We Are Bremerton!

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1. The MVMS principal finalist family & community forum scheduled for 3/3 has been postponed. The BHS principal forum will be held as scheduled from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
2. The BHS Girls Basketball team season highlights were unintentionally left out of the newsletter last week. Our sincere apologies to the team, coaches and families for this error. Please see their season highlights and team photo below. Go Knights!

Thank you to our Bremerton community for your strong support of the Replacement Educational Programs & Operations (EP&O) Levy in the February 10 election, which passed with 58.12% approval and was certified last week.

Your investment helps ensure we can continue funding essential programs and services that support students every day — including classroom teachers and instructional materials, counselors and safety staff, custodial and maintenance services, and extracurricular opportunities like athletics and clubs.

We are grateful for the Bremerton Community's continued commitment to our students, staff, and schools.

As we close out February, I would like to take a moment to say THANK YOU to the entire Bremerton School District community for your support of the recent levy. Your vote matters in very real ways. This levy represents about 15 percent of our district budget and it allows us to sustain the improvement work happening in our classrooms while also protecting the extracurricular programs that mean so much to our students. Athletics, fine arts, clubs, and activities are not extras. They are part of how students find belonging, purpose, and pride.

During a recent building listening session at View Ridge Elementary Arts Academy, a staff member asked me what I think are the two best things about Bremerton. My answer came quickly. This community knows how to come together, and there is a deep loyalty to one another and to our kids. The pride people carry for Bremerton is real and I see it on display in our schools and in our community every day.

What does this mean in real time? Walls are going up on our new elementary schools, a visible sign of investment in the future of our youngest learners. The dedication of the new building at the West Sound Technical Skills Center was another powerful reminder that we are expanding opportunity and preparing students for real world careers. Inside our classrooms, interim math and reading scores are trending up across all schools, reflecting the steady work of our educators and the resilience of our students. When you add that to students advancing to state competitions and representing Bremerton with pride, it tells a bigger story. This is a community that shows up, invests in its kids, and believes in continuous improvement. This is “Bremerton on the Rise.”

Let’s go B Town!

With gratitude,

Dr. Slade McSheehy

Superintendent

As we begin planning for the 2026–2027 school year, Bremerton School District is working with our District Advisory Council (DAC) to better understand the priorities of our school community. This work supports our strategic plan by helping ensure long-term financial sustainability and responsible stewardship of public resources while keeping student learning, well-being, and opportunity at the center of our decisions.

We invite you to take our quick survey. Your feedback will help guide our planning by identifying:

• Which programs and services are most essential to protect
• Where adjustments may be possible if resources are limited
• What opportunities we should consider expanding if resources allow

The survey should take about 5–8 minutes to complete. Responses are anonymous and will help inform planning for the coming school year and beyond. The survey will remain open until end-of-day Monday, March 2.

Thank you for taking the time to share your perspective and help shape our future planning.

3/3/26 update: The family and community forum at Mountain View Middle School scheduled for March 3 has been postponed. After careful consideration, the District has decided to re-open the search for the new principal position.

Our goal is to ensure we identify the strongest possible leader to serve the Mountain View community; someone who aligns with our shared values and continues to move the school forward in service of students and families. Reopening the search allows us to expand the candidate pool and ensure we take the time needed to make a thoughtful and well-informed decision.

We will keep you informed as the process moves forward. Thank you for your support and involvement in this important process.

The BHS forum will be held as scheduled.

Next week, candidates for the new Mountain View Middle School and Bremerton High School principal positions will participate in a series of interviews and activities to help us make this important selection. While our students and staff will have dedicated time to meet and speak with the candidates during the school day, we know that community input is a vital part of this search.

We warmly invite all families and community members to join us for a Family and Community Forum on Tuesday, March 3. This is your opportunity to hear directly from the finalists and submit your feedback. Your perspective helps us ensure we find the right fit for our schools!

Please join us:

Mountain View Middle School - postponed

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

5-6 p.m.

MVMS Commons

Bremerton High School

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

6:30-7:30 p.m.

BHS Library

We want to make sure the forum conversation covers the topics that matter most to you. Please submit your questions to help us build our list of questions for the finalists. You will also have a chance to ask questions during the live event as time allows. Your voice is a vital part of this process!

Earlier this month, we celebrated School Counselors Week and the important role school counselors play in supporting every student. School counselors help students build strong academic habits, manage emotions, develop social skills, and plan for life after graduation — whether that means college, the military, or a career.

Each day, they work closely with students through academic planning, counseling lessons, and short-term support, while connecting families to additional resources when needed. They also collaborate with teachers, families, and community partners, advocate for students in meetings, and use data to better understand and respond to student needs.

We are grateful for the care, knowledge, and dedication our school counselors bring to their work every day to help students feel supported and ready for the future.

Our Career and Technical Education Program helps students build real-world skills for their future careers. Through hands-on learning experiences, we prepare students for success, whether they plan to attend college, join the military, or start their career after high school.

Our CTE program features more than 50 engaging courses at Mountain View Middle School and Bremerton High School, giving students hands-on learning opportunities in business and marketing, family and consumer sciences, health sciences, STEM, and technical skills.

Be Bremerton: A Day of Service is a districtwide service event to show the Bremerton Community and the City of Bremerton our thanks for their tremendous support of the Bremerton School District and our students.

Volunteers of all ages will meet at Evergreen Rotary Park before heading downtown as small groups to clean up trash and beautify our city before the annual Armed Forces Day Parade. The event concludes with a free BBQ lunch! All volunteers will get a free t-shirt (while supplies last). Don't miss out on the fun!

Sign-up links will be live by March 23 at BremertonSchools.org/BeBremerton.

Tuesday night, more than 150 students, staff and community members celebrated the building dedication for phase 1 of the new West Sound Technical Skills Center. Construction on phase 2 is underway! Learn more at westsoundtech.org.

The defending class 2A Champion Knights boys basketball team are League and West Central District League champions again this year, beating the Banbridge Spartans in the District Championship Game at home on Saturday. The Knights have lost only 2 games all season. Bremerton is the #1 seed in the state tournament.

The Knights will face #8 Renton (13-11) in the opening round of the state basketball tournament at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma at 8 p.m. Saturday.

3/3 update: The Knights beat Renton 75-57 on Saturday. Their next game is March 5 in Yakima.

Tickets: GOFAN Digital Ticketing is the ONLY AVAILABLE purchase method. NO CASH SALES will be available at the University Of Puget Sound.

Adults $15.70

Students ages 12 and over (without ASB) $15.70

Students ages 12 and over (with ASB) $12.55

Students ages 5 – 11 $12.55

Senior Citizen (62+) $12.55

Military* (with proper Military ID) $12.55

Children under age 5 Free

The Bremerton High School cheerleading team has done it again — earning their third consecutive state championship! The team also made program history by competing at Nationals in Las Vegas for the first time, bringing home an impressive 4th place finish in one of the most competitive divisions, with just over a point separating first through fourth place. Congratulations to our cheerleaders on an unforgettable year and another state championship!

Thirteen Bremerton Knights wrestlers competed among Washington’s top 3,700 athletes from 563 high schools at the 2026 WIAA Boys and Girls 2A State Wrestling Championships (Mat Classic XXXVII) in the Tacoma Dome February 20-20.

Sophomore Kailey Balajadia finished 2nd in the Girls 2A 110-lb division.

Congratulations to all of of our Knight wrestlers for a great season, and to Kailey and all 13 student athletes who competed at state.

The Bremerton High School boys swim team delivered an outstanding performance at the state meet in Federal Way last weekend, dropping time in every race — an impressive accomplishment this late in the season.

The 200 Medley Relay placed 10th with a 3.95-second drop, the 400 Freestyle Relay finished 10th with a 7.11-second drop, and the 200 Freestyle Relay took 11th with a 2.61-second improvement. Junior Reese Patti also had a strong showing, finishing 10th in the 100 Butterfly and dropping an incredible 9.79 seconds. Congratulations to our swimmers on a fantastic state meet!

The Bremerton High School girls bowling team finished 6th at the state tournament earlier this month, with sophomore Samantha Stevens earning an impressive 3rd place individual finish. Coach Dean Wagner praised the team’s hard work and leadership, including five seniors who have been part of the program all four years.

The 2025-26 season marked a new chapter for Bremerton girls basketball under first-year head coach Marshaun Thompson, with a strong focus on building team bonds, developing skills, and ensuring a positive experience for every player.

The Varsity team showed incredible heart on the court, highlighted by a thrilling win that officially turned the page on a 33-game dry spell! Our JV team followed suit with an impressive season, taking 2nd place in the Olympic League. One player was named to the Olympic League 2nd Team and another received Honorable Mention. The future looks bright for our Lady Knights.

The Bremerton Knights Drill Team hit the court with 20 dancers this season, bringing 7 different high-energy routines to 14 home basketball games this season!

The Bremerton High School girls flag football team just wrapped-up the very first WIAA- sanctioned season! BHS had flag football last year, but it was not an official WIAA sport until this year. We are so proud of the dedication, teamwork, and passion shown by these 21 student athletes throughout this inaugural season.

Work on the Bond program is moving forward! Despite some typical challenges with weather and permits, we are making good progress.

• Armin Jahr: Foundation and structural work is progressing at Armin Jahr.

• View Ridge: Construction of the walls started February 25 (see slideshow below)

• Consolidated facilities: This project is progressing through the Design Development phase, with focused meetings underway to refine site planning, building layouts, utilities, and furniture and equipment needs

• HVAC Upgrades: Heating and cooling updates across the district are going well and staying within budget.

We invite you to check out the more detailed updates below. These updates are posted on our website at the beginning of each month with updates from the prior month.

David Nelson from the Kitsap Sun recently stopped by the elementary school construction sites and took some video that was shared on the Kitsap Sun's Facebook and Instagram pages.

February is Black History Month: an annual celebration of achievements by Black Americans and a time for recognizing the struggles, adversity, strength and history of the Black American experience in the United States. The board of directors recognized Black History Month by approving a proclamation to proclaim February 2026 Black History Month in the Bremerton School District.

On February 5th, Mountain View Middle School teacher, Kathryn Donaldson, joined the meeting to present about the recent show performed by her drama class and club. Students Noodles Mathews and Audrey Moore also joined her to talk about their skill development through the class. (photo above).

On February 19th, Des Hall and Stephanie Codorniz, the District's National Board Certification coordinators, help kick off the meeting by introducing our newest National Board Certified teachers including:

2024 National Board Certified

• Shoko Dahl- Mountain View Middle School
• Kelsey Johnson- Crownhill Elementary School

2025 National Board Certified

• Kara Swanson- Armin Jahr Elementary
• Jessica Hoesch- Bremerton High School (not present)

The Bremerton School District is proud to have 38 National Board-Certified teachers on staff. National Board Certification was designed to develop, retain, and recognize accomplished teachers, and to generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide.

We were then joined by View Ridge Arts Academy Choir (3rd, 4th and 5th grade students) who performed songs from their Martin Luther King Junior Day Assembly in honor of Black History Month. They performed the following songs:

• "We Shall Overcome"
• "Feelin' Good"
• "Gong Xi Gong Xi" for Lunar new year

And finally, Crownhill Elementary 5th grade students presented about their experience at Nature Bridge.

The following policies were adopted by the board:

• Policy 2108 - Learning Assistance Programs

• Policy 6220- Bid or Request for Proposal Support

The following policies and procedures were retired:

• 3240P- Student Conduct Expectations and Reasonable Sanctions
• 3240- Student Conduct Expectations and Reasonable Sanction

• Melissa Rohr, CTE Supervisor & AVID Director, provided a Career and Technical Education Update.
• Enrollment Projection for the 2026-27 School Year
• February 2026 Enrollment Report

• Bond Program Update

• 2025-26 Substitute/On-Call Pay Rates

Join us in-person or online!

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

The spring play is The Inspector, written in 1836 by Nikolai Gogol. It takes place in a small town in Russia, out in the middle of nowhere, that is rife with administrative corruption.

Poster artwork by BHS junior Ilia Beems.

See the all-athletics schedule and buy tickets to athletic events at BremertonKnights.org!

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

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The Bremerton School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employee(s) has been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Carol Bailie at 360.473.1026, or the Section 504 Coordinator, Mark Mayfield at 360.473.4702. Mailing address: 134 Marion Avenue North, Bremerton, WA 98312.