April 30, 2021

Posted on May 1, 2021 by Lisa Birk

There are not enough words to express how much it means to me each day to work with all of you. Thank you for your support to our students, our community, and one another. You are appreciated far more than you will ever hear or see and yet you have THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB. You matter- your work matters- your care matters. Thank you❤️❤️❤️❤️

Next Week is Staff Appreciation Week! We will start off with Thump coffee and Sparrow Bakery pastries at 8:15am Monday morn. More throughout the week for sure, including grab and go lunches on Tuesday and Thursday. Due to lack of space throughout the building, we will be utilizing office conference room on those days to enter one door (from lobby), grab items and exit the door out to to Nest.

State Testing Information: We will begin state testing during Advisory on May 10th. This means that ALL Advisory teachers, SPED teachers, EAs, and Counselors must complete the Test Administrator Trainings (outlined below) by Thursday end-of day on May 6th. We will have time to work on some of this during SIW time on Wednesday as well. The Math and ELA tests have been shortened by about 70% this year and there are no PTs like in the past. Here’s what every Advisory Teacher needs to do:

Award Nominations: Believe it or not, now is the time when we begin to think about who we would like to specifically recognize during our End of Year Award Celebration (format TBD). We have two tabs- one for PCMS School Awards (Community, Relationship, Identity, and Legacy) and another tab for other types of Awards that classrooms would like to give out. Please add your nominations to the form by Friday of next week (at least for the PCMS-SCHOOL AWARDS) so we can do a second round of selection. Remember, this is an opportunity to spread the wealth in recognition so think about those who stand out that might not otherwise have much recognition. Feel free to change anything on the Staff Award tab that you’d like.

Update on Summer School: Below is an update/adjustment regarding pay for both classified and certified employees who work in our district summer learning program. If you are interested AT ALL, please apply.

  • Certified (teachers and student services/deans) will get a stipend of $5500 for 3 weeks of summer school and 3 days of training.  This is 120 hours of expected work.
  • Classified will get a $3500 stipend for 3 weeks of summer school and 2 days of training.  This is 112 hours of expected work.
  • Classified hired in the afternoon will work half days for $1750.
  • HR has edited the current job postings to include the new stipend.  Postings will be up for another 10 days.

BLPO in the Summer: FYI that MS students will be able to take MS-level BLPO classes free of charge to the family this summer. This will be another option for students to participate in summer learning. It is important to note that any courses taken through BLPO are self-paced and are not connected to a teacher (they are fully asynchronous). Because of this, this option is not ideal for students who are behind or struggling academically, but better suited for those who missed instruction (due to COVID) and are self-motivated and able to navigate their learning independently.

Athletic Staffing: We could really use some help for our upcoming X-Country race and our football game(s) next week. If you are willing to support your Golden Eagles for an hour after school, please reach out to Jane Ward and Brooke Walton so we know who to call on. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

8th Grade Teachers: Who are our current 8th graders who would benefit from Base Camp (2 weeks in Aug) as an orientation to high school? These 8th graders may not have lagging academic skills, but instead may be showing more concern with anxiety, stress about entering high school, lagging social skills etc. We need to get a list to the coordinator in the next couple of weeks so please start compiling a list HERE.

Canvas Guidelines:  This document outlines the key to-do’s regarding the Canvas LMS system.  It is very important that everyone continue the 3 minimum requirements of posting weekly agendas, creating assignments and providing feedback in Canvas.  It is also very important that we continue to regularly sync Canvas and Synergy (see Dan if strangeness occurs here).  Updated information in both Canvas and Synergy not only allows access for our students who are quarantined at home, but also allows your counselors and staff to accurately track and monitor student progress.

Students Out of Class: Please refer to Ryan’s guidance regarding students in the hallways or out of class. In a nutshell, restroom is basically the only reason anyone would be out without an escort. If you need help with a student or need something, please call 7804.

Staff Timesheets & Support: As discussed during staff meeting (if you missed it see the notes below) there is an opportunity for you to be paid for your time creating a matrix to support students while they are away for those specific times that your lesson cannot be easily transferrable to Canvas. Please come and see me regarding this if you are interested.

Thank you to Torie, Renee, and Sarah D. who will be supporting our students (ELA & ScienceT-F from 9-10 and Math T&R from 9-10) to have extra support if they are out of school in quarantine or for any other reason!

Celebration! Did you know that you can become a Certified National Geographic Educator? Our very own Heather Marr just completed this certification through work she did with our students this year. Ask her for more details. Congratulations!

Staff Trivia Game: The WEB News Team has proposed a PCMS Staff Trivia segment in the WEB newsletter that goes out every Golden Week. For those who wish to participate, please click on this link and answer four questions. The WEB Team greatly appreciates it!

Bend Senior High School Life Skills Annual Hanging Flower Basket Sale:  It takes place Wednesday, May 5 from 4-6pm while supplies last.  The sale will be a at the BHS campus greenhouse located on the south side of campus on Alden Avenue (730 NE Alden Ave.) between the Technology building and the baseball field. Approach the green house on Alden Avenue from 6th Street. Patrons will need to stay in their cars at all times as we will be adhering to social distancing guidelines. Examples of each variety of baskets will be on tables you can view from your car. Cost per basket is $25 this year, and we will be collecting payment at the point of sale only.  They are accepting cash, a credit card, or a check made out to Bend High School Life Skills. It is important to note that we will NOT be taking any orders prior to the sale.  Also, there are limited quantities and varieties available, and there will be a limit of six baskets per family.

District COVID-19 Dashboard: Bend-La Pine Schools is publishing data on reported positive or presumptive COVID-19 cases who have a connection to our schools, staff or students. This page has several other links regarding COVID-19 information as well. 

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