You Are Invited to our Back-to-School Virtual Update

Please join us Thursday, October 8, at 8 a.m. for an online back-to-school visit with Dr. Douglas Schuch, Bedford County Public School Superintendent. Dr. Mac Duis, Chief Operations Officer, will also provide an update on the Connect to Learning Campaign.

Please RSVP to info@bedfordeducation.com to receive the link for the meeting. The visit will be done by 9 a.m. 

See the rest of our October newsletter here.

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Check out our September 2020 newsletter!

Check out our September 2020 newsletter!

It's Almost Back to School Time!
It's not too late to give to the Connect to Learning Campaign

Thank you to everyone who has given already to our Connect to Learning campaign.

There's still time to be a part of this important initiative! To give today, visit bedfordeducation.com/give. Donations will be accepted online or may be mailed to BAEF, PO Box 2434, Forest, VA 24551. For online gifts, please type "Connect to Learning" in the notes.

Help a Bedford County Family Get Online

Give to our Connect to Learning Campaign

COVID-19 has affected every aspect of school in 2020. Who would have thought that one of the most essential school supplies this fall would be Internet access?

Yet, the expense of getting online is a significant barrier for some families. That's why the Bedford Area Educational Foundation is partnering with Bedford County Public Schools to meet this need.

You can help through our new Connect to Learning Campaign. 

“So much has been uncertain in this time of COVID-19. But what is certain is that students need access to internet service who do not currently have it and cannot afford to get online,” said Debby Allen, BAEF Board Chairwoman.  

To meet immediate needs, we have committed $15,000 up front from generous sponsors, such as Ford Mays and the Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation, and we are raising additional funds through the Connect to Learning campaign. 
 
The ask is simple: Sponsor a family by giving $299.  Donors — individuals and businesses — may give part or all of this amount. To give today, visit bedfordeducation.com/give. Donations will be accepted online or may be mailed to BAEF, PO Box 2434, Forest, VA 24551. For online gifts, please type "Connect to Learning" in the notes.
 
Bedford County Public Schools will administer the program and determine eligibility based on need.   

“The willingness of the Foundation to provide this start-up funding for family internet access is a big step toward ensuring that all BCPS students have this invaluable learning resource."
— Dr. Mac Duis, Chief Operations Officer for Bedford County Public Schools

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Congratulations 2020 Bedford County Teachers of the Year!

Here’s the complete list from elementary to high school:

Here’s the complete list from elementary to high school:

Bedford Elementary School: Lisa Shipp

Bedford Primary School: Leslie Ponder

Big Island Elementary School: Haley Wissinger

Boonsboro Elementary School: Jennifer Overstreet

Forest Elementary School: Wendy Shupe

Goodview Elementary School: Samantha Gray

Huddleston Elementary School: Lisa Taylor

Moneta Elementary School: Kristen Bell

Montvale Elementary School: Mike Roebuck

New London Academy: Kelly Mistretta

Otter River Elementary School: Heidi Oliver

Stewartsville Elementary School: Jami Cash

Thomas Jefferson Elementary School: Jennifer Long

Forest Middle School: Cheryl Haney

Liberty Middle School: Neal Bryant

Staunton River Middle School: Teri Bowles

Jefferson Forest High School: Jessy Richard

Liberty High School: Shayna Crews

Staunton River High School: Shannon Thomas

Susie G. Gibson Science and Technology Center: Leonard Hutton

Celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week

5 Ways to #ThankATeacher — from Home! 

Teacher Appreciation Week 2020 will, as with all things in the time of COVID-19, look different. Yet, you can still show teachers how much you care with these 5 ideas during the week of May 4-8:

1. Send e-love. Teachers are still checking their email. Scan or photograph a card made by your child and send it electronically. Some online stores even allow you to send gift cards via email.

2. Remember and share. Tell a story about how a teacher changed your life or made a difference in your child's education through social media. 

3.  Buy dinner. Email your teacher(s) to find out what local restaurant they love. Find out what night would work best, then order it, pay for it, and let them pick it up. (Or use a restaurant delivery service such as Uber Eats, Door Dash or GrubHub to have it delivered.)

4. Brag on them. Send an email to their principal to express your appreciation for the ways they go above and beyond. 

5. Honor an educator. Send a donation to the Bedford Area Education Foundation and include a teacher's name in the notes area. We'll honor that teacher on our Facebook page and use the funds to support innovative education grants throughout Bedford County!

Teachers are missing their kids as much as the kids miss school! Let them know they're not forgotten.

Click here to read our complete May newsletter.