Congratulations to Bedford High School!

The BEF is proud and excited to announce our special Fall grant award! The BEF Grant Committee recently voted to fund $15,680 to assist with the further development of the Student Advisory Program at Bedford High School. While the advisory program was implemented at BHS this school year, the grant award will fund consultancy, training, and materials to make this important initiative even more successful and sustainable over the next two years. Research has shown that when students make a lasting connection with at least one caring adult, academic and personal outcomes improve. An advisory period is an important time for educators and students to develop strong interpersonal bonds. In the advisory group, a teacher, administrator or other qualified staff member will meet with students and lead group activities that address a broad range of student concerns. The goals are to:

● build safe and supportive environments
● foster a trusted relationship with at least one adult in the building
● address schoolwide and other issues when appropriate at Bedford High School
● establish a regular check in for all students
● build positive peer relationships by offering opportunities for student collaboration and conversation in mixed grade-level groupings
● creating experiences that emphasize collaboration, responsibility, leadership and problem solving

With successful advisory programs, each student knows that someone will notice and care if they are absent, struggling or doing well. The BEF is thrilled to be able to assist with the further implementation of this program, which has already been so thoughtfully introduced to BHS students during this challenging time. We thank BHS Principal Heather Galante, as well as her student and faculty Student Advisory Committees, for their application and dedication to this program. Congratulations!

Please note: This is the second grant cycle in which the BEF has awarded funds for a district-based initiative during the 2020 Covid-19 crisis. We expect to return to our mission of funding individual teacher grants when the situation in the schools makes it appropriate to do so. Please follow the BEF on Facebook and/or visit our website at www.bedfordeducation.org for further announcements in the coming months regarding fundraising and grant opportunities. Thank you, as always, for your support!

Check out all the entries in the Fall contest! Click on the rectangle at the top left of the map to display a list of categories – make sure to click the drop down arrow to display all the address. The square brackets on the top right of the map will open a larger map.

Introducing an exciting fundraiser from the BEF! This is a different kind of Fall, but the BEF is still working hard to support educators at all four schools. So, get creative, Bedford, it’s time for The BEF Great Pumpkin and Scarecrow Display Contest! More details to come, but start planning – check out the flyer below for all the info, and register on our website’s DONATE page by clicking the tab above!

Greetings, Bedford!

We at the Bedford Education Foundation hope that this update finds you and yours well at this challenging time for our community and our country as a whole. The BEF has continued to work behind the scenes in recent months to determine the best ways in which our organization can assist our schools during the Covid-19 pandemic. As mentioned in our previous update, the BEF Board voted in May to amend our July grant cycle to hold off on individual teacher grants until such a time as makes more sense, in particular after the nature of school learning for the 2020-2021 school year has been determined. Instead, we voted to allocate the amount of an average-sized grant cycle for an initiative to be proposed by central administration to ensure that these funds meet a top priority need of the district at the present time, especially given the budgetary shortfalls the schools are experiencing. The BEF will re-assess what role we may have in the Fall prior to our usual November grant cycle. Now, for some good news…

The BEF Grant Committee met last week and voted to award the Bedford Public Schools a $15,000 grant for two site licenses, one for both Davis and Lane Schools, for the Lexia Core5 Reading (Lexia) program. Lexia is an online tool that students in grades K-5 will use to build their reading skills. The program supports educators in providing differentiated literacy instruction for students of all abilities from grades Pre-K to 5. Lexia engages and motivates students in a game-like environment, provides progress-monitoring student data without a test and is accessible via iPad, Chromebook, or browser. Lexia provides all students—from at risk to on-level and advanced—a systematic and structured approach to six areas of reading, from phonological awareness to comprehension. The program provides personalized learning paths for each student through an adaptive placement and scaffolded activities that align to rigorous State standards. The BEF is pleased to support an initiative that will help so many students no matter what shape their education takes during the next school year. We would like to thank all of Bedford’s educators for their dedication and tireless work during this unprecedented time on behalf of our students, and we thank the district’s central leadership for working on this proposal. We wish all of you a safe and healthy summer!

The BEF Board would like to share an important update regarding this summer’s grant cycle. The next grant period would normally have a deadline of July 15th and thus result in a late July meeting for grant selection. The BEF Board met last week and voted unanimously to allocate $15,000 for a district-based grant initiative in lieu of our usual July grant cycle in light of the current Covid-19 crisis. This decision was made in consideration of the uncertainty surrounding the future of our students’ education going into next year and with the thought that individualized teacher-initiated grants do not seem to make the most sense at this time, given the many needs of the district as a whole as this situation is being navigated. The BEF is aware that our schools are facing budget shortfalls at a time when needs are increasing as a result of this crisis. And while we would never want to take away individual teachers’ opportunity to develop creative and innovative projects, the board agreed after discussing the idea with Assistant Superintendent Clifford, who serves as the BEF School Liaison, that such initiatives may not be a top priority at this time, especially given the need for so much additional transition preparation this summer. The grant committee will meet before the end of the school year to vote on proposals submitted by central administration to determine the exact use of this funding. Our entire organization extends our deepest gratitude to Bedford’s educators for their dedication and hard work during this unprecedented time, and we look forward to continuing our mission to provide vital funding to all Bedford’s schools.

We’re winding down Bash month here at the BEF, and we are thrilled to share that the BEF Hollywood Bash brought in over $30,000 this year! This record breaking result comes thanks to our guests, corporate sponsors, silent auction donors, “Be A Star” sponsors, and of course, everyone who worked so hard to make this event a success. THANK YOU! Whatever will we do in 2021???

We are in full Bash countdown mode at the BEF! The BEF Hollywood Bash is the biggest party of 2020 that supports our schools, and you do not want to miss it! The BEF always makes it a night to remember with plenty of fun in store. This is your chance to help us raise funds to support innovation and creativity in the Bedford Public Schools. With just over a week to get your tickets, here is everything you need to know about the event!

When and where is this event?
The BEF Hollywood Bash is on Saturday, February 8th, from 7pm to 11pm. We’re excited to return once again to the Hilton Garden Inn in Burlington.

Where is that place? The Hilton Garden Inn is located at 5 Wheeler Road in Burlington. Just past the Burlington Mall on Middlesex Turnpike, take a left at the Dunkin Donuts onto Wheeler Road. The hotel is 0.2 mile down the road on your left. Or, you can shoot right up 128N to the mall exit – you will see the hotel coming down the ramp. Then, take a left onto Middlesex Turnpike and the next left onto Wheeler Road.

Tickets for the BEF Hollywood Bash are no longer available on-line, but you can buy them at the door for $60. See you there!