BUCCANEER NEWS Vol. #11 11/10/2025

• Here is a list of the sporting events for this week (UPDATED)
• Weekly Staff and Parent Bulletin Requests

1) [New] New Quarter, Fresh Start: Tardy Counts Reset

2) [NEW] Public Library Survey

3) [REMINDER] SNAP Benefits

4) [REMINDER] BHS Basketball Fundraiser

5) [REMINDER] Parent/Teacher Conferences

This Week:

11/11 (Tu) No School - Veteran's Day

11/12 (W) Shawsheen Field Trip (8th Grade)

11/13 (Th) Mental Health Screen (emails have been sent from counseling team)

Next Week (So Far):

11/19 (W) Parent Teacher Conferences 2:15-4:15

Being on time is an important skill—both for academic success and for building lifelong habits. When students arrive promptly, they start the day feeling calm and prepared, and they’re better able to engage in their morning classes. We are proud of the effort so many of our students have made so far, and we encourage all students to continue working toward consistent, punctual attendance.

Here are some helpful strategies to support your child’s morning routine:

• Establish a consistent bedtime and wake-up schedule, even on weekends, to help regulate sleep patterns.
• Prepare as much as possible the night before—packing backpacks, charging Chromebooks, laying out clothes, and organizing materials.
• Build in buffer time in the morning routine for unexpected delays (slow starts, missing items, weather, etc.).
• Check traffic or bus pick-up times ahead of time if transportation affects your child’s arrival.
• Talk with your child about any patterns or challenges they’re facing in the morning and problem-solve togeher.
• Reach out to us if there are ongoing obstacles—we are here to support families and students in building successful routines.

Thank you for your partnership in helping students start each day ready to learn. If you have any questions or need support with attendance or morning routines, please don’t hesitate to contact us or your student's counselor.

UPDATE: We are not going to be asking students to complete this survey however feel free to send it to your child.

The public library is doing a strategic planning survey over the next two weeks and would love to get middle schoolers' input (they're a huge part of their afterschool crowd).

direct link to survey

To plan for the next five years, Bedford Free Public Library is evaluating its current and potential youth programs, services, and materials. To express our appreciation for you completing the following brief survey, the Library will award a $25 Visa gift card to four winners drawn at random from eligible entries. To be eligible to win, you must complete and submit the entire survey. Please help us by completing this survey by November 15, 2025.

Bedford Public School Nutrition supports all families by ensuring our community knows of the availability of free nutritious lunch and breakfast at our schools every school day and will continue to do so. Please see the enclosed link to our school menus. https://bedfordpsmanutrition.org/index.php?sid=1598992805232&page=menus

Also, please take note of Project Bread's FoodSource Hotline https://projectbread.org/foodsource-hotline, FoodSource hotline counselors, in 180 languages, can help families find food assistance through other sources such as the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program and local food pantries.

Last and not least, our local Bedford Food Bank has shared this statement. During the federal shutdown, the Bedford Food Bank will operate its 3 core services as usual: · Drive-through Food Bank – Thursdays, 3:30 – 5:30 pmbehind the Town Center (Yellow) Building, 10 Mudge Way, Bedford · Home delivery program for homebound and disabled Bedford residents – call 781-275-7727 · Self-service locker program - guests who cannot attend the drive-through program can come to the Town Center and retrieve their distribution at their convenience - call 781-275-7727

We understand that a prolonged shutdown may increase the number of neighbors seeking free, healthy food, and we are committed to supporting them. Our mission remains constant: To provide nutritious food and personal items with dignity, supporting the health and well-being of every household. The Bedford Food Bank (BFB) motto is “Sharing Good Food.” The Bedford Food Bank is here for our community, and our work continues. If you need to find a food pantry near you, outside of the 3 offerings above, please visit: https://www.vivery.org/find-food/#food-finder-map. If you’d like to support the good work of the Bedford Food Bank during this challenging time, please consider making a tax-deductible donation. Checks can be made out to: The Town of Bedford, c/o Bedford Health Department, 12 Mudge Way, Bedford, MA 01730.

On the rare occasion you are requesting an item be placed in a weekly bulletin, please refrain from email and please use the Google Form listed as

• Weekly Staff and Parent Bulletin Requests

It is listed above so you may access it from these bulletins anytime.

Using the link will ensure your item is considered in a timely manner. I typically check them every Sunday. Any item I have questions about may need to wait so please give 2 weeks notice as

Think ahead and order a yearbook for your child! Go to www.yearbookordercenter.com and put in code 4008 for John Glenn middle school. We do order extras and do not always have enough to go around in June so secure yours now! As we get closer to to the end of the year, the price will increase to ensure we meet our ordering quota. Please purchase now and get them when they are at their lowest! Email Ms.Beinert with any questions or if you require financial assistance this year.

CLUBS

JGMS has a variety of clubs and sports that meet outside of school hours. The list of clubs are listed here

SPORTS

For students who want to compete in sports at JGMS, please sign up here

Sports Opportunities at JGMS: Students have a variety of options. Here is a list of sports that we offer at JGMS throughout the year.

Coaching Staff: JGMS offers four sports in the fall. Please contact the JGMS coach with questions. Please contact your child's coach via email for information regarding games, practices, or changes to schedules. Sports schedules can be found each week at the link at the top of bulletin listed as "This week's sports schedule - Click "view Schedules" on right to find Middle School schedules. Practice/Tryout information for sports are listed below.

GENERAL:

JGMS Athletic Coordinator: Ken Norling

FALL:

JGMS Cross Country: Ken Norling

JGMS Boys Soccer: Pete Simonini

JGMS Girls Soccer: Paul Harrington

JGMS Field Hockey: Indigo FoxTree indigo_foxtree-mcgrath@bedfordps.org

JGMS Football: Joe Curran joseph_curran@bedfordps.org

WINTER:

JGMS Boys Basketball: Vinnie McGrath

JGMS Girls Basketball: Greg Hinz

SPRING:

JGMS Boys Baseball: TBD

JGMS Girls Softball: TBD

JGMS Co-Ed Outdoor Track: Ken Norling

Please be aware and follow the drop off and pick up routines designed to provide a safe environment for entry and exit of students.

DROP OFF: Please see the drop off routines below

Students who:

• walk/bike to school may enter in the front by the School Administration wing or the parking lot door

• ride the bus to school should enter in the front by the School Administration wing

• ride in a car to school should enter in the back parking lot. Caretakers should follow the traffic pattern laid out below in the morning

PICK UP: Please see the pick up routines below

Student who:

• walk/bike from school may exit any door that is most convenient.

• ride the bus from school may exit may exit any door that is most convenient. These students will walk to Bedford High School to pick up the bus. Dismissal at JGMS is at 2:16 and the dismissal at BHS is at 2:24. Busses will depart from Bedford High School at 2:28.

• ride in a car from school should exit the school by the parking lot. Caretakers should follow the traffic pattern laid out below in the afternoon.

Attendance: Please let us know when your child will be absent, late, or dismissed by emailing JGMS_Attendance@bedfordps.org. If for a dismissal, please indicate a time as well. You can also send a note with your child to be dropped off in the main office prior to going to class. If we know of a dismissal ahead of time we will attempt to have your child ready when you arrive.

Religious Holidays: Please follow the directions explained here.

Tech Support: If your child is having technical trouble throughout the school year please send an email to tech_support@bedfordps.org.

Taking the Bus: Please see the guidance on the district’s transportation website. Please review the transportation guidelines with your children as we hope families will choose to ride the bus again.

Sports schedules: Please visit the sports section of the website to access the schedules of the upcoming seasons. You can click on “view schedules” under the calendar on the right. You should look for “middle school” teams when searching for your child’s sport.