Welcome to Realms High!
Dear Students and Families,
On behalf of our whole team of teachers and support staff I am so excited to welcome you to Realms High School!
Our school is growing and we are thrilled to welcome ALL of you… from the Seniors who are completing their 4th year with at RHS, to our brand new freshman class who have yet to set foot on a high school campus. From the many Skyline students who are joining us from the other side of “The Great Wall” to students who might be new to Bend…. to all of you, WELCOME, it is going to be an awesome year!
As we return to school there is no escaping the effects of this lingering pandemic. Luckily, at Realms HS one of our “superpowers” is creating a school community where all students can feel like they belong. Together as a united community of learners and teachers, we will remember the joy in school, the satisfaction of tackling challenging, worthwhile, and relevant academic work together, and the fulfillment that comes from being a connected part of a community of humans!!
I am looking forward to the adventures ahead, and most of all to getting to know all of you!
Roger White
Principal
Upcoming Dates & School Year Calendar:
- Thursday & Friday August 27th-28th: iPad appointments as needed (8:00AM – 3:00PM)
- Monday August 30th: Student schedules published to StudentVue for all BLSD high schools
- Wednesday September 1st: Back to School Open House on Webex (5:30PM)
- Wednesday September 8th – 1st day of school for 9th Grade
- Thursday September 9th – 1st day of school for 10th – 12th Grade
Our Growing Staff!
We have had some major growth as a staff here at Realms High since last year, and we couldn’t be more thrilled.
Our expansion includes a Assistant Principal (Zach Harju), a new School Counselor (Kristin Utter), and new (and official) PE/Health teacher (Greg Norris), a Student Success Coordinator (Kat Tomsic), two new Math/Science teachers (Makaela Thompson and Danny Diamond) and four amazing Skyline educators, who many of you already know and love: Kem, Mr. Woo, Ms. Hamilton and Mr. Reeves!
In addition we are welcoming Brandon Russell as our new Special Education teacher in replacement for Berit Dart who has moved up to Sisters and Tyler Running who is filling Brad Horn’s shoes (or were they Birkenstocks?!).
Bottom line? We have a fantastic (and sizeable) team coming together to make this year the best yet on the Brinson Campus!
You can read more about them here on our Staff Bios page AND, in case you are wondering about a few of our specialized roles they are below:
- Special Education: Karla Luff Lopez & Brandon Russell
- 504 Coordinators: Kat Tomsic (9th & 12th) and Kristin Utter (10th/11th)
- College & Career Coordinator: Jen Rule
- Counselor: Kristin Utter
- Office Manager: Jennifer Scalley
Student Schedules
We have started to receive some inquiries about your student schedules. We are as excited to share these with you as you are to receive them! However, the District has set August 30th as the date on which all high schools will release their schedules, so expect to see an email on that day.
As we added new teachers this summer we also added some new electives, including History Through Film, AP Art, and Weightlifting… among others!! As a result, you or your student might be signed up for a class that you/they did not choose in the spring forecasting process. In some cases this will be adjustable, and you will receive an email from us on the 30th with instructions for submitting a course request form. In the meantime, feel free to explore our complete course catalog linked below (some courses may not have full descriptions yet… that how truly fresh they are!).
When schedules are live on StudentVue (August 30th) we will email you. Any and all change requests will go through a Google Form process and will be managed by our new and amazing School Counselor (Kristin Utter) and our fantastic School to College & Career Coordinator (Jen Rule).
2021-22 Bell Schedule
ParentVue (Action Item)
Please take a moment to update your information in ParentVue. This is a CRITICAL STEP and if your information is not correct you MAY not receive important school information like grade reports, newsletters, COVD updates and more!
If you don’t yet have an account, please email Jennifer in the office at [email protected] to get one activated for you. Having your current phone number, address and email is necessary so that you receive all of our communication, can sign up for buses, and so that we have important information about your child, such as health, emergency contacts, and more! Please keep your account up-to-date throughout the school year. ***
***IMPORTANT TO KNOW: On the STUDENTS tab, you will come to a question entitled “Directory Information” that asks you to indicate if you would like to release your student’s directory information. As it states in ParentVue, “Student directory information is regularly included in school publications, class pictures, yearbooks, event programs, vendor solicitations and external/internal communications”. Here at Realms, we do not share any contact information with our families, but please note that if you indicate “Do Not Release”, your child’s photo and/or name will not be included in the yearbook, any school photos on social media, any videos shared with families, or any external communication. Let me know if you have any questions about this. This question will replace any “Media Release Forms” you have filled out at Realms in prior years.
Follow these instructions to update your information:
- Log in by clicking the PARENTVUE ICON HERE and selecting Log In.
- Select the Updates/Enrollment button located at the top right-hand side of the page.
- Verify and update your information on each page. You must press Save and Continue to move to the next page.
- When you get to the STUDENTS section, use the EDIT button to verify or update information for each of your students.
- Be sure to go through each window until you reach the final step of clicking on the Submit button.
iPads (Action Item)
Here are 5 steps to take with your iPad now:
- Find it!
- Charge It!
- Turn it on!
- Run any iOS updates!
- BUY the INSURANCE!
All students that attended a Bend LaPine School last year should still have their school iPad in their possession which they will use for the upcoming year. If you are new to the district and need an ipad OR if your ipad is damaged or broken, please contact Lisa Johnson at [email protected] to get a replacement.
iPad Insurance: It is strongly recommended to purchase the optional insurance for your child’s iPad. We consider it the most important school supply you can buy! The cost is $30 annually and will cover any accidental damage, cracked screens, theft and more. Please visit https://www.bend.k12.or.us/district/parents/ipad-information/ipad-insurance to learn more. You can purchase your insurance on-line here. This link will close on 9/30/21. After that date, insurance can still be purchased only after the ipad has been inspected.
Transportation Sign Up (Action Item)
The Bend LaPine School District Transportation office is busy at work developing a plan for the upcoming school year. If your student is planning on riding a bus, please update that information in ParentVue by following these instructions:
1. Login to ParentVue.
2. Select the Updates/Enrollment button located at the top of the window.
3. Verify and update your information on the Family and Parent pages.
4. Use the EDIT button to verify or update information for each of your students. During this step you will see our questions regarding school transportation.
5. Be sure to go through each window until you reach the final step of clicking on the Submit button.
More information about signing up for bus transportation, routes and more can be found here: https://www.bend.k12.or.us/bus
School Supplies/ What to Bring
Just like last year, we will provide all of the school supplies that your child will need at Realms. However, the SINGLE BEST purchase for parents to make (NOW) is the iPad Insurance! Without it you may be on the hook for replacing lost or damaged iPads. If your student would like to bring some of their own supplies, they are free to do that. Here are some things that your child should bring to school every day:
- their CHARGED iPad (EVERY DAY!!)
- backpack (not mandatory but they will need a way to carry their items as we have no lockers)
- earbuds
- water bottle
- snack (and lunch if not getting school lunch)
- mask (we have plenty of disposable masks available)
If you want to bring some of your own supplies:
- calculator
- highlighters
- sharpies
- folder/binder for organizing & transporting papers
COVID-19 Realities
It is clear that with COVID-19 numbers higher than ever, we MUST remain vigilant and follow all of the required precautions to keep our students safe! Though I truly wish we were past this, we simply are not.
There are more details and you can keep track of them on the BLSD’s Return to School COVID-19 page and we know that details are CHANGING WEEKLY, but here are a few things that we know for now:
All school meals are free to all families again this year! For more information about school meals including daily menus, visit the Nutrition Services webpage. Here you will also find the application for Free and Reduced Meals. While this is not required to be filled out for school meals this year, there are other programs that may require this application.
- Masks will be required for all students and staff indoors
- Masks will not be required outdoors
- Classroom seating will maintain at least 3′ between students to the maximum extent possible
- Essential personnel only on campus… this means no visitors and parents past our “lobby” and that all parent meetings will, for now, be on WebEx
- Students will be eating lunch outside to the maximum extent possible. Indoor eating during inclement weather will be spread out, with increased ventilation
- Students with symptoms must remain at home and follow District guidelines
- the quarantining “rules” have changed from last year – details here.
School Meals
All school meals are free to all families again this year! For more information about school meals including daily menus, visit the Nutrition Services webpage. Here you will also find the application for Free and Reduced Meals. While this is not required to be filled out for school meals this year, there are other programs that may require this application.