Our EME Focus

• Tier 1 Instruction
• Belonging
• Define what it means to be an Integrated Arts School

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Thought of the Week

Solomon Asch Conformity Line Experiment Study

The Asch paradigm was a series of conformity experiments by Solomon Asch designed to investigate how social pressure from a majority group could influence an individual to conform.

In the experiments, groups of participants were asked to match the length of lines on cards, a task with an obvious answer.

However, each group only included one real participant, with the rest being confederates instructed to give the incorrect answer.

Solomon Asch experimented with investigating the extent to which social pressure from a majority group could affect a person to conform.

He believed the main problem with Sherif’s (1935) conformity experiment was that there was no correct answer to the ambiguous autokinetic experiment.  How could we be sure that a person conformed when there was no correct answer?

Asch (1951) devised what is now regarded as a classic experiment in social psychology, whereby there was an obvious answer to a line judgment task.

If the participant gave an incorrect answer, it would be clear that this was due to group pressure.

Asch used a lab experiment to study conformity, whereby 50 male students from Swarthmore College in the USA participated in a ‘vision test.’

Using a line judgment task, Asch put a naive participant in a room with seven confederates/stooges. The confederates had agreed in advance what their responses would be when presented with the line task.

The real participant did not know this and was led to believe that the other seven confederates/stooges were also real participants like themselves.

Each person in the room had to state aloud which comparison line (A, B or C) was most like the target line. The answer was always obvious.  The real participant sat at the end of the row and gave his or her answer last.

At the start, all participants (including the confederates) gave the correct answers. However, after a few rounds, the confederates started to provide unanimously incorrect answers.

There were 18 trials in total, and the confederates gave the wrong answer on 12 trials (called the critical trials).  Asch was interested to see if the real participant would conform to the majority view.

Asch’s experiment also had a control condition where there were no confederates, only a “real participant.”

Findings

Asch measured the number of times each participant conformed to the majority view.

On average, about one third (32%) of the participants who were placed in this situation went along and conformed with the clearly incorrect majority on the critical trials.

Over the 12 critical trials, about 75% of participants conformed at least once, and 25% of participants never conformed.

In the control group, with no pressure to conform to confederates, less than 1% of participants gave the wrong answer.

Conclusion

Why did the participants conform so readily?  When they were interviewed after the experiment, most of them said that they did not really believe their conforming answers, but had gone along with the group for fear of being ridiculed or thought “peculiar.

A few of them said that they did believe the group’s answers were correct.

Apparently, people conform for two main reasons: because they want to fit in with the group (normative influence) and because they believe the group is better informed than they are (informational influence).

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THE COMING WEEK:

• Monday
  • None

• Tuesday
  • Sign up for a 1-Hour block with Lori
  • EME Safety Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • ICCL Meeting 2:30-3:15

• Wednesday
  • Dexter Chamberlin’s Birthday!
  • Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • SIW – EL Planning 1:00-2:30

• Thursday
  • Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
  • Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • Admin BAM Meeting 3:30-4:45

• Friday
  • EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00

UPCOMING DATES:

• April 7 – Staff Meeting 2:30-3:15
• April 8 – Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
• April 9 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• April 9 – SIW – Teacher Prep 1:00-2:30
• April 9 – Admin Meeting 3:00-4:30
• April 10 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• April 10 – Fire Drill 1:30
• April 10 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• April 11 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
• April 13 – Emily McLarty’s Birthday!
• April 14 – Meet with Peter
• April 15 – Admin Meeting 3:00-5:00
• April 16 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• April 16 – Conferences
• April 17 – Conferences
• April 18 – No School
• April 21 – Ben out for meeting 7:30-12:30
• April 21 – Committees Meeting 2:30-3:15
• April 22 – Earth Day
• April 22 – Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
• April 22 – Admin Training – 3:00-5:00
• April 23 – Administrative Professionals Day!
• April 23 – Spring Picture Day
• April 23 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• April 23 – SIW Ed Network Day 1:00-2:30
• April 23 – Safety Cadre Meeting 1:30-3:30
• April 24 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• April 24 – Lock Down Drill 1:00
• April 24 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• April 25 – Stephanie JS Birthday!
• April 25 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
• April 27 – Laura G Birthday!
• April 29 – Forest Kindergarten 9:30-1:30
• April 29 – ICCL Meeting 2:30-3:15
• April 30 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• April 30 – SIW Ed Network Follow Up 1:00-2:30
• May 1 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• May 1 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• May 2 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00

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Updates from Downtown

Spring Conferences: Time Frames and Schedule: After consultation with BEA two years ago, we have landed on the following information regarding length of a conference.  If a teacher has 25 or less students, their conferences need to be between 25-30 minutes to accommodate for transition times as needed (25 min  gives time for a quick restroom break, time in case one goes longer, etc.).  If a teacher has 26 or more students, their conferences can be 20 minutes, giving the teacher the ability to have a few longer ones as well as building in transition times if needed.  

For Spring conferences, the work days are as follows: Wednesday, April 16, from 7:15-3:15 (first 8 hours if your day is slightly different) is work time–no conferences during this time and 3:15-7:15 is conference time. Thursday, April 17, 7:15-7:15 are conferences. Friday, April 18, is a day off to trade.

Important Links

• March 19^th Elementary TLC Update
• Topics of Interest/Problem of Practice-Got something you want some collaboration with? (New Request about systems to support student behavior)
• FAQs for Special Education Inclusion Topics—Keep checking in here! BEA and BLS supported

Notes from our Team:

From Shelby Paulson, District Librarian-Please consider supporting your Media Managers to go to this amazing event!

From Julie Richards in Elementary Curriculum and Instruction

I am looking for a school that would be willing to have some visitors come to observe EL one day during the week of April 7-10th.  This would be a team of 6-7 teachers from Sisters School District.  Please let me know if you would be open to having visitors.  Thank you.

From Scott and Kayla in Safety

Our School Resource Officer team is rotating out the supervisor position with Bend PD. Most of you know Sergeant Joe Pacheco and the outstanding job he’s done to support our schools and the SRO team over the past few years. Joe was recently promoted to Lieutenant with Bend PD and will be moving to his new supervisory role within their department after this week.

We will be working with Bend PD on Wednesday to select the new Sergeant for the SRO team, but due to Bend PD staffing management, the new Sergeant will not be able to start working with us until September, as we begin the next school year.

You can find the updated SRO contact list in the safety resource google drive, here.

Please follow the guidelines in the contact roster to get support from law enforcement or our SROs as appropriate for the situation and your school. Please let us know if you have any questions. Thank you,

From Ryan Kelling in Human Resources: 2 things!

1. Hi all, we have A LOT of contract letters that are still outstanding. Contract letters for licensed employees were sent to all licensed employees via UKG and must be returned no later than April 15. If they have not yet completed theirs, please have them log in to UKG to review and submit their response as soon as possible. Administrators, please ensure your staff are aware of this deadline and follow up as needed – and don’t forget to return yours too! If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to Candy Gelatt or the email group [email protected]

Action Items

• Make sure you and your staff have signed their contract letters by April 15

Important Dates

• April 8: School Board Meeting 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
• April 9: Administrator Professional Development 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. Perseverance Hall, Read Ch 3 of Thriving Leaders
• April 15: Horizontal meeting 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. at Ponderosa Elementary–PON and Jewell host
• April 19: On the Road to Kindergarten Event 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at various parks
• April 22: Admin ICCL 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Our EME Focus

• Tier 1 Instruction
• Belonging
• Define what it means to be an Integrated Arts School

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Thought of the Week

A Story of Gratitude and Finding Happiness Beyond Luck

Erin was a young girl who lived in a small town in Ireland. She had always been fascinated by the idea of finding a four-leaf clover, which was believed to bring good luck. Erin spent hours searching the fields, gardens, and parks for a four-leaf clover, but she never found one.

One day, Erin was feeling particularly down and frustrated. She had searched all morning and found nothing. As she sat down in the grass and looked up at the sky, she noticed a beautiful butterfly fluttering nearby. The butterfly was so colorful and graceful, and Erin couldn’t take her eyes off it.

The butterfly flew around the garden, landing on different flowers and plants. Erin followed it with her eyes, watching as it danced in the sunlight. Suddenly, the butterfly landed on a flower right next to her, and Erin saw that it had four wings.

Erin couldn’t believe her luck! She had been searching for a four-leaf clover all this time, and she had finally found something even more special – a four-winged butterfly.

As Erin sat there, admiring the butterfly, she realized that she didn’t need a four-leaf clover to be happy. She was lucky to be alive and surrounded by beautiful things every day. She had a family who loved her, friends who cared about her, and a world full of wonder and beauty.

Erin felt a sense of gratitude and contentment wash over her. She had been so focused on finding a four-leaf clover that she had forgotten to appreciate the small things in life. The butterfly had shown her that there was magic all around her, and all she had to do was look for it.

From that day on, Erin stopped searching for a four-leaf clover. Instead, she spent her days exploring the world around her, discovering new things, and enjoying the beauty of nature. She realized that happiness was not about finding a lucky charm, but about finding joy in the present moment.

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THE COMING WEEK:

• Monday
  • Ben out for Principal meeting 7:30-12:30
  • Committee Meetings – 2:30-3:15

• Tuesday
  • Carrie Shorthouse’s Birthday!
  • Ben Meeting 8:00-9:00
  • Potato Bar Day!! Sign-up
  • Career Fair – 8:45-10:45
  • Fire Drill – 1:00
  • ICCL Meeting 2:30-3:15

• Wednesday
  • Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • Art Workshop #2
  • SIW – EL Planning 1:00-2:30
  • Safety Cadre Meeting 1:30-3:30
  • CPR Training at Elk Meadow 2:30-4:30

• Thursday
  • Jenn Kandra’s Birthday!
  • Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
  • Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • Admin BAM Meeting 3:30-4:45

• Friday
  • Ben Out
  • EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00

UPCOMING DATES:

• March 24-28 Spring Break
• April 1 – Sign up for a 1-Hour block with Lori
• April 1 – EME Safety Meeting 7:00-7:30
• April 1 – ICCL Meeting 2:30-3:15
• April 2 – Dexter Chamberlin’s Birthday!
• April 2 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• April 2 – SIW – EL Planning 1:00-2:30
• April 3 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• April 3 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• April 3 – Admin BAM Meeting 3:30-4:45
• April 4 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
• April 7 – Staff Meeting 2:30-3:15
• April 8 – Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
• April 9 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• April 9 – SIW – Teacher Prep 1:00-2:30
• April 9 – Admin Meeting 3:00-4:30
• April 10 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• April 10 – Fire Drill 1:30
• April 10 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• April 11 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
• April 13 – Emily McLarty’s Birthday!
• April 14 – Meet with Peter
• April 15 – Admin Meeting 3:00-5:00
• April 16 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• April 16 – Conferences
• April 17 – Conferences
• April 18 – No School
• April 21 – Ben out for meeting 7:30-12:30
• April 21 – Committees Meeting 2:30-3:15
• April 22 – Earth Day
• April 22 – Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
• April 22 – Admin Training – 3:00-5:00
• April 23 – Administrative Professionals Day!
• April 23 – Spring Picture Day
• April 23 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• April 23 – SIW Ed Network Day 1:00-2:30
• April 23 – Safety Cadre Meeting 1:30-3:30
• April 24 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• April 24 – Lock Down Drill 1:00
• April 24 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• April 25 – Stephanie JS Birthday!
• April 25 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
• April 27 – Laura G Birthday!
• April 29 – Forest Kindergarten 9:30-1:30
• April 29 – ICCL Meeting 2:30-3:15
• April 30 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• April 30 – SIW Ed Network Follow Up 1:00-2:30
• May 1 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• May 1 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• May 2 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00

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Updates from Downtown

From Tammy and Karen

Belonging is the feeling of being valued, included, and connected to those around us. In our workplaces, a strong sense of belonging leads to deeper collaboration, greater job satisfaction, and a more supportive environment where everyone can thrive. When we feel a sense of belonging, we are more engaged, innovative, and empowered to do our best work.

Important Links

• March 5^th Elementary TLC Update
• Topics of Interest/Problem of Practice-Got something you want some collaboration with? (New Request about systems to support student behavior)
• FAQs for Special Education Inclusion Topics—Keep checking in here! BEA and BLS supported

Notes from our Team:

From Kinsey – Policy, Advocacy, and Office of DEI:

Congratulations: Be sure to celebrate the folks in your building who won our recent community engagement contest opportunities, and include kudos to all your staff who participated!  Winners, participants, photos of submissions, and more are here.     

From Instructional Technology, Tracy Howk and Robbie Faith: Digital Curriculum Access for Substitute Teachers

Clever has recently introduced Clever Sub Badges, a new feature that allows teachers to provide secure, temporary login credentials for substitute teachers. With this badge, substitutes can access resources like ILC, Really Great Reading, and Wayfinder without needing the teacher’s personal login information. Teachers can also share video links, Google Slides, PDFs,  and other digital resources to simplify substitute planning.

Since January, we have been piloting this new feature at High Lakes and Ponderosa Elementary, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. 

We are now looking for a few more schools to introduce this new feature this spring. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Robbie Faith to schedule a short meeting with your admin team.

From Transportation – Kim Crabtree

Can we please ask schools NOT to give out candy and food treats at the end of the day. Students are not allowed to eat on the bus, and it causes a lot of friction when we tell kids to put it in the garbage. They will not keep it in their backpacks. Last week we had suckers and cupcakes come onto buses. 🙁

Action Items

• Reach out to Robbie Faith if you are interested in learning more about the Clever Sub Badge.

Important Dates

• March 19: Elementary Safety Cadre, 1:30-3:30–Silver Rail Library
• March 24-28: The long awaited Spring Break!
• April 8: School Board Meeting 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
• April 9: Administrator Professional Development 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
• April 15: Horizontal meeting 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. at Ponderosa Elementary
• April 19: On the Road to Kindergarten Event 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• April 22: Admin ICCL 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

And finally…I thought this as I slipped on the snow when I walked out of my house this morning!

Our EME Focus

• Tier 1 Instruction
• Belonging
• Define what it means to be an Integrated Arts School

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Thoughts of the Week

How do you start a Movement? Be the first nut!

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THE COMING WEEK:

• Monday
  • TAG/ICCL Meeting 3:45-5:45
  • Admin Meet with Peter

• Tuesday
  • Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
  • Forest Kindergarten 9:30-1:30
  • Admin Meeting 2:00-5:00

• Wednesday
  • Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30 
  • Art Workshop #1
  • SIW – Ed Network 1:00-2:30

• Thursday
  • Fire Drill – 9:00
  • Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
  • Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • All District Meeting 3:05-3:35

• Friday
  • EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
    Assembly!-9:00

UPCOMING DATES:

• March 17 – Ben out for Principal meeting 7:30-12:30
• March 17 – Committee Meetings – 2:30-3:15
• March 18 – Carrie Shorthouse’s Birthday!
• March 18 – Ben Meeting 8:00-9:00
• March 18 – Potato Bar Day!! Sign-up
• March 18 – Career Fair – 8:45-10:45
• March 18 – ICCL Meeting 2:30-3:15
• March 19 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• March 19 – Art Workshop #2
• March 19 – SIW – EL Planning 1:00-2:30
• March 19 – Safety Cadre Meeting 1:30-3:30
• March 19 – CPR Training at Elk Meadow 2:30-4:30
• March 20 – Jenn Kandra’s Birthday!
• March 20 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• March 20 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• March 20 – Admin BAM Meeting 3:30-4:45
• March 21 – Ben Out
• March 21 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
• March 24-28 Spring Break
• April 1 – Sign up for a 1-Hour block with Lori
• April 1 – EME Safety Meeting 7:00-7:30
• April 1 – ICCL Meeting 2:30-3:15
• April 2 – Dexter Chamberlin’s Birthday!
• April 2 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• April 2 – SIW – EL Planning 1:00-2:30
• April 3 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• April 3 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• April 3 – Admin BAM Meeting 3:30-4:45
• April 4 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00

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Updates from Downtown

From Tammy and Karen

March, the month that sometimes can’t make up it’s mind. 63 degrees and flip flops one day and snow the next. The bridge between the winter doldrums and a renewed spring. May you embrace each day whatever it may bring and celebrate that our daylight will be lasting longer into the evening. Yes, that’s your reminder to “spring forward” this Sunday!

Don’t forget: All-Staff Meeting with Dr. Cook this next Thursday; Please remember to remind your staff about this optional districtwide virtual staff meeting. Links will come soon. The two time options are:

• 3:05 to 3:35 p.m. (best for elementary schedules)
• 3:50 to 4:20 p.m. (best for secondary schedules)

Important Links

• March 5^th Elementary TLC Update
• Topics of Interest/Problem of Practice-Got something you want some collaboration with?
• FAQs for Special Education Inclusion Topics—Keep checking in here! BEA and BLS supported

Notes from our Team:

From Information and Instructional Technology – Scott McDonald and Karen Rush: We are forming an Instructional Technology Stakeholder group comprised of teachers, parents, students, administrators, and community members.  We have great representation from district staff and community members, but are hoping to have parents from across the district and grade levels join the group. We have shared this information in the Family Spotlight but would love to see more applications!  Will you please send out this notice to your school community members?  Thank you! Parent Newsletter IT Stakeholder (English and Spanish)

Also from Instructional Technology, Tracy Howk and Robbie Faith: Students in grades K-8 will now find a new icon on their iPad home screen directing them to the research databases hosted on our media center websites. Utilizing carefully curated research databases, instead of generic search engines, is crucial for fostering responsible information-seeking in the vast sea of online resources. Check out Quick Access to Safe and Reliable Research for more information. If you’d like support with research projects in your classrooms, please reach out to your instructional coach or our instructional technology team, Robbie Faith and Tracy Howk.

From Social Emotional Wellness – Jennifer Hauth

What fun celebrations of teachers and schools this week with Wayfinder. Kudos to Silver Rail, who was the elementary school with the highest Wayfinder usage as a school, and Juniper’s second grade, for the highest usage as an elementary grade level team. Hearing the teachers talk about the difference it has made in their classrooms and students was really inspiring. If you are struggling with Wayfinder implementation, please reach out!

Potential Inspiring School Visit: Is your school and/or PTO interested in having a Challenged Athletes Ambassador and a Paralympic Gold Medalist speak to students about inclusivity and perseverance on Friday, May 9th? motivational speaker Rudy Garcia-Tolson  is available for an uplifting talk. Contact Mark Dean, [email protected], to schedule the speaker. Rudy’s visit is partially subsidized by the Challenges Athlete’s Foundation so he would ask for a donation of their choice from the schools he speaks at. 

Important Dates

• March 11: Horizontal Meeting 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. at Pine Ridge hosted by PRE and NSE
• March 13: 3:05 or 3:50—Take 30 minutes to participate in the All Staff Update with Dr. Cook
• March 19: Elementary Safety Cadre, 1:30-3:30–Silver Rail Library
• March 24-28: The long awaited Spring Break!

And finally…

Our EME Focus

• Tier 1 Instruction
• Belonging
• Define what it means to be an Integrated Arts School

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Thoughts of the Week

The Story of Everybody, Somebody, Anybody And Nobody

I love the story of these four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.

Here’s the story, titled “Whose Job Is It, Anyway?”

This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have.

The story may be confusing but the message is clear: no one took responsibility so nothing got accomplished.

It’s a story that plays out often in organizations and companies and on teams—anywhere there is culture that lacks accountability.

But how do you get people to take responsibly for their work? Different things work in different situations, but here are some strategies that have proven to be effective:

Become a role model. You can’t tell people what to do if you yourself aren’t willing to hold yourself to the same level. If you want people to act responsibly, you have to be accountable. Your team and your company look to you for direction.

Don’t make assumptions. Don’t assume that others know instinctively what to do and when to do it, or even what you expect from them. Before people can take responsibility for their work they require clear communication. The more you communicate, the better the results are likely to be.

Set the standard. If you expect excellence, it’s up to you to set the standards for results and performance. Make each task or goal measurable and set it on a reasonable timeline so it’s achievable. Give people a clear target and they’ll work to reach it—and maybe even surpass it.

Get the buy-in to go the distance. You need people to buy in and commit if you want to succeed. Each vision should be compelling; each goal should build toward the whole; each task should be laced with motivation. You need people to feel compelled, inspired and motivated to take responsibility.

Make regular check-ups. One of the biggest reasons people fall short is a lack of follow-through by leadership. Help people stay focused by setting up regular checkpoints—phone calls or meetings where everyone can communicate and catch up, staying focused on moving forward and being accountable. When people know there will be check-ups, they’re less likely to procrastinate and more likely to hit their targets.

Provide support and training. Especially with a start-up or a new initiative, people are taking on projects or tasks that they’ve never faced before. Make sure everybody has the training and resources they need to be successful, and provide help in resolving any issues that may arise.

Encourage candor. One of the worst things that can happen to a team is for people to feel uncomfortable discussing problems and expressing their honest opinions. Build a culture of candor so that people know it’s the norm to tell the truth, even when it’s difficult or awkward.

Concentrate on solutions and not only problems. If people are having problems or falling behind, expect them to come to you with possible solutions, not just the problems. Create an expectation that the first response to a problem is to start finding solutions.

Praise performance. Praise people for good results and be specific with your acknowledgment. Let them know what they did well and how their work is affecting others. If they fall short, coach them privately and let them know how they can improve. And if their performance does not improve, also address this with meaningful consequences that have been explained ahead of time.

To avoid having your team become Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody, commit to becoming the kind of leader who takes responsibility for your own life and leadership.

Lead from within: Don’t let Anybody (or Everybody, Somebody or Nobody) stop you from doing what you need to do to create the kind of leadership and life you can be proud of.

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THE COMING WEEK:

• Monday
  • Classified Employee Appreciation Week!
  • Staff Meeting 2:30-3:15

• Tuesday
  • Safety Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • ICCL Meeting 2:30-3:15

• Wednesday
  • Emma Keeton’s Birthday!
  • Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
  • SIW – Teacher Prep for Art Workshops 1:00-2:30

• Thursday
  • Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
  • Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • Title Night – Elk Meadow Learning Summit 5:00-7:00

• Friday
  • EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00

UPCOMING DATES:

• March 10 – TAG/ICCL Meeting 3:45-5:45
• March 10 – Admin Meet with Peter
• March 11 – Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
• March 11 – Forest Kindergarten 9:30-1:30
• March 11 – Admin Meeting 2:00-5:00
• March 12 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• March 12 – Art Workshop #1
• March 12 – SIW – Ed Network 1:00-2:30
• March 13 – Fire Drill – 9:00
• March 13 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• March 13 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• March 14 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
• March 14 – Assembly!
• March 17 – Ben out for Principal meeting 7:30-12:30
• March 17 – Committee Meetings – 2:30-3:15
• March 18 – Carrie Shorthouse’s Birthday!
• March 18 – Ben Meeting 8:00-9:00
• March 18 – Career Fair – 8:45-10:45
• March 18 – ICCL Meeting 2:30-3:15
• March 19 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• March 19 – Art Workshop #2
• March 19 – SIW – EL Planning 1:00-2:30
• March 19 – Safety Cadre Meeting 1:30-3:30
• March 19 – CPR Training at Elk Meadow 2:30-4:30
• March 20 – Jenn Kandra’s Birthday!
• March 20 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• March 20 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• March 20 – Admin BAM Meeting 3:30-4:45
• March 21 – Ben Out
• March 21 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
• March 24-28 Spring Break
• April 1 – EME Safety Meeting 7:00-7:30
• April 1 – ICCL Meeting 2:30-3:15
• April 2 – Dexter Chamberlin’s Birthday!
• April 2 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• April 2 – SIW – EL Planning 1:00-2:30
• April 3 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• April 3 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• April 3 – Admin BAM Meeting 3:30-4:45
• April 4 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00

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Updates from Downtown

Common Language:  We had a conversation at cabinet regarding the use of the term “graduation” for anything other than seniors who “graduate” from high school.  We are going to align K-12 to reserve the terms “graduation”, “graduate”, etc. for graduating seniors only.  For other kinds of celebrations K-8, the terms “celebration” or “promotion” will be used to represent those types of transitions.  So, long story short, if you do any type of Kindergarten or 5th grade celebrations, please be sure to use other words to describe that celebration instead of graduation.

ALL-STAFF MEETINGS MARCH 13 WITH DR. COOK: Please remind all your building staff of the virtual meetings with Dr. Cook on Thursday, March 13. These 30-minute virtual meetings are open to all District employees, with two afternoon time slots to accommodate different work schedules. 

Dr. Cook will provide updates on bills making their way through the state Legislature and how they could impact our work to build a budget for next school year. He also will touch on directives related to public education coming out of Washington, D.C. Dr. Cook will leave time to answer a few staff questions. PICK YOUR TIME!

• 3:05 to 3:35 p.m. (best for elementary schedules)
• 3:50 to 4:20 p.m. (best for secondary schedules)

We will provide meeting links closer to the date. Attendance is optional, and we will provide recordings of both meetings afterward.

Important Links

• February 19^th Elementary TLC Update
• Topics of Interest/Problem of Practice–Someone is looking for a Field Trip Checklist!
• FAQs for Special Education Inclusion Topics—Keep checking in here! BEA and BLS supported

Notes from our Team:

From Information Technology – Scott McDonald: We need to talk once again about security and keeping our organization and personal data safe.  Email phishing and scams continues to be our number one threat.  And lately, the bad guys have been busy.  Fortunately, there are actions both we in IT and you can do to protect our data:

Report any suspicious email message– Use the “Phish Alert” button in Microsoft Outlook to flag any suspicious message.  Of course, do not click any links in the email before reporting!

Note External Messages– Along with the yellow banner, you will now see the label “External” beside any message that is not from a Bend-La Pine user. In some cases, you may  also see additional information about the sender.

Only use Microsoft Outlook!- The security features that we invest in and maintain as a district are only available on Microsoft Outlook mail clients and tools.  Please do not add your work email to any other mail application (examples include Apple Mail, Gmail, etc.). 

Soon, we will be disabling the ability for users to view their work email on third party applications.  There will be additional messaging to support users who will be impacted by this change.

Finally, you might have noticed our email phishing campaign has become a lot harder lately.  That is because the bad guys are also getting trickier as well.  Do not be afraid to over report when you are suspicious of a message!

From Social Emotional Wellness – Jennifer Hauth

Join us in celebrating our incredible Student Success Coordinators, Clinicians, Instructors and Educational Assistants the week of March 3rd – March 7th! This coincides with School Social Work Week & Classified Appreciation week.

Student success staff are instrumental in supporting students with significant social, emotional and mental health needs. These amazing humans work tirelessly to provide intensive care coordination, family engagement, academic support and emotional support.  

Our student success staff serve as vital members of a school’s education team, playing a central role in creating partnerships between the home, school, and community to improve student well-being and academic success. 

Please take a moment during this week to celebrate and acknowledge the student success staff in your building! Thank you. 

Wayfinder. Please share this poster with your staff. Unlike the picture below, the poster has live links for them to click on.

Life and From School Improvement – Dave VanLoo: NNAT3 Update. After several days of back and forth with Pearson, we have confirmed that students cannot use Clever to login to the NNAT3 on iPads. Currently Clever is used for rostering and for adults to log into the website to manage testing and reporting. Unfortunately, this means that students will need to install the TestNav app using Self Service and login to it via username (BLP Perm ID#) and password (Session ID # generated in the website). The Synergy report STU408 (Class list and click 2nd grade and Perm ID) can be used to get usernames. In addition to the NNAT3 resources that were shared in the blog a couple of weeks ago, here is the link to the great slide deck Laci made to help with installing TestNav and administering the test.  Let me know if you have additional questions. https://www.canva.com/design/DAF-weB3_o8/q_rg5hHIpyVC33qE4hfziw/edit?utm_content=DAF-weB3_o8&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

From Director of Multilingual Services -Liza Huet: SIGN UP HERE. *Space is limited

Action Items

• Start planning Erin’s Law lessons–share the information with your staff
• Share SIOP training with staff

Important Dates

• March 3-7: Better Lesson will be here to do school walk-throughs this week–if we haven’t notified you that they will come to your school, no need to note this.
• March 5: All Admin Professional Learning at Perseverance Hall, 3:00-4:30
• March 11: Horizontal Meeting 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. at Pine Ridge hosted by PRE and NSE
• March 13: 3:05 or 3:50—Take 30 minutes to participate in the All Staff Update with Dr. Cook
• March 19: Elementary Safety Cadre, 1:30-3:30–thanks Scott and Kayla for moving it for us!
• March 24-28: The long awaited Spring Break!