Brunswick School Department

Congratulations are in order! Kent Spaulding, Brunswick School Bus Driver, placed 2nd in the state-wide driver's skills course and the written test at the Maine MAPT (Maine Association for Pupil Transportation) - 51st Annual School Transportation Safety Conference & Trade Show last week. We are proud of you, Kent. Way to go! #teambrunswickme #mainebusdriver #brunswickmaine

Come support the Brunswick Community Education Foundation by attending The Landing Block Party on August 2nd from 4-9PM! BCEF will benefit from 10% of all proceeds from the Party. Please see the flyer for all the details!

Introducing and welcoming back Jacob Goldstone as our new Assistant Principal at Brunswick High School🎉💥 Jacob brings a wealth of experience and a passion for education. He began his career as a Special Educator in Chicago. In 2015, he moved to Maine and taught math at Brunswick High School for five years. Most recently, he has served as a Teaching Strategist at King Middle School in Portland, where he worked with teachers and administrators to develop meaningful interdisciplinary projects, achieve equitable outcomes for all students, and support teachers in doing what they do best—teach! Jacob has a Master of Science in Education from Johns Hopkins University and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago. Jacob lives in Brunswick with his wife, Calla, and their two-year-old son, Elliot. An active community member, he has coached soccer and enjoys climbing, reading, and cooking. #teambrunswickme #brunswickmaine #schoolsuperintendent #maine #assistantprincipal

Shout out to Holly Morgan, BCBA, and Matt McGreevy pictured. They work hard to provide quality professional development opportunities to our staff. Thank You! #teambrunswickme #superintendent #maine brunswickmaine

Welcome, Rich Osmer, our new IT Administrator! 🖥️👨‍💻 Rich joins our district tech department from Kate Furbish Elementary School. Rich brings enthusiasm for continuous learning and problem-solving. He says, "Working in the BSD IT Department means I'm always learning new things and facing new challenges. Something is always changing!" Rich looks forward to collaborating across the district, adding, "In this new role, I'll get to interact with staff district-wide, which means meeting and helping lots of great educators and support teams!" Please join us in welcoming Rich to our school community! #NewTeamMember #EdTech #SchoolIT #maine #teambrunswickme #superintendent

🎉 Introducing Becky McKarns, our new Assistant Director of Special Education! 🎓 Becky brings a passion for lifelong learning and a dedication to expanding her educational expertise to support our entire community. With a strong focus on Special Education, she's committed to: Ensuring equitable access to education for all students Supporting staff development and retention Collaborating with students, staff, parents/guardians, and community members Providing leadership to enhance our Special Education programs I'm thrilled to have Becky join our team as we work together to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment for every student in Brunswick School District. Welcome aboard, Becky! 🌟 #maine #teambrunswickme #mainesuperintendent #schoolsuperintendent #brunswickmaine

The Superintendent's Office is MOVING. We anticipate a building closure on July 18-19 to complete the move. We are moving the 20 Barrows Street - Coffin School. Stay tuned for more information. #teambrunswickme #brunswickmaine #mainesuperintendent

Join us on this powerful episode of the Brunswick Buzz link - 🔗🔗 in bio as we dive into the heart-wrenching issue of student homelessness. Phil sits down with Andrew Lardie, the Executive Director of Tedford Housing, and Shawn Lambert, Brunswick's Assistant Superintendent and Student Homeless Liaison. Brace yourself for an eye-opening discussion that sheds light on the harsh realities faced by our most vulnerable students and the tireless efforts of those working to provide them with a safe haven. Don't miss this gripping conversation that will leave you inspired and motivated to make a difference.

Multilingual Family Night at the Brunswick Welcome Center to learn about Athletics at BHS and BJHS #teambrunswickme #mainesuperintendent #maine #brunswickmaine

Dear Brunswick Community Members, On behalf of the Brunswick School Department, I want to express my sincere gratitude for your overwhelming support in passing the recent school budget vote. Your approval of this budget is an investment in our children's education and our community's future. The funds will allow us to maintain quality academic programs, attract and retain exceptional teachers, upgrade facilities and technology, and provide a well-rounded educational experience for all students. I recognize that approving a school budget involves careful consideration and commitment from our taxpayers. Your "Yes" vote demonstrates your commitment to our schools and your dedication to providing the best possible learning environment for our students. Thank you for your ongoing support and for prioritizing education in our community. #teambrunswickme #schoolbudget #maine #superintendentofschools

We're excited to welcome Don Hilton as our new Head Bus Driver Mechanic! Don brings extensive experience maintaining and repairing school buses. His mechanical expertise and commitment to safety will be invaluable in keeping our bus fleet running smoothly and ensuring a safe ride for all our students. Don is dedicated to going the extra mile to inspect every bus thoroughly and address any issues promptly. With his keen eye for detail and vast knowledge of bus systems, we have full confidence in Don's ability to maintain our buses to the highest safety standards. #StudentSafety #BusDriverAppreciation #teambrunswickme #brunswickmaine #maine

Our Family Night was well attended with over 25 parents, 3 community members, 5 interpreters, 2 teachers doing childcare! #teambrunswickme

Employee Spotlight: Phil Potenziano Superintendent of Schools Phil is married to his wife, Karen, and they have three adult children who live scattered along the eastern United States! He also has a bunch of fruit trees that he treats like family. Phil attended the University of Maine at Farmington (BA), University of New Mexico (MA), University of Southern Maine (CAS), and Boston College (Ed.D). What makes you proud to work in Brunswick? #BSDProud Three things make me proud - The Staff - Students and Community! What do you like to do outside of work for fun? I love being outside, especially during the Summer, Spring and Fall. I enjoy hiking, biking, walking and running - especially trail running, boogie boarding, golf, travel, and spending time with family and friends. What is your favorite line from a movie? Chonco, Give Me Some Sweats - From the Movie Nacho Libre. The movie is loosely based on the story of Fray Tormenta ("Friar Storm," a.k.a. Rev. Sergio Gutiérrez Benítez), a real-life Mexican Catholic priest who had a 23-year career as a masked luchador who supported an orphanage he directed! If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet? J. Robert Oppenheimer or Albert Einstein What is something you learned in the last week? That my favorite beach in the world was previously owned by J. Robert Oppenheimer.

This morning a HBS student fell asleep on the bus and missed their stop at HBS. The driver's plan was to have them transfer onto a bus heading to HBS from KFS. When the student woke up, they were visibly nervous and as the KFS principal walked them to the new bus, Cathy beamed with a huge smile and an energetic hello. Cathy had never met this student and she welcomed them like an old friend. It was so heart-warming to witness and the student immediately perked up. It is a delightful example of amazing BSD staff members going over and beyond to make sure all students feel that sense of belonging and caring. Bravo Cathy!

On April 17th the Transportation Department attended the MAPT Regional Safety Conference. Workshops - 1. Safe & Respectful Student Transportation. 2. Complacency & How it Affects Safety. 3. Case Study - The Error Chain Effect. 4. Exercises During Idle Time. The bus drivers competed in the Driving Skills Event - 1st Place - Kent Spaulding. 2nd Place - Rick Ryan. 3rd Place - Geoffrey Taylor. Brunswick Transportation won the 2024 MAPT Team Driving Skills - Champions in Zone 2.

How about a #ThrowBackThursday #TBT: Back in 2009, we broke ground for Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School. Here are some flashback photos of that day in November 2009!

Employee Spotlight: Cara Ney - Financial Accounts Coordinator at the Central Office Cara and her husband, Geoff, have two children. Their son, Connor, is graduating from the University of Maine at Orono with a degree in Civil Engineering. Their daughter, Natalie, is attending Johnson and Wales University and is currently studying abroad in Florence, Italy. They have two dogs, Remus and Maisie, and two cats, Bella and Hero. What makes you proud to work in Brunswick? #BSDProud Both of my kids graduated from BHS in 2020 and 2022, both active in band and Connor played soccer and Natalie rowed with Merrymeeting Community Rowing Association. We have lived in Brunswick for 20 years and have had really positive experiences within our community. What do you like to do outside of work for fun? I'm an avid gardener, love to walk and hike and enjoy being outdoors as much as possible. What is your favorite line from a movie? "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live." Dumbledore If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet? Robin Williams What is something you learned in the last week? Currently learning a ton in my new position!

Brunswick has been selected as one of NAMM's Best Communities for Music Education for the 7th year in a row! Thank you to all of our students, teachers, administrators and community members for their support over the years. We look forward to continuing our amazing music program here in Brunswick. #TeamBrunswickME

Employee Spotlight: Charlotte Stevens - Special Education Administrative Assistant at the Central Office Charlotte is originally from Brunswick but has lived in Florida, Hawaii, and the Philippines! She has a 24 year old daughter, Holly, who lives in Pennsylvania and an 18 year old son, Simon, who is currently attending Husson University. What makes you proud to work in Brunswick? #BSDProud I am inspired to work hard for the Special Education Department in Brunswick because of my sister, Karen, who had Williams Syndrome. We have an amazing program in Brunswick and have come a long way from when she graduated from BHS in 1988. I appreciate our amazing team and do everything I can to support them so they can focus on the important work they do every day. What do you like to do outside of work for fun? Read, read, and read some more! I also love to play with my chihuahua, hang out with my son when he's home from college, and watch True Crime documentaries. What is your favorite line from a movie? Ride like the wind, Bullseye! I would always say this to my kids when we were running late and I still say it now. If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet? Donnie Wahlberg. I have briefly met him once but it would be a dream to meet him again. What is something you learned in the last week? I am reading a book called "Duped : Why Innocent People Confess - and Why We Believe Their Confessions". There are are a shocking amount of people who confess to crimes they did not commit. Even when forensic science proves their innocence juries tend to believe a confession over evidence, even once the confession has been recanted.