The Story
Coronavirus has arrived! Time to panic!
Wait a second…
Ok, so we may have exaggerated a little bit. But as of March 11, there is at least one confirmed coronavirus case in our little town. Feel special yet? We know you’re dying for more info, so we’re gathering together everything we know about COVID-19 in Bedford. Here’s what you need to know:
So what’s happening?
We’ll start with the most obvious one: school has been cancelled for this week because of the virus, and all schools in New Hampshire have been closed for three weeks, courtesy of Governor Sununu. So far, the student body has remained relatively calm. On our Instagram, 83% of people voted that they felt totally chill and not worried about the virus being so close to home. That’s… good? As well as this, school sanctioned trips outside of the district have been cancelled for the next 30 days. And of course, starting March 23rd, the district will be participating in “remote learning,” aka online school.
How will that work?
Teachers have said that the plan is for everything to take place on Google Classroom, and we would still follow a Red Day-Silver Day schedule. At the end of each block, there will be attendance in the form of an “exit ticket.” There will be no advisory, and if you have a manage time, you can do whatever you want, presumably. No word on how exams will work, or (juniors, take a deep breath) if the SAT is still happening or not. We’re guessing not, but don’t take our word for it.
What about sports?
Ah, yes, the only important question in a town like Bedford. Unfortunately, the answer is not super clear. What we do know is that there will not be a Winter Sports Awards Night, and that as long as there is no school, there will be no sports or after school activities. According to Corey Parker himself, this process is very fluid and is changing as the situation develops. He confirmed that they are still working with NHIAA to figure things out day by day (are you sensing a theme here?).
What about intersession?
As of now, it’s up in the air. On Wednesday, all trips to Europe were officially cancelled/postponed. This includes Italy and Greece (duh), Denmark, Spain, Poland, and Germany. Unfortunately, most trips are only being partially refunded, so good luck with all those angry emails. The administration has told us that the school has no replacement intersession plans- yet. We’re voting for three extra vacation days. The district is also re-evaluating all domestic intersessions, like New York City, Savannah, and Gettysburg, as well as the trip to Quebec.
What’s the point of all this?
The way that the district (and the rest of the world) plans on slowing down the virus is by a process called “flattening the curve.” Essentially, if we assume a certain amount of cases are going to happen, instead of continuing normal life and causing the amount of cases to skyrocket, we spread the amount over a long period of time by quarantining, thereby keeping the number of cases at any given time lower. One way that people can help flatten the curve is by social distancing, which is essentially staying at home and avoiding large social gatherings. Closing school is the way that the district feels that they will be most effective in flattening the curve and slowing down the spread of the disease.
The Runaway
Cough into your arm, buy a portable Purell, and stock up on canned foods. We’re in it for the long haul, friends.
What To Say…
When you’re dying for an update on last week’s article…
The results are in! About 20.5% of voters turned out, which is not a high number, but not unusual for Bedford. Yikes. And now, drum roll please….the school board seat goes to…. Sue Jennato and Bill Foote! We know, we know, we told you there was only one spot open, but turns out there were two, so everybody wins! The voters also barely managed to vote yes on Article VII, which means that not only is the BHS turf getting replaced, but the gym is getting resurfaced, Sportsman is getting turf-ified, and they’ll be doing maintenance and improvements to the track and field at McKelvie as well. And, finally, the operating budget of a whopping $77,738,764 was approved. Thank goodness, because we all know the issues that caused last year (we’re looking at you, Latin.) Other results include yes to a negotiated agreement with custodial and maintenance staff, yes to a negotiated agreement with teachers and other staff, and no to updating and installing sprinkler systems at Memorial, Peter Woodbury, and McKelvie (sorry, elementary schools). And with that, the budget season is officially over… for now.
Things to Know…
Not much. Stay home.