To Do:
Curriculum Guide: Please be sure your curriculum guide is posted to school websites by Jan 3 – in both English and Spanish. Please reach out to Kindra or Rachel if you have questions about formatting and content and to Jo, Dean or Stephen for questions about courses.
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From Sean Reinhart: Please submit your input, in conjunction with your special education team, on the survey link below:
We are seeking to help create more accessible outdoor and indoor spaces for students that experience disabilities by purchasing equipment and/or supplies with some grant money. We are limited, in that, we can’t fund any facilities improvements or construction. Think about equipment and supplies that would increase access to recess or other indoor spaces in your school that is not permanent and portable. Please complete this collaboratively as a School Admin/SPED team. We will review all submissions and be in contact with any questions or project ideas. Thanks
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From Alandra: Here is the follow up information from the two topics presented at the HS work session this week:
Social Media Policy
This summer, the Board of Directors approved a new social media policy. This is the FIRST social media policy we have had in place for our district and it makes some key changes that we want principals and staff to be aware of going forward. One of the key changes I want to highlight is that all official school accounts, including many student-run accounts, will need to go through an approval and oversight process. Here is the Site Authorization form and additionally can be available to come visit schools to help answer questions and get folks trained.
Student Voice Advisory Team
Here is the one-sheeter explainer about the new district-wide student group that I shared this week. We are asking for nominations by Jan. 6. (Here’s the form to submit the names.) One note I didn’t clarify during the meeting that I think is important: We are asking you to nominate more students than will be selected, so please don’t share the information with students yet. We will do that after the Jan. 6 deadline for those who are selected for the team. Additionally, we are hiring for the advisor to help this work, so please share this opportunity with staff members that you think would be a good fit. Happy to answer questions and thank you!
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From Stephen: Here are the CTE takeaways from our HS Administrator work session this week:
CTE Fly Up Day is scheduled for March 2, 2023. Here are key questions for you consider when planning for your incoming 9th graders:
- We will bus all students to their future HS
- Opening in gym followed by rotations
- Funds available for CTE teachers ($100 per teacher – CTE ONLY)
- Substitutes available for support
HS Admin To Dos
- Will you keep this as just CTE or open up to other forecasted electives?
- The fewer the options, the larger the groups
- What will you do with your HS students?
- Communicate with your teachers about this day and have them think about a 15-20 minute activity to do with MS students.
I will be in touch the beginning of January to follow up with next steps.
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Information:
From Dean and our secondary TOSA’s: Timeline and plan for Priority Standards development: At our meeting this week, our secondary TOSA team shared the timeline and plan for this important work beginning February 7. We agreed to set aside the March 15th SIW for TOSA’s to work with the LA, Math, Science, Social Science and World Language teachers in the high school buildings. These meetings will be virtual. Reach out to Dean with questions.
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HERE are the slides from the HS Administrator work session this week.
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From Lora:
American Red Cross Blood Drives
We are excited to restart our long-standing partnership with the American Red Cross with school-hosted blood drives. This is a critical need in our community and state. As I write this, we are formalizing the partnership with an MOU. For school leaders and activities directors, here are the most important components of the MOU:
- It is the responsibility of the American Red Cross (ARC) to conduct background checks on their staff and volunteers;
- All members of the ARC team at a school site, as well as any community member donating blood, must check in and out through the school’s visitor management system if they are on site during staff working hours.
- It is the responsibility of the school to directly supervise students at all times while the students are volunteering/participating/etc.
February 2nd Work Day/Inservice Day
Thursday, February 2, was originally scheduled as an additional workday for all staff to prepare for a districtwide systems performance review. However, that process has been delayed. The district decided to keep this as a non-student contact day; however, it remains a paid day for ALL STAFF, certified and classified. For certified staff, the day will be divided into half site-directed inservice and half worktime. Some classified staff will be required to attend inservice on that day (more details to follow shortly after the break). For other classified staff, it will be a building-directed worktime.
June 20th Teacher Work Day
The last day for students has been moved from Thursday, 6/15, to Friday, 6/16. The district needed to push back the teacher workday to Tuesday, June 20th, because of Juneteenth. Certified staff who have completed check out do not need to report on the 20th. This is consistent with past practice when we have had to extend the school year due to unexpected circumstances (i.e. snowmaggedon).
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Office Manager Notes: Below are the notes from the December Office Manager Meeting. I am sharing them with you so you are aware of training and discussion items. The purpose of these monthly meetings is to improve communication, provide consistent training and understanding of district systems and support collaboration across schools and with district level departments. Your support in ensuring your OM attends is appreciated! Reach out to Janet or Marta with questions:
IT Update:
- Office Staff webpage is an excellent resource and can be found in the Staff Portal
- Bookings is a new tool to schedule specific training needs
- BLS IT Training Library
- ACR and Choice Options Lottery – new dates with the window opening January 3rd
- Staggered end dates based on grade level
- ACR Webpage for more information
- New Year Rollover (NYR)
- As of January 3rd 2023-24 enrollments set in Synergy
- Trainings
- January 3rd WebEx with Deby
- January 11th MANDATORY – invites have been sent by Deby
- McKinney-Vento
- New forms will be in registration packets and will be faxed to Sandy Schmidt, not kept in CUM file
- Language Use Survey
- New ODE requirement as of January 1
- New tab in Synergy
Business Office:
- Leah thanked all Office Managers for working with her on FTE reconciliations
- Accounting Handbook Addition for Transportation
- Updated instructions for Bus Hive
- Contact Nick Shein, x1128, or Brenda Spreier, x1132, with questions
- PA (personnel action) Forms
- Contact Linda O’Donnell, x1134, with questions
Safety Department:
- Kayla Martin, x1004, new Risk and Safety Specialist
- Send all incidents report to her
- Please remember to list the school on all forms submitted
- All Call on all phones!
- *9 on all school based district Cisco phones for an all call
- Crosswalks and School Signs
- Not owned by BLS
- Contact Aaron Ritter with City of Bend, [email protected], with any questions or concerns
- SRO
- Scott Schaier has left Bend PD
- Sgt Joe Pacheco, new SRO Supervisor, will cover down for remainder of the school year
- Updated SRO Roster coming soon
- Building Access
- Additional information coming in January regarding distribution staff, bus drivers, and nutrition staff using entrances other than main entrance
Social Media Policy
- New social media policy – FIRST for our district
- All official school accounts, including many student-run accounts, will need to go through an approval and oversight process
- Site Authorization form
- Alandra is available to provide training as needed
- Advertising
- Official school social media platforms should not be used for advertising
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From Eric Powell: Hello All! Moving forward we will be linking all helpful documents & resources for discipline, restorative practices, and student conduct at this Google Site Link: BLS Restorative Practices Resource Guide
You can delete your prior bookmark for the one-page Restorative Practices ‘sheet’ that most of us have been using up until now. Thank you!
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Calendar:
December 15 and 16: Katie out of the office
December 19-January 3: Winter Break—Wahoo!January 9: Principal Professional Development @ Education Center in Board Room
January 10: HS Administrator work session 8:00-9:30 @ BSHS, Robert Maxwell Hall
January 11: Campus Monitor Training/Meeting @ 2:15 location TBD
January 16: Martin Luther King Jr Day – no school
January 18: Office Manager Meeting @ 2:30 location TBD
January 20: HS Principal and secondary TOSA check in 7:30-8:30 @ Education Center room 312
January 23: Secondary VP/Dean Professional Development 7:30-8:30 @ Education Center, Board room
January 24: HS Administrator work session 8:00-9:30 @Summit HS Library