Principal's Notes 9/28/18

October Messages

Peace Message: Responsibility and being Bully Free

Brain Message: My Brain is like a Muscle the Grows

Important Dates

• October 2 –  Homework Club begins for grades 3 and 4 at 7:30am
• October 8 – Columbus Day Observance – NO SCHOOL
• October 11 – PTG Coffee with the Superintendent – 9:30 AM BCTV
• October 16- School Spirit Day "Hat Day"
• October 15 – Safety Trailer Demonstration (grades 1 & 2)
• October 17 - Picture Retake Day
• October 31 – Happy Halloween!
• November 2 – End of Quarter 1
• November 6 – Workshop Day/Election Day – NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
• November 12 – Veterans’ Day Observance – NO SCHOOL
• November 17 – PTG Ski and Skate Sale
• November 20- School Spirit Day "Wear your favorite color"
• November 21-23 – Thanksgiving Break

Kevin Skarupa

Our third and fourth graders had a nice visit from Kevin Skarupa from WMUR-TV this past Monday to learn about all sorts of weather and related topics.  

TriPod Teacher Survey

We will be administering the TriPod survey to students this October.  Please click HERE  to learn about the survey and opt out options.  

Donations
We are looking for any toy dump trucks or tractors to be used in the sand out on the playground. Donations can be brought inside our main entrance. 

Memorial School Homework Club
Our 4th grade teaching team has Homework Club ready to go beginning Monday Oct. 2nd. It will run every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 7:30am for 3rd and 4th graders. It’s a great opportunity for kids access technology, , work on long term assignments or keep up with the daily homework.

PTG News

COFFEE AND CONVERSATION with Interim Superintendent Mike Fournier: Hosted by the PTG, Interim Superintendent Mike Fournier invites you to “Coffee and Conversation”, Thursday, October 11th, 9:30am at BCTV (10 Meetinghouse Road)…LIMITED SEATING-RSVP REQUIRED.
This will be a small, informal gathering to discuss Bedford School District happenings.
In order to be more interactive and personal, seating is limited so you must RSVP here… Coffee And Conversation if you wish to attend.
This will be a discussion based gathering, so questions and comments will be encouraged.
Additional get-togethers with Mr. Fournier will take place throughout the school year if you are unable to attend or seats are no longer available.

MEADOW FARMS GIFTS, WRAP AND MORE: Looking for quality gift wrap, everyday gifts, tote bags, and gourmet mixes? Our popular Gifts, Wrap & More fundraiser starts Friday 9/28! Brochures, with ordering details, should have come home with elementary students this week.
Families, students, and staff at McKelvie, RAL and BHS will be able to order online via this link McK-RAL-BHS Order Link All orders are due by Friday 10/12 and product will ship direct to you. 40% of sales goes back to our schools.

NEW FAMILY WELCOME: If you recently moved to Bedford or are sending your first child to a Bedford School, you’re welcome to attend Bedford School District’s New Family Welcome hosted by the Bedford PTG on October 4th, from 9:30-10:30am or 6:30-7:30pm, at the Bedford Public Library.
Representatives from each school will be available to answer questions, provide school and town information, share opportunities on how you can be involved, and welcome you into our community.
Please RSVP to psvdm617@gmail.com and specify if you will attend the morning or evening session.

NEW DISTRICT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: PTG is seeking a District Event Coordinator. This person will work with all 6 schools to organize how PTG will solicit support from local merchants for district wide events. This role is designed to help create and build strong working relationships with our local merchants and schools. Contact bedfordNHPTG@gmail.com if interested or for more info.

MANCHESTER MONARCHS OPENING NIGHT: Join the PTG and McKelvie Chorus for Opening Night at the Monarchs…Friday, October 19th 7pm. Click HERE to order tickets. Enjoy a fun, family night out and support McKelvie Chorus as they sing the National Anthem!

Bedford Education Foundation Annual Fall Fundraiser

Buy Your Tickets Now
Saturday, October 20, 2018, 7 PM @ Noah's Event Center in Bedford
This event features the RAL Jazz Band!
Tickets are limited and sold on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Event will include a variety of live auction items! As we lead up to the event, we will be adding some exciting items to our online auction as well! Currently, we are auctioning a BHS Parking Spot! Check back often to find out about more items!

Find more information about the Bedford Education Foundation on our website, or follow us on Facebook. If you have questions or would like to get involved, please email info@befnh.org.

Safety Educator
Please click HERE for September’s edition of Safety Educator (provided to us by the Bedford Fire Department).

 Helps Schools Initiative

Starting September 2nd and running through December 1st, the Hannaford store located at 4 Jenkins Road, Bedford, NH is running its annual Hannaford Helps Schools program. For more information, please click HERE.

Halloween Costume Exchange
Bedford Girl Scouts is hosting their annual Halloween Costume Exchange on Saturday, September 29th at McKelvie School from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM. All costumes are $5, or bring one to donate and get one for 1/2 price! They are collecting new and gently used costumes, which can be brought into school and placed in the Halloween Costume Exchange box located in the main entrance. For more information, please take a look at THIS FLYER.

Principal's Notes 9/21/18

September Messages

Peace Message: Peace & Respect

Brain Message: Everyone Can Learn!

Important Dates

• September 26- Growth Mindset Workshop for parents 6:30-8:30pm
• October 8 – Columbus Day Observance – NO SCHOOL
• October 11 – PTG Coffee with the Superintendent – 9:30 AM BCTV
• October 15 – Safety Trailer Demonstration (grades 1 & 2)
• October 17 - Picture Retake Day
• October 31 – Happy Halloween!
• November 2 – End of Quarter 1
• November 6 – Workshop Day/Election Day – NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
• November 12 – Veterans’ Day Observance – NO SCHOOL
• November 17 – PTG Ski and Skate Sale
• November 21-23 – Thanksgiving Break

Open House

It was great to see everyone at our Open House Monday.  Thank you all for showing your support and taking such a strong interest in your child's learning.  Many children told me how excited they were to come show off their school to their parents.

Hannafords Helps Schools Initiative

Starting September 2nd and running through December 1st, the Hannaford store located at 4 Jenkins Road, Bedford, NH is running its annual Hannaford Helps Schools program. For more information, please click HERE.

Halloween Costume Exchange
Bedford Girl Scouts is hosting their annual Halloween Costume Exchange on Saturday, September 29th at McKelvie School from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM. All costumes are $5, or bring one to donate and get one for 1/2 price! They are collecting new and gently used costumes, which can be brought into school and placed in the Halloween Costume Exchange box located in the main entrance. For more information, please take a look at THIS FLYER.

Destination Imagination Info. Night
Destination Imagination Info Night for K-8 will be held on Tuesday, September 25th at 7PM in Room 17 of McKelvie Intermediate School. This is for all new parents who are interested in hearing more about the program. Returning families can register their children here. Registration closes on Friday October 5th, 2018. Destination Imagination is an extra curriculur that relies on parent volunteers. There is no guarantee that your child will be placed on a team, but we work very hard to place every child who registers. For more info on this wonderful program offered by our district, please check out www.nh-di.org or contact our coordinator, Marie Russell at bedfordrocksdi@gmail.com.

Growth Mindset for Parents

Come join us Wednesday September 26th from 6:30-8:30pm for an informational workshop on Growth Mindset.

Helping Your Child Cope with Stress: The Power of Growth Mindset
Come hear about the growth mindset lessons Memorial kids are learning! Find out how to reinforce this exciting initiative at home, and help your child develop the perseverance and resilience necessary to achieve in school and thrive in life.

Please Click HERE to for more information and to RSVP 

Presenters: Hannah C. Mariotti, MA, LMHC, Sarah Wagner, M.Ed, School Psychologist Educational Consultant, Beacon Coaching and Consulting, LLC

PTG News

MEMORIAL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: Bedford PTG is excited to introduce a new, faster, paperless way to share your information for volunteering for Bedford Schools. Instead of sending home a paper volunteer form to fill out and return, we will now offer a Volunteer Google Form for each school. To access the form click HERE, or check school websites, or the PTG website www.bedfordptg.org under helpful links/forms.

MEET THE PRINCIPALS EVENT SEPTEMBER 27TH: You are invited to join the PTG and the Principals from all six schools at our annual "Coffee with the Principals" event on Thursday, September 27th from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. at BCTV (10 Meetinghouse Road). This is a great opportunity to hear what each school has in store for the year. There will be a Q & A following the presentation. Light refreshments will be served and your young children are welcome to attend.

COFFEE AND CONVERSATION with Interim Superintendent Mike Fournier:  Hosted by the PTG, Interim Superintendent Mike Fournier invites you to “Coffee and Conversation”, Thursday, October 11th, 9:30am at BCTV (10 Meetinghouse Road)…LIMITED SEATING-RSVP REQUIRED.

This will be a small, informal gathering to discuss Bedford School District happenings.  

In order to be more interactive and personal, seating is limited so you must RSVP here… Coffee And Conversation  if you wish to attend.

This will be a discussion based gathering, so questions and comments will be encouraged.

Additional get-togethers with Mr. Fournier will take place throughout the school year if you are unable to attend or seats are no longer available.

SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS:

Through Donations and Fundraisers the PTG helps fund…

For our Students…Author Visits, Motivational Speakers, Science Programs, Musical Performers and much more 

For our Community…Principal Winter Reading Night, Seniors Day, New Family Welcome and many other community focused events.  

For our Staff…Staff Appreciation, Library Donations, Nurse Donations and more. 

Click HERE  for more program information. 

We couldn’t do it without your continued support. Please consider a donation to the PTG either via PayPal on our website www.bedfordptg.org  or a send a check payable to Bedford PTG in the support envelopes that have been sent home (K-8). Thank You!

MEADOW FARMS GIFTS, WRAP AND MORE: Looking for quality gift wrap, everyday gifts, tote bags, and gourmet mixes? Our popular Gifts, Wrap & More fundraiser is just around the corner. Brochures will be coming home with elementary students next week with ordering details. Families, students, and staff at McKelvie, RAL and BHS will be able to order online. 40% of sales goes back to our schools. Sale runs from Friday 9/28-Friday 10/12. More details coming soon.

NEW FAMILY WELCOME- If you recently moved to Bedford or are sending your first child to a Bedford School, you’re welcome to attend Bedford School District’s New Family Welcome hosted by the Bedford PTG on October 4th, from 9:30-10:30am or 6:30-7:30pm, at the Bedford Public Library.

Representatives from each school will be available to answer questions, provide school and town information, share opportunities on how you can be involved, and welcome you into our community. 

Please RSVP to psvdm617@gmail.com and specify if you will attend the morning or evening session.

Reminders

Bedford Education Foundation Annual Fall Fundraiser
Buy your tickets now!
Bedford Education Foundation (BEF) Annual Fall Fundraiser
Saturday, October 20, 2018, 7 PM @ Noah's Event Center in Bedford, featuring the RAL Jazz Band and Mr. Michael Fournier as our Master of Ceremonies! Tickets are limited and sold on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Find more information about the Bedford Education Foundation on our website, or follow us on Facebook. If you have questions or would like to get involved, please email info@befnh.org.

Principal's Notes 9/14/18

September Messages Peace Message: Peace and Respect Brain Message: Everyone Can Learn! Important Dates September 17-Open House    Beep- 5:30-6:15pm  AM Kindergarten and K Plus- 6:15-6:45  Grades 1,2,3- 6:30-7:10   PM Kindergarten and K Plus-7:00-7:30  Grade 4- 7:20-7:50 September 18-19 – Yom Kippur September 21- Volunteer Welcome Coffee 9:30am  in the Memorial Library September 25- DI Information Night; 7:00PM McKelvie School September 26- "Growth Mindset" workshop for parents  October 8 – Columbus Day Observance – NO SCHOOL Growth Mindset for Parents Come join us Wednesday September 26th from 6:30-8:30pm for an informational workshop on Growth Mindset. Helping Your Child Cope with Stress: The Power of Growth Mindset Come hear about the growth mindset lessons Memorial kids are learning! Find out how to reinforce this exciting initiative at home, and help your child develop the perseverance and resilience necessary to achieve in school and thrive in life. Please Click HERE to for more information and to RSVP  Presenters: Hannah C. Mariotti, MA, LMHC, Sarah Wagner, M.Ed, School Psychologist Educational Consultant, Beacon Coaching and Consulting, LLC Bus Plan Riding the bus to and from school is a great opportunity for all of our students. We encourage parents to have a conversation with your child regarding the rules of the bus. Further, it is important to create a plan, as a family, for what your child should do if there is no adult waiting for them to get off the bus. Especially with our younger students, the bus drivers will not let them off the bus if no one is waiting. In these cases your child may be returned to the school. Having a backup plan in place will allow for a smooth and seamless bus ride for all. Thank you for your cooperation with this. Destination Imagination Info Night Destination Imagination Info Night for K-8 will be held on Tuesday, September 25th at 7PM in Room 17 of McKelvie Intermediate School.  This is for all new parents who are interested in hearing more about the program.  Returning families can register their children thru the Google Form in next weeks Principal Blog. Registration closes on Friday October 5th, 2018. Destination Imagination is an extra curriculur that relies on parent volunteers.  There is no guarantee that your child will be placed on a team, but we work very hard to place every child who registers.  For more info on this wonderful program offered by our district, please check out www.nh-di.org or contact our coordinator, Marie Russell at bedfordrocksdi@gmail.com. Bedford PTG News BEDFORD MEMORIAL VOLUNTEERS:  Interested in learning more about the amazing volunteer opportunities at Bedford Memorial? Please join us for the Volunteer Welcome Coffee on Friday September 21 at 9:30 am in the Memorial School Library.  Feel free to contact Danielle Brimblecom at memptgvolunteercoordinator@bedfordnhk12.net with any questions.  Small children are always welcome, and we look forward to seeing you there!! SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS: Through Donations and Fundraisers the PTG helps fund… For our Students…Author Visits, Motivational Speakers, Science Programs, Musical Performers and much more For our Community…Principal Winter Reading Night, Seniors Day, New Family Welcome and many other community focused events.  For our Staff…Staff Appreciation, Library Donations, Nurse Donations and more. Click HERE  for more program information. We couldn’t do it without your continued support. Please consider a donation to the PTG either via PayPal on our website www.bedfordptg.org  or a send a check payable to Bedford PTG in the support envelopes that have been sent home (K-8). Thank You! ONLINE VOLUNTEER FORM: Bedford PTG is excited to introduce a new, faster, paperless way to share your information for volunteering for Bedford Schools. Instead of sending home a paper volunteer form to fill out and return, we will now offer a Volunteer Google Form for each school. To access the form click HERE, or check school websites, or the PTG websitewww.bedfordptg.org under helpful links/forms. VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITES: Looking for some great opportunities to volunteer this year? The PTG has several district level and committee positions available… Ski and Skate Committee members - Due to the success of our annual Ski and Skate Sale, we are looking for new members to be part of the planning committee. Our next committee meeting is Tuesday 9/18, 3:30pm at McKelvie library. You don’t need to be a skier to help with this event. Color Blast Co-Coordinator and Committee Members: Get in on the Colorful Fun and be part of planning this amazing community event!! Color Blast is looking for 2 volunteers to share the role of event coordinator (responsible for the overall organization of the committee and event) along with anyone that might be interested in being involved with the planning and execution of this event. District Gift Wrap Coordinator-Work with PTG VP Fundraising and our current Gift Wrap supplier (Meadow Farms) to set up and organize the fundraiser. Coordinate with school level coordinators the distribution, collection and processing of order forms.  If you are interested in any of these roles or would like more information, please email bedfordnhptg@gmail.com MEET THE PRINCIPALS EVENT SEPTEMBER 27TH: You are invited to join the PTG and the Principals from all six schools at our annual "Coffee with the Principals" event on Thursday, September 27th from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. at BCTV (10 Meetinghouse Road). This is a great opportunity to hear what each school has in store for the year. There will be a Q & A following the presentation. Light refreshments will be served, and your young children are welcome to attend. MEADOW FARMS GIFTS, WRAP AND MORE: Looking for quality gift wrap, everyday gifts, tote bags, and gourmet mixes? Our popular Gifts, Wrap & More fundraiser is just around the corner. Brochures will be coming home with elementary students at the end of the month with ordering details. Families, students, and staff at McKelvie, RAL and BHS will be able to order online. 40% of sales goes back to our schools. Sale runs from Friday 9/28-Friday 10/12. More details coming soon. Reminders Bedford Education Foundation Annual Fall Fundraiser Buy your tickets now! Bedford Education Foundation (BEF) Annual Fall Fundraiser Saturday, October 20, 2018, 7 PM @ Noah's Event Center in Bedford, featuring the RAL Jazz Band and Mr. Michael Fournier as our Master of Ceremonies! Tickets are limited and sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. Find more information about the  Bedford Education Foundation on our website, or follow us on Facebook.  If you have questions or would like to get involved, please email info@befnh.org. Infosnap 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 this summer, please contact the school office.  News from the Counseling Office click HERE News from Health Office click HERE

Principal's Notes 9/7/18

September 7, 2018 September Messages Peace Message: Peace and Respect Brain Message: Everyone Can Learn! BEEP Parents It’s great to have your children here this week as it completes our school.  Some of the kids are nervous, some excited, some shy, some scared, but know that this is all a normal part of the transition process.  Morning Drop-Off In an effort to make our morning drop off run as smoothly as possible we are asking parents to please stay in the car during this time.  If your child needs assistance we have teachers on duty who can help. We want to make this process be as efficient and safe as possible.  Thank you! Protect the Learning Each School Day is Important: As we enter a new school year, I would like to remind folks to make every effort to maximize instructional time for students and teachers. Simply put, all stakeholders should work to protect the the learning for days when school is in session. Everyone has a role to play: Students can arrive at school on time each day and be prepared to put forth their best effort. Parents can closely monitor student attendance and avoid scheduling vacations and appointments during the school day. Teachers can strive to provide high-quality lesson plans and assessments to ensure that students are actively engaged every single day. Principals and assistant principals can work proactively to eliminate interruptions and distractions during the school day. Support staff can make sure that facilities are well-maintained and equipment is functioning properly. Central office administrators can avoid pulling teachers from classrooms for workshops and meetings unless absolutely necessary. Research shows that access to high-quality instruction is the best tool for improving student achievement; therefore, I encourage everyone to Protect the Learning. News from the Counseling Office click HERE News from Health Office click HERE SUPPORT THE PTG:  Help the PTG continue to bring exciting programs/speakers to our schools like Eyes on Owls, Native American Story Tellers, T.I.G.E.R. Anti-Bullying Performance, Ed Gerety Youth Speaker, and Chris Herren Motivational Speaker. If you’d like to make a donation, simply click on the PayPal link at www.bedfordptg.org or send in a check payable to Bedford PTG in the support envelopes that have been sent home (K-8). Click HERE  for more information on the PTG and programs we fund with your support. Thank You! LOOKING TO VOLUNTEER: Bedford PTG is excited to introduce a new, faster, paperless way to share your information for volunteering for Bedford Schools. Instead of sending home a paper volunteer form to fill out and return, we will now offer a Volunteer Google Form for each school. To access the form click HERE, or check school websites, or the PTG website www.bedfordptg.org under helpful links/forms. LYNN LYONS “Interrupting the Worry Cycle: Skills We Can (and Should!) Teach Our Children” Presentation: the Bedford PTG is proud to co-sponsor Lynn Lyons, licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist, on September 12th, 6:30pm at BHS Theater as she presents “Interrupting the Worry Cycle: Skills We Can (and Should!) Teach Our Children”. MARK YOUR CALENDARS! You won’t want to miss this insightful presentation!  Lynn Lyons Flyer PTG VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: Looking for some great opportunities to volunteer this year? The PTG has several district level and committee positions available… Ski and Skate Committee members - Due to the success of our annual Ski and Skate Sale, we are looking for new members to be part of the planning committee. Color Blast Co-Coordinator and Committee Members: Get in on the Colorful Fun and be part of planning this amazing community event!! Color Blast is looking for 2 volunteers to share the role of event coordinator (responsible for the overall organization of the committee and event) along with anyone that might be interested in being involved with the planning and execution of this event. District Gift Wrap Coordinator-Work with PTG VP Fundraising and our current Gift Wrap supplier (Meadow Farms) to set up and organize the fundraiser. Coordinate with school level coordinators the distribution, collection and processing of order forms.  If you are interested in any of these roles or would like more information please email bedfordnhptg@gmail.com BEDFORD MEMORIAL VOLUNTEERS: Interested in learning more about the amazing volunteer opportunities at Bedford Memorial? Please join us for the Volunteer Welcome Coffee on Friday September 21 at 9:00 am in the Memorial School Library.  Feel free to contact Danielle Brimblecom at memptgvolunteercoordinator@bedfordnhk12.net with any questions.  Small children are always welcome and we look forward to seeing you there!! MEET THE PRINCIPALS EVENT SEPTEMBER 27TH: You are invited to join the PTG and the Principals from all six schools at our annual "Coffee with the Principals" event on Thursday, September 27th from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. at BCTV (10 Meetinghouse Road). This is a great opportunity to hear what each school has in store for the year. There will be a Q & A following the presentation. Light refreshments will be served and your young children are welcome to attend. Bedford Education Foundation Annual Fall Fundraiser Buy your tickets now! Bedford Education Foundation (BEF) Annual Fall Fundraiser Saturday, October 20, 2018, 7 PM @ Noah's Event Center in Bedford, featuring the RAL Jazz Band and Mr. Michael Fournier as our Master of Ceremonies! Tickets are limited and sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. Find more information about the Bedford Education Foundation on our website, or follow us on Facebook.  If you have questions or would like to get involved, please email info@befnh.org. Reminders Save the Date for a Growth Mindset workshop for parents Wednesday September 26th from 6:30-8:30pm please join us for an informational workshop Helping Your Child Cope with Stress: The Power of Growth Mindset Please Click HERE to for more information and to RSVP  Infosnap 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 this summer, please contact the school office.