We Are Bremerton!

During School Board Recognition Month, we extend our sincere appreciation to the dedicated members of the Bremerton School District Board of Directors. Their commitment to our students, schools, and community is truly invaluable. These individuals generously volunteer their time and energy to guide our district, make crucial decisions, and advocate for the best possible educational opportunities for every child. Their passion for public education and unwavering support are essential to our success, and we are deeply grateful for their service.

Congratulations to the Bremerton School Board of Directors! Our board has once again been named a Board of Distinction by the Washington State School Directors' Association (WSSDA).

The Boards of Distinction program aligns with the research-based Washington State Board of Education standards. These standards guide school boards to focus on areas where they can make the most significant difference in supporting students, aligning with their community’s aspirations for its children, and effectively governing the school district. Congratulations to our Directors!

Inspiring performances filled our elementary schools earlier this month in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.! The Bremerton High School and Mountain View Middle School choirs presented a special MLK Day assembly at all six of our elementary schools, featuring soloists and speakers who are alumni of each school!

A highlight was a powerful rendition of "We Shall Overcome" sung with students from each elementary! We invite you to view more photos of the assemblies here.

The Squire Players of Mountain View Middle School wowed audiences with their production of "The Trials of Alice in Wonderland" at the BHS PAC on January 24th and 25th! This marked their first collaboration with PAC technical director Jason Vogt and his talented tech team. After choosing the play in early October, the students rehearsed diligently twice a week, led by Director Ms. Donaldson and Assistant Director/parent volunteer Mrs. Evans.

The middle school tech team, coordinated by technical director Mrs. Sherwood and assistant/parent volunteer Mrs. Marshall, brought the production to life. From the hilarious Tweedledee and Tweedledum to the menacing Queen of Hearts and the enigmatic Cheshire Cat, the classic characters captivated the audience.

The story explored Alice's journey of self-discovery as she faced trial for 'growing and changing,' culminating in a powerful message of self-acceptance. A special shout-out to Tiny Alice, a reflection of Alice's inner voice! Congratulations to the entire cast and crew on a fantastic show!

We invite you to view more photos of the production here!

A lot has been happening with the Bond Program as we continue to move forward with design, planning, and early preparations for construction. The biggest focus right now is on the replacement of Armin Jahr Elementary and View Ridge Elementary Arts Academy, as we work through key milestones to ensure these schools are thoughtfully designed to meet student and staff needs.

At Armin Jahr, we’ve formed a Transition Advisory Working Group, a team of staff and parent representatives working alongside district leadership to guide the transition to the interim Armin Jahr school campus which will be located adjacent to the East Bremerton Community Gym. This group is currently meeting bi-weekly and providing valuable input to ensure a smooth transition to the interim site while the new school is built.

We’ve also met with city staff in a pre-application meeting, and we’re on track to submit permits by February 17, with construction on the interim site targeted to begin in May. Parents have expressed greater confidence in the transition after seeing preliminary site plans, which show a secure, well-equipped learning environment with a separate cafeteria and gym, a playfield, and ample space for recess.

Meanwhile, we’ve also launched the Design Advisory Committee, which includes representatives from both schools and district leadership. This group will work closely with our design team to ensure that every detail of the new schools reflects student and staff needs. Our first meeting on January 23 was full of energy and great ideas as we reviewed site layouts and early floor plan concepts. We’re moving quickly through the design process, with the goal of starting construction this fall and moving into the new schools by December 2026.

Beyond the elementary school projects, we’re making great progress on the District-Wide HVAC upgrades. The design team is working aggressively through early design phases to fast-track equipment selection and procurement, with a target contract package for March. Given the extended schedule due to long-lead electrical equipment, we will be meeting with school staff in February to provide updates and answer questions.

For the Consolidated Facilities Building replacement project, our selection process for the Design-Build team is in its final stages. After receiving eight strong responses, we shortlisted two teams, held interactive meetings, and now have final proposals due on February 7. The selection committee will review proposals on February 10, with a recommendation going to the School Board on February 20.

Lastly, we were excited to host our first Community Open House on January 27, welcoming families and community members to learn more about the Bond Program (photo, above). There was a strong turnout, great questions, and valuable feedback, particularly on the Armin Jahr and View Ridge projects. We look forward to sharing more updates in February!

Thank you for your support as we build the future of Bremerton schools!

At the January 9th Board Meeting, Mountain View Middle School Assistant Principal Kyle Homad provided an update on fall and winter 1 sports.

Interim Superintendent Colosky recognized January as School Board Recognition month and presented school board members with certificates of appreciation.

President Biden's release of a Proclamation announcing the death of James Earl Carter, Jr. and announcement of January 9, 2025 as a National Day of Mourning was also recognized.

POLICY NEWS:

The following policy was adopted by the board:

• Policy 6890; State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Compliance

• Policy 4300- Political Relationships with Governmental Agencies

The following policy was brought to the board for a first read and were approved:

• Policy 4300- Limiting Immigration Enforcement in Schools

Other Business:

• 2024-25 Sub Rates
• Agreement between the Association of Bremerton Administrators and the District - July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2027

For more information about these meetings and to view any of these documents, visit BoardDocs.

Join us in-person or online!

We are pleased to announce that we are migrating to a new and improved platform for our board communication. BoardDocs will be replaced by "Community" beginning with our February 6 meeting. This should be a seamless transition for those visiting the site, but there could be some hiccups (as can happen when upgrading technology!) in the process so we appreciate your patience! If you run into any issues, please feel free to submit your feedback HERE.

As announced January 27, the Bremerton School Board has started the search for our new superintendent.

We are committed to a transparent and collaborative process in this search. We believe that community input is essential to selecting the next leader for our district.

Survey: We invite you to provide input through our brief survey. The survey is open to all staff, families and community members and will remain open through 8 a.m. on Monday, February 10.

For updates on this important process, we invite you to visit our website at BremertonSchools.org/SupSearch.

The Bremerton School District is transitioning to a new communication platform called ParentSquare to improve communication and engagement with our families, students and community. During this transition, you may receive our updates twice. We apologize for any inconvenience. To continue receiving our communication, please subscribe here.

Email: communications@bremertonschools.org
Website: www.BremertonSchools.org
Location: 134 Marion Avenue North, Bremerton, WA, USA
Phone: 360-473-1000

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