Black River Middle School
"A School to Watch"
October 2026
About Us
Email: andrew.white@chester-nj.org
Website: www.chester-nj.org
Location: 133 North Road, Chester, NJ 07930
Phone: 908-879-6363
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChesterNJSchools/
Twitter: @chesternjschool
The Ed Foundation's Read-A-Thon is Back!
The annual Ed Foundation Read-a-Thon is back! Get ready to turn the page, rack up those reading minutes, and win some great prizes! Reading kicks off November 10th, and every student who participates and submits a Reading Log will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win fantastic prizes, including an iPad, Liberty Science Center passes, and much more! Best of all, every dollar raised goes directly toward supporting teacher-sponsored initiatives that enrich learning and create new opportunities for students throughout our Chester schools. Read-a-Thon packets are going home this week, so be sure to check your student's backpack! You can also download the packet on the Ed Foundation's website at www.chesteredf.org.
John Marshall Weather Assembly at BRMS!
Black River Middle School was buzzing with atmospheric science on Thursday, Oct. 22, as meteorologist John Marshall brought his interactive STEM Weather Assembly to our auditorium! Mr. Marshall brought science to life with live weather instruments, atmospheric data, and his mobile green-screen studio, giving our students a hands-on look at how daily forecasts are made.
Our BRMS students truly shined, showing off their Earth science knowledge by accurately answering questions on weather fronts, cloud formations, pressure systems, and atmospheric instruments. Several meteorologists-in-training even stepped in front of the green screen to try their hand at broadcasting the forecast live! Thank you to Mr. Marshall and the Chester PTO for an exciting, unforgettable assembly that brought our science curriculum to life.
BRMS Students Participate in Artwork Contest
Approximately 8 years ago, BRMS was invited and began participating in the Novartis Hispanic Awareness Art Contest. It started out with just 7th grade students participating for the first few years and then it was expanded to 8th grade. Every year a theme is presented by Novartis and the students are challenged to find a creative way to represent that theme.
The exhibition of the artwork, dinner, and presentation of prizes is held at the Novartis campus. It is a lovely event with all of the participating students and their families from all different school districts invited to see their artwork beautifully displayed, enjoy a full Hispanic dinner, and hopefully win a prize! This year BRMS was proudly represented by 7th graders Juliet Pavlos and Hailey Smith. Great job!
BRMS Teachers Present at Writing Conference
On October 20, BRMS 8th grade teachers Sean McQueeney and Millicent Roskie gave a presentation at the fourth annual Drew University AI and Writing Symposium. They presented on shifting the focus from simple AI text generation to fostering deep student learning supported by AI. At BRMS, teachers advocate for responsible AI integration in the classroom. Mr. McQueeney and Mrs. Roskie shared real student work, prompt templates, and practical strategies from ELA and History classrooms based on research and their personal experiences in the classroom. The methods they employ are specifically designed to maintain critical thinking, accountability, and student ownership throughout the entire writing process.
BRMS Conferences November 2-3-4
Coming Soon:
Oct. 30- Early Dismissal 12:25 p.m. (Halloween Observation)
Nov. 2-4- Conferences (Early Dismissal 12:25 p.m. all three days)
Nov. 5-6- NO SCHOOL
Nov. 25- Early Dismissal 12:25 p.m.
Nov. 26-27- NO SCHOOL