BSD Staff Updates

Below are our retirees (as of 4/26/2022) *

Terri Agius

Julie Anderson

Joneva Barry-Meller

Doris Baxter

Sheryl Campbell

James Dederer

Calvin Glomstad

Linda Hupka

Pam Lee

Kristi Lindgren

Nancy Lovgren

Cathleen Markham

Cindy McClain

Colleen Paris

Susan Parker

Chris Posenauer

Natalie Poss

Terry Riders

Lori Reeves

Karyn Sandstrom

Charlene Serra

Linda Smalley

Brenda Tarver

Kelly Welsh

*Note: Some retirees have asked that we not include them in our retiree recognition activities and are therefore not listed above.

Thinking about retiring? The deadline for classified staff to notify the District of their plans to retire to receive a $250 bonus is June 1. (Sorry - the deadline for certificated staff to receive a bonus has passed). The deadline to submit information to be included in our retiree celebration activities is Friday, May 20.

Special thank you to Gesa Credit Union for sponsoring our Retiree Celebration!

Staff and students wore purple on April 15 to honor our military students and families!

On April 15, West Hills STEM Academy invited all military families to breakfast at school! Later in the day, military volunteers joined students in a rock painting project!

Captain Massie, Commanding Officer for Naval Base Kitsap made a visit to Kitsap Lake Elementary on April 15.

At the April School Board Meeting, the board approved Resolution 2021/2022-16, recognizing April as the Month of the Military Child, and April 15 as "Purple Up Day." Even Board President Aly Rotter, a die-hard Coug, wore purple for the occasion.

Back after a two-year hiatus due to COVID... be Bremerton: A day of service is scheduled for May 14!

be Bremerton: A Day of Service is a districtwide event to show the Bremerton Community and the City of Bremerton our thanks for their tremendous support of the Bremerton School District and our students. BSD students, staff, families and volunteers will gather at Evergreen Rotary Park on Saturday May 14, and then break-up into teams to clean up downtown Bremerton before the annual Armed Forces Day parade and celebration!

A limited supply of FREE t-shirts will be available. If you have participated in the past and still have your t-shirt, wear it to be entered into a drawing!

The District is hosting a free event on May 16 for all families in the district (staff are welcome too) to learn more about how to support our children (from preK-12th grade) as they learn to navigate the "new normal" after COVID and re-entering school! Learn more here.

Soon we'll be asking our families to complete our Spring Family-School Relationship Survey. Most of you know this survey as the "Panorama Survey" but we use a more description name when talking with families.

Teachers: We appreciate any support you can provide in getting the word out to our families, and reminding them to complete the survey. We've got graphics you can use on your Google site (not your classroom as it could cause confusion for your students who will take the survey at school) or share via Remind. Please link the graphics to our survey information page on the website: www.BremertonSchools.org/Survey.

April 18-22 was Volunteer Appreciation Week and we want to give a shout-out to a few of our dedicated volunteers!

Mary Davis is a retired educator who enjoys helping children and loves to write. She has written hundreds of kindness cards for the District's "Kindness Project" (learn more at www.BremertonSchools.org/Kindness) and plans to continue writing more cards and spreading more smiles.

Mary's why for volunteering in education: “I have always loved doing volunteer work that involves children. Raising my own children was the most satisfying job ever; so this volunteer path enables me to help other children.”

Thank you, Mary! We appreciate you!

April 18-22 was Volunteer Appreciation Week and we want to give a shout-out to a few of our dedicated volunteers!

Alesia Mafnas-Klein is another member of our Kindness Team (learn more at www.BremertonSchools.org/Kindness) When she retired, she chose to volunteer at Kitsap Lake Elementary. While our school buildings were closed for COVID last year, she wrote hundreds of letters for the Kindness Project. This year she has continued to write letters and is helping prep the letters for delivery to the lucky recipient.

Alesia's "why" for volunteering for the District: “I enjoy volunteering. My sister is a teacher so I understand how much help is needed in and out of the classroom.”

Thank you Aleisa! And thank you to all of the District volunteers!

• Character Trait of the Month: Courage
• May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
• May 2-6 is Teacher Appreciation Week
• May 11 is National School Nurse Day

POLICY NEWS – for Staff Review

A new policy was brought to the Board for first reading: Policy 4311, School Safety and Security Services, related to HB 1214 and its training requirements for school safety and security staff.

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Board Recognition – Bremerton High School Winter Sports

Bremerton High School Athletic Director Amber Plummer shared a lively presentation detailing how the season went for the seven sports/activities that occur during Winter Season. These included Boys and Girls Basketball and Wrestling, Boys Swim, Girls Bowling and Coed Dance & Drill.

The Board approved two resolutions as a part of their recognition:

1. Volunteer Appreciation Week, April 18-24, proclaimed with Res. 2021/2022-15

2. Month of the Military Child, April, & April 15, “Purple Up Day,” with Res. 2021/2022-16

Reminder that Be Bremerton will happen on May 14th. This day of service for many staff, students and families helps prepare the route and downtown area for the Armed Forces Day Parade which occurs May 21st.

In 2019, BSD underwent a district-wide evaluation of HVAC and controls performance. Appropriate replacement and upgrade projects were developed at various school buildings. In March, the Board approved a contract award to begin HVAC work at Bremerton High, Crownhill, East Bremerton Community Gym, and View Ridge. At this meeting, The Board awarded a contract to Miller Sheetmetal for $540,000 to replace failing, aged equipment, improve equipment maintenance access, and ensure that required heating, cooling and ventilation air flows are provided at West Hills STEM Academy.

The Board approved a Letter of Agreement between the District and BPEA Chapter #923 asserting new language on personal leave and assignment for the medically fragile to be included as part of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement approved by the Board on October 21, 2021.

Special Education Director Jon Bell presented a contract with Kitsap Mental Health Services that will support students at the high School. The Board approved this program for the Shield Program that is designed to serve students with mental and behavioral disabilities that significantly and adversely impact their access to the general education classrooms throughout the school. Supports will be provided both within and outside of the school setting, and will be in effect through the end of this school year.

Final action at this Board meeting authorized Superintendent Leavell to join the Vaping Class Action Lawsuit against the vaping company Juul. There is no cost to join this lawsuit as lawyers are working on a (20%) contingency fee basis.

To view any of these documents, you may also visit https://go.boarddocs.com/wa/wabrsd/Board.nsf/Public#.

Join us in-person or online! www.BremertonSchools.org/schoolboard

We'd like to give a shout out to Bremerton High School sophomore Marcus Bojorquez! His digital art piece “Retro Sunset” was a regional winner at the Olympic ESD 114's 49th Annual Regional High School Art Show and has advanced to state-level competition. Marcus is enrolled in Photo Media 2 at Bremerton High School..

Learn more and view all the winning regional art here. Congratulations, Marcus!

At the last School Board meeting, we got an update on winter sports from BHS Athletic Director Amber Plummer. She introduced us to senior BHS cheerleaders Jahmiah Cross and T’Kyra Chapman-Brooks who have both earned 2-year cheerleading scholarships to Coffeyville Community College in Coffeyville, Kansas.

Congratulations Jahmiah and T'Kyra! We are so proud of you!

To celebrate Earth Day, students in Bremerton High School's adaptive music class made guitars out of recycled materials!

Got a shout-out for someone in your school or in the community doing great things to support our students? Please email Karen.Bevers@BremertonSchools.org!

The Kindness Project consists of a group of volunteers who write encouraging notes to students, families and staff. More more information.

2022-23 Academic Calendars (English and Spanish) are posted on the District website at www.BremertonSchools.org/Calendar.

The Bremerton School District, in an effort to increase the number of substitutes, has recently enacted bonuses for classified and certificated substitutes for the 2021-22 school year. This information is available on our website at www.BremertonSchools.org/Bonus.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Leesa Bowie: leesa.bowie@bremertonschool.org. Please help us spread the word. Thank you!

Learn more at www.BremertonSchools.org/Gaggle. Resources for staff wanting to refer students can be found in this shared folder.

Teachers: Please consider adding a Gaggle Teletherapy graphic to your Google Classroom and Google Site. Please link to www.BremertonSchools.org/Gaggle or https://www.bremertonschools.org/Page/8609.

We are pleased to offer free online tutoring through TutorMe for all Bremerton School District students in grades 3-12. Students can access TutorMe through Clever.

More information is available on the District's Family Technology Support website.

The clinic serves Bremerton School District students (preschool - 12th grade) and staff. Learn more at www.BremertonSchools.org/Clinic.

Look for this graphic and link on the homepage, or click on the "FOR STAFF" tab on any District or school web page which takes you to the staff quick links & resources page.

Bremerton School District will have a table at this event. Stop by and see Karen Bevers and members of the BHS Honor Society and Key Club!

Did you know the Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Coalition (one of the five networks of Kitsap Strong) created a webpage with an interactive map of resources for transportation, health care, food banks, clothing, free wifi, and other services? Check it out (and share!)