March 2023 Community Meeting Recap

Below are the notes from our March 2023 BMPA Community Meeting. Please let us know if you would like to help with any of the items or events in the notes.

We will also send out the notes summary in our March e-newsletter, which you can sign up for on our website. We do not send additional emails aside from the once-a-month summary. The option is on the main home page beneath “Subscribe for Updates” under “Get Involved” or you can fill out the form on the right hand side to “Join Our List” to receive the monthly e-newsletter.

Community Events – Items

Art Auction – Summary

Raised close to the goal of $3,000. Recognizing and highlighting artists at Circle of Excellence event and on social media. Thank you to the Chambers music students for the beautiful recital. Next year, BMPA will look at exploring diverse art mediums and maybe a new venue BMPA will send a survey for event feedback.

Mentorship Program Update – Lisa

Moving forward with positive feedback.

Community Belonging Summary – Mayor Ben Kessler

Working with school district and Bexley library on Community Belonging/Anti-Racism efforts. One Bexley Project is the working title.

City has done programming and conversations and trying to expand to larger audience of residents to talk and understand the city’s history and systemic racist past and how can the community support minorities coming into and currently live in the community.

Working on multi-institutional anti-racism program for the entire city. Exploring a community wide certification program that is incentivized. Meeting with Chamber and Superintendent and library leadership for community focus and conversations that are outside the classrooms and workplace and universally present throughout events. Benchmark is critical mass of individuals across broad ages participating.

Circle of Excellence Event – April 23 starting at 4pm in the Middle School Auditorium

Committee working on finalizing details.

Will be able to fund six scholarships at $1,000 each at the event. Deadline for student scholarship applications has been pushed back to April 1.

Submissions are in for recognition of Friends of Bexley Award for supporting BMPA, and Teacher or Staff of the Year Award, Bexley Resident Award and Alumni Award.

Career Fair from 5-6pm in the cafeteria with refreshments. Informational interviews with 10 professionals and 5 trade careers available to talk with students.

City Events

State of Community is 6:30pm in the Bexley Library Auditorium on March 14th.

Live recording available here.

AAPI Festival – May 5^th from 6-8 p.m.

BMPA is donating to help with security and supplies.

Event information will be sent to school PTOs and Bexley Blast

School Updates

School Job Openings – Bryan

Assistant Principal of the High School has been posted.

New Assistant MS Principal – Jerome Price from Olentangy School District is under consideration. Will conduct a welcome event if approved by the board. Exploring ways to support staff.

Expect any more openings will be known after April. Open positions are posted here https://www.bexleyschools.org/EmploymentOpportunities.aspx

School Board Update – Dr. Baker

School board met on March 6^th and discussed SEL activities and the parent group, Erasing Racism in Bexley Schools, ERBS, presented.

District financials are healthy.

Board is emphasizing actions moving forward including policies on anti-racism and discriminatory language in the policy.

Discussion of the proposed Montrose shade design.

School Strategic Plan

Meeting tonight, 3/13.

Community Discussion

Easter Egg Hunt at Schneider Park

April 1^st from 1-2:30 pm for the second annual Easter Egg Hunt looking for sponsorships and plan to have 1,000 eggs. Includes author sponsorship and book reading.

BMPA voted to provide financial support.

Please RSVP for the event here.