Lane Notes
Week of March 11, 2024
Upcoming Events
March 13 - Parent-Teacher Conferences 1:30 - 4 PM
March 15 - No School for Students - Teacher Professional Development Day
March 18 - 21 - Lane School Book Fair (more details below)
March 19 - Band Vertical Concert (Grade 5 Band) - 7 PM @ BHS (snow date: March 21)
March 20 - Strings Vertical Concert (Grade 4 & 5 Strings) - 7 PM @ BHS (snow date: March 21)
March 20 - Parent-Teacher Conferences 1:30 - 7 PM
March 21 - 5th Grade Parent Puberty meeting 6:00 PM (Zoom meeting)
March 28 - Green Team meeting 7:30 AM - Teachers’ Room
April 11 - 5th Grade Talent Show Dress Rehearsal for Families 6:00 PM - Cafeteria
April 12 - 5th Grade Talent Show School Performance (morning)
April 15 - 19 School Closed for April Vacation Week
April 24 - Ice Cream Social 5:30 - 7:30 PM (more details to come)
MCAS Schedule
Tuesday, April 2 Grade 5 ELA
Thursday, April 4 Grade 5 ELA
Friday, April 5 Grade 3 ELA
Monday, April 8 Grade 3 ELA
Tuesday, April 9 Grade 4 ELA
Thursday, April 11 Grade 4 ELA
April 22 - 26 Grades 3-5 ELA Make-up
Tuesday, May 7 Grade 3 Math
Thursday, May 9 Grade 3 Math
Monday, May 13 Grade 5 Math
Tuesday, May 14 Grade 5 Math
Thursday, May 16 Grade 4 Math
Friday, May 17 Grade 4 Math
Monday, May 20 Grade 5 Science
Tuesday, May 21 Grade 5 Science
May 22 - 24 Grades 3-5 Math/Science Make-up
Please note that if a student is absent on a MCAS testing date, they will make up the test once they return to school. We may utilize the make-up days listed above, but other dates may be used, dependent on staffing and numbers of students participating.
A Note from the School Nurse
A reminder to be proactive with handwashing and closely monitoring illness symptoms as we are still in the peak of cold/flu season. It is a 5 week stretch of togetherness without a break in the cycle until we get to April vacation.
Please review our illness guidelines and keep your student home if they are ill: https://www.bedfordps.org/sites/g/files/vyhlif2786/f/uploads/illness_guidelines.pdf
School policy on Covid guidelines has not changed per the MDPH/Bedford BOH and DESE. Please report any cases of communicable illness to the school nurse. Covid test kits are available at Town offices and via your school nurse.
Stay well!
Lorene
A Note From the Principal
Reminder: students CANNOT go outside for recess when wearing shorts, when the temperature is below 32 degrees. When there is snow on the ground, students need to wear snow pants and boots to play in the snow at recess. Otherwise, they need to stay on the hardtop.
Donations
Snack Donations
Help Our Guinea Pigs
Lane School is fortunate to have four therapeutic guinea pigs. Donations of lettuce, green peppers, cucumbers, or other leafy greens are greatly appreciated and can be left in the labeled bin just outside of the main office.
District Screening Assessments
The following information was sent home with students (please check your child's backpack/folder), and is provided here for your reference.
March 4, 2024
Dear Lane School Families,
In preparation for your Spring conferences, we want to remind you of the district's universal screening assessments and the reports that you will be receiving. As a piece of your March conference, teachers will be sharing screening data which will again include DIBELS and for the first time, the Star data.
As a reminder, the Bedford Public Schools has adopted the Star Renaissance benchmark assessments in reading and math for grades 1-10. This assessment is a screening tool that is approved by the Massachusetts Department of Secondary and Elementary Education. As a reminder, a universal screener is a tool that quickly identifies what level of support a student may need in a given topic, in this case, literacy and math. A screener captures where a student is at one moment in time and is used along with other data points and student daily presentation in order to determine instructional moves that will meet student needs. This may include differentiated instruction or supplementary, evidence-based instruction, and progress monitoring.
When you meet with your classroom teacher, they will review the information with you. After your conference, we encourage you to reach out with any lingering questions regarding the screening data or how we use the data to plan instruction.
Andrea Salipante
andrea_salipante@bedfordps.org
K-5 ELA Curriculum Coordinator
Annie Pumphrey
K-5 Math Curriculum Coordinator
BEST PTO Announcements
2024 Read-A-Thon!
Let’s A Go! Who’s ready to level up their reading?! Our 2024 Read-A-Thon is in full swing and this week is Spirit Week! Click on the calendar link below to see the theme for each day. Keep recording those reading minutes and you can refer to our Read A Thon documents on the BEST website to help answer any questions regarding this event.
All students who participate will be eligible for prizes, regardless of their ability to fundraise.
Membership Toolkit
Stay up to date with all of the latest school and community events by joining Membership Toolkit today! If your family is already registered, make sure you update/review your family’s information and email preferences for this year. Head over to bestpto.membershiptoolkit.com to get started.
World Language information session for Gr. 3 Parents
Dear Grade 3 Families:
Please note that on Monday, March 18th, at 7:00 PM, we will be holding an online information session via Zoom regarding the choice of World Language for Grade 4 students. We kindly ask that you confirm your child's language preference by April vacation. Following the Zoom session, we will provide an online form for you to officially enroll your child in either Spanish or French for next year.
As we approach the March 18th meeting, I will share the Zoom link with you.
Sincerely,
Rob Ackerman
Principal
Lane School Book Fair
Monday, March 18 - open until 4 PM
Tuesday, March 19 - open until 4 PM
Wednesday, March 20 - open until 7 PM
Thursday, March 21 - open until 4 PM
Please note that students will attend the book fair with their class, during the school day, and parents and caregivers are welcome to visit the book fair after school is dismissed for the day (after 2:46 PM on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday; after 1:17 PM on Wednesday).
Our vendor, Fantastic Book Fairs, is no longer doing teacher wish lists, and instead they are setting up "Book Buying Funds" in each of the teacher's names. Please visit the Book Fair website at https://fantasticbookfairs.com/pages/Lane to contribute to a teacher fund (teacher fund links will be up on the site soon) or to shop on-line.
5th Grade Parent Puberty Night
Thursday, March 21 @ 6:00 PM, via Zoom
A message from Mrs. Post and Mr. Smith:
Every spring, we present the 5th grade students with a puberty lesson. This
content is in the 5th grade health curriculum and is something we typically do during our
Project Adventure time.
We are hosting a parent Zoom night on Thursday, March 21, @ 6:00 PM. This will
provide the opportunity for you to view the video we are using and to ask any
questions that you may have.
The Zoom link will be sent out to 5th grade parents the morning of Wednesday, March
20. If you are unable to attend the meeting, we have included the links below to the
videos for your viewing.
Hope to see you then.
Mrs. Post and Mr. Smith
Co-Ed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw1N06PKhu4
Relay for Life - Kid's Night Out
Click anywhere on the image above to access the URL linked to the QR code.
SEPAC Announcements
BEDFORD SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council)
SEPAC is a group of parents & caregivers of children receiving special education support and/or children with disabilities. All parents & caregivers welcome! We meet for support, education, networking and resource sharing.
Email: bedfordmasepac@gmail.com
Web: bedfordmasepac.org
Facebook group: https://www.facebook. com/groups/BEDFORDMASEPAC/
Bedford SEPAC General Meetings: Virtual
Come and discuss special education programming in Bedford and how we can best support our children.
Thurs, Mar 14, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Wed, Apr 24, 2024 at 7:30 PM with guest Marianne Vines
Thurs, May 16, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/4172275285?pwd=OTZaeHZOM3lSY1h4Z0J5SndVMTk0Zz09
Meeting ID: 417 227 5285
Passcode: 333333
Youth Public Safety Academy
From Justin Brooks, our School Resource Officer ... please click below to see the flyer with more information.
School Policy Reminders
Bus Policy
Please note that it is district policy to bus Lane students to their home address or to that of a regularly scheduled caregiver. Bus transportation is not to be used for play dates or extra-curricular activities.
CORI forms
To be in full compliance with our HR Department and the State, all CORI forms MUST BE SUBMITTED in person, with a valid picture ID, ONLY by the person whose name appears on the form. Forms will not be accepted via kid mail, email, or spouse, etc. The district requires parent volunteers (chaperones on field trips, room parents, helpers in the classroom, etc.) to complete a new CORI each school year.
Please come to the office and complete a CORI well ahead of needing one, so that you don’t get stuck without one and then are prohibited from volunteering.
Dismissal Changes
At the start of the school year, all students were given a yellow Lane Transportation Plan form for caregivers to fill out and return to the school. If, on a given day, your child’s dismissal is different from what you have indicated on the yellow Lane Transportation Plan sheet you turned in, please notify the main office via:
- a note sent in with your child
- email Becky Ricci rebecca_ricci@bedfordps.org and Karen Lua karen_lua@bedfordps.org (you can also copy your child’s teacher)
OR
a phone call 781-275-7606.
If your child is attending an after school program, a music lesson, etc. after school, in addition to notifying the office, please remind your child in the morning of their dismissal plan in the afternoon. Thank you!
Absences and Late Arrivals and Early Dismissals
Please note that ALL absences and late arrivals must be reported to the office, by 9 am on the day of. If it is a planned absence, you can let us know ahead of time so you don’t have to remember the day of. You can call the main number, 781-275-7606, and leave a message on the Absence Line at any time of day or night (if your child will be arriving late, the message can be left on the Absence line as well). Your message should include your name and a call back number, your child’s name & teacher, and the reason for the absence or late arrival. Alternatively, you may email the information to Becky Ricci rebecca_ricci@bedfordps.org and Karen Lua karen_lua@bedfordps.org
If we do not have notification from you regarding an absence, you may receive an automated call, email, and text message from School Messenger, asking you to call the office as soon as possible.
Early Dismissals
Please also let the office and your child's teacher know about early dismissals the morning of (or earlier. You may send in a note with your child (which the teacher will send to the office) or your may email or call first thing in the morning. This way the teacher and your child can be prepared for the dismissal time, and not rush to get homework assignments and get their belongings packed up. When you arrive at the office, we will call your child's classroom and have them come to the office to meet you.
Exempt Absences
When a student is absent for medical reasons (doctor’s note required), religious observance (parent call required), court appearance (court documentation required), funeral, or suspensions from school, then that student’s absence is classified as exempt. An exempt absence does NOT count toward the allotted absences of Chapter 76, section 1 of the Massachusetts General Laws. (Please see the Lane Family Handbook for more information)