Week at a Glance

Staff Appreciation Breakfasts are back! On Thursday, bring your appetite to the Media Center beginning at 7:00 for omelettes, pancakes and all the fixings. With some on duty in the morning, let’s all work together so everyone can enjoy the food or get an omelette to go for later in the day.

Happenings next week at Lava:

• Monday: Fire Busters* begins, Bus Evacuation Drills & Sibling Conference Scheduling @ 2:30 in the Media Center
• Tuesday: PTO Room Parent Meeting @ 2:30
• Wednesday:  International Walk and Roll to School Day, Read-A-Thon Kickoff (through Library Classes), EA Team Meeting @ 12:00 (location TBD), SIW: Teacher Prep
• Thursday: Staff Breakfast at 7:00 & 4^th grade MTSS

*We will have a basket in the office for returned Fire Buster worksheets.

Thank you for arriving at Sibling Conference scheduling with only ELL family conferences scheduled. Scheduling families that have multiple Lions at Lava Ridge with consecutive conferences (i.e. back-to-back time slots) is a must and this makes the scheduling of these most efficient for all.

We are already seeing positive returns on the new lost and found tub system. Thank you for bringing in your lost and found tub at the end of the day and being ready with your tub placement for rainy and snowy days ahead.

We are planning to have a lockdown drill this week. The Safety Team discussed the resource below as a potential way to instruct students about this type of drill. Thank you for previewing prior and feel free to modify wording so the content lands in the best way possible for your students.

Lockdown Drill

Reminder from the Safety Team: Thank you for locking exterior doors (Neighborhood Commons, classrooms) that kids use for recess.

This year, the Bend-La Pine Schools will be going through a curriculum review process for language comprehension, writing, listening and speaking. This team had their first meeting yesterday and will adopt a new curriculum the Spring of 2023 which will be implemented in buildings in September 2024. Rachel Schendel is serving on this team. Thank you Rachel!

Here is a link to the Lava Ridge Teams folder (Safety, PBIS, Character Traits, Staff Engagement/Celebration) In this folder you can find notes from September meetings.

Next week is an A week

Happenings next week at Lava:

• Wednesday:  Safety Assembly @ 12:05 (North Playground) & SIW: Foundational Skills Support @ 1:45 in the Media Center
• Thursday:  5^th MTSS (EBISS) @ 2:30 in A1 (Discovery Falls) & PTO Meeting @ 2:30 in the Media Center
• Monday, October 10th: Sibling Conference Scheduling @ 2:30 in the Media Center

From Instructional Technology – Canva for Education (not to be confused with Canvas) is now available for all teachers and students.  Canva is an online design and publishing tool that provides templates for easy-to-create presentations, posters, documents, and other types of visual content.  This PDF explains how to get access and login to your Canva for Education account.  If you need any support with Canva for Education, please reach out to Tracy Howk, Robbie Faith, or Austin James.

The Education Foundation for Bend-La Pine Schools, Classroom Grants are open! You can find all of the details here. The deadline for applications is Friday, October 15, 2022

Thank you for bringing in your lost and found tub at the end of the day! We are already seeing positive returns on this new system.

Have you tried logging into the UKG system? Let’s all try to do this by Tuesday morning and let Miriam know if you encounter any issues. Below is a paste of the directions from Paul Dean:

How To Login To UKG

1. You’ll need to have already set up multi-factor authentication.  If you haven’t done so, please follow these instructions.
2. Use (and bookmark) this BLS UKG link 
3. Once you’ve received the Congratulatory message that you’ve successfully logged into UKG, you may logout.  The data in UKG is not up to date as we are still in TEST MODE.

From Alandra Johnson – Oct. 6: State of the Schools – Staff members are invited to tune in to one of two presentations by Superintendent Cook on Thursday, October 6. He will share information about the state of our schools as well as information about the upcoming construction bond on the November ballot. Tune in at 8 a.m. or 2:30 p.m. If time allows, Dr. Cook will also answer questions from staff. Submit a question in advance using this form. For those that can’t make it, we will record the presentation and share it at a later date.

Next week is a B week

Teachers: We need your help in deciding the schedule we will use this year for conferences in the fall and spring. Please take this brief survey by Monday at 12:00 to share your input.

We are only a couple of weeks from the launch of UKG. Human Resources has created a 2nd video that highlights how to log-in to UKG, tech support available, and the UKG smartphone app. If you missed the first video about UKG from Human Resources, you can also view it  here 

Happenings next week at Lava Ridge:

• Monday-Vision Screening + ICCL Meeting @ 2:30
• Wednesday:  SIW: Walk to Skill
• Thursday:  Lava Ridge Teams (Safety, PBIS Rules/Incentives, Character Traits and Assemblies, Staff Engagement and Celebration @ 2:30 Locations TBD

Library Linx Returns in 2025– the Deschutes Public Library has many building projects underway as a result of the bond that passed in November.  An impact of these building projects is the temporary closure of branch libraries throughout Deschutes County during the remodels and new construction process.  This impacts access to material collections and unfortunately also impacts the Library Linx program.  The program will be unable to provide delivery service to schools from Sept 2022 to December 2025. 

Here is a list of the last great movie or TV shows we’ve been watching at Lava:

• All American
• Pan
• Phantom of the Open
• Top Gun: Maverick
• Virgin River series
• Extreme Rescues
• Only Murders in the Building
• Schitt’s Creek
• Yesterday
• The Crown
• Severance
• Better Call Saul
• Elvis
• The Crown
• Where the Crawdads Sing

Next week is an A week

Happenings at Lava Ridge next week include:

• Monday: ELL groups begin
• Tuesday:  September Staff Meeting at 2:30 in the Media Center
• Wednesday:  SIW-Teacher Prep
• Friday:  DIBELS Day and Family Movie Night @ 6:30 . Here is the flyer.

From Jennifer Hauth: Classroom 180 Book Study – Join fellow educators in this supported book study to learn the 5 domains and supporting indicators of the Classroom 180 Framework. Learn how you can create a more trauma-informed classroom to meet the needs of our students. Book Study in Collaboration with the Bend-LaPine Student Success and Culture of Care Coaches. Join Virtually:  9/22 4:30-6:30 & 11/17 4:30-6:30. Coursework completed on your own via Canvas with optional Office Hours. Optional: 1 OSU Credit. 

Next week is a B week

That was an amazing first week! Thank you for all of your hard work and preparation and for making this such a wonderful start for our Lions.

The September Staff Meeting is on Tuesday, September 20th in the Media Center from 2:30-3:15.

Wednesday is the first School Improvement Wednesday of the year. We will be meeting from 1:45-3:15 in the Media Center. Thank you for reminding the families of your students that dismissal on Wednesdays is at 12:45.

If a student has a significant injury in class or on the playground (thinking something that leaves a mark or bleeds) please let the office know. In some instances we may need to submit an incident report for the event and we also always follow-up with a call from the office for support. Thank you!

Thank you so much for always calling Amber or Miriam (phone or walkie-talkie) before sending a student to the Main Office.

From Jenny White (PE support) – ​​Participate in a FREE training to learn how to use the BE Physically Actie 2Day! (BEPA 2.0) program in your school. BEPA 2.0 is a school-based physical activity “brain boost” program aligned to physical and health education standards. In addition to 3-hours of professional development credit, participants will receive a FREE BEPA 2.0 Toolkit to use in their classrooms. See these details on how to register! 

A lunch (with all the fixings!) is always available to any student who needs one at Lava Ridge! Students are always able to charge to their account and if a regular pattern of charging occurs we will explore the option of the family receiving free meals.

Next week is an A week

Thank you for all of your hard work getting ready for the first day of school! Below are some reminders for this week:

-All students will eat breakfast in the gym this year. Bus riders will wait in the gym until 7:25 each morning prior to being dismissed to classrooms/grade level locations.

-At the end of the day, students can walk to buses or the front parking lot via the halls or outside (exiting through playground gates is ok) Please decide as a grade level which route you would like students to take and work as a team to have one teacher walk and supervise students as they go to the buses and one do the same with walkers/riders/rollers. Thank you!

-Thank you for coaching your students to be ready to give their last name to Kathy, Teresa, or Maria if/when they get lunch from the Cafe.

-With the intermittent crummy air we have been experiencing, there is the potential we may need to have inside recesses this week. If the air quality index is above 201, we need to keep students inside. Thank you for reviewing inside recess and routines with your students.

-Here are some reminders for Implementing PBIS in the First Weeks at School at Lava Ridge

-When things are feeling stressful, watch the Lava Ridge Staff Snowball Fight

Jenny White and other members of the elementary PE Team have been working on a list of activities for classroom teachers to use with their students. Here is a link.

Last call! OSU Cascades is interested in having some of their third year BS Ed students learn from the best (you! 🙂 ) in a low commitment and high reward placement. Practicum students start in mid to late September and are in classrooms for 10 hours a week for 10 weeks. There is no paperwork, observations or evaluations of their practicum student.  You simply get to have a student teacher come help in your classroom. At the end of each term, hosting teachers fill out a 5 minute online survey giving feedback on the student. Here are more details. Please let me know if you are interested in hosting a college student during the fall (mid-September-December) and winter (January-spring break)

On Thursday, Emily detailed the new partnership between the Bend-La Pine Schools and Care Solace.  (General Information Flyer – English and Spanish) Care Solace secures mental health and substance abuse appointments in a fast time frame, care companions speak 200+ languages, match clients to culturally and gender appropriate care, and are available either anonymously via a weblink or through a warm handoff by school staff.  Care Solace also offers a support and a wellness program for Bend-La Pine Staff. Details on staff wellness support can be located here.

In response to screen time concerns and some home management issues, elementary schools are being asked to not send iPads home on a regular basis.  This doesn’t mean they can never go home.  There will be times when projects need to be worked on or students need an iPad due to an extended absence. There might be some parents who want the iPad sent home regularly.  These requests can be granted, just coordinate with families. With iPads remaining at school we will not be offering insurance to families. 

 The Bend-La Pine Schools Equity Stance has been finalized and can be accessed here

OSU Cascades is interested in having some of their third year BS Ed students learn from the best (you! 🙂 ) in a low commitment and high reward placement. Practicum students start in mid to late September and are in classrooms for 10 hours a week for 10 weeks. There is no paperwork, observations or evaluations of their practicum student.  You simply get to have a student teacher come help in your classroom. At the end of each term, hosting teachers fill out a 5 minute online survey giving feedback on the student. Here are more details. Please let me know if you are interested in hosting a college student during the fall (mid-September-December) and winter (January-spring break)

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 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. Thanks for reading-it is important to me that you have the information you need to do your best with students and that we limit the need for in-person Staff Meetings to once a month.

In this, longer than usual post, you will find a bunch of information for the start of the year:

Please join me in welcoming the newest member of our teaching faculty, Tracy Mauze! Tracy was selected as the finalist by our kindergarten interview team on Tuesday to teach the just added, fourth, kindergarten class. As many of you know, Tracy taught for five years in Saudi Arabia and eleven at La Pine Elementary prior to serving as an educational assistant last year at Lava.

The certified work day on September 1st will be from 9:00-5:00 to accommodate Open House.

Teachers will again send an email of introduction/welcome to their students in lieu of the posting of class lists at Open House. At 12:00 on Thursday, September 1st, we will all send a brief (really, it only needs to be a couple of sentences) email to families welcoming them to your class and reminding them of Open House that afternoon from 3:00-5:00.

We will be one Bend-La Pine site for the HDESD pre-school ECSC program this year. The pre-school will be housed in Eagle’s Nest and run a morning and afternoon program. Like Bridges, the pre-school is under the direction of the ESD.

Field Trips that align with grade level standards can be scheduled this year.  We will have more information about this in early September.

Similar to June, classroom teachers will be able to have one volunteer per day in their classroom this year. Volunteers should be assisting with a specific task at a specific time. Whether/when to have volunteers is at your discretion.  All school volunteers will need to complete a background check and submit proof of vaccination or an Oregon Health Authority approved medical/religious exception.  

If you are interested in having a person apply to volunteer or need to know if they have been cleared, please email the name to Amber and Miriam.  This year, they will be sending the application link to families and will then let you know when the application has been approved.

Visitors will be allowed on campus during the day when invited for specific events.  At the beginning of the year we will only be inviting families to attend meetings with teachers and Open House.  With principal approval, there may be other events later in the year we invite families to attend during school.  We are not planning to have visitors in the building during lunch or at morning arrival.

During the student day, volunteers and visitors, must check-in via the Raptor system (with government issue ID) and wear a Raptor generated sticker during their time on campus.

This is the time of year when you may be contacted by families wishing to make a monetary or other type of donation (i.e. school items, popcorn machines, jackets, etc)  We met recently with PTO and they are ready to accept monetary donations from Lava Ridge Families.  Those interested in donating other types of items to classrooms should contact Miriam.

Students will eat lunch in the gym this year.  This is a directive from the superintendent. When the weather is nice we will also eat outside. 🙂

Safety Updates/reminders:

• COVID Guidelines-The same guidelines from June are in place at this point
• The COVID guidelines for isolation remain in place for staff and students including masking requirements for days 6-10 and students eating in isolation upon returning.
• Please do not prop open any exterior doors (including to the courtyard) Please let Mike know if you need assistance opening windows in your classroom for increased airflow. Students can still enter/exit courtyard doors for recesses or other activities.
• Please do not cover the interior windows of your classroom.  These windows should be kept clear so it is easy to see in and out. 
• In the morning, staff should enter Lava Ridge through the main entrance, bus entrance, or a classroom door (not playground gates)

Greetings! I hope your summer is going well.  The DeFrang’s had a great summer.  We spent some time at the coast, went camping and had lots family time.  Priceless.

Each August brings the energy and anticipation of a new school year.  I’m excited for what I believe can be one of our best years ever.   Regardless of how long we have worked together, before we launch into the school year it is important for you to 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 it 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 and changes that are inherent during school year), believe people have the best intentions, and believe in the importance of relationships. Trust is crucial in these relationships.

During my 18 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 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. 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.   Working in a school is the most important work there is and I believe every day is an opportunity to make a difference. We must 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).

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. Time for me as a dad is going way too quick and away from school my job is being a dad (i.e. taxi for my Matthew and Jon at this stage in their life) and a husband. 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 like to do (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 am really looking forward to this year and working with each of you!

Elementary start and end times for 2022-23: Regular Schedule: 7:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.; School Improvement Wednesday 7:45-12:45 (beginning September 14)

Certified Work Hours for 2022-23: 7:15-3:15

Pre-School (i.e. before school starts) Calendar

Details below for August 29th-September 9th Note: This is the same information that we discussed at the June Staff Meeting; more specifics will post in the blog next week)

Monday, August 29th

• New Teacher Day at Summit
• Option for flexible work day for certified staff

Tuesday, August 30th

• Foundational Skills Training for certified staff that have not taken it
• Option for flexible work day for certified staff who attended the Foundational Skills Training prior to inservice week

Wednesday, August 31st

• First day for educational assistants
• Inservice and meeting day at Lava
• Lunch provided

Thursday, September 1st

• Inservice 9:00-12:00
• Open House 3:00-5:00

Friday, September 2nd

• Work in Classrooms

Tuesday, September 6th

• Option for flexible work day for certified staff

Wednesday, September 7th

First Day of School! Half of our kindergarteners will attend on the 7th, the other half on September 8th, with all here on the 9th.

Happenings next week at Lava Ridge:

• Tuesday:  Lion Dash Assembly @ 1:00 on the North Playground. Here is information to review with your students before the assembly.
• Wednesday:  Student dismissal @ 2:10
• Thursday:  5^th Grade Celebration Walk at 10:00;  Student dismissal 12:40;  Staff Celebration @ 1:00 in the Media Center
• We will also have a fire drill next week

Early next week we will have an end of the year check-out list for you in your mailbox.

Sara Blanchard was the unanimous selection of the interview team that met with candidates for a regular 1st grade teaching position for the 2022-23 school year on Wednesday. Congratulations Sara!

Questions about report cards? Check the information from this January 19th TLC blog post

As we discussed at the Staff Meeting on Tuesday, below is the tentative plan for the three, “building discretion” the last week of August

• Wednesday, August 31-Inservice Day
• Thursday, September 1^st-Inservice 9:00-12:00; Open House 3:00-5:00
• Friday, September 2^nd -Work in Classrooms

Next week is an A week

A reminder that we will follow the Thursday specials schedule on Wednesday and the Wednesday schedule on Thursday.