BSD Staff Updates

Policy News

Policy 2413; Equivalency Credit for Career & Technical Education Course came to the Board for first reading.

Policy 3515; Student Awards and Prizes was presented to the Board for first review. This new policy was requested by the ASB earlier in the year, and this policy, new to the District, helps address how district or ASB funds may be used, within limits, to purchase student awards or prizes.

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Board Recognition

The Board had the opportunity to recognize Bremerton High School’s Valedictorians and Salutatorians and a few select 2022 graduates from Renaissance High School, as well as BHS Senior Andrew Kehm who is this year’s recipient of the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Award.

The Board was happy to authorize two new travel opportunities for our students. 1) Elise Erickson will be taking a group of students to France again, and Wendy McPhetres will be chaperoning many choir members to New York City – both of these trips are planned for the spring of 2023.

Work is still being done to find an interim superintendent to lead the District for the 2022-2023 school year. At this meeting, the Board authorized Dr. Leavell and President Rotter to enter into negotiations on behalf of the Board with the Board’s preferred candidate.

Be Bremerton was a big success on May 14th, and the rain held off. This day of service for many staff, students and families helped prepare the route and downtown area for the Armed Forces Day Parade coming up Saturday, May 21st.

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

Submitted by Rick Cortes

Kitsap Musicians Project's latest community effort is The Polina Project (named after a deceased 10-year-old girl whose face shortly after the invasion, became the iconic image of tragedy befalling the children of Ukraine).

This project is a venture partnership with RAZOM, a Ukrainian non- governmental global community group designed to help provide awareness, support, services and resources for all Ukrainians in need of shelter, food, water, medicine and supplies needed to survive the ravages of this conflict.

Twelve Kitsap Musician Project performer/artists are featured along with special guest artists from as far as Illinois, Vermont, and New Jersey joining hands in this most note worthy cause. Included in the KMP stable of contributing performer/ artists are BSD's and BHS's own Andrew Kehm (Homie Churn- 3rd project with KMP) and newly added Zach Oblinger (media/ promotion specialist), BHS senior Marli Stodden, Naval's para eductor Kim Hurst ( 3rd project with KMP), Naval's ELL para Pablo Flores (media/technical advisor and my KMP co- founder) and Rick Cortes, co- producer(along with Russ Salton, Gig Harbor performer/ artist/studio engineer) as a contributing performer/ artist.

We are currently in the final stages of the first phase of home recording sessions being submitted along with other artists who chose to complete a main studio recording session just a couple weeks ago. Our goal is to complete the studio editing process by end of May. Then we intend to move the project into global social multi- media platforms with the intent to connect with other music ventures preparing to showcase their projects in fundraising benefit concerts and events. The RAZOM band and group have pledged logistical assistance and support in providing tools to advertise and raise revenue for the cause.

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.

All taxpayers should review their federal withholding each year to make sure they're not having too little or too much tax withheld. Doing this now can help protect against facing an unexpected tax bill or penalty in 2023.The sooner taxpayers check their withholding, the easier it is to get the right amount of tax withheld.

Taxpayers whose employers withhold federal income tax from their paycheck can use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator to help decide if they should make a change to their withholding. This online tool guides users through the process of checking their withholding to help determine the right amount to withhold for their personal situation. Taxpayers can check with their employer to update their withholding or submit a new Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Certificate.

Adjustments to withholding
Individuals should generally increase withholding if they hold more than one job at a time or have income from sources not subject to withholding. If they don't make any changes, they may owe additional tax and possibly penalties when filing their tax return.

Individuals should generally decrease their withholding if they qualify for income tax credits or deductions other than the basic standard deduction.

Either way, those who need to adjust their withholding must prepare a new Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Certificate. They need to submit the new Form W-4 to their employer as soon as possible since withholding occurs throughout the year.

Individuals who should check their withholding include those:

• who experienced a marriage, divorce, birth or adoption of child, purchase of a new home or retirement
• who are working two or more jobs at the same time or who only work for part of the year
• who claim credits such as the child tax credit
• with dependents age 17 or older
• who itemized deductions on prior year returns
• with other personal and financial changes

Tax Withholding Estimator benefits
The IRS Tax Withholding Estimator can help taxpayers:

• determine if they should complete a new Form W-4.
• know what information to put on a new Form W-4.
• save time because the tool completes the form worksheets.

Taxpayers should prepare before using the Tax Withholding Estimator by having their most recent pay statements, information for other income sources and their most recent income tax return. The tool does not ask for sensitive information such as name, Social Security number, address, or bank account numbers.

Taxpayers shouldn't use the Tax Withholding Estimator if:

• They have a pension but not a job. They should estimate their tax withholding with the new Form W-4P.
• They have nonresident alien status. They should use Notice 1392, Supplement Form W-4 Instructions for Nonresident Aliens.
• Their tax situation is complex. This includes alternative minimum tax, long-term capital gains or qualified dividends. See Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax.

More information:
Tax Withholding Estimator FAQs

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!)

Background photo: A BHS volunteer helps beautify downtown Bremerton during "be Bremerton" on May 14.