May 4-8 is Teacher Appreciation Week. It gives Bremerton a moment to say what our community already knows: great schools begin with great teachers. You see it every day, in classrooms, hallways, and all the places where students learn and grow.

Teaching is complex work. It takes deep content knowledge, thoughtful planning, and strong relationships with students and families. It also takes patience, flexibility, and a steady belief in what each student can achieve. Our teachers carry all of that, often at once.

You can spot it in the small moments… a student staying after school until something clicks, a lesson adjusted so every learner can access it, a classroom that feels safe and welcoming. Those moments don’t always make headlines, but they are at the heart of student success. And over time, they lead to big outcomes: graduates prepared for what comes next, students discovering new passions, and young people who feel ready for what lies ahead.

To all of our amazing educators in Bremerton: thank you! Your work matters, and our community is stronger because of it.

Dr. Slade McSheehy

Superintendent

Bremerton School District Assistant Superintendent Dr. Garth Steedman was recently awarded the 2026 Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) Award of Merit. This award recognizes leaders who demonstrate exceptional regional leadership and make lasting contributions to the field of education across Washington. Congratulations, Dr. Steedman and thank you for your dedication to our students and community!

Photo: Superintendent Slade McSheehy, Assistant Superintendent Garth Steedman & Assistant Superintendent Iva Scott. 

The Bremerton community provides tremendous support to our students and schools all year long. Be Bremerton is our way of giving back and saying “thanks!” 

Preregistration is now closed, but you can still join us as we work together in teams cleaning up litter and pulling weeds in downtown Bremerton. Come to Evergreen Rotary Park at 8:30 on Saturday morning and join a group as we work together to get B-Town looking its best for the annual Armed Forces Day parade. We suggest that all volunteers bring garden gloves, gardening tools, brooms and buckets (garbage bags to be provided!). We hope to see you there! 

Be sure to watch for all of our District entries in the parade including the Mountain View Middle School and Bremerton High School Bands, the BHS Cheer team, the BHS Drill & Dance team, BHS NJROTC, BHS Key Club - and a bus full of our youngest learners encouraging families of incoming kindergarten students to register for school!

Photo: BHS NJROTC in the 2019 Armed Forces Day parade.

We invite you to view a few highlights from Purple Up Day earlier this month. Did you know that in the Bremerton School District, we are home to:

• 253 students with an active-duty parent.
• 1,072 military-connected students across our schools.

Whether their loved ones are at home or at sea, these students show incredible resilience and courage (our April character trait of the month!) every single day. We wear purple to let these students know: we see you, we support you, and we are so proud to have you in our classrooms!

We’re proud to share that the Bremerton School District has again earned the state’s Purple Star Award! This recognition honors school districts that go above and beyond to support military-connected students and families through dedicated programs, resources, and a strong culture of belonging. The award recipients were announced in April, which our school board designates every year as Month of the Military Child.

We were recognized as a Purple Star District the first time when the award was first introduced two years ago and we are are proud to receive this designation for a second time. This designation reflects our continued commitment to meeting the unique needs of our nearly 1,400 military-connected students.

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, a time to recognize the incredible individuals who dedicate their time, talent, and heart to our students. From our youngest learners to those preparing for graduation, these volunteers are the backbone of our school community.

Here are just a few of of our volunteer "superstars" making a difference in our schools:

For more than a decade, Darroll has served as the Kiwanis Advisor to the BHS Key Club. A true model of servant leadership, he helps students with everything from leadership development to "engineering" their iconic spirit sticks. He even uses his skills as a pottery artist to create custom awards for exceptional student leaders!

Since joining the preschool team this year, "Miss Margaret" has become an essential part of the classroom. Known for her "unlimited patience and kindness," she jumps into the whirlwind of preschool life twice a week, helping our littlest learners navigate puzzles and new lessons with a warm smile.

After years of service as a paraeducator, Irene chose to spend her retirement back in the halls she loves. She provides vital support to our Multi-Language Learner (MLL) classroom, assisting with everything from complex paperwork to hands-on student activities.

The stage was set, the lights were dimmed, and the magic of Arendelle took over the BHS Performing Arts Center earlier this month! We are incredibly proud of the 58 talented View Ridge Elementary Arts Academy (VREAA) 3rd-5th graders who poured their hearts into our production of Frozen Jr., performing for an enthusiastic crowd of approximately 1,200!

Frozen Jr. marks VREAA’s 6th Disney musical production. While the program began with the generous support of the Disney Musicals in Schools Foundation and Seattle Theater Group, VREAA has reached a major milestone: the program is now 100% funded with community support/donations!

This year’s performance marked a special milestone. This June, the very first cohort of fifth-grade "Disney Kids" will be graduating from high school! Seeing the program come full circle reminds us of the lasting impact the performing arts have on our students as they grow into young adults.

This program truly runs on "pure heart." Since October, eleven VREAA staff members have volunteered their time every Monday and Tuesday to mentor our young performers. Despite the long days, our staff will be the first to tell you that it is impossible to leave a rehearsal without a smile. Their dedication ensures that every child finds their moment in the spotlight.

Congratulations to the cast and crew of Frozen Jr.! We invite you to watch a short highlight reel and view more photos here. 

West Sound Technical Skills Center students visited the Armin Jahr campus recently where they led hands-on activities to introduce AJ Orcas to future CTE opportunities for College & Career Week! From construction and medical careers to cosmetology and criminal justice, every grade level got a chance to explore these high school pathways. Check out this video.

We are making lots of progress on all of our bond program projects! This bond program is not just about buildings; it's about creating modern, safe, and inspiring learning environments that will serve generations of Bremerton students.

• Armin Jahr & View Ridge Elementaries: Construction is underway! Check out the recent drone videos and monthly updates below!

• Consolidated facilities: The Site Development permit has been submitted and our team is working toward the next milestone of submitting for a building permit by the beginning of June.

• HVAC Upgrades: Phase 2 bids were received on March 18, and the final Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) has been approved by the School Board. Phase 1 begins this summer with cooling additions to Kitsap Lake, Crownhill and Naval Avenue Elementaries.

• Renaissance High School: Preliminary planning has officially begun! The team is currently modeling three different cost scenarios and conducting site feasibility studies to inform our scoping exercise this spring.

Bremerton High School choir students joined the April 16th meeting and sang the National Anthem. Choir teacher Wendy McPhetres then recognized and introduced the choir students headed to state:

• Ayden Parks- Alto category
• Lina Kuball- Soprano category
• Lihla Hanson- Mezzo Soprano category
• Sam Bailey- Baritone category

We were then joined by Kitsap Lake Elementary 2nd grade students who performed "A Pirate's Daydream!"

OTHER NEWS:

• The Bremerton School District Board of Directors recognizes and salutes military children by recognizing the month of April 2026 as the Month of the Military Child and April 15, 2026, as Purple Up! Day.
• The Board of Directors endorses and supports the efforts of the schools to recognize the efforts of volunteers during the week of April 19-25, 2026, and at other times during the school year. The board proclaimed April 2026 Volunteer Appreciation Month.
• Bond Program Update
• Mid-year Staff Absence Report
• Enrollment Report

Join us in-person or online!

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

Thursday, May 28
West Sound Technical Skills Center

9 a.m. (morning session) / 11:30 a.m. (afternoon session)

More information

Friday, June 6, 7 p.m.

BHS Performing Arts Center

Learn more

Friday, June 12, 7 p.m.

Memorial Stadium

Learn more

We are gearing up for year-end event season and the Bremerton High School Performing Arts Center calendar is booked with school and community events in May and June! Visit https://bhs.bremertonschools.org/pac to see what's happening at the PAC!

Here are just a few highlights from the past month!

BHS National Honor Society inducts 42 new members. Learn more.

Kitsap Regional Library brings mindfulness activity at BHS. Learn more.

Naval Avenue Elementary hosts STEM Night. Learn more.

RHS Archery team competes at State Tournament at Central Washington University. Learn more.

BHS BremerTron robotics team wins District tournament. Learn more.

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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