Community Newsletter

No School Monday, October 9, 2023

Due to Indigenous Peoples' Day

All BSD offices will be closed.

Click here to view the

2023-2024 school calendar.

Dear Staff and Families of the Brunswick High and Junior High Schools:

You're invited to a presentation regarding Understanding High-Potency Marijuana.

Cannabis (marijuana) use in Maine is on the rise and use among students is following similar upward trends. This is concerning for many reasons, not the least of which is that today’s marijuana products contain very high levels of THC – the ingredient responsible for the effects on a person’s mental state. The National Institutes of Health reports that marijuana use as a youth can cause long-term, possibly permanent changes in the brain and lead to other health concerns, including cancer and psychosis.

Brunswick High School and Brunswick Junior High School will be co-hosting an informational presentation to help families better understand the dangers of marijuana use entitled Understanding High-Potency Marijuana on Tuesday, October 24 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm, in Crooker Theater at Brunswick High School. Our speaker for the evening will be Dave Packhem, Founder and Executive Director of Students Empowered to End Dependency (SEED), several panelists, and the BSD Substance Use Counselor, Geno Ring. The panelists will have a variety of backgrounds: including medical professionals, mental health professionals, and individuals in recovery. Their diversity in experience will hopefully provide eye opening insights as they share their knowledge and experience on all matters related to substance use and addiction – specifically, the use of cannabis.

During the event, we will be offering child care for parents who wish to attend the presentation and panel discussion. It will be located in a classroom near the theater provided by a BJHS staff member and student volunteers. We are able to provide childcare for children older than 2 years old.

We are also excited to share that every student who attends will receive 2 service learning hours towards their graduation requirement! There will be a sign in sheet at the entrance. At the end of the panel discussion we will also be raffling off several gift cards donated to us by some of our favorite local businesses!

Brunswick Schools will be extending an invitation to our neighbors in Freeport, Topsham, and Bath to join us for this informative evening. We highly encourage you and your students to attend! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to one of the event coordinators: Geno Ring (gring@brunswicksd.org) and Meredith Vogel (mvogel@brunswicksd.org) at BHS or Caitlin D’Amour (cdamour@brunswicksd.org) and Becca Wood (rwood@brunswicksd.org) at BJHS.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Saturday, October 28, 2023

9:00am - 1:00pm

Harriet Beecher Stowe School

Click here to sign-up for a time slot!

Walk-in appointments are also welcome.

Information for Parents & Helpful Links:

• Flu Information
• Vaccine Information Sheet
• Who Needs a Flu Vaccine?
• Vaccines for COVID-19

Superintendent Potenziano was invited to be a guest Judge by Mrs. Selberg for the BHS Cooking Club Italian Food Competition!

These young chefs brought their A-game, and Supt. Potenziano was blown away by their culinary talents. It was truly a feast for the senses.

#CookingCompetition #ItalianFood #YoungChefs #Foodie #teambrunswickme

We began the strategic planning process in July 2020, and the work intensified more than a year ago. This completed strategic plan is a student-centered, data-driven plan that was developed by a team with input from students, teachers, staff members, parents/caregivers, and community members. Through this collaboration, we crafted a district vision, mission, and core values, culminating in identified priority areas and measurable goals. Our next step is to decide the action steps we will use to achieve the goals. That work is about to begin.

Click here to view our Strategic Plan!

For more information, visit the Brunswick Parks & Recreation Website:

www.brunswickme.org/parks-recreation

Cristina Ustaris

Pre-K Ed Tech, Kate Furbish Elementary School

Cristina is originally from Ohio! She attended the University of Maine and received her Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering. Her and her husband, Jason, have two children Kyla and Evan. They also have a family dog named Ruby.

What makes you proud to work in Brunswick? #BSDProud

I'm so excited to join this team of educators who has taught and cared for my own children so well.

What do you like to do outside of work for fun?

I love to ski, bike, camp, hike, beach and craft.

What is your favorite line from a movie?

"That'll do, Donkey. That'll do." -Shrek

If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet?

Lin-Manuel Miranda

What is something you learned in the last week?

Although Crayola crayons come in 120 different colors, the labels are only made in 18.

Current Open Positions Include:

• IEP Coordinator
• Long Term Substitute at Kate Furbish Elementary School
• Administrative Assistant for Student Registration
• Special Education Teacher at TREK
• School Counselor - Long Term Substitute
• BJHS Functional Life Skills Ed Tech
• BHS Self Contained Program Teacher
• BJHS Winter Cheer Coach
• BJHS Assistant Cross Country Coach
• Substitute Teachers, Bus Drivers, Van Drivers, & Custodians
• ...And MORE!

We're hiring for multiple positions. Visit our website to view all current

employment opportunities or click the image above!

Did you miss a newsletter?

You can view previous Community Newsletters on our website: click here!