12.12.25 - Community Newsletter
“Sports teaches you character, it teaches you to play by the rules, it teaches you to know what it feels like to win and lose-it teaches you about life.” -- Billie Jean King, Tennis Hall of Famer
More than half of the students at Brunswick High School participate in athletics. They learn to work as a team, meet and overcome challenges, and in the process build lifelong friendships. They also experience the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, as the saying goes.
However, as any parent who has seen their child limp off the court or field can attest, participation in athletics entails the risk of injury. That’s where Christa Hendley comes in.
Christa is the athletic trainer at Brunswick High School. Many of you have seen her on the sidelines at a game or have heard of her working with an injured student.
“Athletic trainers play a pivotal role in ensuring the health and safety of athletes,” says Kaili Phillips, athletic director at BHS.
In general, Christa has two primary tasks. First, she intervenes when a student-athlete is injured to provide immediate evaluation and care. In the best-case scenario, Christa determines that the athlete is uninjured and may return to the game. For more serious injuries, Christa might refer the student to their primary care provider, a local emergency department, or an orthopedist.
If a student-athlete sustains an injury requiring treatment, they may work with Christa in her athletic training office at BHS.
Interestingly, this includes athletes who may have experienced a concussion. As an athletic trainer, Christa is trained to evaluate and treat concussions and to work closely with the school nursing team and the injured student’s private health care team. As part of the concussion protocol, she’ll compare a post-injury evaluation to a baseline test that was performed on athletes in 9th and 11th grade. All athletes are tested for baseline testing as a precaution.
In addition to treating injuries, Christa works to prevent them. For example, she worked with our track coaches to develop a battery of preventive exercises that the team has incorporated into their warm-up a few days a week. Christa tells me that while runners move in one direction, they also need to strengthen the muscles that support them to avoid overuse injuries. The boys' hockey team requested a separate plan due to the sport's distinct movements and physical demands.
It’s also important to note the benefits of having an on-site athletic trainer, especially as Maine schools face a shortage. The easy access eliminates transportation issues and potential time away from school and classes. “Many BHS students have a difficult time accessing medical care, and having access allows them to do rehab at school during lunch or after school,” says Kaili.
In years past, we partnered with local hospitals and used per diem athletic trainers. Now in its second year, the investment in a full-time athletic trainer is paying dividends. In addition to her preventive training, Christa treated well over 150 athletic injuries last year, and students appreciate her work. “It helped me return to the team by aiding my body in its recovery process and making it stronger to prevent future injuries,” says an outdoor track participant who suffered a stress fracture in her shin. “I think it's a great resource put in place for a major part of Brunswick High School. It gives more opportunities and support to students who are interested in athletics.”
Sports injuries may never be entirely eliminated, but an in-house athletic trainer supports our efforts to reduce them, while also helping injured athletes return to play safely.
And that’s a win in my book.
Our educators continued to use their professional development time to strengthen teaching, support student well-being, and enhance schoolwide practices. Highlights from the work over the past month include:
Enhancing Teaching and Learning
Teachers collaborated in grade-level and department teams, reflected on the implementation of curriculum, and learned about Universal Design for Learning. They also spent time learning more about AI, how to use student data to inform their instruction, cross-curricular planning, and restorative conversations.
Supporting Student Belonging and Well-Being
Staff engaged in team meetings to build strong student support systems and deepen strategies that promote belonging, safety, and positive school climates.
Strengthening Collaboration and Professional Growth
Educators collaborated to share ideas, plan instruction, and work toward team/department goals. Teachers were given the opportunity to pursue topics that best matched their professional needs and interests.
Improving Student Engagement
Teams reviewed attendance data and explored strategies to ensure students are present, connected, and ready to learn each day.
Heidi Nelson
Part-Time Van Driver
District
Heid grew up in Barrington, RI and Middlebury, VT graduating from Northfield Mt. Hermon. She attended the University of Wyoming.
What makes you proud to work in Brunswick? #BSDProud
Happy to be working for the town that I live in.
What do you like to do outside of work for fun?
Train dogs, drive my Mustang Convertible
Favorite line from a movie?
Are you a good witch or a bad witch?
If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet?
Betty White
What is something you learned in the last week?
How to operate my new printer.
Open Employment Positions:
- Coaching Positions have been posted! Brunswick High and Brunswick Jr. High School
- Softball, Baseball, Tennis, Lacrosse, Track, Unified Basketball - Check them all out!
- Long Term Sub Admin Assistant Office - Brunswick Junior High School
- Substitute Nurses, Teachers, Ed Techs, Tutors
- Resource Educational Technician - Brunswick Jr High School
- Self Contained Behavior Educational Technician - Harriet Beecher Stowe School
- Long Term Sub Educational Technician - Harriet Beecher Stowe School
- School Bus Drivers!!
- Apprentice/Ed Tech I & Bus Aides
- Substitute 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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