Dear Bloomfield School Community,

I hope that you had a great week.

This week I wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on some of the work that has happened in the District as we near the end of our current Strategic Plan. For the past five years, our current Strategic Plan focused on four key priorities for students currently enrolled at Bloomfield and after graduation: Responsible Stewardship, Connecting with Our Community, Creating a Compassionate Culture, and Preparing Students for Success. 

Thanks to the dedication of our staff, students, families, and community partners, we’ve made meaningful progress in each area. Here are a few highlights:

Responsible Stewardship

• Kept budget increases at an average of under 3% over the last seven years with an average budget-to-budget increase of less than 0.5% over the past two
• Lowered the True Value Tax Rate for our community from $21.65 to $14.36
• Generated $190,000 in revenue through the development of a BOCES partnership
• Invested in high-quality professional development that was targeted and meaningful for teachers
• Developed a New to Bloomfield Mentor Program that is recognized as a best practice by the New York State Education Department
• Utilized innovative programs, such as the Teacher Immersion Fellowship Program and the Teacher Resident Apprenticeship Program, to support classrooms at reduced costs

Connecting with Our Community

• Expanded student community service opportunities
• Strengthened partnerships with FLCC, MCC, and other colleges to create new opportunities for students and staff
• Deepened relationships with local organizations like Rotary, Lions Club, the Historical Society, and the Blessing Room
• Increased district communications through regular community mailings
• Partnered with local farms to launch Bloomfield’s first Farmers Market at the Elementary School

Creating a Compassionate Culture

• Established shared K–12 expectations centered on kindness
• Expanded counseling supports, including small groups, family counseling, and virtual options
• Worked to promote sportsmanship with our student athletes
• Worked to become more intentional with our recognition of student and staff achievements

Preparing Students for Success

• Sustained strong academic programs, including IB and AP
• Increased career exploration opportunities across grades K–12
• Partnered with MCC to offer an Optics course and continued our support of CTE participation
• Remained a top-performing district in the region
• Strengthened curriculum and created a District Curriculum Committee to regularly review and evaluate curriculum

As we begin the work of creating our next Strategic Plan we believe your voice is essential. At this point we are reviewing state requirements, the proposed changes to graduation requirements, and student achievement data to identify goals, but we also need your perspective. 

Our “Keep, Start, Stop” survey will be used to help us determine what to protect, what to improve, and what to change in order to better serve our students and community. We are encouraging parents and community members to take a brief survey by February 25th. This survey will be used to help inform the work we do and the direction we go with our next Strategic Plan. You can access the survey through this link: Strategic Planning Survey.

As we head into the February Break here are a few items of note:

Our spring musical, “The Little Mermaid” is just around the corner. Show times are March 13 at 7 PM and March 14 at 2 PM and 7 PM. Our talented students in grades 6–12 have created a fantastic show! Tickets go on sale February 13 to get your tickets please go to bloomfieldcsd.seatyourself.biz.

The Drama Club invites you to join them for Tea Under the Sea on March 7 from 11 AM–1 PM at the Elementary School. For $10, enjoy treats, performances, crafts, face painting, and more, all hosted by our Drama Club. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP for the event here!

Students interested in healthcare careers are encouraged to apply for the paid Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) through WNY R-AHEC and D’Youville University. This is a paid six-week summer camp for rising Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors who may be interested in learning more about the health career field. The six-week summer program runs July 7–August 13. Applications are due March 3. To apply, please fill out this survey. 

As always, thank you for your ongoing support and partnership. We’re proud to celebrate the incredible things happening in our District. Please remember to let us know if you ever have any questions or ever need anything.

I hope that you all enjoy the February Break!

Andy Doell

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Picture of the Week: The Bloomfield Fishing Club takes time to pose for a group picture before their ice fishing trip on Conesus Lake.