RIVER RAIDER

Dear BRMS Families:

It was a warm and busy last week of summer at BRMS!  We are looking forward to the more fall-like temperatures in the coming weeks.  Our athletic teams persevered through the warm temperatures and demonstrated great skill and enthusiasm out on the fields.  After completing auditions, the drama club is now in rehearsal for A Recipe of Me, which will perform in November.  We have a number of clubs in full swing, with many students participating!  Also, our marching band has been working hard.  We are excited to see them next weekend in the Harvest Market parade.  

We held our first safety drill today and we will hold our first fire drill next week. These drills can sometimes result in additional worries for our students.  We encourage you to have a conversation with your child about these drills and let us know if they may need some additional support at school. Here is a helpful link to guide you in these difficult conversations with your child.  We want to make sure our school is safe while at the same time making sure that our students feel supported.

We hope you have a great first weekend of fall!

Kevin

EEE

Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is a rare but serious disease caused by a virus that spreads through the bite of an infected mosquito. Only a few human cases are reported in the United States each year. The disease also commonly affects horses, but it has been reported in other animals like alpacas, donkeys, pheasants, and emus. Please read this important information from the Vermont Department of Health about EEE.

There are no human vaccines to prevent or medicines to treat EEE. The best way to reduce your risk of infection with EEE virus is by preventing mosquito bites: limit time outdoors at dawn and dusk, use insect repellent, wear long-sleeved shirts and pants, treat clothing and gear with permethrin, and control mosquitos indoors and outdoors. 

Please read this important flyer from the CDC: How to Protect Against Mosquito Bites. If you wish for your child to use insect repellent, please apply it at home in the morning before school. 

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Current COVID-19 Guidance

 If a person is COVID-positive, they may go back to normal activities after at least one day (24 hours) if:

• Symptoms are getting better overall and

• No fever for at least 24 hours (and are not using fever-reducing medicines).

• In addition, it is recommended to take extra prevention steps for the next 5 days after resuming normal activity: Practice good hygiene. Wear a mask. Keep physical distance. Improve air quality. Any of these prevention steps can help limit the spread of respiratory viruses. The more steps you take, the lower your risk of getting others sick. 

• The district has a supply of masks and antigen tests (limited supply) if requested.

• Please report all positive cases, student or staff, to the school nurse. 

District guidelines remain in place - If you are sick, please stay home.  Please read this link District Illness Guidelines. 

Additional Resources

Respiratory Virus Guidance Snapshot

Preventing Respiratory Viruses

Wednesdays after school until 3:25 in Mr. Ortego's room

All are welcomed! 

phil.ortego@mmuusd.org for more info.

DRAMA CLUB UPDATES

CONGRATULATIONS to all the students who auditioned for "A Recipe of Me"! We are excited to begin rehearsing our show for our November performances!

REHEARSAL TIMES:

Sept - REHEARSALS begin twice per week (Tuesdays & Wednesdays) until 3:45 (until 4 p.m. for larger roles)

October - REHEARSALS three times per week (Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays) until 4

November - REHEARSALS 4x week until 4:15 (Stay tuned for details on which day we are adding.)

BRMS D&D Club 

Tuesdays until 3:25 

Starts next week, Tuesday 9/17

All are welcome

No experience necessary! 

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...

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! 

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.