Lane Notes

November 26 - Early Release 11:30 AM (no lunch served)

November 27 & 28 - NO SCHOOL

December 1 - 4th Grade Orchestra rehearsal 7:30 - 8:15 AM, Multipurpose Room

December 2 - 5th Grade Band rehearsal 7:30 - 8:15 AM, Multipurpose Room

December 3 - Student Council meeting 7:30 - 8:15, Multipurpose Room

December 4 - 5th Grade Orchestra rehearsal 7:30 - 8:15 AM, Multipurpose Room

December 8 - 4th Grade Orchestra rehearsal 7:30 - 8:15 AM, Multipurpose Room

December 9 - Green Team meeting 7:30 - 8:15 AM, Multipurpose Room

December 10 - 5th Grade Band rehearsal 7:30 - 8:15 AM, Multipurpose Room

December 11 - 5th Grade Orchestra rehearsal 7:30 - 8:15 AM, Multipurpose Room

December 16 - 4th Grade Orchestra rehearsal 7:30 - 8:15 AM, Multipurpose Room

December 17 - 5th Grade Band rehearsal 7:30 - 8:15 AM, Multipurpose Room

December 18 - Lane School Concert (Gr. 5 Chorus, Gr. 5 Band, Gr. 4 & 5 Orchestra) 7:00 PM, Bedford High School

December 24 - January 2 - December Break - NO SCHOOL

2025-2026 District Calendar

Breakfast & Lunch Menus

Please be aware that the online school menus do list the ingredients and allergens for foods offered on the monthly calendars. Just hover over the menu choices and you can see the ingredients and allergens listed. For special menu requests or questions, please contact Andrea Donnellan/Cafeteria Manager at andrea_donnellan@bedfordps.org

If your student orders a school lunch, please be sure to check over the choices for each day to ensure your student does not order something they are allergic to. Here is the link to our lunch menu at Lane:

https://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/webmenus2/#/view?id=68f67b15293426683f05e021&siteCode=20807

We are aware that many families travel during the holidays, and would like to remind you to please call or email the office and report these absences ahead of time. Thank you for your cooperation!

Our Lost & Found is growing by leaps & bounds! PLEASE remind your child to check the Lost & Found (in the hallway outside the gym) for any of their belongings. And, if you have labeled your child's items clearly with their name, we will certainly attempt to get items back to their rightful owner. Thank you!

Guidelines for When Your Child Is Sick

Knowing when to keep your child home from school due to illness can sometimes be a difficult decision. Much depends on what type of symptoms your child has. When making this decision, please keep in mind the following guidelines.

Keep your child at home if any one of the following occurs:

Vomiting within the last 24 hours
Diarrhea within the last 24 hours
Temperature of 100 degrees F or higher within the last 24 hours without anti-fever medication
Strep is suspected, but results of the culture have not been confirmed
Positive throat culture for strep: student may return 24 hours after antibiotic treatment has begun
Any symptoms of acute illness such as persistent cough, runny nose with body aches
+Covid: Return if fever free 24hours with minimal symptoms/Masked first 5 days.
+Flu/Pneumonia: return when fever free 24hrs. and feeling well

Your child should be able to control nasal secretions with proper use of tissues. If there is a cough, it should be infrequent and not likely to be disruptive to the class. Your child should feel that he/she could get through the planned school day without exclusion from outdoor recess or gym.

Why???

Your child should look and behave like him/herself for 24 hours before returning to school.

To protect your child from exposure to more infection before he/she is able to build resistance.

To protect the other children and staff from communicable disease transmission.

**Remember- HAND WASHING is the most effective means of preventing the spread of communicable diseases!!!

To help prevent the spread of communicable diseases at school, please report all communicable illnesses (i.e. Covid, Strep throat, Bacterial infections, Fifth disease, etc.) to the absent line or contact your school nurse directly. Please call your child’s school nurse if you have any questions or you need help determining whether your child is well enough to attend school.

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.

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 pm, behind 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 or you can make a donation via credit card by navigating to https://unipaygold.unibank.com/CustomerInfo.aspx?Customerid=2791

Spread Good Cheer to Our Amazing Staff

Each year, the Davis and Lane communities come together to recognize the dedicated "behind the scenes" staff who help make our children's school day run smoothly.

From office staff and nurses to custodians, specials teachers, cafeteria workers, and crossing guards these individuals play a vital role in our schools.

As a token of gratitude, we provide small gifts to these staff during the winter season and again at the end of the school year.

How you can help

We invite families to contribute to the BEST PTO Appreciation Fund, which supports:

Winter & end of the school year gift cards to support staff
Teacher Appreciation Week meals and gifts
Hospitality meals for teachers and staff throughout the year
Retirement gifts for staff who are retiring in June

You can choose to:

Donate once for the entire year
Make smaller contributions toward each initiative

For winter season gifts, we suggest a donation of $5 per child.

Please note: This donation is separate from the teacher/assistant gifts collected by the Room Parents for individual classes.

How to donate:

Online: Donate now to the Appreciation Fund
By check: Payable to BEST PTO Appreciation Fund and drop off at Davis or Lane Schools

Thanks for spreading Good Cheer!

Winter Collection Drive now through December 12

Donate gently used or new winter gear to help fill the shelves of the Wish Project.

What to donate:

Gloves & Mittens
Winter Hats
Winter Boots
Winter Jackets
Snow bibs and pants
Cold Weather Clothing (pants, pajamas and sweaters)

Donation Guidelines: Please ensure all items are clean, free of rips and tears, and fully functional (zippers, buttons, etc.)

Drop-off Locations:

Davis School
Lane School
Nick Squared Detailing – 9 Wagon Wheel Drive, Bedford (leave your donation in the bin at the front door)
Líf Book Store – 18 North Rd. Unit 1B, Bedford
Crafted Together – 30 South Rd, Bedford

Every item makes a difference!

World Language Program Instructors Needed

The BEST PTO is looking for parent volunteers to teach in our World Language Program at Davis Elementary!

This fun, before-school enrichment program introduces 1st and 2nd graders to new languages through songs, games, and hands-on activities.

Program Details:

Two 6-week sessions:
- Session 1: March 2 – April 10, 2026
- Session 2: May 4 – June 12, 2026
Classes meet once a week for 30 minutes before school in the Davis library
Small class sizes (about 6 students)
As an instructor, your child/children attending Davis school can participate in the World Language Program without having to go through the lottery selection process

Interested? Click here and sign up by November 24.

BEST PTO Volunteer Opportunities

We have so many exciting events and opportunities coming up this year, and we’d love your help! Whether you have a little time or a lot, there’s a place for you to get involved and make a difference in our school community.

Fill out our Volunteer Interest Google Form

Thank you for helping us make this a great year for our students, families, and staff!

All adults (over 18 years of age) that are volunteering and/or visiting the school for programming must have a valid CORI, SORI, and signed confidentiality agreement on file before volunteering/visiting.

Starting 9/20/24, the district adopted a 3-year expiration for the CORI/SORI. If your last CORI/SORI was processed on 9/20/24 or after, it is valid for 3 years. If you submitted your most recent CORI/SORI before that date, you will need to fill out new forms this school year, and they will be valid for 3 years. You may call the Lane Office or email us to check if you have a valid CORI/SORI on file.

To be in full compliance with our HR Department and the State, all CORI/SORI 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.

Please plan ahead and allow at 10 - 14 days for processing, so that you don’t get stuck and are prohibited from volunteering.

Forms are applicable for all 4 schools in the district, so you only need to fill out forms at one school (i.e. if you fill out forms at Davis, you do not need to fill out forms at Lane).

Dollars for Scholars Launches Fall Campaign

Bedford Dollars for Scholars’ annual Fall Appeal fund drive is underway. Donations may be made through the following link:

Donate Now | CSF of Bedford Dollars for Scholars

The chapter, affiliated with Scholarship America, has awarded $3.7 million to 3,770 students to help them finance further education. The most recent award cycle was $197,475 to 124 students, presented in May. Eligible recipients are all Bedford High School graduating seniors as well as other Bedford and Hanscom residents graduating from other high school programs.

Fundraiser at Ken’s NY Deli & Brick Oven Pizzeria

72 The Great Road in Bedford, on Tuesday, Nov. 25

A portion of all purchases from 4-9 pm will be dedicated to Bedford Dollars for Scholars.

Supporters also may send checks via mail to: Bedford Dollars for Scholars, Post Office

Box 585, Bedford, MA 01730. Please write “fall appeal” on the memo line.

Other upcoming fundraising events are the annual Trivia Night on Feb. 7 and the Mail-a-

thon in March and April 2026.

The Bedford Education Foundation (BEF) is excited to welcome new volunteers as we start the 2025–26 school year! We are a K-12 organization and many of our dedicated volunteers have supported the BEF for five, ten, or even more years, and now it’s the perfect time to bring in fresh voices and ideas. Want to learn more ... please reach out to Jen Kelley at president@bedfordeducation.org.

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
Facebook group: https://www.facebook. com/groups/BEDFORDMASEPAC/

Bedford SEPAC General Meetings:

Monday, December 8 @ 7:00 PM with Marianne Vines, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services

Zoom Meeting: https://bedfordps-org.zoom.us/j/2922114144

Upcoming Events:

December 2025/January 2026: Caregiver Night Out at Pinot's Palette

Early 2026: Lenora Campoli Speaker Series Presentation

Cell Phones and Smart Watches

If a student brings a cell phone or smart watch to school, it should stay in their backpack during the day. Of course, we understand that some students may need their devices for medical reasons, and we're always happy to work with families to make the right accommodations.

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.

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 form you turned in, please notify the main office via:
- a note sent in with your child
- email Becky Ricci rebecca_ricci@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/late arrival, 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
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)

Upcoming School Events Upcoming School Events

School Menus and Allergies School Menus and Allergies

Holiday Absences Holiday Absences

Lost & Found Lost & Found

From the Lane School Nurse From the Lane School Nurse

From The BPS School Nutrition Department From The BPS School Nutrition Department

BEST/PTO BEST/PTO

Required forms for Volunteers Required forms for Volunteers

CSF of Bedford: Dollars for Scholars CSF of Bedford: Dollars for Scholars

BEF BEF

SEPAC SEPAC

School Policy Reminders School Policy Reminders