Big Rapids Virtual School - Educating Our Future

Big Rapids Public Schools is adopting a more efficient and environmentally responsible approach to sharing information from outside organizations. Instead of sending printed flyers home with students, BRPS will now post approved materials from approved community partners on our new Virtual Backpack webpage.

This change is expected to reduce paper use, save staff time, and make it easier for families to access community information year-round.

School-related announcements, classroom updates, and student assignments will still be sent home in student backpacks. Families should continue to check backpacks regularly for important school communications.

To share your organization's flyer, please visit https://www.brps.org/page/flyers.

To find flyers, click on the 'Virtual Backpack' button beneath the photo gallery on the BRPS homepage at www.brps.org.

📅 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐑𝐏𝐒📅

We’re excited to welcome our Cardinal families back into our buildings!

Here’s the schedule for our upcoming Open Houses:

𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟏𝟖
📓High School Swing-In – 4:00–5:30 PM

𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟏𝟗
💻Virtual School – 3:00–5:00 PM
📚Middle School – 4:00–5:30 PM
🏫Brookside Elementary – 4:30–6:00 PM
🏫Riverview Elementary – 4:30–6:00 PM
🏠Eastwood Elementary – 5:00–6:30 PM

We can’t wait to see you there!

🎉🏈 Save the Date: Big Rapids Homecoming! 🏈🎉

Mark your calendars for Friday, September 12th — it's Homecoming in Cardinal Country! ❤️💛

📣 Parade starts at 5:30 PM
🏈 Kickoff at 7:00 PM

Want to be part of the parade fun? Register here 👉 bit.ly/brhshoco
All the details you need are at the link!

Let’s pack the streets and the stands—Go Cardinals!

With the calendar flipping to August, we know parents start thinking about school!

We encourage you to review these 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗧𝗢 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗟 𝗙𝗔𝗤𝘀 and we can't wait to welcome students back soon! https://www.brps.org/page/back-to-school-faqs

In case you missed it, starting today:
📍 Grab & Go meals will ONLY be available for pickup at Big Rapids Middle School
🕚 Pickup Hours: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

🍎 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 🍎 Grab & Go -Free Daily Meal Pick-Up for Kids! June 9 - Aug 8 Monday - Friday , closed July 3 & 4th (Friday pick-up includes weekend meals) Pick up at Eastwood from 11 am - 12 noon OR BR Middle School from 12 noon - 1 pm. ONLY parents/guardians or students may pick up meals due to new State regulations. For all children, 18 years old and younger, from all areas and schools or persons up to age 26 who are enrolled in an educational program for the mentally or physically disabled that is recognized by a State or local public educational agency. For more information, visit www.brps.org/FS.

It’s the last day of school, Cardinals! 🎉📚 Thank you to our students, staff, and families for an incredible year of growth, memories, and BR pride. Have a safe and fun summer! ❤️💙 #WeAreBR

🎓 BRVS Commencement is tonight! 📍 BRHS Auditorium 🕖 May 23 at 7:00 PM 🎥 Livestream: https://youtube.com/live/fVhvgpzfjM4 Join us in celebrating the BRVS Class of 2025! ❤️💙

This Memorial Day, we pause to reflect on the courage and sacrifice of the men and women who gave their lives in service to our nation. Big Rapids Public Schools honors their legacy with gratitude and respect. Reminder: There will be no school on Monday, May 26 in observance of the holiday.

🎓 Big week for the Class of 2025! Congrats to our amazing seniors and their families—your hard work has paid off! Catch all the action on YouTube: Swingout (Wed, 5/21 at 2:00 pm): https://youtube.com/live/hOwUeK9at44 BR High School Commencement (Thur, 5/22 at 7:00 pm): https://youtube.com/live/A0qGnzfsPl8 BR Virtual School Commencement (Fri, 5/23 at 7:00 pm): https://youtube.com/live/fVhvgpzfjM4 We are BR! ❤️💙

📣 Reminder: Teacher Appreciation Week Shout-Outs! 📣 We kicked off our shout-out campaign earlier this week, and we’ve already seen several wonderful messages come in — thank you! ❤️ As we continue celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week, don’t forget you can still recognize any BRPS staff member who’s made a difference — teachers, support staff, office team, bus drivers, and more. It only takes a minute to brighten someone’s day! 💬 Submit your shout-out here: https://forms.gle/sAi94p8decyaWoiS8 Let’s keep the gratitude going strong!

During Teacher Appreciation Week (May 5-9), we extend our gratitude to all our dedicated staff members at BRPS. This year, we're opening up shout-out submissions to celebrate and recognize not just our teachers, but all staff members across departments such as food service, front office, maintenance, transportation, administration, and paraprofessionals. A 'shout-out' can be submitted by adults or students, with no limit on submissions. These messages will be shared throughout the week of May 5th, and while the submission form closes on May 9th, personal notes of encouragement are always welcomed and valued. Share your shout-outs by using this form: https://forms.gle/sAi94p8decyaWoiS8 Thank you for helping us celebrate and appreciate our Big Rapids Public Schools teachers and staff. We R BR!

🚌 Today is Bus Driver Appreciation Day, and we’re giving a big shoutout to the amazing BRPS bus drivers who safely transport our students every day! 🚦💛 Your dedication, early mornings, and friendly smiles make a big difference. THANK YOU for all you do! 👏

The BRPS 2025-26 School Calendar is finalized! You can find it at: https://5il.co/3dtv2

At last night’s Board of Education meeting, our incredible liaison officers were recognized for their outstanding service and unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of our schools. These dedicated individuals play a vital role in building strong relationships between law enforcement and the school community, and we are grateful for everything they do to support our students, staff, and families. In addition to being honored during the meeting, the liaison officers also led CRASE training during the board workshop. This training is part of our ongoing efforts to enhance preparedness and reinforce safety protocols across the district. We are proud to work alongside such committed professionals who help make BRPS a safer and more supportive place to learn and grow. Thank you, Officers Torres and Losinski!

🗞️ BRPS Families—Don't Miss Out! 🗞️ Pick up this Saturday’s paper (March 22) to get your copy of the Spring Events Insert! Can’t grab a paper? No problem! View it online here: https://5il.co/3ax6j

🥧🎉 The Virtch sure knows how to celebrate Pi Day in style! From delicious homemade pies to lots of smiles, our students made sure 3.14 was extra sweet. Check out these amazing Pi Day treats—because school is always better with pie! 🥧😋

Our BR Virtual School students had a blast on their field trip to the bowling alley! 🎉 Strikes, spares, and lots of smiles made for a fantastic day of fun and connection. 🎳😁 Check out these great moments from the trip!