Principal's Notes 3/6/2020

Message of the Month
Optimism- The power of being positive

Important Dates

• March 8 -   Daylight saving time begins
• March 10 - No School - Workshop Day/Town Voting Day 
• March 13 - Kindergarten Love Bug Brunch 9:00-10:00am
• March 16 - Community Conversations with Superintendent Fournier 6:30pm 
• March 27 - End of Quarter 3
• March 27 - MEM Spring Fling 5:00-8:00pm
• March 31- Spirit Day inside-out, wacky, or backwards day
• March 31- Intelligent Lives Film, 6:30pm at BHS
• March 31 - Last day to turn in donations for the Kids Heart Challenge
• April 3 - Report Cards released online
• April 6-10 - Scholastic Book Fair
• April 20- School Spirit Day - Disney Day 
• April 27- May 1- No School, Spring Vacation

We kicked off our Kid Heart Challenge with a jump-rope demonstration during our All School Meeting on Monday morning. 

Congratulations to Mr. Buffett
Mr. Buffett is WZID and Autofair's Teacher of the Month recipient for March!

Covid-19 update

As our superintendent shared, the School District continues to follow the guidance from DHHS and the CDC with respect to travel and the concept of self quarantine. Each individual case is discussed with DHHS, the family physician and the school district. Based on those conversations, a decision is made regarding what precautions to take.
As always, please continue to follow the guidelines below:

General Precautions
The following precautions are recommended for all respiratory illnesses:

• Stay home and avoid public places when sick (i.e., social distancing
• Cover mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing
• Wash hands frequently
• Avoid being in close contact to a person who is sick
• Avoid sharing drinks, utensils or objects that may transmit saliva
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces

School District Vote on March 10th

Please remember to vote on Tuesday, March 10th. Polls are open from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM at Bedford High School in the gymnasium.

• Voters will select two people for open Board seats.
• Voters will decide whether to support the following Warrant Articles:
• Sprinkler Bond (Memorial, Peter Woodbury and McKelvie)
• Contracts for BESSA (Custodians & Maintenance) and BEPA (Instructional Assistants, Secretaries, Clerks, Food Service)
• Athletic Maintenance & Improvements
• Operating Budget

More information can be found HERE.

KidVote on March 10th at BHS 

Bring your kids along when you go to vote Tuesday so they can participate in the KidVote.  This year the kids will be voting on what Disney characters Mrs. Purcell and Mr. Schappler will be dressed up as on Monday, April 20th, our Disney Day!

     LITTLE MERMAID- Ariel and King Triton
     LION KING- Timon and Pumba
     FROZEN- Elsa and Kristoff
     BEAUTY AND THE BEAST- Belle and The Beast

Spring Fling is coming back to Memorial on Friday, March 27th! 

Please click here to:
     - Get more information about this fun family event
     - Learn how you can donate a family basket
     - Access digital copies of dinner and raffle ticket forms
     - Sign up to help on the night of the event

The Harlem Wizards are coming! On Friday April 17th at 6 pm, the Harlem Wizards will be facing off against the teachers of Lurgio and our own Mr. Vitagliano. Come see a night full of trick hoops and alley oops! Tickets go on sale on Friday, March 6th. Anyone who purchases tickets by 3/13 will be entered into a raffle to win a Wiz Kid Jersey! Tickets can be purchased at https://harlemwizards.thundertix.com/events/151595. Questions can be directed to Dr. Rachel Fairhurst at fairhrustr@sau25.net

BEEP is currently accepting registrations for the 2020-2021 school year
Bedford’s Early Education Program (BEEP) is a developmentally appropriate preschool that is respectful of the talents and needs of individual children. Each class has a teacher that is a certified early childhood educator and a classroom paraprofessional.  Click HERE for more information.

Intelligent Lives Screening

Intelligent Lives is a film by New Hampshire’s own Dan Habib. The film stars three young American adults with Intellectual Disabilities who challenge the perception of intelligence as they find their way through high school, college and the workforce. This film questions what it means to be intelligent and points to a future in which people of all abilities can participate in higher education, meaningful employment, and personal relationships.

Bedford School District, in partnership with Amherst School District, Merrimack School District, Manchester School District, the Bedford PTG, and St. Anselm’s Meelia Center, will be hosting a screening of the film on March 31, 2020 at 6:30 PM in the Bedford High School theatre. Following the film, there will be a question and answer session led by the filmmaker, Dan Habib.

Click HERE to reserve your Free tickets 

COLOR BLAST FUN RUN/WALK COMMUNITY EVENT:  Get excited, registration opens Friday, March 13^th for PTG’s 4^th annual Color Blast Fun Run/Walk to be held on Sunday, May 31^st.  Whether this is your 4^th or 1^st Color Blast we look forward to you joining us for a fun-filled family event full of color!  

COMMUNITY CONVERSATION with Superintendent Fournier: Join us on Monday, March 16^th at 6:30 p.m. at the SAU Office building for a small round table discussion with Superintendent Fournier. We will discuss the voting results and other district questions/comments the community may have. Ask your questions, share your opinions or just come listen! If you are able to attend, please RSVP HERE. 

PROMOTING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION through DIGNITY AND RESPECT. Join us for a community presentation led by David Flood, youth motivational speaker, on Wednesday, March 25^th at 7:00 p.m. at the BHS Theater. This presentation will focus on continuing to raise awareness and to promote inclusivity and diversity within schools and our community; and help students, parents and teachers understand their part in promoting positive inclusion of all, regardless of differences. This presentation is open to parents, teachers, community members and students age 12+. Parents are encouraged to bring their Middle and High students with them. For more information on this event and David Flood click HERE  

DON’T FORGET TO VOTE  – Tuesday, March 10^th  at BHS 7am-7pm.

Reminders

Love Bug Brunch

We are inviting our kindergarten parents to our Love Bug Brunch on March 13th from 9-10 AM. All kindergarten students are invited to attend during the morning session.  The kindergarteners and their special adult will enjoy a brunch together in the cafeteria.

Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible at Memorial School
We are continuing to emphasize behavior expectations at Memorial School with the consistent language of 'Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible'. Students are encouraged through positive language to have appropriate behavior at school events, on the bus and in all areas of Memorial school (the hallway, classroom, playground and the cafeteria). Please feel free to take a look at how we're teaching children about behavior at school on our website. 

State Assessment

This coming April our students in grades 3 and 4 will begin participating in the New Hampshire Statewide Assessment System (NHSAS).  For detailed information, please take a look at STATE TESTING INFORMATIONAL 2020.