Principal's Notes 1/11/19

January Message

Peace Message: Tolerance

Important Dates

• January 18 – End of Quarter 2
• January 18 – Fourth Grade Parent Visitation Day
• January 21 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – NO SCHOOL
• January 24 – PTG Principals’ Winter Read 
• January 25 – Report Cards Released (on-line)
• February 1 –  Third Grade Invention Convention
• February 25-March 1 – Winter Vacation

Congratulations to all our chorus participants who did an outstanding job singing last night during our Winter Concert and a special thanks to Ms. Magoon and all the volunteers who provide this opportunity for our students.  The event was recorded by BCTV, please check their schedule to see when it will be aired.

Kindness Challenge

Memorial School has accepted a Kindness Challenge! The Great Kindness Challenge is dedicated to creating a culture of kindness and compassion in schools worldwide. Our school is proudly participating in this proactive and positive kindness initiative. On January 22nd, we'll kick off this program with an all school meeting and all students will receive The Great Kindness Challenge checklist. Please encourage your child to actively participate by completing as many acts of kindness as possible. To learn more, go to https://thegreatkindnesschallenge.com/

Important reminder from the health office:

Flu season generally peaks in January and February.  If your child is showing symptoms of the flu, it is important to consult with a doctor.  If your child is diagnosed with the flu/and or shows flu symptoms such as fever, it is important to keep him/her home.  For the Flu Guide for Parents please click this LINK .  Please remember, when students are sick with fever or vomiting or diarrhea- they need to be out of school for at least 24 hours after they are symptom –free.

Please keep your child home if they have a fever of 100 degrees or higher, 24-hour fever free without using fever reducing medications such as tylenol or advil to recover and to help minimize spread of germs.  This helps ensure that they do not spread their illness to others. This includes special days at school such as class parties, field trips etc.  it can be hard to miss these special days but it’s important to follow the guidelines and not spread germs. 

If your child has been diagnosed with a communicable disease, please notify the school nurse.  Please also notify nurse if your child has strep throat.  The child should stay home on antibiotics and fever free for at least 24 hours.   This is very important because some students must notify their doctor of any exposures.  It is helpful to inform nurse on absentee line as to what symptoms your child is exhibiting.  The nurse tracks trends of illness to help keep school healthy.

Thank you for helping to keep Memorial School healthy!

PTG News and Information

PRINCIPAL WINTER READING NIGHT:  Dress in your PJ’s, bring a blanket and come listen to all the Bedford Principal’s read you a story. This fun filled family event will be held on Thursday, January 24TH at the McKelvie Intermediate School cafeteria. Choose between two session times 4:30pm or 6:30pm, click HERE for more details. If you plan to attend, be sure to REGISTER for this event by January 18th, by filling out this REGISTRATION FORM

BARNES AND NOBLE EVENT: Save the date for PTG’s event to be held January 25th – 27th at the Barnes and Noble Manchester location. See amazing student art projects from all Bedford Schools, enjoy a performance by the McKelvie Music Department and listen to stories read by Bedford’s elementary teachers. Event schedule and more details coming soon.

HANNAFORD HELPS REUSEABLE BAG PROGRAM: Hannaford on Jenkins Road has chosen Bedford PTG to be the beneficiary of the Community Bag program in December. For every green Community reusable bag purchased at Hannaford, on JENKINS ROAD, in December, the PTG will receive a $1.00 donation.

COMMUNITY SPIRIT 9/11 MINI-GRANTS PROGRAM:The Bedford PTG is the proud recipient of the Community Spirit 9/11 Mini-Grants Program funded by Harvard Pilgrim. This $500 grant was awarded due to the generous nomination of a Bedford family.

About the Community Spirit 9/11 Mini-Grants Program: To commemorate those Harvard Pilgrim members who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, Harvard Pilgrim and its Foundation created the Community Spirit 9/11 Mini-Grant program. This program enables employees from Harvard Pilgrim, Health Plans Inc. (our affiliate) and NTT Data (our IT partner) to award an annual grant, completely funded by the Foundation, to the local charity of his or her choice. Since the program began in 2002, these employees have directed almost $6 million to hundreds of organizations throughout our health plan service area – comprised of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

REMINDERS

Snow Day Lunch Info./Announcements

Just in case we have a snow day this winter, we want to let parents know how the district deals with hot lunches the following day. There is no rule of thumb when determining the lunch menu on the day following a snow day as the menu for that day is dependent upon what was on the menu the day of the snow day, what prep the kitchen had to do, and what fresh produce the kitchen had ordered. Therefore, our district’s Food Service Director (Emily Murphy) provides an announcement on the SAU’s website (www.sau25.net) in the District News box, which will detail, by school, what the hot lunch offering will be the day following the snow day. This information will be available the day of the snow day.

From Mrs. Pleat’s Desk…

For the month of January, announcements and classroom visits will focus on Tolerance, the concept of valuing all people and treating them with respect. Students will be encouraged to not only accept differences, but to celebrate them, understanding that differences are what make us all unique and valuable. Students will be challenged to look within themselves and others, to discover the uniqueness and “wonder” of each person. 

For information on how to teach your child tolerance, visit: https://www.everydayfamily.com/6-ways-you-can-teach-your-child-tolerance/?pg=2&internallink=6-ways-you-can-teach-your-child-tolerance#post-2098

Dr. Dawn Huebner Presentation on Anxiety in Children
Join us on Wednesday, March 13th at 6:30pm at McKelvie Intermediate School for a 90-minute Q&A with Dr. Dawn Huebner, nationally recognized Psychologist, Parent Coach and author of award-winning mental health books for kids. Dr. Huebner is best known for her What to Do Guides - including What to Do When You Worry Too Much and Outsmarting Worry - which have sold over 1 million copies. Rather than giving a one-size-fits-all talk, Dr. Huebner will be answering audience questions about how to recognize anxiety in kids, how to respond to it, and how to build skills to better manage it. Questions can be submitted in advance, written on a note card that evening (to maintain anonymity) or asked live. This is not a group therapy session but instead an informative Q&A that will leave you with a clearer understanding of anxiety, what parents do that inadvertently feeds it, and how to help your child get on the path to defeating it.

Check out Dr. Huebner in advance at her TEDx Talk on "Rethinking Anxiety: Learning to face fear" HERE.