BLS Nurse Blog
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
FUN FACT
Your body is not entirely your own. WHAT?!?!
More than half of your body is not human. Human cells make up only 43% of the body’s total cell count. The rest are rogue microscopic agents: bacteria, fungi, and archaea. Anywhere between 500 and 1,000 species have made a home within your folds, ducts, flaps, and chambers, and they’re each present in their billions.
The greatest concentration of these microscopic colonists is located in the dark murky depths of our oxygen-deprived bowels. (BBC, Gallagher J., 2018, More than half your body is not human.)
AND… SPEAKING OF BOWELS…
Did you know that a rhino’s poop can weigh 10 kg (22 pounds) on a single trip to the bathroom?!?!
DEI
Asian Family Night: Friday, January 31st. Food, cultural performances and crafts, and a drawing contest. More details to come—for now, save the date! (Yes, I know this is grading day 🙂 )
IMMUNIZATION EXCLUSION DAY
Immunization Exclusion Day
is
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
You should have received an email from Michelle today!
LEAVE RECORDS
WELCOME KRISTAN SHOBE!!!
Kristan is our new Student Services Accounting Specialist and is currently training with April Diehl. Please send any leave records to BOTH April Diehl and Kristan Shobe during this training period. I will let you know when Kristan is flying solo.
RESOURCES
Oregon Respiratory Viral Pathogen Wastewater Monitoring Dashboard (SARS-CoV-2, Influenza, RSV)
SAFETY
DCHS Substance Abuse Overdose Response Briefing – 12-20-24
BLS SPECIALISTS
STUDENT SERVICES/SPECIAL EDUCATION
From Sean and Sarah Barclay:
BEA Members and Colleagues,
Many of you have reached out with questions about special education programming and expectations within Bend-La Pine Schools. First and foremost, we want to acknowledge the wide-spread concerns and confusion within our District regarding this topic. Over the last five years the Bend-La Pine Schools Student Services Department, previously known as Special Education, has made changes within their department that were well intentioned, but not communicated to the larger system of employees and this has led to uncertainty and misunderstanding. The purpose of today’s communication is to provide all staff with a shared base of information that we can use to build our future decisions upon as we move toward a shared goal of better supporting all students, including those who require specially designed instruction and services.
During the 2018-2019 school year a project known as Excellence in Education gathered feedback from staff, students, and families about their experiences in our schools. After receiving and processing that feedback, the Student Services Department set out on a journey to improve the inclusion of students experiencing disability into the general education setting. The BLS vision for special education is, “Bend-La Pine Schools strive to create an inclusive culture and environment for all learners, particularly for those that experience disability. We believe, to the greatest extent possible, that all students should maximize time spent in the general education classroom regardless of their special education services or related services. To this end, it is imperative that the educational planning process begins with services in the general education setting and ends with the need for specialized services in more segregated settings.” For more detailed information about this process click here.
We are reaching out today to share answers to frequently asked questions about our model for delivering special education services in Bend-La Pine Schools and to provide clarity on how we provide Special Education services in our schools. The Special Education Inclusion Questions and Answers (click link) will be updated as more questions arise.
Are we there yet? Inclusive practices and the improvement of those practices are a process. This work will not be achieved overnight, it will take time and training, it will take collaboration and conversation. All of which are precious in the public education system. As we continue this journey the Student Services Department is committed to listening to all employees, answering questions as they arise, and working with BEA to increase learning opportunities and continued clarity on this topic. The work we do with students is complex and working together to ensure all students have access to the support they need will lead to thriving community members in the future.
In partnership,
Sarah Barclay, President, Bend Education Association
TRAINING/NURSE MEETING 1/31
Nurses – Your input/help is needed….
IEP/504
Nurses – You have requested more information about 504/IEP process and nurse meeting minutes. Josh and/or Colleen and Krista will be stopping by to give us a general overview and will answer any questions you may have.
Please submit your questions to the Google Doc 1/31/24 Nurse Training here.
Community Resources
Nurses – You have requested more information on community resources such as housing and transportation. Do any of you have any information about these resources or who we can contact to provide us with more information?
Please submit information/questions to the Google Doc 1/31/24 Nurse Training here.
CALENDAR
| DATE | TIME | EVENT | INFO |
| 1/8/25 | 2-330 | All Nurse Meeting | In person – Miller Elementary Substitute nurses are welcome! |
| 1/14/25 | 900-1000 | Middle School Nurse Meeting | Location: Microsoft Teams |
| 1/20/25 | NO SCHOOL | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | |
| 1/21/25 | 930-1030 | High School Nurse Meeting | Location: Microsoft Teams |
| 1/27/25 | 330-5 | OSNA Mentoring Monday (register here) | Topic – TBD |
| 1/31/25 | 10-2 | Nurse Training ATTENDANCE REQUIRED (Substitute Nurses are not required but welcome to attend!) | Deschutes County Library 601 NW Wall St, Bend, OR 97703 Community Room (Brooks) |