The Bedford Buccaneer
September 28, 2020
IMPORTANT DATES
Sunday, October 4 - Yearbook Senior "thanks", baby pictures and elementary pictures due
Wednesday, September 30 - at 1:30pm postsecondary webinar for students
Monday, October 12 - Columbus day, No School
Saturday, October 17 - PSAT (11th grade only)
Sunday, October 18 - Yearbook Senior Portraits due
Tuesday, November 3 - Federal Elections, No School
There are two ways to order lunches for your student:
You can view our lunch menus by using the link www.bedfordpsmanutrition.org then click on the Menu tab and select the High School Menu. On the top of the menu page, you will see a blue “Order Online” button. This will direct you to a Sign In page into your ordering account.
If you have not yet created an account on our new ordering system, click on “Sign Up Now”.
Enter your email address, name, and password. The system will ask information about your student including the student ID #. This is your student’s local ID number (LASID on Aspen).
Or, if you have already created an account on our new ordering system,
Sign into your account using the link: https://onlineordering.linq.com/
Your Sign In Name is your email address, and then enter your password.
After successfully logging in, your student’s information will appear. Click on the button “Order Meals”.
Click on the Lunch tab. This screen will display a calendar with the menu options for each day. Please note that there is a deadline to order lunches the day before at noontime.
Click on the arrow for the menu option you would like to choose for a specific day.
Click “Add to Order”.
When you have selected the lunches you would like, you can review your order and check out by clicking on the Cart located on the upper right of the web page.
Click “Check out”.
A drop-down list of Pick up Locations will be displayed. It is VERY important to choose the correct pick up location to ensure a lunch is prepared and located in the right area for your student to retrieve.
There are three pick up location/procedures:
1 - School Site Pickup Locations at dismissal time:
This should only be chosen by Cohort A, B, and C students who are picking up lunches to eat for those days they are at home. These lunches can be picked up by the student at dismissal time on the day they are at BHS. The lunches will be labeled with their names on it, and located on a table outside of the cafeteria. Please note that for Cohort B students who are picking up a lunch on Friday to eat on Monday at home, please select in the dropdown list “Cohort B Lunch”, and this lunch will be a frozen item.
2 - District Wide Pickup Location:
This should only be chosen for Cohort D students (those students who are fully remote) on Wednesdays. Parents can pick up a 5 day Remote Lunch Bag on Wednesday afternoon from 12:00-1:00 pm at the loading dock near the cafeteria.
3 - Classroom Pickup Location:
This should only be chosen for Cohort A, B and C students on the days they are physically in the BHS building.
Click “Place Order”
At this point, the order has been successfully submitted, and an email confirmation will be sent with full details of the order. If changes need to be made to your order, please contact our office at 781-275-9129.
Information Opt Out
If you wish to have your student’s name, address, and/or telephone number withheld from the media, social media or military recruitment , please send a letter to Principal Galante stating your request by October 15, 2020.
Dear Parents,
When calling the absentee line (781-918-4561) to report your Childs illness, please state the symptoms of the illness. The nurse will be calling parents to follow up if your child has symptoms of Covid-19.
If you have already filled out the electronic parent agreement, THANK YOU! If not, please fill out the electronic form below. This needs to be completed in order for your child to attend in-person learning.
This year, it is imperative that we all do our part to help our community stay healthy. We are requiring all parents to sign an agreement stating that they understand the daily symptoms they should be monitoring for themselves and their children and that they will keep their children home if any of these symptoms develop.
Please click this link below to view the daily symptoms checker and to electronically sign the agreement! Required Parent Agreement
Thank you!
Nurse Nancy Thorsen
Sports News
Sports Schedules Link on the BHS Website
Student-Athletes will be bringing home a lanyard over the next couple of days. The Lanyard will be theirs for the season and collected at the end. Each student will receive only one lanyard that will provide access to games for one spectator. The EEA Guidelines only allow for a maximum of 50 spectators at this time. The lanyard must be visible while at the games. Spectators in attendance must remain socially distant (minimum of 6’) from each other.
We are working with Bedford Cable to film games and hopefully live stream as well.
If you have any questions, please reach out at 781-275-1700 x4443 or keith_mangan@bedfordps.org
BHSPA
Please join the BHSPA, Bedford High's Parent Association, in our efforts to start the school year off strong! We invite all families to participate in the BHSPA! The BHSPA has quite a few programs to support our students and teachers!
We are also kicking off our annual Fall Appeal drive. Resources donated will be used to support ongoing requests for programs and events to support BHS. Please click here To make a donation to our Fall Appeal. All donors will be recognized on our website and social media.
The BHSPA communicates using Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Counseling Corner
New!
Senior Seminar
The Counseling Department will be hosting a postsecondary webinar for students Wednesday, September 30th at 1:30pm. We strongly encourage your attendance at this seminar, as we will be covering important information needed for the college application process this fall. The Zoom link has been sent to all seniors.In the webinar, we will talk about
Steps for applying to college
Creating a Common Application account
Understanding and signing the FERPA (Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act)
Standardized testing updates
How to request a transcript from BHS
College Guidance Network is a new resource that has a great amount of information. There is a podcast every Wednesday evening at 7:00 PM. This first episode, and every episode, has a Takeaway Toolkit to guide planning and conversations for students and their families.
Episode 1: Admissions in the Time of COVID19
Episode 2: Tell Your Story: Crafting Great College Admissions Essays
This week’s episode takes a look at the college application process from the student perspective. Three seniors from Massachusetts high schools will be joined by the dean of admissions from Dartmouth and a Boston-area college counselor to reflect on the challenges and opportunities of the admissions process in the midst of a pandemic.
“Student Perspectives on Applying to College During a Pandemic”
September 30, 2020 at 7:00 PM ET
Zoom Link
On this episode, parents and college-bound students will learn:
How to assess fit and campus vibe using virtual engagement
Celebrating your talents and interests as extracurricular activities are disrupted by remote school schedules
Advice on framing a personal narrative through the essay
Perspectives on standardized testing and the "optional" element this year
Early versus Regular Decision options
The episode will end with live Q&A with the panelists.
College Guidance Network experts for this episode include; Meredith Reynolds, Associate Director of College Guidance at The Roxbury Latin School and Lee Coffin, Dean of Admissions at Dartmouth College.
College Fairs
Join Verto for their first Education's Virtual College Fairs, Powered by College Confidential, on September 29th 3-6pm PT. Register here. Next fairs will be held on October 28th, November 17th, December 4th, with national experts in education and 60+ Colleges and Universities! Come meet with college admissions counselors from your favorite schools, hear from national experts and current college students, attend workshops, and enter for some free giveaways!
NACAC College Fairs
More than 600 colleges and universities will be online to talk with high school juniors and seniors on each of these dates this fall. Register here.Monday, Oct. 12 1 - 9 p.m. ET
Sunday, Oct. 18 12 - 8 p.m. ET
- Sunday, Nov. 8 2 - 10 p.m. ET
In Last Week’s Bulletin:
Welcome Back BHS! Please view a welcome back video from the BHS Counseling Team.
Here is the Link.
The BPS Counseling Department is on Twitter – please follow us!
Our department can be reached on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BedfordCounsel1
We plan to post interesting and timely reminders and articles from time to time, as well as some things to just make you smile.
PSAT Registration
The PSAT is a test geared toward juniors and therefore, most do usually take it in the fall of their junior year.
Due to the number of students we are allowed in the building at one time, as of now, Bedford High will be offering the PSAT to only 11th graders in October.
Sophomores are usually allowed to take the test, but we are waiting to hear from the College Board to find out if there will be another Saturday testing date available in January.
The PSAT will be administered on Saturday, October 17, 2020
The cost of the test is $40, please pay by 10/9/2020 to secure your spot.
You can sign up and pay your fee to Mrs. Ferrari in the Counseling Office, there will be a basket to put your check made out to Bedford High School in , and please also include the attached registration form. Click here to print and attach with payment
Fee waivers may be available, please contact your school counselor for more information
Practice booklets are on a table outside Counseling, swing by to grab one!
Ninth Grade and New Students’ Parents/Caregivers: Don’t forget your Homework!
Welcome to Bedford High School! Due to the nature of this school year, the counseling team is looking for new ways to get to know incoming students and their families. In an effort to know your student best, we ask you to fill out our BHS Welcome Survey 20/21 about your ninth grader or new student. Counselors will be meeting and getting to know ninth graders in Freshman seminar and individually during meetings throughout the fall. We would also love to hear from you about your child: interests, hobbies, passions, strengths, areas of growth, and anything you feel would be important for us to know.
Virtual College Representative Visits
Juniors and seniors are invited to sign up for virtual meetings with college representatives. In order to not interfere with class time, all visits will be at 3pm and 7pm. Parents are invited, too. Visits will be advertised and students can register to meet with a college representative in SCOIR. A video on how to register in SCOIR is available: here.
Free online SAT Prep through Khan Academy at the College Board site is here
NCAA Updated Guidelines: For any student or family who may be considering playing a Division I or Division II sport in college, please visit the NCAA Eligibility Clearinghouse website for new information on eligibility. Some colleges begin recruiting students as early as sophomore year, so it is important for students and families to be aware of how to register with the NCAA and what the eligibility requirements are (specific classes, GPA and testing requirements, recruiting rules, etc.). NCAA Eligibility Center. Please feel free to reach out to your School Counselor with questions and concerns.
Because dates have been postponed and/or canceled so often since March, for SAT and ACT testing information, dates, and deadlines, please go directly to their websites below.
Below are some interesting articles and resources.
Health and Well-Being
Teen Body Image And Self-esteem - A Practical Guide For Parents
Teen Mental Health – A Guide for Parents
Teaching your Teen about Online Safety
Post-Secondary Planning
How a Social Media Profile Can Affect College Admissions
The Coronavirus May Change College Admissions Forever (September 2020)
Test Optional vs. Test-Blind Article (July 2020)
This and every episode has a Takeaway Toolkit to guide your planning and conversations for the college application process. Watch Wednesday's episode and download the toolkit
*Closed caption available in Chinese, English, Spanish and Hindi.
Next week's episode takes a look at the college application process from the student perspective. Three seniors from Massachusetts high schools will be joined by the dean of admissions from Dartmouth and a Boston-area college counselor to reflect on the challenges and opportunities of the admissions process in the midst of a pandemic.
“Student Perspectives on Applying to College During a Pandemic”
September 30, 2020 at 7:00 PM ET
On this episode, parents and college-bound students will learn:
How to assess fit and campus vibe using virtual engagement
Celebrating your talents and interests as extracurricular activities are disrupted by remote school schedules
Advice on framing a personal narrative through the essay
Perspectives on standardized testing and the "optional" element this year
Early versus Regular Decision options
The episode will end with live Q&A with the panelists.
College Guidance Network experts for this episode include; Meredith Reynolds, Associate Director of College Guidance at The Roxbury Latin School and Lee Coffin, Dean of Admissions at Dartmouth College.
To view a full list of upcoming episodes and view archived episodes, visit our programming page.
Where
When
September 30 | 7:00 PM ET
Support for Mrs. Pietrangelo and her family
As you may have heard, Ms. Pietrangelo was in a serious accident Thursday, September 10th. Many families have asked what they can do to help. Here are some specific ways you can help:
GoFundMe: A gofundme account has been established to help the family with expenses. If you would like to make a direct financial contribution to the family, please go to https://gf.me/u/yzjqsu
Gift Cards: the following gift cards were suggested to us by the school and her friends.
- Door Dash and Grub Hub (so her husband, Matt, can order from area restaurants)
- Arlington area restaurant gift cards (Ms. Pietrangelo lives in Arlington with her husband and two young children)
- Grocery Stores in Arlington: Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Stop & Shop
- Gas gift cards
- Amazon
Meals: Since the accident, the family has received a great deal of food from friends and neighbors, so meals are not currently needed. However, in the weeks and months ahead, they will likely need meals. At that time, we will post information on how you can sign up to provide meals for the family.
Thank you all for reaching out!
SENIOR UPDATES
Sunday, October 18 - Yearbook Senior photos due
Please email karen_santos@bedfordps.org with any questions regarding yearbook.
Yearbook Order Form
It’s time to order your yearbook!
Our Yearbook Features ALL students in ALL grade levels. This is how you’ll remember your high school experience! Deadline to order: January 17, 2021.
Employment Permits
We know that many of you are trying to secure employment permits and there are new guidelines in place so that we can help you. Download the application with the link below. Once you have the employer sign it, you must have a parent or guardian sign as well and submit a physical if under 16. Once all of the above is done, send the completed application to our Registrar, Mrs. Powell at nancy_powell@bedfordps.org and she will prepare the work permit and email it back to you.
Link to Youth employment permit application
https://www.mass.gov/service-details/youth-employment-permit-information
Bedford High School
2020-2021 New School Hours
Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri: 7:45am - 1:03pm
Wed: 8:05am-12:55pm
Phone: 781-275-1700
Absence Line: 781-918-4561
Fax: 781-275-6664