Community News
Bedford Substance Abuse Summit
In response to the threat posed to our community by the substance abuse epidemic, the Bedford Police Department in conjunction with the Bedford School District will host a community-wide meeting on Tuesday, November 10th from 7P to 10P at the Manchester Christian Church, 56 Old Bedford Road, Bedford (across from Memorial School). We want to thank Manchester Christian Church for graciously donating the use of their facility for this important endeavor.
The goal is to involve individuals and groups from throughout our community. The focus is to first de-stigmatize this issue to encourage parent(s), student(s), loved one(s), friends and family to seek assistance for not only those suffering from substance abuse but also for guidance in education and treatment (agenda). To accomplish this, we plan to have some gallant members of the community discuss their struggle with abuse in their families followed by a panel discussion and, most importantly, community engagement that we hope will lead to an action plan.
Anyone seeking more information about the meeting may contact the Police Department or the Superintendent's Office in person, by telephone or email. On behalf of the Bedford Police Department and the Bedford School District, we want to thank you all for your assistance and whatever level of participation you are able to offer.
John J. Bryfonski
Chief of Police
55 Constitution Drive
Bedford, NH 03110
Office: 603-792-1330
Chip McGee
Superintendent of Schools
103 County Road
Bedford, NH 03110
Office: 603-472-3755
Email: mcgeec@sau25.net
Parent Forum on Cyberbullying & Unwise Social Networking
As a part of the annual NH Christa McAuliffe Technology Conference,
Sameer Hinduja, the co-director of the Cyberbulling Research Center, is presenting a FREE Parent Forum titled
Cyberbullying & Unwise Social Networking: The Role of Parents.
Date: Monday, November 30, 2015
Time: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Location: Salon A, Radisson Hotel, Manchester, NH
Designed for parents and community partners, this presentation provides a broad overview of adolescent technological concerns, including cyberbullying and social networking sites. Foundational information on the way adolescents use the Internet and cell phones is provided first before examining cyberbullying, sexting, and unwise social networking in detail. Strategies for identification, prevention, and response are then discussed in a conversational format to allow for input and Q&A from the audience. Attendees leave equipped with an increased ability to promote safe and responsible participation in cyberspace among the youth they care for and with numerous resources to assist them towards those ends.
BHS News
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. Smarter Balanced Assessments are computer-based tests that replaced the annual NECAP assessment, although the Science NECAP remains.
Next week, the New Hampshire Department of Education will release the results. You can expect to see summary results by school district on the news and in the local papers. Our schools will mail home individual student results by the end of next week. Parents of students in grades 4 through 9 and grade 12 will receive individual score reports and letters from NH Education Commissioner Barry and the principal of your child's current school. Questions can be sent to the current school principal.
Social Media Awareness Day
Monday, Nov 9th is the Second Annual Social Media Awareness Day at BHS, hosted by Tech the Counseling Office. 9th and 10th graders will attend a Social Media presentation in the theater during advisory, which includes data on BHS social media use. We also invite all staff, students and the BHS community to participate in the Look Up Challenge during the lunch break. Just a reminder of how important it is to embrace the people you are with and be present for 20 minutes. Link to Video explanation
BHS Musical
Show dates areNovember 12, 13, and 14 @ 7 p.m.; November 15 @ 2p.m.; November 20 @ 7 p.m. and November 21 @2 p.m. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults and can be purchased online at seatyourself.biz/bedfordhigh or at the door.
PTG News
Juniors & Seniors allowed to bring Chromebooks beginning January 4th, 2016
This fall, Bedford High School implemented a 1-to-1 Chromebook program for all Freshman and Sophomore students. Already, we have found that access to a device at anytime/anywhere during the school day helps improve teaching and learning.
Now that the program is launched, we believe upperclassmen will benefit from having a Chromebook device in school as well. As a result, we have decided to allow Juniors and Seniors to bring a Chromebook device to school starting January 4th.
Families can either purchase a Chromebook device through the district (no higher than $177) or provide their own. With either option, the device must be enrolled into our Chromebook management system so that it can be activated on our wireless network. This allows us to manage our school-provided Google accounts to push down content to students.
It is important that families understand that not all juniors and seniors are required to have a Chromebook. As a result, we do not have the same expectation that chromebooks will be integrated into instruction for juniors/senior classes as do have for freshman/sophomore classes. It will be up to each teacher to decide if and how the devices can be used in class.
Please visit our 1-to-1 Chromebook Program website for information about the program (BHS Chromebook 1-to-1 Website).
If you would like your Junior or Senior student to be able to bring a Chromebook device to school, please submit this form no later than November 13th. After November 13th, we will confirm your selection and provide the final discounted price for those opting to purchase a device through the district. Families will also have the option to purchase accidental breakage/theft insurance for devices purchased through the district.
For current specifications of the device that the district would purchase on your behalf, click here.
Please go to the school calendar at http://www.bedfordhighschool.
Have a great Weekend!
Bill