
BSD Staff Updates
January 22, 2020
Thank you, Bremerton School Board Directors!
Thank you to our dedicated School Board Directors for their tireless service to our students and the Bremerton Community!
Photo: Superintendent Aaron Leavell presented certificates of appreciation to School Board Directors John Hurley, Alyson Rotter, Dr. Karen Bolton, Carolynn Perkins, Jonee Dubos, and student representative Gabriel O’Rourke-Dela Cruz at at the January board meeting.
Board Highlights - January 9, 2020
The Board had an opportunity to thank Mr. Tony Boddie and the Class of 1979 (see photo, right). Each year, Mr. Boddie leads a Golf Tournament for the Class, and in recent years, these funds have been donated to different schools to be used for sports programs, school activities or to help fulfill other needs for students or buildings. Mr. Boddie often volunteers and has been seen often at the sidelines with Coach T. The Board also heard from fall sports coaches, who helped recognize many student athletes (see photo, center below) for their work on the field as well as those teams and individuals who were honored by the W.I.A.A. for their scholastic achievement.
Student Representative to the Board Gabriel O’Rourke-Dela Cruz provided a brief report on upcoming activities at the high school as they return from winter break, and invited the Board to the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly. He shared that the ASB’s “Winter Wishes” program was more successful than they had imagined, and gifts were provided to approximately 180 students. He wanted to thank Briana Faxon and the AVID mentors for their large donation as well as many other staff and community members that donated gifts or dollars.
The Board and Superintendent shared highlights from their attendance at the Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA) conference in November. Directors Bolton and Perkins will participate at Senator Randall’s Town Hall Meeting on Education at Tacoma Community College, Gig Harbor campus, on January 11th, 2-3:30 pm.
Building Visits: The Board discussed that with two new directors, they are interested in putting a schedule together to visit all of the buildings/schools in the near future.
Capital Levy; Safety and Security: Dr. Leavell shared that interviews were held today with several architects to help accomplish security improvements at each of our school buildings and district office. He explained that once the architect and project manager are in place, they will begin work slowly in May before school is out and then more aggressively during the summer to complete the work before school reopens.
BHS Teacher Janice Wagner presented a proposal to take potentially 18 students to Italy during the spring of 2021. The proposal was approved.
Policy Updates: Look for an update to Policy 5404, Family, Medical and Maternity Leave, in February. Human Resources Supervisor Denise Kennedy took a major revision to the Board for first reading. The revised policy should be adopted at the upcoming February 6th meeting.
Along with that, the Board also approved Policy 3116, Students in Out-of-Home (Foster) Care, for first reading. Special Services Director Linda Sullivan-Dudzic will also bring this back to the Board in February for adoption.
The Board is reading Culturally Responsive Teaching & the Brain (Zaretta Hammond) and they then review and discuss the chapters they’ve read at book studies held near the end of their regular meetings. This meeting they covered chapters 1 and 2, and will read chapters 3 and 4 for their February 6th meeting.
You can find these reports, other attachments, and more information on the agenda/BoardDocs site
Helpful links/reminders for winter weather late start / snow days
- HR guidance for staff on delayed starts/closures.
- General information for our families is available on the website year-round at www.BremertonSchools.org/snow.
- Opt out of delayed start/closure calls here (staff with no kids enrolled in BSD only)
- Information on updating your communication preferences via Skyward Family Access for staff with students enrolled in the District.
- Not getting emails/messages from the District? Need to update your contact information? Please contact HR.
Applying for a grant?
Just a reminder! Any BSD staff member applying for a grant must receive pre-approval from their administrator for grants under $500, and from the District Leadership Team for grants over $500. This includes requests submitted to DonorsChoose.org.
We've clarified the guidelines and have replaced the cumbersome paper pre-approval form with a quick and easy Google Form. Check it out at: https://www.bremertonschools.org/grants. You can find a link to this page and the Grant Pre-Approval Google Form under the "Staff" tab on the website, in the "Staff Directory" under Grants.
BSD Character traits 2019-20
September- Kindness
October- Creativity
November- Gratitude
December- Cooperation
January - Honesty
February- Empathy
March- Perseverance
April- Respect
May -Courage
June- ResponsibilityYou can download monthly character trait posters from BSD Teach (click on "SEL & Conduct" and then "SERVE & Character Traits of the Month.")
Math Blast Volunteers needed!
BHS FCCLA Barnes & Noble Fair Fundraiser
Martin Luther King, Jr. lessons available on Nearpod
There is now a folder of lessons in the Nearpod District Library about Martin Luther King, Jr. There are lessons targeted for all grade levels, and for multiple content areas. Direct link: https://nearpod.com/libraries/23320/folder/890650
What Supplies Students Really Need
Determining Student School Supply Needs for the Next School Year
A Capstone Project by Jaclyn Marvin
Hello, my name is Jaclyn Marvin and I am a student at Olympic College working towards a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Technical Management. For my capstone project, I am planning on collecting school supplies for next year’s Back to School Fair.
I am working on collecting some data to help me narrow my focus so that students needs are more effectively met next year. I hope you'll consider taking my brief survey as it will really help me with my project, and ensure we are providing the resources our students need the most.
Thank you for your support! Please take my brief survey! Thank you!
Congratulations to our BHS Cheer competition team
Field Trip Opportunity
Join Pacific Education Institute for a six-hour introduction to FieldSTEM and Schoolyard Field Investigations for K-3 educators. FieldSTEM is an integrated framework that facilitates career-connected, locally-relevant, field-based learning. In this primer, participants will learn how simple field investigations can be incorporated into current science units to provide students with contextually—relevant science skills and practices.
Details are in the attachment below.
Here is the link to register: https://schoolyard_k3.eventbrite.com
Volunteer opportunity: Special Olympics
Student opportunity: 2020 Law Day Essay Contest
It is time for the 2020 Law Day Essay Contest, sponsored by the Kitsap County Bar Association!
Once again, the ABA has chosen an exciting topic, “Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Democracy: The 19th Amendment at 100.” Consistent with America’s history of continually expanding the right to vote, we are proposing three Constitutional Amendments that attempt to do just that.
Six cash prizes are awarded, three each in two grade categories:
First Place – $350
Second Place – $250
Third Place – $150
Each year we have seen a growing number of teachers who assign the Law Day Essay as a classroom assignment. The students and teachers all report an enriching educational experience. The essay topics are being sent three months prior to the due date to allow you sufficient time to incorporate the Contest into your curriculum. Additionally, many winners mention the Essay Contest in their college applications.
All essays must be received by April 17, 2020 at 4:30. Most students submit their essays by email, but snail mail is permitted.
Click below for the the rules and essay topics.
Tom Weaver
tomweaverlaw.onmicrosoft.com
Kitsap Bar Association
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Twitter: @BremertonSD
BSD Staff Updates Newsletter 2019-20 / Issue #10 distributed 1/22/2020