Our first Parent Wellness Retreat will be on Saturday, March 23rd. Click the video for more information. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vg95xpEy1QrbALlonoPVAvMTxB7zGAK7/view?usp=sharing
Hello Bloomfield Public Schools Community,
At the Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, March 12, the Board of Education voted to amend the 2023-2024 school calendar.
Due to the Presidential Primary on Tuesday, April 2, all schools, with the exception of Wintonbury Early Childhood Magnet School, will be closed. The last day for all schools will now be on Friday, June 14.
Thank you
SOAR students from Carmen Arace Middle School presented their History Day presentation, which they placed 4th at the regional completion at UConn. Congratulations to our students!
Check out this past week's Bloomfield Messenger with stories about our Literacy Week Celebration, JROTC coming in 1st Place in a State Drill Competition, and our SOAR Students competing in the State History Day and some qualifying for the State Finals! There is also a letter from Acting Superintendent Dr. Bethany Silver regarding the Board of Education's Proposed 2024-2025 Budget.
Hello Bloomfield Community.
If you're a little tired, overwhelmed, or searching for a brief respite, join us on Saturday, March 23rd at our first Parent Wellness Retreat for a morning of mindfulness exercises and community connection. Breakfast, lunch and childcare provided at no cost.
Space is limited so register soon! Please see the flyer for additional information.
Be Well!
Kimarley Henry, Cartoonist and Creator of Chad Comic Strips featured in Bloomfield Messenger, met with BHS and GEMS students this week to share his writing journey with students. Thank you, Mr. Henry, for sharing your story with us!
BHS and GEMS students shared original pieces and chosen excerpts with Duncaster residents yesterday as a part of BPS Literacy Celebration Week. A special thank you to Mr. Prescott, Ms. Washington-Geddes, Ms. Wright, Mr. Titelbaum, and Ms. Burrows for coordinating visits this week!
We are thrilled to have the opportunity for our CAIS, CAMS and GEMS students and staff to virtually connect with GORDON KORMAN, award-winning author this morning! Korman shared, "What if... are the two most powerful words for authors." Thank you, Bloomfield Public Library, for making this happen!
The Board of Education will be holding a meeting tonight to vote on the Superintendent's Proposed Budget at 7:00. The meeting will be at the Board of Education and on Zoom. The link for Zoom is below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86774831202?pwd=UXlpeXV0cDU2aUR0OGo4N3ZVQTBYdz09
Metacomet School hosted BHS student readers and Judge John B. Farley from Hartford Judicial District Superior Court, to continue celebrating literacy this week. Shout out to Mrs. Powers' and Mrs. Spencer's classes featured in these pictures.
Author and producer, Anna Nyakana, shared her journey with Arace students today. Check out her story at annanyakana.com!
Spotlight Author, Jaime L. B. Deenihan, was a hit today at WECMS! Deenihan shared her book "When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree". A special thank you to Bloomfield's Agricultural Center for donating lemon trees.
Thank you to our very own spotlight author, Mary Munson, for sharing "Love Will Turn You Around" with our Laurel Literacy Academy and STEPS students!
Join us for Public Comments on the 2024-2025 Superintendent's Proposed Budget tonight during our Special Board of Education Meeting at 7:00 pm. The meeting will take place at the Board of Education and on Zoom. The Zoom link is below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84486721925?pwd=YzVzTFdEZUFiUFFjYVcyM2NSNDByUT09
Shout out to Ms. Dunia and students at Metacomet School who studied a variety of Dr. Seuss books. Which is your favorite Seuss book?
Literacy Celebration Week 2024 is underway! Check out the impressive group of authors visiting our schools to celebrate literacy. Thank you, authors, for sharing your journeys with our community. A special thank you to Bloomfield Public Library for your support.
Thank you to Seabury residents and staff for hosting our high school students today as a part of Literacy Celebration Week! Students shared powerful literary pieces of their choice with the Seabury community.
2024 Bloomfield Public Schools Literacy Celebration Week is off to a great start! This morning, Bloomfield High School students read to Laurel Literacy Academy classes to kick the week off. Thank you BHS students!
Dear Bloomfield Public Schools,
On Tuesday, February 27, we presented the Superintendent's Proposed 2024-25 Budget to the Board of Education. This budget was developed collaboratively with our Principals, Central Office leaders, and the Board of Education to increase transparency, understanding, and efficiency. The Board of Education Finance Committee provided cost-saving recommendations that we have incorporated into our proposal. Mayor Wong and members of Town Council engaged in a conversation with our finance team to share initial cost drivers and expectations regarding budget increases. Our aim is to introduce efficiencies that have minimal impact on our students and classrooms while streamlining district operations and central office structures.
The primary goal of this budget is to invest in our students and classrooms. We have made sure that the budget preserves our classroom teachers, with no teacher positions being eliminated in this proposal.
When we started our conversations with the Board of Education Finance Committee in January, we had an estimated increase to our budget of nearly 7% compared to last year. However, after thorough efforts to identify savings, our proposed budget reflects a 3.19% increase, or $1,652,054 over 2023-24. The school district budget includes specific expenses, referred to as major cost drivers, which require annual increases. These include contractual salaries and benefits, student transportation, and tuition costs for students enrolled in other settings. By leveraging additional grant opportunities from the State of Connecticut, along with legislated magnet school tuition support, and restructuring staffing roles and responsibilities at Central Office, we have been able to mitigate rising costs, retain all certified classroom teachers, while keeping the increase request at 3.19%.
We invite the public to join us on Tuesday, March 5, at 7:00 PM for public comments on the budget. Your input is valuable and we welcome your voice in this budget process. The Board of Education will vote on adopting the proposed budget on Thursday, March 7, at 7:00 PM. To view our budget and the presentation made to the Bloomfield Board of Education, please visit our website.
We would like to express our gratitude in advance for your input in this budget process. We look forward to sharing this information with the Town Council when our Board of Education presents the adopted budget. Together, we can ensure our students continue to thrive.
Warm regards,
Bethany B. Silver, Ph.D.
Acting Superintendent, Bloomfield Schools
Join us for our 2024-2025 Budget presentation tonight during our Special Meeting of the Board of Education at 7:00 pm. The meeting will take place at the Board of Education and on Zoom.
The link to the meeting is below: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89863894107?pwd=TE5ZWUpFTS93ZjJublhUdEVDWC9sQT09