BRMS March Newsletter

Hello Badger Ridge Families,

Happy second day of Spring! At Badger Ridge, we had a busy month full of hard work, excitement, joy, and learning. Students had many opportunities to showcase their leadership (see Highlights of the Month below) and teachers and families were able to make authentic connections during conferences. Below, we have several updates for you, including student summer opportunities, upcoming all school assessments, upcoming school events, upcoming athletic opportunities, and more. As we close out the 3rd quarter of the school year, we are wishing you a well deserved and restful spring break. See you on March 31st!

• March 24 - 28: No School (Spring Break)

• March 31: Quarter 4 begins

• April 7 - 11: Forward Exam Week and 3rd Quarter Report Cards

• April 14: School Day Musical Shows (10:15 am and 1:30 pm)

• April 15: School Day Musical Shows (9:15 am and 1:30 pm)

• June 9: 8th Grade Promotion Day

• June 10: Last Day of School (Dismissal Time @ 12:35)

8th Grade Promotion is coming very soon on June 9th. Please click this link for more details related to this year's ceremony. Please note that the time has changed since the last Save the Date image that was shared in our January newsletter. The start time of the ceremony has changed from 8:30 to 9:30. The images below reflect these changes as well. Please reach out to the main office if you have any questions related to promotion.

Our students will be taking the Wisconsin Forward Exam on April 8-11 from 8:15 am to 10:20 am. This important assessment helps measure student progress and academic growth throughout the year.

To help your child perform their best, please ensure they:

• Get a good night's sleep before each testing day

• Eat a healthy, balanced breakfast each morning

• Bring a fully charged Chromebook to school every day

Your support at home makes a tremendous difference in your child's readiness and confidence. If your child will be absent any of those days, please contact your child's teacher. Thank you for your partnership in your child's education!

Student devices will be collected at the end of the school year, and they will be stored for the summer. The devices will be collected on the following days.

• 6th Grade: June 3rd
• 7th Grade: June 5th
• 8th Grade: June 4th

Thanks to each and every one of you for your engagement with Spring conferences. If you were able to attend, we’d love your feedback on our brand new format and your conference experience. Your feedback is valuable to us and helps us make adjustments to improve for the future. Please take this very quick survey to provide your perspective.

Again, we want to thank each of you who took the time to take the internal and external Badger Ridge parent surveys! Prizes have been shared with the chosen families who elected to take our internal survey. Congratulations! From our data analysis, we found that many of the themes from our internal survey matched the responses and feedback from our district wide survey. The video explaining the results of that survey and our plan of action for continuous improvement here.

Last school year, we had an an amazing turnout during our 1st annual Badger Ridge Spring Family Festival! The weather was beautiful, the food and music were great, and the activities built tons of community. It's almost that time of the year for our next one! Specific information about this year's festival will be forthcoming in the April's newsletter. In the meantime, check out the flyer below and save the date for May 29th!

"Money Matters: Make It Count" equips teens with the knowledge and skills to make informed financial decisions for a secure future. This program teaches essential money management practices, such as goal setting, budgeting, and saving. By understanding how money impacts career choices, earnings, and personal responsibilities, teens gain confidence in managing their finances. Financial literacy promotes workplace readiness, long-term stability, and success, both professionally and personally, helping them reduce financial stress and stay focused on their goals.

• Ages: 11-14

• Time: 3 PM – 5 PM

• Days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

• Dates: March 24 – March 27

• Location: McKenzie Regional Workforce Center, 5215 Verona Rd, Fitchburg, WI 53711

• Fees: $0, no cost

• Stipend: Earn $50 for successfully completing the program!

REGISTER HERE: https://bgcdc.formstack.com/forms/careerforce_buildup_2025_teen_workshops

The UW-Madison School of Business is still accepting applications for their FREE Business Precollege Summer camps! Wisconsin School of Business (WSB) Precollege Summer camps are free of charge and offer high school students the opportunity to explore their interest in business through interactive activities with college professors and college mentors. WSB Precollege will provide enrollment priority for students who identify as first generation (first in immediate family to attend four-year institution) and students who qualify for free or reduced lunch. Students who do not meet these preferences will be waitlisted and contacted later if space is still available. *Due to the volume of applications that we've already received, we will stop accepting summer camp applications after April 18th! So please encourage your students to apply as soon as possible! See more information about registration in the links below.

English

Spanish

Hmong

Teacher Appreciation Week is just around the corner, and we’re excited to celebrate the incredible educators who make a difference every day at Badger Ridge Middle School. To make this week extra special, we’re looking for parent support! Whether you can contribute snacks, help with decorations, donate gift cards, or assist with organizing a fun surprise, your involvement will help show our teachers how much they are valued.

If you’re interested in volunteering or making a contribution, please fill out this form. Thank you for helping us make this a memorable and meaningful week for our amazing staff! 💙🍎

A Word From Mind Family (Minds Journal- 2025)

As parents, it’s natural to have worries and concerns about your children’s well-being, especially during times like spring break. However, it’s important to remember that these worries stem from a place of love and care. While it’s essential to address safety concerns and plan accordingly, it’s also crucial to embrace the opportunities for growth, learning, and bonding that spring break presents. By incorporating a mix of outdoor adventures, educational experiences, and quality family time, you can create lasting memories and enriching experiences for your children. Remember to prioritize communication, set clear expectations, and encourage responsible decision-making while still allowing for fun and relaxation. Ultimately, spring break is a time for both parents and children to recharge, explore, and connect. Embrace the journey, cherish the moments, and make the most of this special time together as a family. Unplugging from social media and having face-to-face conversations is a healthy way to reconnect with your kids. Setting aside phone-free time is a great way to show your kids you are ready to listen to their ideas.

Please consider donating gently used leggings to the health office for Badger Ridge and CORE middle schoolers. If you would like to donate, please contact Nurse Annie at brandtm@verona.k12.wi.us

• We will be hosting another Career Fair on April 23rd, students from Badger Ridge will be able to hear from many people about their amazing careers, jobs, and experiences.

• We need 11 more volunteer presenters to reach our goal! Please sign up or pass along this JotForm. We can only offer this opportunity to all students with willing presenters! Thank you!

• We are excited to announce that there are 24 amazing rising 7th graders and 52 rising 8th graders joining the AVID Elective class as the next cohort of AVID Scholars. Congratulations to them all!

We have just finished introducing the “Attitude of Gratitude” mindset. This mindset reminds us that we can use the positives as foundations in our lives to build success, or we build from the negatives and may begin a downward spiral. When we focus on the things we have, there isn’t time to be distracted by the things we don’t! The family guides provide ideas about how to draw connections at home and are provided in both English and Spanish!

In April we will be introducing the “Live to Give” mindset. This mindset teaches us that in order to gain, we need to give. The mindset also teaches us that the greatest gift we can ever give is to find and leverage our unique genius to maximize our positive impact on the world, knowing that good things will be returned to us in kind. Family guides for this mindset are also available in both English and Spanish.

Track and Field will be starting when we come back from spring break. This is available for all 7th and 8th grade boys and girls. If your child is interested in participating this year you can register them online on the athletics website. Please be sure your child has an updated physical that can be uploaded to their registration.

The first practice will be on Tuesday April 1st from 3:15 pm - 4:45pm. Here is the practice and meet schedule.

Due to nationwide bus shortages there will be NO BUSES for away meets. Parents are responsible for transporting their child to and from all away meets. Carpooling is encouraged!

BRMS/CKMS Track Coaching staff:
Melissa Ruder- ruderm@verona.k12.wi.us

Jill Scheibel- scheibej@verona.k12.wi.us

Claire Poad- poadc@verona.k12.wi.us

Matthew Mcallister- mcallism@verona.k12.wi.us

Brianna Edmonston- edmonstb@verona.k12.wi.us

Conner Sisel- siselc@verona.k12.wi.us

We are excited to invite our students to participate in Ultimate Frisbee Club!

What is Ultimate Frisbee?

Ultimate is a non-contact, team sport played on a grass field. Two teams of 7 players compete to move the disc up the field and score a goal by throwing to a teammate in the endzone. Sportsmanship is a key component of Ultimate. There are no referees, and each player is responsible for fair play. It promotes attitudes and skills such as fair-mindedness, safe play, clear and calm communication, and respect towards teammates, fans, and opponents, in a mutual effort to protect the basic joy of play. Source WFDF.com

Schedule

Ultimate club will practice once a week on Thursdays from 3:30pm - 4:30pm. The first practice will be Thursday, April 10th, and we will meet on the practice field (behind the playground).

Any 6th, 7th, or 8th graders interested in participating in Ultimate Frisbee Club should sign up by completing the google form below.

Google Form: https://forms.gle/H9bVgomeUuPpgAND8

For more information about the sport and our team check out the frequently asked questions document.

Coach Wirth

Coach Bero

Para español, clique aquí.

Representatives from our Black Student Union presented Badger Ridge's plans to celebrate and acknowledge Black History Month.

Badger Ridge's 2nd annual Black History Month Door Decoration contest was another one of the books! Judging was very difficult, but we managed to make selections! Congratulations to our top 3 winning advisories:

1st Place: Ms.Tate's advisory

2nd Place: Mr. Rammer & Ms. Tracy's advisory

3rd Place: Ms. McAdams and Ms. Griffith's advisory.

Check out their doors in the images below!

Our students and staff had an amazing time at our first ever Battle of the DJs event on March 19th! Thank you to C&J BBQ for the excellent food! Check out some of our students enjoying their time below! The winner for the night was DJ Terrence J!

The following students have art on display at the Verona's K-12 Art Show at Verona's Public Library. The art show runs now through March 23rd. Check out some of the great art below!

Congratulations to:

Abbey Rosanes, Jackson Duerst-Benish, Lily Nguyen, Sebastian Macho Cano, Leah Pap, Zoey Thompson, Annie Charles, Drew Weidkamp, Joanie Duschek, Reegan Gregoir, Ainsley Palosaari, Alex Drake, Kaileena Lor, Lizzy Golsnaia.

Check out some of our very own students showcasing talent we don't always get to see in the classroom!

Student leaders in our building got the opportunity to taste test and give their feedback around some potential options for lunch in our lunch menu! Check them out below!