Daley and Mr. Marc Robitaille

Friday, November 13, 2020

PWS PrinciPal’s News

We are a community that inspires and develops, engaged, successful learners every chance, every day.

Peter Woodbury School-A Place Where People Care!

November 13, 2020

Dear PWS Families,

It was another wonderful week at PWS as we had some beautiful spring-like weather on Monday and Tuesday. Students and staff had the opportunity to observe Veteran’s Day on Wednesday with the day off. The PWS family would like to recognize all of the veterans in the Bedford community, thank you for your service. Please take a moment to catch up on all that is happening at PWS! We also would like to offer a reminder to review our travel reminder as the holidays are rapidly approaching! Please have a safe and healthy weekend!

PWS NEWS:

Contact Tracing through NH DHHS:

It has been our 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, Sam Ewing, 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!

Travel Reminder:

As you begin to plan for Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday season, please keep in mind the NH DHHS Travel Guidance, which the Bedford School District is following:

If a staff member or student travels outside of New England, do they need to self-quarantine for 14 days upon their return to New Hampshire? Yes. The general recommendation from the NH DHHS General and Employee Travel Guidance is that those who have traveled outside of New England need to self-quarantine and self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for 14 days upon their return to New Hampshire. Exceptions to this recommendation can be made for “essential employees” or for staff who have to conduct “essential travel” as outlined in the public health guidance linked above, and the Universal Guidelines. Schools/districts should develop policies to address situations in which students may need to travel for child custody and/or education related purposes (e.g., visiting colleges). You can find a link to this document HERE (pg. 6).

Also, students cannot test out of quarantine with a negative COVID-19 test. They must complete the entire 14 days. Please take a look at our Quarantining Protocol/Flowchart for more information.

In order to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff, it is essential that we adhere to the policies and procedures outlined in our Hybrid plan.

School Closings and Delays:

If school is to be closed or if there is a delayed opening, the District will notify parents/guardians using the School Messenger Notification Service. This system will send a telephone call to the primary emergency number, email message and/or text message designated by the parents/guardians at approximately 5:30 AM. In addition, the following television stations will be contacted: WMUR TV (Channel 9, Manchester), and BCTV (Channels 16 and 22). It is also posted under News and Notes on the District website and District Facebook page.

If it is necessary to call a 2-hour delay in the start of school, buses will make their normal pickups 2 hours later than the usual time and the morning kindergarten classes will be cancelled. The school day will end at the regular time.

Picture Retake Update:

Please take a moment to view this link for an updated picture retake option for PWS students.

Long Term Substitute Opportunity:

Substitutes:

PTG NEWS:

GIFT CARD FUNDRAISER: ONE order only this year (order due date is at the end of next week, November 20th). We are featuring many local area merchants, along with your favorite national businesses. Purchasing gift cards through the PTG provides support for the Bedford schools with no additional cost to you!

For Hybrid Student Families: To download an order form and memo with program information, please click HERE.

For Remote Student Families: To download an order form and memo with program information, please click HERE.

For more information about this program on the PTG’s website click HERE.

HAPPY SHOPPING!

We wish you all a wonderful and safe weekend! We will see everyone next week!

Mrs. Cheryl Daley and Mr. Marc Robitaille