BRMS Family Newsletter

It has been an exciting start to the school year at Badger Ridge! We recently celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with events and activities that honored the vibrant cultures, histories, and contributions of our Hispanic and Latinx community members. As we approach the end of Quarter 1, I encourage you to explore the Parent Resources of the Month section in this newsletter. Each month, our team shares classroom highlights and insights to keep you informed about what your students are learning across their classes. This has been an important part of our ongoing commitment to strengthen the connection between home and school by ensuring families have a clear window into the learning taking place every day.

With Quarter 1 coming to a close, we are looking forward to celebrating the hard work and accomplishments of our students. You can find more details about our upcoming celebrations later in the newsletter.

Finally, please join me and the entire Badger Ridge team in wishing a warm farewell and happy retirement to the amazing Mrs. Rink, one of our incredible front office team members. Her welcoming smile, positive energy, and all-in spirit have made a lasting impact on our school community. We will miss her deeply and are so grateful for her years of service to our students, staff, and families.

BRMS's Approach to Halloween Celebrations

• While Halloween is a holiday enjoyed by many, we acknowledge that it is not celebrated by all of our students or their families. In consideration of the diverse backgrounds and beliefs within our school community, we have made the decision not to observe Halloween at school or during the school day.
• As a result, we kindly request that students refrain from wearing Halloween costumes or masks to school. This measure is in place to ensure that all students feel included and comfortable, regardless of their cultural or personal preferences.
• We appreciate your understanding and support in fostering an inclusive and respectful environment for all of our students. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us.
• Thank you for your cooperation.

Blankets at School

• As we get into the colder months, just a reminder that blankets should be left at home.

Money at School

• We have seen an increase in students bringing money to school for various reasons, including buying items (candy, snacks, stickers, etc) from friends. This is something we are closely monitoring, but we need your partnership. Students should not bring money to school to buy things from other students.

Phones

• To text or not to text? As a reminder, our policy is personal electronics are off an away all day at school. If you need to contact your student, please call the office.

These upcoming community events and resources are available for your family this season through our community partners. If you have any questions about support for your family, please contact Sarah Hall, School Social Worker, at halls@verona.k12.wi.us or (608)618-2828. Click here to view the Family Support Events Flyer with registration links.

• The Verona Area School District is in the midst of a multi-year journey toward Standards-Based Teaching and Learning, a shift designed to ensure every student has clear learning targets, meaningful feedback, and multiple opportunities to demonstrate understanding.

• This approach helps teachers align instruction, assessment, and feedback directly to grade-level standards, creating a more accurate, transparent, and student-centered system for reporting learning. Students are supported to set goals, reflect on their progress, and take ownership of their growth, while families gain clearer insight into what their child knows and can do.

To learn more about why and how VASD is making this shift, please view our Standards-Based Teaching and Learning Overview [English - link here] [Spanish - link here]

Note: This district shift will mean only small shifts for how we communicate student learning at BRMS as we are already utilizing a Standards-Based Grading model. We will shift to be in alignment with district guidance and it will help us clarify how we communicate and report on student learning.

• Wednesday, November 5: Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration (5:30-7:30)
• Friday, November 7: Last Day of Quarter 1
• Wednesday, November 26 - Friday, November 28: VASD No School

On Nov. 7th we will have an end of the First quarter celebration for students as it's the last day of the 1st quarter. We will run our event bell schedule on this day, therefore no advisory in the morning and classes periods are shortened. Students will stick with their grade levels and partake in 3 different rotations of activities/events throughout the building. Rotations includes: Staff vs Student volleyball game, ICE CREAM SOCIAL, and Minute to WIN games. If you are interested in volunteering or joining our End of Quarter Celebration leadership team please reach out to Curtrel Robinson. We would love to have some caregiver voice.

• We are reinforcing this Power 6 through a funny, community challenge! Between 10/21 and 11/7, the Advisory at each grade-level with the fewest tardies will get a special breakfast!

• We are supporting students with accountability through lunch detentions (making up time) and family communication.

Wednesday: If your student has 4+ tardies, you both will get a warning email. We appreciate your partnership in talking about getting to class on time and the potential for a lunch detention.

Friday: If your student has 7+ tardies, you both will get an email saying they have a lunch detention the following Monday. We appreciate your partnership in helping your student reflect on strategies to be on time the next week.

Based on family feedback, the Family and Community Engagement Team has put together a resource for our families that shares what we are doing in response to the key themes. The button below will take you to the BRMS website page with this resource.

Each month we will try to provide a Restorative Practice Tip of the month. This month's tip is Affective Statements.

Focus on using "I" statements to share how you feel without blame. For example, instead of saying, "You made a mess!" try saying, “I feel frustrated when toys are left out because I'm worried someone will trip. I’d like you to clean up after yourself when you’re done playing.” This helps children understand the impact of their actions on you, which builds empathy. The formula for creating an “I” statement is: “I feel (insert a feeling) when (state the behavior) because (state the reason). I would like (state desired behavior).”

The Verona High School Food Drive is one of the largest clubs at VAHS and one of the few that includes students from outside the high school community, along with VAHS students. Our mission is to mobilize students across the Verona Area School District—who are passionate about helping those who cannot secure enough food—to go into the community and support those in need. We primarily collect food through supermarket sweeps at Miller's & Sons, and secondarily through collection bins at elementary and middle schools. These bins work by having parents send their children to school with food, which students then drop into the bins. Our directors come to collect the food from these bins weekly, then deliver it to Badger Prairie Needs Network, where it is sorted and placed on shelves for families. Our club and community depend on your support; we hope you will consider helping if you are able.

Keep an eye out for a PeachJar flier about the Family Safety Event hosted by VAHS.

We welcome volunteers into our school community to support students and staff in various capacities throughout the school year!

If you are interested in volunteering, please explore our volunteer opportunities and complete a volunteer application and background check.

If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Hall, School Social Worker, at halls@verona.k12.wi.us or (608)845-4408.

Our climate survey responses highlighted the importance of positive acknowledgement to support a sense of belonging! One of our tools to acknowledge students is to use Badger Bucks, which students can spend at the school store every other Friday. If you are interested in donating to the store or helping manage the store, please contact Olivia Berch (PBIS Coach) at bercho@verona.k12.wi.us.

AVID Tutorials: Helping Students Learn Together
At Verona Area Schools, AVID tutorials give students the chance to work together and tackle challenging questions from their classes. During tutorials, students use inquiry and discussion to think deeply, solve problems, and build confidence.

Our AVID Tutors play a key role in this process. They guide students through the AVID 10-step tutorial process, encourage critical thinking, and serve as positive role models. Their support helps students who are often underrepresented in higher education feel prepared and empowered for future success.

What AVID Tutors Do:

• Lead small group tutorials, encouraging students to think critically and collaborate

• Model problem-solving skills, academic language, and higher-level thinking

• Provide helpful feedback to students

• Work closely with teachers and other tutors to support student growth

Where They Work:
AVID Tutors are placed at Verona Area High School or one of our two middle schools that offer the AVID elective class. Placement is based on tutor availability, academic background, and school needs.

When They Work:
Tutors are asked to work at least two mornings per week during AVID Elective class time. Final schedules are confirmed before tutors begin.

You can find more information HERE.