
Community Newsletter

January 6, 2023
Welcome Back
We hope you all had a fun and restful winter break!
Reminder: No School on January 16th
in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Click here to view the 2022-2023 BSD school calendar.
Strategic Planning Survey
The Brunswick School Department is currently developing a new strategic plan to help guide it over the next several years. During this process, a strategic planning committee consisting of individuals from multiple community groups (i.e., students, parents, community members, school staff, and district staff) have provided input to help district leaders create the plan for the district.
In order to be inclusive and transparent about the process of building a strategic plan, the BSD would like your feedback about the drafted strategic plan components. Thank you for your participation.
2022 MELMAC Grant Award
Brunswick High School has been awarded a $20,000, 18-month grant from the MELMAC Foundation. The MELMAC Foundation supports programming and initiatives across the State of Maine which increase opportunities and education for the people of Maine. In Maine’s public schools, MELMAC initiatives support students in connecting their post-secondary aspirations with plans to see those aspirations realized.
The grant awarded to BHS, focused on exploration of post secondary educational and career opportunities, was written by the BHS Dean of Student Support and Engagement, the Extended Learning Opportunities staff, BHS school counselors, and the BSD ESOL Department. Activities supported by the MELMAC grant will include college tours, trips to local employers, mentoring, and academic support. Additionally, the grant will support initiatives to increase connections with families, including increased engagement with our Multilingual students and their families on topics related to educational and career opportunities.
Questions about the MELMAC initiatives at Brunswick High School can be directed to Katelin Urgese (kurgese@brunswicksd.org), Dean of Student Support and Engagement and MELMAC Grant Lead at BHS.
Superintendent's Notebook: Hungry for Knowledge or Just Plain Hungry?
I want our kids to be hungry – hungry for knowledge, hungry for sports, the arts, clubs and for play. What I don’t want is for our students to be hungry for regular nutritious meals or to worry about where their food is coming from. Unfortunately, many of our students routinely come to school feeling hungry and the reality is food insecurity is an epidemic in Maine.
Fortunately, there are safety nets. For example, the National School Lunch Program, a federally assisted meal program made official in 1946, provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day in public and nonprofit private schools.
“I’d say 60-70% of students in the Brunswick School Department currently participate in the free lunch and breakfast programs,” said Scott Smith, BSD food service director. “I’m happy to report that Maine was among the first states to make – and continues to offer – free breakfast and lunch meals for any and all students.”
Click here to read the full article from Superintendent Potenziano.
Support the Class of 2024!
The class of 2024 is having a fundraiser at Portland Pie in Brunswick on Wednesday, January 11, 2023.
A percent of all sales from 11:00am - 8:00pm will go directly towards the class of 2024. Present this voucher when you dine-in, take-out or order delivery on 1/11/23.
Stop by the Brunswick Portland Pie to enjoy some delicious pizza and support the class of 2024!
Employee Spotlight
Julia Campbell
1st Grade Teacher, Kate Furbish Elementary School
Julia is originally from Springfield, Massachusetts. She attended Westfield State University for her Bachelor's degree and received her Master's from Our Lady of the Elms College. She has three children, Kaitlin, Meghan and Thomas.
What makes you proud to work in Brunswick? #BSDProud
I am proud to be a part of a great community that puts kids first.
What do you like to do outside of work for fun?
I like to walk, bike, go to the beach and spend time with family and friends.
If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet?
Bono
What is something you learned in the last week?
Traveling by bus in the West of Ireland (this past summer).
We're hiring for multiple positions. Visit our website to view all current
employment opportunities or click the image above!
Merrymeeting Adult Education Update
Art Portfolio Week at Merrymeeting Adult Ed:
Monday-Friday, 9am-2pm, 4/20-4/24!
Are you interested in developing a stronger portfolio of artwork? Thinking about applying to art school? Get ready to draw, paint, make prints, explore collage, and get into a creative headspace in this week-long art experience. We will work from observation, abstraction, and try out working from imagination. You will learn to: compose your pieces in different ways as we talk about composition, discover what makes an image feel more or less “real”, and expand your comfort zone of materials and techniques. No worries if you haven't had art for awhile, come join us for some winter art-making fun!
*Ages 13-18
For more information on Merrymeeting Adult Education: https://merrymeeting.maineadulted.org/