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!

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

In 1964 the Civil Rights Act outlawed segregation in public places. One person on the forefront of breaking down barriers of segregation was Fred Rogers. His children’s show, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” ran from 1968 to 2001, and he became famous for the compassion he showed on the show.

Though segregation was no longer the law of the land in America by the end of the 1960s, Black citizens were still not embraced as equal participants in public life. This status was reflected at many community pools across the country, with white people preventing Black people from sharing the water with them. It was in this atmosphere that Fred Rogers performed a simple but meaningful act in episode 1065 of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, which aired on May 9, 1969. Rogers invited Officer Clemmons, a Black police officer on the show, to join him and cool his feet in a small plastic wading pool. When Clemmons sat down and placed his feet in the water, right next to Rogers’, the two men broke a well-known color barrier.

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THE COMING WEEK:

• Monday
  • Committee Meeting 2:30-3:15

• Tuesday
  • Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00

• Wednesday
  • Amanda Waldron’s Birthday!
  • Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
  • SIW – Staff Wellness Event 1:00-2:30

• Thursday
  • Heather Korman’s Birthday!
  • Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
  • Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15

• Friday
  • Nicole Dewes’ Birthday!
  • EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00

UPCOMING DATES:

• March 3 – Classified Employee Appreciation Week!
• March 3 – Staff Meeting 2:30-3:15
• March 4 – Safety Meeting 7:00-7:30
• March 4 – ICCL Meeting 2:30-3:15
• March 5 – Emma Keeton’s Birthday!
• March 5 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• March 5 – OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
• March 5 – SIW – Teacher Prep 1:00-2:30
• March 6 – 1-hour appointments with Lori,  roving sub
• March 6 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• March 6 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• March 7 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00

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Updates from Downtown

Click here to learn more about the World Day of Social Justice

From Tammy and Karen

I was listening to the Podcast, “The Dr. Hyman Show” today, and he had on another one of my favorite people, Simon Sinek. The topic they were discussing was called, “Friendship is Medicine:The Surprising Science Behind Connection”. It’s a great listen as you drive to and fro. Turns out, friendship is a huge positive factor in our overall health. As we start to wrap up a month that has been very taxing for many, turning to your friends can help, so make sure you do something good for your health this month…connect with a friend!

Erin’s Law: Let’s get ready to deliver these important child abuse prevention lessons to our kids.  Here is a letter for you to give your teachers about the planning and preparing for these lessons. Know that your counselors are prepared to be a resource for you.

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 Social Emotional Wellness – Jennifer Hauth and Wayfinder. Please share this poster with your staff. Unlike the picture below, the poster has live links for them to click on.

From Kinsey – Policy, Advocacy, and Office of DEI: Please review these messages and share with your staff:

Family Liaisons and Translation/Interpretation: Remember that our Family Liaisons are not translators/interpreters–these are distinct positions with different functions, required skills, and pay rates.  Here are details about how to effectively engage Family Liaisons to support our work.  If you need someone to translate or interpret a family communication (including for time-sensitive requests) please review the various options available to you here.  

Immigration information: Make sure your team is very clear that they are prohibited from asking about or documenting students’ or families’ immigration status, even when doing so might be well-intentioned.  

If staff want to coordinate extra support for students or families who might be undocumented, it should be organized based on an educational purpose, not based on immigration status.  Students/families themselves then choose to opt into or access these, without needing to disclose their status or without staff needing to know it.   Examples: 

• A counseling group for students with anxiety (rather than a counseling group for undocumented students),
• flyers for local Know Your Rights workshops made available to all parents or via PTA group lists (rather than sent home with families we believe are undocumented), etc.

Title IX and gender support protocols: I have received several questions about the status of our gender support protocol.  Yes, our procedures for supporting gender-expansive students are still in place.  Thank you for initiating this process when a student indicates a need for support.  

Regarding Title IX more generally, while the national landscape is bringing some policy-based changes to our Title IX procedures (generally reverting back to our procedures from a few years ago–more on that later), please continue to contact me for any concerns or complaints related to Title IX, which includes:

• discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity; 
• sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, stalking;
• athletics, academics, and activities;
• admissions, hiring, access;
• pregnant and parenting students

All-staff update and Q&A with Superintendent Cook: Please make sure that on March 13, you do not have anything scheduled at 3:05, so that staff can have the option to attend one of the sessions below.

With K-12 school funding a big topic in the Oregon Legislature right now, and everything we’re hearing from Washington, D.C., on education and federal funding for schools, we understand that many employees wonder what all this means for us in Bend-La Pine Schools.

Superintendent Steven Cook will address these issues and answer your questions during two back-to-back virtual meetings with District staff on Thursday, March 13. Everyone is invited to join us for one of these 30-minute virtual meetings: The first will be 3:05 to 3:35 p.m., accommodating staff in our elementary schools. The second will be 3:50 to 4:20 p.m. to align with secondary schedules.

The intent is to provide you a quick update on state and federal actions pertinent to our work, and how we can remain focused on teaching students in our communities and serving their needs. The second half of each meeting will be set aside for staff to ask Dr. Cook questions. We will solicit written questions during the meeting and answer as many as time permits.

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

Purple Up Day! Hello! We are Lorene Moore, Lead Child & Youth Coordinator for the Oregon National Guard Child & Youth Program, and Barret Grimm, Senior Ambassador on the Oregon Military Teen Panel. The Oregon Military Teen Panel is composed of twenty-one National Guard Youth who strive to be an active part of their community.  Current members reside in Salem, Sublimity, Albany, Portland, Estacada, Sherwood, Klamath Falls and Happy Valley.

In Oregon, many families are going through a service member being gone for deployment. We are here to support Oregon’s military youth as they go through military life challenges and face occurring obstacles.

We are reaching out to you today to request that you show your support for military kids in your school district by participating in PurpleUp Day! this April, which is recognized nation-wide as Month of the Military Child. Creating a spirit day on April 10^th in schools across the state where students and staff wear purple would provide a visual way to recognize and celebrate military youth, especially National Guard youth here in Oregon.

On April 10th, local groups and communities are encouraged to take part in PurpleUp Day! by wearing or displaying purple. The goal is for military kids to SEE that they are supported and loved by their local communities.

According to Military OneSource, in 2023 there were 8,259 National Guard Members in Oregon. That includes 4,713 Army Guard and 2,159 Air Guard Members, most of whom have families and children.

Attached is a flier promoting PurpleUp Day! Please consider taking part in this annual display of support. Your participation matters!

Here is some more information regarding Month of the Military Child: Please let me know what other questions you may have! 

Action Items

• Start planning Erin’s Law lessons–share the information with your staff
• Share the Wayfinder contest with your staff
• Clarify with your staff how we can respectfully and legally support our immigrant populations

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 listen to 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!

And finally….. are those temperatures in the 50’s on the horizon?

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

On July 31, 1968, a young, black man was reading the newspaper when he saw something that he had never seen before. With tears in his eyes, he started running and screaming throughout the house, calling for his mom. He would show his mom, and, she would gasp, seeing something she thought she would never see in her lifetime. Throughout the nation, there were similar reactions. What they saw was Franklin Armstrong’s first appearance on the iconic comic strip “Peanuts.” Franklin would be 57 years old this year. Franklin was “born” after a school teacher, Harriet Glickman, had written a letter to creator Charles M. Schulz after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot to death outside his Memphis hotel room.

Glickman, who had kids of her own and having worked with kids, was especially aware of the power of comics among the young. “And my feeling at the time was that I realized that black kids and white kids never saw themselves [depicted] together in the classroom,” she would say.

She would write, “Since the death of Martin Luther King, I’ve been asking myself what I can do to help change those conditions in our society which led to the assassination and which contribute to the vast sea of misunderstanding, hate, fear and violence.””

Glickman asked Schulz if he could consider adding a black character to his popular comic strip, which she hoped would bring the country together and show people of color that they are not excluded from American society.

She had written to others as well, but the others feared it was too soon, that it may be costly to their careers, that the syndicate would drop them if they dared do something like that.

Charles Schulz did not have to respond to her letter, he could have just completely ignored it, and everyone would have forgotten about it. But, Schulz did take the time to respond, saying he was intrigued with the idea, but wasn’t sure whether it would be right coming from him. He didn’t want to make matters worse, and he felt that it may sound condescending to people of color.

Glickman did not give up, and continued communicating with Schulz, with Schulz surprisingly responding each time. She would even have black friends write to Schulz and explain to him what it would mean to them and gave him some suggestions on how to introduce such a character without offending anyone. This conversation would continue until one day, Schulz would tell Glickman to check her newspaper on July 31, 1968.

On that date, the cartoon, as created by Schulz, shows Charlie Brown meeting a new character, named Franklin. Other than his color, Franklin was just an ordinary kid who befriends and helps Charlie Brown. Franklin also mentions that his father was “over at Vietnam.” At the end of the series, which lasted three strips, Charlie invites Franklin to spend the night one day so they can continue their friendship. The original comic strip of Charlie Brown meeting Franklin is attached in the initial comments below, the picture attached here is Franklin meeting the rest of the Peanuts, including Linus. I just thought this was a good re-introduction of Franklin to the rest of the world – “I’m very glad to know you.”

There was no big announcement, there was no big deal, it was just a natural conversation between two kids, whose obvious differences did not matter to them. And, the fact that Franklin”s father was fighting for this country was also a very strong statement by Schulz.

Although Schulz never made a big deal over the inclusion of Franklin, there were many fans, especially in the South, who were very upset by it and that made national news. One Southern editor even said, “I don’t mind you having a black character, but please don’t show them in school together.”

It would eventually lead to a conversation between Schulz and the president of the comic’s distribution company, who was concerned about the introduction of Franklin and how it might affect Schulz’ popularity. Many newspapers during that time had threatened to cut the strip.

Schulz’ response: “I remember telling Larry at the time about Franklin — he wanted me to change it, and we talked about it for a long while on the phone, and I finally sighed and said, “Well, Larry, let’s put it this way: Either you print it just the way I draw it or I quit. How’s that?”

Eventually, Franklin became a regular character in the comic strips, and despite complaints, Franklin would be shown sitting in front of Peppermint Patty at school and playing center field on her baseball team.

More recently, Franklin is brought up on social media around Thanksgiving time, when the animated 1973 special “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” appears. Some people have blamed Schulz for showing Franklin sitting alone on the Thanksgiving table, while the other characters sit across him. But, Schulz did not have the same control over the animated cartoon on a television network that he did on his own comic strip in the newspapers.

But, he did have control over his own comic strip, and he courageously decided to make a statement because of one brave school teacher who decided to ask a simple question.

Glickman would explain later that her parents were “concerned about others, and the values that they instilled in us about caring for and appreciating everyone of all colors and backgrounds — this is what we knew when we were growing up, that you cared about other people . . . And so, during the years, we were very aware of the issues of racism and civil rights in this country [when] black people had to sit at the back of the bus, black people couldn’t sit in the same seats in the restaurants that you could sit . . . Every day I would see, or read, about black children trying to get into school and seeing crowds of white people standing around spitting at them or yelling at them . . . and the beatings and the dogs and the hosings and the courage of so many people in that time.”

Because of Glickman, because of Schulz, people around the world were introduced to a little boy named Franklin.

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THE COMING WEEK:

• Monday
  • President’s Day – No School!

• Tuesday
  • ICCL Meeting – 2:30-3:15

• Wednesday
  • OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
  • SIW – Teacher Prep 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:

• February 24 – Committee Meeting 2:30-3:15
• February 25 – Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
• February 26 – Amanda Waldron’s Birthday!
• February 26 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• February 26 – OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
• February 26 – SIW – Staff Wellness Event 1:00-2:30
• February 27 – Heather Korman’s Birthday!
• February 27 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• February 27 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• February 28 – Nicole Dewes’ Birthday!
• February 28 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
• March 3 – Classified Employee Appreciation Week!
• March 3 – Staff Meeting 2:30-3:15
• March 4 – Safety Meeting 7:00-7:30
• March 4 – ICCL Meeting 2:30-3:15
• March 5 – Emma Keeton’s Birthday!
• March 5 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• March 5 – OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
• March 5 – SIW – Teacher Prep 1:00-2:30
• March 6 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• March 6 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• March 7 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00

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Updates from Downtown

Important Links

• February 5^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:

Curriculum and Instruction – Julie Richards and Kerry Morton

The Amplify Desmos Math materials will be displayed at your school for the next few weeks to allow community members to view and provide feedback around the materials. Please share the information below with caregivers.

Dear Bend-La Pine Caregivers,

Would you like to learn more about the recommended K-5 math curriculum? Bend-La Pine Schools is seeking public feedback on the proposed new elementary math program

Caregivers and community members are invited to review the curriculum materials in two ways:

• In person: Visit your child’s elementary school to view program samples.
• Online: Explore digital sample lessons and program summaries using the links below.

🔍 Program Overview (English | Español)
💻 Sample Digital Lessons

We value your input! Please share your feedback by completing the survey below:
📝 Feedback Form (English | Spanish)

Thank you for partnering with us in shaping the future of math learning for our students.

Human Resources – Trish Uhart and Candy Gelatt

Hello!  The Bend La Pine Board of Directors acted on the renewal/extension of licensed contracts during the February 11, 2025, Executive Session.    Over the course of the next couple of days, we will be initiating the Contract Letters for the 2025-26 school year through UKG.  You will receive an email notification stating you have a To Do item to complete – this is your Contract Letter to be reviewed and signed.  The letters are assigned one at a time so you may not receive a notification at the same time as your collogues.  We ask for your patience while we work through all our licensed staff.  If you have not received a notification by Monday, February 17^th, please let us know.   

The steps to access your letter are outlined below:

• Access your letter from your To Do list in UKG (click on the bell in the upper right-hand corner of your UKG profile to find your To Do tab)
• Click Modify at the bottom right corner 
• Read your letter

• Click in the signature box
•  Enter the last four digits of your social security number to electronically sign your letter
• Click modify again in the upper right-hand corner 
• You will receive a pop up, choose “modify” again and “okay” to complete the submission to the Certified team. 

You must sign and submit your letter no later than April 15^th.  

If you are not planning on returning for the 2025-26 school year, you will reject your letter, add a comment as to why you are rejecting the letter and then you will need to submit a formal letter of resignation to [email protected] no later than April 15^th.  

Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions.  

Facilities Development Office – Paul Dean

The FDO project management team has been working on major construction projects.  For Bond Project Updates – visit: https://www.bend.k12.or.us/district/news-events/2022-bond.  And a recap of all the Bond Projects in this upcoming 2022 Bond Cycle – visit: https://www.bend.k12.or.us/application/files/3116/7407/4163/2022_Bond_Management_Plan.pdf

March Leadership Team Meeting: COO Ops leaders from Transportation, Facilities/Maintenance, Safety, IT and Custodial/Sustainability will be facilitating the Please submit at least one question, concern, curiosity or comment that you have for one or more of our departments at this link.

Network Outages: Be prepared for power/internet outages by printing a copy of Power & Internet Outage Emergency Protocols

Field Trip/Athletic/Club Transportation All district staff are required to communicate with their administrators and the Transportation Department prior to scheduling an off campus trip. Below are reminders to keep everything moving smoothly and in compliance. 

• Submit ALL trip requests through BusHive as early as possible (months ahead).
• Questions about your trip? Call Daniel Lopez X5706 (Bend) Call Scott Steinhauer X5753 (La Pine)
• Don’t have a BusHive log in- Call Daniel Lopez X5706 (Bend) Call Scott Steinhauer X5753 (La Pine)
• Charter Buses- We do NOT use these unless we have no other options.
  • Schools cannot book these trips directly. You must contact Daniel Lopez X5706 (Bend) Call Scott Steinhauer (La Pine)
  • We are required to document use of any charter plus, plus a copy of the parent notification letter. ODE requires we maintain a documentation file for charters.
  • We have not used charters for several years. We have drivers & school buses available. 
• Drivers of students must hold an ODE certificate (Bus, Type 20, Type 10) for school sponsored event transportation.
• Student transportation must be provided in an ODE approved vehicle. (Bus, Type 20, Type 10).  
• Rental vehicles- contact Transportation prior to renting any vehicle being used to transport students.
• What about after a game? A student wants to go home with another family, but came to the game on a bus? This is between the student and the parent. The teacher, AD, coach should not be involved in this conversation, other than you know the student has permission from their parent to go home another way. If the teacher/AD arranges or organizes transportation for a student, the liability is on the school district- meaning we use ODE approved transportation. This area can be “grey”. Be very careful not to organize transportation outside of ODE approved transportation. 
• We understand that trips have been taken in the past that do not follow these protocols- we are working to clarify policies and procedures.
• Staff members who fail to follow these requirements may be subject to disciplinary action. 
• Questions?? Give us a call- we are here to help!  541-355-5702 

Important Dates

• February 17: Just a reminder that this is Presidents Day and it is a contracted BLAST day. If you are taking it off, you will need to use non-contract time. No students/staff this day
• February 19: Administrator Professional Development from 3:00 – 5:00–Perseverance Hall
• 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 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!

And finally….. Send us any fun photos of snow structures at your schools!

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

“Leave a footprint to follow, not a scar to heal” is a quote I heard a while ago. The author is unknown but I would like to “try” and break down my interpretation of it for you. I think the greatest analogy I can think of is, a walk on the beach. Anyone who has ever taken a walk on an ocean beach has had the following experience: You’re walking on the sand close to the water, but not quite to the water’s edge. As you walk, you leave footprints in the sand. These footprints can easily be followed by anyone at the moment. Eventually you turn around and retrace your former steps. On the return walk, you notice your footprints get fainter and fainter until they are gone as they have been washed away by the ebb and flow of the surf. There’s really no evidence in the sand that you ever walked there. Your walk is over and there’s no physical evidence of it, only the memory remains. When you walk along the beach, you leave a mark. An impression. An impact. But the mark is not detrimental. You haven’t damaged the beach in any way. You haven’t negatively impacted the future experience of others on the beach.

I do believe we leave a legacy no matter what. Whether it be a legacy of our children or for our children, a legacy of the job or career we choose, or a legacy of the memories people have of us.  Walk firmly enough so you leave footprints for others to follow but gently enough that you don’t leave scars that will take time to heal…

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The Coming Week

• Monday
  • SRO Appreciation Week
  • Principal Meeting (Ben Out) 8:00-1:30
  • Meeting with Peter 2:30

• Tuesday
  • Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
  • Kinder Forest Field Trip
  • Admin/ICCL Training 3:30-5:00

• Wednesday
  • Amy McDonald’s Brithday!
  • Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
  • SIW – Culture of Care with Amy Yillik 1:00-2:30

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

• Friday
  • EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
  • Happy Valentines Day!

UPCOMING DATES:

• February 17 – President’s Day – No School!
• February 18 – ICCL Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• February 19 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• February 19 – OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
• February 19 – SIW – Teacher Prep 1:00-2:30
• February 20 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• February 20 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• February 20 – Title Night – Elk Meadow Learning Summit 5:00-7:00
• February 21 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
• February 24 – Committee Meeting 2:30-3:15
• February 25 – Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
• February 26 – Amanda Waldron’s Birthday!
• February 26 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• February 26 – OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
• February 26 – SIW – Staff Wellness Event 1:00-2:30
• February 27 – Heather Korman’s Birthday!
• February 27 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• February 27 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• February 28 – Nicole Dewes’ Birthday!
• February 28 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
• March 3 – Classified Employee Appreciation Week!
• March 3 – Staff Meeting 2:30-3:15
• March 4 – Safety Meeting 7:00-7:30
• March 4 – ICCL Meeting 2:30-3:15
• March 5 – Emma Keeton’s Birthday!
• March 5 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• March 5 – OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
• March 5 – SIW – Teacher Prep 1:00-2:30
• March 6 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• March 6 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• March 7 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00

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Updates from Downtown

February 6, 2025

Posted on February 7, 2025 by Tammy Doty — No Comments ↓

From Tammy and Karen

There is no business like snow business these days! It’s been fun seeing all the snow people and forts being crafted throughout playgrounds across our district. While out having fun, please take care to drive cautiously, walk carefully, and catch a snowflake or two on your tongue!

Taking It Up: It’s not too late to sign up for the two day Taking it Up equity training. It is Feb 18-19 and there are still plenty of spaces. If interested, sign up in UKG–have questions, reach out to Kinsey.

Important Links

• February 5^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:

Health Services–Tami Pike

Field Trip Reminder. To prioritize student safety, please notify the school nurse about any upcoming field trips at least two weeks in advance. Last-minute notices can create safety concerns and may interfere with the care of other students, as the nurse needs time to review health conditions and medications. This applies to both middle and high school students. There have been instances where a nurse only learns of a field trip when an announcement is made over the school intercom. 😳

Finance, Business Office–Jessica Houser

Hello Admins!This is a friendly reminder that time and leave sheet cut-off is Sunday, February 9th. All completed time and leave sheets you receive for sign off are due to the Payroll Office by Monday, February 10th.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to [email protected] with any questions or if you need additional support. Thank you for all you do!

From Curriculum, Instruction and Systems-Julie Richards

The Math Curriculum Review Team met on February 6th and came to consensus on Amplify Desmos for a K-5 mathematics curriculum. This recommendation will be presented to the school board on February 11th.  If you would like to take some time to check out this program here is login information:

Amplify Desmos Math Sample accounts:

• Password: Amplify1-bend_lapine_sd_k-5_amplify_desmos_math
• Go to learning.amplify.com and select “Log in with Amplify”.
• UN: Teacher Logins: [email protected]

From Social Emotional Wellness – Jennifer Hauth

Care Solace is a care coordination service to help students, staff, and their families find mental health and substance use treatment matched to their needs. Care Solace’s multilingual and culturally sensitive Care CompanionTM team is available 24/7/365 to quickly connect individuals to community providers regardless of need.

Register & Login to your Care Solace Account. If you missed the registration email for your Care Solace account, reach out to Lisa McNulty. Administrators, School Counselors, Student Success Clinicians/Coordinators, School Psychologists and Nurses have accounts.

Care Solace Family and Staff Flyers

Spanish Flyer Family Version and Letter

MTSS and using Care Solace for Warm Handoffs

Care Solace Best Practices for School Site Teams:

1. Integrate Messaging into Your Communications. Care Solace creates monthly mental health messaging and social media posts for you to use in your communication with your school community. Send this content to your school families and staff as a resource, share it on your social media, or share it at school events.
2. Print and Distribute Flyers Around Campus. Post flyers around the school for students and staff to provide additional information about Care. Solace. You can find these flyers in the Care Community in the Resource Center.
3. Configure Your Email Signature & Out-of-Office Notification. Add information about Care Solace to your email signature and out-of-office messaging. This will. promote access and ensure support outside of school hours or when staff members are away from work.

Important Dates

• February 10: Admin ICCL Training on hold and will not happen today–please communicate that to your team. We will let you know of a future date.
• February 11-12: Tammy and Karen are in Salem at a COSA conference–please text before calling as we will be in sessions.
• February 17: Just a reminder that this is Presidents Day and it is a contracted BLAST day. If you are taking it off, you will need to use non-contract time. No students/staff this day
• February 19: Administrator Professional Development from 3:00 – 5:00–Perseverance Hall
• 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 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!

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

Some years ago, I came across an article which referenced a method for catching monkeys by a South Indian tribe and used it as an analogy for resisting change.  

The South Indian monkey trap is a simple device for capturing a monkey. It consists of a coconut hollowed out from one end and chained to a stake in the ground. Some rice has previously been placed in the area around the coconut, which the monkey has been happy to take. Now some rice is placed inside the coconut. There is a small hole in the coconut which is big enough for a monkey to put its paw in and grab the rice, but too small for it to remove its paw when making a fist to hold the rice. 

The monkey is suddenly trapped, but not by anything physical. He is perfectly capable of releasing the rice, and withdrawing his paw. But he doesn’t. He is trapped by an idea he had in the past, unable to see that a principle that served him well – “when you see rice, hold tight” – has now become lethal to him.

What are you holding on to that is holding you back?  How do you philosophically open your hand and release the rice? How do you look at something you have always done with a different perspective? What changes have you always wanted to make but could not let go of the present?  I believe you are never lost… you are just in between letting go of what you once were and grabbing on to what you are going to become.

Change is not easy. It is hard. Interesting, but hard. Successful change has to take into account our natural resistance to it. Part of this is because we become ingrained in how we do things. An idea that served us well in the past becomes something that we can’t let go of. Even if the environment has changed, we may still force the problem to fit the solution…rather than looking at every problem with a fresh pair of eyes.

“The difficulty”, as John Maynard Keynes, an economist once put it, “lies not in the new ideas, but in escaping from the old ones.”

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The Coming Week

• Monday
  • National Counselor Appreciation Week!
  • Core Effectiveness Meetings
  • Staff Meeting 2:30-3:15

• Tuesday
  • Safety Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • Core Effectiveness Meetings
  • Elementary Admin Meeting  3:00-5:00

• Wednesday
  • Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • SIW – Extra Time for EL Planning 1:00-2:30

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

• Friday
  • EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
  • Valentine’s Dance 5:00-7:00

UPCOMING DATES:

• February 10 – SRO Appreciation Week
• February 10 – Principal Meeting (Ben Out) 8:00-12:00
• February 10 – Meeting with Peter
• February 11 – Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
• February 11 – Kinder Forest Field Trip
• February 11 – Admin/ICCL Training 3:30-5:00
• February 12 – Amy McDonald’s Brithday!
• February 12 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• February 12 – OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
• February 12 – SIW – Culture of Care with Amy Yillik 1:00-2:30
• February 13 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• February 13 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• February 14 – Happy Valentines Day!
• February 14 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
• February 17 – President’s Day – No School!
• February 18 – ICCL Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• February 19 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• February 19 – OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
• February 19 – SIW – Teacher Prep 1:00-2:30
• February 20 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• February 20 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• February 20 – Title Night – Elk Meadow Learning Summit 5:00-7:00
• February 21 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
• February 24 – Committee Meeting 2:30-3:15
• February 25 – Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
• February 26 – Amanda Waldron’s Birthday!
• February 26 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• February 26 – OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
• February 26 – SIW – Staff Wellness Event 1:00-2:30
• February 27 – Heather Korman’s Birthday!
• February 27 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• February 27 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• February 28 – Nicole Dewes’ Birthday!
• February 28 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
• March 3 – Classified Employee Appreciation Week!
• March 3 – Staff Meeting 2:30-3:15
• March 4 – Safety Meeting 7:00-7:30
• March 4 – ICCL Meeting 2:30-3:15
• March 5 – Emma Keeton’s Birthday!
• March 5 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• March 5 – OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
• March 5 – SIW – Teacher Prep 1:00-2:30
• March 6 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• March 6 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• March 7 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00

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Updates from Downtown

Important Links

• January 22^nd Elementary TLC Update
• Topics of Interest/Problem of Practice–Bear Creek is looking for Youth Truth engagement ideas!
• FAQs for Special Education Inclusion Topics—Keep checking in here! BEA and BLS supported

Notes from our Team:

From Jenny White – Life and Career Readiness: Principals below is an activity you can use at the beginning of a SIW or staff meeting. Telephone Drawing

Policy, Advocacy, and Equity – Kinsey Martin

Linguist Link: If you are experiencing issues with Linguist Link services (interpreters not showing up, no responses to your messages, poor quality of linguist services), please A) send a note via the “message all” feature of your project/request in the LL system, and/or B) shoot me an email to let me know. 

There are some transitions going on within those contracted services, but I have been reassured this should not impact the quality of service you receive.  As a reminder if you’re ever in a pinch, here are the various resources and levels of support available to you for translation/interpretation.  

From IT Department – Scott McDonald: Here is a good news sandwich from your IT department.

Top Bun– Beginning this week, our elementary progress report is now available in 11 different languages! (Jason Schneider).

Bologna- Make sure your TV / projection system is off when you leave for the day! (Scott McDonald)

Bottom Bun– AirPlay functionality has returned to normal with the latest available OS update, (Chad Brewer)

Even if you prefer to not have Bologna in your “good news” sandwich, please try your best to choke it down today.  😊

From Becca Burda, Communications:

Help celebrate our SROs! SRO Appreciation Day is Saturday, February 15 but we want to celebrate them all week long. Beginning Monday, February 11, do something special for your SRO. Please pick the day of the week that works best for your school.

Help us share the love on social media. Send your imagery to Becca Burda, Assistant Director of Communications, and we’ll keep the gratitude flowing online. 

From Curriculum, Instruction and Systems-Julie Richards

This letter will be shared with your 3rd grade teachers on Monday.  Please read as it outlines a change to the EL curriculum map. Letter to 3rd Grade teachers. 

From Operations: Paul Dean

COO Ops leaders from Transportation, Facilities/Maintenance, Safety, IT and Custodial/Sustainability will be facilitating the March Leadership Team meeting. Please submit at least one question, concern, curiosity or comment that you have for one or more of our departments at this link.

Animals on school grounds: We want to take a moment to clarify differing practices in our district with regards to animals on school grounds.  We have many playgrounds with this sign:

However, we do not have any district policy that prohibits dogs outside of school hours on our property.  ING-AR: Animal Visitors under Owner Responsibility reads:

• Owners walking animals on school grounds must follow city or county ordinances regarding leashing and sanitation. 
• Principals and their designees have the authority to exclude persons and their animals from play fields when he/she determines that there are associated health and/or safety concerns. 

In order to align our signage with our policy, we will be removing all fence signage pertaining to animals.  In place of those signs, our maintenance department will install one of the signs below.  They will communicate with the head engineer and building principal regarding where you want the new sign placed.

Building leaders have the authority to temporarily close school playgrounds in accordance with Facility, Playgrounds, Fields & Property Community Use Guidelines [here is a Spanish Version].   We have created this Community Use Violation Notice [and here is a Spanish Version] that you may copy, edit, print, laminate and zip tie to your gate(s) when you are restricting public access by locking your gates.  

From Lisa Birk, Deputy Superintendent

Please use this document when sharing the BLS Strategic Initiatives rather than the past one when referencing our Strategic Initiatives. We altered the language around Priority Standards to reflect Standards-based instruction and grading.

Substitute Hiring: Please help spread the word that the ESD is hiring substitutes by sharing this flyer! You can also use this Social Media Post jpg

From Social Emotional Wellness – Jennifer Hauth

It is time to celebrate your school counselors!! See this resource. Jess and I will be coming around to drop off a goodie as well😊

National School Counseling Week (NCSW) 2025 is Feb. 3-7, 2025, to focus attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within our schools. The theme this year is: School Counseling: Helping Students Thrive. The special week honoring school counselors provides recognition for school counselors who “implement comprehensive school counseling programs, a vital part of the educational process for all students as they meet the challenges of the 21st century”.

NCSW is always celebrated the first full week in February and there are multiple resources available below to help you celebrate school counselors next week at your school site. We will celebrate our student success staff the week of March 3rd during school social worker week.Here is a “Certificate of Appreciation” that you can use for your counselors and click on link above for some resources to help your school celebrate this week with your counselor(s)😊

From Ryan Kelling, Human Resources

We are very excited to be adding a Director of District Activities and Athletics to bring our secondary school athletic and activity programs together under one vision. This role is focused on ensuring that every student has access to consistent, high-quality extracurricular experiences, no matter which school they attend. By aligning programs across the district, we’re creating more opportunities for students to grow, connect, and succeed—academically, socially, and emotionally.

This will be a BLAST position and we’ll be posting this position on our site Monday and sharing it widely across the region to attract a strong pool of candidates. If you’d like to learn more about the role or have any questions, please connect with Ryan.

Important Dates

• February 3: Progress Report deadline 4:00
• February 4: Testing Coordinator meeting at Ensworth at 2:00, followed by our Horizontal meeting from 3:00-5:00 Hosted by ENS, BUC and LRE
• February 10: Admin ICCL Training on hold and will not happen today–please communicate that to your team. We will let you know of a future date.
• February 19: Administrator Professional Development from 3:00 – 5:00
• March 11: Horizontal Meeting 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. at Pine Ridge hosted by PRE and NSE

And Finally…It is the end of January!

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

I recently came across an article, “Reframing New Teachers’ Misconceptions.” After reading it, I believe it still applies to many if not all of us.  The author talked about how he hadn’t forgotten what it felt like to be on the verge of leaving the teaching profession. New-teacher attrition rates range between 28 to 35 percent for teachers with 1–2 years of experience and 25 to 29 percent for teachers with 3–7 years of experience, with high-poverty schools experiencing the highest turnover. 

I remember having many misconceptions about teaching in my early days. Over time, I recognized some of the errors in my thinking. I often wonder how different my first years would have been if someone had helped address my misbeliefs proactively. These are the five common teacher misconceptions and what I think leaders should say to bring some relief. 

Misconception #1: My principal expects me to be perfect. 

What principals should say: “Perfection is not the goal. Reflection and openness to feedback are my expectations.” 

Studies have consistently shown that effective leadership improves teacher-retention rates; school principals’ guidance and encouragement play a significant role in influencing teachers’ choice to continue in the profession. 

I wish principals would emphasize that successful teachers identify issues, seek change, and apply feedback rather than getting everything right. I believe teachers would likely seek more support. 

Speaking up as a teacher can take on unproductive forms, like complaining (“My class is so difficult.”) or blaming (“My students are the ones being disrespectful.”). But being vulnerable (“I’m struggling to find a viable solution to my classroom-management needs.”) is always acceptable; it indicates that you are reflective, determined, and willing to seek solutions—and that is what leads to growth. 

Misconception #2: Classroom management depends on the class. 

What principals should say: “Classroom management is about relationships, consistency, and structure.” 

Classroom management is both a skill and an art. Like any skill, it gets better with practice, and like any art, it’s a work in progress. Some mixtures of students prove trickier than others, and what works for your colleague may not work for you. Consistency and empathy are two good places to start. 

Sometimes teachers can take student behavior personally. It is hard not to! One skill I always leaned on heavily to redirect behaviors was to ask myself, Why might this child be presenting this behavior, and how might I meet the behavior’s need at its root? Sometimes, just having a one-on-one conversation with the student, where you seek to understand their perspective, can unlock the answer. Asking students questions with the goal of understanding them is one of the most effective ways to build mutually respectful student-teacher relationships. 

Misconception #3: Parents are my partners. 

What principals should say: “Parents understandably lack objectivity about their children.” 

You may be tempted to discuss issues with parents and caregivers before genuinely seeking to understand their perspective. There’s one problem: Parents sometimes think their kids are perfect (when they aren’t) or sometimes think their kids can do no right (when they can). Your role is to empathetically communicate how their child is doing in a way they can hear you.

Misconception #4: You must grade everything you assign. 

What principals should say: “Everything you assign should be worthy of feedback, and feedback comes in different forms.” 

Many new teachers often grade their students the way they were “graded.” However, it’s important to consider that the objectives and implications of grading go beyond assigning letters or numbers and can significantly affect student experiences.

I once met a 1st grader in the office who had tears running down her face. She had gotten in trouble for throwing papers out of the bus window. When I asked why she did that, the student replied, “When my teacher grades our worksheets, she either gives us a sticker or writes ‘OK’ on it. I was throwing away my ‘OK’ papers, so I would only bring home papers with stickers.” This young student had already begun to form negative ideas about her capabilities from this seemingly innocuous grading practice. 

As a new teacher, I remember thinking that feedback meant I needed to write long responses or find one-on-one time daily to confer with students. I know now that feedback is best served in small chunks; it should be objective, actionable, and let students know where they are in relationship to a learning target. And if my principal had explicitly de-emphasized “grades” in favor of feedback, it would have encouraged me to do the same. Asking students questions; making brief, pointed statements; or having a simple checklist aligned to learning – intentions and success criteria can provide this guidance. 

Misconception #5: You must follow all new initiatives with fidelity.

What principals should say: “Don’t be afraid to speak up.” 

When new teachers feel discomfort or uncertainty around new initiatives, it’s common to think there are only two choices: go along with them (and potentially let resentment build) or be vocal and risk being dismissed or seen as negative. 

Instead, give yourself grace and reflect. If a new initiative isn’t working for you or your students, try to determine why by asking yourself, Is it the resource or my current skill level? Am I feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, or confused by this initiative? Who can I approach for guidance or to communicate my concerns?

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The Coming Week

• Monday
  • Dibels Day!
  • Robbie and Tracy AI Presentation 2:30-3:15

• Tuesday
  • Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00

• Wednesday
  • Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • EA Meeting 1:00-1:30
  • SIW Teacher Prep 1:00-2:30
  • All Admin Meeting 3:00-4:30

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

• Friday
  • Report Card Day – Work from anywhere.
  • EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00

UPCOMING DATES:

• 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
• February 7 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
• February 7 – Valentine’s Dance 5:00-7:00
• February 10 – SRO Appreciation Week
• February 10 – Principal Meeting (Ben Out) 8:00-12:00
• February 10 – Meeting with Peter
• February 11 – Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
• February 11 – Kinder Forest Field Trip
• February 11 – Admin/ICCL Training 3:30-5:00
• February 12 – Amy McDonald’s Brithday!
• February 12 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• February 12 – OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
• February 12 – SIW – Culture of Care with Amy Yillik 1:00-2:30
• February 13 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• February 13 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• February 14 – Happy Valentines Day!
• February 14 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
• February 17 – President’s Day – No School!
• February 18 – ICCL Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• February 19 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• February 19 – OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
• February 19 – SIW – Teacher Prep 1:00-2:30
• February 20 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• February 20 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• February 20 – Title Night – Elk Meadow Learning Summit 5:00-7:00
• February 21 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
• February 24 – Committee Meeting 2:30-3:15
• February 25 – Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
• February 26 – Amanda Waldron’s Birthday!
• February 26 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• February 26 – OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
• February 26 – SIW – Staff Wellness Event 1:00-2:30
• February 27 – Heather Korman’s Birthday!
• February 27 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• February 27 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• February 28 – Nicole Dewes’ Birthday!
• February 28 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
• March 3 – Classified Employee Appreciation Week!
• March 3 – Staff Meeting 2:30-3:15
• March 4 – Safety Meeting 7:00-7:30
• March 4 – ICCL Meeting 2:30-3:15
• March 5 – Emma Keeton’s Birthday!
• March 5 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
• March 5 – OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
• March 5 – SIW – Teacher Prep 1:00-2:30
• March 6 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
• March 6 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
• March 7 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00

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Updates from Downtown

Sharing a picture of something that makes me happy…Kermit the Frog! I have been in several third grade classes lately and have been seeing the EL module on Frogs, wishing I was 8 again, so that I could learn all about the amphibian that is so near and dear to my heart. As a life long Muppet fan, I think about the many ways we should try to channel our inner Kermit.

“Kermit’s lessons were always the same: Chip in. Share your stuff. Give of your time and genuine concern for the well-being of friends and neighbors. Forget about the glamour and the glitz which ultimately only provides superficial and fleeting happiness.” I couldn’t agree more!

Important Links

• January 22^nd Elementary TLC Update
• Topics of Interest/Problem of Practice–Bear Creek is looking for Youth Truth engagement ideas!
• FAQs for Special Education Inclusion Topics—Keep checking in here! BEA and BLS supported

Notes from our Team:

Immigration Guidance:  Principals, be sure relevant staff have access to the district immigration guidance shared with you last week.  You may share with any/all staff, but at a minimum, it is expected that your entire front-office team be very familiar with the full guidance.  

Please print the ICE Protocol (the document linked in the first section) and post for staff reference at the station where your check-in person sits and greets visitors.  Reach out if you have questions or concerns.

From Becca Burda, Communications:

Good morning! SRO Appreciation Week is around the corner (February 10-14) and we’d like to plant the seed for schools to show their gratitude for their SROs. Can you please include the following in your blogs through the first week of February? I’ve also attached a few photos to spark ideas. Thank you!

Help celebrate our SROs! SRO Appreciation Day is Saturday, February 15 but we want to celebrate them all week long. Beginning Monday, February 11, do something special for your SRO. Please pick the day of the week that works best for your school.

Need some ideas?

• Ask students and staff to make them thank you cards
• Bring them donuts or other tasty morning treats
• Serve them lunch
• Decorate their office

Help us share the love on social media. Send your imagery to Becca Burda, Assistant Director of Communications, and we’ll keep the gratitude flowing online. 

From the Culture of Care at the ESD

We still have space available for our upcoming Restorative Conferencing training on 1/30/25 (8:30am-12:30pm at COCC Redmond). This is the tier 3 formal, scripted circle used to repair specific and significant harm between individuals. This session is free and open to educators and our partners.

Register for all RP Opportunities here!

Culture of Care has also been updating our Restorative Practices resources:

• New and improved RP Overview
•   Comparison of the different Types of Circles
• Fair Process Guide
• Consultation/facilitation Request Form 

These resources can also be found on our website: cultureofcareoregon.org 

Important Dates

• January 29: All Admin PD at Perseverance Hall, 3:00-4:30–read chapter 1 in the Thriving Leaders book prior to coming.
• January 31: Progress Report work day. Mandatory Training options at 8, 11, or 2
• February 2: Progress Reports due by 5:00
• February 4: Horizontal meeting at Ensworth, 3:00-5:00 Hosted by ENS, BUC and LRE
• February 10: Admin ICCL Training on hold and will not happen today–please communicate that to your team. We will let you know of a future date.
• February 11-12: Tammy and Karen are in Salem at a COSA conference

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

In his “I Have a Dream” speech, minister and civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. outlines the long history of racial injustice in America and encourages his audience to hold their country accountable to its own founding promises of freedom, justice, and equality.

King begins his speech by reminding his audience—the 250,000+ attendees at the March on Washington in August of 1963—that it has been over a century since the Emancipation Proclamation was signed into law, ending slavery in America. But even though Black Americans are technically free from slavery, they are not free in any larger sense—the “chains of discrimination” and the “manacles of segregation” continue to define the Black experience in America. It is time, King argues, for Black Americans to “cash [the] check” they were promised a century ago and demand “the riches of freedom and the security of justice.” There is no more time to waste in pursuit of a gradual solution to racism, King says—it is the “sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent,” and the country has reached its boiling point.

Even though King calls for the “whirlwinds of revolt” to spin into action, he urges those on the front lines of the civil rights movement not to let “bitterness and hatred” define their actions. They cannot let their movement for justice “degenerate into physical violence.” King reminds his listeners to remain in the “majestic heights” of nonviolent resistance and also to not see their white allies as enemies. In order to bring true justice about, King says, Americans of all races will need to unite and remain true to the values of nonviolent solidarity.

King acknowledges the long and difficult struggles that many of his listeners have already faced—he knows that those involved in the movement for civil rights have been beaten, insulted, and incarcerated. Still, he urges them to return home from the march to wherever they may live, be it in the sweltering South or in the “ghettos of the northern cities,” confident in the value and promise of their fight.

Then King invokes the dream he has for America: a dream that one day the country will “live out the true meaning of its creed” and make it a reality that “all men are created equal.” He dreams that his children will one day live in a society where they will be judged not “by the color of their skin but by the content of their character” and that, in the future, Black children and white children will join hands as sisters and brothers.

King urges his listeners to take their faith in meaningful change back to their hometowns—they must continue to struggle together, face incarceration together, and “stand up for freedom together” in order to truly make America a great nation. He calls for freedom to ring out across the country, from the highest mountains of Colorado, to Stone Mountain of Georgia, to “every hill and molehill of Mississippi.” When America collectively allows freedom to ring across its hills and valleys, he says, only then will “black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Catholics and Protestants” be able to sing truthfully and honestly the words of the old Negro spiritual: “Free at last, free at last; thank God Almighty, we are free at last.”

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The Coming Week

• Monday
  • Martin Luther King Day – No School
  • Lea Wolnick’s Brithday

• Tuesday
  • Earthquake Drill 1:30
  • ICCL Meeting 2:30-3:15

• Wednesday
  • Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • SIW Follow up to Ed Network 1:00-2:30

• Thursday
  • 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 27 – Dibels Day!
• January 27 – Robbie and Tracy AI Presentation 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

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Updates from Downtown

Important Links

• January 8^th Elementary TLC Update
• Topics of Interest/Problem of Practice–Bear Creek is looking for Youth Truth engagement ideas!
• FAQs for Special Education Inclusion Topics—Keep checking in here! BEA and BLS supported

Notes from our Team:

From Human Resources – Ryan Kellling: Per Article 15.8 of the CBA, Certified Employees are not required to report to their work site on end-of-term work days but must remain available by phone. Supervisors may require in-person attendance if there are articulable concerns about the timely completion of professional responsibilities.
To ensure clarity, we are setting the following expectations that will take effect for the second semester of 24-25 SY:
Progress Reports Submission Deadline: Special Education Progress reports must be submitted by 4:00 PM on 1/31 this semester.
Middle/High School progress reports must be finalized in Synergy by 4:00 PM on 1/31.
Elementary progress reports must be finalized by 4:00 PM on 2/3.

Work Location for End-of-Term Days: Employees who have met the deadlines in regards to grading and/or progress reports in previous semesters, and who have met other expectations surrounding the timely completion of professional responsibilities, will be permitted to work from an off-site location on end-of-term work days.
Employees who have not met these deadlines, and/or for whom their supervisor has further articulable concerns about the timely completion of professional responsibilities, will be required to work from their assigned school site.
Next Steps for Administrators: Notify employees with past concerns about timely completion of responsibilities – with detail regarding those concerns – as soon as possible (no later than 2 weeks before any potential end-of-term workday) if they will be required to work onsite on end-of-term work days. This communication will be followed up in writing with specific articulable concerns shared.
This practice encourages timely completion of professional responsibilities while maintaining flexibility for those employees meeting expectations.

From Jennifer Hauth – Social, Emotional, and Mental Wellbeing: Two schools from elementary have expressed interest in using the Waypoints summative assessment for mid-year data. We have opened the mid-year summative assessment from January 20^th – February 20^th for optional use. The year-end assessment will still be available from May 12th to June 13th. Here is information that was sent out at the beginning of the year, if you need additional information on how to access the assessments.

Summative Waypoints allow educators to measure student growth of Wayfinder’s six Core Skills across the school year. By administering the summative Waypoints assessments, educators can understand areas of strength and growth for individual students and the class to make informed, data-driven decisions about instruction. Here is the info on Waypoints, including the new Waypoints Implementation Guides to help teachers set up the reason we are assessing students as well as instructions.  The final summative assessment for students will be open May 12^th through June 13^th for students.

From Jenny White – Life and Career Readiness: Principals, here is an activity from Wayfinder called Rock Paper Scissors Battle that you can use during a staff meeting or SIW.  Link to the Activity in Wayfinder

From Dave Vanloo–School Improvement: 9 school days remain to survey (surveys close end-of-day Friday, January 31^st).

Policy, Advocacy, and Equity – Kinsey Martin

FAN Food Resource: The Giving Plate provides our families in need with weekend food through their Snack Bag program.  Recently, they let us know that their donations and volunteer resources are down, while the number of families they’re serving has been up: from 130 to 700 families weekly.  They are unable to meet demand and need to prioritize their core services, so the Snack Bag program is discontinued.  

While this is disappointing news, there are still many ways families can access food resources.  Please see the links at the bottom of this letter, with bilingual handouts listing current food resources in Bend and South County.  FAN Advocates have shared this letter with impacted families.  Feel free to print copies of the handouts linked there, to have available in your main office.

Want to help out?  One of the best ways you can support our families is to volunteer or donate to awesome programs like The Giving Plate or directly to FAN, so they can maintain their services and programs that benefit our families.  🙂

Immigration Guidance: Please read this information carefully, and reach out with any questions.

Presidential Inauguration: Reminder: Post-inauguration, some students will be walking into your building with big feelings.  The incoming administration has openly communicated upcoming changes intended to directly impact particular populations (immigrants, trans people, etc).  

Please ask your counselors to make themselves as available as possible for drop-ins if students need extra support next week.  If your team knows a particular student or colleague struggled after the election in November, make time on Tuesday to have a trusted adult or friend intentionally check in with them.  Thank you for your increased presence, vigilance, empathy, and grace next week. 

Important Dates

• January 22: SIW: EL planning time
• January 29: All Admin PD at Perseverance Hall, 3:00-4:30–read chapter 1 in the Thriving Leaders book prior to coming.
• January 31: Progress Report work day, optional/mandatory training for you to come
• February 2: Progress Reports due by 5:00
• February 4: Horizontal meeting at Ensworth, 3:00-5:00 Hosted by ENS, BUC and LRE

And finally…