RIVER RAIDER

Dear BRMS Families:

We had a busy week at BRMS over the past 5 days!  The early September weather has been amazing for our athletic competitions as we started the season out with soccer and field hockey games against Camels Hump and Tuttle. Next week our cross country team will be headed to Camels Hump for their first meet of the season.  We also had a wonderful evening of music and acrobatics for the Flynn Playing Fields event with the West Philadelphia Orchestra and Cirque Kikasse. Thank you to everyone who came out to support the event.

Our NEST advisory groups started  this week on Sept. 11th.  Our 5th graders and other new students were introduced to their NEST groups.  We also took time during NEST to recognize the significance of the events that happened 23 years ago on this date.  Our NEST groups meet weekly on Wednesday mornings with a focus on building community at BRMS.  The groups are multi grade level (5th-8th grade) and students will have the same advisor for their 4 years while they are at BRMS. 

Next week we will be holding our monthly Fire Drill and Options Based Safety Drill.  We will be letting the students know when these drills will be scheduled in order to reduce any worries they may have during these drills.  Safety is our top priority for our staff and students and these drills help us to prepare for any events that may occur during the school year.  Please contact me if you have any questions about these drills.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Kevin

Browns River Middle School Advisory 

 Vision Statement:  To achieve a more cohesive and equitable school community for all students. 

Goal: To create fifth through eighth grade advisory groups that recover and reconnect our whole school community at BRMS. We aim to create and sustain lasting relationships with our students while they are with us over the time span of four years. Learning for Justice’s Social Justice Standards will guide our work in empowering students to amplify their voice, develop their identity, and build community through advisory groups and activities. 

PCB Update

Browns River Middle School had intentions of conducting work to identify and address PCBs located in the school this summer. However, that work has been delayed due to lack of funding from the State of Vermont. We have selected a temporary occupancy option with support from the Vermont Health Department, Agency of Education and Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)  which allows use of all spaces in the upcoming school year. As funding becomes available, work will continue.  If you have any questions about this change, please contact: Eben Pendleton PCB Coordinator at the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources/ Department of Environmental Conservation 802.261.1269 | eben.pendleton@vermont.gov.  

Save the Date! October 23, 6pm @ BRMS:

Community Forum on Kids, Smartphones & Social Media

ReConnect invites you to join us for a community forum on the evening of October 23, for families looking to connect with each other and get informed about research, experiences, and initiatives related to the effects of smartphones and social media on our youth. We will hear perspectives from a panel including a teacher, a mental health provider, a pediatrician, a student, and others, and invite you to share your questions and experiences as we work to build our understanding of this important issue. More details coming soon!

Want to get involved?  Email us at reconnectvt@gmail.com to join our email list, help out at the Forum, or find other ways to plug in. We look forward to connecting with you! 

We have a number of respiratory illnesses, including COVID 19, circulating throughout our school community currently.  As a reminder: 

Stay Home When Sick:

Students and staff should stay home with COVID-related symptoms and any other potentially contagious illnesses or symptoms, including the following:

• Vomiting or Diarrhea - must be symptom-free 24 hours and able to tolerate food and drink before returning to school. 

• Fever 100.4 or greater - must be home until fever free without the use of medication for greater than 24 hours.

• Any infection requiring antibiotics - keep your student home until they have been on antibiotics for 24 hours.

• A persistent cough that disrupts normal activity.

• Excessive nasal drainage - check with your child’s doctor before sending your child back to school. 

• Unexplained rash - check with your child’s doctor before sending your child to school. 

• Red or draining eyes - check with your child’s doctor before sending your child to school. 

• COVID-19 infection - please call or email the school nurse to determine the next steps and follow VDH Isolation guidance. 

• Influenza - stay home until fever free without medication for 24 hours.

• Any other symptoms or illness that impede a student’s ability to learn or staff’s ability to work.

MONDAY - CPR - MARCHING BAND PRACTICE - in the GYM UNTIL 8:25AM

7:30 - Drumline

7:40 - Entire 7 & 8 GRADE Bands, Sticks, batons, banner & ribbon - EVERYONE!

BRMS JAZZ BAND will resume meeting after Marching Band season.

This Club is open to 7 & 8 graders - 5 & 6 graders can participate by invitation

Mondays during CPR and Thursdays after school

Monday Sept 30th - will be our first rehearsal!

Oct 1 - after school

Then continuing - every Monday and Thursday in October...

BRMS D&D Club 

Tuesdays until 3:25 

Starts next week, Tuesday 9/17

All are welcome

No experience necessary! 

Browns River Action Group (BRAG), the parent teacher organization at BRMS, helps promote student self-esteem, supports school staff and assists in efforts to solve school needs through volunteering and fundraising. 

Please join us for our virtual meeting: 

Wednesday, September 18 from 8-9pm. 

Google Meet Link: https://meet.google.com/wbg-gxxp-jkd

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 502-465-6636‬ PIN: ‪901 376 990‬#

The Vermont Ultimate Middle School Fall League is an outdoor coed league that is open to youth players of all levels, including brand new players. Prior to the first game teams will be formed for the summer. Each week, teams will have an experienced coach to do skill building and guide them through their games. If you have any questions that aren't addressed on this site, please contact Nolan Benoit - nolan@vermontultimate.org. Registration is open now!

• Dates/Times: Sundays September 22nd - October 13th (makeup day Sunday October 20th): 4 weeks total, 3pm to 5pm

• Cost: This program is pay what you can. Vermont Ultimate's costs to run this program are $50 per registrant. This included coach payroll, field reservations, admin fees, insurance, and a disc for each player. Additionally, a USA Ultimate Affiliate Membership ($18), is required for this league. If you've participated in a Vermont Ultimate camp or league in 2024, you already have this! Scholarships are available through USAU for this membership.

• Team Formation: Teams will be posted approximately 1 week before league starts. Players will be contacted via email before the first game. The number of teams will depend on the number of signups.

• Format: Games will be 5v5. Co-ed teams with a goal of reaching Mixed play gender rations of 3 man-matching:2 woman-matching.

•  Age Restrictions: 5th-8th grade

• Location: Village Community Park in Williston.

• Sign up Period: Registration is open now, sign up closes on Wednesday, September 18th.

• Refunds: Players who withdraw from League at any point are not guaranteed a refund. The Vermont Ultimate Board processes refund requests on a case by case basis.

Register below! 

https://vermontultimate.org/e/middle-school-fall-league-session-1