RIVER RAIDER

Dear BRMS Families:

This week we experienced our first snow day of the year due to bitterly cold temperatures.   With this reminder that we are living through another Vermont winter, please be sure to send your child in with warm clothing for staying safe and comfortable while being outside.   We continue to use our outdoor environment as much as possible during these colder months. 

COVID case numbers continued to rise for both staff and students in our building this week.   We are fortunate  to have enough staff members and substitute teachers to keep our classes staffed while others are required to stay home.   Some teachers have been required to stay home for more than a week due to symptoms and illness. Please help us to stay healthy by having conversations with your children about keeping their masks on while inside at school. New guidance is coming out from the state and our protocols will change as we adapt to these new guidelines.   More information will be coming in the District Happening Newsletter.

Have a great weekend and stay warm!

Kevin

January 15, 2022

Dear Parent or Guardian:

Some of our 8th grade students will participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) on February 10. NAEP is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what students know and can do in various subjects. NAEP is different from our state assessments because it is a common measure of achievement across the country. The assessment is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics, within the U.S. Department of Education. The results are released as The Nation’s Report Card, which provides information about student achievement to educators, parents, policymakers, and the public.

Your child may take a mathematics or reading assessment. In addition to subject-area questions, students voluntarily complete NAEP survey questions. These questions provide valuable information about participating students’ educational experiences and opportunities to learn both in and outside of the classroom. More information about NAEP survey questions is available at https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/parents under the section “What Questions Are on the Test?”

The assessment takes approximately 2 hours for most students, which includes transition time, directions, and completion of survey questions.

The information collected is used for statistical purposes only.

• Your child’s grades will not be affected.

• Students may be excused for any reason, are not required to complete the assessment, and may skip any question.

• While the assessment is voluntary, NAEP depends on student participation to help policymakers improve education. However, if you do not want your child to participate, please notify Jennifer Wisniowski in writing by February 7, 2022. 

There is no need to study in preparation for NAEP, but please encourage your child to do their best. A brochure that explains what participation in NAEP means for you and your child is available at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/parents/2012469.pdf. Contact Jennifer Wisniowski at (802) 899-3711 or at jennifer.wisniowski@mmuusd.org if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Kevin Hamilton

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is authorized to conduct NAEP by the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. §9622) and to collect students’ education records from education agencies or institutions for the purposes of evaluating federally supported education programs under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA, 34 CFR §§ 99.31(a)(3)(iii) and 99.35). All of the information provided by participants may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151). By law, every NCES employee as well as every NCES agent, such as contractors and NAEP coordinators, has taken an oath and is subject to a jail term of up to 5 years, a fine of $250,000, or both if he or she willfully discloses ANY identifiable information about participants. Electronic submission of participant’s information will be monitored for viruses, malware, and other threats by Federal employees and contractors in accordance with the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015. The collected information will be combined across respondents to produce statistical reports.