Greetings!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hope you are having a restful and fun summer! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The DeFrang\u2019s have had a wonderful July and August. We\u2019ve stayed close to home outside of a trip to Portland to see family and pick blueberries. Matthew (18) has been lifeguarding at Juniper Swim and Fitness and getting ready for his freshman fall term at OSU Cascades, Jon (15) is learning to drive and getting ready for his sophomore year at Caldera and Kim continues to teach fitness classes for Bend Parks and Rec. I\u2019ve really enjoyed having time with our family, some great swims, and working part-time at the amphitheater. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every August brings fresh excitement for a new school year, and I\u2019m eager to work alongside you and make this one of the best at Lava Ridge! Regardless of how long we\u2019ve worked together, I believe it\u2019s important, for you to understand some of my leadership beliefs and what you can expect from me this year as principal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am relentlessly positive and try to see the opportunities in the challenges we face each school year. You can count on me to prioritize trust and relationships and do everything in my control to make Lava Ridge a great place to work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In supporting a positive work culture at Lava Ridge I believe we must communicate with words and actions that support one another and build trust. During my 21 years as a principal, I\u2019ve seen the negative impact that gossiping, talking behind other people\u2019s backs, and not respecting other colleagues, can have on this goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I believe in face-to-face communication and value hearing from each of you directly because it helps me understand your perspectives and support you better. I\u2019m not a fan of, \u201cWell, I\u2019ve been talking to people and lots of them are very\u2026\u201d or \u201cAt lunch today, staff were saying\u2026\u201d Encourage those people you have been talking to to talk or meet with me. It\u2019s similar to when a parent shares a concern with me about a teacher, I will direct them to the teacher to discuss the issue. Please feel welcome to come to me anytime with questions, ideas, or concerns\u2014my door is always open, and I promise to listen with respect and confidentiality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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. 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 and families to be the best principal I can be every day (even when I might rather be skiing). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, 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 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\u2019m here, I work hard and try to be as efficient as possible with my time. Time is precious and I encourage each of you to also have a healthy work\/life balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keeping you well-informed and providing opportunities for you to share feedback is important to me. This year, Week at a Glance,<\/em> 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,<\/em> 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some nuts\/bolts for the start of the year:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Elementary start and end times for 2025-26 (same as last year):<\/strong> Regular Schedule: 7:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.; School Improvement Wednesday 7:45-12:45 p.m. (beginning September 10th<\/sup>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Certified<\/strong> Work Hours for 2025-26: <\/strong>7:15-3:15 p.m. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Details below for August 21st<\/sup> \u2013 September 3rd<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Thursday, August 21st<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Friday, August 22nd<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Monday, August 25th<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tuesday, August 26th<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Wednesday, August 27th<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Thursday, August 28th<\/sup> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Friday, August 29th<\/sup> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tuesday, September 2nd<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Wednesday, September 3rd<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Greetings! I hope you are having a restful and fun summer! The DeFrang\u2019s have had a wonderful July and August. We\u2019ve stayed close to home outside of a trip to Portland to see family and pick blueberries. Matthew (18) has … Continue reading \n
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