Week at a Glance

We are looking forward to being back together as a staff next week! Here again is the schedule for August 26-September 4th

We are excited to welcome these amazing people to our staff this year!

• Sally Brown – School Counselor
• Hester (Jansen) Clothier – Inclusion EA
• Matt Johnson – School Psychologist
• Carrie Larmel – Inclusion EA
• Jeff Larmel – Inclusion EA
• Daniel McGuire – SPED Ocean Teacher
• Lacie Ogren – Speech
• Grace Leuze – Music
• Rob Woods – Night Custodian

Congratulations to Megan Williams who will be serving on the ICCL Team this year and next. Megan, Tracy Mauze, Sarah Kamasz, and Jennie Willis will be providing instructional leadership this year for Lava Ridge.

On Thursday, August 29^th between 10:00-10:30, classroom teachers will send a brief (really, it only needs to be a couple of sentences) email via Synergy to families welcoming students to their class. You will have time to create this greeting on Tuesday afternoon and ask that you include a reminder to families of Open House that afternoon from 4:00-6:00. 

This month we have sent two letters to families. They are listed below:

Welcome Back Letter

August 26th Letter to Families + Personal Electronic Device Expectations & Commute Options Safe Routes

We are planning to invite a small group of students who benefit from quieter environments to meet with their new teacher at an alternative Open House time on Thursday.  For some, this will be just before we open the doors at 4:00 PM. Emily, Sara T. or Daniel, will be in contact with you to coordinate a time if this would be advantageous for one of your students.

The Operation Recreation summer program will be using the Friendship Mountain Commons and the hallway area by the doors to the bus exit through Thursday, August 29^th.  OR has been onsite this summer and often goes on excursions after lunch with their clients.

At Open House you may have families ask about volunteering in your classroom. Whether/when to have volunteers is at your discretion.  Volunteers need to be assisting with a specific task at a specific time, and whenever possible, complete tasks inside your classroom.  All volunteers will need to complete a background check.  Background checks are good for 2 years and Kina or Kim can assist with double checking applicants status.  The link to volunteer is under the “Parents” tab on the Bend La Pine Schools web site:  https://www.bend.k12.or.us/district/organization/volunteer Thank you for letting Kina and Kim know in advance when volunteers will be arriving so they can welcome them to Lava Ridge.

Visitors again will be allowed on campus during the day when invited for events.  At the beginning of the year, we will only be inviting families to attend meetings with teachers and Open House.  If you or your team would like to invite families to events during the year, please let me know so we can work together and plan for the event.  We are not planning to have visitors in the building during lunch or at morning arrival.

We need you!  Staff who are not teaching or supporting students @ 7:30 on Wednesday-Friday, September 4-6^th are needed to help walk students to class on the first days of school. 

Thank you in advance for not asking for donations from families. Lava Ridge families via the PTO have set us up again with very generous monetary allocations that should cover the cost of any additional needs we may have as a school this year.  In the event you are approached by families wishing to make a donation (i.e. snacks, school supplies, jackets, etc) please steer them to PTO for monetary donations and all other items to Kina. PTO will be fundraising for this year via the Read-A-Thon (mid-October), Bingo (February 7^th) and the Lion Dash (late-April).

Greetings!

I hope you are having a restful and rejuvenating summer, filled with moments of relaxation and joy.  As we prepare to embark on this new academic year together, I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude and share my optimism for the journey ahead.

The DeFrang’s are having a great summer.  We’ve stayed close to home outside of a trip to the Coast and have been able to spend lots of time together as a family.  Matthew (17) has been lifeguarding at Juniper Swim and Fitness, Jon (14) getting ready for soccer with pre-season training at Caldera High School and Kim continues to teach a variety of fitness classes for Bend Parks and Rec.  I’ve been able to get in some regular swims, work in the garden, and watched way too much of the Olympics.   

Each August brings the energy and anticipation of a new school year and 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 a description of who I am as a leader and some of the beliefs that shape my leadership.

I am relentlessly positive and try to see the opportunity in the challenges that are inherent during a school year.  I believe in the importance of relationships and that people have the best intentions.  I feel honored to serve in the role of principal and to work alongside each of you. 

Trust is crucial in relationships.  During my 20 years as a principal, I have experienced actions that build trust and other actions that wreck it. As examples, making a mistake, forgetting duty, and disagreeing with me or a decision that was made, are examples of things that will not damage trust or our relationship.  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 and 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 that you don’t have my support. It just means I felt there was a more compelling reason to do it differently.  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.

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. 

Having a healthy work/life balance is important to me. Away from school my job is being a dad, a husband, and doing things like swimming and skiing that bring me joy.  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, and try to be as efficient as possible with my time. My goal when I leave Lava is to spend as much time with my family as I can, navigate Winco with ease, and have fun. Time is precious and I encourage each of you to also have a healthy work/life balance.

Keeping you well-informed and providing opportunities for you to share feedback is important to me.  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.  I want you to be well-informed of goings-on at 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.  I will also continue to send out periodic, Quick Check-ins, to see how you are doing.  Your well-being is important to me, and this provides another way to share feedback with me in addition to our in-person conversations. 

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 2024-25 (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 11^th)

Certified Work Hours for 2024-25: 7:15-3:15 p.m. 

Details below for August 26th-September 4^th: 

Monday, August 26^th

• New Teacher Day at Pacific Crest
• Option for work day for certified staff

Tuesday, August 27^th

• Inservice day at Lava beginning at 7:30 a.m.
• First day for Educational Assistants
• Breakfast and lunch provided

Wednesday, August 28^th

• District Professional Learning Day for Certified Staff (staff who attended the EL Training during the summer are excused)
• Lunch on your own
• Non-contract day for Educational Assistants

Thursday, August 29^th  

• Certified work day; 10:00-6:00 p.m. 
• Work in Classroom
• Educational Assistant Training @ Ed Center 7:45-11:45
• Lunch provided by PTO
• Open House 4:00-6:00 p.m. 

Friday, August 30^th  

• Inservice 7:30-12:00 followed by Work in Classroom
• Educational Assistant Training @ Ed Center 7:45-11:45
• Lunch on your own
• EA Meeting @ Media Center, 1:00

Tuesday, September 3^rd

• Option for flexible workday for certified staff

Wednesday, September 4^th

• First Day of School! Half of our kindergarteners will attend on the 4^th and the other half on September 5^th.  All kindergarteners attend school on Friday, September 6^th.

Happenings Next Week at Lava Ridge:

• Monday: 1:00 5^th Grade Promotion @ South Playground; 1:50 5^th Grade Celebration Walk on South Playground
• Tuesday: Wednesday Specials Schedule; Student dismissal @ 12:45; Staff Celebration @ 1:15 in the Media Center; Staff Celebration II Cascade Lakes @ 3:30
• Wednesday: Juneteenth Holiday
• Thursday:  Workday for those who did not check-out on Tuesday

Teachers: We need your feedback and input into the schedule for next year! This information will be used as the schedule is designed over the summer and we will do our best to create a plan that is in line with your preferences while meeting everyone’s need. Elementary daily schedules will reflect these guidelines (the District is referring to these as “assurances”).  Thank you for sharing your feedback by Thursday on this survey.

Questions about August birthdays? We call these in September each year.

As you order workbooks for your classroom for next year, you may find the resources in this Curriculum Checklists Folder helpful.

Here is the August Professional Learning Calendar

Here again is the Inservice Week Certified work calendar for 24-25.

A quick reminder that the certified work day on August 29th will be from 10:00-6:00 with Open House from 4:00-6:00.

Staff Room Tidy Team: Office Staff

Happenings Next Week at Lava Ridge:

• iPad roll-in begins
• Tuesday: Last day of Walk to Skill and ELD; Bucket Assembly @ 1:30 (loading @ 1:25); 3rd – 5th Meet with Sara S @ 2:30 in the Media Center
• Wednesday: Yearbooks in mailboxes for distribution; Character Trait Awards and Lion Pride Drawing @ Lunches; Student dismissal @ 12:45; Retirement and Departing Staff Celebrations @ 1:00 in the Media Center; SIW: Teacher Prep
• Thursday:  The Lava Ridge Olympics
• Friday- Dress Up Day: Beach Day; Staff Smoothies @ 7:15 in the Staff Room; Kindergarten promotion @ 1:00

Here again is the June Big Dates doc.

Staffing Updates:

• We’ve posted a 6.5-hour educational assistant position for next school year.  With student teaching on the horizon, Heather Rogers will be focusing on completing her teaching program and has resigned her position.
• We have posted a temporary music position for next school year while Matthew is on leave with the Oregon National Guard.
• Kelly Collins will be a School Psychologist next year in Madras. Special Programs has hired Matt Johnson to serve in this role next year at Lava Ridge.

Here are the Climate Team Meeting Notes from May

Staff Room Tidy Team: Office Staff

Next Week is an B week

Happenings Next Week at Lava Ridge:

• Tuesday-Volunteer Appreciation Pit Stop @ 9:30-1:30;  Staff Meeting @ 2:30 in the Media Center
• Wednesday-5^th grade leaves for Camp Tamarack; SIW:  SLGG Reflection, Time for Team Report Card Calibration @ 1:45 in the Media Center
• Thursday-4^th Music Assembly @ 8:00; Lion Pride Drawings at Lunches; TAG Info Night at Juniper @ 5:00
• Friday-Mt. View HS Grad Walk @ 1:45 on the South Playground;  5^th returns from Outdoor School

May 29^th Elementary TLC Update This week’s update includes:

• Disposal plan for Wonders and Maravillas curriculum materials
• Summer PD opportunities from the Culture of Care team at HDESD
• End of year activities from Wayfinder
• Movement moments

Staff Room Tidy Team: All Staff

Next Week is an A week

Happenings Next Week at Lava Ridge:

• Wednesday:  Character Trait Awards at Lunches; SIW: Class Placements @ 1:45 in the Media Center
• Thursday:  DIBELS Day
• Friday:  No Walk to Skill; Dress Up Day:  Dress Like a Teacher

Below is the Wonders recycling guide we discussed on Wednesday. We are planning to have recycling bins outside at the bus entrance by the curb, the first week of June.

Below are some staffing updates for next year. These updates are to keep you up to speed with happenings and will be shared with students/families at a later date.

• I’m sad to report that we learned yesterday that Tali will be teaching primary at North Star next year.  With only three 1^st grade classes next year and 19 classroom positions available at Lava, the district needed to place her at another site.  In the event a classroom position becomes available here before the start of the school year, we will be able to have her return to Lava.
• Next week we will be doing Office Manager interviews.  Thank you to those staff who are assisting with these.
• We should know next week if we will be posting a temporary music position for next year while Matthew is on leave with the Oregon National Guard or if a music teacher from another school might be transferred into this position.

In the event you are considering outside time on the playground as a reward for your students, thank you for avoiding times when other grade levels are already scheduled. Thank you for also letting the office know in the event a student needs to be located.

From Jenny White, Life and Career Readiness: Planning and Prioritizing Collections in Wayfinder: Enhance students’ organizational and time management skills with this collection of activities and lessons. Through planning templates, prioritization exercises, and goal-setting strategies, students will learn how to effectively manage their tasks, responsibilities, and commitments. These resources promote efficiency, accountability, and a balanced approach to academic and personal life. Directions on how to find the collections on Wayfinder Direct Links: Kindergarten. 1 – 2. 3 – 5

Kitchen Tidy Up Team: Specials Team

Next week is a B week

Happenings Next Week at Lava Ridge:

• Monday: ICCL Meeting @ 2:30
• Wednesday:  SIW-SLGG End of Year Assessment Planning, Wonders Materials Update, Time to complete classroom placement cards @ 1:45 in the Media Center; Kindergarten Open House @ 5:30
• Thursday:  Lion Pride Drawings @ Lunches; Lava Teams @ 2:30

Keep the Deeper Dive EL Training in mind if you are interested in a paid, planning day this summer. Check out the email from Sara Swedlund for details on registration. The dates are 6/25, 8/13, or 8/20.

Thank you for kicking off the Responsibility Trait with your students! If you haven’t yet, here again are the slides: Responsibility Kick-off Slides . With the classroom launch in full-swing, we have decided to cancel the Responsibility Assembly originally scheduled for Tuesday and postpone the Bucket Assembly to June 12 @ 1:25.

Staffing Notes:

• Danny McGuire will be joining our staff this fall as a learning specialist.  Danny will be stepping into Katie Gillem’s role as she pursues new adventures.  Danny has most recently served as an early childhood Specialist & ABA Teacher for High Desert ESD since 2019. 
• The Office Manager position for 2024-25 recently closed and we will be interviewing soon. 

From Scott in IT: Bend-La Pine Schools IT is rolling out a security change to staff Macs that you need to be aware of if you have installed personal software on your Mac.There is a new process to gain administrator access on your computer for installing or updating non-standard software. If you need administrator access on your computer, please review our guidance on the staff portal:
https://bendlapine.sharepoint.com/sites/technology/SitePages/Make-Me-Admin.aspx If you run into any issues with this process, you can contact the IT Help Desk at ext. 1200 or open an IT support ticket at https://help.bend.k12.or.us.

The Culture of Care Summer Institute flyer is below. Looks like some great offerings! Space is limited so sign up soon if you are interested.

Staff Room Tidy Team: 5th grade

Next Week is a A week

Happenings Next Week at Lava Ridge:

• Monday: ICCL Meeting @ 2:30 in the Media Center
• Tuesday:  Staff Meeting @ 2:30 in the Media Center
• Wednesday:  Character Trait Awards @ Lunches; EA Meeting @ 12:10; SIW-Teacher Prep
• Thursday:  State Advisory Council Visit @ 12:00; Lion Dash @ 1:25; K MTSS, 1^st -5^th PLC Meetings (content focus Wayfinder/RGR)

The State Advisory Council for Special Education (SACSE) will be visiting Lava Ridge and other Central Oregon schools on on May 16^th. They are planning to be on site for about 30 minutes.

Here are some details for the Lion Dash:

• Students will be receiving a Lion Dash t-shirt from the PTO that can be worn on the day of the event.
• Students will want to bring a full water bottle to the event.
• We will begin calling classes at 1:00 to the Lion Dash;  5^th grade first, followed by 4^th, 3^rd, …Kindergarten will be called around 1:15.
• At the conclusion of the Lion Dash, students will return to class, have a snack and pack up.
• Families that attend and wish to take their child home afterwards, can meet their child at the Main Entrance after the bell rings at 2:15. Thank you for your help and communication with this. Last year this really helped with making sure all students were accounted for at the end of the day.

Congratulations to Madeline Fulkerson! Madeline will be the full-time counselor at Juniper Elementary next year. We are so happy for you, Madeline! As you read several weeks ago, we will continue to have a .5 FTE counselor next year and have learned that Sally Brown, will be joining our staff in this role. Sally is currently a part-time counselor at Juniper and Silver Rail. Next year, Sally will continue to counsel part-time at Silver Rail in addition to serving at Lava Ridge.

Staff Room Tidy Team: 4th grade

Next Week is a B week

Happy Staff Appreciation Week!

Happenings Next Week at Lava Ridge:

• Monday: Welcome back, Joelle! Yogurt and Fruit Bar from PTO (AM); ICCL Meeting @ 2:30
• Wednesday: Walk and Roll to School Day; Character Trait Awards @ Lunches;  SIW:Small Group Instruction Reflection Activity;  5^th Outdoor School Meeting @ 5:00 in the Media Center
• Thursday:  Hydration Station in the Staff Room from PTO;  American Fidelity Appointments with Todd Wells; Lion Pride Drawings @ Lunches; 1^st MTSS @ 2:30 in A1; K & 2-5^th PLC Meetings (Math focus)

If you haven’t always followed the email notification links from UKG after activities like goal setting, or mini-observations, please double check your in-box in UKG for items that may need your approval. The in-box is in the upper right hand corner in the system. Thank you!

Life and Career Readiness with Jenny White: Help students navigate the complexities of friendships with this collection of lessons and activities. It offers guidance on resolving conflicts and cultivating healthy and supportive friendships. How to find the Navigating Friendships Collections in Wayfinder. Direct Links. Kindergarten. 1 – 2. 3 – 5

2024-25 Calendars are posted: https://www.bend.k12.or.us/district/news-events/calendar .

The Fall Elementary School Conference Schedule set by the Bend-La Pine Calendar Team:

• October 29:  Regular school day + Conferences 3:15-7:15
• October 30:  Work Day 7:15-3:15 + Conferences 3:15-7:15
• October 31: Conferences 7:15-3:15
• November 1: Enjoy!

Staff Room Tidy Team: 3rd grade

Next week is an A week

Happenings Next Week at Lava Ridge:

• Monday: Lisa Birk/Tammy Doty Visit @9:30;  ICCL Meeting @ 2:30
• Tuesday:  Transfer Interviews @ High Lakes @ 3:00
• Wednesday:  Spring Pictures + 5th Promotion Photos in A1; SIW-YouthTruth and Family Survey Debrief @ 1:45 in the Media Center
• Thursday:  2^nd MTSS @ 2:30;  K, 1^st, 3^rd -5^th PLC Focus:  Writing or Wayfinder

We are planning to send the next newsletter to families on Tuesday.

Here are the go-to-Apps for the Lava Ridge Staff:

• Podcasts
• Audible
• Pinterest or Pulse Point
• Find my phone to track my teenage driver
• Instagram
• GoodBudget
• Weather
• YouTube
• Libby – Public Library App (Listed by 4 staff members)
• Calm & Marco Polo Messages
• Guitar Pro
• Facebook
• Camera
• Apple Music

Staff Room Tidy Team: 2nd grade

Next week is a B week