BSD Staff Updates

🎃Happy October, colleagues!

We know you are busy and your inboxes are full, so we're working hard to make this staff newsletter your go-to source for district information!

Please take a quick moment to scan through this month's updates. Our goal is to consolidate information and provide easy access to resources so staff can stay informed - with less inbox clutter (Because, seriously, who needs more emails?! 😬)

Got ideas or feedback on how to make this newsletter even better for you? We're all ears! Please send your thoughts to communications@bremertonschools.org. We'd love to hear from you!

One of my priorities this year is to elevate our district's presence and engagement on social media, showcasing all the great things happening in our schools every day!

I have a request of you: If you haven't already, please take a moment to like and follow our official District Facebook and Instagram pages.

Your engagement helps amplify our message, celebrate student success, highlight staff achievements, and share important district news more broadly with our entire community. When you like, share, or comment, you help our stories reach even more people in our community.

Thanks for your support - and for staying connected!

Karen

👀 Have you checked out the new Communications Hub? 👀

Your time is valuable, and that's why we've created a central place for all things communication! Think of this as your "one-stop shop" for communications tools, links and resources! We want to make communicating simpler so you can focus on what you do best: serving our students.

In the Communications Hub, you'll find the new Communications Portal! We invite you to help us tell the District's many great stories! The Communications Portal has links to several Google Forms created to make it quick and easy for you to share the amazing things happening in your classrooms and schools. Our goal is to streamline the process to make it quick and easy for all staff to share so we can highlight student successes, celebrate staff, and showcase the great work happening across our district. We encourage you to submit your stories, photos, and updates via the District Spotlight Google Form so we can share them with our community through our newsletters, social media, and website.

Do you have a student who is doing something unique/special and deserves recognition? Is there a BSD alumnus with whom you are in touch who is doing great things in the world? Is your school or department doing something you are really excited about or are particularly proud of? I want to hear about it!

Each month, I'm going to have a "theme" for District communications. For October it is Welcoming Environment, one of our strategic plan core values. I want to know:

• What are you doing in your classes/classroom to create/build/sustain a welcoming environment?
• The Character Trait of the Month is Responsibility. I'd love to know how you are highlighting/focusing on this with students.
• What else is going on in your class(es) this month? A cool science experiment, student presentations or other hands-on activity? I'd love to hear about it (and see pictures that help tell the story!).

BUT - Please don't send an email! Please submit your response via our new District Spotlight Google Form in the Communications Portal!

Photos strongly encouraged. Unsure about taking photos in your classroom? Follow these quick and simple guidelines!

The new District logo, brand guide and other resources (ie: electronic letterhead) are in a shared folder that all staff can access (if logged-in to their BSD staff email). Please do not use the new logo without first reviewing the Brand Guide.

Click here for instructions on adding the new District font to Google and Word! Thank you!

Please submit your request for assistance via THIS LINK (also available on the Communications Hub). This helps ensure that requests are received and responded to in a timely manner! Thank you!

The application window is now open for the Fall 2025 Bremerton Schools & Foundation Classroom Grants! The deadline is October 31, 2025. Click here for details and to complete the (quick and easy!) Google Form application. Please direct questions to: grants@Bremertonsaf.org.

• September 15 - October 15: National Hispanic Heritage Month
• October: School Principals Month & Disabilities Awareness Month
• Monday, October 13: Indigenous People's Day - no school
• Friday, October 31: Conference preparation for teachers - non-student day

November: Native American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month

Friday, Nov. 7 & Monday, Nov. 10: Student-led conferences (no school)

Tuesday, Nov. 11: Veteran's Day Holiday (no school)

Friday, Nov. 27 & Friday, Nov. 28: Thanksgiving Break (no school)

Here's how students from school districts in Kitsap, Mason counties compared to their peers across the state. Read the full article here!

The board approved Resolution 2025/2026-08- School Principals Month proclaiming October 2025 School Principals Month in Bremerton School District.

POLICY NEWS:

The following policies were presented for a first read and approved:

OTHER NEWS:

The board approved a proposal to replace the district's current telephone system.

Questions about board highlights or the board website "Community?" Please contact marlaina.simmons@bremertonschools.org.

Join us in-person or online!

Applications are now open for the 2025–2026 Ready WA Student Storyteller Program! We’re looking for high school juniors, seniors, and first-year postsecondary students to join the new cohort and share their stories.

Deadline to apply is October 10.

Teachers and students can find out more information here!

The UW’s Master of Arts in Applied Child & Adolescent Psychology Degree is tailor-made for those driven to make a difference in the lives of youth. You will gain the knowledge and skills needed to positively influence child development, ensuring brighter futures for the next generation.

Applications are open through December 1st, 2025! Take a look at the program flyer here.

The Greater Kitsap Chamber is proud to partner with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to bring the National Civics Bee to the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsula for the 2025-2026 program year. This annual initiative – now expanding to all 50 states in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026 – invites middle school students to showcase their civics knowledge, engage in their communities, and build trust in others and institutions through a nonpartisan, multi-round competition.

The essay application portal opened on September 8, 2025 and closes on February 3, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time (HST). All students in grades 6-8 are encouraged to apply. For more information, visit https://civics.uschamberfoundation.org/ncb-how-it-works/.

Informational Flyer here!

Email: communications@bremertonschools.org

Website: www.BremertonSchools.org
Phone: 360-473-1000
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