Dear teachers, staff and families of Bishop Marshall School,

Summer is here! Your board would like to take the time to thank all of you for a terrific year. One goal for this past semester was to bring back some of the important activities unique to BJAMS, that were missing due to COVID. The art show was a fantastic success. Thank you Mrs. O’Neil. Monday night’s coffeehouse brought live music and we look forward to many concerts next year. Thank you Mrs. Boucher and Mrs. Wright. The eighth graders enjoyed a fun filled trip to Boston and then had a memorable graduation ceremony. Thank you Mr. Close! Younger children recently experienced their “step up” day where they explore next year’s classroom and teachers! So many good things happening on campus.

This summer we will be breaking ground on a new kitchen and multipurpose room project. This large renovation is funded by a private donation and will be beautiful once complete.

Thanks to Ed Olsen the campus continues to look beautiful! He volunteers his time to paint, pull weeds, mulch, fix and replace all of the little details around campus to keep the physical plant healthy. Thank you to all who helped him out on workdays this year.

Next year also brings many new families to BJAMS! Mrs. Nordenson has been busy in admissions and again we will see record numbers of students in the fall. This is testament to you, our families, spreading the word of your happiness with the academics, extracurriculars and mission of the school.

The fall will also bring new faces in our staff and faculty departments, and we would like to take the time to thank our outgoing teachers for their devotion to our students over the years. You will be missed. Thank you, thank you. Best of luck with your next steps in life.

To all of our other staff and faculty, we also want to thank you! You are loved beyond measure by these kids.

Finally an enormous thank you to Carrie Wilson, who hasn’t taken a day off for 2 years and knows everyone’s name. You are the spirit and leadership of the school and we appreciate everything you do. Thank you.

Without all of you, the children, parents, faculty and staff, BJAMS would not be the special, safe, supportive place where we bring our children every morning. Our board is proud to serve the mission to support you along the way. Thank you again. Have a safe and memorable summer.

Brad Ferland

Justin Wicks

Sue Olsen

Father Jon Schnobrich

Katie Marvin

Marie Antunes

Jim Calhoun

We would like to express our most sincere appreciation for the support of our faculty, staff, and families. This year presented a host of new (and sometimes frustrating) challenges: uncertainty, pandemic fatigue, changing guidance, positive cases, quarantines, sub shortages, contact tracing, forced flexibility, missed work/school, online assignments, countless parent alert messages, vaccine tracking, test-to-stay, timelines for return, and masking/unmasking. These all required an incredible depth of patience and understanding. We worked hard to be communicative and transparent throughout this process and we relied heavily on your quick communication.You all made a challenging stretch of months easier and we were always thankful when you posed questions and sought clarification.

We all endured a great deal - and while we do not wish to diminish that endurance in any way, we feel that our collective ability to navigate these challenges speaks volumes to the strength and commitment of our school community. Not all school communities fared as well; we feel this is a testament to your commitment to health, your commitment to safety, and the trust you have in our faculty and staff.

The strength of a community is often measured when times are tough - and this year (at times) felt tough. I've just ordered a book that I plan to read this summer. The Coffee Bean discusses how life can be like a pot of hot, boiling water and we need to decide if we are a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean. A carrot will become mushy when submerged in boiling water. An egg will become hardened and impenetrable. But a coffee bean...well, a coffee bean is transformative when submerged in boiling water. The coffee bean becomes useful and reminds us that our environment can change us in negative or positive ways. We can decide whether we are carrots, eggs, or coffee beans. Even before I crack this book, I can tell you that our school is a coffee bean - you have all shown us this over the course of this year.

Our gratitude is immense and our love for each of your students is immeasurable. We wish you all a restful and enjoyable summer.

Carrie and Jen

• PK4 Assistant - We welcome Heather Wein as our new PK4 Assistant! Mrs. Wein is no stranger to BJAMS; she is mom to Liam (rising 3rd) and Felicity (rising 1st) and has been an incredibly reliable (and amazing!) guest teacher this year!
• Second Grade - We welcome Lauren Bartlett as our new Second Grade Teacher! Lauren is a native of Middlebury, Vermont and is a graduate Wheaton College; she also holds a Master of Education from Lesley University. Ms. Bartlett is very excited to join the BJAMS family and we are thrilled to have her!
• Physical Education - We are excited to welcome Andrew Lafrenz as our new PE teacher! Mr. Lafrenz earned his Master of Education in Coaching and Physical Education from Boston University and has worked as an NCAA college soccer coach at Newbury College and Northern Vermont University - Johnson. We are glad to have Mr. Lafrenz join us!
• Upper School Math - We are thrilled to welcome Cindy Nutter back to BJAMS! Mrs. Nutter was our upper school math teacher during the 2020-2021 school year; she has worked all around the world teaching in both public and private schools. Mrs. Nutter holds a Master of Science in Education from City University of New York and is already familiar with our wonderful school.
• Choral Music - We are in the final stages of bringing back choral music! Mrs. Boucher and Mrs. Wright will lead this valuable (and sorely missed) special back to our school.
• We are still working on the following positions: Kindergarten, Upper School ELA/History, World Language, ASP Director, and Kitchen Assistant; we will provide updates as they become available. If you know of a great candidate who can fill one of these positions, please send him/her our way!

Online enrollment for both new and returning families opens on Monday, June 13. Keep your eyes peeled for an email via FACTS next week, giving you the green light to start your online enrollment packets through your Family Portal. Be sure to complete them as soon as possible, so you can enjoy your summer!

Timely completion ensures a smooth electronic progression of the entire school into the next academic year. Please be advised, enrollment packets submitted after June 30 will incur a $50 late fee on your student account.

Great news! Our website has all the newsletters and summer assignments uploaded for 2022-2023 school year! Please visit www.bjams.org -> current families -> summer letters and assignments, and you're all set! Parent/Student Handbook will updated by mid-July and we are waiting on Free/Reduced Lunch application revisions from the State - so stay tuned!

Summer vacation's here! It's a perfect time to sit back, relax, and introduce your students to some great books. Here are a few suggestions to get you started!

Little Kids (5–7):

The World Belonged to Us by Jacqueline Woodson

Colorful tribute to the past honors inner-city culture.

Big Kids (8–9):

Maizy Chen's Last Chance by Lisa Yee

Heartfelt novel tackles identity, racism, and immigration.

Tweens (10–12):

When Winter Robeson Came by Brenda Woods

Family quest meets Watts riots in heartfelt novel in verse.

Teens (13+):

The Lost Dreamer by Lizz Huerta

Ancient Mesoamerican fantasy is compelling, lyrical.

June 13 - Report card for Grades 2-8 will be available on the FACTS portal

June 13-30 - FACTS re-enrollment period

July 5 - Construction begins at school

August 15 - PK3, PK4, and K Social, 4:00 pm