Superintendent’s Update on Reopening the Bedford Schools ~ August 7, 2020

Thank you to everyone who attended and participated in the School Committee meeting on Wednesday night.  It was wonderful to hear from so many of you on the important decision of how to reopen our schools for the 2020-2021 school year.  I am happy to report that the committee voted to open the school year in the hybrid model.

The committee also voted to approve the amended 2020 – 2021 district calendar for the school year.  The calendar, based on the recommendation of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, that reduces the number of student days from 180 to 170. The first day for students would be no sooner than Wednesday, September 16, 2020.

The committee also asked us to create a remote model that is a Bedford curriculum taught by Bedford teachers for Bedford students and to review a phased approach returning students to school.  We began working collaboratively on these items on Thursday morning. This included asking families to give us their initial (non-binding) return to school preferences.  This survey was put out through ASPEN and we are asking families to complete it as soon as possible.  Thank you to everyone who has completed the survey. Our next request for initial (non-binding) return to school preferences will be a cooperative survey of our faculty.  This survey will be going out soon. Please note that if we utilize a staggered opening schedule the first day of school for an individual student may be later than Wednesday, September 16, 2020.

As part of our process, we will expand our task force model to include collaborative teams in each building.  These teams will be made up of educators, administrators, and other school staff who can develop solutions to the myriad of challenges faced in the work to reopen schools.  The teams will work on and report back to the task forces, the school district, and the teachers association.  These collaborative teams will help us create detailed plans for each building.

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Please keep in mind that as we enter the month of August and get closer to the start of the school year that Governor Baker’s August COVID-19 Travel Order becomes important for all of us.  The order is for all visitors and residents who are entering Massachusetts.  The reason for the order is to limit the spread of COVID-19.  The order states that visitors and residents must quarantine for fourteen days or produce a negative COVID-19 test result within 72 hours of arrival in Massachusetts unless you are returning from a lower-risk state.  For more information please go to COVID-19 Travel Order  This is important if you or your family are planning travel to other parts of the country or world that have a high-risk than Massachusetts.  This will become particularly important as we get closer to the start of school.

Please note that Bedford Town Manager Ms. Sarah Stanton and her staff update the community on the most current COVID-19 information for the town of Bedford.  Please see her reports at Town of Bedford News and Announcements

Thank you for your patience, your participation, and your continued commitment to our schools.

Wishing you continued health,

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