

We Are Bremerton!
Bremerton School District community e-newsletter
Monday, February 6, 2023
The Bremerton School District celebrates Black History Month: a time for recognizing the struggles, adversity, strength and history of the Black American experience in the United States.
An update from the Bremerton School Board
I am pleased to share an exciting update about our search for the next Bremerton School District superintendent.
Our consultants have been hard at work promoting and recruiting applicants for our Superintendent position. The deadline for applying has closed, and the Board is reviewing all applications and will be selecting 6 semi-finalists who will be interviewed later this month. From those interviews, three finalists will be invited to visit the District on February 28, March 1 and March 2 (one finalist per day.) After a full day of touring the district and meeting students and staff, we will host a community forum (in-person and on Zoom) each evening from 5-6 p.m. to provide an opportunity for everyone to meet each of the three finalists. Finalists' resumes will be posted on the District website by Monday, February 27.
We invite you to submit questions for the finalists ahead of time and we’ll work with our consultants to narrow the questions down for the forums. We’ll do our best to cover all questions submitted but we only have an hour, and we have to ask the same questions of each finalist.
At the end of each forum, attendees will be invited to submit their thoughts, comments, and feedback on each of the three finalists.
On Friday, March 3, the Board will meet in a special session at 9 a.m. to announce the name of the finalist selected to serve as the next Superintendent. This meeting will be in-person and on zoom - and open to the public.
The vote will allow me, as Board President, to move forward with negotiating a contract with the finalist the Board has chosen. If all goes as planned, the Board will then approve the new superintendent’s contract at the March 16 regular Board meeting.
On behalf of the Board, I invite you to be a part of this important process and hope you’ll join us for the community forums! Visit www.BremertonSchools.org/Sup-Search for updates and information.
Thank you!
Aly Rotter
President
Bremerton School Board
Bremerton School Board Updates
At the January Board meeting, Mountain View Middle School’s Athletic Director Mitchell Judie shared highlights from the school’s Fall and Winter 1 Sports.
January was School Board Appreciation month, Superintendent Colosky thanked the Board for all of their work and dedication and presented them with Certificates of Appreciation (pictured).
At the first February Board meeting, the Board honored our newest National Board Certified teachers. Learn more about this exciting news below!
The District continues its work on the Long-Range Facilities Master Plan (LRFMP). Updates can be found at www.BremertonSchools.org/LRFMP. The Board is represented on the Advisory Committee by Director Dubos and Director Hurley.
To view board meeting agendas or minutes or to view District policies, please visit BoardDocs.
Five teachers earn National Board Certification
The Bremerton School District is pleased to announce that five educators have earned National Board Certification! National Board Certification was designed to develop, retain, and recognize accomplished teachers, and to generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide. It is the most respected professional certification available in K-12 education.
The Bremerton School District is proud to have 65 National Board Certified teachers and administrators on staff.
Karly Criss
Karly Criss earned her National Board Certification in Mathematics/Early Adolescence. Karly teaches students enrolled in the Drawbridge program at Bremerton High School. Prior to joining the district four years ago, she taught math and credit recovery courses. “I love working in alternative education because it gives students a different pathway for learning and I love the success stories that I get to be a part of,” Karly said.
Michelle Hoehne
Michelle Hoehne earned a Generalist/Middle Childhood National Board Certification. Michelle teaches fourth grade at Armin Jahr Elementary. She’s been with the district for five years, including a year as a substitute. She taught in Virginia for 16 years before returning to Washington and joining the district. “I come from a long line of educators,” Michelle said. “I love working with kids and seeing them grow. I especially like the kids who make the work the most challenging because they need the most love.”
Lisa Jilek
Lisa Jilek earned her National Board Certification for Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood Through Young Adulthood.
Lisa is the Social/Emotional Resource Teacher at Armin Jahr Elementary, and West Hills STEM Academy. Prior to joining Armin Jahr and West Hills, she was a special education teacher at Crownhill Elementary for seven years. Although she is endorsed in both general and special education, she loves teaching special education the most. “I want to help children with disabilities overcome difficult challenges and support them to have the same opportunities as any other student would be able to have in education,” Lisa said. “I feel that I have the unique opportunity to make an impact on students that may have otherwise had no hope at all in school, and that to me is the greatest reward of all.”
Heather Roossien
Heather Roossien earned her National Board Certification in English Language Arts/Adolescence And Young Adulthood. Heather began her teaching career as a student teacher in 2008, and has been with the District the past 5 years. She teaches English and AVID at Bremerton High School.
“I had a really rough high school experience, and I knew that if I wanted it to be better I should do something about it,” Heather said. “No use complaining if I'm not willing to help the situation!”
Stacy Sheriff
Stacy Sheriff earned her National Board Certification in Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood Through Young Adulthood. Stacy is the Social-Emotional Learning Dean at View Ridge Elementary Arts Academy. She taught special education in the District for 10 years prior to taking on this new role this school year. “I believe that one affirming relationship can save someone's life,” said Stacy. “I hope to provide that in a safe, nurturing setting and help our students be ready to learn in all areas.”
Naval Avenue Elementary named one of America's Healthiest Schools
Naval Avenue Elementary School is among the 406 schools nationwide to be named as America’s Healthiest Schools for the 2021-2022 school year. The recognition, awarded by Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a leading children’s health organization, celebrates schools’ dedication to supporting the health and well-being of students, staff, and families.
Naval first started partnering with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation in 2019 and also earned this designation for 2019-20 school year.
To qualify for this designation, schools must provide evidence-based proof of their efforts in a variety of areas including cultivating staff well-being, enriching health education and improving nutrition and food access.
Naval’s staff wellness committee works throughout the year to bring meaningful programs to their school community with the intent of providing emotional, physical and nutritional wellness opportunities for students and staff. Under the leadership of teacher Matt Taran (pictured above), Naval Avenue has developed and implemented several programs centered around student and staff mental, physical and emotional health.
For example, all Naval staff were trained to provide physical activity breaks to all students in every classroom throughout the day. When the program launched pre-COVID, the entire school competed and the results were tracked visually in a hallway display that inspired and motivated students and staff to keep up the great work!
Congratulations Naval Avenue Elementary students and staff!
Bremerton High School music students perform in "collage concert"
For their final exam for first semester (which ended 1/26/23), BHS band, choir, and orchestra students used their musicianship to learn and perform a piece of chamber music with ensembles ranging in size from 2 to 18 students.
After school, all of the student ensembles performed for a professional musician and educator that is not their primary teacher in school. They received feedback on what they were doing well and areas that they could grow.
The best half of the performances were invited to play in a concert and create a "musical collage" the following night. The entire process from the first rehearsal through the exam and collage concert was 100% student led.
Congratulations on a job well done, BHS musicians! View more photos from the collage concert.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day highlights
Bremerton High School and Mountain View Middle School choirs visit elementary schools
On January 13, Bremerton High School's "Knight Sounds" and Mountain View Middle School's "Mountain Voices" choirs each traveled to three elementary schools, presenting assemblies in honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
The choir students said they felt like "rockstars" at each elementary school. The choirs performed beautifully and the audience manners were exceptional. It was such a great community building activity between our high school, middle school and elementary schools.
Bremerton High School students collaborate on MLK Day assembly
Bremerton High School ASB, choir members and Navy Junior ROTC collaborated on the 2023 Martin Luther King Day assembly.
After a presentation titled "I Am: We Are" from the director of the the Association of Washington Student Leaders, the microphone was passed so students could share how they can create spaces and places where strangers and even people around them feel safe, loved, and valued, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
At the conclusion of the assembly, students delivered lines from Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech in 15 different languages. View more photos from the assembly here.
BHS students also shared their thoughts on what they can personally do to walk in the steps of Martin Luther King Jr., and their responses were posted in the hallways at BHS last month (pictured above).
An update from Bremerton High School ASB Executive Officers
Bremerton High School has been keeping busy this winter! From sports to assemblies, ASB has been working hard to keep up the spirit at BHS.
In January, the Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly was a huge success, featuring a presentation by the Washington Student Leaders Association, music from the choirs, and the famous “I Have A Dream” speech presented by students in 15 different languages. We had tons of student participation with sharing what Dr. King’s message meant to them and how they are going to implement it in their daily lives.
Our junior class council just concluded a successful fundraiser selling concessions at the home basketball games. The homemade lumpia they sold was a hit! Many of our other councils are hosting fundraisers for Valentines day as well, from cookies to chocolate covered strawberries. All are working hard to maintain the spirit here at Bremerton during these winter months.
Finally, to conclude our semester, ASB handed out “Smarties” at the doorways in the morning to encourage students to power through during their last bit of finals. We are excited for the second semester and all the fun things we have planned here at Bremerton!
Thank you Bremerton Rotary!
Bremerton Rotary has a long history of supporting Bremerton School District students. For more than 20 years, Bremerton Rotary has gifted a dictionary to every third grader in the Bremerton School District. Last month, Rotarians continued this special tradition, personally distributing more than 350 English and Spanish-English dictionaries to each and every third grade student in the District. View photos from Rotary's visit to Kitsap Lake Elementary and Armin Jahr Elementary.
February is CTE Month!
Kindergarten registration is now open!
Kindergarten registration is open! Please help us spread the word! www.BremertonSchools.org/Kindergarten
Join our team!
Stay informed!
Community multi-use sports complex updates & information
Long-range facilities master plan update process
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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