BPS District Newsletter

January 2025

Superintendent's Message

Dear Bourne Public Schools Community,

As we move into February, I want to take a moment to celebrate the incredible work happening across our district. Our students and staff continue to demonstrate resilience, creativity, and a commitment to excellence in all they do.

In this newsletter, you’ll find several highlights of student accomplishments, but these are just the tip of the iceberg. Across our schools, students are excelling in many areas, including visual art, music, entrepreneurship, and athletics. Engaging and innovative learning experiences are happening every day, fostering curiosity, collaboration, and critical thinking. We are so proud of the hard work and dedication of our students and educators.

This month, I had the opportunity to be interviewed by a group of 8th graders who are researching their Civics Action Project. They asked thoughtful and insightful questions about issues that matter to our school community and showed a genuine interest in the work we are doing around strategic planning. It was inspiring to see their curiosity and engagement in topics that will shape the future of our schools.

As we look ahead, I encourage everyone to stay engaged—whether by attending school events, providing feedback, or simply celebrating the achievements of our students and staff. Together, we are building a school district that values inclusivity, excellence, and continuous growth.

Sincerely,
Dr. Kerri Anne Quinlan-Zhou
Superintendent, Bourne Public Schools

Bourne High School DECA Shines at District 8 Competition

The Bourne High School DECA Chapter, now in its second year, participated in the District 8 DECA Competition held at the Emerald Resort & Conference Center in Hyannis on Jan. 9. The competition drew 850 participants, including 62 from Bourne High School.

In just its second year of existence, the Bourne High School DECA Chapter is making waves in the world of business competitions. Several team members placed at the District 8 DECA Competition held on Jan. 9.

This year’s District 8 competition was held at the Emerald Resort & Conference Center in Hyannis. It attracted 850 participants in total, including 62 students from Bourne High School.

The students showcased their skills in various categories: marketing, finance, entrepreneurship, hospitality, and business administration. The district competition results reflect the dedication and talent of Bourne High’s growing chapter.

“Our students' performance at the District competition is a testament to the hard work, perseverance, and commitment they’ve shown in the classroom and beyond,” said Monice Maurice, business teacher and DECA advisor at Bourne High School. “We are incredibly proud of all the students who competed and earned recognition, and we are excited for what lies ahead at the upcoming state competition.”

To read the entire article including many individual student accolades click here

2 BHS Students Receive Top Awards for Cape Cod Chapter NAACP MLK Art Contest

Congratulations to the MIAA Division 5 State Volleyball Champions!

Two Bourne High School students were honored as contest winners for the inaugural Martin Luther King Jr. Art Contest held by the Cape Cod Chapter NAACP. Both students were invited to speak about their award-winning entries during a Martin Luther King Jr. Day ceremony hosted by the Cape Cod NAACP on Sunday, Jan. 19.

Bourne High School junior Madelyn Emme Rossignol was awarded First Prize for her entry, a clay sculpture called "Nuclear Silence." The sculpture portrays a mushroom cloud, representing the aftermath of a massive explosion. A detailed crown of smoke flows from a central column, the front of which bears a pair of human lips sealed shut with black tape. The contest judges — two Cape Cod artists and Cape Cod Chapter NAACP executive board members — praised Madelyn's artwork for its creativity and depth. Madelyn will receive a $300 award during the ceremony and share her inspiration behind the piece.

Bourne High School junior Melanie Kiana Luecke was awarded Second Prize for her entry, a watercolor painting titled, "The Weight of Silence." The painting depicts a volunteer rescue worker, cradling the lifeless body of a baby girl that was pulled from the rubble of a war zone.

The judges commended Melanie's thoughtfulness and artistic expression. Melanie will receive a $200 award at the ceremony and has also been invited to speak briefly about her work and the inspiration behind it. The art contest results from a call for entries in the fall. Students from throughout Cape Cod were invited to submit entries.

This is the first year the Cape Cod Chapter NAACP has held this high school art contest as part of its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemoration. The art contest was established to inspire the next generation to a deeper understanding of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s civil rights leadership and activism.

To read the entire article click here.

Pictures from throughout the district

Grade 9 Students Engaging in Career Interview with SC Member Donel Beals during

BHS’s MIAA Student Ambassadors @ the Winter Huddle

BES Students Reading

6th Grade Plays

BIS Grade 4 participating in Bake for Good

BHS Sports Marketing Students Making Their Pitches @ Gillette

A group of 12 students from Bourne High School were selected to perform in the All Cape and Island Music Festival. In the back row, from left to right, Odin Yeary, Logan Koosa, Sam Turgiss, Jaclyn Valencia, Arianna Traver, Claire Koosa, and Molly Lodge. In the front row, from left to right, Elise Dean, Tallulah Beane, Shea Reilly, Kyla Reekie, and Adrianna DeMoura.

16 Bourne Musicians Selected to Perform at Regional Music Festivals

Sixteen student musicians from Bourne recently qualified to perform as part of prestigious regional ensembles in several music festivals.

Auditions for various regional choirs and concert bands took place throughout November, with seniors, juniors, sophomores, freshmen, and a seventh-grader from Bourne Public Schools selected to perform in the All-Eastern Honors Ensembles, the All Cape and Island Music Festival, the Southeast District Music Festival, the Rose Parade, and the Junior Southeast Music Festival.

We are so proud of our student musicians who continue to be ambassadors for our schools and be recognized for their talent and dedication. To read the entire article please click here.

6 BHS students performed in the Southeast District Music Festival.(l-r) Arianna Traver, Elise Dean, Tallulah Beane, Shea Reilly, Kyla Reekie, and Molly Lodge

BHS senior Molly Lodge, a soprano singer, was chosen to perform as part of the All-Eastern Honors Ensembles.

BHS’s Caden Doherty, Jaclyn Valencia and BHS’s Caden Doherty, John Barmashi in uniform at the Rose Bowl

BHS and MMA Receive Early College Grant

MMA and Bourne High School were among 31 college and high school partnerships throughout the Commonwealth to receive Early College grants from the Healey-Driscoll Administration to begin a Designated Early College program in the Fall of 2026.

With the support of the $50,000 grant, the Early College program will introduce BHS students to high-level coursework, instruction, and hands-on opportunities and materials, including the use of lab spaces at the MMA campus. MMA and BHS educators will work together to develop the scope, sequence, and offerings for the program that is anticipated to focus on engineering.

To read the joint press release please click here

More pictures from throughout the district

Elizabeth Pendleton Bailey visits grade 6 science

BMS Frozen Jr was a HUGE sucess!

BHS NHS at Honor Bowl

BHS hockey at BES

BIS Science Fun

BIS Math Night

School Committee Update

The January School Committee meeting included presentations about the Student Spotlight of Bourne Intermediate School, Champions Aftercare program and Champ Camp, the Bourne High School Program of Studies / Proposed Changes and the Proposed 25-26 School Calendar

All can be accessed at the embedded links.

Next School Committee Meeting is February 5, 2025

The agenda can be found HERE

All meetings can be found on the BPS website on the School Committee tab as well as the Town of Bourne website. All School Committee meetings are open to the public and can also be viewed live and on demand on Bourne TV.

Did You Know?

The Canalmen Corner is a Regular Feature in the Bourne Enterprise!

If you missed some of the inaugural articles of the Canalmen Corner please see below for interesting insight from students, staff and community members about our small schools with BIG opportunities!

Kerri Anne Quinlan-Zhou

link to submission

Addie Dion

link to submission

Kerri Anne Quinlan-Zhou

Zoe Noonan

Luca Finton

Celeste Stuke