Recently, every Crownhill Elementary fifth grader had the opportunity to go to Nature Bridge Camp at Lake Crescent for three days and two nights at no cost - funded by an OSPI Outdoor Learning grant.

This was an amazing opportunity for students to get out in nature and learn about the world. It was also an incredible growth experience, allowing them time to be independent explorers.

Earlier this month, approximately 100 BHS students participated in a one-day “Make the Change” workshop focused on creating a positive culture and climate in our school.

Student participants were nominated by BHS staff and teachers, and represented a diverse cross-section of the student body.

Some of the activities included relationship building in community circles, empathy mapping (the yellow posters you see in the photo), learning about the roots of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs in the Blackfoot Nation, and modern evolutions and understandings of the need for community and belonging.

Students learned from the workshop facilitator, but more importantly, they learned from each other the importance of connecting with one another to create a positive, caring, and welcoming student community here at school. The day ended with a brainstorm about ways they can, as individuals and as groups, spread kindness and show empathy at school.

Make the Change was created by students for students and is available for schools statewide from the Association of Washington Student Leaders (AWSL).

Way to go, Bremerton High School Knights!

There is a new tree on the campus of Kitsap Lake Elementary! But it is not just ANY tree! It is a Moon Tree named "Leto." Leto is a Douglas Fir that was grown from a seed that orbited the moon during NASA's Artemis I mission in the winter of 2022! The Artemis I mission sent the Orion spacecraft containing 1,000 seeds from five different North American tree species orbiting the moon reaching as far as 270,000 miles from Earth.

NASA's Office of STEM Engagement and the USDA Forest Service reviewed more than 1,300 applications from museums, schools, universities, and federal agencies and chose Kitsap Lake as one of the recipients of a Douglas Fir sapling, because of their combined education impact statement and tree care plan.

Kitsap Lake Elementary Highly Capable students will be monitoring the trees growth and carbon sequestering impact this year and in the years to come.

Leto was planted in Kitsap Lake's Bus Loop Island by the 2024-2025 Highly Capable students last week, where it can inspire and be enjoyed by the whole community. Because the Artemis missions will eventually put the first woman on the moon, the students chose to give our tree the name "Leto," the mother of the Greek goddess Artemis.

Congratulations to BHS swimmer Gabbie Patti, state champion in the 200 individual medley and the 100 breaststroke at the WIAA 1A/2A State Swim & Dive Competition this month. Previously, Gabbie earned two state championships in the 50-yard freestyle - for a total of FIVE state championships in her high school swimming career! Way to go Gabbie! 

Mountain View Middle School cadet and symphonic bands performed their first concert of the year earlier this month. Approximately 170 students are in the MVMS band program this year. It is exciting to see how much the cadet band has grown this year with 105 members - up from 60 students last year! (background photo)

The Bond Program is moving forward quickly, and we’re excited to share updates on our major projects:

For the Armin Jahr and View Ridge replacement projects, we’re wrapping up the validation phase, where our design-build team has been working hard to confirm the target program, budget, and schedule for each school. This ensures we’re moving forward with feasible goals and maximizing the value of every dollar allocated. We plan to present these findings to the School Board at the December 12th meeting.

Alongside this, the education specifications are nearly complete. These will define the needs of each building, from how spaces function to their design, to guide the next stages of development. While we are working through some unique site challenges, our team will be collaborating closely with the city and project partners to plan ahead and address these effectively.

On the HVAC upgrades, we’re pleased to announce McKinstry as our contractor team. They’ll be working alongside our design team to develop strategies for upgrading existing systems and adding cooling capacity to our schools. With a fast-paced schedule, we’re balancing careful system selection and budget management while exploring energy incentives to make the most of our resources.

For the Consolidated Facilities building, we’ll be presenting our application to the state's Project Review Committee on December 5th to pursue the design-build contracting model. If approved, we’ll begin the selection process and aim to have a team onboard by the end of February. The project timeline will be refined as we collaborate with the selected team to support the overall Bond Program.

We’re also looking ahead to Renaissance High School. Starting early next year, we’ll begin defining the future vision for this school, with plans to leverage anticipated state reimbursement funds from the elementary projects to bring this vision to life.

We’ll be attending upcoming events for families at Armin Jahr Elementary and View Ridge Elementary Arts Academy before the winter break to share updates and answer questions about these exciting projects. Broader community meetings are being planned for January, so stay tuned for more information on how you can get involved and learn more about the progress we’re making!

POLICY NEWS:

The following policy was retired by the board:

• Policy 6957- Change Orders

The following policy was adopted by the board:

• Policy 6950- Assurances, Surety Bonds, Insurance and Change Orders

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

• Policy 6220- Bid or Request for Proposal Requirements
• Policy 5011- Sex Discrimination and Sex-Based Harassment of District Staff Prohibited
• Policy 3205- Sex Discrimination and Sex-Based Harassment of Students Prohibited

The following procedures were approved by the board:

• 1250P- Students on Governing Boards
• 3211P- Gender-Inclusive Schools

Other Business:

• Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Working Agreement

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

Bremerton School District Board of Directors recently held their first of four site visits planned for the 2024-25 school year. They spent the morning at West Hills STEM Academy where they visited classrooms and met with staff, students and parents. Site visits provide an opportunity for Board Directors to observe the operations and practices, giving them firsthand knowledge of the school's strengths, challenges, and student learning environment!

The Board’s next site visit will be at View Ridge Elementary Arts Academy in January!

Join us in-person or online! Note: There is only one board meeting per month in December and January.

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

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