2020-2021

12/18/2020

To All Bennington Public Schools’ Students and Families:

And just like that, the first semester has come to an end. I am sure many of you cannot

wait to jump into 2021 and make 2020 a distant memory, but before you do that please

take some time to acknowledge all that has been accomplished. The patience and

grace you have provided our District during this time has been second to none. You

have allowed us to keep our buildings open for our students the past 87 days of the first

semester. There is no amount of praise that could express our gratitude to the

administrators, teachers, support staff, students and families of the Bennington Public

School District. Each and every one of you deserves this bit of reprieve that winter

break will bring.

While we all want to escape this pandemic and feel a little bit of “normalcy” during winter

break, we ask you to please continue to make safety a priority for you and your family.

During this time, it is as important as ever to continue practicing the three W’s: Washing

your hands, Wearing a face covering, and Watching your distance (6 feet from others).

If you, or anyone in your household, tests Positive for COVID-19 during this time off,

please continue to notify your building principal. Our goal is to do all we can to ensure

our students return to school safely in January. Continuous communication between our

families and buildings will help us accomplish this.

Today marks the end of the second quarter and the end of the first semester grading

period. Third through sixth grade student reports will be available at the end of the day

today. Middle and high school student reports will be posted after the first of the year,

on January 8th. Student reports may be viewed in your NebSIS Family Account. This

link is found at benningtonschools.org. Follow the link to your child’s school. You will

find access to your NebSIS account under parents. This secure account requires a

unique username and password. If you need assistance contact your building secretary.

We want to notify you that the 2020-21 School Year Calendar has been modified. On

December 14th, the Bennington Board of Education approved the continuation of every-

other-Wednesday early outs through the remainder of the school year. We do not

foresee the elimination of remote learning during the 2020-2021 school year and these

early outs are beneficial in the planning, preparation, and training for the delivery of a

hybrid learning model. Remember, staff will report back from winter break for in-service

on Monday, January 4th, but students will not report back until Tuesday, January 5th.

Please view the modified calendar at benningtonschools.org or follow the link 2020-21

School Calendar.

It is noteworthy to highlight the extension of the USDA nationwide waiver of school

meals. These waivers allow Bennington Public Schools to provide free meals to all

students for the duration of the 2020-21 school year. Please remember these important

facts…….

? All a la carte purchases will be charged to the student account at regular pricing.

This includes:

? Extra servings of an entrée, milk, fruit, vegetable or bread

? Milk for cold lunch brought from home

? Second meals

? Any single item that is not a meal

? This program does not apply to adult meals.

? Adult lunch $3.85

? Adult breakfast $2.35

Contact Tracy Watsabaugh, Coordinator of Nutrition Services, if you have any questions

about this program. twatsabaugh@bennps.org

Please continue to be careful with your health and protect your family by following the

safety guidelines. We wish all of our families joy through the winter holidays, whether

you celebrate Hanukkah, Yule, Las Posadas, Kwanzaa or Christmas, please take

precautions and stay safe so we can continue our education together into January and

beyond. Be on the lookout for District communication the evening of Sunday, January

3rd, consisting of information pertaining to our return to school on Tuesday, January 5,

2021.

I am sure all of us would like to package up 2020 and return to sender. Some have

written that the past year could be a lost year for education. To that we say; “bah

humbug”! Educators have continued to hold high standards for teaching and learning,

balancing love, compassion, care, and empathy with high expectations for achievement.

Families have been very understanding and flexible as we move week-to-week through

the first semester. Know that we are proud to be a part of the Bennington community

and wish you and your family only the best.

Take care and stay Badger Strong!

12/11/2020

To All Bennington Public Schools’ Students and Families:

Can you believe it? We have made it to the final week of the first semester. Not only are we entering this final week, but we are doing so with the majority of our students in-person and progressing. Take this time to acknowledge what an accomplishment this is. We know the demands that this pandemic has caused on staff, students, and families has been that of which we have never experienced, yet we have made it and we have accomplished so much. We hope to continue this trajectory into the remainder of the school year; yet, to do so we cannot become complacent or lax in our efforts.

For this final week of school, we are thrilled to announce we are still in Tier II or Yellow. Please be aware that next Friday is an early release day. Elementary students will be dismissed at 11:40 AM, middle school students at 11:50 AM, and high school students at 12:00 PM.

As a reminder, the guidance around COVID-19 is ever-changing. We have followed suit with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and their adjusted quarantine recommendations in regards to COVID-19 exposures; going from 14 days to 7-10 days. The CDC has implemented these changes based on research that has found the risk of developing the illness after 10 days, without showing symptoms, is less than 5%. Even with the quarantine dates being shortened, if you are exposed, you are still expected to self-monitor as well as wear a face covering for the entire 14 days. For further information and guidance on how we determine these quarantine dates, please visit our District COVID-19 Site.

January remote learning registration will remain open through Wednesday, December 16th at 6:00 PM. ALL families, even if the student(s) has chosen remote learning at any period in the first semester, must complete the survey to notify the District of their intentions. A commitment to remain remote through the next grading period and acceptance of the expectations outlined in the Remote Learning Expectations document is required. Please indicate your intentions on the 12-2020 Remote Learning Registration Form. Remote students demonstrating poor performance or disengagement during the first semester will need to hold a conference with their building principal as returning to in-person learning in January may give the student a better chance for success.

Elementary families returning to in-person learning in January, whether on quarantine or full remote learning, are asked to drop off their school-provided technology from 12:00-1:00 PM on Friday, December 18th. There will be a table set up in each school entryway. Please place the Chromebook and charging cord on the table. This will allow the technology department time to return items to the classroom over winter break in preparation for the second semester. All other materials may accompany students upon their return.

The District has been informed the intersection of Bennington Road and 156th Street will reopen for east/west and south traffic starting today (Dec. 11th). Local traffic can use North 2nd Street, Molley Street and Bennington Road to access 156th Street and proceed south or north instead of using Highway 36 and 168th Street. The 156th Street project Facebook page will provide additional information and notification regarding a construction schedule for the remainder of the 156th Street project. (facebook.com/groups/K2BenningtonProject/).

Please continue to be careful with your health and protect your family by following the safety guidelines. We wish all of our families joy through the winter holidays, whether you started your Hanukkah celebration yesterday or wait for Yule, Las Posadas, Kwanzaa or Christmas later this month, please take precautions and stay safe so we can continue our education together through December and January. Know that we are proud to be a part of the Bennington community and wish you and your family only the best. We remain Badger Strong!

12/4/2020

To All Bennington Public Schools’ Students and Families:

December is a month of generosity in our community. Tuesday was a “Day of Giving”

and many organizations in the Bennington Community received generous donations to

assist them in their missions and good works. As we walk the halls in our schools right

now, we see the kindness of our community as food is being piled high for the Food

Bank in our elementary schools and through the abundance of clothing, toys, and coats

being gathered in our middle and high school. It does not seem to matter in our

community how, or if, you celebrate any of the many winter holidays, the common

message is to be generous with others. Thank you for your contributions to our schools

and the broader community through your time, talent, and treasure.

This week the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has adjusted their quarantine

recommendations in regards to COVID-19 exposures from 14 days to 7-10 days,

depending on the scenario. The CDC has implemented these changes based on

research that has found the risk of developing the illness after 10 days, without showing

symptoms, is less than 5%. The Nebraska Directed Health Measure (DHM) now reflects

this in their guidance. As a reminder, even though the quarantine dates are shortened, if

you are exposed, you are still expected to self-monitor as well as wear a face covering

for the entire 14 days.

The newest DHM provides two scenarios that families can choose to pursue when

placed on quarantine: (1) Receiving a negative test and completing a seven-day

quarantine. With this option, an exposed person who is not having symptoms can test

out of quarantine if a test is taken on day five (or later) of the quarantine period. If the

result is negative, the person may leave quarantine after day seven. Tests taken prior to

the 5th day will not be considered for returning early. (2) Completing the 10-day

quarantine, if an individual chooses not to get tested, they will then quarantine for 10

days from the last date of exposure and may return to school as long as they are

symptom free. Just as before, the quarantine period does not officially start until the last

date of exposure.

When we return to in-person learning on December 7th, we will continue our level of

education at Tier II or Yellow. Local, state, and national health officials continue to tell

us that schools are a safe place for students and it is imperative we continue to stay

open. Although we remain open for instruction of students, we are limited in activities

available for students and extremely limited for spectators at these activities. You can

watch the Bennington High School Basketball and Wrestling teams on the Bennington

YouTube Channel for home events. We know it is not the same for either the athletes or

the spectators when friends and family cannot be there to cheer them on, but we are

very happy they are still able to participate.

We hope the BPS community recognizes the success we have had in attaining our goal

to proceed with in-person education as we approach winter break. With two weeks left

in the semester it is important for students to finish strong. Students will be participating

in formative and summative assessments to measure their academic progression.

These assessments assist teachers in identifying student performance levels and

developing pacing or content to meet the needs of the students. There is not much time

to turn things around if your student is struggling with a subject or course, so please

don’t wait to reach out to teachers. There may be opportunities for extra support that will

assist your student.

Remote learners will also be participating in end of the semester assessments.

Students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade will at a minimum complete MAP

Growth tests which will be scheduled by appointment. Middle and high school students

will have assignments, projects, and assessments to complete the semester or hexter,

so check communications carefully. The high school finals schedule was communicated

in this week’s Happenings.

In a remote testing setting we understand that it is difficult as a parent or guardian not to

intervene and support your student in completing assessments. Giving them assistance

alters the outcome of the assessment which may impact the support services they are

receiving and the ability to accurately measure their knowledge. A remote learner

should plan to identify a work space that is free of distractions, allows for independence,

and promotes the best outcome in measuring student progress.

All families will have the option to enroll in remote learning for the next grading period

after the winter break. Remote learners will also be asked their intentions for the return

to school in January (i.e. will they continue remote learning or will they return to the

classroom). Please complete the 12-2020 Remote Learning Registration Form.

Registration will be open from Friday, December 4th until Wednesday, December 16th,

at 6:00 PM. ALL families, even if the student(s) has chosen remote learning at any

period in the first semester, must complete the survey to notify the District of their

intentions. Remote students demonstrating poor performance or disengagement during

the first semester will need to hold a conference with their building principal as returning

to in-person learning in January may give the student a better chance for success.

Before registering for second semester remote learning, families should read and

understand the expectations outlined in the Remote Learning Expectations document.

Please continue to be careful with your health and protect your family by following the

safety guidelines. These coming weeks are important in the education of our students,

so we need to keep them healthy. Know that we are proud to be a part of the

Bennington community and wish you and your family only the best. We remain Badger

Strong!

11/29/2020

To All Bennington Public Schools’ Students and Families:

We hope that you have enjoyed a restful holiday week with your family. Thanksgiving is a holiday to celebrate harvest and the blessings we have enjoyed through the year. Many of our schools have been celebrating “Thankfulness” days throughout November and the leadership team of Bennington Public Schools is thankful for the families, students, and staff, we are fortunate to work with each day. 2020 has been a year that has strained schools and everyone across our community, nation, and the world, but we are hopeful as we race to close out the first semester and the calendar year.

When we return to in-person learning on November 30th, we will continue our level of education at Tier II or Yellow. Local, state, and national health officials continue to tell us that schools are a safe place for students and it is imperative we continue to stay open. Many families have reached out to encourage us to remain in school and we believe this is best for students to be here for learning and interacting with classmates and teachers. Families may choose at-home remote learning for a number of reasons. If you wish to select this option to complete the semester, please contact your student’s building principal.

The remaining three weeks of the first semester will be busy and important for all students. First, we remind elementary students to complete their assignments and bring them back to school on Monday. Middle and high school students should have completed their work and have that already submitted to their teachers. Elementary students will be working on MAP Growth testing and the mid-year benchmark tests in the next few weeks. High school students will be preparing for the end of semester tests. Middle school students will also be completing Hexter Three with important demonstrations of their learning and completing their MAP Growth mid-year assessments. There is not much time to turn things around if your student is struggling with a subject or course, so please don’t wait to reach out to teachers. There may be opportunities for extra support that will assist your student.

Remote learners will also be participating in the end of the semester assessments. The elementary students will have a minimum of MAP Growth tests that will be completed by appointment only with teachers from their school. Middle and high school students will have assignments, projects, and assessments to complete the semester or hexter, so check communications carefully. Please reach out to individual teachers if your student is struggling with a course. Remote learners will also be asked their intentions for the return to school in January (i.e. will they continue remote learning or will they return to the classroom). Please complete the survey when it arrives in early December.

We join the Governor and health officials in encouraging everyone to avoid the three C’s: Crowded Places, Close-Contact Settings, and Confined Spaces. We emphasize the important precautions that masks are being worn, handwashing is happening, and social distancing is occurring whenever possible. We also ask that you carefully screen your family before sending them back to school and work following the holiday break. Please do not send students to school if they have any one (1) of the following symptoms: loss of taste or smell, new onset of cough, or shortness of breath. Please also continue keeping your child home if they have two (2) or more of the following symptoms: fever of 100.4, chills, muscle aches, headache, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, or fatigue.

We have added a COVID-19 Dashboard to our BPS COVID Site. You can find this through our district website or by clicking on the link provided: Bennington Public Schools COVID-19 Site. This is where you can find updated information in regards to the district’s plan and resources surrounding COVID-19, as well as positive COVID-19 cases within our district.

We look forward to seeing students and teachers back with us tomorrow. Know that we are thankful to be a part of the Bennington community and wish you and your family only the best. We remain Badger Strong!

11/20/2020

To All Bennington Public Schools’ Students and Families:

As you know by now, we will be moving to Tier IV - Red for the two days of school next week. This email will briefly lay out the expectations for students, teachers, and families as we move into full remote learning for Monday, November 23rd, and Tuesday, November 24th. We are moving to Tier IV for the next two days to reset our buildings for the final three weeks of the first semester. We feel it is important to make this transition now as opposed to the end of the semester in hopes of creating the least amount of disruption to our children’s education. Please note, we will return to in-person instruction on Monday, November 30th.

We understand Thanksgiving is traditionally a time for family gatherings. We are in no way suggesting you should cancel family plans during the holidays. We simply ask that you follow safety guidelines out of respect for all family members. For children to maintain an in-person learning environment, we need to emphasize with all of our stakeholders the importance of staying home versus going to social events, social distancing when it is not an option to stay home, wearing your face masks whenever in public or near non-household members, and continuing to make sanitizing a priority.

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, we want to give thanks to many people who have helped our school district provide educational opportunities for students over the past three months. Thank you to all students who have been excellent role models for all of us in following safety guidelines. Thank you to all educators who have worked tirelessly to maintain in-person education and support remote learners while adapting weekly, if not daily, to the ever-changing environment. Lastly, many thanks go out to parents/guardians for working with the school district as we navigate through this pandemic. Thank you, a thousand times, over!

When we return to in-person learning on November 30th, we will continue our level of education at Tier II or Yellow. We know that many of you are wondering how we are staying at this level of learning with increased cases and needs throughout the county as well as our school district. At this time, we can say that almost all of our positive cases have come from outside of the school environment. We continue to believe that maintaining in-person education is one of the safest environments for our children at this time. We can ensure that masks are being worn, handwashing is happening, and social distancing is occurring whenever possible. Continuing to emphasize the importance of these precautions will continue to be at the forefront of all we do. We have added a COVID-19 Dashboard to our BPS COVID Site. You can find this through our district website or by clicking on the link provided: Bennington Public Schools COVID-19 Site.

We understand that the increase of COVID-19 community spread creates challenges and uncertainty. To meet the unique needs of our families, we are continuing to provide the option for students to transition into remote learning at any time for the remainder of the first semester. A transition into remote learning is open to all students but requires a commitment through the end of the first semester. As you consider this remote option, please make sure your home WiFi system can handle the daily demands of online learning. Check with your local provider should you need to boost your service. Please contact your building administrator if you feel the need to enroll your student in remote learning. The District requests 48-hours’ notice in preparation for the transition.

As a reminder, Bennington will provide at-home instruction on November 23rd and 24th leading into the Thanksgiving break November 25th-29th. This time will allow us to do some deep cleaning in our schools while giving families a longer break to get everyone well-rested for the push to finish the first semester before December 18th. During this time, please be cognizant of the decisions you are making and continue to avoid the three C’s: Crowded Places, Close-Contact Settings, and Confined Spaces. We will not be able to keep in-person learning going unless we all do our part.

At-home education for November 23rd and 24th will include both writing and math activities for elementary students which were sent home today, Friday, November 20th, and should be returned on Monday, November 30th. For Middle School and High School students, they will have a short online lesson to complete for each course. Lessons will be available on Monday, November 23rd by 8 AM through students’ Google Classrooms and due on Wednesday, November 25th by 3 PM. Please note this is not what education would look like if we had to move into full remote learning for an extended period of time. A prolonged move into Red-Tier IV would have us provide live synchronous instruction for students on a daily basis.

At this time, Bennington is providing breakfast and lunch at no cost to students through a special grant from the Department of Agriculture due to COVID. Students may receive meals on Monday and Tuesday, November 23rd, and 24th. Information about how to order and pick up meals for these days was sent out on Thursday. Remote learning students may receive daily meals by contacting Tracy Watsabaugh, Coordinator of Nutrition Services: twatsabaugh@bennps.org, 402-238-3044. Students who are in quarantine may receive meals, but families with a positive COVID case should not be leaving home.

Please watch for communication through School Messenger from building principals about additional details for November 23rd and 24th. Thank you for your support as we work to ensure a quality education for your students. We encourage you to practice all of the safety protocols listed earlier in this message so that we can continue with in-person school.

Have a safe and restful holiday next week. Know that we are thankful to be a part of the Bennington community and wish you and your family only the best. We remain Badger Strong!

11/13/2020

To All Bennington Public Schools’ Students and Families:

Jon Gordon, an author of many books, shared some thoughts this week that makes great sense.

In 2020 it feels like we are living in a pot of boiling water. While we can’t always control the circumstances we are in, we can control how we respond to them. We have a choice. We can choose to be an egg, a carrot, or a coffee bean. In boiling water, an egg hardens, a carrot softens, and a coffee bean transforms the water into something more.

I am not a coffee drinker personally, but I thought this quote was a good reminder that we have the choice to mold our attitude no matter what our environment. We continue to see a rise in COVID-19 related cases within Bennington Public Schools. We are becoming more desperate and in need of your help as we move forward through this pandemic. Your support in following recommendations from our local health department while both inside and outside of the school environment is a necessity for all. For BPS to continue with in-person learning, we need to emphasize with all of our stakeholders the importance of staying home versus going to social events, social distancing when it is not an option to stay home, wearing your face masks whenever in public or near non-household members, and continuing to make sanitization a priority.

We will continue to follow guidance from local and state health officials by sending home any staff or students that experience one or more of the following symptoms: loss of taste or smell, shortness of breath, or onset of a new cough. The latest DHM also added back the language that you need to stay home if you experience two or more of the following symptoms: fever of 100.4 or higher, chills, muscle aches, headache, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting, diarrhea, and/or fatigue.

When we return on November 16th, we will continue our level of education at Tier II or Yellow. We continue to believe that maintaining in-person education is one of the safest environments for our children at this time. However, we will move to Tier IV for the two days of Monday, November 23rd, and Tuesday, November 24th, prior to Thanksgiving break. This is intended to give our staff and facilities an opportunity to catch their collective breath. This allows us to rest personnel and be ready for the remaining three weeks of the first semester and deep clean our facilities. Please note these two days of remote learning will not be the same as instruction will look if we move to tier IV for an extended period of time.

You may wonder how we are continuing at our Tier II-Yellow, while cases increase around us. The District knows it is best to have students in school for the quality of learning and greater support available. For these reasons, we are trying our best to keep school open with in-person learning and are optimistic we can achieve this with your support. We understand that the increase of COVID-19 community spread creates challenges and uncertainty. To meet the unique needs of our families, we are providing the option for students to transition into remote learning at any time for the remainder of the first semester. A transition into remote learning is open to all students but requires a commitment through the end of the first semester. As you consider this remote option, please make sure your home Wi-Fi system can handle the daily demands of online learning. Check with your local provider should you need to boost your service. Please contact your building administrator if you feel the need to enroll your student in remote learning. The District requests 48-hours notice in preparation for the transition.

Bennington Public Schools is going to try to be “a coffee bean” and transform our environment during the week of November 23^rd. Bennington will provide at-home instruction on November 23^rd and 24^th leading into the Thanksgiving break November 25^th-29^th. This time will allow us to do some deep cleaning in our schools while giving families a longer break to get everyone well-rested for the push to finish the first semester before December 18^th.

At-home education on these days will include reading, writing, and math activities for elementary students which will be sent home on Friday, November 20^th, and should be returned on Monday, November 30^th. For Middle School and High School students, they will have a short online lesson to complete for each course. Lessons will be available on Monday, November 23^rd, by 8 AM through students’ Google Classrooms and due on Wednesday, November 25^th by 3 PM. Please note this is not what education would look like if we had to move into full remote learning for an extended period of time. A prolonged move into Red-Tier IV would have us provide live synchronous instruction for students on a daily basis.

Bennington is providing breakfast and lunch at no cost to students through a special grant from the Department of Agriculture due to COVID at this time. Students may receive meals on Monday and Tuesday, November 23^rd, and 24^th. Information about how to order and pick up meals for these days will be sent home next week. Remote learning students may receive daily meals by contacting Tracy Watsabaugh, Coordinator of Nutrition Services: twatsabaugh@bennps.org, 402-238-3044. Students who are in quarantine may receive meals, but families with a positive COVID case should not be leaving home.

This week we would like to highlight a special event in recognition of past and present military personnel. On Veteran’s Day, Bennington Elementary students honored service men and women through a music performance. Due to gathering restrictions, attendance was limited. A recording of the event may be viewed using the following link https://youtu.be/zDEeK-31rEM on Bennington Public Schools YouTube Channel. Thank you to our community for providing photos of military friends and family and the military individuals who participated through video interviews. Bennington Public Schools expresses our gratitude to the men and women of the armed forces.

Please watch for communication through School Messenger from building principals about additional details for November 23^rd and 24^th. Thank you for your support as we work to ensure a quality education for your students. We encourage you to practice all of the safety protocols listed earlier in this message so that we can continue with in-person education.

We recognize this message is filled with troubling news so we will leave you with this quote from Martha Washington. She said: “The greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.” Together, we will continue to enhance our environment like the “coffee bean” while keeping everyone healthy.

We are Badger Strong!

11/06/2020

To All Bennington Public Schools’ Students and Families:

This upcoming week, we will celebrate Veterans’ Day. Veterans’ Day is a tribute to all

people who have served our country as a member of the Armed Services. Students will

learn more about the history of Veterans’ Day from its inception in 1919 as Armistice

Day celebrating the end of World War I, to the reasons we celebrate today, the

contributions and sacrifices of Veterans.

In the elementary schools, we will read stories and sing patriotic songs. Bennington

Elementary students have written letters to Veterans thanking them for their service and

will hear interviews with veterans and their music teacher, Mrs. Schaffart. This year

COVID-19 makes it impossible for the district to have our traditional community

program. Bennington Elementary has invited Veterans to come for their program, but

this is limited to the Veteran only; no family members may come with them. We will

share a recording of the program in the next couple of weeks for everyone to enjoy.

November is a month we think about and participate in many activities related to being

American and celebrating our democracy. Bennington’s Board of Education will hold a

public meeting to review the Social Studies curriculum and all of the requirements of

American Civics’ state statute. This meeting will be held prior to the regular Board

meeting at 6:30 PM on Monday, November 9th, at the district office. During November,

a committee of stakeholders will meet to review the District’s Multicultural Education

Plan, which is also part of the K-12 educational program. The District is in a continuous

process for improvement of the education and services we provide for students, both

because it is the responsible way to operate a school district, and as part of the

accreditation process for Nebraska and the North Central Association. We hope you will

participate in these processes when invited.

As reported last week, COVID-19 related cases are on the rise in Bennington Public

Schools. We are continuing to experience a second surge from the virus just as health

experts warned about when COVID-19 became present in Douglas County last spring.

Again, the majority of our students under quarantine restrictions this week have been

related to social events outside of the school setting. We need your support inside and

outside of the school environment to increase the length of time we can continue with

in-person learning. We want to remind you there are simple safe ways to help mitigate

the spread of COVID-19 in our community by avoiding the three C’s: crowded places,

close contact, and confined spaces.

When we return on November 9th, we will continue our level of education at Tier II or

Yellow; however, we should not assume we can maintain this setting without redirecting

the upward trend in COVID-19 positivity. We want to be transparent in the fact that we

may have to shift tiers if COVID-19 cases continue to increase. We will continue to

communicate directly with you if an individual in your child’s class tests positive for

COVID-19 and monitor our quarantined cases closely.

Bennington is providing breakfast and lunch at no cost to students through a special

grant from the Department of Agricultural due to COVID at this time. Remote learning

students may receive meals by contacting Tracy Watsabaugh, Coordinator of Nutrition

Services: twatsabaugh@bennps.org, 402-238-3044. Students who are in quarantine

may receive meals, but families with a positive COVID case should not be leaving home

and interacting with others; thus, they should not be coming to pick up meals.

If your family is in need of financial assistance, COPE (Christian Outreach Program of

Elkhorn) services Bennington, Elkhorn and DC West families. COPE has a food pantry,

used furniture and clothing, utility and rent assistance. Families must complete an

application process before receiving assistance. If you need assistance, you can

contact COPE at 402-616-2330 or walk-in Tues. through Sat. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1620

N. 203rd Street, Elkhorn. http://copeinfo.org/.

Best of luck to our Badgers as they move into week two of the football playoffs. They

play tonight in the quarterfinals at home against the Plattsmouth Blue Devils. You may

view a live stream of the 7:00 PM game on the Bennington Public Schools YouTube

Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCopUSlVyyQeX0hnwJovFb9g. We are all

very hopeful the internet will stand up for our game tonight!

Please watch for communication through School Messenger for any changes in

schedules including inclement weather announcements. Fall includes many fun family

activities, but also challenges us with rapidly-changing weather and the risks of cold and

flu season. Thank you for your support as we work to ensure a quality education for

your students. We encourage you to practice all of the safety protocols listed earlier in

this message so that we can continue with in-person school.

Together, we will continue to learn and grow even through these challenging times. We

are Badger Strong!

Take Care!

10/30/2020

To All Bennington Public Schools’ Students and Families:

This week’s message will begin with an exciting news release by the Nebraska Department of Education. For the third year in a row, 100 percent of Bennington High School students have been required to take the ACT during their junior year as part of the Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System (NSCAS). Across Nebraska, the average ACT composite score was 19.9 for the graduating class of 2020. In comparison, the Bennington Public Schools class of 2020 scored an average ACT composite score of 24.0. This is the highest composite score attained by a graduating class since the requirement of 100 percent ACT participation. Congratulations to last year’s graduates and Bennington High School in their quest to prepare our students for the future!

As reported last week, COVID-19 related cases are on the rise in Bennington Public Schools. It seems as though we are experiencing a second surge from the virus just as health experts warned about when COVID-19 became present in Douglas County last spring. Again, the majority of our students under quarantine restrictions this week have been related to adult cases in a household and community transmissions. We are asking for your help and support to maintain our goal of in-person education for as long as possible.

We want to remind you there are simple safe ways to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our community. The Nebraska Association of Local Health Directors have a simple message for all of us. Avoid the Three C’s: 1) Crowded Places - Avoid gathering where you can’t maintain 6-feet distance from others, 2) Close Contact - Wear a clean mask or maintain six-feet distance when you’re with people you don’t live with, and 3) Confined Spaces - Avoid enclosed spaces with poor ventilation. We are asking the community to implement the Three C’s each time you leave home or gather in groups of more than eight for longer than 15 minutes.

When we return on November 2nd, we will continue our level of education at Tier II or Yellow; however, we should not assume we can maintain this setting without redirecting the upward trend in COVID-19 positivity. We want to be transparent in the fact that we may have to move to Tier III or Orange if COVID-19 cases continue to increase. If we must move to these increased restrictions, we will do our best to provide 2-4 days’ notice if and when we have to make adjustments in our plans.

Bennington Public Schools offered remote learners extended support through evening study centers and homework hotlines throughout the first quarter. We have carefully tracked participation in these services and have found few remote students accessed these support offerings, as they prefer working with their assigned teacher.

Study centers or homework hotlines have been discontinued. Opportunities for remote learners to access support will be managed through their classroom teacher(s). Staff may be reached through telephone, emails, or scheduled Google Meets. To ensure students receive timely support and to respect staff obligations, it is recommended to contact staff during school day hours.

Best of luck to our Badgers as the football playoffs begin tonight in a home contest against the Seward Bluejays. You may view a live stream of the 7:00 PM game on the Bennington Public Schools YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCopUSlVyyQeX0hnwJovFb9g

Today concludes our elementary celebrations of Red Ribbon Week which is the largest national campaign for the prevention of drug-abuse. This week's activities culminated with Halloween costume parades. Unfortunately, safety precautions did not allow parents and grandparents to join the celebration in person. Instead, links were shared by each elementary to allow families to view the parades remotely.

If you have concerns about safety, bullying, depression, suicide, substance abuse, relationship issues, or anything else that could threaten someone’s physical or emotional well-being, please call the Safe2Help Hotline at 402-390-2118. This hotline connects callers with trained Boys Town National Hotline counselors who are available 24/7, 365 days a year. Callers are not required to give their names. Please remember, if you or someone else is facing a life-threatening situation, always call 911.

In addition to the Safe2Help Hotline, the District has an agreement with Arbor Family Counseling to provide student and family support. The Student Assistance Program attempts to assist students in times of crisis to find solutions for problems before they become more serious or begin to affect school performance. This confidential program is an initial assessment and referral service for students intended to open the door to problem solution assistance from a comprehensive support agency. Arbor Family Counseling will help students and their families by providing up to three free sessions, working with students and families to formulate strategies and develop a plan to appropriately resolve problems with effective, short-term counseling. Please contact your school counselor for more information.

Please watch for communication through School Messenger for any changes in schedules including inclement weather announcements. Fall includes many fun family activities, but also challenges us with rapidly-changing weather and the risks of cold and flu season. Thank you for your support as we work to ensure a quality education for your students. We encourage you to practice all of the safety protocols listed earlier in this message so that we can continue with in-person education.

Together, we will continue to learn and grow even through these challenging times. We are Badger Strong!

Take Care!

10/23/2020

To All Bennington Public Schools’ Students and Families:

Help! Yes, you read it and I said it; we need your help. As we see COVID-19 cases on the rise, our goal to maintain in-person education in a safe environment is becoming a difficult task. Although the evidence suggests that schools are a safe environment for staff and students, we are constantly reminded that concerns of COVID-19 spread will not dissipate soon. Parents and schools have a common goal and a shared responsibility to protect and nurture children while providing them opportunities to learn and mature. The District is asking for your help in providing appropriate safeguards to lessen the spread of this illness whether you are at home or at school.

The Douglas County Health Department shared some interesting information with the community in the past week. Information found on the DCHD website states we have had over 20,000 positive cases reported to date. This is only 3.5% of the population in Douglas County, but the positivity rate of people being tested has doubled in the last month; yet, only 1.6% of the positive cases for school age children can be traced to school spread. Bennington Public Schools has similar data. The majority of our students under quarantine restrictions this week have been related to adult cases in a household and community transmissions.

This is where we need your help to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our community. The Nebraska Association of Local Health Directors have a simple message for all of us. Avoid the Three C’s: 1) Crowded Places - Avoid gathering where you can’t maintain 6-feet distance from others, 2) Close Contact - Wear a mask or maintain six-feet distance when you’re with people you don’t live with, and 3) Confined Spaces - Avoid enclosed spaces with poor ventilation. These simple, but safe, guidelines need to be in place in and outside of the school setting. Your help is needed at all times, not just school hours, to help maintain a quality education setting.

When we return on October 26th, we will continue our level of education at Tier II or Yellow; however, we should not assume we can maintain this setting without redirecting the upward trend in COVID-19 positivity. We want to be transparent in the fact that we may have to move to Tier III or Orange if COVID-19 cases continue to increase. If we must move to these increased restrictions, we will do our best to provide 2-4 days notice if and when we have to make adjustments in our plans.

The Douglas County Health Department (DCHD) has shared additional guidance and changes in regards to when we send students and staff home with COVID-19 symptoms. In regards to COVID-19, the expectations for students to stay home will continue if they experience any of the following symptoms: fever of 100.4 or higher, a new onset cough, shortness of breath, or loss of taste or smell. As a reminder, if anyone in your household experiences one of the “Big Three” symptoms, all household members are expected to stay home in accordance with the DCHD guidelines. To see the most up-to-date guidance, please click on the link provided: DCHD Requirements for Screening, Exclusion, and Re-Admittance of Ill Students and Staff in Schools.

We will continue to send students home as we have in the past, per our previous school health policies, as well as students who show signs of influenza. As we enter flu season, please keep your child home if they are experiencing the following symptoms: fever of 100 degrees or more, muscle aches, congestion, headaches and/or fatigue, as we know these are common signs of the influenza virus. Following the guidelines we have had in place in the years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, students with diarrhea and vomiting should not return to school until 24 hours after last episode and are able to tolerate food. Students with fever need to be fever free for 24 hours without use of fever reducing medication.

Middle School Remote Learning families will receive a form from school about continuing remote learning or returning to the classroom for the Hexter 3 grading period. This is due back to school by Wednesday, October 28th, on or before 6:00 PM. This is only for the Middle School Remote Learners. All other Remote Learners should have started the 2nd Quarter on Monday, October 19th. Students can only change from in-person to remote learning for a medically verified reason from a licensed physician or therapist. Please contact your child’s administrator if you have any questions regarding this matter.

Throughout the first quarter Bennington Public Schools offered remote learners extended support through evening study centers and homework hotlines. We have carefully tracked participation in these services and have found few remote students accessed these support offerings, as they prefer working with their assigned teacher. Remote learner additional support availability has been modified for the second quarter.

Study centers or homework hotlines will be discontinued for remote learners after the last week in October. Opportunities for remote learners to access support will be managed through their classroom teacher(s). Staff may be reached through telephone, emails, or scheduled Google Meets. To ensure students receive timely support and to respect staff obligations, it is recommended to contact staff during school day hours.

Best of luck to our High School Badgers competing today in Kearney at the State Cross Country Meet. Bennington High School football will play Gross Catholic tonight at 7:00 pm. You may watch it live from the Gross Catholic Cougars Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGLe86PKolE

Fall is a time of transition and many community and family activities. Our elementary students will celebrate Red Ribbon Week next week to educate and support the anti-drug-abuse message. Next week culminates with students being able to dress up against drugs and share their Halloween costumes with their school friends. Unfortunately, safety precautions mean parents and grandparents cannot join students in school to celebrate and classroom parties will look different as well.

Please watch for communication through School Messenger for any changes in schedules including inclement weather announcements. Fall includes many fun family activities, but also challenges us with rapidly-changing weather and the risks of cold and flu season. Thank you for your support as we work to ensure a quality education for your students. We encourage you to practice all of the safety protocols listed earlier in this message so that we can continue with in-person school.

Together, we will continue to learn and grow even through these challenging times. We are Badger Strong!

Take Care!

10/16/2020

To All Bennington Public Schools’ Students and Families:

We have officially wrapped up the first quarter of our school year, and what a start to the school year it has been. We hope that our families and staff are able to take this small reprieve to rest and come back to us restored. We know that we have been able to keep our buildings open for the entirety of this first quarter due to the efforts you all put in every single day. This does not go unnoticed and we continue to prove we are Badger Strong!

When we return on October 19th to begin the second quarter of school, we will continue our level of education at Tier II or Yellow; however, we cannot become lax in regards to what we have been doing to keep our doors open. We continue to stress the importance of following health official’s recommendations, both at school with our children and at out-of-school activities, to protect yourself and others from the COVID-19 virus outbreak. We continue to emphasize the necessity of wearing face coverings, washing of hands, social distancing, and daily symptom checks.

The Douglas County Health Department (DCHD) shared some important information about the upcoming flu season. They are recommending everyone get their flu shot and shared information from the CDC about steps to combat the flu at https://www.cdc.gov/flu/school/guidance.htm. The DCHD is now administering the 2020-2021 influenza vaccine to all individuals (regardless of insurance status) at NO CHARGE! Call (402) 444-6163 for questions or further information. Book your appointment today!

As we move into the colder months, we understand that the community and our families are eager for us to allow more events to take place in our facilities as well as increase the number of spectators we allow at events. We see every day that these restrictions are proving the COVID fatigue is real. Please know we are working to safely allow for the wants of our stakeholders to slowly be met, but for this to happen it is imperative all of us continue to follow the health department guidance.

Middle School Remote Learning families will receive a form from school about continuing remote learning or returning to the classroom for the Hexter 3 grading period. This is due by Wednesday, October 28th, by 6:00 PM. This is only for Middle School Remote Learners; all other Remote Learners should be set to begin the 2nd Quarter beginning Monday, October 19th. Students can only change from in-person to remote learning for a medically verified reason from a licensed physician or therapist.

Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences are complete. Nearly 100% of our elementary families participated in a virtual conference with their child’s teacher. Middle School and High School families were offered virtual conferences, but many chose not to meet with teachers at this time. If you missed conferences or just want to discuss your student’s progress, you may email the teacher through the school’s website, or call the school at any time. The success of students depends on the three-prong partnership of teacher, student, and family.

Families may view report cards, attendance, and other information on the NebSIS family account. Each family received their login information to complete their student verification for registration to begin school. Middle and High School students have their own login to be able to review current grades down to the assignment level. Please contact the school secretary if you cannot locate your login information.

Bennington Public Schools commends the efforts of our community in working within the confines of our activity regulations. It is important to continue vigilance following regulations for event attendance. In order to maintain proper social distancing each participant is allowed five (5) family members to view the event in person. Family members must sit together while at BPS events and socially distance from other family groups. Standing on the plaza or above the seating areas is prohibited.

Patrons are expected to wear face coverings during the duration of any indoor event. While attending an outdoor event, face coverings are expected while traveling through the facility. This includes accessing the concession and restroom area. Staff members at BPS events will be monitoring compliance of activity attendance regulations. If a staff member seeks to reinforce any of our event protocols, please extend them some grace as they are only communicating expectations to maintain a safe environment for all stakeholders.

Bennington High School football will play Roncalli Catholic tonight at 7:00 pm. You may watch it live from the Bennington YouTube site: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCopUSlVyyQeX0hnwJovFb9g. Please be aware that all high school activities may not be broadcast due to rules and regulations of NSAA or copyright laws.

The intersection of Bennington Road and 156th Street will be closed for construction for the next few weeks. Local traffic can use North 2nd Street, Molley Street and Warehouse Street to access 156th Street and proceed south instead of using Highway 36 and 168th Street. Those living in the City of Bennington area can use Molley Street to Warehouse Street and 156th Street, then take Military Road and 168th Street to access the Middle and High School campuses. The length of this closure can vary for many reasons. The 156th Street project Facebook page will provide additional information and notification when the road has reopened and barricades are removed (facebook.com/groups/K2BenningtonProject/).

You may have heard some discussion about area school districts making some changes to their school calendars recently. Bennington Public Schools is not recommending radical changes to the school calendar at this time. We will evaluate data after this fall break and our traditional break around Thanksgiving to determine if we need to make any changes for the second semester. We will maintain our normal practice of closing school for severe weather as well. We have several days already built into the calendar for such days and do not feel it necessary to conduct remote learning activities on snow days.

As we have said since the beginning of the school year, we need your support and understanding to maintain in-person education. We understand the feelings of many regarding the safety protocols we have placed on students, staff and parents to lessen the spread of COVID-19. The District knows you understand the need for many safety protocols that we have put in place for the wellbeing of all. We see fatigue setting in and hear the plea of many to return to some form of normalcy; however, officials suggest we have to maintain the protocols in place for much longer than people want. Bennington is a great community, in part, because we all have a common goal. Together, we will persevere and come out of this pandemic stronger and better because we are Badger Strong!

Take Care!

10/9/2020

To All Bennington Public Schools’ Students and Families:

The news and data on our goal to lessen the spread of COVID-19 has been trending

the wrong direction the last few weeks. The Douglas County Health Department is

reporting 12.5% of individuals who are tested for COVID-19 are coming back with

positive results. This is the highest level of positivity since the end of May. Many other

data points (i.e. hospitalization, community spread) are experiencing increases as well.

Although Bennington Public Schools have not experienced the same increases as other

parts of the county, we should start planning for some changes if we do not heed the

warning signs that are all around us.

We will continue our level of education at Tier II or Yellow for the week beginning

October 12th; however, we stress the importance of following health official’s

recommendations, both at school with our children and at out-of-school activities, to

protect yourself and others from the COVID-19 virus outbreak. We continue to

emphasize the necessity of wearing face coverings, washing of hands, social

distancing, and daily symptom checks. Please take the time to read the rest of this note

to learn more about the “why” behind these necessary precautions as well as the

changes we are implementing in upcoming events.

Remote Learning families have received a form from their students’ school about

continuing remote learning or returning to the classroom for the next grading period.

This is due by Sunday, November 11th, by 6:00 PM. Please fill out the form in either

situation to verify if you plan to continue with remote learning or switch to in-person

learning. There is no open registration for remote learning as this process was

completed in early August. Students may move from remote learning back to the

classroom at the end of the grading period. Students can only change from in-person to

remote learning for a medically verified reason from a licensed physician or therapist.

Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Tuesday, October 13 th and

Wednesday, October 14 th . Families will receive communication through email or paper

copies of student performance prior to the set conference dates. If parents or guardians

desire further information, a virtual conference time may be scheduled through a Sign-

Up Genius link. If you have not received communication prior to Tuesday, October 13th

or missed the conference signup deadline, please reach out to your child’s teacher.

Families may view report cards, attendance, and other information on the NebSIS

Family Account. Each family received their login information to complete their Student

Verification for registration to begin school. Middle and High School students have their

own login to be able to review current grades down to the assignment level. Elementary

families will receive a packet on Monday from classroom teachers to be reviewed during

the conference time. If you can’t locate your login information, please contact the school

secretary.

Bennington Public Schools commends the efforts of our community in working within

the confines of our activity regulations. It is important to continue vigilance following

regulations for event attendance. In order to maintain proper social distancing each

participant is allowed five (5) family members to view the event in person. Family

members must sit together while at BPS events and socially distance from other family

groups. Standing on the plaza or above the seating areas is prohibited.

Patrons are expected to wear face coverings during the duration of any indoor event.

While attending an outdoor event, face coverings are expected while traveling through

the facility. This includes accessing the concession and restroom area. Staff members

at BPS events will be monitoring compliance of activity attendance regulations. If a staff

member seeks to reinforce any of our event protocols, please extend them some grace

as they are only communicating expectations to maintain a safe environment for all

stakeholders.

Bennington High School football will play the Elkhorn Antlers tonight at 7:00 pm. You

may watch it live from the Bennington youtube site:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCopUSlVyyQeX0hnwJovFb9g. Please be aware that all

high school activities may not be broadcast due to rules and regulations of NSAA or

copyright laws.

The intersection of Bennington Road and 156th Street will be closed for construction for

the next few weeks. Local traffic can use North 2nd Street, Molley Street and

Warehouse Street to access 156th Street and proceed south instead of using Highway

36 and 168th Street. Those living in the City of Bennington area can use Molley Street

to Warehouse Street and 156th Street, then take Military Road and 168th Street to

access the Middle and High School campuses. The length of this closure can vary for

many reasons. The 156th Street project Facebook page will provide additional

information and notification when the road has reopened and barricades are removed

(facebook.com/groups/K2BenningtonProject/).

As you are all aware of by now, all students enrolled in Bennington Public Schools,

whether enrolled as an in-person or remote learner, are eligible to receive a free

breakfast and free lunch on the days that school is scheduled to be in session through

the end of December. In addition to free meals for all students, all student meal

accounts will be credited for meals purchased between August 12 th – September 22 nd .

The District is working to credit lunch accounts at this time. We have been told this may

take two to three weeks for the process to be complete.

Please remember that all a la carte purchases (i.e. extra servings, second meals) will be

charged to the student account at regular pricing. Families are encouraged to complete

a free and reduced (F/R) application for the 20-21 school year if needed. The F/R

application can be accessed on the District website under District/Documents/Lunch

Account Information. Please contact Tracy Watsabaugh, Coordinator of Nutrition

Services, if you have any questions about this program. twatsabaugh@bennps.org

The District has recorded over eight weeks (42 days) of school with some expected ups

and downs caused by COVID-19. We see students, staff and parents accepting of the

protocols put in place by the District while at school. However, we are seeing less

compliance with protocols that are in place to lessen the spread of this virus by many

outside of school activities. We understand everyone is tired of wearing masks and

staying away from fun activities attracting large crowds. We, too, are experiencing

COVID-19 fatigue. However, the results of our relaxed attitude toward this issue may

put us in an uncomfortable environment once more.

Take Care!

10/2/2020

To All Bennington Public Schools’ Students and Families:

As we have fully entered into Fall and are enjoying the crisp fall weather, we know that after Fall comes Winter. With colder weather comes the typical “sick” season. As we expect to see students out for FLU, we also know we are likely to see more students and staff out for COVID-19. Science has told us that when the air is no longer as dry as it is in the summer months, viruses seem to spread at a much higher rate. As you will read in this week’s Friday Notes, we are continuing to implement strict protocols around the health and safety of all stakeholders within our school district. Please take the time to read the rest of this note to learn more about the “why” behind these necessary precautions as well as the changes we are implementing in upcoming events.

It is important to continue all of the recommendations to protect yourself and others from the COVID-19 virus outbreak. We continue to emphasize the necessity of wearing face coverings, washing of hands, social distancing, and daily symptom checks. While the Douglas County Health Department has stated that school-wide spread is at 0.2%, statistics in community wide spread are increasing at an alarming rate. The past few weeks has shown that 14% of individuals who are tested for COVID-19 are coming back with positive results. We do not want this to overflow into our school system; therefore, we ask for your continued support to take all suggested precautions. We are able to continue our level of education at Tier II or Yellow for the week beginning October 5th and need your continued support to keep it moving in the right direction.

Remote Learning families will be receiving a form this week from their students’ school about continuing remote learning or returning to the classroom for the next grading period. There is no open registration for remote learning as this process was completed in early August. Students may move from remote learning back to the classroom at the end of the grading period. Students can only change from in-person to remote learning for a medically verified reason from a licensed physician or therapist.

Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Tuesday, October 13^th and Wednesday, October 14^th. You will receive communication on sign-ups for virtual conferences from the elementary and middle school administration. Scheduling of Parent-Teacher Conferences at Bennington High School poses more of a challenge due to the number of courses students are enrolled in and the number of students each instructor services. The high school staff is emailing individualized student performance communication for each course students are enrolled in. After the parent/guardian reviews, an option to sign up for a virtual conference to further discuss student performance is available. High school families should look for these emails anytime this coming week.

Families may view report cards, attendance, and other information on the NebSIS Family Account. Each family received their login information to complete their Student Verification for registration to begin school. Middle and High School students have their own login to be able to review current grades down to the assignment level. Elementary families will be able to view reports for the first quarter at Parent-Teacher Conferences. If you can’t locate your login information, please contact the school secretary.

Bennington High School football will travel to play the South Sioux City Cardinals tonight at 6:00 pm. You may watch it live from the Cardinals’ NFHS website: https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/schools/south-sioux-city-high-school-south-sioux-city-ne There are restrictions on family and fan attendance similar to Bennington for the game.

As you are all aware of by now, all students enrolled in Bennington Public Schools, whether enrolled as an in-person or remote learner, are eligible to receive a free breakfast and free lunch on the days that school is scheduled to be in session through the end of December. In addition to free meals for all students, all student meal accounts will be credited for meals purchased between August 12^th – September 22^nd. The District is working to credit lunch accounts at this time. We have been told this may take two to three weeks for the process to be complete.

Please remember that all a la carte purchases (i.e. extra servings, second meals) will be charged to the student account at regular pricing. Families are encouraged to complete a free and reduced (F/R) application for the 20-21 school year if needed. The F/R application can be accessed on the District website under District/Documents/Lunch Account Information. Please contact Tracy Watsabaugh, Coordinator of Nutrition Services, if you have any questions about this program. twatsabaugh@bennps.org

The District has recorded over seven weeks (37 days) of school with some expected ups and downs caused by COVID-19. We see students, staff and parents accepting of the protocols put in place by schools, businesses and other organizations. The District is also seeing some signs of fatigue, and a sense of comfort in seeing students and staff settle into a routine. This reminds us of a quote from an unknown author. “As soon as you get too comfortable, that's when things fall apart.” Please stay vigilant in protecting others and yourself by sanitizing, using face coverings, practicing proper social distancing and demonstrating good personal hygiene.

Stay safe and have a pleasant Fall weekend!

9/25/2020

To All Bennington Public Schools’ Students and Families:

Like the changing colors of our landscape with the arrival of fall, so too, will the colors (i.e. protocols) of our Return to Learn plan evolve as we adapt to the changing environment surrounding school. As you will read in this week’s Friday Notes, we have made several changes to our protocols. These changes can be attributed to anything from new government programs, to health directives, or modifications based on things the District has learned over the course of this school year. Please take the time to read the rest of this note to learn more about these important changes.

It is important to continue all of the recommendations to protect yourself and others from the COVID-19 virus outbreak. We have just learned this week that masks are more important than ever to keep your students and our staff in school. The Douglas County Health Department has stated that if we are wearing masks, we no longer have to quarantine students or staff who are exposed to someone in the building that has tested positive for COVID-19. The stats from the county are showing that only 0.2% of individuals who have been quarantined due to close contact with an individual at school have, in turn, been diagnosed with COVID-19.

We are able to maintain our level of education at Tier II, or Yellow, for the week beginning September 28th. Within Bennington Public Schools, we have not had any students transmit COVID-19 due to close contact within our school buildings. Completing daily symptom checks, good hygiene practices, consistent use of face coverings and social distancing have allowed the District to maintain this level of education to all of our students. What we are doing is working; way to go!

Remote Learning families will be receiving a form late next week from their students’ school about continuing remote learning or returning to the classroom for the next grading period. There is no open registration for remote learning as this process was completed in early August. Students may move from remote learning back to the classroom at the end of the grading period. Students can only change from in-person to remote learning for a medically verified reason from a licensed physician or therapist.

Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Tuesday, October 13th and Wednesday, October 14th. You will continue to receive communication on signups for virtual conferences from the elementary and middle school administration. Scheduling of Parent-Teacher Conferences at Bennington High School poses more of a challenge due to the number of courses students are enrolled in and the number of students each instructor services. The high school staff is currently developing individualized student performance communication for each course students are enrolled in. After parent/guardian review, an option to sign up for a virtual conference to further discuss student performance will be available. High school families should look for these emails in the early weeks of October.

Bennington High School football will host the Blair Bears tonight at 7:00 pm. Please remember athletic event attendance is restricted to five (5) paid tickets for family members of activity participants. Event attendance was expanded by offering a ticket lottery to 100 of our high school seniors who wish to attend in person. In addition, the Bennington Dance Team will perform prior to the game at approximately 6:48 pm. The Marching Badgers will perform at halftime and have a pep squad in one end zone during the contest. Both performances will be offered on a YouTube stream. You may watch it live from the Bennington Public Schools’ YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCopUSlVyyQeX0hnwJovFb9g

As you are all aware of by now, all students enrolled in Bennington Public Schools, whether enrolled as an in-person or remote learner, are eligible to receive a free breakfast and free lunch on the days that school is scheduled to be in session through the end of December. In addition to free meals for all students, all student meal accounts will be credited for meals purchased between August 12^th – September 22^nd. Please remember that all a la carte purchases (i.e. extra servings, second meals) will be charged to the student account at regular pricing. Families are encouraged to complete a free and reduced (F/R) application for the 20-21 school year if needed. The F/R application can be accessed on the District website under District/Documents/Lunch Account Information. Please contact Tracy Watsabaugh, Coordinator of Nutrition Services, (twatsabaugh@bennps.org) if you have any questions about this program.

The District has been informed the intersection of Bennington Road and 156th Street will be closed for construction starting sometime after September 28th. Local traffic can use North 2nd Street, Molley Street and Warehouse Street to access 156th Street and proceed south instead of using Highway 36 and 168th Street. Those living in the City of Bennington area can use Molley Street to Warehouse Street and 156th Street, then take Military Road and 168th Street to access the Middle and High School campuses. The length of this closure can vary for many reasons. The 156th Street project Facebook page will provide additional information and notification when the road has reopened and barricades are removed (facebook.com/groups/K2BenningtonProject/).

As you may have also noticed, there is some road construction happening on 168th Street by the middle school entrance. Traveling south on 168th Street will have no left turn into the middle school for the next couple of weeks while construction is being completed on the entrance onto Daniel Street to the west. If you typically come from the north each morning, a detour is available from Bennington Road to 171st Street, then south on 171st Street through the new neighborhood. Continue south on 171st Street to Abigail Street, then east back to 168th Street where you can turn left and head towards the middle school.

We are pleased to announce that construction of the new District Office is now complete. Please note a new entrance has been constructed to the District Office. The new entrance is located on the south side of the building to the west of the old entrance. Patrons are asked to use the new door under the District Office sign. Entrance will be similar to the other six school buildings with the use of an intercom system located on the outside of the door.

There is no doubt in anyone's mind that maintaining the safety protocols the District has put in place is challenging. However, the data we have collected over the course of 32 days of school suggest we can provide schooling to children in a safe environment during these unique and different times.

Stay safe and have a pleasant weekend!

9/18/2020

To All Bennington Public Schools’ Students and Families:

The District’s goal from the moment we released our Return to Learn plan was to provide in-person education to as many students and families as requested while implementing safety protocols to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Today marks the 27th day of student learning this year. While there is much to celebrate, there is also a note of caution. It is easy to assume our goal has been met and many are to be thanked for their vigilance to maintain safety protocols; however, it is just as easy to relax and let our guard down as we become more comfortable in these new surroundings.

It is important to continue all of the recommendations to protect yourself and others from the COVID-19 virus outbreak. Students, teachers, staff, and families are reminded to wash hands frequently, sanitize hands when they can’t be washed, wear face coverings, and social distance. If each person does his/her part, we can protect ourselves and each other and thus continue to be together at school. Everyone’s efforts are truly appreciated.

Due to the tremendous collaboration and cooperation we have seen by all stakeholders in following the guidelines we have set through our Return to School Blueprint, we will maintain our level of education at Tier II or Yellow for the week beginning September 21st. While we have not been immune from students and staff testing positive for COVID-19, we have not had any school-wide spread occur. This is due to all of you doing your part and doing it well! You are proof that completing daily symptom checks, good hygiene practices, consistent use of face coverings, and social distancing is what is allowing us to provide in-person learning to so many of our students. We know this comes with great fatigue and responsibility at times, but we appreciate your efforts in keeping school facilities open and staff and students healthy.

Remote Learning families will be receiving a form from their students’ school regarding continuing remote learning or returning to the classroom for the next grading period. There is no open registration for remote learning as this process was completed in early August. Students may transition from remote learning back to the classroom at the end of the grading period. Students can only change from in-person to remote learning for a medically verified reason from a licensed physician or therapist.

Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Tuesday, October 13th and Wednesday, October 14th. We value the opportunity to share student achievement and strive to develop a partnership with the families we serve. District and building administration have determined our safest option for these conferences will be to hold them remotely, through a virtual meeting. An expansion of conference times will be offered to accommodate the ability for parents/guardians to connect with school staff. Starting this weekend and throughout the next week, you will receive communication on sign-ups for a virtual conference time slot.

Bennington Public Schools’ athletics and fine arts programs enrich educational experiences. Access to these activities brings the community together in solidarity to celebrate our “Badger Pride” and allows our students to thrive outside the classroom. Limiting student participation and spectator attendance at these events continues to be a challenge. Administration regularly reviews protocols and monitors COVID-19 progression in hopes of increased participation at activities.

Effective September 14, 2020, Bennington Public Schools updated the attendance policy for home events. Family members of Bennington High School activity participants are allowed to purchase up to five paid tickets for their family. Bennington Public Schools expects that all those in attendance be related to a game/event participant. Under this policy update, grandparents of students can purchase tickets as part of this five-ticket allotment. We believe this update can be implemented safely while better serving our families and community.

In addition, the Bennington High School Marching Band will be allowed to perform at the September 25th, home varsity football game. Please look for additional information regarding procedures for band participants, as well as their parents/guardians in the near future. In the meantime, we hope you join us tonight in viewing the varsity football game against Skutt Catholic High School at 7:00 p.m. You may watch it live at rmd.me/aJLrZmITyXD.

All students enrolled in Bennington Public Schools, whether enrolled as an in person or remote learner, are eligible to receive a free breakfast and a free lunch on the days that school is scheduled to be in session through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) waiver. On August 31st, 2020, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue released new guidance which permits schools to provide free nutritious meals to students as an extension of the CARES Act of 2020. Our District will start this free meal program on Wednesday, September 23rd. In addition to free breakfast and lunch for all students, the USDA program is retroactive to the beginning of this school year and allows all student/family lunch accounts to be reimbursed for school meals from August 12th through September 22nd. The District will provide more information on this new Hot Lunch program early next week.

Again, we want to celebrate our success at this point in our journey through the 2020/21 school year. We also want to remind all stakeholders that this success has been achieved by adherence to the safety guidelines and protocols that are in place to slow the spread of COVID-19. With adherence to the safety protocols in place, we will be able to meet our goal.

Fall is such a beautiful time of the year to be outside and enjoy some fun with family and friends. Here's wishing everyone a safe and pleasant weekend!

9/11/2020

To All Bennington Public Schools’ Students and Families:

We have completed our first month of school now and continue to be impressed with

how teachers, students, and families have adapted to the new learning environments

and expectations. We recognize people may be experiencing “COVID Fatigue” with

trying to maintain as much normalcy in life, but experiencing the stress of the health

precautions and the frustration of not being able to have a “normal” school year. The

District encourages everyone to help themselves and our students to develop the

needed coping skills. Some recommended steps to fighting off stress include exercise,

talking about concerns to others, constructive thinking, gratitude, and mindfulness. We

do want to share our gratitude for all you do for your children and our school district.

We will maintain our level of education at Tier II or Yellow for the week beginning

September 14th. The metrics used to determine our level of education held steady this

past week. If we make any adjustment in our tiered educational planning, we would

provide students, families and employees appropriate time (approximately two to four

days) to make plans for different tiered protocols. Please note we have a notification bar

at the top of the district website denoting the level of educational protocol for the week.

Today, students and staff across the district celebrated Patriot’s Day to remember and

honor the lives of those who perished on September 11, 2001. Students learned about

the tragic story of this day and we honor the unmatched bravery of our Nation’s first

responders. We also celebrate those who, in the days and years following the attack,

answer the call to serve our country and continue to risk their lives in defense of

freedom.

Remote Learning families will be receiving a form from their students’ school about

continuing remote learning or returning to the classroom for the next grading period.

There is no open registration for remote learning as this process was completed in early

August. Students may move from remote learning back to the classroom at the end of

the grading period. Students can only change from in-person to remote learning for a

medically-verified reason from a licensed physician or therapist.

Due to the newest Directed Health Measure, the school district is asking that if

anyone in your household presents with the following COVID-19 Symptoms to

please keep all of your children home from school until the household member with

the symptoms either has a negative test or an alternate diagnosis. The symptoms

include: shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, or sudden onset of cough. We thank

you for your assistance with this.

We will continue to provide our remote learners with the opportunity for homework

assistance during the evenings. Building level administration has provided

communication for the process for elementary, middle, and secondary students to

access support through a live Google Classroom Meet. Staff is available to help with

such items as homework questions, figuring out difficult answers or solutions, and help

with navigating assignments within Google Classrooms. This is a drop-in session for

Remote Learners, where students should require approximately 10-15 minutes of

support. Once support is complete, students are asked to exit the Google Meet to allow

other learners to receive instruction. This time is not used for device difficulties.

Technology support is available during the school day from 7:30-4:30 by emailing

tech@bennps.org from your student’s Bennington email account. Attached you will find

the Remote Learning Responsibilities Document as a reminder of both the student and

family’s responsibilities during this time.

Today marks the middle of the first quarter, which means Fall Parent Teacher

Conferences are approaching. Building a connection between home and school is

extremely important for the progression of our students. We understand these unique

times bring challenges for families seeking involvement in the school setting. We want

to assure you that the administrative team is developing a plan to offer virtual

conferences scheduled for Tuesday, October 13 th and Wednesday, October 14 th . We

value the opportunity to share student achievement and strive to develop a partnership

with the families we serve. Look for more information pertaining to Fall Parent Teacher

Conferences in the weeks to come.

If you have concerns about safety, bullying, depression, suicide, substance abuse,

relationship issues, or anything else that could threaten someone’s physical or

emotional well-being, please call the Safe2Help Hotline at 402-390-2118. This hotline

connects callers with trained Boys Town National Hotline counselors who are available

24/7, 365 days a year. Callers are not required to give their names. Please remember, if

you or someone else is facing a life-threatening situation, always call 911.

We are mindful of the stress students, staff, and families are under and encourage

everyone to fight the “COVID Fatigue” by getting out and enjoying the weekend. The

administration would like to commend students, families and employees for following

the safety guidelines and protocols. With adherence to the safety protocols in place, we

have had very few positive COVID-19 cases in school and less than two percent of our

students in quarantine at one time. Keep up the good work!

Stay Badger Strong!

9/4/2020

To All Bennington Public Schools’ Students and Families:

We have been in school for over three weeks now and are very impressed with how teachers, students, and families have adapted to the new learning environments and expectations. The District recognizes what many consider “school” is not what is being experienced this year. We continue to thank our parents for sending children to school or helping them study from home. We truly appreciate all you do for your children and our school district. You all deserve a long weekend and we hope you enjoy your time and have a chance to fully unplug.

We will maintain our level of education at Tier II or Yellow for the week beginning September 7th. The metrics used to determine our level of education held steady this past week. If we make any adjustment in our tiered educational planning, we would provide students, families and employees appropriate time (approximately two to four days) to make plans for different tiered protocols. Please note we have a notification bar at the top of the district website denoting the level of educational protocol for the week.

Fall activities started hosting contests this past week. Several protocols were implemented to help lessen the risk of spreading COVID-19. The high school administration published guidelines for limited fan participation at our activities. In brief, we are limiting fan participation to participants, school personnel, and immediate family. Please be aware that anyone not on this limited list will be turned away at the gate.

We continue to appreciate everyone's patience and understanding as we make necessary adjustments to our plans to maintain a safe environment for in-person education. The District continues to believe that implementing safety protocols such as symptom checks before leaving your house, face coverings, personal hygiene, social distancing and classroom sanitation/stagnation will lessen health risks for students and staff and increase our opportunity to maintain in-person education.

Starting next week Remote Learners across the District will have the opportunity to receive homework support after school hours. Building level administration has provided communication for the process for elementary, middle, and secondary students to access support through a live Google Classroom Meet. Staff is available to help with such items as homework questions, figuring out difficult answers or solutions, and help with navigating assignments within Google Classrooms. This is a drop-in session for Remote Learners, where students should require approximately 10-15 minutes of support. Once support is complete, students are asked to exit the Google Meet to allow other learners to receive instruction. This time is not used for device difficulties. Technology support is available during the school day from 7:30-4:30 by emailing tech@bennps.org from your student’s Bennington email account. Attached you will find the Remote Learning Responsibilities Document as a reminder of both the student and family’s responsibilities during this time.

If you have concerns about safety, bullying, depression, suicide, substance abuse, relationship issues, or anything else that could threaten someone’s physical or emotional well-being, please call the Safe2Help Hotline at 402-390-2118. This hotline connects callers with trained Boys Town National Hotline counselors who are available 24/7, 365 days a year. Callers are not required to give their names. Please remember, if you or someone else is facing a life-threatening situation, always call 911.

We appreciate everyone's cooperation as we started school this year. The District implemented many new procedures and protocols ranging from entering school to Google Classroom this fall. We understand some of these educational changes have caused families to make changes at home as well. The administration would like to commend students, families and employees for following the safety guidelines and protocols. With adherence to the safety protocols in place, we have had very few positive COVID-19 cases in school and less than two percent of our students in quarantine at one time. Keep up the good work!

We wish everyone a happy and healthy Labor Day weekend.

8/21/2020

To All Bennington Public Schools’ Students and Families:

We would like to take this time to thank our educators. It is through their hard work and dedication that the District was able to get this school year off to a great start. It is often said that teachers are the backbone of a school district. The same could be said for the support staff as well (i.e. bus drivers, maintenance, secretaries, paraprofessionals, food service). Many people believe educators are the reason for a student’s success. It is through their dedication to students that Bennington Public Schools is seen as one of the top districts in the state. Thank you a thousand times over!

Fall sports started in earnest this past Thursday with a few contests. Practice for high school students started on August 10th. Several protocols were implemented to help lessen the risk of spreading COVID-19. Just as athletes have been asked to make some changes to create a safe environment for participation, we too will ask spectators to do the same. The high school administration has published guidelines for limited fan participation at our activities. In brief, we are limiting fan participation to participants, school personnel, and immediate family. Please be aware that anyone not on this limited list will be turned away at the gate.

We appreciate everyone's patience and understanding as we continue to make necessary adjustments to our plans to maintain a safe environment for in-person education. The District has made adjustments to smooth out procedures and protocols as we completed our first full week with students in the building. These adjustments are all meant to maintain safety in the midst of a pandemic while providing a comfortable educational environment. The District continues to believe that implementing safety protocols such as symptom checks before leaving your house, face coverings, personal hygiene, social distancing and classroom sanitation/stagnation will lessen health risks for students and staff and increase our opportunity to maintain in-person education.

If your child has one or more of the following COVID-19 symptoms, please know they must stay home from school: temperature is at or above 100.4° F, a new onset cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, or loss of taste or smell. They also must stay home if they are experiencing two or more of the following symptoms: chills, muscle aches/pains, headache, sore throat, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.

We will maintain our level of education at Tier II or Yellow for the week beginning Aug. 24th. We heard some encouraging news regarding COVID-19 metrics from Health Officials this past week. Although the metro area noted a slight decrease in some of the metrics related to our educational tiers, we are cautious to declare anything more than a decline in the metrics for one week. Please keep in mind the District's main goal is to create a safe environment for students and employees. If we make any adjustment in our tiered educational planning, we would provide students, families and employees appropriate time (approximately two to four days) to make plans for different tiered protocols. Please note we have a notification bar at the top of the district website denoting the level of educational protocol for the week.

The first week of combined remote and in-person learning has been completed. Remote students joined their classmates for live instruction in essential core courses such as, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. Students in the classroom are also able to participate in electives/exploratory/specials each day. It is very important that remote learners are on-line and on-time for class as teachers cannot wait to begin instruction. Each remote learner should have a schedule of class times to follow. Remote learners and their parents/guardians may email their teacher(s) for questions about content and assignments. Questions about technology should be sent to the Technology Department at tech@bennps.org. Please understand teachers will respond as they can. Students and parents should not expect immediate responses as teachers are also working with and supervising classrooms with students during the day. So far, the combination of remote and in-person learning has been a challenge, but teachers are making adjustments for students as needed.

All students in grades K-10 will be participating in MAP Testing sometime in the first four to five weeks of school. The MAP Test serves many purposes in Bennington Public Schools including informing teachers about students’ strengths and weaknesses, advising staff on the potential need for academic interventions, and providing the District with areas within the curriculum that may need adjustments. Students in grades K-1 complete Math and Reading and students in grades 2-10 may take tests in Language and Science as well. The MAP Test is part of the family of assessments included in the Nebraska Student Centered Assessment System (NSCAS) and is directly linked to the state tests in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. The District will also use this assessment data to gauge where students are after almost five months out of the classroom.

As stated, we appreciate everyone’s cooperation during this time as we continue to learn and adapt. Without the support of the community, we cannot sustain our goal of maintaining in-person education in a safe environment. Please help our students by maintaining safety protocols such as face coverings, personal hygiene, social distancing and facility sanitation outside of school as much as possible. Remember, we are stronger together than alone.

8/7/2020

To All Bennington Public Schools’ Students and Families:

We are less than a week from the start of school. In fact, we just completed the first day for all certificated personnel. I can state unequivocally that educators are eager to meet and greet students in person or remotely in the next week.

We continue to hold our level of education at Tier II or Yellow; however, metrics are shifting in a troubling direction. We maintain our commitment to our main goal of creating a safe environment for students and employees. If we make any adjustment in our tiered educational planning, we would provide students, families and employees appropriate time (approximately two to four days) to make plans for different tiered protocols. Remember, the virus has no timeline and things can change quickly, so please understand we may need to, or be told to, change in a 24-hour period.

The Return to Learn plan has several safety protocols in place for both students and staff. The District believes strongly that implementing safety protocols such as face coverings, personal hygiene, social distancing and classroom sanitation/stagnation will lessen health risks for students and staff and increase our opportunity to maintain in-person education. As stated several times, research suggests in-person education provides students the best opportunity to excel academically.

In working with the Douglas County Health Department, we would like to provide you some guidance on when to keep your child home during the COVID-19 Pandemic due to medical reasons. It is more important than ever that your child comes to school healthy. Parents/Guardians know their children better than anyone. We are asking you to do a temperature check every morning and ask your child a few health-related questions. If your child has one or more of the following symptoms, they must stay home from school: temperature is at or above 100.4° F, a new onset cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, vomiting, or loss of taste or smell. Also, if your child has two or more of the following symptoms, they must stay home from school: chills, muscle aches/pains, headache, sore throat, nausea, or diarrhea.

It is important to take your child’s temperature without fever-reducing medication in the last 6 to 8 hours. Feeling your child’s skin is not an accurate estimate of your child’s temperature.

As a reminder, if you or anyone in your household had recent (within the last two weeks) close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 and has symptoms of COVID-19, you are asked to keep your children home from school. You will need to notify the building principal of each child affected. For further guidance on the public health recommendations for the screening, exclusion and re-admittance of ill students and staff due to COVID-19 in schools, please click on the following link, DCHD Recommendations for Screening, Exclusion, and Re-Admittance in Schools.

The administration will propose a calendar change to the Board of Education on Monday evening. Administration will be asking the Board to approve early releases every two weeks starting with Wednesday, August 19th. These afternoon in-service times will be used to plan for remote learning. The District will use an 11:40 to 12:00 PM staggered schedule on these early release dates. We will provide a grab-n-go lunch for students as needed.

Please keep in mind the Return to Learn Plan will remain a fluid document and may change as the year progresses to allow for the incorporation of the latest guidance and requirements from state and local officials.

Some students will begin the school year in a remote learning environment while others will be in the classroom with their teachers. Registration for remote learning closed on Monday, August 3rd at 6:00 PM. Any requests for changes in schedule from in-person to remote, or vice versa, must be made before the first day of class and go through the principal. The district office will have final approval should a principal recommend a change in schedule. There will be no further schedule changes once school begins on August 12th, unless there is a medical reason.

Remote learning will not begin until Monday, August 17th, so that Chromebooks, schedules, and other materials can be picked up and information provided on how students join their classes. Courses will be provided in a synchronous format which means that students must be online and ready when the teacher begins instruction. More information will be provided when materials are distributed.

We continue to receive and evaluate new information on a daily basis as we adjust our plans as needed. We continue to be committed to our main goal. Bennington Public Schools has developed plans, protocols and procedures to provide the best education possible in a safe and caring environment. This is true for all stakeholders whether that be students, staff or our community. Helping ourselves will also help others around us stay healthy! We look forward to seeing students next week.

Take Care!

To All Bennington Public Schools’ Students and Families:

We are less than two weeks from the start of school for students and want to keep you informed about the District’s plans for educational programming. If students were to enter our schools tomorrow, we would operate in Tier II or Yellow. Remember what was stated in Friday Notes a few weeks back, the Douglas County Health Dial is only one piece of data the district will utilize to set protocols for learning either in person or remotely. We want to give students, families and employees appropriate time (approximately two to four days) to make plans in case we move from one tier to another. The virus, however, has no timeline and things can change quickly, so please understand we may need to, or be told to, change in a 24-hour period.

We will maintain our requirements for face coverings for all students and staff. The District believes strongly that implementing safety protocols such as face coverings, personal hygiene, social distancing and classroom sanitation/stagnation will lessen health risks for students and staff and increase our opportunity to maintain in-person education. As stated several times, research suggests in-person education provides students the best opportunity to excel academically.

Bennington Public Schools (BPS) is offering remote learning to any student and/or family that requests to have their children educated at home or outside of a school facility regardless of the need for medical accommodations. Please see the link below for full details of the District’s Remote Learning Plan.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sKjqY_n3TqkD73L7xEGZwKvWdTSHYneKviUH4Xey9Ys/edit?usp=sharing

The remote learning plan for BPS will utilize synchronous instruction which will occur during normal classroom hours for all essential curriculum classes in all three levels of education (i.e. elementary, middle and high school). Please review the information regarding this remote learning opportunity and how to register the link provided above. The deadline for registering a student for the District’s Remote Learning Plan will be 6:00 PM, Monday, August 3^rd.

The administration is proposing a calendar change to the Board of Education at their August 10th meeting. Administration will be asking the Board to approve early releases every two weeks starting with Wednesday, August 19th. These afternoon in-service times will be used to plan for remote learning. The District will use an 11:40 to 12:00 PM staggered schedule on these early release dates. We will provide a grab-n-go lunch for students as needed.

Please keep in mind the Return to Learn Plan will remain a fluid document and may change as the year progresses to allow for the incorporation of the latest guidance and requirements from state and local officials.

Although we continue to communicate our plans for a return to school on August 12th, we do not have all the answers at this time. We receive information on a daily basis and are adjusting our plans as needed. We have not wavered from our main goal. Bennington Public Schools is committed to developing plans, protocols and procedures to provide the best education possible in a safe and caring environment. This is true for all stakeholders whether that be students, staff or our community. Helping ourselves will also help others around us stay healthy!

To All Families of Bennington Public Schools:

As Bennington Public Schools prepare for a variety of "back to school" scenarios this fall, we are looking for insights from parents about their experiences and household situations. Bennington Public Schools also recognizes that some students may have compromised immune systems or other health issues that pose a risk for their in-person return to school and we would like to gather information in regard to that as well.

Please complete the survey for each child in your family.

Your response to this survey will help us to, 1) identify which and how many students may be at-risk or electing not to return in the fall, 2) alert us to the potential need for a child(ren) in your family to receive an individualized health plan or accommodations while on campus, and 3) understand better, student

willingness and ability to wear face coverings during the school day.

Similar to all health information submitted by parent(s)/guardian(s) to the district, this information is FERPA protected and will be kept confidential. Only district administrators and designated building staff will be made aware of survey responses.

Note: If facial coverings (i.e. masks or shields) are recommended or required, BPS will provide some for all staff and students. There may be times when it will be appropriate to remove masks. We also recognize there are students who have special circumstances preventing mask-wearing and we would help find accommodations for those students.

You may access the survey by clicking the link below:

BPS Student Health, Attendance, & Needs Census: Fall 20-21

To All Families of Bennington Public Schools:

Please take the time to read this week’s “Friday Notes” for some important information as we jump into summer.

2020 Graduation Ceremony:

The Administration has secured approval from county health officials to conduct an in-person outdoor graduation ceremony on Saturday, June 27th. Graduates and their families will be receiving communication from Dr. Blomenkamp regarding this event shortly. Due to the governor’s restrictions for large gatherings, the district will limit this celebration to four immediate family members per graduate. We understand the limitations lessen the opportunity for some out-of-town family and friends; however, we felt a graduation ceremony is an important milestone in the life of seniors that must be celebrated regardless of the restrictions that COVID-19 have placed on society at this time.

Summer Learning Opportunities:

The Google Classrooms used during the distance learning will be open until the end of June if your students would like to continue to complete some of the activities they skipped. Assignments should not be turned in as the classrooms will not be monitored and assignments will not be graded.

Symbaloo is a website to organize links to other websites. The Middle School and High School teachers have each built a Symbaloo site filled with links to learning opportunities. Check the school website for the link to find a variety of learning opportunities. A little practice over the summer in any subject area can go a long way to reducing learning atrophy.

Bennington Public Schools has provided a Summer Bridge to Learning program bag to each student in grades K-8. Bennington’s teachers have designed fun learning activities focused on Nebraska and Bennington learning standards for students. These summer activities will help to keep students learning throughout the summer, to bridge students from one grade to the next, and to keep learning skills sharp. The kits contain a variety of materials including word cards, math cards, fiction and non-fiction books, and about 30 activities.

Summer school is being held for elementary students at Pine Creek using a combination of in-person and online learning. This is running through the month of June for students who had signed up prior to the school closure in March. High school students who need to make up credits are working through online credit recovery courses at school during the month of June. High School administrators and counselors contacted eligible students about this opportunity.

School Calendar 2020 - 2021:

By now, you may have read many different scenarios to the start of the school year in August of 2020. First and foremost, Bennington Public Schools' plan is to start the school year with students coming to our facilities on Wednesday, August 12th. The district is working with government and health officials to allow students to return to our facilities.

The Student Verification process is the district’s online registration process. Families will receive directions to go to the NebSIS Family portal (formerly the Parent Web) to update student and family information for the 2020-2021 school year in mid-July. July 31st and August 3rd are in-person registration dates if you could not complete the online registration. More information will be sent out in July.

Bennington Daze:

The City of Bennington has traditionally hosted Bennington Daze the first weekend of June. Organizers have developed an abbreviated schedule of events for this year’s celebration. Please go to our district website for a copy of 2020 Bennington Daze events. One of the events will be a fireworks show on Saturday night. The display will be located on the north fields of the high school stadium. Prior to the fireworks show, a live band will be performing in the high school parking lot. Please remember to keep an empty parking space between you and the other vehicles, stay in your vehicle and comply with school policy regarding the use of tobacco or alcohol on school grounds.

Safe2Help Hotline:

If you have concerns about safety, bullying, depression, suicide, substance abuse, relationship issues, or anything else that could threaten someone’s physical or emotional well-being, please call the Safe2Help Hotline at 402-390-2118. This hotline connects callers with trained Boys Town National Hotline counselors who are available 24/7, 365 days a year. Callers are not required to give their names. Please remember, if you or someone else is facing a life-threatening situation, always call 911.

Community Food Assistance Program:

The Bennington Food Pantry has moved to St. John's Church located at 322 N Molley Street in Bennington. All Bennington residents are eligible to apply for financial assistance from the Bennington Community Food Assistance program. All you need to do is fill out the application form found on the Bennington Chamber of Commerce website: https://www.benningtoncoc.org/community. This is a confidential process and we are here to help you ease the burden in this challenging time.

In Summary:

Summer has arrived . . . including the heat! The employees of Bennington Public Schools would like to wish each and every one of you a happy and fun summer. We want you to know we are working very hard this summer in our planning and preparations for the return of students this August. Regardless of what form, or how many students are allowed in our facilities, we will be prepared to provide you with the best possible education necessary to help students grow.

Take Care!

To All Families of Bennington Public Schools:

Please take the time to read this week’s “Friday Notes” for some important information as we close out the 2019/20 school year.

Distance Learning & School Closure Survey:

Bennington Public Schools, in collaboration with Educational Service Unit #3, is gathering feedback from students, their families, and staff members regarding the successes and challenges of distance learning due to the COVID-19 school closures. We request that you take this approximately 10-minute survey to help us understand your needs and concerns so we can best serve you in the fall and beyond. Parents should provide a response, then students in grades 4-12 are also encouraged to complete the survey. Thank you in advance for your participation! Survey will close at the end of the day on May 26, 2020. Bennington Survey Link: https://hanover-research.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dmMlJm74wB7fcm9?District=Bennington

Summer Learning Opportunities:

The Google Classrooms used during the distance learning will be open until the end of June if your students would like to continue to complete some of the activities they skipped. Assignments should not be turned in as the classrooms will not be monitored and assignments will not be graded.

Symbaloo is a website to organize links to other websites. The Middle School and High School teachers have built a Symbaloo site filled with links to learning opportunities. Check the school website for the link to find a variety of learning opportunities. A little practice over the summer in any subject area can go a long way to reducing learning atrophy.

Bennington Public Schools has provided a Summer Bridge to Learning program bag to each student in grades K-8. Bennington’s teachers have designed fun learning activities focused on Nebraska and Bennington learning standards for students. These summer activities will help to keep students learning throughout the summer, to bridge students from one grade to the next, and to keep learning skills sharp. The kits contain a variety of materials including word cards, math cards, fiction and non-fiction books, and about 30 activities. These kits were distributed when you picked up student materials the week of May 18th.

Summer School:

We will be offering summer school through online credit recovery for high school students who need to make up a course. Counselors and administration from the high school will contact students and families of students who need to retake a course.

We are offering a blended model of summer school for elementary students. This will provide two days of in-person classes alternating with 2 days of live online instruction each week. We are offering this opportunity to students who had enrolled for summer school earlier in March. We will alternate grades on different days to keep our numbers small enough to safely meet CDC guidelines. Eligible families were contacted by the Summer School Director earlier this week. Classes begin June 1st, 2020.

Safe2Help Hotline:

If you have concerns about safety, bullying, depression, suicide, substance abuse, relationship issues, or anything else that could threaten someone’s physical or emotional well-being, please call the Safe2Help Hotline at 402-390-2118. This hotline connects callers with trained Boys Town National Hotline counselors who are available 24/7, 365 days a year. Callers are not required to give their names. Please remember, if you or someone else is facing a life-threatening situation, always call 911.

School Calendar 2020 - 2021:

By now, you may have read many different scenarios to the start of the school year in August of 2020. First and foremost, Bennington Public Schools' plan is to start the school year with students coming to our facilities on Wednesday, August 12th. Obviously, conditions must be different than the current environment and we will need permission from government and health officials to allow students to return to our facilities. The district understands many in the health profession are working extremely hard to create a safe environment so we can lessen current restrictions. We applaud their efforts and thank them for looking out for everyone's welfare. We will work with many officials over the course of the next few months to create a safe return to school plan. We will provide appropriate guidance in a timely manner to any changes in our educational plans if conditions do not allow us to return to school in a normal fashion.

District Facility Restriction:

By now you have heard of some lessening of restrictions by the State of Nebraska. Many of the restrictions are still in place until the end of May. We are working with BAL officials to allow the use of our outside facilities for youth baseball and softball starting on June 1st. Please use good social distancing practices and refrain from using school facilities until June 1st.

High school athletes and families will be contacted by coaches and school administrators as plans for strength and conditioning workouts and sport specific workouts will begin on June 1st. We are working with the NSAA and health officials to follow all guidelines to slowly begin athletic activities in a healthy and safe environment for our coaches and athletes.

Community Food Assistance Program:

The Bennington Food Pantry has moved to St. John's Church located at 322 N Molley Street in Bennington. All Bennington residents are eligible to apply for financial assistance from the Bennington Community Food Assistance program. All you need to do is fill out the application form found on the Bennington Chamber of Commerce website: https://www.benningtoncoc.org/community. This is a confidential process and we are here to help you ease the burden in this challenging time.

In Summary:

We made it! Yes, we made progress; although slow at times, but we did make progress. Lessons learned over the last two months will be used to better ourselves in the future. As for the future, we will take time this summer to plan for many different scenarios this fall. Although we do not know what August will be like in terms of COVID-19 and restrictions, we do know we have many professionals ready and willing to provide an education to help students grow and be successful. We will keep you informed as new developments happen and we plan for your students next school year.

Thank you for working with us these past few months to help move students forward.

The next “Friday Notes” will be sent on June 5th.

Take Care!

To All Families of Bennington Public Schools:

Please take the time to read this week’s “Friday Notes” for some important information as we close out the 2019/20 school year.

Distance Learning & School Closure Survey:

Bennington Public Schools, in collaboration with Educational Service Unit #3, is gathering feedback from students, their families, and staff members regarding the successes and challenges of distance learning due to the COVID-19 school closures. We request that you take this approximately 10-minute survey to help us understand your needs and concerns so we can best serve you in the fall and beyond. Parents should provide a response, then students in grades 4-12 are also encouraged to complete the survey. Thank you in advance for your participation!

Bennington Survey Link: https://hanover-research.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dmMlJm74wB7fcm9?District=Bennington

Instruction:

The Board of Education and administration have set the last day of instruction for Friday, May 15, 2020. Yes, today is the last day of instruction and learning for many. We want to remind students and families that the last week on the school calendar, May 18^th through 22^nd, will be used by teachers to assist identified students to complete missing assignments or to receive additional instruction if students need to retake an assessment to successfully complete the year. Teachers, counselors and administrators have been contacting families of students who need support and encouragement to complete school work in a timely manner to ensure children are prepared for the transition into next year. We strongly encourage all students and families to work with school officials to finish out the school year on a positive note.

We will also use the week of May 18^th through the 22^nd as a time to collect and disseminate school supplies and personal items. Please check messages from building principals for details about picking up and dropping off school materials.

The Google Classrooms will be open until the end of June if your students would like to continue to complete some of the activities they skipped. Assignments should not be turned in as the classrooms will not be monitored and assignments will not be graded.

Summer Bridge Work:

Bennington Public Schools will be providing a Summer Bridge to Learning program to each student in grades K-8. Bennington’s teachers have designed fun learning activities focused on Nebraska and Bennington learning standards for students. These summer activities will help to keep students learning throughout the summer, to bridge students from one grade to the next, and to keep learning skills from atrophy. The kits will contain a variety of materials including word cards, math cards, fiction and non-fiction books, and about 30 activities. These kits will be ready for distribution when you pick up student materials the week of May 18th.

Summer School:

We will be offering summer school through online credit recovery for high school students who need to make up a course. Counselors and administration from the high school will contact students and families of students who need to retake a course.

We are offering a blended model of summer school for elementary students. This will provide two days of in-person classes alternating with 2 days of live online instruction each week. We are offering this opportunity to students who had enrolled for summer school earlier in March. We will alternate grades on different days to keep our numbers small enough to safely meet CDC guidelines. Eligible families were contacted by the Summer School Director earlier this week.

Safe2Help Hotline:

If you have concerns about safety, bullying, depression, suicide, substance abuse, relationship issues, or anything else that could threaten someone’s physical or emotional well-being, please call the Safe2Help Hotline at 402-390-2118. This hotline connects callers with trained Boys Town National Hotline counselors who are available 24/7, 365 days a year. Callers are not required to give their names. Please remember, if you or someone else is facing a life-threatening situation, always call 911.

School Calendar 2020 - 2021:

By now, you may have read many different scenarios to the start of the school year in August of 2020. First and foremost, Bennington Public Schools' plan is to start the school year with students coming to our facilities on Wednesday, August 12th. Obviously, conditions must be different than the current environment and we will need permission from government and health officials to allow students to return to our facilities. The district understands many in the health profession are working extremely hard to create a safe environment so we can lessen current restrictions. We applaud their efforts and thank them for looking out for everyone's welfare. We will work with many officials over the course of the next few months to create a safe return to school plan. We will provide appropriate guidance in a timely manner to any changes in our educational plans if conditions do not allow us to return to school in a normal fashion.

District Facility Restriction:

All Bennington Public Schools’ buildings and campuses are closed to public use. This means no gathering of any size is allowed on any school facility until further notice. Please do not use playgrounds or fields for recreational usage as this has been deemed unhealthy at this time by government and health officials. We are working with BAL officials to allow the use of our outside facilities for youth baseball and softball starting on June 1st.

Community Food Assistance Program:

The Bennington Food Pantry will be moving to St. John's Church next week due to the reconstruction of 156th and Bennington Road. All Bennington residents are eligible to apply for financial assistance from the Bennington Community Food Assistance program. All you need to do is fill out the application form found on the Bennington Chamber of Commerce website: https://www.benningtoncoc.org/community. This is a confidential process and we are here to help you ease the burden in this challenging time.

In Appreciation:

The last week of school is traditionally packed with both fun moments and very touching memories for students, teachers, and administrators. We have survived this new environment over the past eight weeks and are missing those celebrations and farewells. We are very proud of students and their families who have done their best during this time and the teachers, counselors, administrators, and other staff who have instructed and supported them through this new and different learning environment. We want to let you know how much we value and appreciate the families that make up our school district and the staff members who serve them. We do not have answers to many of the questions out there about what comes next, but know that we are dedicated to providing an education to help students grow and be successful. We will keep you informed as new developments happen and we plan for your students’ next school year.

Thank you for choosing to be part of the Bennington Public Schools.

Take Care!

To All Families of Bennington Public Schools:

We would like to take this opportunity to pass along some important reminders about the last two weeks of school in this week’s “Friday Notes”.

Instruction:

The Board of Education and administration have set the last day of instruction for Friday, May 15, 2020. We want to remind students and families that the last week on the school calendar, May 18^th through 22^nd, will be used by teachers to assist identified students to complete missing assignments or to receive additional instruction if students need to retake an assessment to successfully complete the year. We will also use the week of May 18^th through the 22^nd as a time to collect and disseminate school supplies and personal items.

We want to stress to all students and families that academic achievement is and has always been important to our community. The district has communicated out to students and families our grading policy related to distance learning. Teachers, counselors, and administrators have been contacting families of students who need support and encouragement to complete schoolwork in a timely manner to ensure children are prepared for the transition into next year. We strongly encourage all students and families to work with school officials to finish out the school year on a positive note.

Summer Bridge and Summer School:

Bennington Public Schools will be providing a Summer Bridge to Learning program to each student in grades K-8. Bennington’s teachers have designed fun learning activities focused on Nebraska and Bennington learning standards for students. These summer activities will help to keep students learning throughout the summer, to bridge students from one grade to the next, and to keep learning skills from atrophy. The kits will contain a variety of materials including word cards, math cards, fiction and non-fiction books, and about 30 activities. These kits will be ready for distribution when you pick up your student materials the week of May 18th.

We will be offering summer school through online credit recovery for high school students who need to make up a course. We are investigating the possibility of offering in-person summer school for elementary students. We may not be able to provide for as many students as originally planned in order to safely meet CDC guidelines, but we will be reaching out to families who had accepted summer school invitations earlier this semester. We will provide more information as plans are developed.

Meals for Students:

We continue to serve meals to all BPS students using the current schedule that is in place at Bennington and Heritage Elementary schools through the last day of remote/distance learning for students on May 15th. A family may contact the District Office to inquire about applications for Free and/or Reduced lunch meal participation if they have recently lost income or employment.

All Bennington residents are eligible to apply for financial assistance from the Bennington Community Food Assistance program. All you need to do is fill out the application form found here: https://www.benningtoncoc.org/community. This is a confidential process and we are here to help you ease the burden in this challenging time.

Safe2Help Hotline:

If you have concerns about safety, bullying, depression, suicide, substance abuse, relationship issues, or anything else that could threaten someone’s physical or emotional well-being, please call the Safe2Help Hotline at 402-390-2118. This hotline connects callers with trained Boys Town National Hotline counselors who are available 24/7, 365 days a year. Callers are not required to give their names. Please remember, if you or someone else is facing a life-threatening situation, always call 911.

Again, we would like to thank all parents and guardians. With no training, you have been asked to be an educator along with still being parents. Thank you! Educating children is a team effort and distance learning has highlighted that as never before.

Take Care!

To All Families of Bennington Public Schools:

We would like to take this opportunity to pass along some important reminders about the last two to three weeks of school in this week’s “Friday Notes”.

Instruction:

The Board of Education and administration have set the last day of instruction for Friday, May 15, 2020. We want to remind students and families that the last week on the school calendar, May 18^th through 22^nd, will be used by teachers to assist identified students to complete missing assignments or to receive additional instruction if students need to retake an assessment to successfully complete the year. We will also use the week of May 18^th through the 22^nd as a time to collect and disseminate school supplies and personal items.

We want to stress to all students and families that academic achievement is and has always been important to our community. Therefore, we want students to work hard over these last two weeks to complete all assignments and projects on or before May 15^th.

Summer Bridge Work and Activities:

Bennington Public Schools will be providing a Summer Bridge to Learning program to each student in grades K-8. Bennington’s teachers have designed fun learning activities focused on Nebraska and Bennington learning standards for students. These summer activities will help to keep students learning throughout the summer, to bridge students from one grade to the next, and to keep learning skills from atrophy. The kits will contain a variety of materials including word cards, math cards, fiction and non-fiction books, and about 30 activities. These kits will be ready for distribution when you pick up student materials the week of May 18th.

We understand the Governor and Health Officials have issued new guidance on social distancing for the state. We are working with local and state officials to determine what the school district can provide in a safe manner with regards to summer programming. We will provide more information on summer programs as appropriate plans are developed.

Meals for Students:

We continue to serve meals to all BPS students using the current schedule that is in place at Bennington and Heritage Elementary schools through the last day of remote/distance learning for students on May 15th. A family may contact the District Office to inquire about applications for Free and/or Reduced lunch meal participation if they have recently lost income or employment.

All Bennington residents are eligible to apply for financial assistance from the Bennington Community Food Assistance program. All you need to do is fill out the application form found here: https://www.benningtoncoc.org/community. This is a confidential process and we are here to help you ease the burden in this challenging time.

District Facility Restriction:

All Bennington Public Schools’ buildings and campuses are closed to public use. We understand the weather is warming and health officials are loosening some restrictions, but not for school facilities. Please do not use playgrounds or fields for recreational usage as this has been deemed unhealthy at this time by government and health officials. We understand some of our facilities cannot be locked down or secured; therefore, we are asking for your support and voluntary compliance with this request. Law enforcement and school officials will be monitoring all facilities and will enforce this measure if necessary.

Safe2Help Hotline:

If you have concerns about safety, bullying, depression, suicide, substance abuse, relationship issues, or anything else that could threaten someone’s physical or emotional well-being, please call the Safe2Help Hotline at 402-390-2118. This hotline connects callers with trained Boys Town National Hotline counselors who are available 24/7, 365 days a year. Callers are not required to give their names. Please remember, if you or someone else is facing a life-threatening situation, always call 911.

Hero is a term that is often thrown around loosely. One can define hero as they want. Mr. Rogers was quoted as saying: “anyone who does anything to help a child in his/her life is a hero to me.” Every teacher hired since 2004 has been asked a series of similar questions in Bennington’s interview process. One question is: who would you like to be like? Many teaching candidates answer with a story about a parent or a teacher. Yes, teachers and parents are the people most remembered and who children want to be like as they move into adulthood for many apparent and important reasons. This has never been truer than during the past six weeks.

We would like to thank several heroes who have stepped up to serve our students during this time of school closures and distance learning. We are very thankful to teachers, support staff and administrators for their quick response in transitioning from onsite classroom instruction to distance learning. We have seen some imaginative and innovative lessons delivered to students in the past six weeks that will serve us well in the future. Their work and creativity have helped students and families continue learning while staying safely at home during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

Just as important, and in reality, more so, we want to thank all of parents and guardians for helping the school district with instruction. We have heard many stories of the sacrifices that parents and guardians have made to work from home, or work long hours, then put in extra time to help students with school work. Your patience and understanding have been a tremendous help in ensuring our students are making progress toward a better tomorrow. Thank you for your continuous support and contributions in making our school district a great place to learn and grow.

Take care, and may your May Day basket be filled with rainbows and smiles.

To All Families of Bennington Public Schools:

This week’s “Friday Notes” will be brief and is comprised of many reminders related to COVID-19 restrictions and requests, meals program, distance learning, and the end of the year procedures.

Instruction:

The Board of Education and administration have set the last day of instruction for Friday, May 15, 2020. We want to remind students and families that the last week on the school calendar, May 18^th through 22^nd, will be used by teachers to assist identified students in complete missing assignments or to receive additional instruction if students needed to retake an assessment to successfully complete the year. Administrators and counselors have, or will, be contacting these identified students and families to schedule special educational sessions to offer extended learning opportunities or help finish coursework for the second semester.

By now, all of you should have received communication on the district’s grading procedures for distance learning. We hope to communicate more information on the last week of school with regards to the distribution and collection of school supplies and summer activities next week.

School Accounts:

If transportation invoices were paid in full for 2019-20, refunds have been issued through My School Bucks to the original method of payment. Please check your account for this activity.

Lunch account balances will roll over to the 20-21 school year. If you have a senior who is graduating, any remaining balance will be transferred to a younger sibling, or if no other siblings enrolled, the balance will be refunded in May.

Meals for Students:

We continue to serve meals to all BPS students using the current schedule that is in place at Bennington and Heritage Elementary schools through the last day of remote/distance learning for students on May 15th. A family may contact the District Office to inquire about applications for Free and/or Reduced lunch meal participation if they have recently lost income or employment.

All Bennington residents are eligible to apply for financial assistance from the Bennington Community Food Assistance program. All you need to do is fill out the application form found here: https://www.benningtoncoc.org/community. This is a confidential process and we are here to help you ease the burden in this challenging time.

District Facility Restriction:

All Bennington Public Schools’ buildings and campuses are closed to public use. This means no gathering of any size is allowed on any school facility until further notice. Please do not use playgrounds or fields for recreational usage as this has been deemed unhealthy at this time by government and health officials. We understand some of our facilities cannot be locked down or secured. Therefore, we are asking for your support and voluntary compliance with this request. Law enforcement and school officials will be monitoring all facilities and will enforce this measure if necessary.

Safe2Help Hotline:

If you have concerns about safety, bullying, depression, suicide, substance abuse, relationship issues, or anything else that could threaten someone’s physical or emotional well-being, please call the Safe2Help Hotline at 402-390-2118. This hotline connects callers with trained Boys Town National Hotline counselors who are available 24/7, 365 days a year. Callers are not required to give their names. Please remember, if you or someone else is facing a life-threatening situation, always call 911.

In summary, all Bennington Public Schools’ (BPS) employees truly care about each of the students and their families in this community. If you need support with lessons, teachers are available and monitoring email to lend a hand. School counselors and our partners at Arbor Family Counseling are there to support you navigating this unusual situation, contact your school for more information. The school meals program and community pantry have been set up to help families in need. Principals are available to handle questions or concerns through email or telephone. The Technology Department (tech@bennps.org) is ready to support you with online learning. Please know the entire BPS team is ready to support your students’ learning. As always, take the advice of the health experts and practice good hygiene and social distancing.

Take Care!

To All Families of Bennington Public Schools:

This week’s “Friday Notes” will provide students and families information about the last full day of instruction, grading practices related to the distance learning program, the district’s meals program, summer events and some logistics regarding the collection and distribution of student supplies.

Last Day of Full Instruction:

The Board of Education and administration have set the last day of instruction for Friday, May 15, 2020. There are several factors that have led us to this decision.

• Key concepts will be completed based on our year-long scope and sequence documents in reading and math for elementary students.

• Middle and High School teachers spend the last few days of a semester reviewing before final exams, or working on final projects and presentations. This will not be the norm this year; therefore, teachers will be covering a majority, if not all, key concepts for each course on or before May 15^th.

• The elimination of school activities, athletics, class picnics, field trips, and awards days have allowed teachers to focus on presenting coursework standards.

• As the annual course maps are created, “short” weeks are planned as review or focused on assessments. We are also eliminating days for NSCAS assessments, MAP assessments, and End-of-Year Benchmark assessments.

The last week on the school calendar, May 18^th through 22^nd, would be used by teachers to assist identified students to help them complete missing assignments or to receive additional instruction if students needed to retake an assessment to successfully complete the year. Administrators and counselors will be contacting these identified students and families to schedule special educational sessions to offer extended learning opportunities or help finish coursework for the second semester.

Grading:

Grading is an important part of measuring progress toward instructional goals. Students and families have been working diligently to complete learning activities provided by students’ teachers and this work deserves to be honored with feedback and valued with a score if possible. Elementary students will receive a progress report in May with comments about the student’s work and progress this fourth quarter. Middle and high school students have been earning grades on work they have been completing during distance learning and can see current grades through the portal. Teachers and administration are working on the final plan for these middle and high school grades, as how we report progress may have future impact for high school students. Please watch for more information from building principals.

End of Year Collection and Distribution:

The end of the school year will look very different than we have ever experienced before. We are definitely missing all of the spring activities, field trips, sports, and transition activities for our students moving into kindergarten, middle school, and high school. There are many things students still have at school to pick up, and library books, textbooks, and Chromebooks, to return to school. The Directed Health Measure from the Governor and health experts tells us we must plan this exchange of materials carefully, so please look for a detailed plan from the building principals on how this will be scheduled next week.

Summer Activities:

We are hopeful that some summer activities will be able to take place, but with the current health situation, nothing will look the same as before. Please know coaches, sponsors, and teachers all would prefer to have students with them and planning for everything from summer school to sports camps, but we have a greater need to protect our students and their families. We are in regular contact with health officials to make the best decisions possible. Please watch for later announcements for the most current information.

Meals for Students:

We continue to serve meals to all BPS students using the current schedule that is in place at Bennington and Heritage Elementary schools through the last day of remote/distance learning for students on May 15th.

The district is asking those students not receiving Free or Reduced lunch to pay a discounted rate for their meals of $2.00. The cost of this packaged meal is normally $4.05 for elementary students and $4.50 for high school students. Funds will be deducted from the student's hot lunch account at school. No cash transactions will be collected. All funds must be transferred electronically. A family may contact the District Office to inquire about applications for Free and/or Reduced lunch meal participation if they have recently lost income or employment.

Safe2Help Hotline:

If you have concerns about safety, bullying, depression, suicide, substance abuse, relationship issues, or anything else that could threaten someone’s physical or emotional well-being, please call the Safe2Help Hotline at 402-390-2118. This hotline connects callers with trained Boys Town National Hotline counselors who are available 24/7, 365 days a year. Callers are not required to give their names. Please remember, if you or someone else is facing a life-threatening situation, always call 911.

Foundation Survey:

The Bennington Public Schools Foundation invites you to take a short survey to be used for strategic planning purposes for the coming school year. Whether you know a lot or very little about the Foundation, your insight will help them determine how to better serve our community. Complete the survey at: https://forms.gle/RJwscvenvRvszy6KA

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Building principals will be communicating with each family in their respective facilities next Wednesday. This communication will outline grading procedures and end of the year distribution and collection of student and school supplies procedures specific for their respective buildings.

We want to close by sharing how grateful we are to each and every one of you as we have navigated this challenging situation together. Let us not forget to both act with caution and be careful with our own health. Let’s also remember to be gentle with one another. We will continue to have challenges in front of us, and I know we can meet these challenges. As always, take the advice of the health experts and practice good hygiene and social distancing.

Take Care!

To All Families of Bennington Public Schools:

We want to reach out to you this week to notify students and families of some changes to the food program, share more about our distance learning program and to let you know we will be disseminating information about the last day for students learning and collection and distribution of student supplies.

As you know, we are in the middle of Spring Break: April 9th – 13^th. We will resume our food program and start remote/distance learning on Tuesday, April 14^th. Administrators have been meeting and collecting input from students, staff and families to finalize plans for several events or programs related to school. As we are all aware of by now, any plans we have in place may be changed with the next press conference if health officials make decisions that may better protect all of us.

Below are some important points we want to share with you today:

Meals for Students:

Unless the health department tells the district to stop, or we are placed on a statewide lockdown, we plan to continue to provide meals to all BPS students using the current schedule that is in place at Bennington and Heritage Elementary schools through the last day of remote/distance learning for students in May. The district will start the meal program back up on Tuesday, April 14^th. Free and/or Reduced lunch meal participants will receive a free packaged breakfast and lunch every day.

The district will be asking those students not receiving Free or Reduced lunch to pay a discounted rate for their meals. The district has decided to offer the same packaged breakfast and lunch for a discounted rate of $2.00. The cost of this packaged meal is normally $4.05 for elementary students and $4.50 for high school students. Funds will be deducted from the student's hot lunch account at school. No cash transactions will be collected. All funds must be transferred electronically. A family may contact the District Office to inquire about applications for Free and/or Reduced lunch meal participation if they have recently lost income or employment.

Distance Learning:

Distance learning continues through weekly posted lessons and assignments. Teachers are available through email or google meetings to assist students with assignments and answer questions daily. Grades are being posted for work completed by Middle and High School students each week. Elementary students are asked to complete and submit at least two identified reading and math assignments each week. Elementary students have a variety of other lessons and activities that may be completed beyond these minimal expectations.

Progress reports will be posted from the High School later in April to let you know where a student’s grade is in each course. Elementary teachers will provide some progress reporting based on completion of assignments and student progress seen later in April. Middle School students do not typically receive progress reports during a Hexter, but teachers are updating student grades and reaching out through email to students and parents about progress regularly. We will have more information forthcoming about calculations of grades for the fourth quarter next week.

Events:

Last week we shared with you some of our thoughts about events like kindergarten roundup, graduation, grade level transitions, summer school and summer camps. Please be patient with us as we finalize these plans in the next week to ten days. We are planning to host some of these events virtually and postpone others. Some many have to be canceled at the advice of health officials. We will have more on these events next Friday.

Safe2Help Hotline:

If you have concerns about safety, bullying, depression, suicide, substance abuse, relationship issues, or anything else that could threaten someone’s physical or emotional well-being, please call the Safe2Help Hotline at 402-390-2118. This hotline connects callers with trained Boys Town National Hotline counselors who are available 24/7, 365 days a year. Callers are not required to give their names. Please remember, if you or someone else is facing a life-threatening situation, always call 911.

We will continue to work out details as we move through this and will follow up with you through email over the next week to 10 days. We do not want to overwhelm you with communication, and our goal is to share as much as possible with you to keep everyone on the same page.

We continue to be amazed at the work families are doing to partner with teachers and students to continue educating children during these times. Your support does not go unnoticed! As always, take the advice of the health experts and practice good hygiene and social distancing.

Take Care!

To All Families of Bennington Public Schools:

Governor Ricketts issued an order Wednesday night requiring Nebraska schools to operate without students in buildings through May 31, 2020. This will prevent us from physically come back together this school year. Therefore, Bennington Public Schools will remain closed with our distance learning format to continue for the remainder of the school year.

Assignments will continue to count. Our heavy emphasis is on learning, staying academically and socially engaged, and reviewing key concepts. We want to continue to focus on learning as opposed to grading. We continue to emphasis the fact that although children are not being educated in a school facility, we are preparing students for the next phase of education.

Bennington has a tradition of academic success. Our Teaching and Learning Team is evaluating how to scaffold additional learning opportunities during the summer and at the beginning of the next school year to support possible learning gaps for students.

While we were optimistic that we would be reunited with our students this school year, we have also been preparing for this scenario. The Board of Education and the administrative team continue to meet to finalize plans for the end of the school year which we have been discussing since closures began.

The district is continuing to work through ‘end of school year’ procedures:

• Meals for Students: Unless the health department tells the district to stop, or we are placed on a statewide lockdown, we plan to continue to provide FREE meals to all BPS students using the current schedule that is in place at Bennington and Heritage Elementary schools through April 8^th (start of spring break). The district will start the meal program back up on Tuesday, April 14^th, and ask those students not receiving Free or Reduce lunch to pay a discounted rate for their meals.

• Technology Turn-in: We are not sure yet what our technology collection process will look like. We will share details from our Technology Department as soon as those plans are finalized. We have over 1,400 Chromebooks in the hands of all middle and high school students as well as over 400 devices out to elementary families at this time.

• Lockers, / Library Books / Instruments / Uniform / PE Clothes: We are discussing how to handle the return of instrument rentals, textbooks, library books, uniforms, school supplies, etc. These discussions also include how we can clean out lockers and classrooms, and make sure all families and staff get anything left in our buildings. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.

• Safe2Help Hotline: If you have concerns about safety, bullying, depression, suicide, substance abuse, relationship issues, or anything else that could threaten someone’s physical or emotional well-being, please call the Safe2Help Hotline at 531-299-SAFE (7233). This hotline connects callers with trained Boys Town National Hotline counselors who are available 24/7, 365 days a year. Callers are not required to give their names. Please remember, if you or someone else is facing a life threatening situation, always call 911.

Closing our schools for the rest of the year also impacts several high-priority events:

Spring Activities/Sports: The spring activities season has officially been cancelled by NSAA.

• Middle and High School Transitions: The 5th grade Information Nights for incoming 6th graders and their families will be rescheduled before school starts in the fall. We want all soon-to-be 6th graders to feel welcome and confident about moving to a new educational environment and will keep you updated on these important dates as soon as we know more. The same will be true of 8^th grade students moving across the street to the high school.

• Kindergarten Round-Up and Incoming Parent Meetings: We are preparing to have a combination of parent virtual meetings this spring with some possible gatherings over the summer as we are excited to welcome these new learners. The Elementary Principals will be providing more information on this in the next few weeks.

• Graduation, scheduled for May 17, is being formally postponed. We continue to work on possible graduation plans (including virtual graduation ceremonies) for the Class of 2020. We will have some alternate dates in the months of June and July set up if large group gatherings are permitted by then. Again, please stay tuned for details.

• Summer School and Camps: At this point, we are not sure what our summer is going to look like regarding summer school, camps, etc. We hope as we move into May and receive further guidance from state leaders and health officials, we can plan for June and beyond. We will communicate plans with you as they become final.

We will continue to work out details as we move through this and will follow up with you through email over the next 10-20 days. We do not want to overwhelm you with communication, and our goal is to share as much as possible with you to keep everyone on the same page.

REMINDER — we will observe Spring Break April 9th – 13th with no school assignments.

Thank you for your support, engagement, and patience – we are all in this together. Take the advice of the health experts and practice good hygiene and social distancing. As stated before, the more we all work to stop the spread of this dangerous disease, the quicker we can come back together.

Take Care!

3/27/2020

We feel it is important to send out a weekly message to update you on important information related to school events. We will continue these “Friday Notes” until we feel it is no longer necessary.

The first and most frequently asked questions are related to the school calendar. You have probably read many different, and sometimes conflicting, reports about when, or if, school will open back up after April 30, 2020. Conflicting information may come from the national news reports or from state to state on how e