RIVER RAIDER

Dear BRMS Families:

This week all of our students worked on completing the ELA portion of the VTCAP assessments.  Our students worked extremely hard over the two days of testing.   

Next week we will complete the math portion of the assessments on Tuesday and Wednesday.  This will complete our standardized testing for the year.   Students who missed portions of the tests will be given an opportunity to finish before the Memorial Day Weekend.  

Over the next year we are looking to update our mission vision statement for Browns River Middle School.  The current Mission Statement is over 10 years old and many things have changed for our community in that amount of time.  On Tuesday May 16th at 7:00 our monthly BRAG meeting will be an opportunity for our families to provide input on our BRMS mission statement and what we want our school to represent as we move forward as a community.   We want to get input from all of our stakeholders.  Please join us on Tuesday the 16th so your voice can be heard.

We will have our final 7/8th grade dance of the school year tonight in the lunchroom.   The dance will go from 7-9:00 p.m.   Please be sure to review the school dance expectations that can be found below.  

Thank you to everyone who provided treats for our staff during teacher appreciation week!   The food is always greatly appreciated by all of our teachers!

Have a great weekend!

Kevin

Dance Expectations

Mission Statement

Hello BRMS Families, 

    If you were to walk through the hallways of BRMS you’d find a single poster hanging that reads, “Going to a COUNSELOR or THERAPIST when you’re feeling SAD or OVERWHELMED should be as normal as going to the DOCTOR when YOU have the FLU. Let’s end the STIGMA about MENTAL HEALTH.”

    May is Mental Health Awareness Month! We have one whole month designated to learning about, spreading awareness of and having conversations around the health and wellness of our minds, thoughts, feelings and experiences. 

    While we have come so far in terms of acknowledging and discussing mental health, our own and that of others in our lives, like the poster states, there is unfortunately still a stigma attached to it. One of the biggest ways that we as parents and educators can smash that stigma is to 1) acknowledge that it is there and it at times feels uncomfortable and 2) to gently push ourselves past that discomfort and TALK ABOUT IT. That’s right! 

Give your own feelings, thoughts, moods and experiences a VOICE and encourage your child(ren) to do the same. The more we normalize and validate our mental health struggles (and successes!) and that of our child(ren), the more we can learn from them, create room for healing to occur and grow stronger-much like if we were discussing a broken leg or a wounded hand. 

   Just like going to a doctor when your physical problems become unmanageable, sometimes when it comes to mental health it is necessary to seek professional assistance. If you feel that your child(ren) is struggling with their mental health, your School Counselors are here to help! Your School Counselors provide short-term, solution-focused, in-school counseling as well as assist in referring out to mental health therapists if needed. Please do not hesitate to reach out. Below is a quick youtube video around mental health awareness. As always, if your child or someone you love is experiencing a mental health crisis call Chittenden County First Call at 802-488-7777. 

https://youtu.be/49mfPFTZsHs

Be Well,

Jennifer Wisniowski 7th/8th School Counselor

Ashley Bergeron  5th/6th School Counselor

Thank you to all of the families that participated in BRMS Staff Appreciation Week!  We were able to offer a week of goodies including snacks, sweet treats, and a catered lunch. 

If you would like to donate to help celebrate the week, please click HERE.

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).  

Watch for more information coming soon!

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