Lane Notes

November 10 - 21 - Coins for a Cause Drive (information below)

November 11 - NO SCHOOL - Veterans Day

November 12 - School Picture Retakes 8:45 AM

November 12 - Parent-Teacher Conferences 1:30 - 4:00 PM

November 13 - 5th Grade Orchestra rehearsal 7:30 - 8:15 AM, Multipurpose Room

November 14 - 5th Grade Band rehearsal 7:30 - 8:15 AM, Multipurpose Room

November 17 - 4th Grade Orchestra rehearsal 7:30 - 8:15 AM, Multipurpose Room

November 19 - 5th Grade Band rehearsal 7:30 - 8:15, Multipurpose Room

November 19 - Bedford Elementary Curriculum Night 6:00 - 7:00 PM, Davis School (adult-only event)

November 21 - 5th Grade Orchestra rehearsal 7:30 - 8:15 AM, Multipurpose Room

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

Hayward Photography will be doing RETAKES at Lane on Wednesday, November 12th, starting at 8:45 AM. Retakes are for students who

1. were absent on School Picture day

OR

2. are dissatisfied with the picture that was taken on School Picture Day.

If you want a retake done, and you ORDERED A PHOTO PACKAGE, you must bring the PHOTO PACKAGE to school on RETAKE day to return to Hayward Photography

If you want a retake done, and you received a NO BUY/PROOF card, you do not need to return anything to the studio.

Thank you BEST PTO and all the parent volunteers that helped set up and/or donated items for Staff Appreciation on Thursday, November 6th. We enjoyed and appreciated all the beverages and snacks!

Student Council is organizing a coin drive to benefit the Bedford Food Pantry.

Dear Lane School Community,

As we approach the “giving season,” Lane School will be doing our part to care for others within our community. Each year we look to support those around us that may be in need. This will be a two phased program starting with, Project Thanksgiving Meal Support. This phase will focus on providing gift cards to local grocery stores for anyone who needs it, to purchase what they need for a Thanksgiving meal or other grocery items. We are looking for donations or gift cards to local grocery stores (any amounts). All gift cards and donations go directly to families within our Lane School community. (Phase 2 of our support program will be announced just after Thanksgiving.)

Donations will be collected from now until Thursday, November 20th.

Two Ways To Donate:
Student Delivery: Gift card donations can be brought in and left with the front office
Monetary Donations: Cash, check (made out to “Lane Good Cheer” with a memo of Holiday Support, or Venmo @LtJobLane labeled "Holliday Support"

If you or someone you know from our direct school community can benefit from this program, please reach out to me or one of our guidance counselors (listed below). This information will be kept confidential.
Audrey_Jackson@bedfordps.org
Francesca_Shaw@bedfordps.org
Kristen_Lerra@bedfordps.org
Samantha_Cormier@bedfordps.org

As always, please reach out with any questions.

Respectfully,
Kevin Smaldone
Assistant Principal- Lane School

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!

As the colder weather becomes more the norm, our Lost & Found tends to grow by leaps and bounds. Please remind your child to check the Lost & Found for their items and parents can come in at anytime to check themselves. And, if you have labeled your child's items clearly with their name, we were certainly attempt to get items back to their rightful owner. Thank you!

Thanks to a grant from the Bedford Cultural Council and parent volunteers, the Bedford Science Center at Lane School was able to design and build a two-octave tubulum. ( If you have seen Blue Man Group they use a tubulum as one of their instruments…) It is made out of different lengths of PVC pipe to make different pitches. The tubulum is outside at recess for students to try (by banging the pipe with an old flip flop). This instrument is a wonderful display of music and science. We love all the student questions: why do longer pipes have a lower pitch? Does it matter if the PVC pipe is straight or curvy? Is this a wind instrument or percussion?

Thanks very much to the Bedford Cultural Council for making this possible!

Dear Bedford Families,

In preparation for our first conference window, we want to share an overview of the district's universal assessments. At your fall conference, teachers will discuss literacy and math assessment data along with how your student is adjusting to the new school year.

Early Literacy Screening Guidelines:

Effective July 1, 2023, all Massachusetts schools are required to conduct literacy screenings a minimum of twice per year for all students in Kindergarten through at least third grade. In compliance with the Massachusetts guidelines, the Bedford Public Schools assesses each student's reading ability and progress in literacy skills, from Kindergarten through grade 5, using DIBELS 8th Edition. This screener is a developmentally appropriate screening instrument, approved by the Department of Education.

Bedford Early Literacy Screeners:

DIBELS 8th Edition (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) is a short screener made up of subtests that assess phonemic awareness, phonics, and oral reading fluency skills, depending on the grade administered. The DIBELS 8th Edition is given to all students K-5 in a 1:1 setting a minimum of 3 times per year.

Additional Screeners:

In addition to DIBELS, the Bedford Public Schools administers the Renaissance STAR assessment (grades 1-10) in reading and math three times per year. The Massachusetts Department of Secondary and Elementary Education also approves this assessment. By using this assessment tool in grades 1-10, we can track student progress throughout their learning career.

Our Next Steps After Assessments:

Following each assessment period, all K-5 teachers engage in data meetings. At this time, both reading and math screening data are reviewed. Teachers determine instructional moves that will meet student needs, including differentiated instruction or supplementary, evidence-based instruction, and progress monitoring. Using identifying criteria, the next steps may include working with a reading specialist or a Title I math teacher, both general education services. If your child meets the criteria for intervention, you will be notified by your classroom teacher.

The goal of the Bedford Public Schools is that all of our students see themselves as lifelong learners, and we are grateful for your continued support and partnership. Please reach out to Andrea or Annie with any questions regarding the screening assessments.

Annie Pumphrey

anne_pumphrey@bedfordps.org

K-5 Math Curriculum Coordinator

Andrea Salipante

andrea_salipante@bedfordps.org

K-5 ELA Curriculum Coordinator

Dear Parents,

Lorene Simoneau, BSN, RN, NCSN

Lane School Nurse
Bedford Public Schools

66 Sweetwater Ave.

Bedford, MA 01730

Ph: 781-275-7623

Fax:781-275-1013

Dear Families,

The federal government will not be using contingency funds to pay for November SNAP benefits. Therefore, effective Saturday, November 1, over 1 million residents of Massachusetts, including 277,000 school aged children in 168,000 households, will not receive their SNAP benefits. Seemingly, SNAP benefits will not continue to be paid until the federal government shutdown is over.

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 but 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 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

Spirit Wear Pop-Up Store is now open!

Our Spirit Wear Pop-Up Store is open now through November 16, featuring awesome gear for students and families!

Click here to browse the collection.

Don’t miss your chance to grab exclusive spirit wear and support our school community.

Winter Collection Drive - Wish Project

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)

Drop-off Dates:
November 17 through December 12

Every item makes a difference!

Grade Level Spirit Shirt orders - order deadline EXTENDED to Friday, November 14th!

We are excited to offer families the opportunity to purchase spirit shirts for School Activities at Davis and Lane Elementary! Each classroom has been assigned a color for their students to wear for a variety of school activities.

Key Details:

• Shirt Orders Due by: Friday, November 14th
• Shirts will be shipped directly to the school and delivered to your student's teacher

Scan the QR Code or Click Here to order yours today.

Dine & Donate with BEST PTO

Support BEST PTO by dining in or taking out! Ken’s NY Deli will donate 10% of all proceeds to BEST PTO!

Tuesday, November 11

4 PM to close

Enjoy a great meal while helping fund enrichment programs for our students and teacher appreciation events at Davis and Lane Schools!

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!

Parents Diversity Council and Metco Bowling Party

Saturday, November 15th | 2:00PM - 4:00PM

Urban Wild | 100 Hood Park Drive | Somerville
PDC and Metco invite all Bedford MA school families to an afternoon of bowling and socializing at Urban Wild in Somerville.

$30 per family. Includes all food, soft drinks, and bowling. Generously supported in part by a grant from Boston Bridges Initiative

Please RSVP here and submit payment by November 7! Can’t wait to see you there!

Contact pdcbedford@gmail.com with any questions.

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:

Come and discuss special education programming in Bedford and how we can best support our children.

Thursday, November 13 @ 9:00 AM - All are welcome!

Euphoria Coffee

355 Great Road

https://euphoriacoffeebedfordma.com/

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