Conferences: After consultation with BEA, we have landed on the following times. If a teacher has 25 or less students, their conferences need to be between 25-30 minutes to accommodate for transition times as needed (25 min gives time for a quick restroom break, time in case one goes longer, etc.). If a teacher has 26 or more students, their conferences can be 20 minutes, giving the teacher the ability to have a few longer ones as well as building in transition times if needed.
SLGGS: Those are coming soon!
Document links in the blog – Just a reminder that most of the document links in the blog do not work for individuals outside our organization. If you plan on forwarding document links to parents or others outside BLS you will need to copy the document into your google drive and adjust the sharing settings accordingly.
From The Education Foundation – SHOUT OUT because we know our K-12 educators are working hard planning, developing, and executing stellar programs and curriculum for our Bend-La Pine students. To help with that, we are offering our 2022 Back-to-School Classroom Grant opportunity for funding. Please see the Classroom Grant Guidelines and Classroom Grant Application, both of which can also be found on our website. The deadline for applications is Friday, October 14, 2022, and all application requests must be emailed to our office at this email address: [email protected]
Funding decisions and fund distribution will occur November 1, 2022.
The Education Foundation for Bend-La Pine Schools is an independent non-profit 501(c)3 that has aided local schools since 1988. Our mission is to prepare our students for success and the future through educational and extracurricular opportunities. Since 2003, the Education Foundation has invested over $2.1 million into local schools through endowments, special projects, and our main programs. For more information about the Education Foundation, please visit our website at www.engagedminds.org.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or our Program Coordinator Jessie Norman at [email protected]. We look forward to receiving your applications and continuing to help make opportunities possible for our students and teachers! Education Foundation for Bend-La Pine Schools. (541) 355-5660 www.engagedminds.org
From Alandra re: Bond Info: Thanks to those of you who tuned in to Dr. Cook’s presentation to staff about the bond. We recorded it and will share it with staff via email next week. Your school will be receiving a stack of bilingual flyers about the bond. Please find a spot for these in your lobby or entrance area (We sent a bunch in anticipation of conferences coming up.) You will also receive a sign with the same information to place on an easel in your lobby area. If you need an easel, let us know and we can send one over. I’m happy to help with any additional questions regarding the bond.
From Jackie Mueller, BLS Sustainability and Energy Specialist – Walk and Roll to School Day is October 12th. Please help spread the word that October 12th is Walk and Bike to School day. Let parents and teachers know it is Walk + Roll to School Day on October 12th and parents/students can enter their trip here to win prizes: commuteoptions.org/walkroll
BLS is collecting baseline data on # of students using alternative transportation and we need your help. Pass on the tally sheets to teachers to fill out for two days. You do not need to have it on the 12th just sometime in the month of October. There are two forms per sheet and they can be done in a simple hand raise or stand-up collection style. Completed forms can be turned into the main office and then sent to Jackie Wilson, at Admin Building, through inner district mail. Teachers can use this google document if it is easier.
National Recycling Day – November 15th
Coming soon will be information about National Recycling Day and how to celebrate it with your school. To prepare, please ensure that your staff understand what can and cannot be recycling in Deschutes County. Please share this document so that folks can be on the same page. If staff want to learn more, they can watch this video from 2021 National Recycling Day, The Do’s and Don’t of recycling! If you need any additional bins or recycling signs, please reach out to [email protected]
UKG Project Update
Please take a moment, if you haven’t already done so, to visit HR’s UKG website, and view the Training #1 video with your staff during your next weekly meeting. We’d ask that all staff make a login attempt either via the UKG website or through the app. Anyone who encounters a login problem should submit an IT Help Desk Ticket. So far 23% of BLS staff have successfully logged in with very few problems. You may use this UKG FAQ google doc to add questions that staff ask during your weekly meetings.
Below is our updated training plan leading up to the December 5th Go-Live plan:
- October 5th – 11th: Conceptual understanding of Leave Workflow
- October 12th – 18th: Conceptual understanding of Leave Request
- October 19th – 25th: How to request leave within UKG
- October 26th – November 1st: Conceptual understanding of electronic timesheet submissions
- November 2nd – 8th: How to make a timesheet submission within UKG
I will be joining the Leadership meeting on October 10th, present the Leave Workflow and Request process and answer any questions that you have. Our UKG Implementation Team is willing to visit your site during one of your regularly scheduled meetings to address staff questions. You may sign up for the visit on this spreadsheet.
The Red Zone – Things to definitely do or share
From Instructional Tech – October brings a refreshed emphasis on digital citizenship. Most of us agree that digital citizenship skills are important but are unsure how to fit teaching them into our already full schedules. Rather than recreating the wheel, Bend La Pine Schools leans on the expertise of Common Sense Education and their vast resources, including ready-made free digital citizenship lessons for all grade levels. To get started, check out Digital Citizenship Made Simple. These skills will carry our students into the future; please take a few minutes to highlight their importance in your school this month.
From Lora re: Subs – As many of you know, we’re still facing challenges with getting substitute teachers in our schools. While we want to support professional learning and field trips, we also want to be cautious for now. So, for the time being, we ask you to do the following:
- If you have staff that require subs who are taking students on a field trip, please make sure these are only scheduled Tuesday-Thursday. Any exceptions need the approval of your level leader!
- If you have staff that require subs engaged in school business (grade level or department planning, ICCL retreats, etc.), you need to get the approval of your level leader IF more than three subs are needed. Again, these should be scheduled for Tuesday-Thursday.
From Lora re: Upcoming Community Conversations. During October and November, community and district facilitators will be hosting approximately 15 “community conversations” with student, family, and community groups. These are the second iteration of our listening sessions that were part of our original excellence and equity review.
This time, we are focusing, for the most part, on talking to groups that already exist: student GSA clubs, the Latino Family Advisory group, RJE, etc. We are using this strategy because a) we think conversations are more open when individuals are familiar with one another; and b) it’s simpler logistically to arrange these.
We will be using the qualitative data gathered in these conversations, along with Youth Truth survey data from staff, students, and families, as well as other quantitative and qualitative data, to inform the district’s strategic planning. As with the excellence and equity review, we will be creating materials to share with our leaders, staff, and community regarding the major findings.
Kinsey Martin will be reaching out to you if a session is planned for your school. Our district team will handle almost all of the logistics, with club advisors supporting. Thanks for supporting students’ and families’ voices, if a session is hosted at your school.
Reminder about personal leave – Just a reminder that personal days need prior approval and buildings cannot have more than 5% of their staff out on personal leave – that is about 2 teachers for most schools.
Calendar
- Monthly checklist
- 22-23 Dibels Schedule
- October 10 – Principal PD session 3:00-4:30
- October 11 – Horizontal Meeting @ Ensworth (thanks for hosting Dana)
- October 19 – New Admin learning lab
And Finally…
Something to read and reflect on…
For Students to Succeed, Put High-Quality Curriculum in Teachers’ Hands“…Researchers assert that a high-quality curriculum can increase teaching quality, but less than half of educators report that their principal encourages them to use the recommended or required curriculum. Teachers also need ongoing professional development that helps them use quality materials. Only 1 in 3 teachers find their current options to be useful.”