Week at a Glance

This year, Week at a Glance, will again be an important part of our communication system at Lava Ridge. I will send out notes to you weekly, typically on Fridays, and appreciate you making this a must read before the start of the next week. You can always toggle back in time for attached documents, website addresses, and information from earlier in the year.  I want you to be well-informed of goings-on a Lava, have the information you need to do your job, and for us to limit the need for in-person staff meetings to once a month.  Thanks for reading.

We (the DeFrang’s) are having a great summer.  My wife, Kim, our boys Matthew (age 16) and Jon (age 13) traveled to the coast, camped at Paulina Lake, and spent some time at the local lakes.  We spent most of our time close to home with Matthew lifeguarding at Juniper and Kim continuing to teach fitness classes for Bend Parks and Rec.  It’s been nice to have this time to catch up on chores, garden and taxi kids around.

Each August brings the energy and anticipation of a new school year.  I’m excited for what I believe will be one of the best years ever at Lava Ridge.  Regardless of how long we have worked together, it is important that you understand what you can expect from me as principal.  What follows is a lengthy and important description of who I am as a leader and some of my beliefs.  Please take a minute to read through what I like to refer to as leading from a place of “Warm Demand”.

On the warm side, I am relentlessly positive (or at least try to see the opportunity in the challenges that are inherent during a school year), believe people have the best intentions, and believe in the importance of relationships. Trust is crucial in these relationships.

During my 19 years as a building principal, I have experienced actions that build trust and others that wreck it. As examples, making a mistake, disagreeing with me or a decision we make, rooting for the Ducks, and forgetting duty, are examples of things that will not damage trust or our relationship (Yes, even the Duck thing). On the other hand, gossiping, talking behind other people’s backs, and not respecting colleagues, are not ok with me as they do not support a positive culture.

I operate with the golden rule. I’m going to do my best to treat you how you like to be treated and my hope is that you will reciprocate. If you have questions, concerns, or ideas, please come and talk with me. I will always listen. I am a person who believes in the value of face-to-face communication, so invite you to come and discuss issues or concerns with me at any time.   I may not change anything, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t listen or you don’t have my support. It just means I felt there was a more compelling reason to do it differently. I’ll do the same for you. I’m not a fan of, “Well, I’ve been talking to people and lots of them are very…” or “At lunch today, staff were saying…” Encourage those people you have been talking to to talk or meet with me. It’s similar to when a parent shares a concern with me about a teacher, I will direct them to the teacher to discuss the issue.

I ask for your support and grace. All of us have very difficult jobs when things are going well. I trust you to do your job and will not micromanage. Please do the same with me and the responsibilities that I have as principal.  Working together and trusting each other is imperative.

On the demand side, I have high professional expectations for myself, for you, and Lava Ridge.  I believe that it is our job and responsibility to give our students our best each day and that every day is an opportunity to make a difference.  We need to have strong relationships with our students and their families, use the best instructional strategies and district adopted curriculum, and be open to learning new ideas that can help us to grow, whatever our role is at Lava Ridge.  We are all here to serve our students and families and have each made the choice to do this in the Bend-La Pine Schools at Lava Ridge.

There are days when each of us (me included) would rather be somewhere else. I get it. On these days, I fake it. I made the choice to be here and serve in this position and owe it to our students to be the best principal I can be every day (even when I might rather be skiing).  I also believe we must treat every child with dignity and professionalism in every situation we encounter.  This can be hard at times, especially when a student is in a dysregulated state and acting out. Again, I rely on my acting skills, pretend to be calm, and support the child. 

This professional “Demand” is typically left at school when I leave at the end of the day. Having a healthy work/life balance is important to me. Away from school my job is being a dad, a husband, and trying to maintain my dream of being an Olympic swimmer (there’s always a chance, right?)  You will most likely not see my car in the parking lot on the weekends or receive emails from me at 9:00 at night. When I’m here, I work hard, move fast and try to be as efficient as possible. My goal when I leave Lava is to spend as much time with my family as I can, navigate the grocery store with ease, and do things I enjoy. (ie. Lap swimming, skiing, watching college football). Time is precious and I encourage each of you to also have a healthy work/life balance.

I’m excited to work alongside you this year and will do everything within my control to make it a great year for our students, families, and our staff.

Here are some nuts/bolts for the start of the year:

Elementary start and end times for 2023-24 (same as last year): Regular Schedule: 7:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.; School Improvement Wednesday 7:45-12:45 p.m.  (beginning September 13)

Certified Work Hours for 2023-24: 7:15-3:15 p.m. 

Details below for August 28th-September 8^th:  (More details to come soon)

Monday, August 28^th

• New Teacher Day at North Star Elementary
• Option for work day for certified staff

Tuesday, August 29^th

• Inservice day at Lava beginning at 7:30 a.m.
• First day for educational assistants
• Lunch provided

Wednesday, August 30^th

• Inservice and meeting day at Lava; 7:30-3:15 p.m.  The certified staff from Pineridge and Ensworth will be joining us.
• Lunch on your own

Thursday, August 31^st  

• Certified work day; 10:00-6:00 p.m. 
• Inservice; 10:00-1:00 p.m. 
• Lunch provided
• Work in Classrooms; 1:00-4:00 p.m. 
• Open House 4:00-6:00 p.m. 

Friday, September 1^st

• Work in Classrooms

Tuesday, September 5^th

• Option for flexible work day for certified staff

Wednesday, September 6^th

First Day of School! Half of our kindergarteners will attend on the 6th, the other half on September 7th, with all here on the 8th.

Here again is the Bend-La Pine Schools, Beginning of the Year, Work Calendar.

Here are all of the details for the Last Week of School The 5th Grade Celebration Walk has been added to the calendar and is on Thursday @ 1:45. The extra recess for the Lion Dash top runners in each class is on Tuesday @ 1:45 on the South Playground.

Here is the Bend-La Pine Schools, Beginning of the Year, Work Calendar. We will use this to set our schedule for the time we are together in late August. Open House is scheduled for Thursday, August 31 @ 4:30-6:00.

And, our Media Manager for next year is…Katrina Bailey! Katrina was the unanimous selection of our interview team that met with candidates. Katrina is a Bend High Sch00l graduate with a Masters degree in Library and Information Sciences.

From TLC: The Ethnic Studies Summer Institute will take place at Oregon State University, Corvallis Campus, June 26-29. The program will equip participants from varied subject matter areas to understand and fulfill the new ethnic studies requirement. To ensure relevance and engagement for both teachers and students, we’ll take a dynamic, interactive approach centered on Oregon communities.

Teachers will leave this experience with an understanding of the state’s ethnic studies standards and practical strategies to implement those standards with a curriculum that is site-specific, historically-informed, and inclusive of students and communities all too often overlooked by mainstream U.S. history and social studies.

Note: This professional development opportunity provides 30 hours of instructional time. Space is limited! Visit this page to learn more about our Ethnic Studies Summer Institute. 

Next week is B week (Specials on Friday will follow a Wednesday schedule and Wednesday, the Friday schedule. Oh my! 🙂 )

Happenings Next Week at Lava Ridge:

• Tuesday-Staff Meeting @ 2:30 in the Media Center
• Wednesday-SIW: Teacher Prep
• Thursday-Please distribute Lion Dash prizes from PTO to your class in the morning*; Lion Dash Assembly @1:30 in the gym (loading at 1:20)
• Friday-High School Grad Walk @ 9:00 (South Playground)

*Watch for these arriving from from PTO today

Fifth grade will be at Camp Tamarack Monday-Wednesday

Grad Walk Details: At 9:00 on Friday, graduating seniors will be walking the Running Club Course on the South Playground. Classes are invited to line this area and clap for the seniors (some LRE alumni!) as they walk the loop.

Next week we will have a team of teachers and other staff interviewing candidates for a couple of primary teaching positions.

The Lava Ridge Olympics are quickly approaching! On Monday we are planning to email this letter to families about RSVPing to the office and pre-registering in Raptor if they are planning to attend.

Early next week you will be receiving iPad roll in details. Students will be returning iPads to the Media Center, June 12-14th. Bricks and cords can be kept in classrooms.

End of the Year checkout lists should be available by June 12th. Certified staff will have the choice of checking out on Friday, June 16th or Tuesday, June 20th.

Thank you for your efforts removing items you no longer want from the Neighborhood Commons. We are planning to order new cabinets over the summer that will be used for storage of inside recess items. If you have things you no longer want, please take a picture and invite people to come to your area to see them. If you have no takers and need the item removed, please let Mike know.

Next week is an A week

Happenings next week at Lava Ridge:

• Monday: Enjoy!
• Wednesday:  SIW-Year End Wrap Up and Fun (SLGGs, Celebrations, and Games)  Kindergarten Open House @ 5:30
• Thursday:  Lava Teams @ 2:30

Jenny Lacomb will be joining our staff as a substitute Office Manager beginning Tuesday. Since retiring from an Office Manger position in Bend-La Pine, Jenny has been helping with long-term-office sub positions, in the district.

While Jenny will oversee most of Amber’s roles, Kim will be our point of contact with the ESD for subs for the remainder of the school year. Please let Kim know if you will be requesting sick, personal, or other leaves prior to submitting a request through UKG. Thank you!

It’s that time of year when many of us are ready to purge and re-organize classrooms and workstations. If you have items you no longer want, whether they are in your space or maybe they are being stored in the Neighborhood Commons, please take a picture of them and invite people to come to your area to see them. If you have no takers and need the item removed, please let Mike know. Thank you!

From Our HDESD Culture of Care Friends – Join the HDESD Culture of Care team this summer for professional learning opportunities to kick-start your school year with care! 2023 Summer Care Institute

Next week is a B week

What a wonderful Art Night! Thank you for all of your hard work with this event. There is no rush to take everything down, it looks beautiful, just keep an eye out for re-taping if needed.

Happenings next week at Lava Ridge:

• Wednesday:  SIW: Time for Placement Card and Class List Creation
• Thursday: Lion Pride Drawings @ lunches; Kindergarten MTSS @ 2:30 in A1

I will be out of the building on Tuesday participating in assistant principal interviews. Each school (there are 4 with openings) will be interviewing candidates in a group setting. Sites are able to have one additional staff member participate, and I’ve invited Kirstin to join me. Nichole Reiland, principal at Pine Ridge, will be on-site in the morning to assist as needed. There will not be announcements on Tuesday.

Erika Vandenbos will be our part-time counselor next year. She is currently an intern counselor at Caldera High School after serving in a similar role at Sage Elementary. On Monday, Erika will be on campus for a brief visit.

Interested in joining the ICCL Team? Applications can be submitted through the “My Career” tab in UKG.

Performance Matters is being replaced. The last day to staff will be able to access certificates and other info in this system is June 30.

If you are interested in hosting a student teacher next year, please let me know.

From the Tech Department – Google Users – If you are someone who frequently uses Google Workspace products (forms, docs, sheets, slides) then you should be aware of pending security changes.  Beginning next Wednesday, anonymous public users will no longer be able to access your Google documents without first signing in with a Google account.  Example:  If you share a google sign-up form to your families, they would be prompted to sign into Google before signing up for the activity. Both district and non-district accounts would work just the same.  A user who is already signed into a google product would see no change what-so-ever.   Why?  By simply signing into a document, a user has some accountability and responsibility for what they view or edit.

When we were asked, “What was your favorite TV show as a kid?’, these shows came to mind:

• Little House on the Prairie
• Full House
• Family Ties
• Gilligan’s Island
• Full House
• Rugrats
• Alf
• Happy Days
• Gilligan’s Island
• Family Matters
• The A-Team

Next week is an A week

Happenings Next Week at Lava Ridge:

• Wednesday:  SIW-Teacher Prep; Art Night 5:30-7:00
• Thursday:  Spring DIBELS; 1^st grade MTSS @ 2:30 in A1

At the most recent Safety Team Meeting we discussed warm weather safety guidelines for staff and students. Here are some reminders:

• Open windows combined with fans are a great strategy to keep classrooms more comfortable. Please let Mike know if you need a window opener.
• Doors should not be propped open, unless directly supervised by an adult within arms reach of the door.
• If you ever notice a door that is propped open and an adult is not next to it, please close it.
• Wear sunscreen and stay well-hydrated
• Maximize the use of shade when possible
• Keep in mind the signs of heat related illness

End of the Year Note: Students will turn-in iPads the last week of school (schedule TBD) Students will be able to continue to access Lexia and Dreambox (via home devices) throughout the summer.

From Ryan Kelling: Professional Development Opportunities for Licensed Staff:  Lewis & Clark University is hosting information sessions for already-licensed staff interested in learning more about adding either a Special Education endorsement or a Principal License to their license.

• An online informational session for L&C’s Special Education Generalist added endorsement program will be Wednesday, May 17^th. Tuition is discounted from the typical Lewis & Clark rate, classes are held fully online, and the 18-credit program can be completed in 10 months. Here is a link to register for the information night. 
• An in-person information session for their Principal License cohort will be held at the High Desert ESD’s office in Redmond on Wednesday, May 31^st from 4:00 -6:00 pm. This is a 2-year program that consists of 27 units at a discounted rate.

Next week is a B week

Happy Staff Appreciation Week!

Happenings next week at Lava Ridge:

• Tuesday:  Breakfast Bar provided by PTO in the Staff Room; Staff Meeting @ 2:30 in the Media Center
• Wednesday:  SIW-Teacher Prep
• Thursday:  Lion Pride Drawings at Lunches; 2^nd grade MTSS @ 2:30 in A1

I will be at Pine Ridge on Tuesday at an equity training.

Congratulations Matthew Crawmer! Matthew’s walking (think graduation) this weekend in Arizona after completing his Master’s degree in elementary education from Grand Canyon University.

The Bend-La Pine Schools are celebrating the May Walk + Roll Challenge on May 11^th 2023, with support from Commute Options. K-8 BLS Students are encouraged to Walk or Roll to School on this day.

Some Staffing Notes for Next School Year:

• We have two teachers changing grade levels next year. Sarah Shapiro-Bass will be moving to 4th grade and Jason Kingery will be returning to 5th. These are the only grade level changes we are planning for at this time.
• We are planning to have the number of classes in parentheses at each grade: K (4), 1st (4), 2nd (3), 3rd (3), 4th (3), 5th (3)
• Interviews for classroom teaching positions will occur after HR has placed those certified staff returning from leave and the state K-12 funding is set.
• Donna Blankenship and Sarah Dieker will not be returning from leaves of absence.
• We have posted a Media Manager position for next year. Know someone great? Encourage them to apply.
• We will have a counselor next year at Lava for 20 hours per week.

Sara Elliot, pictured last week in WAG, resigned her position on Monday. Special Programs is working to fill this vacancy and we will have a substitute providing support in the meantime.

We got this!  Earlier in the year, I messaged the ways in which Laci and I, are ready to support you with student issues.  As we head into the remaining weeks of the year, please continue letting us know the ways in which we can assist with students who are struggling to meet classroom or school expectations.  Supporting staff with student issues is a top priority for us!

With 6 weeks to go, keep rockin’ those Tier I classroom systems, maintaining regular instructional schedules, recognizing and rewarding students who are doing the right thing, and building those awesome relationships you have with students…and let us know how we can assist you, our doors are always open.

Next week is an A week

Happenings next week at Lava Ridge:

• Wednesday: SIW:  Youth Truth, Family, and Student Survey in the Media Center @ 1:45
• Thursday:  3^rd MTSS @ 2:30 in A1

Thank you Jake for all of your efforts with the Lion Dash!

Way to go Sara Blanchard, commencement speaker for the recent George Fox graduation!

This is the final week of the March Battle of the Books! Our two titles that will compete are The Book with No Pictures (Mrs. Willis) and The Interrupting Chicken (Mrs. Allen)

This week we had people enter the school after hours through an unlocked door. Thank you for double checking that both exterior and interior classroom doors are locked when you leave for the day. Also, the Neighborhood Commons doors (to the playground) should only be unlocked during recess. If you notice one of these doors unlocked please secure them. Thank you!

This is the time of year, when questions can arise about the dress code policy in Bend La Pine Schools. Here are the updated regulations. In the past, there have been questions about identification of students and whether hoods and hats are ok. The latest guidance is that both are permissible as long we are able to tell who the child is. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Next week is a B week

Happenings next week at Lava Ridge:

• Monday: ICCL Meeting @ 2:30 in the Media Center
• Tuesday: Commute Options Pedestrian Safety Lessons (K-2^nd)
• Wednesday: SIW-Trauma Informed Practices @ 1:45; Camp Tamarack Family Meeting in the Media Center @ 5:00;  2^nd Grade Music Program @ 6:00
• Thursday: Commute Options Pedestrian Safety Lessons (K-2^nd); Lion Pride Lunch Drawing; Lava Teams Meetings @ 2:30
• Friday:  Lion Dash @ 1:25 (Loading of classes at approx. 1:00)

Lion Dash notes and reminders: (*communicated this week to families via the newsletter)

• Please encourage your students to wear their Color of the Rainbow color*
• Please encourage students to bring a water bottle to the event. * PTO is not planning to distribute water at the event.
• We are planning to do an advanced print of Raptor, Visitor Badges, for those families we know are coming to the Dash and have pre-registered in Raptor.   Teachers: If you know of families that are attending the event, please record their names here. Kim and Amber will be pre-printing passes from this list for families we know are attending and have pre-registered in Raptor (Please do not send the Google Doc to families, this is for internal tracking)

We are planning to have a fire drill next week.

Rachel Hammond will be teaching kindergarten for the remainder of the school year while Kenya is on leave. We will miss you Kenya and are excited for Juneau’s arrival in May! 🙂

Congratulations to Lydia Youkey who has been promoted within the Mt. Bachelor Ski Education Foundation and will be assuming new duties soon. Lydia’s last day at Lava will be April 28th.

Ipad ready to go for the Lion Dash? Here again are the steps to follow:

• Search for “EZ Scan” in Self Service (it may come up as version 2)
• Download app and open
• Enter email:  [email protected]  and password: 20805Cooley
• Log in
• Close app, you should be set.

From Julie Walker: digital tool survey-We are reviewing digital tools like:  Lexia, Dreambox, Discovery Learning and Seesaw and their use. We need your feedback and hope you will take this survey:

Important Digital Tool Survey

From Jennifer Hauth:  Master of School Counseling tuition-free and with a monthly stipend from OSU Cascades ( link to a one-pager of information about the program)

• Informational Open House May 8^th from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Registration Link
• Candidates must apply for admission to the School Counseling program by May 25, 2023
• If accepted into the program, then candidates may apply (very short process) for entry into the PATH-SC cohort (grant funded tuition-free and monthly stipend)
• Classes for this new cohort (both those in the PATH-SC cohort and those who are not) will begin in late June 2023.
• Anyone with a Bachelor’s Degree can apply for the PATH-SC cohort, regardless if they are currently working in the district or not.
• The focus of this grant (PATH-SC cohort) is to engage individuals who represent your community, represent an underserved and diverse population, and must be placed and willing to work in a high-needs school.

If our staff could teleport to anywhere in the world, we would go to:

• New Zealand
• Patagonia
• An over the ocean hut in Bora Bora
• Somewhere warm and tropical
• Somewhere tropical with beautiful water and a sandy beach
• Fiji with crystal blue water
• Italy
• Hawaii
• Italy      
• New Zealand
• Greek Islands with my family
• The Blue Lagoon
• On ANY slow boat on beautiful water!
• Chowchilla, California to see my grandma
• A hammock on a beach in Tahiti
• Bali
• Cheers, where everybody knows my name and they’re always glad I came!

Next week is an A week

Happenings next week at Lava Ridge:

• Tuesday: ICCL Meeting @ 2:30
• Wednesday:  Responsibility Assembly @ 8:00;  SIW: Educator Network Day @ 2:00-3:15; 1st Grade Music Performance @ 6:00
• Thursday: 4^th Grade MTSS @ 2:30
• Friday:  Fancy Dress-up Day

It’s time for the Elite Ten in March Book Madness! Here we go!

If you are still in the process of downloading the EZ Scan app for the Lion Dash, here are some steps:

• Search for “EZ Scan” in Self Service (it may come up as version 2)
• Download app and open
• Enter email:  [email protected]  and password: 20805Cooley
• Log in
• Close app, you should be set.

For the Lion Dash, please encourage your students to wear your grade-level, Color of the Rainbow color, from Spirit Week.

Here is a link to the Lava Ridge Teams folder (Safety, PBIS, Character Traits, Staff Engagement/Celebration)

Next week is a B week