Brunswick School Department

As we dig out from the recent snowstorm that left significant accumulations across our area, I want to extend a huge thank you to our dedicated staff for working tirelessly to clear parking lots and clean off buses, sidewalks, entrances, and grounds. I know many of you are putting in long, cold hours operating snow blowers, shovels, plows, and salt/sand trucks. Thanks to your efforts, we are able to open our schools on time and as safely as possible. Our students, families, teachers, and administrators are grateful. You have our sincere appreciation. #teambrunswickme #maine #brunswickmaine #winterinmaine

Reminder: Wednesday, January 3rd is an Early Release Day!

Employee Spotlight: Kevin Hammond, Third Grade Teacher at Harriet Beecher Stowe School Kevin grew up in a Coast Guard family so he has moved all over the United States. He attended college at SUNY Buffalo and then the USM ETEP program. Kevin and his wife, Claire, now call Brunswick home. What makes you proud to work in Brunswick? #BSDProud After years of living all of the US my wife and I now live in Brunswick and it finally feels like we are "home". The community and environment have so much to offer, and it's rare to find so many warm-hearted people who are incredibly talented at what they do. What do you like to do outside of work for fun? I love to play soccer, swim in the ocean, play music, collect and grow native plants from seed, and go camping. What is your favorite line from a movie? My brothers and I can recite the entire movie "Cool Runnings". So good. If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet? Freddie Mercury What is something you learned in the last week? How a species of ground squirrel can supercool while in a torpid state to a body temperature below the freezing point of water.

On this episode of the Brunswick Buzz, Phil speaks with Maddie Chaput, Jonas McGrath, and Garrett Countway, seniors at Brunswick High School.  Each is exploring career exploration and extended learning opportunities with Ms. Myers and Mr. Wilson.  Listen and learn how a student engages with engineers from Wright-Pierce, Sitelines, Reed, and Reed, exploring various engineering careers.  Learn how students work with Science Department Head Andrew McCullough to see if there is a relationship between the substrate (bottom of the ocean material), the number of green crabs, and the size/sex/coloration of green crabs. #teambrunswickme  https://www.podbean.com/ep/pb-t35uq-152cc86

All Brunswick Schools have Power - Yes, we are open! School Buses may experience some travel challenges, which may slow pick-up, so please be patient. #teambrunswickme

Brunswick School Department is monitoring the power situation. At 7:00 pm, CMP reports 4000+ Brunswick homes, including some of our schools, are still without power. A decision regarding opening schools tomorrow will be made in the early morning. The plan, as of now, is to open schools that have power. Additional information will be forthcoming.

Brunswick Recreation Center - Public Access Includes: 🚿 Locker Rooms, Restrooms, and Showers Free Wifi 🛜 - ⚡ Charging / Electricity Warming Center 🌡️ #teambrunswickme

Brunswick Schools will be closed on Tuesday, December 19, 2023, due to power outages at multiple schools. Please remember no downed powerline is safe to touch. Be Safe! #Teambrunswickme

Brunswick Schools are closing early due to extensive power outages. Dismissal times are as follows: BHS at 12:00 pm BJ at 12:15 pm HBS and KFE at 1:00 pm

Employee Spotlight: Daniel Chapman, Science Teacher at Brunswick High School Daniel is originally from Seattle, Washington and attended Biola University as well as The University of Pennsylvania. Daniel and his wife have two cats - Babs and Barnie! What makes you proud to work in Brunswick? #BSDProud The incredible students! What do you like to do outside of work for fun? Spend time with my family, Camp, Cook, Hike, Play Pinball What is your favorite line from a movie? “The Earth Speaks To All Of Us, and If We Listen, We Can Understand” - Castle in the Sky (1986) If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet? Carl Sagan or Ram Dass What is something you learned in the last week? The Brunswick High School cafeteria makes a mean breakfast sandwich!

Employee spotlight: Jennifer Vitiello -Assistant Principal at Kate Furbish Elementary School Jennifer is originally from Massachusetts and attended Saint Anselm College. She has two twin sons and a black lab! What makes you proud to work in Brunswick? #BSDProud I am so proud of the exciting learning going on everyday at KFS! What do you like to do outside of work for fun? Reading, running and playing golf again. What is your favorite line from a movie? There's a girl in the castle. If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet? President John F. Kennedy What is something you learned in the last week? I learned about the plants and flowers that Kate Furbish studied.

Brunswick Schools will have a two-hour delay on Monday, December 4, 2023. This includes Region 10.

Coding with Sphero Indis Robots The students in Ms. Parker's Harriet Beecher Stowe School class earned a party day by earning pom poms to add to their jar. It’s been a big hit so far! They earn pom poms by being safe, respectful, and responsible. Part of their special day included Sphero Indi robot cars. These awesome cars are like magic—they follow codes when they roll over different colored tiles! We had a big challenge: figure out what each color makes the car do and then make a special design to guide the car. It was like a colorful puzzle! We worked together to crack the code and create awesome paths for our robot friends. It was so much fun, and we felt like real engineers! #SpheroFun #RobotAdventures #teambrunswickme

In Mrs. Wilson's (Harriet Beecher Stowe School) bustling third-grade classroom, students extend their learning beyond textbooks. They craft "Joy Cards" with the sentiment "You bring joy to HBS." These small tokens of positivity are created during their choice time. These heartfelt gestures, distributed throughout the entire school to all children and adults, create a harmonious atmosphere where kindness becomes a lesson learned outside the conventional curriculum. #teambrunswickme #joycards #studentwriting #brunswickmaine #liveworkmaine

Brunswick students who participated in a 12-week residency with the @thetellingroom received their published book Clearly, There Is Something Wrong. Our students wrote short stories and poems as part of the collection! The Telling Room is a local organization that works to empower youth through writing and sharing their voices with the world. As a literary arts education organization, they work with young writers ages 6 to 18, helping to build confidence, strengthen literacy skills, and provide real audiences for our students. #teambrunswickme #studentpoetry #maineliterature #brunswickmaine #ourstories #thetellingroom

On this installment of the Brunswick Buzz, we talk to students and staff from the Brunswick Junior High School's Community Outreach class. https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-cxupw-1504855 Join us as we engage in insightful conversations with diverse students, exploring their personal journeys. Listen to get an understanding of how these students step out of their comfort zones to enhance their community. Learn how this innovative program provides hands-on experiences, and tune in and discover how our Community Outreach class is making Brunswick Schools and Community a better place! If you are interested in partnering with our BJHS Community Outreach Class, please contact Bonnie Robbins at brobbins@brunswicksd.org. We are grateful to all of our community partners!

As we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends, I am grateful for our students, their voices inspire me daily. I’m Thankful for our teachers, support staff, and all our employees, who are committed to ensuring our students receive an excellent education! And I am heartened by the resiliency of our families. Thank you for supporting the Brunswick School Department. Happy Thanksgiving. #teambrunswickme

Congratulations Michael Spaulding on receiving the Transportation Department's Schootles Award! Michael is currently one of our van drivers and he is training to obtain his bus license to become a school bus driver! He was nominated for: "Being a go-getter with a positive attitude, he will do anything that's asked of him and a lot of things that aren't his responsibility. If Michael sees something that needs to be done he just does it!!"

Last week, I was invited to the first-ever BHS health education Healthy Relationships Symposium! It was a positive, high-energy event where students spent the day immersed in understanding relationship dynamics while developing skills to help create and maintain healthy and supportive relationships in their lives. Maine Health opened its doors to host this event while five different local organizations worked with the students to enhance their learning experience. Overall, it was an empowering experience for all who attended. This fun and uplifting event reaffirmed that...Healthy Relationships Rock! Huge shout out to Health Teacher - Stacey Vannah for making this happen. #teambrunswickme

Employee Spotlight: Maria Rier -French and Spanish Teacher at BHS Maria has three children who live in various towns from Portland to Brunswick. She also has two energetic grandchildren who keep her throughly entertained and her stepdaughter and granddaughter live on the west coast in "the other Portland". Maria is originally from Massachusetts and attended Mount Holyoke College and later received her Masters Degree from UMaine Orono. What makes you proud to work in Brunswick? #BSDProud I'm proud to be able to join this welcoming and professional faculty and school community! What do you like to do outside of work for fun? I like to cook, go for walks, listen to music, and read. I attend fitness classes for fun and to challenge myself. I'm looking forward to exploring the Brunswick area in my free time. What is your favorite line from a movie? "C'est une expérience à tenter un poète." ("This is an experience to tempt a poet.") I'm hoping to have many such experiences at BHS! If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet? I would like to meet Greta Thunberg, the environmental activist and amazing young person. What is something you learned in the last week? I learned that a woodchuck is the same thing as a groundhog, and also goes by the name of "whistle pig." By whatever name, there is one living in my backyard.