Our EME Focus
- Tier 1 Instruction
- Belonging
- Define what it means to be an Integrated Arts School
Thoughts of the Week
January~ derived from the Latin word Januarius, which is named after the Roman god Janus. I find it interesting the Janus is often depicted with two faces, one looking to the past and one to the future.
These are Six Questions to Reflect on the Past, Enjoy the Present and Anticipate the Future…
- What is it that I am looking forward to? This question helps you focus on the positive. This is a stressful time of year, and your brain will want to dwell on everything that is not going as planned. When you pause and think about all that you are looking forward to, it primes your brain to seek more of what is good and going well in your life. As my mentor Tal Ben-Shahar says, “Appreciate the good and the good will appreciate.”
- What is something I am grateful for? This is a powerful way to bring you back into an attitude of gratitude. There can be a lot of “bah humbug” around the holiday season. When you pause and reflect on what you are grateful for, it reminds you of all that you have in your life, without the need for anything more.
- What is something I am proud of doing this past year? The New Year is right around the corner, and what often accompanies January 1 is a long list of what you are going to do differently in 2018. Instead of using December as an endpoint for the year, think of it as a place to pause and reflect. Look back and think of all the things you did well and remember all the progress you have made. This then sets you up for a wonderful 2018, without discounting all the great things you have already done.
- What is one thing I would like to do differently next year? This allows you to look forward without being overwhelmed. Different does not always mean harder or longer. It may mean allowing more time to relax, to be less hard on yourself or to change how you use your free time. This question does not mean that the past was bad and the future will be better; it simply opens the door for you to consider making small changes that could benefit your future.
- If 2025 was your last year, ask yourself: What would I be doing? Who would I be with? How would I want to feel? OK, so I know these are three questions, but it is a powerful way to make sure that your goals for next year are in alignment with your values.
- Where am I? This time of year pulls us in a million directions, yet the greatest gift you can give your friends and family is the gift of your presence and undivided attention. Between the parties, the texts and the selfies, you can miss the moments twice. Each time you walk into a room or you find yourself drifting, simply ask yourself, “Where am I?” If you don’t like the answer, listen to your breathing and to yourself say, “Be, here, now.” This will bring you back into the moment, so you can fully enjoy and embrace this special time of year.
The Coming Week
- Monday
- Staff Meeting 2:30-3:15
- Tuesday
- Safety Meeting 7:00-7:30
- Elementary Admin Meeting 3:00-5:00
- Wednesday
- Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
- SIW Culture of Care with Amy Yilik 1:00-3:15
- Thursday
- Fire Drill 8:30
- Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
- Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
- Friday
- EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
UPCOMING DATES:
- January 13 – Sarajane Pixton’s Birthday!
- January 13 – Principal Meeting 8:00-12:00
- January 13 – Union meeting with Peter Hoover 2:30
- January 13 – TAG/ICCL Meeting 3:45-5:45
- January 14 – Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
- January 14 – Forest Kinder 9:30-1:30
- January 15 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
- January 15 – SIW Ed Network 1:00-2:30
- January 15 – Safety Cadre 1:30-3:00
- January 16 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
- January 16 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
- January 16 – Admin Meeting 3:30-4:45
- January 17 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
- January 20 – Martin Luther King Day
- January 20 – Lea Wolnick’s Brithday
- January 21 – Earthquake Drill 1:30
- January 21 – ICCL Meeting 2:30-3:15
- January 22 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
- January 22 – SIW Follow up to Ed Network 1:00-2:30
- January 23 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
- January 23 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
- January 24 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
- January 27 – Dibels Day!
- January 27 – Committee Meeting 2:30-3:15
- January 28 – Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
- January 29 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
- January 29 – EA Meeting 1:00-1:30
- January 29 – SIW Teacher Prep 1:00-2:30
- January 29 – All Admin Meeting 3:00-4:30
- January 30 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
- January 30 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
- January 31 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
- February 2 – Groundhog Day
- February 3 – Core Effectiveness Meetings
- February 3 – Staff Meeting 2:30-3:15
- February 4 – Safety Meeting 7:00-7:30
- February 4 – Core Effectiveness Meetings
- February 4 – Elementary Admin Meeting 3:00-5:00
- February 5 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
- February 5 – SIW – Extra Time for EL Planning 1:00-2:30
- February 6 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
- February 6 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
- February 7 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
Updates from Downtown
From Tammy and Karen
Schedule Notes
Horizontal Meeting at Elk Meadow Elementary on January 7th from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. Opening by Elk Meadow and closing by Westside Village.
Important Links
- December 11th Elementary TLC Update
- Topics of Interest/Problem of Practice–Keep connecting and supporting each other!
Notes from our Team:
From Sarah Barclay, BEA and Sean Reinhart, Student Support
We are re-sharing to make sure you have access to this information and can easily share it with your entire staff, including classified employees. Certified employees previously received this, but classified emplyees avenot.
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 and Sean Reinhart, Executive Director of Student Services, Bend-La Pine Schools
From Student Well-Being – Jennifer Hauth
Elementary Counselors will be teaching new curriculum beginning in January. As part of our Source of Strength implementation at secondary, we are adding their Connecting to Help curriculum for grades 3-5 at elementary, this is just a few lessons at each grade level. This is an opportunity to build skills and language around mental health literacy and provide resources ahead of significant transitions. These lessons uplift protective factors available to students to help mitigate risk and allow them to practice strategies for lifelong health. Protective factors addressed in these lessons include:
- A sense of belonging and connection, both at school and in the broader community
- Positive relationships with peers and adults at school
- The ability to identify emotions, utilize coping skills, and solve social problems
- Being able to talk to Trusted Adults about social and emotional challenges
- Positive sense of identity
We met as a PLC a few weeks ago and reviewed the Connecting to Help curriculum for grades 3, 4 and 5. We have a family letter that they will share with family and here are the slides from our time together: Elementary School Counselors – Connecting to Help Curriculum and review of Wayfinder MTSS Dashboard as well as the Informed Consent Process.
From Curriculum and Instruction – Julie Richards
STEMHub Training: Please share this flyer with teachers after the break. This event is in January and subs are covered.
Life and Career Readiness – Jenny White
Principals, here is an activity from Wayfinder called Finding Commonalities that you can use during a staff meeting or SIW. Link to the Activity in Wayfinder.
From Deputy Superintendent- Lisa Birk
Another survey I would like you to share with your team is from one of our partners, COREN. This will give an opportunity for all staff to describe professional development interests. COREN supports many learning opportunities within BLP, and this information benefits both their organization and ours in the sense that it gives us access to supports for our current needs. Right now, participation has been limited so any encouragement you can do to give feedback is helpful. This survey ends on January 10th.
Policy, Advocacy, and Equity – Kinsey Martin
Upcoming events/dates:
Spanish-language FAFSA Night: Mon, Jan 13th. Here is the flyer. Thanks for distributing to your families and promoting through your channels! The primary audience is high school, but staff or families from any grade level are welcome if they just want to get a sense of the process.
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 🙂 )
Black History Month Door-Decorating Contest: Submissions due Wed, Feb 19, and winners will be announced Fri, Feb 21. Prizes and recognition for the winners will be a little special this year. Complete information will be shared with your staff via your DEI-ICCL rep in early January—for now, add these key dates to your calendar!
Presidential inauguration: This year’s presidential inauguration falls on the same day as Martin Luther King, Jr., Day. It is a No-School day, but some priority-population advisory groups have indicated worry for the student experience and respectful interactions on Tuesday, Jan 21st.
Our community has been relatively respectful post-election (which is great!), and we certainly don’t want to assume negative intent. That said, continued preventive efforts can’t hurt. In early Jan, make sure your teachers review norms and expectations regarding the dignity and belonging of everyone in your learning community, and the expected reporting procedures if these norms are violated (i.e. bias incident form submissions). As you welcome students back from break, a family communication/reminder regarding these school-wide expectations is helpful too.
Please ask your counselors to make themselves as available as possible for drop-ins if students need extra support on/around Tues, Jan 21. If your team knows a particular student or colleague struggled after the election in November, make a note on your calendar to have a trusted adult or friend intentionally check in with them that day.
Complaints: Your teams are doing really great with the complaint system—thank you for your visible and thoughtful efforts to respond, investigate, support, document, and communicate for each one you receive in your Dashboard. Those take substantial time and energy, but they are investments in the trust and safety of your school culture, and your students, families, and staff notice and appreciate that.
Action Items
- Protect January 22 SIW for a FULL 90 minutes of EL planning for your staff
Important Dates
- January 6: First Day back from break!
- January 7: Horizontal Meeting at Elk Meadow from 3:00-5:00, hosted by Elk Meadow and Westside Village
- January 15 and 22: SIWs that are Educator Network day followed by an SIW that is EL planning time
- January 29: All Admin PD at Perseverance Hall, 3:00-4:30