Principal’s Hello
THANK YOU to everyone who came to Back to School Night! We had a successful turnout, and our teachers were excited to meet you all. Thank you for your kind words and for all your support. It’s going to be a great year!
We apologize to all the football families who couldn’t make it to Back to School Night. We have sports events, literally, every night of the week, and there’s always overlap with our school events. We’ll work harder next semester to space out our major events. It’ll never be perfect, but we’ll do better. We owe that to you.
October and April Conferences
We’re voting as a staff today about our conference schedule. In next week’s “News from the Nest,” we’ll lay out your schedule options, and you’ll have a chance to sign up for conferences.
This is a great opportunity for folks to meet teachers if they couldn’t attend Back to School Night. It’s also a chance to have deeper conversations about your child’s work habits and demonstrated skills here at school.
Halloween Costumes
We’re allowing students to dress up for Halloween this year. We believe this creates a fun and festive atmosphere that’s good for school culture. While we have fun, we want to ensure we’re kind and responsible as well.
Please monitor what your student’s plans are for their costume. Is it a group costume? If so, is anyone left out from the group? Is it a mask? We cannot have faces covered. It is scary? We can’t have overwhelming gore that disrupts the learning process. The costume must follow the district dress code as well, which is in your family handbook.
Finally, just as our cultural awareness and sensitivities evolve, so must the ways we celebrate. We will not allow costumes that mimic or make fun of another culture. This is called cultural appropriation. If you Google the term, you’ll find this definition: “the inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society.”
We’ll be giving a lesson in Advisory about this well before Halloween, but we wanted you to hear about it first since your student might be asking you to buy them a costume soon. If you’re not sure about a costume idea, just ask!
Community Invited to Apply to Vacant Board Seat
Applications due October 11; appointee to fill term through June 2023
Bend-La Pine Schools’ Board of Directors is seeking applicants to fill a vacant seat, Zone 7 at large. Applicants must reside within a Deschutes County voting precinct, have resided within a Deschutes County voting precinct for at least one year, reside within Bend-La Pine Schools’ attendance area and be registered to vote.
Applications are due October 11 at 4 p.m. Visit the Board of Directors’ webpage for details on how to apply (applicants must share a resume, residency attestation form from the webpage and a letter of interest following the prompt on the website.)
Finalists will be selected Nov. 8 and a final appointee will be sworn in Dec. 13. The individual will be appointed to serve through June 20, 2023 (the appointee may choose to file for the May 2023 election.)
Bias Lessons in Advisory
District wide, our students here in Bend and La Pine are learning about unconscious bias and how that affects equity, inclusion, and belonging on our campuses. At the middle schools, we’re delivering these lessons in Advisory. Here’s a letter from our district’s director of diversity, equity, and inclusion explaining these lessons. We encourage you to ask your student about these lessons.
Deadline Reminder: iPad Insurance Purchases
The link to purchase iPad insurance will be removed from TouchBase at the end of the day today, Friday, September 30. We highly recommend that you purchase this insurance. To replace an iPad that is not covered by insurance is $250 and to repair an iPad that is not covered by insurance is $150. There is a “family cap” of $60.00 For more info, go to the Bend La Pine iPad Information Page.
To purchase insurance, log onto Touchbase using your student’s ID # and last name to pay for the annual iPad insurance ($30). If you wish to purchase iPad insurance for your student AFTER today your student will need to do take their iPad in for inspection to Ms. Hanna in the Media Center to ensure no prior damage has occurred. If it passes inspection based on district requirements, the main office will contact you regarding $30 payment.
iPad Tips
- All iPads must be in an in-tact case (front and back cover)
- Help kids succeed by creating a routine of charging the iPad each night. A dead iPad can’t “do school”. Chargers tend to get lost/taken at school. A fully charged iPad will last all day when used appropriately for school.
- Always use the iPad charger that came with the iPad. Phone chargers are underpowered. If their charger is lost they can buy a new one. The brick is $20, the cord is $10.
Dorian Student Photo Packets
For those of you who purchased student photo, the packets arrived and have been distributed to your student during today’s advisory. So remember to ask your student about them today.
If you did not purchase a photo packet, your student will come home with a brochure with instructions and access key to purchase a packet online.
An Important & Friendly Reminder: Student Pick-Up and Drop-Off
As we mentioned in several earlier blogs, due to the construction on NW Crosby Drive construction, we ask that everyone be patient and refer to this map with instructions to help navigate a safe and prompt student drop-off / pick-up at the PCMS red curb. Dangerous and inconsiderate actions have been observed and reported to the main office by multiple people who are following the instructions in place per this map. Please share this map and the below instructions with your caregivers, students and others that may be dropping off and/or picking up students.
- Do not use NW Lolo Drive due to buses entering and exiting the bus loop.
- Approach school parking lot by entering NW Elwood Lane from NW Skyliners Road.
- Take the first right into Pacific Crest MS parking lot, not the second right.
- Approach the red drop-off curb and move as far along the curb as possible (near bike rack).
- Drop your student(s) quickly, but safely at the red curb.
- Do not have students exit vehicle on the drivers side.
- Exit the parking lot by ONLY turning left onto NW Elwood Lane.
- Follow NW Elwood Lane back to NW Skyliners Road.
- During pick-up, do not ask your student(s) to meet you on Elwood. This is very dangerous and slows the flow of traffic. Ask them to wait for you at the red curb.
- Or park in a parking space and text your student your location.
We appreciate your patience during this time and will update you as the roads open back up for normal use.
Enlace para las Familia Latinas
Queridos Padres de Familia y Tutores. Mi nombre es Gloria Kosiba, estoy encantada de servirles como Enlace para las Familias Latinas este ciclo escolar.
Mi Misión es mejorar la experiencia educativa y lograr el éxito académico de nuestros estudiantes. Information flyer.
Calendar
- Oct. 3 | Volleyball (7th) vs. PBMS | 5:15pm @ PCMS Gym
- Oct. 3 | Volleyball (8th) vs. PBMS | 5:15pm @ Pilot Butte MS
- Oct. 4 | XC Meet | 5:15pm | Pilot Butte MS
- Oct. 5 | Football (7th) vs. CMS | 5:15pm @ PCMS
- Oct. 5 | Football (8th) vs. CMS | 7pm @ Cascade MS
- Oct. 5 | Volleyball (7th) vs. CMS | 4:15pm @ Cascade MS
- Oct. 5 | Volleyball (8th) vs. CMS | 4:15pm @ PCMS
- Oct. 25 | Photo Retake Day
Helpful Links