The end of the year is in sight, and we have already started looking at what next year will hold for different grade levels. With that being said, we welcome your feedback about your own child. If you want to share how your student learns best, we would love your input. If there are students that your child learns best with, or without, please let us know that too. Send an email to Mr. North, and we will be sure to take your ideas into account when we try to craft the perfect lists for next year. We do not need specific teacher requests, as our staff uses their best judgment to place students with great matches. 

Tuesday- April 15- Grade 3 ELA Day 2

Kindergarteners have been busy learning about Solfege hand signs and reviewing their rhythms! We’ve also been moving to music with scarves!

• 1st & 2nd graders have been playing the xylophones and metallophones! Please ask your student the difference between the two, and also the two different sizes we use: Soprano and Alto.
• 3rd graders are plugging away at their Recorders! Classes have earned or are working on their 4th belt, which is the Green Belt in our Recorder Karate Curriculum. There are 9 belts total, so we’re about halfway there.
• 4th & 5th graders have been learning how to play the “Big 4 Chords”, which are also known as the Pop Music Chord Progression, on our electric keyboard pianos. Ask your student which chords are part of this progression! We’ve also been playing along on songs where students and their partners each play the melody and harmony and then switch.

Our Annual Memorial Day Assembly will be on Friday, May 23rd, during the morning for students and staff. AWCM will film the event for families to watch later. Grades K-4 have been busy practicing their songs for this event, some of our 5th graders will be emceeing, and our Chorus will be singing the National Anthem. The colors that students have the option to wear that day are as follows: K=white; 1st/2nd=red; 3rd/4th=blue; 5th=red, white, & blue. 

Please join us for our upcoming music events:

• DISTRICT JAZZ NIGHT on Thursday, April 17th at 6:30pm at Oakmont (We have a few 5th graders who will be playing on the district-wide pieces!)

• JRB SPRING CONCERT on Monday, June 2nd at 7pm at Oakmont

• JRB RECITAL NIGHT on Monday, June 9th at 6:30pm at JRB. This is an opportunity for students who take instrumental lessons to perform in front of an audience! Signup forms will be distributed to JRB lesson instructors and emailed to a select number of area instructors after April vacation. If your child takes lessons elsewhere, please have them see Mrs. Lordan for a form!

Happy Spring!

Spring Screenings

Massachusetts Public Schools are required by law to provide the following annual health screenings to its elementary students: vision, hearing, body mass index (BMI), and postural. Screenings will be held From April 16th-18th.

Vision: Annually in grades 1 through 5

Hearing: Kindergarten through grade 3 and

Heights and Weights: Heights and weights are measured and body mass index (BMI) is calculated on children in grades 1 & 4

Postural Screening: The state of Massachusetts mandates that all students in grades 5 be screened for scoliosis. Parents will be notified if referral is needed.

Parents/guardians are notified only if a student does not pass a Vision or Hearing Screening. If a student fails a Vision or Hearing screening at school, a repeat screening is performed usually within 30 days. If the student fails the second screening, a parent/guardian notification letter is sent home via backpack mail requesting follow-up by the student’s primary care provider or special. Results of the physician referral should be communicated to the school nurse.

If you wish to opt your student out of any or all of these screenings, and haven’t already done so on the initial Emergency medical form, please email me at cbenes@awrsd.org.

Nursing Tidbits

Just a reminder that students who have a fever, are vomiting, or have diarrhea must remain out of school until they have been fever free and without vomiting/diarrhea for 24hrs without the use of medication.

If your student is sent home ill and/or injured please ensure you have an available contact that is able to pick the student up in a timely manner. We strongly encourage parents to pick their student up within 20-30 minutes after notification. This not only benefits the student who is ill and going home, but also helps to mitigate the spread of illnesses.

Nurse Cassie

There is Extended Day during April Break, but it will be at the Meetinghouse School in Westminster. It is available Tuesday- Friday. Please contact Nicole via email (ndeangelis@awrsd.org ) to make any arrangements.

The staff here at JRB has had a chance over the past few years to order Briggs gear to show our pride for JRB. We are now excited to offer it to families too! Use this link, or click the picture above to check out what is there. We will add new items as they are suggested as well. Please take note if items are youth, womens, or universal. Feel free to make suggestions using this form.

Thank you to all of the parents who have uploaded or emailed their 5th grader's baby photos and your dedication messages.

• If you would like your 5th graders cute baby face on the "Who's That Baby?" page of the yearbook, you can either upload it to TreeRing when you're logged in or email it to me (see below).
  
  
• If you would like to have a short dedication message for your 5th grader on the Dedications page, just email it to me! It's FREE! This is separate from the 2 free custom pages that you can create yourself when you order your yearbook.

Deadline for yearbook purchases is April 22!

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at:

jrbriggsyearbook@gmail.com

April 21-25- No School- April Break

May 7- Half Day

May 26- No School- Memorial Day

May 28- Half Day 

Hello JRB Community!

I am looking for volunteers to mount artwork for this year's art show. You'd be working in the library Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. If you are interested in loaning a helping hand, please email me at kdisalle@awrsd.org.

Thanks so much!