RIVER RAIDER
Dear BRMS Families:
The Vermont Comprehensive Assessment Program (VTCAP) will replace the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) as Vermont’s statewide assessment. According to Secretary of Education Dan French, “Cognia’s (Developer of VTCAP) approach to diversity, equity and inclusion in the development and implementation of assessments aligned with Vermont’s values, and the accessibility and user experience of their testing resources will make working with the assessment easier for students, families and educators''. MMUUSD’s technology team, staff, and administrators will be working with the Agency of Education for implementation support and training as we transition to the new test.
VTCAP will be administered to our students in the spring of 2023 to assess their skills in English language arts and mathematics. Students will engage in practice tasks using the new platform to become confident with the tools and assessment. 5th and 8th grade students will be required to take a science assessment as well. The schedule will be as follows:
ELA VTCAP Testing (8:30-10:30)
Tuesday, May 9
Thursday, May 11
Math VTCAP Testing (8:30-10:30)
Tuesday, May 16
Wednesday, May 17
The Science Assessment will happen during students regularly scheduled science classes
Keep in mind that this is not a timed test. Your child may have extended time if they are not finished when the testing window has ended. Make-up testing will happen at the end of each week.
Please make sure that your child has a good night’s sleep and nutritious breakfast before each testing day. Students will have the opportunity to eat a snack before testing begins.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to connect. Thank you for your support.
Kevin
BRMS student artwork at the Vermont State House to celebrate Youth Art Month! A special thank you to Sawyer and the Gilbert family for photographing the reception.
From the Health Office
As warmer, sunnier weather returns we have a couple reminders for the health of students. Hydration is important! Please send your student(s) to school with a water bottle each day.
Also, if you want your child(ren) to wear sunscreen, please apply it at home and/or send it with them to use independently prior to going outside.
Tick checks each day are a good idea to add to your routine as well.
Thank you and enjoy the spring weather!
8th Grade Students vs. Staff Volleyball Game
**BRMS Ultimate**
5-8th grade, 2:45 to 3:25 on Thursdays until the end of the year.
Tournament on June 3rd!
contact: phil.ortego@mmuusd.org
Counseling Connections
Dear BRMS Families~
We hope that you and your children are enjoying this warm Spring weather and are spending time together outside– cleaning up the yard, getting that bike ready, taking your dog for long walks….AND reducing time on screens!.
We wanted to share some research and guidance on phone usage with adolescents. We hope that these resources can support you in providing caring boundaries to promote healthy relationships with devices. Take a look…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3jQbyiov-k
https://hms.harvard.edu/news/screen-time-brain
How to Videos on how to set screen limits on Apple and Android
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8c9j2ZhFtg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzVIosMRUHg
Ashley Bergeron- ⅚ School Counselor
Jenn Wisniowski- ⅞ School Counselor
Caitlin Mundy- School Services Clinician
Upcoming Events
Monday, May 1-
Tuesday, May 2- Clubs (Cooking, Coding, Robotics and Lego Fun, Magic, Rubik's Cube, Newspaper 2:45-3:25)
Wednesday, May 3- D&D 2:45-3:25
Thursday, May 4- Clubs (Ultimate Frisbee, Cooking, Pride, Minecraft 2:45-3:25)
Friday, May 5-
BRAG
May is just around the corner and so is BRMS Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week, May 8 - 12! We are excited to celebrate our BRMS staff! We hope to offer a week of goodies including snacks, sweet treats, and a catered lunch.
This year families can participate a few different ways: SIGN UP to bring store-bought snacks and treats or donate a monetary gift to help pay for lunch and other treats.
To donate an item, please sign up HERE and drop the item(s) off to the main office on or before the sign up date.
To donate a monetary gift, families can click HERE to give online, or drop off cash or check (made out to BRMS BRAG) to the main office. Any amount is greatly appreciated.
Thank you for supporting BRMS Appreciation Week!
The planning has begun and the team needs your help! If you would like to join, please contact Kara Hayes (decorations) or Tina Witte (food). We’ll also be looking for 8th grade parent/guardian chaperones for the celebration following 8th Grade Recognition.
Watch for a sign up coming soon!
Browns River Action Group (BRAG) is a nonprofit organization that supports BRMS. We help promote student self-esteem, support school staff, and assist in efforts to solve school needs through volunteering and fundraising.
If you would like more information, please email brmsbrag@mmuusd.org.
Community News
MMCTV Middle School TV Camp will be held July 10-14 in Richmond. This year’s challenge is remaking a scene from the Disney film “Toy Story” as a part of the statewide Crowdsourced Cinema VT. Students will learn filmmaking & editing skills, while having fun. Online registration/details: https://bit.ly/MmctvCamp2023
The Chittenden East Youth Football Wolverines have opened up registration for the 2023 fall season. Hop online at ceyfa.org to register your kiddos to join their friends on the big field! The Wolverine program runs in the fall, mid-August through October, with a long history of Championship football. Come be a part of a team, build strong relationships, learn life lessons and build memories that will last a lifetime while learning the game of football. Registration is open for all players in grades 1 through 8. 1st through 4th graders play 7v7 flag football (new this season) and 5th through 8th graders play tackle. For more information please check out our website or email Steve or Eva McLaughlin at ceyfafootball@gmail.com
