

We Are Bremerton!
Bremerton School District community e-newsletter
April 2023
April is Volunteer Appreciation Month in the Bremerton School District!
As we celebrate Volunteer Appreciation Month, we would like to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude to all the school volunteers who have generously given their time and energy to support our students, teachers, and staff. Your unwavering commitment to our school community is truly commendable and has had a significant impact on the education and well-being of our students.
Whether it's volunteering in the classroom, assisting with school events, or serving on committees, your contributions have helped make our schools a better place. We cannot thank you enough for your dedication and selflessness, and we are truly fortunate to have you as part of our school family. Your efforts are greatly appreciated, and we look forward to continuing to work alongside you in the future.
We'd like to introduce just a couple of our amazing volunteers.
Kathy Cates
Kathy Cates is a new volunteer at View Ridge Elementary Arts Academy this year - but she’s not new to volunteering for the District. She’s made a huge impact as a volunteer the past eight years at Crownhill Elementary were many days got to school before students arrived, and stayed until after they left!
At Crownhill she is known as a “powerhouse” that gets things done so it’s no surprise that she is having a very positive impact at View Ridge as well, where she volunteers in Pip Thompson’s third grade class.
Kathy is willing to help with and thoroughly enjoys whatever task is needed at either of the schools where she volunteers. She says that she finds helping out at the schools is very rewarding - and students and staff at both schools love having her there!
When schools were closed due to COVID, Kathy wanted to continue volunteering and was instrumental in launching The Kindness Project. Since 2020, she personally has written hundreds of kindness cards for the project.
Fun fact about Kathy: For the past few years, Kathy has logged in the most volunteer hours every year out of all volunteers in the District!
Tyler Kerle
Bremerton High School Robotics Team is fortunate to have Tyler Kerle back for a second year as a volunteer for the Bremerton High School Robotics team “BremerTron.” He enjoys sharing his knowledge - and the joy and fun of robotics - with the next generation as he works to help students design, build and wire their robot. Tyler has also been also instrumental in helping procure needed supplies, and helping with outreach for fundraising.
“Tyler puts in an extraordinary amount of effort into our team,” said Blake Greisinger, BHS robotics teacher and BremerTron Coach. “He is present every day for our build and tournament season which is about eight weeks long. As an electronics mechanic his skills and knowledge are invaluable in helping to teach students how to properly wire and prepare the robot for competition.”
Fun fact about Tyler: He has served as judge and robot inspector at several robotics competitions throughout the state of Washington.
Bremerton Backpack Brigade
The Bremerton Backpack Brigade (BBB) provides weekend food support for approximately 350-400 children (approx. 150 families) in all of our elementary schools.
Each week dedicated BBB volunteers, led by Myra Battin & Sherrill Gross, work to stock the shelves and fill backpacks with weekend meals that students will take home on Fridays. During school breaks the families are provided with boxes with a week’s worth of food instead of backpacks. For spring break earlier this month, BBB distributed about 180 boxes of food to help families get through spring break with full bellies!
BBB relies on cash and in-kind donations, and is always looking for new volunteers. If you’re interested in volunteering, hosting a food drive, or donating, please visit Bremerton Backpack Brigade.
A special thank you: Co-founders Myra Battin & Ann Horn will be retiring from the Brigade at the end of this school year. Thank you both for your many years of dedication to the students of the Bremerton School District.
April is Month of the Military Child
April is designated as Month of the Military Child – a time to honor the sacrifices made by military families worldwide, with an emphasis on the experience of the dependent children of military members serving at home and overseas. View the presidential proclamation.
On Friday, April 14, we asked students, staff, families and community members to honor the District's 1200+ military-connected students by wearing purple for "Purple Up" day - a nationwide initiative. Thank you to all who participated!
View Ridge Elementary Arts Academy performs Disney's "Jungle Book!"
The after-school Disney Musicals in Schools and K-2 Drama Club at View Ridge Elementary Arts Academy celebrated their months of hard work and commitment with fabulous performances last week! The Disney kids performed “Jungle Book Kids” on both Thursday and Friday, and the K-2 Drama Club performed an original musical, “The Magical Snow Globe,” on Friday to open the show. Between the two performances, more than 750 community members showed up to support the 116 students involved in the show - including our incoming superintendent Dr. James Crawford who came early for a sneak-peek backstage on Friday night (photo, right).
With the help of the Bremerton High School Stage Tech Crew, and more than 25 staff members from View Ridge, the students showed what professionals they are! They showed up with incredible confidence, charisma, and enthusiasm and had a blast showing off their hard work. Enough funds were raised through community donations to ensure both of these programs will continue next year!
Next up for the Disney crew is participating in the “Disney Final Share” performance on the Paramount Stage in Seattle on April 25th. They will represent our district well as they get to show off their skill on the big stage for audience members from throughout the region. Great job View Ridge Otters! View more Jungle Book photos here! View more photos from The Magical Snow Globe here!
Two BHS students selected as Washington World Fellows
Bremerton High School sophomores Virginia Arizmendi (photo - left) and Savannah Landrum (photo - right) and have been selected as Washington World Fellows for the 2023 cohort. Only 15 students are selected for this prestigious 2.5-year global leadership program and two are Bremerton Knights this year! Bremerton High School is only the second school to have two students selected in the same cohort since the program launched in 2017.
The program aims to equip Washington’s young leaders through academic preparation, leadership development, civic engagement, and international travel. Open to 15 new students each year, the fellowship is a partnership with the Washington State Leadership Board and the state’s first global leadership program for high school students. The purpose of the program is to provide students who may lack access to similar opportunities with training that will enhance their high school academics, support their trajectory into college, and encourage them to become leaders in their communities and beyond. Almost every Washington World Fellow plans to be the first in their family to attend college.
Students selected will participate in two years of leadership training, which includes SAT/ACT preparation, college application support, and unique opportunities to engage with the State Legislature. They will also spend six weeks at the University of León in Spain, where they will earn college credit and live with local homestay families.
Savannah and Virginia are both AVID students at Bremerton High School and were inspired to apply for the program from BHS AVID senior Castor Buhman who earned the honor in 2021. Other Washington World Fellows from Bremerton High School include Amber Silvers (BHS 2020) and Ali Pulido (BHS 2021).
Learn more about the Washington World Fellows here.
Bremerton School Board Updates
POLICY NEWS:
The board recently approved the following policies:
- Policy 3122; Excused & Unexcused Absences
- Policy 4200; Parent Access and Safe and Orderly Learning Environment
- Policy 5004; Infection Control Program
- Procedure 0300P; Agenda Planning Calendar
At the March 16 meeting, the Board heard highlights of BHS winter sports (see video) from Athletic Director Amber Plummer. As it was Education Support Professionals Week, they passed a resolution honoring our classified staff, and recognized classified staff who had reached 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40-year milestones with the District.
The Board voted to award a contract to Andersen Construction Co. of WA, for pre-construction and architectural design services for the West Sound Technical Skills Center Improvement Project. Following up on the Board's March 3rd selection of Dr. James Crawford to serve as the District's next Superintendent, the Board voted to approve a 3-year contract with Dr. James Crawford commencing on July 1, 2023.
In a special meeting on March 30, the Board voted to award the contract for development and construction of the Mountain View Middle School Sports & Fitness Complex to Neeley Construction of Puyallup, WA. We expect to break ground on this project later this spring or in early summer.
At the April 13 meeting, the Board heard from Phoebe, a Kitsap Lake student (photo above) who shared some concerns with the board during the public comment period. The welcomes public comment from staff, parents, students and community members at every meeting. To learn more about how to submit feedback to our Board, please visit www.BremertonSchools.org/SchoolBoard.
At the April 13 meeting, the Board also approved two resolutions to recognize April as Volunteer Appreciation Month as well as the month of the Military Child in the Bremerton School District.
Dr. Garth Steedman shared the General Fund Balance Status Report and the board reviewed several written reports including Enrollment, Enrollment Projection, Staff Absence, and a mid-year CSIP Report for both secondary and elementary.
Great things are happening at Bremerton High School!
An update from BHS ASB Executive Officers
Bremerton High School's ASB has been hard at work as the 3rd quarter wraps-up! During the month of March, we had a successful spirit week, with the theme of "Game Knight." Every day was themed after a different board game, like dressing in monochrome for "Clue" day.
The recent pep assembly consisted of an amazing performance from our drill team, an announcement of our spring sports, and a thrilling relay race, where freshmen (with a little help from our principal, Mr. Nickels) showed out on top! Seniors won the spirit week as a whole, adding up all their points from the spirit days and the pep assembly.
We hosted a "Game Knight" (photo above) event after school during Spirit Week and ASB hosted pizza, frozen lemonades, cookies, and board games. Many students stayed after school to participate and it was so successful, ASB is planning on hosting another one in April.
Sophomores, and some juniors, completed their marathon of state testing last month, so a special shout out to them for the hard work! The senior and sophomore classes also hosted two successful fundraisers at Mod Pizza to raise money for their class events.
We are incredibly excited to continue planning fun events for our student body to help support school spirit as graduation is right around the corner.
Bremerton High School Knights in the news
MVMS teacher Kayleigh Reimer selected as an outstanding educator
Kayleigh Reimer has been selected as a 2023 outstanding educator by the Alpha Sigma Kitsap Chapter of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society recognizes exemplary educators who demonstrate success in the classroom and leadership in improving education. The nomination committee looks at criteria such as success with students, leadership activities, and contributions to the school, district and community.
Ms. Reimer is the Mountain View Middle School (MVMS) choir and beginning orchestra teacher. She’s been at MVMS three of her five years in education. She was nominated by MVMS principal Carre Potis who said, “Kayleigh excels when it comes to student engagement and relationships. She works intentionally to build strong relationships with students and families. She has served on our Leadership Team and worked hard to improve the culture and climate of our building. Our school community has greatly improved under Kayleigh’s leadership. She truly has the best interests of our students at the heart of all of her decisions and interactions.”
Sadly, Ms. Reimer is leaving the District at the end of the school year to pursue a Master’s degree in performance. She will most certainly be missed by students, families and staff. “She has been an asset to Mountain View and her colleagues are all better for having worked alongside her,” said Ms. Potis.
Ms. Reimer joins a long list of Bremerton School District teachers who have received this award including Eric Bockelie, Sarah Buck, Stephanie Cordorniz, Veda Hernandez-Langford, Penny Irvin, Shayla Sharlow, Kathy Williams, and Nora Zollweg - all who earned this award in 2020 and 2021.
be Bremerton: A Day of Service
We invite you to join us on May 13 for our annual day of service
be Bremerton: A Day of Service is a districtwide service 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. On the morning of Saturday, May 13, BSD students, staff, families and volunteers will gather at Evergreen Rotary Park, and then break-up into teams to clean up downtown Bremerton before the annual Armed Forces Day parade and celebration! The event concludes with a free lunch for all volunteers! Learn more or sign up here!
BHS Performing Arts students "wow" audiences with "Our Town"
Last month, Bremerton High School performing arts students performed in the play "Our Town" by Thornton Wilder.
Academic theatre in the age of a pandemic presents many challenges. Academic theatre typically operates on four-year legacies with students passing down leadership, institutional memory, and the culture of the department. These student theatre artists have been rebuilding a program after COVID created an interruption in the typical process, disturbing that four-year flow.
We are so proud of all of the students involved in this production and can't wait to see what the students produce in 2024! We invite you to view more photos from the play here.
A production note from the Director Alicia Grosso (BHS Theatre Arts Teacher):
BHS plays are usually produced in our Performing Arts Center (PAC) "studio configuration." We create a black box-style theatre, with the audience seated up on the stage on platforms. This gives the performers and audience a more intimate experience than they have when seated in the PAC auditorium as they would be for a musical. We create playing space in the round, three-quarters thrust, and other configurations to have playing spaces well-suited to the material. Student designers and technicians broaden their skills as they translate lighting, scenery, and costumes to suit a small space.
BHS Choir students take a bite out of the the "Big Apple" over Spring Break
Twenty-one Bremerton High School choir students (and nine chaperones!) spent five days in New York City over spring break. In addition to their scheduled performance at The Riverside Church and several unscheduled performances, the students made the most of their time in NYC! They participated in a Broadway workshop (with a cast member from Wicked) and attended two Broadway shows: Hamilton and Wicked (where they watched the dance captain they’d worked with in the workshop perform). The group visited 9/11 Ground Zero, the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street/the financial district, Trinity Church, Top of the Rock, Radio City Music Hall, and One World Observatory!
The students got to watch the Yale Jazz Ensemble perform at Dizzy's with a guest saxophonist George Coleman. They also performed in Central Park where many visitors stopped to listen! An unexpected highlight of the trip was when the choir got to spontaneously perform on their flight to NY in honor of the pilot’s last flight before retiring!
The group fundraised for more than a year by working the Ivar's food booth at events at Lumen Field and Husky Stadium, according to Wendy McPhetres, BHS choir teacher. "This was a trip of a lifetime for many of our students. They all ran hard every day, from sunup to well past sundown. While they were exhausted, they stayed the course to experience all the things they were given the opportunity to experience. It was a pleasure to travel with these students.”
Naval Avenue gets creative to promote parent-teacher conference sign-ups!
Who says paperwork can't be FUN? Naval Avenue Elementary set a goal of having 100 percent parent participation for spring conferences.
To motivate students to bring back their signed conference notice, they were printed on pink paper and all students who returned the form on time got to participate in a Pink Paper Party before spring break.
All but 18 students returned their pink conference papers on time! And the 18 who forgot? They were given the opportunity to call home and get the information from their parent/guardian so they too got to join in on the fun!
The students partied in the gym with 600 balloons, glowsticks, lighted sunglasses and music! More than 60 joined the conga line! Kids and staff had a blast - and 97.4 percent of Naval Avenue families participated in conferences!
Way to go Naval Avenue Dolphins! A huge thank you to the anonymous donor who made it possible!
Thank you Kitsap Credit Union!
Kitsap Credit Union (KCU) recently sponsored a book fair at View Ridge Elementary Arts Academy (VREAA). It was set up like other Scholastic book fairs with books on display - providing a hands-on opportunity for students to check-out all of the books. But - students were told to leave their money at home because KCU purchased two books for every View Ridge student!
We can’t thank KCU enough for making an investment in our students’ futures! "Books have the potential to ignite a lifelong passion for reading, expand their knowledge, and inspire their imagination,” said VREAA principal Korene Calderwood.
KCU volunteers helped staff the book fair, and KCU also provided teachers with financial literacy resources for their students. KCU is also a partner for our financial literacy classes at Bremerton High School where students earn a national Financial Literacy certification. We are so thankful for the longstanding partnership we’ve had with Kitsap Credit Union and for their generous support of our students!
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Stay informed!
Important information for the families of the class of 2023!
Community multi-use sports complex updates & information
The Bremerton School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employee(s) has been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Garth Steedman at 360.473.1031 or the Section 504 Coordinator, John Welsh at 360.473.1012 Mailing address: 134 Marion Avenue North, Bremerton, WA 98312.
Bremerton School District
Email: communications@bremertonschools.org
Website: www.BremertonSchools.org
Location: 134 Marion Avenue North, Bremerton, WA, USA
Phone: 360-473-1000
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