06.13.25 - Community Newsletter
As the school year wraps up, I reflect on all the classrooms I've visited—from reading with students in Danielle LeBlanc's junior class to joining Kaitlyn Ostrov's science class for experiments along the Androscoggin River. I am continually amazed by the dedication and creativity of our staff. However, there is one particular visit that has truly changed me for the better and has deeply connected with our larger Brunswick community.
Mrs. Frazee, a kindergarten teacher at Kate Furbish Elementary, invited me to read to her class with a special twist: adding a leaf to their Peace Tree. Her students had been learning about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his dream of making the world a better place. The class thoughtfully considered what they could do to help make the world kinder, fairer, and better. Each student drew and wrote on a paper leaf what they could do to show kindness, then added their leaves to a Peace Tree in their classroom.
This meaningful work was inspired by a special episode of Sesame Street about Martin Luther King Jr. The class has invited many other staff members and students to join them in spreading kindness, and the response has been heartwarming.
Here's the exciting news: The Peace Tree has moved from Mrs. Frazee's classroom to Curtis Memorial Library this week! The students are feeling especially proud about sharing their work with the community, and I'm told some have already visited the tree with their families.
I urge everyone to visit the Curtis Memorial Library to see this inspiring display and participate by adding your own leaf to the tree. When you visit, you'll find a QR code that allows you to scan and listen to the children read their leaves of kindness, creating a deeper connection to this beautiful project.
As the school year comes to an end, I am grateful to lead the Brunswick School District and especially grateful for the opportunity to visit so many classrooms where our teachers and students inspire me daily. Now go to the library, help us continue this project, and most importantly, spread kindness!
Last week, HBS students were some of the first in the state to sample a new seafood soup - so new that it doesn’t even have a name. “Sweety Petey Pollock,” “Fishers Delight - $5.99,” and “Nectar of the Sea” were some of the whimsical suggestions made by both students and staff. When one student was asked if he liked the soup, he replied, “I don’t love it. I really love it. It’s too good to be true!” Overall, more than 80% of students gave the new soup a thumbs up.
The yet to be named soup features local pollock and sweet potatoes and is produced by Hurricane’s Premium Soups & Chowders, a multigenerational family-run business in Greene, Maine.
It is the latest of several products produced in partnership with Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association (MCFA), a non-profit dedicated to fostering sustainable fisheries in the Gulf of Maine.
BSD is one of several districts around the state that is working with MCFA to introduce more seafood options to Maine’s K-12 students. Previously, students at BHS sampled the sweet potato pollock soup to rave review, and students at BJHS and KFS taste tested another product, a local fish cake, made with dab flounder, and produced by Graffam Brothers Seafood in Rockport, Maine and also gave it hearty thumbs up.
MCFA would like to thank the BSD nutrition and school staff and all the students who gave the new soup as well as other seafood options a try this school year. We look forward to introducing students to more products that utilize other abundant, but undervalued species in the fall.
Summer is upon us!
If your child is between the ages of 14 to 15, will be working and is in need of a work permit, please complete this form - Work Permit.
Before the school year ends these forms need approval from the guidance office at your student's school. After school ends you do not need them approved by the school.
After completion, please bring this form and a copy of a birth certificate or passport to the Superintendent's Office at 20 Barrows St. Brunswick between 8 am - 4 pm Monday thru Friday.
From the State School Nutrition Office and USDA:
All schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) must promote the availability of free summer meals for children. Sponsors that do not participate in summer meals must notify families of meals available in the community by providing the following information: USDA Site Finder Map Hunger Hotline USDA Site Finder Map. While the BSD does not participate in the summer feeding program, Midcoast Hunger has sites throughout the town and local area.
Families seeking food assistance for their children can contact the USDA National Hunger Hotline, operated by Hunger Free America. The hotline can be reached Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. ET !!
SUN Bucks letters for families that are automatically enrolled will be going out next week. Please be sure to share this with school staff, as questions may be coming in. Thank you! SUN Bucks provide a $120 EBT benefit for each child who qualifies to spend on groceries while school is out. Most eligible kids will be automatically enrolled in the program and don’t have to apply. Families should keep an eye out for a letter in the mail with notice of automatic enrollment.
Questions? Visit Maine’s SUN Bucks page SUN Bucks page
Open Employment Positions:
- Anticipated Director of Instrumental Music - BJHS
- Fall Coaching Positions - BJHS and BHS
- Inclusion Strategist - Kate Furbish School
- Special Education Resource Room Teacher - Brunswick High School
- Special Education Pre-K Educational Technician - Kate Furbish School
- Substitute Social Worker - Harriet Beecher Stowe School
- 25-26 Special Education Educational Technician - Harriet Beecher Stowe School
- 24/25 Extended School Year Teachers - District
- 24/25 Extended School Year Speech Pathologist - District
- Mechanic
- School Bus Drivers - 2 Positions Open!
- Apprentice/Ed Tech I & Bus Aides
- Substitute Teachers, Bus Drivers, Van Drivers, & Custodians
- ...And MORE!
We're hiring for multiple positions. Visit our website to view
all current employment opportunities!
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