October 29th will be our annual dress-up day. Students may wear costumes and walk outside for all to see. The parade will start near the PreK playground, then move around the rear of the building. Next, we move all of the way past the maintenance area, while finally circling the building back to the front door. We will only be passing around one time, so we have extended the viewing area to include the maintenance road and the road near the playground. Parents are welcome to park out front and walk to the rear of the building to see the parade. We will walk on the road, and parents/family are asked to watch from the grass on either side. Please do not park around the rear of the building, and please do not park in the bus lane. Our plan is to have PreK lead the way with the 5th grade serving as our last group.

Please note that we do not allow face paint, full-masks, nor weapons during the school dress-up day. We hope you can join us for this fun event starting around 9:00 AM.

As we approach Veterans Day 2021, we first want to make sure we thank all local and/or related veterans for the amazing sacrifice of service that they each gave. AGAIN, A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OF THOSE THAT HAVE SERVED OR STILL ARE SERVING.

With that being said, we are sorry to say that we cannot host our annual Veterans Luncheon this year as it would add numerous folks to an unmasked lunchtime with our students. It is our hope that by next year we are in a better situation, and we can return this amazing chance to honor the folks that have done so much for us.

Calling your student out sick always feels like there is a fine line as to how much detail needs to be shared and how much is too much for Mrs. Pilsbury to hear. However, the nurses' office is asking you to provide as much detail as possible in order to allow them to follow up as needed. Thank you.

Dear JRB Family and Friends,

I hope everyone is having a great start to the school year. The students are coming to PE excited and always ready to go. It is so nice to have everyone back in school together. Over the past few years, I have been trying to incorporate more health concepts into PE so that the students are getting the physical and health education they need. To help increase their knowledge of healthy concepts I’ve teamed up with our fabulous nurses Mrs. Shea and Mrs. Flis and we are going to start to have “Health Themes of the Month.” Each month typically has an awareness theme that we will discuss at the beginning or end of each class throughout the month. These areas could be things like hygiene, heart health, mental health, and so on. At the beginning of each month, I will post some information about each month's topic. We would greatly appreciate it if these topics were also discussed at home so that everyone can learn more about the topic.

Throughout the month of October, our focus will be Healthy Lung Awareness. Did you know that according to the National Institute of Health we breathe about 25,000 times a day; that is a lot of huffing and puffing. Seeming that we breathe that many times a day it is so important that we do what is necessary to take care of our lungs. When it comes to taking care of our lungs there are many things we can do.

First off, we can try to take in as much fresh air as possible; that's right kids, it's time to get outside and play. Being outside offers us some of the freshest air possible, especially if you can get out into the woods and go for a hike up Mount Watatic or Mount Wachusett.

Secondly, we can do simple things such as clean our house to improve the air quality we are breathing in when we are at home. In the spring and in the fall there tends to be a lot of allergens in the air such as pollen, dust, and animal dander. This can make it more difficult to breathe especially if you have asthma. Take a minute and help your family members vacuum and dust so that you can breathe in the cleanest air possible when you're inside.

Lastly, and probably most importantly, is that we stay away from air pollution and smoking. Now it is tough to sometimes see pollutants in the air. Ashburnham and Westminster are considered rural towns and we are lucky because there are very few factories and we don’t have traffic which allows us to have low levels of pollution in our area. When it comes to smoking or vaping it is very important that we stay clear of this habit. Smoking and vaping can lead to some very serious health issues such as cancer and other respiratory diseases. When we smoke we fill our lungs with toxins that make it harder for our lungs to function. When our lungs don’t work properly it also affects how oxygen moves throughout our body which can also lead to other health issues.

Throughout the month of October please take a minute and explain the importance of why it is important to take care of their lungs. Here are a few links that you can search if you are looking for more information.

Thanks and Keep Moving

Mr. Berg, Mrs. Shea, and Mrs. Flis

https://nationaltoday.com/healthy-lung-month/#faqs

https://www.lung.org/

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/cessation/smoking-cessation-fast-facts/index.html

Hi Everyone,

I can't believe it's October already, and time to start thinking about ski season! My name is Jess Ellia, and I will be the JRB Ski Club Coordinator this season. For those who are new to the program, it runs on Wednesdays starting in January from 3-7 pm, and it is six weeks long.

Lessons are mandatory for beginners and optional for all. Rental packages are available as well if your child doesn't have equipment. I've sent home flyers with all of the interested kids detailing more information and also registration information. Registration opens on October 19th and is on a first come first serve basis. The program is only able to accept a limited number of kids so be sure to register early if your child is interested. Sign up under the John R Briggs School Group. Our Code is JRBI (that last letter is an I, like I can go to the store).

We will not have bussing again this year (due to a national shortage), so parents will be responsible for getting their child to the mountain or arranging transportation. We will of course have chaperones available to help the kids the whole time. More detailed information will follow at our December meeting, but I am available to answer your questions or help with registration any time at ledgewoodfarm@hotmail.com.

Lastly, for those new to the program, the mountain has some really nice food options! Over the years, when a family member starts to ask what my kids may want as a gift, they've asked for COW cards. It's a gift card to the mountain that they can use on hot food and treats around the mountain, as well as in the ski shop. We consider that a luxury and bring snacks with us, but it's a really nice option. They are always thrilled to get a COW card as a gift and they look forward to the apple cider donuts and hot chocolate!

Thank you, and don't hesitate to reach out with questions!

Jess Ellia

2021 Ski Club Coordinator

October 29- Dress Up Day and Parade- 9:00 AM

November 2- No School- Election Day

November 5- PTA Movie Night

November 9 - Picture Make-Up Day

BoxTop Collection for any "clipped" BoxTops is Thursday, October 28th. Each box top clipped from a wide variety of products we use everyday earns JRB $.10 for the PTA. The PTA uses the box top funds for classroom & grade-level grants and PTA sponsored events.

Thank You,

Brenda Brown, BoxTop Coordinator

A huge thank you for all the participation in the Pie and Cookie dough fundraiser, with your help we raised $4,298.00 for our school!!