BSD Staff Updates
2020-21 Issue #13: Wednesday, May 12, 2021
News, Information and Updates for Bremerton School District staff.
Today is National School Nurse Day
Today is National School Nurse Day - a day set aside since 1972 to recognize school nurses and foster a better understanding of the important role of school nurses.
School nurses serve as a critical health hub for students, ensuring that students are ready for learning by managing complex chronic conditions; identifying and addressing mental health issues; leveling the field on health disparities and promoting healthy behaviors; enrolling children in health insurance and connecting families to healthcare providers; handling medical emergencies… and now, navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic.
School nurses have an integral role bridging health and education to improve each child’s cognitive, physical, social and emotional development, regardless of whether students are physically present in school or not.
We want to thank our amazing Health Services team and thank them for their tireless dedication to all students in our District. At last week’s Bremerton School Board meeting, Superintendent Leavell and Board members honored and thanked our Health Services staff and passed a resolution declaring today National School Nurse Day. We hope you'll join us in saying "thank you!" to our Health Services team today!
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Reminder: Please share your thoughts on fall 2021
As we continue planning for fall 2021, we’d like to hear from teachers and staff. To gather feedback, we're using a tool called ThoughtExchange. Your voice matters, so your participation is crucial and valued.
How can we best help our students? What resources or support do students and families need?
Please click the one of the links below and share your thoughts with us. We are also seeking input from families, students, and community members. You will be cc:d on an email going to families this afternoon and the information has been shared on social media.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Please help us spread the word with families!
The ThoughtExchange will remain open until Sunday at midnight. We invite you to check back throughout the week and "rate" new thoughts that have been shared.
We look forward to hearing from you!
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Help us honor our retirees
- Julie Aney
- Jeff Barton
- Laura Bay
- Sue Boddy
- Michael Chase
- Hilah Cochrane
- Joetta Dixon
- Frances "Francey" Frampton
- Diane Hansen
- Kim Hargett
- Eugenia Holliday
- Cheryl Hoover
- Karen Jones
- Donna Maib
- Linda Mathes
- Larry McCormick
- Bobbette Orgill
- Julie Ross
- Deborah Sanchez
- Pamela Santos
- Sandy Szopinski
- Debra Strawhun
- Kim Trembley
- Ron Van Diest
- Lorrie Wolle
- Marian Woods
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Board Briefs – May 6, 2021
Policy News
There were four revised policies that came to the Board; the first from Human Resources, and the other three from the Business Office.
1. Policy 5202; Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Mandated Drug
and Alcohol Testing Program
2. Policy 6230; Relations with Vendors
3. Policy 6220; Bids or Request for Proposal Requirements
4. Policy 6540; School District’s Responsibility for Privately-Owned Property
These policies were all approved for first read as presented. They should return to the Board at the May 20th meeting for final read / adoption.
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Sharing in the Appreciation of our School Nurses and Teachers
The Board approved two resolutions proclaiming:
1. May 3-7, 2021 as Teacher Appreciation Week
a. The Board recognized teachers who have earned their National Board Certification
either in 2019/2020 or 2020/2021. Congratulations and Thank You to all our teachers!
2. May 12, 2021 as School Nurse Day in the Bremerton School District
a. Many of our dedicated school nurses were present at this Zoom meeting.
The Board took the opportunity to honor the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Award recipient, Alejandra Pulido, Bremerton High School senior.
Under the Consent Agenda, the Board approved a contract with Gaggle.Net, Inc. This will provide licensed mental health counselors or therapists or therapist interns under licensed supervision to provide counseling and therapy sessions to all students referred by the District.
President Dubos appointed Director John Hurley to serve as the Board’s representative to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Assn. (WIAA) for the 2021/2022 school year. Director Hurley has filled this position since January 2020.
To view any of these documents, you may also visit https://go.boarddocs.com/wa/wabrsd/Board.nsf/Public#.
Compiled by Ioanna Cossack, Board Secretary
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May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month and we are honoring some of our teachers and staff of Asian/Pacific descent!
Kairee Eck
Kairee Eck, a 2007 BHS graduate, is a paraeducator at Crownhill Elementary School.
Mrs. Eck doesn’t know a lot about her heritage because she was adopted as a young child, but she knows she is half Japanese.
Before joining the Bremerton School District six years ago, she worked for Ivar’s Fish Bar in Seattle, and for Ivar’s sports division where she worked at events at Safeco Field (now T-Mobile Park), CenturyLink Field (now Lumen Field) and Key Arena. She met her husband who also worked at Safeco Field and they got engaged at Ivar’s Acres of Clams!
Mrs. Eck’s mom is a retired teacher, which allowed her to see the positive impacts her mom had on each one of her students when she was growing up - and she knew she wanted to do the same. “I love helping students grow and most importantly believing in themselves!” Mrs. Eck said.
Aki (Roche) Sharpe-Harrison
Aki (Roche) Sharpe-Harrison is a paraeducator at Bremerton High School.
Mrs. Aki's mother was born in Yokosuka, Japan and moved to Washington state when she was in high school. Mrs. Aki’s family takes pride in their Japanese heritage and frequently celebrates Japanese traditions and holidays passed down from her grandmother and mother.
Her cats are named Mana (love in Japanese) and Mi-ke (bobtail in Japanese) and she loves cooking Japanese food.
Mrs. Aki has a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Arts from the University of Washington. Before joining the Bremerton School District five years ago, she was a substitute teacher in the Kent School District and a lead tutor for Sylvan Learning Center.
Mrs. Aki says she works in education to inspire children to reach their full potential. “We learn so much more from the minds of children,” she adds.
Yuki Ann Teng
Yuki Ann Teng is a Paraeducator at West Hills STEM Academy. Her heritage is Japanese, Native American and white.
Ms. Teng’s mother was born in Yokosuka, Japan and then moved to America during high school. Her family takes pride in their Japanese heritage and frequently celebrate Japanese holidays and traditions passed down from her grandmother and mother.
Before joining the Bremerton School District, Ms. Teng worked as a Paraeducator for special education in California. She has her General Associates degree from College of the Canyons and is finishing her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childcare & Education from the University of Washington.
“I've always wanted to make a difference for our future and what better way than to inspire our future leaders of tomorrow!” said Ms. Teng, when asked about her “why” for working in education.
Watch for more Asian Pacific American staff profiles in the next newsletter (the week of May 24!)
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Congratulations!
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.
Developed and revised by practicing educators based on research and practitioner expertise, the National Board Five Core Propositions and Standards describe what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do to have a positive impact on student learning. National Board Certification identifies teachers who meet those standards through a performance-based, peer-reviewed series of assessment components.
We typically honor our teachers who earn or renew their National Board certification at a Board Meeting every spring. We were unable to do so last spring because of COVID-19, so at last week's board meeting we honored our teachers who have earned their National Board Certification for 2019-20 and 2020-21 which include:
2019-20:
Max Karler, Bremerton High School
Tara White, Crownhill Elementary School
Rachel Chamberlain, West Hills STEM Academy
2020-21
Lisa Casey, Administration
Craig Divis, Bremerton High School
Meredith Rodgers, Naval Avenue Elementary
All of our District’s Board Certified Teachers are listed on our website.
Delta Kappa Gamma Society International "Outstanding Educators"
Honorees included:
Eric Bockelie (WST)
Sarah Buck (AJ)
Stephanie Codorniz (WHSA)
Penny Irvin (AJ)
Shayla Sharlow (WHSA)
Eric Bockelie
Sarah Buck
Stephanie Codorniz
Penny Irvin
Shayla Sharlow
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Congratulations Shani Watkins!
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View Ridge staff shows its teachers some appreciation
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Teacher Appreciation Week
Nancy Harris, Bremerton High School
Nancy Harris, a special education teacher at Bremerton High School. Ms. Harris has been at school every day during the pandemic to help support our students in the Transition Program. Through her efforts, students have continued to receive the services they need to transition to adult life.
We are so fortunate to have such a fantastic, funny, and creative teacher to help our students grow into independent adults. Thank you for all you do, Ms. Harris!
Kayleigh Reimer, Mountain View Middle School
It is Teacher Appreciation Week, and we wanted to share these thoughts from Mountain View Middle School about music teacher Mrs. Reimer.
"Mrs. Reimer is a really amazing teacher. She makes learning music fun. When my violin was out of tune, Mrs. Reimer stayed after office hours to help me get it in tune. This is just one of the many helpful and amazing things she has done for me. Mrs. Reimer is one of the reasons I decided to return to school in person."
We appreciate you, Mrs. Reimer!
Michelle Haley, Armin Jahr Elementary
Michelle Haley is a first grade teacher at Armin Jahr Elementary.
Ms. Haley’s "why" for being a teacher is to empower children to love learning and envision bright futures for themselves. Her mother was a first grade teacher and Ms. Haley remembers her reminiscing fondly about how special it was to teach children to read. “When a child learns to read, it unlocks so many possibilities. I feel blessed to have the best career where I can make a difference,” Ms. Haley said.
Her students know that her favorite word is hope. “We have delightful conversations about their hope for the future,” Ms. Haley added.
She says it is a bit corny, but the lyrics to the song “The Greatest Love of All” have always stuck with her... "I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way."
In her free time, Ms. Haley loves spending time with her children. They love camping, hiking, and playing games. She also enjoys singing, dancing, and photography.
Thank you for all you do Ms. Haley! We appreciate you!
Hortensia West, Naval Avenue ELC
Hortensia West began her career in the Bremerton School District in 2006.
Mrs. West, a native Spanish speaker, was instrumental in launching the Bremerton School District’s Spanish Immersion program in 2008. After many months of planning, she became our first Spanish Immersion kindergarten teacher, and has continued teaching and supporting in the transition to a two-way Dual Immersion program.
Ms. West is involved in Naval Avenue Early Learning Center’s leadership team and several other committees, and serves as a mentor teacher to new teachers. She’s also been involved in the district and state science program, working to align curriculum with the new science standards.
She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Education from Western Washington University and a Master of Science Curriculum and Instruction and a Master of Science Educational Leadership from Western Governors University.
She says that she wanted to teach after volunteering at her children’s school where she realized how much joy a teacher can bring in helping another small human being by offering a little more attention and guidance. She knows first hand that not all students learn the same and she’s willing to find new or different approaches to help every student be successful.
When Ms. West is not in the classroom, she enjoys spending time in the garden watching the landscape and nature. Watching her grandkids grow up also brings her much joy and she says it also helps her teaching on how she can better implement new practices with new generations in the classroom.
We appreciate you, Mrs. West!
Photo credit: M. Reid, Kitsap Sun
Eric Bockelie, West Sound Technical Skills Center
Eric Bockelie brings decades of experience to the job after launching his second career as a teacher!
At the end of 2019, Mr. Bockelie retired from his 31-year career as a Sergeant with the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office. But he isn’t kicking back and relaxing after retiring! He joined the staff at West Sound Technical Skills Center (WST) in the spring of 2020 as a Criminal Justice instructor!
Mr. Bockelie (or Mr. loves to help students learn about the challenging, yet rewarding career that he was proud to be a part of for 31 years. He was recently received the Outstanding Educator Award from Kappa Delta Gamma (you may have seen our post on Facebook about that earlier this week!). Congratulations again, Mr. Bockelie!
“Mr. Bockelie has found ways to keep students engaged in hands-on activities at home (while learning online) and at school following all social distancing rules. He has many partnerships in the community that support the learning in the classroom,” said Shani Watkins, WST Director.
When he’s not in the classroom, he and his wife love to travel to anywhere sunny. They also enjoy RV camping, hiking and bike riding.
We appreciate you, Mr. B!
Jose Gonzalez, West Hills STEM Academy
Jose Gonzalez is a fifth grade Spanish Dual-Immersion teacher at West Hills STEM Academy.
Mr. Gonzalez is deeply committed to his students and learning more about the craft of teaching. He is highly engaging and keeps students and staff smiling with his great sense of humor.
Thank you, Mr. Gonzalez! We appreciate you!
Alejandro Fleites, Bremerton High School
We also shared this great video of Bremerton High School teacher Alejandro Fleites on Facebook during Teacher Appreciation Week.
The video was produced by Naval Avenue Early Learning Center ELL paraeducator Pablo Flores as a project for his Master's degree.
We appreciate both of these amazing educators!
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No meal deliveries by bus beginning next week
- Two meals will be distributed via bus on Tuesdays.
- Students/families can still pick-up meals at any school on Wednesdays.
This was communicated to families in an email earlier this week, and information is on our website at www.BremertonSchools.org/Meals.
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Mayor’s Youth Leadership Award Recipient Alejandra Pulido Selected for $1,500 State Scholarship Award!
Congratulations to Bremerton’s 2021 Mayor’s Youth Leadership Award recipient Alejandra Pulido! As a winner of the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Award, Alejandra was nominated for an Association of Washington Cities (AWC) Center for Quality Communities Scholarship by the City of Bremerton. It was just announced Alejandra was chosen to receive a $1,500 AWC Quality Communities Scholarship – one of up to six students in the state of Washington!
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Student Sandie De Moura wins Congressional Art Contest
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Drive-Thru Dia de los Niños event at Armin Jahr
We are excited to once again be celebrating Dia de los Niños with our families in BSD! If you are unfamiliar, Dia de los Niños is a day to celebrate children- but we also use it to celebrate and promote literacy! (You can find more information here: https://nlci.org/initiatives/el-dia-de-los-ninos/)
In the past in Bremerton, we have hosted a family night to welcome our multilingual families and engage them in Spanish literacy activities (and a whole lot of FUN). However, since we are unable to host a normal family night this year, we will be doing a drive-thru event.
View all photos at on the AJ Facebook page.
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BSD in the news
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Reminder: The deadline for Bremerton Schools & Alumni Foundation Grants is this Friday!
It's that time of the year for Bremerton School and Alumni Foundation to grant staff funds for classroom and school projects!
We will be granting $100 - $500 grants. All Bremerton school employees are eligible to submit a project for consideration.
Grant Deadline: Friday, May 14, 2021
Click here to download the application in Microsoft Word.
Email grants to Julie Wasserburger: wasser3@comcast.net (please put 2021.2022 Bremerton Foundation Grant in the subject line)
or
Send grant to Bremerton School and Alumni Foundation mailbox at the District Office
Questions: Call Julie Wasserburger at 360-620-8411
NOTE: The District's Grant Pre-Application form is NOT required for BS&A Foundation grants - FYI.
Grant guidelines and a link to the form for all other grants can be found at www.BremertonSchools.org/Grants or under "Grants" in the Staff Directory (click "more" on the staff tab on the website)
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Community survey
Kitsap Public Health District launched a community survey to better understand local impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic and perceptions of COVID-19 vaccination. All Kitsap County residents are invited to participate. Responses are anonymous.
Take the survey here.
Results from the survey will be used to help improve local response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kitsap Public Health will share survey results in a special data report. The survey will be open through May 16 and is available in English, Spanish, and Tagalog.
After completing the survey, respondents will have the option of entering to win one of six $25 gift cards. Kitsap Public Health will choose winners at random after the survey has closed.
Thank you for providing your vital input!
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Kitsap Strong Virtual Community Center
Click here to view the Virtual Community Center. Please help spread the word!
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From this month's Bremerton Backpack Brigade newsletter
View Ridge teacher Katie Sprague and her husband Brian learned that The Bremerton Backpack Brigade had a car donated that was for sale. The Spragues not only purchased the car for their son for his 16th birthday - they upped the asking price!
The profits of the sale of the vehicle will be used to provide food for families in our district.
"We are thrilled and your gift will go a long way to help the children and families that we serve fight food insecurity, said Myra Battin, Bremerton Backpack Brigade. "Many thanks to the Sprague family for their support of the Brigade!!! Happy Birthday and safe driving to Ethan!"
Read more about the Bremerton Backpack Brigade in their monthly newsletter below, or check out the organization's Facebook page!
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Background photo: Armed Forces Day parade 2019.
Follow BSD on Social Media!
- Staff Updates newsletter archives
- Submit ideas or content for the Staff Updates newsletter to: Karen.Bevers@BremertonSchools.org
Website: www.bremertonschools.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BremertonSchools/
Twitter: @BremertonSD