Brunswick School Department

Employee Spotlight: April Doane Special Education Teacher, Brunswick High School April lives with her daughter, mother and their dog, Mango. Mango is a rescue dog from Puerto Rico! She attended Husson College as well as the University of Presque Isle. What makes you proud to work in Brunswick? #BSDProud The overwhelming support from faculty and staff. What do you like to do outside of work for fun? I love to hike, garden and mostly go to the beach. What is your favorite line from a movie? "Life's like a box of chocolates, never know what you're gonna get." - Forrest Gump If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet? Harriet Tubman What is something you learned in the last week? Every day brings a new challenge.

Employee Spotlight: Amy Crosby Art Teacher, Kate Furbish Elementary School Amy grew up in Orono and currently lives in Durham with her husband Nick, daughter Scout, dog Dustin and six geriatric freeloading hens. She attended the University of Maine at Orono for her undergraduate degree and recently decided to go back to UMO for her masters! What makes you proud to work in Brunswick? #BSDProud I love how supportive the community is of the arts. I've never felt such warm and genuine encouragement and gratitude than I do here. What do you like to do outside work for fun? Painting dog portraits, gardening, hiking, biking, swimming, and playing the banjo (albeit poorly.) What is something you learned in the last week? The national animal of Scotland is a unicorn!

School Board Special Meeting Wednesday, March 30, 2022 7PM PUBLIC FORUM ON THE BUDGET To be held at the Town Hall, 85 Union Street

Steven Cumback was awarded his second Schooltles Award this year from our Transportation Department. The anonymous nominee stated "Steven is always pitching in and doing a lot of extra stuff without being asked. He is motivated and selfless." Way to go, Steven!! #BSDProud

Employee Spotlight: Kim Jordan Pre-K Teacher, Kate Furbish Elementary School Kim grew up in Portland and attended the Art Institute of Boston for her undergraduate degree. She then continued on to Lesley University for her Masters degree in Education. She is married to her husband Pat and together they have two children, Forrest (4 years old) and Harland (1 year old). What makes you proud to work in Brunswick? #BSDProud I am proud to work in Brunswick because of the strong community of educators I am a part of. What do you like to do outside of work for fun? Create art, cross country ski, hike, garden and cook. If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet? My grandmother. The stories I have heard about her are fascinating and I feel like I could have learned so much from her.

Huge thank you to Mid Coast Hunger and our school social work staff for their support in opening the Coffin School Pantry! The Pantry will be open on Thursdays from 3:00-5:00pm for those Brunswick residents with school-aged children. Dry goods, dairy, eggs, meat, and fresh produce will all be offered weekly! No appointment necessary.

Employee Spotlight: Mike McCaffrey Varsity Baseball Head Coach & JV Boys Basketball Coach, Brunswick High School Mike and his wife, Kelly, have three sons, Quin who is 17, Collin is 16 and Cameron is 10 years old. They have family dog named Niner. Mike attended Husson University and received his undergraduate degree in Business Administration and is currently working on his graduate degree from Thomas College in Human Resource Management. What makes you proud to work in Brunswick? #BSDProud Supportive Community, great kids, constructive environment. What do you like to do outside of work for fun? Sports Photography, Live action photos and digital design. What is your favorite line from a movie? "There's no crying in Baseball" - A League of their Own If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet? Jesus Christ What is something you leaned in the last week? Orcas, otherwise known as Killer Whales, use teamwork to hunt Blue Whales, the largest species on the planet. The scientific proof was released last week by scientists writing in the Marine Mammal Science Journal. Three incidents confirmed the Biggest Predation Event on the Planet off the Western Australia's Bremer Bay.

After the district’s most recent strategic plan ended in the 2020-2021 school year. The BSD leadership & the School Board began preparing for a new strategic planning process. The BSD is pleased to announce we are partnering with Hanover Research as our strategic planning partner. We have begun the process by surveying internal stakeholders and will be providing many opportunities for stakeholder input (Staff, Students, Parents, and the greater Community) Stay Tuned for more information. #Teambrunswickme #Strategicplanning #Maine #Brunswickmaine #planequalssuccess

Brunswick Fire Fighter, Jason Abbott, demonstrated his gear as part of a safety lesson at Kate Furbish Elementary School this month.

Employee Spotlight: Kyla McCann Kindergarten Teacher, Kate Furbish Elementary School Kyla grew up in an Air Force family and moved around a lot as a young child but there are two memorable places for her that she lived in - Germany and also when her dad worked at the Pentagon. She now has two children of her own, Peter and Emily, and three step-daughters with her fiancé, Chris. Together they have a dog named Mamas. Mamas is a foster-fail who they fostered this past summer with her three puppies (her and her puppies made their 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th foster dogs!). They also have three cats: Dakota, Carolina, and Weldon. Kyla graduated from Penn State University with her Bachelors degree in Elementary and Kindergarten Education as well as a minor in Dispute Management and Resolution. She then went on to receive her Masters degree from the University of New England in K-12 Literacy. What makes you proud to work in Brunswick? #BSDProud There are so many wonderful staff who are constantly looking for ways to be innovative and have the best interest of every student at the forefront of the work they do. What do you like to do outside of work for fun? Most of my time is spent "adulting"! I have enjoyed doing glasswork at the Maine Art Glass Studio in the past and enjoy spending time with close friends. I foster dogs during the summer through Two Hands Farm & Rescue. Favorite line from a movie? Bruno (with hood): "I’m Hernando, I’m scared of nothing! (takes off hood) It’s actually me. I used to say my real gift was “acting.” (bucket on head) I’m Jorge, I make the spackle." - Disney's Encanto If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet? Ryan Reynolds What is something you learned in the last week? In talking about Flight For Freedom, A Chickadee Award book, I learned that a colleague was in Germany the same time I was!

Take a look at Brunswick's Special Education Programs.

HBS students-Finley Hyland, Lucy Omdal and Lilly Purnell-Amaez started thinking of ways to make a positive change. After some brainstorming, the trio of fourth graders eventually landed on the perfect idea – a bake sale. Around 880 donuts, brownies and chocolate chip cookies later, the group was able to bring in about $800 on Monday after delivering to local families who placed orders. They decided to use the money for new gym equipment at HBS, and to make a donation to Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program. #teambrunswickme #giving #maine #brunswickmaine #maine #mainestudents

This week the BHS library transformed into the Silk Road and students participated in a Silk Road Trade Simulation. Students traveled between 18 ancient cities to collect 16 different goods (gold, silk, gems, tea, etc.) while facing various desert conditions and answering trivia questions!

Brunswick Superintendent's Notebook: The love of animals can lead to leaps in learning. "We’ve all heard about the benefits of pet therapy for those who are sick, in the hospital or just lonely. Recent studies show that pet therapy can have the same effects on students, whether at home or in educational settings, as it does in health care settings: improved energy levels, increased self-esteem, heightened moods and even decreases in depression." View the full article here: https://www.pressherald.com/2022/02/09/brunswick-superintendents-notebook-the-love-of-animals-can-lead-to-leaps-in-learning/

Rates for substitute teachers, nurses, resource assistants, and ed techs are going up!

Good evening. Due to projected unsafe driving conditions, all Brunswick Schools will be closed tomorrow, Friday, February 4, 2022. As a result, all after-school activities and athletic events are canceled. Sincerely, Phillip J. Potenziano, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools

BJHS Musical Opens Tonight: Title is Once On This Island Times: Doors open at 6:30p, Curtain Rises at 7 pm Dates: Today, Thursday 2/3, Friday 2/4 and Saturday 2/5 Come on out and support our students!

Jersey Mike's Subs is opening a new location at 172 Bath Road in Brunswick tomorrow! 100% of their sales from Wednesday, February 2nd, 2022 will be donated directly to Brunswick Junior High School. Enjoy some delicious subs and support BJHS!

Employee Spotlight: Laurie Howell Spanish Teacher, Brunswick Junior High School Laurie grew up in Rockport, Maine and attended Geneva College in Western Pennsylvania for her undergraduate degree and then continued on to the University of Maine at Orono for her graduate degree. She is married to her husband, John, and they have two sons, Lane and Jo-Jo. What makes you proud to work in Brunswick? #BSDProud I love this community! We support each other and take care of each other. What do you like to do outside of work fun? Play outside with my kiddos, go for hike/walks, go to the beach. Favorite line from a movie? "In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun" - Mary Poppins If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet? Julie Andrews What is something you learned last week? The eyes can have freckles!

Breaking News: The MPA Interscholastic Management Committee met today to hear Brunswick's appeal to compete as a varsity football program next fall. The appeal was heard and was successful. The MPA has agreed that Brunswick Varsity football should take the field this coming fall. There will be much more information coming soon.