Happy New Year Golden Eagles!
New Information Regarding the Move to Hybrid: Below you will find information related to scheduling, commonly asked questions, and preparation tools as we move toward hybrid learning.
- PCMS HYBRID SCHEDULE
- No Webex Classes January 25 – February 4
- Orientation Week February 1-February 4: Students will come to school with a fraction of the students to walk through classes and learn and practice protocols. Schedule Below.
- Monday- 6th graders in cohort A-K. Arrival 10:35 & dismissal 1:00 pm
- Tuesday-6th graders in cohort L-Z. Arrival 10:35 & dismissal 1:00 pm
- Wednesday- 7th and 8th graders in cohort L-Z. Arrival 10:35 & dismissal with parent pick-up 1:00. Bus riders will stay until bus pick up at 2:00 pm.
- Thursday- 7th and 8th graders in cohort A-K. Arrival 10:35 & dismissal 1:00 pm
- What if my child needs to change cohorts? These requests MUST be made to our counselors by January 15th. These will be granted based on need and space allocation with preference given to students in different cohorts who are living within the same household.
- What if I want to stay in CDL? At this time, students must choose between coming to school in person or going to Bend La Pine Online. Schools and teachers do not have a realistic way to manage three groups (those at home on asynchronous days, those at school, and those who never come to the building). Stay tuned for this week’s board meeting when options will likely be discussed.
- How can we get our family ready for the change to school?
- Practice: Practice hand washing, discuss what it means to be 6 feet apart from others, and practice wearing masks and how to take them on and off properly. All individuals within a school building must wear masks at all times. Help your student understand the reasons that masks support the safety and welfare of them and others around them.
- Schedule: Know the schedule and make a plan for asynchronous days. As you can see above, in the hybrid model students will be at home for three days each week. For two of these days, students will not be participating in webex and will be expected to complete assignments and learning completely independently. Set students up for success with the use of proper work areas as well as materials like timers in order to keep them on track.
- Mitigate: As a family, please mitigate any opportunity for the virus to be spread or brought into the school by minimizing group sizes and wearing masks while in the community.
- Prepare for disruption: As the OHA says, there is no such thing as a zero risk activity. We will be operating with the utmost adherence to safety guidelines but it is a very real possibility that your student could be affected by the virus or someone who has had contact with them. In these events, students will need to leave the building and we will not have areas that will be supervised or will be safe for students to wait for extended periods of time. Have a plan in place for who will be picking up your child in the event that they need to return home with limited notice.
- Communicate: Much of the planning within our school has to do with numbers of students in any given class and space at any given time. If you are considering making a change with your school delivery, please let our counselors know as soon as possible. Additionally, I have been asked by several people how they can communicate their beliefs about hybrid learning (both in support and otherwise). Please direct any feedback to our school board by visiting our district website if you choose.
Youth Truth Survey: At the beginning of the year, our district partnered with Youth Truth– a nonprofit organization that supports hundreds of schools and districts across the county – to conduct an anonymous survey on our behalf. This is the time that was determined early on for gathering information from our students and families regarding their experiences. So, although this is an unusual time and we are navigating the waters of potential hybrid learning, we are interested in your feedback regarding the experience that we provide for your student and family at PCMS typically (not regarding CDL, hybrid, or otherwise). Families- Please take the survey before it closes at midnight on January 22 by clicking this link: ytsurvey.org/bendfamily21. I will continue to send reminders via social media throughout this week as well. Please note:
- The survey needs to be completed in one sitting.
- We ask that one member of each household fill out the survey.
- If you have more than one child who attends the same school, you may respond to the survey multiple times – one time per child.
- If you write any comments, please do not include your name or anything else that might identify you. Your responses are anonymous, and they will be combined with the responses of other parents and guardians before being shared back with school and district leadership.
New Middle & High School Attendance Boundaries for 2021-22 School Year
New middle school and high school attendance boundaries for the 2021-22 school year will take effect in September . Students may attend a neighborhood middle school or high school outside of their new attendance area with an approved Attendance Area Change Request (ACR). Families must submit an Area Change Request (ACR) to their 2021-22 home school for approval by March 1st.
Students who will be 8th graders in the fall of 2021 and who are affected by the boundary changes will be guaranteed a spot at their current school if they wish, as long as they submit an Area Change Request (ACR) by March 1st. All other students may complete an ACR, and these may be approved, depending on space available in schools, grade-level size, etc.
High School Enrollment Choice Options
The 2020-2021 school year lottery period for Realms High School, Skyline High School and Bend Tech Academy at Marshall is now OPEN. The High School Choice Options application period is from Monday, January 4 to Friday, March 19 @ 3:00pm. Applications through the Interest List received after March 19 will be filled on a first come, first served basis should any spots remain.
Students may attend a neighborhood high school outside of their attendance area with an approved Attendance Area Change Request (ACR). Families must submit an ACR to their home school for approval by March 1, 2021.
Athletics Update
With COVID-19 presenting many challenges the Bend La Pine Schools remain committed to providing access and opportunity for all student athletes in middle school sports. While our middle schools continue in distance learning we have been discussing changes to the athletic calendars moving forward in the 2020-21 academic year.
The Oregon State Athletic Association (OSAA) has adjusted all seasons into shortened time frames at various times of the year for our regular middle school athletic seasons. We understand there will be challenges along the way and with moving the seasons we are hoping to provide access for our students to their desired programs. Please visit the PCMS Athletics page on our website for detailed information regarding updated season dates and registration for each sport.
Bus Transportation Registration & Covid Safety Protocols
As we begin our hybrid schedule, families who will be utilizing BLS bus transportation for the remainder of the school year must register student(s) by going to BLS School Bus Webpage. There is also a very important informational video on COVID safety protocols for students who will be riding the bus. It is critical for each bus rider and family to watch the video and understand these protocols.
Free Covid-19 Testing Clinic (Pruebas de Covid-19 gratuitas)
Free clinic at Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center on Wednesday, January 13. Click the below flyers for details.
Family & Friends Virtual Trivia Night
If you loved Family Bingo Night you are going to love our upcoming Trivia Night that will benefit our local Family Access Network (FAN). Join us on Wednesday, February 10 at 6:30pm. Cost is $10 per family.
District/School Alerts and Updates
Many of you may know this, but we would like to remind our community that the district has a very informative webpage and a text messaging system — BL Connect — to alert parents in the case of an emergency such as: weather events that close or delay schools, fire evacuation, and school lockdown.
Upload Your Yearbook Photos
Our yearbook advisors are fast approaching their deadline to submit a very creative yearbook to our publisher. Please continue to share any photos you wish by going to www.hjeshare.com and use the school passcode: goldeneagles. Click here for a short video on how to upload photos.
Purchase Yearbooks Online NOW
Don’t miss out on your child’s chance to be guaranteed a yearbook when they arrive in the Spring. Our yearbook advisors are required to submit a final number of yearbook orders to the publisher by January 29th. We always purchase a few extras, but, again, to guarantee that your student will receive a book purchase NOW! We will NOT be placing a reorder this year. If you are unsure if you have purchased a book, contact our office staff at (541) 355-7804 to confirm. Cost is $20 and you may purchase online via TouchBase.
Calendar
- Jan. 13 | Free Covid-19 Testing Clinic (see info above)
- Jan. 18 | Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday | No School
- Feb. 5 | No School | All Schools
- Feb. 10 | Virtual Trivia Night
- March 1 | Area Change Requests (ACR) Deadline
- March 19 | High School Choice Options
Helpful Links