Bedford Central School District
Dr. Manno's E-Brief, September, 2018, Edition #3
Superintendent's Scoop
2018 - 2019 , Edition #3, September 2018
Inspiring and Challenging Our Students
A Message from the Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools
Dear BCSD Families and Residents,
We are excited to have our students back: learning in classrooms, challenging themselves on fields, performing on stages, socializing in cafeterias and hallways, exploring, dreaming, and growing in libraries, and investigating in science labs. For educators, the bustle of activity when students fill schools is beautiful music.
Bedford Central students returned to some exciting new spaces and initiatives.
- Many facilities and buildings have been upgraded
- Our Middle School Gym has been refurbished
- FLHS Freshmen returned to a one-to-one computer initiative
- Our elementary students are experiencing enhanced literacy instruction and methods
- Our educators are focused on more inclusive instructional practices for all students
- Just this week, new furniture was delivered to improve the environment and comfort in our Fox Lane High School Commons
Many parents are participating in back-to-school nights to learn about our schools and to meet the faculty. We are so appreciative of the outstanding turnout at these special evening events. We appreciate all the hard work of administrators, faculty, and staff to provide productive back-to-school night experiences for our parents.
Parents, to make your experience with our schools more efficient and pleasant, this month we launched FamilyID, a tool which will allow all forms to be completed electronically.
To keep informed, check out our District Facebook Page, Twitter Feed, and our school and parent association web pages/newsletters. Also, subscribe to our events calendar and athletics calendar. You may find Board meeting materials and subcommittee minutes in Board Docs.
Please accept our appreciation for your support for BCSD. We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable remainder of the summer.
Sincerely,
Colette Dow, President
Michelle Brooks, Vice President
Michael Bauscher
Bill Canavan
Pam Harney
Edward Reder
Beth Staropoli
Dr. Christopher M. Manno, Superintendent of Schools
Finance and Budget
Earlier this month, Dr. Manno sent a letter announcing the resignation of our School Business Official. Dr. Manno and his team immediately evaluated all operational and administrative duties and requirements and implemented contingency plans, and have been actively networking. Dr. Manno anticipates recommending a very highly qualified and experienced Interim School Business Official to the Board of Education in early October. We are also planning to begin the search process for a permanent Assistant Superintendent for Business and Administrative Services.
Dr. Manno has initiated the budget development process for the 2019-20 school year. Budget templates and documents have been prepared for the budget managers ( i.e. principal, directors and C.O. administrators). The budget managers will work with their staff to identify needs for the next school year. Refinements to the process have been implemented and the process is underway. Dr. Manno and the Board of Education will identify budget priorities and parameters to guide the process to ensure everyone rows in the same direction, A 2019-20 District budget development season kick-off meeting is scheduled for early October.
What to do if you have a transportation concern?
General Parent Concerns
The Parent is asked to contact our Transportation Office (T.O.): Ms. DeDona: 914-241-6001, and Mrs. Tripepi: 914-241-6174.
The T.O. collects information about the concern. If there is a reasonable solution within the domain of authority of the T.O., the T.O. will address the concern. The Transportation Office may consult with the Towne Bus Safety Coordinator and/or Manager. If the matter is related to a specific bus driver, Towne Bus will investigate the matter and correspond with the T.O. regarding the findings within 24 hours.
If the T.O. doesn’t have the authority to address the concern, the T.O. will forward all gathered information to the appropriate principal to address the matter with the parent.
The principal will review the information and contact the parent to discuss a resolution.
If the concern cannot be addressed sufficiently by the principal, the principal will forward all gathered information to the Supt. or designee for review and to address the matter with the parent.
It is our goal to address all concerns and communicate with the parent as quickly as possible.
You have to check this out. The information is invaluable!
Congratulations National Merit Scholars!
On September 12, officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced the names of approximately 16,000 students throughout the country as Semifinalists in the 64th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors and includes the highest scoring entrants in each state, explains the NMSC.
In addition, Taylor Bazos, Caitlin Brown, Jonathan Foote, Jack Haims, and Cerina Karr have been honored as Commended Students. The aforementioned students are among the top 50,000 highest scorers in the United States. Approximately 1.6 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Fox Lane High School is proud of the performance of these academically talented students. Congratulations to all!
Well Done, Dorothy!
Keeping our Campus Safe for Students, Staff, Families, and Visitors
Speeding has been a safety concern on the Fox Lane Campus. In addition to regular vehicle and pedestrian traffic, our athletes use the campus for running and training. Our students and staff walk between buildings continually throughout the day. Traffic is heavy. We want everyone to be attentive to prevent situations that could lead to accidents, particularly during arrival and dismissal. It is critical that everyone drive safely and slowly on campus.
You may have noticed that this summer we increased the size of the speed bumps on the Fox Lane Campus. Please drive slowly and cautiously. If you have a car with low ground clearance and you drive over the speed bumps too quickly, you WILL damage your car.
WOW! Check this out...
Fox Lane Middle School Gymnasium Renovation - GRAND Re-Opening!
BCSD invested $110,000 to replace the bleachers, paint the gym, and install new lighting.
The Booster Club generously contributed $40,000 to resurface the floor and to provide LED lights and a new sound system.
Bedford Village Chowder and Marching generously contributed $17,500 to provide new backboards, hoops, and wall padding.
Thank you to the Boosters and C and M for being great partners.
The Board of Education will host a Grand Re-Opening of the FLMS Gymnasium on Wednesday, September 26th, at 5 p.m. in the FLMS Gym. This is immediately preceding the BoE's meeting, for which Executive Session begins at 6 p.m. Community members are invited to come and see the renovated gym at this time and thank our partners.
FOX NIGHT and Homecoming!
A community celebration for the Bedford Central School District to start the school year with enthusiasm, energy, and community spirit.
There will be music, food trucks, fan t-shirts, fireworks and an introduction of our fall teams.
We hope all of our families from our elementary schools, middle school, and high school, as well as community members, come out and join the fun on October 5th.
Homecoming activities will occur on Saturday, October 6th! Please come and enjoy the fun.
Emergency Closings, Delays, or Early Dismissals
Families and staff members will get notified via phone, email, and text using our School Messenger system. Please make sure your school has up-to-date contact information .
The District also posts delay, early dismissal, or closing information on the District Website, BCSDTV, and uses WHUD, News 12, NBC-TV, CBS-TV, FOX 5, and ABC-TV to broadcast school closings, late arrivals, and early dismissals.
On days when inclement weather is predicted, the decision to close school could be made the evening prior. If not, the decision-making process begins at 3:30 a.m. and includes research on weather conditions, assessment of site conditions for our schools, consultation with the highway departments of our towns, and a conference call with regional superintendents of schools. A decision will be made by approximately 5 a.m. and the communication process will be initiated.
Some important information:
- A "Delay" means a 2-hour delay for students and staff. Students report to their bus stops or arrive at school 2 hours after normal time.
- When a "Delay" is called, please continue to be alert for communications, as a "Delay" can become a "School Closing."
- For "Early Dismissals," the earliest dismissal bus runs for the high school/middle school begin at 10:20 a.m. Elementary students are dismissed at 11:30 a.m.
If schools are closed, facilities are not available for after-school or evening activities by internal or external organizations; therefore, all after-school activities and meetings are cancelled, with the exception of after-care occurring in schools.
For "Early Dismissals," staff members are dismissed after students have left a campus.
If schools are closed or there is an early dismissal on a Friday, please check the District website for the status of weekend activities.
Parent Resource on the BCSD Website - Parenting for Prevention
What you need to know
New and Revised Board of Education Policies
Cultivating curiosity and passion for learning.
Providing challenging educational opportunities.
All students achieving their full potential.