Thursday’s “Secure” Event
On Thursday, the 7th of October, Bend Police Department placed our school in a precautionary Secure (formerly known as a lockOUT) due law enforcement activity in the area. During a Secure, school staff bring students inside, secure the school perimeter (lock exterior doors), PE is brought inside, and situational awareness is increased while continuing business as usual inside the school. Our staff and students did an amazing job of following our safety protocols and I came away even more impressed with our staff and students.
I know that Summit High School families were notified of the event through BLConnect while our families were not and that is an error that we discussed today with our district safety team. Typically, families will not receive a notification through BLConnect of a Secure event at a school, as there is no imminent threat to students as determined by law enforcement organizations. That said, it is a great idea to take this opportunity to ensure you are registered with BLConnect so you can be aware of any happenings that are communicated (inclement weather season is drawing nearer). For further information, please review BLP’s district protocols regarding safety measures of all kinds.
Tragedy in Bend
I’ve received a number of emails in the past two weeks from families sharing that the news of the shooting death of Barry Washington Jr. in Downtown Bend has negatively impacted their child. A man was killed in our community – the location of his death is inside Pacific Crest’s boundary – and some students, staff, and families are struggling with how to process this happening here in Bend. It is not my role to adjudicate the case or to weigh in on any of the many layers this horrific event contains, but rather to talk about how we can support our students – and each other – process this event and others like it (perish the thought).
Please let your students know that their counselors are tremendous resources who are available for them to process difficult events. Additionally, I’ve found these guidelines from Common Sense Media to be useful in talking to my own elementary school children at home over the years when the headlines aren’t pleasant and also aren’t avoidable.
Substitutes Needed
As a region, Central Oregon is short on substitutes. Bend-La Pine alone had over 35 substitute positions not filled today, which leads to a scramble and a hodgepodge of coverage and results in a lack in the predictability of students’ days. Additionally, it puts stress on teachers who may need to take time off but are reluctant to do so because of the shortage as well as those who volunteer to give up their planning period to cover a colleagues’ absence.
All of that is to say, we need more substitutes in our district. If you are interested in an incredibly fun and rewarding way to spend your day, I want to encourage you to review the requirements to become a substitute for the High Desert ESD and see if this may be for you. You can select sites to substitute at and subjects so you aren’t too far out of your comfort zone. I am happy to talk with anyone who is curious. I started my teaching career as a substitute and even got to substitute a bit today, it can be a lot of fun!
Lost and Found
It’s getting colder in the morning and we’ve been lucky to have some nice afternoon weather, which means our Lost and Found continues to fill up. We will be donating all items on October 29, which means October 27th is the last school day for students to check and see if anything they’re missing is in there. Please remind your student to do so in the coming weeks – and to be mindful of where they leave sweatshirts, lunch boxes, jackets, hats, gloves, water bottles, books, scarves, and so much more!
Golden Eagles in Action
I have been thrilled to see our football, volleyball, and cross country teams in action the past few weeks. Camaraderie and competition are wonderful learning opportunities and I’m grateful for the work our Athletic Director and our coaches do to allow PCMS students that opportunity. Even if your student does not participate in a school-based sport, I encourage you to come out and watch the student-athletes in action; they appreciate all the support they can get and it is a good amount of fun. We are in the beginning processes of rolling out plans for Performing Arts concerts this fall, so please stay tuned for those updates.
Calendar
- Oct. 11 | 7th Volleyball vs. Sky View | 5:15pm @ PCMS Court #1
- Oct. 11 |8th Volleyball vs. Sky View | 5:15pm @ SVMS
- Oct. 12 | School Board Meeting | 5:30pm |
- Oct. 13 | 7th Football vs. Pilot Butte | 5:15pm @ PCMS
- Oct. 13 | 8th Football vs. Pilot Butte | 5:15pm @ PBMS
- Oct. 13 | 7th Volleyball vs. High Desert | 4:15pm @ HDMS
- Oct. 13 | 8th Volleyball vs. High Desert | 4:15pm @ PCMS Court #1
- Oct. 14 | Cross Country Meet | 5:15pm @ Cascade Middle School
- Oct. 26 | Student Photo Retake & Make-up Day (more info to follow soon)
- Oct. 26 | School Board Meeting | 5:30pm |
- Oct. 27 – Oct. 29 | Conferences (more info to follow soon)
- Oct. 28 & Oct. 29 | No School | Conference Days
Helpful Links