Principal’s Hello
Hello, Pacific Crest Middle School community! I’m excited to be reaching out to you all for the first time this 2023-24 school year. My name is Sean Keating, and I am the principal here at PCMS. I taught high school English for 7 years before becoming a high school assistant principal. I’ve been an administrator now for 10 years. This will be my 5th year as a middle school principal.
My two kids will be attending Miller Elementary, right across the road, in the hopes they’ll want to be Pacific Crest Golden Eagles some day. My wife is a mental health therapist, serving clients here in Oregon.
I feel honored to work in education, as the yearly rhythms of the school year, the sound of kids laughing, and the excitement of learning all bring me deep joy. I am especially grateful to work with the faculty and staff here at Pacific Crest. These folks all care deeply about doing great work for our school. They hold high standards for themselves, and the level of teamwork here is high.
As a school, our mission is to foster the student learning experience so we are graduating creative thinkers, responsible decision-makers, and engaged community members. I will be centering this mission in our work as a staff and our collaboration as a community. We are also committed as a school and district to hear directly from all stakeholders–students, staff, and families–to ensure we’re serving the entire community with an informed, data-driven, equity lens.
Wishing you and your family a wonderful remainder of the summer and watch for more back to school communications in weeks ahead! I look forward to meeting you all soon! Thank you for entrusting us to work with you, side-by-side, in the sacred task of educating our children. We’re in this together.
Warmly,
Sean Keating
Weekly Communications
It is a goal of PCMS to keep families and students up-to-date and well informed. PCMS will continue to update you each Friday via this weekly blog. With that said, due to the start of the school today’s News from the Nest may seem to be an overwhelming amount of information. We highly encourage you take time to read it.
First Day of School Schedules
Throughout the District, the first day of school varies by grade level. Grades 1-6 and grade 9 start Wednesday, September 6. Our 6 grade families should have received a Welcome email earlier in the week which included a schedule. Grades 7-8 and 10-12 start Thursday, September 7. Refer to schedules below. This is to give sixth-graders a full day of orientation without other grades be on campus. Families of kindergartners should watch for a communication from their schools about their start date, which will be September 7 or September 8.
- 6 Grade | First Day of School Schedule | Wednesday, September 6
- 7 & 8 Grades | First Day of School Schedule |Thursday, September 7
BLS Start and End Times (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday)
- Elementary: 7:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.
- Middle school: 8:50 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
- High school: 8:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
- Three Rivers School: 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Schools release 90 minutes early, on Wednesdays (starting September 13) for staff professional development time. Start and end times for our choice option schools are slightly modified and will be communicated directly to families.
Nutrition Services | Free & Reduced Meals (Deb updated)
Families may access free meals by filling out a free and reduced application with new income guidelines at bls.fyi/meals. Income guidelines have expanded, so all families are encouraged to apply.
Students attending one of the following community eligibility provision schools automatically qualify for free meals: Bear Creek Elementary, Ensworth Elementary, Pilot Butte Middle, Bend Tech Academy at Marshall, Three Rivers School, La Pine Elementary, La Pine Middle, La Pine High and Rosland Elementary.
Student Class Schedules
Student schedules will be accessible via ParentVue and StudentVue on September 1. Please note that the counseling department is still making substantial changes to them and will continue to tweak schedules until September 6. Please wait until that time for accurate viewing.
Building a master schedule is an intricate process that takes 100’s of hours of work. Even seemingly minor changes can have a dramatic effect. Due to its complexity, we are not accepting any schedule changes. Thank you in advance for your understanding.
Family Access Network Assistance
Families are welcome to provide personal items for students (backpacks, water bottles, headphones, lunch boxes, etc.). If your family needs help securing a personal item, reach out to your school’s FAN advocate for support. Advocates will be available at the end of August. For specific questions, reach out to your school’s main offices.
Back-to-School Shopping | District Dress Code
With back-to-school coming up and many of you starting clothes shopping we are asking students and families to take a moment to review and reflect on our district Dress Code. These early conversations will help us be proactive and transparent in understanding school expectations and values, and will set everyone up for success, respect, and safety.
Within the first few weeks of school your student will participate in reviewing a lesson on the Dress Code. We encourage families to be part of this conversation alongside us! Feel free to review the Dress Code policy here. It is important that our whole learning community shares a common understanding and interpretation of the Dress Code in order to ensure a safe and inclusive learning environment. Proactive conversation helps avoid misunderstandings, surprises, or unintended harm later. Thank you for your partnership, and happy shopping!
Fall Athletic Programs & Registration
Students will find a connection to athletic activities in which they can participate and find enjoyment during their middle school careers. We encourage parents to actively support their children in both their academic and athletic pursuits. For information regarding our Fall Athletic programs click the below link.
https://www.bend.k12.or.us/pacificcrest/student-life/athletics
Annual iPad Insurance
It is highly recommended that families purchase the annual optional iPad insurance for $30 for each of their students with a family cap of $60. Insurance is effective for the current school year. Accidental damage, cracked screens, liquid submersion, fire, flood, theft and vandalism in and out of school are covered. Purposeful damage or lost iPads are not covered. There is no deductible fee for the first claim, $50 deductible fee for each claim thereafter. Insurance can be purchased at the time of iPad deployment or online (at the beginning of the school year). After this period, iPads must be inspected at the school for damage before insurance can be purchased. iPad insurance is not needed for grades K-5. Accidental breaks and damage will be covered at no cost. Please refer to BLS iPad Insurance webpage for more information.
Visitors
Reminder for families that during regular school hours, all visitors to schools must report directly to the school office with a valid drivers license or government issued ID to obtain a visitor badge that must be worn at all times while on campus. All visitors must report to the school office and sign in and out through the visitor management system. Learn more about visitor policy.
Volunteers
Unlike the past couple of years, we invite our PCMS community members to volunteer for a number of opportunities throughout the school year. To do so, please refer to the BLS Volunteer webpage for all the details of become a volunteer.
Transportation Registration
Does your student plan to ride the bus this fall? If so, make sure to register them for transportation as soon as possible. This year, only students who are registered will be able to ride the bus (this includes current bus riders as well as new riders). Please log into your ParentVUE account and use the Online Registration tool to walk you through the registration process. If you have questions about accessing your ParentVUE account, please refer to our Online Enrollment Information webpage for detailed information. For more information on transportation eligibility, please refer to the School Buses website for information and links to Bend-La Pine Schools policies.
School Year Calendar
Check out the BLS at-a-glance 2023-24 school year calendar. You may soon or have already have received your copy of the annual BLS Family Handbook & Calendars. If not, check in our main office for a copy.
Become a Classroom Substitute!
Interested in helping students and teachers? The High Desert Education Services District (HDESD) helps find and manage substitute teachers and educational assistants. They are currently looking for qualified individuals. Visit the HDESD website for more information.
Cosas clave que debe saber antes del primer día
Todavía faltan muchas semanas para la escuela, pero ahora es el momento perfecto para comenzar a prepararse. Aquí están nuestras cosas principales que debe saber antes del comienzo de la escuela:
Primer día
El primer día de clases varía según el nivel de grado. Los grados 1-6 y grado 9 comienzan el miércoles 6 de septiembre. Los grados 7-8 y 10-12 comienzan el jueves 7 de septiembre. (Nota: Este es un cambio en la práctica para los días de inicio de la escuela intermedia, con el fin de brindarles a los estudiantes de sexto grado un día completo de orientación.) Las familias de kínder deben estar atentos a una comunicación de sus escuelas sobre su fecha de inicio, que será el 8 o el 9 de septiembre.
Horas de inicio y finalización
- Primaria: 7:45 a.m. a 2:15 p.m.
- Escuela secundaria: 8:45 a.m. a 3:45 p.m.
- Escuela Preparatoria: 8:45 a.m. a 3:45 p.m.
- Escuela Three Rivers: 8 a.m. a 2:30 p.m.
Las escuelas liberan 90 minutos antes los miércoles (a partir del 13 de septiembre) para el tiempo de desarrollo profesional del personal. Los horarios de inicio y finalización de nuestras escuelas de opción de elección se modifican ligeramente y se comunicarán directamente a las familias.
Cambios en las comidas
Gracias a los fondos relacionados con la pandemia, las Escuelas de Bend-La Pine pudieron servir millones de comidas gratis a los estudiantes durante los últimos dos años. En el otoño de 2022, los Servicios de Nutrición volverán a las prácticas de comidas más típicas y las comidas no serán automáticamente gratuitas para todos. Los estudiantes que asisten a una de las siguientes escuelas de provisión de elegibilidad de la comunidad califican automáticamente para comidas gratis: Primaria Bear Creek, Primaria Ensworth, Escuela Secundaria Pilot Butte, Academia Bend Tech en Marshall, Escuela Three Rivers, Primaria La Pine, Escuela Secundaria La Pine, Escuela Preparatoria La Pine High y Rosland Elemental. Las familias en otras escuelas aún pueden acceder a comidas gratis completando una solicitud gratuita y reducida con nuevas pautas de ingresos en bls.fyi/meals.Las pautas de ingresos se han ampliado, por lo que se anima a todas las familias a presentar su solicitud.
Suministros escolares
Las escuelas proporcionarán todos los suministros básicos necesarios para los estudiantes. Las familias pueden proporcionar artículos personales para los estudiantes (mochilas, botellas de agua, auriculares, loncheras, etc.). Si su familia necesita ayuda para asegurar un artículo personal, comuníquese con el defensor de FAN de su escuela para obtener apoyo (los defensores están disponibles a fines de agosto). Para preguntas específicas, comuníquese con las oficinas principales de su escuela. Las oficinas escolares estarán abiertas el 8 de agosto.
Visitantes
Recordatorio para las familias que durante el horario escolar regular, todos los visitantes a las escuelas deben reportarse directamente a la oficina de la escuela para obtener permiso para visitar. Todos los visitantes deben presentarse en la oficina de la escuela y registrarse al entrar y salir a través del sistema de gestión de visitantes. Obtenga más información sobre la política de visitantes.
Registro de transporte
¿Su estudiante planea viajar en el autobús este otoño? Si es así, asegúrese de registrarlos para el transporte lo antes posible. Este año, solo los estudiantes registrados podrán viajar en el autobús (esto incluye a los pasajeros actuales del autobús así como a los pasajeros nuevos). Inicie sesión en su cuenta de ParentVUE y use la herramienta de registro en línea para guiarlo a través del proceso de registro. Si tiene preguntas sobre cómo acceder a su cuenta de ParentVUE, consulte nuestra Información de inscripción en línea para obtener información detallada.Para obtener más información sobre la elegibilidad de transporte, consulte el sitio web de Sitio web de autobuses escolares para obtener información y enlaces a las políticas de las Escuelas de Bend-La Pine.
Calendario del año escolar
Consulte nuestro Calendario de un vistazo para el año escolar 2023-24. Nuestro manual y calendarios familiares anuales también se enviarán por correo a las familias, así que esté atento a los que están en su buzón.
¡Les deseo a usted y a su familia un maravilloso resto del verano y esté atento a más comunicaciones de su escuela sobre el regreso a la escuela en las próximas semanas!