To Do:

From Jennifer:

Join us in celebrating our incredible Student Success Coordinators, Clinicians, Instructors and Educational Assistants the week of March 3rd – March 7th! This coincides with School Social Work Week & Classified Appreciation week.

Student success staff are instrumental in supporting students with significant social, emotional and mental health needs. These amazing humans work tirelessly to provide intensive care coordination, family engagement, academic support and emotional support.  

Our student success staff serve as vital members of a school’s education team, playing a central role in creating partnerships between the home, school, and community to improve student well-being and academic success. 

Please take a moment during this week to celebrate and acknowledge the student success staff in your building! Thank you. 

From Departments

From Scott in Communications:

ALL-STAFF MEETINGS MARCH 13 WITH DR. COOK: Please remind all your building staff of the virtual meetings with Dr. Cook on Thursday, March 13. These 30-minute virtual meetings are open to all District employees, with two afternoon time slots to accommodate different work schedules. 

Dr. Cook will provide updates on bills making their way through the state Legislature and how they could impact our work to build a budget for next school year. He also will touch on directives related to public education coming out of Washington, D.C. Dr. Cook will leave time to answer a few staff questions. PICK YOUR TIME!

• 3:05 to 3:35 p.m. (best for elementary schedules)
• 3:50 to 4:20 p.m. (best for secondary schedules)

We will provide meeting links closer to the date. Attendance is optional, and we will provide recordings of both meetings afterward.

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Regarding administrator professional development March 5:

In preparation of our next admin PD meeting, please be sure to complete the Leadership Intention activity from Chapter 1 of Thriving Leaders.  Here is the document in case you want a digital copy.

We will also be talking about Chapter 2, so please read that prior to attending on Wednesday!

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From Ryan in HR:

Submittals are now being accepted for our Excellence in Education awards. This honor is designed to recognize BLS employees who have distinguished themselves during the 2024-25 school year with their leadership, innovation, outstanding professional practice, and positive contributions at work and in the community. 

We invite you to recognize and celebrate the outstanding contributions of our staff by submitting individuals who exemplify “service above self.”

Depending on your role, you may have the opportunity to recognize either a Certified Staff Member, a Support Staff Member, or both from your school or department.

• Certified Staff honorees should stand out for their dedication and excellence in areas such as character and leadership, innovation and creativity in their field, outstanding instructional practices and student outcomes, inspiring all students to succeed, community engagement, and contributions to the betterment of the district, school, students, and colleagues.
• Support Staff honorees should distinguish themselves through exceptional character and leadership, innovation and creativity in their role, exemplary customer service, mastery in their profession, inspiring all students to succeed, community engagement, and/or contributions to the betterment of the district, school, students, and colleagues.

Please select one Certified Staff Member and/or one Support Staff Member who embodies these qualities and makes a meaningful impact in your school or department.

The Certified Staff Nomination form is here: https://forms.gle/AhPovVCDaxD1Z6k89

The Support Staff Nomination form is here: https://forms.gle/n4MvEAz6KGEXt53r6

Please submit your honorees by Friday, March 21^st.

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From Jennifer in Student Services:

Bend-La Pine Schools and Wayfinder team up to celebrate #SELday in our schools, March 3-7.

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From Scott in IT:

We need to talk once again about security and keeping our organization and personal data safe.  Email phishing and scams continues to be our number one threat.  And lately, the bad guys have been busy.  Fortunately, there are actions both we in IT and you can do to protect our data:

Report any suspicious email message– Use the “Phish Alert” button in Microsoft Outlook to flag any suspicious message.  Of course, do not click any links in the email before reporting!

Note External Messages– Along with the yellow banner, you will now see the label “External” beside any message that is not from a Bend-La Pine user. In some cases, you may  also see additional information about the sender.

Only use Microsoft Outlook!- The security features that we invest in and maintain as a district are only available on Microsoft Outlook mail clients and tools.  Please do not add your work email to any other mail application (examples include Apple Mail, Gmail, etc.).

Soon, we will be disabling the ability for users to view their work email on third party applications.  There will be additional messaging to support users who will be impacted by this change.

Finally, you might have noticed our email phishing campaign has become a lot harder lately.  That is because the bad guys are also getting trickier as well.  Do not be afraid to over report when you are suspicious of a message!

HS Only

Principals: At our upcoming one on one meetings, we will discuss your school’s YouthTruth Data. Be prepared to discuss themes and next steps.

AP training requests are  DUE on this sheet by March 18. Even if you do not know the teacher who will need the training, submit a request.

MS Only

March Meetings: Time to sign up for a March visit with Stephen. Please choose a date this month for a 60 minute check in. Here is my Calendly link or you can use Outlook directly.

Calendar

• March 3: CTE and Elective Exploration Fly Up Day!
• March 5: Administrator PD – 3:00-4:30 @ Bend High
• March 10: TAG Admin/ICCL 3:45-5:45 @ Ed Center – Board Room
• March 10: Incoming 9th grade orientation night 6:00 @ BSHS, CHS, LPHS, MVHS, SHS
• March 12: Life and Career Readiness Night 5:00-7:00 @ Caldera HS
• March 13: 3:05 or 3:50—Take 30 minutes to participate in the All Staff Update with Dr. Cook
• March 13: Incoming 6th grade family night
• March 18: HS AP Requests DUE on this sheet – HS ONLY!
• March 21: Certified and Support Staff Excellence in Education nominations due
• March 21: EVE Survey completion DUE
• March 24-28: Spring Break
• April 14th: Personal Finance Training (required for HS teachers teaching the course) @Ed Center, Room 203 8-4.

Where in the World

In this week’s Where in the World, we are highlighting Jennifer Hauth! Here she is with her family before the December Chiefs game against the Texans. Her husband is from KC, MO so they have been long time Chief fans, even before Mahomes and Kelce😊

To Do

From Dean Richards:

Bend La Pine Teachers have created a Personal Finance Canvas shell course that meets the new standards. While we have not yet heard about the waiver, we would like to provide training to schools moving forward with a .5 Personal Finance course. 

The training will be on Monday, April 14th, in the Education Center Room 203 from 8 to 4. The training will consist of a remote training by Next Generation Personal Finance, an open sourced curriculum that makes up much of the Canvas course. The authors of the Canvas Course, Bekki Tucker (CHS) and Jesse Kurtz-Nichols (BSHS) will walk teachers through the shell. The rest of the time will be spent becoming acquainted with the tools and planning for instruction. Subs will be paid for out of district funding. 

If you know the teachers who will be teaching the course, please let Dean know so he can send a invitation to the teachers.

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From TLC:

Be sure to promote Life and Career Readiness Night at your school and with your families.

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From Kinsey Martin:

Please review these messages and share with your staff:

Family Liaisons and Translation/Interpretation:

Remember that our Family Liaisons are not translators/interpreters–these are distinct positions with different functions, required skills, and pay rates.  Here are details about how to effectively engage Family Liaisons to support our work.  If you need someone to translate or interpret a family communication (including for time-sensitive requests) please review the various options available to you here.  

Immigration information:

Make sure your team is very clear that they are prohibited from asking about or documenting students’ or families’ immigration status, even when doing so might be well-intentioned.  

If staff want to coordinate extra support for students or families who might be undocumented, it should be organized based on an educational purpose, not based on immigration status.  Sttudents/families themselves then choose to opt into or access these, without needing to disclose their status or without staff needing to know it.   Examples: 

• A counseling group for students with anxiety (rather than a counseling group for undocumented students),
• flyers for local Know Your Rights workshops made available to all parents or via PTA group lists (rather than sent home with families we believe are undocumented), etc.

Title IX and gender support protocols:

I have received several questions about the status of our gender support protocol.  Yes, our procedures for supporting gender-expansive students are still in place.  Thank you for initiating this process when a student indicates a need for support.  

Regarding Title IX more generally, while the national landscape is bringing some policy-based changes to our Title IX procedures (generally reverting back to our procedures from a few years ago–more on that later), please continue to contact me for any concerns or complaints related to Title IX, which includes:

• discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity; 
• sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, stalking;
• athletics, academics, and activities;
• admissions, hiring, access;
• pregnant and parenting students

From Departments

From Jennifer Hauth:

SELday Flier

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From Superintendent’s Office

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From Dan Emerson in Finance:

It has come to my attention that we have fifty or so students district wide who assist our nutrition staff during the lunch period and are provided payment for their time through petty cash or snack bar credit. After reviewing the practice we have determined that payment for student time (cash or credit) is not allowable. As a result, effective immediately we are discontinuing this practice. Students are still welcome to assist in the kitchens should they choose to volunteer their time. 

I recognize that this has always been a meaningful and great experience for our student helpers, and over the next week we will be evaluating allowable incentives to continue to reward and encourage students who want to do this valuable work. I hope to have those incentives communicated to you by next week. In the meantime, if needed, please support your nutrition leads and managers at schools tomorrow as they talk to students about this change.  

Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you!

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From Dave VanLoo:

“Testing season” is quickly approaching. Here are a few resources to help with planning and organization. Please reach out with any questions or suggestions. I’m happy to come out to schools and meet with you as is helpful.

Here is an updated for 2024-25 OSAS Essential Information and Planning Resources document for school test coordinators. This resource is meant to compliment ODE’s resources and highlight some of the most important big ideas.  This document will be updated as needed. Please save and use as a resource https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EJzxywh4ykm_WHT7uA4pNBpQsT2csXarETHJvtXquQE/edit?usp=sharing

I’m resending this high-level summary of 24-25 test and survey timeframes. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IQxbIzjNj6l-1KNWzsrXjEeSGJ7uVIocWEX7IOpeeRk/edit?usp=sharing

I’m also resending this document that summarizes key purposes and scheduling considerations of many commonly used tests in the district. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I8YT25DGBaAtIgkpGc2XvzFDhY2b9s7sf-sJD_DqGGY/edit?usp=sharing

MS Only

Youth Truth Data: Make sure to do a deep dive into your Youth Truth data and be prepared to share your observations with Stephen.

Calendar

• February 25: HS Principal work session 8:00-10:00 @ Caldera HS
• February 27: MS Horizontal 3:00-5:00 @ High Desert
• March 3: CTE Fly Up Day
• March 5: Administrator PD – 3:00-4:30 @ Bend High
• March 10: TAG Admin/ICCL 3:45-5:45 @ Ed Center – Board Room
• March 12: Life and Career Readiness Night 5:00-7:00 @ Caldera

March 18: AP Requests DUE on this sheet

Where in the World

We need some more entries!

This week, we are highlighting Darla Brandon, AP at La Pine Middle School. Darla states, “Over winter break, my husband and I went on an unexpected road trip adventure, traveling through 5 states. We visited Reno, Las Vegas, Red Rock National Park, Valley of Fire State Park, and Bryce Canyon National Park. We eventually met back up with my son, his wife, and my daughter in Reno where we enjoyed the New Year playing at the arcade, conquering escape rooms, and competing in a goofy gameshow together.  I love to hike and travel to new places. But more importantly, I cherish the moments I have with those I love!”

To Do:

Read and share this information with your staff by February 21:

From Paul in Operations:

Field Trip/Athletic/Club Transportation

All district staff are required to communicate with their administrators and the Transportation Department prior to scheduling an off campus trip. Below are reminders to keep everything moving smoothly and in compliance. 

• Submit ALL trip requests through BusHive as early as possible (months ahead). You may not arrange transportation for any school sponsored trip without first requesting through BusHive. Transportation staff will assist you with arranging ANY transportation for your trip.
• Questions about your trip? Call Daniel Lopez X5706 (Bend) Call Scott Steinhauer X5753 (La Pine)
• Don’t have a BusHive log in- Call Daniel Lopez X5706 (Bend) Call Scott Steinhauer X5753 (La Pine)
• Charter Buses- We do NOT use these unless we have no other options.
  • Schools cannot book these trips directly. You must contact Daniel Lopez X5706 (Bend) Call Scott Steinhauer (La Pine)
  • We are required to document use of any charter plus, plus a copy of the parent notification letter. ODE requires we maintain a documentation file for charters.
  • We have not used charters for several years. We have drivers & school buses available. 
• Drivers of students must hold an ODE certificate (Bus, Type 20, Type 10) for school sponsored event transportation.
• Student transportation must be provided in an ODE approved vehicle. (Bus, Type 20, Type 10).  
• Rental vehicles- contact Transportation prior to renting any vehicle being used to transport students.
• What about after a game? A student wants to go home with another family, but came to the game on a bus? This is between the student and the parent. The teacher, AD, coach should not be involved in this conversation, other than you know the student has permission from their parent to go home another way. If the teacher/AD arranges or organizes transportation for a student, the liability is on the school district- meaning we use ODE approved transportation. This area can be “grey”. Be very careful not to organize transportation outside of ODE approved transportation. 
• We understand that trips have been taken in the past that do not follow these protocols- we are working to clarify policies and procedures.
• Staff members who fail to follow these requirements may be subject to disciplinary action. 
• Questions?? Give us a call- we are here to help!  541-355-5702 

March Leadership Team Meeting

COO Ops leaders from Transportation, Facilities/Maintenance, Safety, IT and Custodial/Sustainability will be facilitating the Please submit at least one question, concern, curiosity or comment that you have for one or more of our departments at this link.

Network Outages

Be prepared for power/internet outages by printing a copy of Power & Internet Outage Emergency Protocols

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From Ryan in Human Resources:

Administrators and supervisors,

As we move through the school year, it’s important to ensure that we are handling employee resignations in a timely and compliant manner. If you receive a resignation—whether verbal or written—it is critical that you notify HR immediately.

Why This Matters

Oregon law requires final paychecks to be issued within strict timelines. Delays can result in statutory penalties and, if not processed on time, overpayments that require collection efforts. To avoid compliance issues, send all resignations to HR immediately (hr-certified@ for licensed employees; hr-classified@ for non-licensed employees).

What You Need to Do

1. Report Resignations Right Away – As soon as an employee notifies you of their intent to resign, ask them to deliver that information to you in writing via email and then forward that notification to HR. If the resignation is verbal and a written resignation will prove difficult to obtain, confirm the details with the employee and document the conversation before sending it to HR.
2. Do Not Hold Resignations – Even if an employee has given a long notice period, HR needs to process it immediately to ensure proper payroll and benefits adjustments.
3. Be Mindful of Final Paycheck Deadlines – Employees who resign with at least 48 hours’ notice (excluding weekends/holidays) must receive their final paycheck on their last day worked. Employees who resign without notice must be paid within five business days.

Failure to meet final paycheck deadlines can result in financial penalties for the district, as well as frustration for the departing employee. This is easily preventable by ensuring that all resignations are sent to HR as soon as they are received.

Your prompt attention to this process helps us maintain compliance, support smooth transitions for staff, and avoid unnecessary complications. If you have any questions, please reach out to the HR team for guidance.

Thank you for your diligence and partnership in this important process.

From Departments

From the Business Office:

Leave sheets only need to be submitted if you have used leave during the pay period. Please do not submit blank leave sheets.

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From Lisa:

1. Optional Admin PD Opportunities (sign up by clicking link and then clicking on the training of interest):
   1. SPED Law and Financial Management will be happening this Thursday. If you want to come this week, please sign up before tomorrow close of business!
   2. Other trainings available before Spring Break are related to SIOP, Evaluations and Feedback, Positive Behavioral Support Planning, and Instructional Frameworks. Click the link above to sign up.
   3. If you have an idea for a future training, let me know!

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From Paul in Operations:

Facilities Development Office 

The FDO project management team has been working on major construction projects.  For Bond Project Updates – visit: https://www.bend.k12.or.us/district/news-events/2022-bond.  And a recap of all the Bond Projects in this upcoming 2022 Bond Cycle – visit: https://www.bend.k12.or.us/application/files/3116/7407/4163/2022_Bond_Management_Plan.pdf

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From Jenn:

The First Step app, which includes important safety resources such as the Safe Oregon Tip Line and 988, is being removed from secondary student iPads due to technical issues. The BLS IT department will be pushing the two apps out individually to student iPads so that students may access help for school safety and/or mental health anytime they need it. 

Safe Oregon Tip Line

School Safety tip line to report and respond to student safety threats.

988

Talk or text for mental health struggles, emotional distress, drug or alcohol support, or if you just need someone to talk to; mental health counselors are here to support 24/7/365. 

This change will be effective Feb. 24, 2025.

Questions or need support? Reach out to Jamie Gunter, [email protected].

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From: Aimee Snyder, DrPH | Adolescent and School Health Supervisor

Communicating to Families about Sex Ed

A Head’s Up:  The newsletter content below about what to expect for Sexuality Education in Bend-La Pine Schools will be in the Feb 26 Family Spotlight.  If you’re concerned about any questions that may come your way from this district newsletter, here are the district’s talking points about sexuality education.  You can also contact Dean Richards and your Public Health Specialist for help with any questions you have.

An Option for You:  It is also an option to include this family communication about the district’s Sex Ed in general in your school newsletters.  Your Public Health Specialist will bring this ask to you so that you can decide when/if it goes out in your school newsletter.   This is an optional addition to what is required by law for family communications about Sex Ed.

Requirements for Sex Ed Family Communications:  Comprehensive Sexuality Education is required every year in 6-8th and at least twice in high school.  Per Oregon law, parents and guardians must be notified prior to the instruction, have the opportunity to review the learning materials, and can opt out their student in writing.  Unless your school has organized a different process, the default practice is to have secondary Health teachers email out one of these district family opt out letters and collect opt outs via email.  As admin, you don’t need to do anything to meet this requirement, other than checking in with your Health teachers to make sure they have what they need to email out their opt-out notifications and deliver their Sex Ed units.  

Calendar

• February 19: All Admin PD 3:00-4:30 @ Bend HS in Perseverance Hall
• February 25: HS Principal work session 8:00-10:00 @ Caldera HS
• February 27: MS Horizontal 3:00-5:00 @ High Desert
• March 3: CTE and Elective Exploration Fly Up Day!
• March 10: Incoming 9th grade orientation night 6:00 @ BSHS, CHS, LPHS, MVHS, SHS
• March 12: Life and Career Readiness Night – 6-12 @ Caldera HS 6-8pm
• March 13: Incoming 6th grade family night
• March 24-28: Spring Break

March 18: HS AP Requests DUE on this sheet

Where in the World?

We are highlighting our School Resource Officer’s and Deputies in this week’s Where in the World! They have been celebrated at schools this week and were honored at the school board meeting Tuesday night! We are so grateful for our partnerships with the Bend Police and Sheriff’s Departments and value these important relationships!

To Do

From Katie and Stephen:

Please send questions that are coming up around our standards-based instruction and grading to Stephen and Katie Lyons in anticipation of our Admin/ICCL meeting on 2/11. Refer back to an email from Stephen titled “Admin/ICCL 2/11” if you need more details.

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From Stephen:

Apologies for not having the QR code for PD feedback last week at Bend High. If you attended this training, please fill out the feedback for our session. As a reminder, we looked at Chapter 1 of Thriving Leaders and Kristy Knoll rapped Ice Ice Baby.

From Departments

From Tami Pike:

Field Trip Reminder

To prioritize student safety, please notify the school nurse about any upcoming field trips at least two weeks in advance. Last-minute notices can create safety concerns and may interfere with the care of other students, as the nurse needs time to review health conditions and medications. This applies to both middle and high school students. There have been instances where a nurse only learns of a field trip when an announcement is made over the school intercom.

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From Jessica Houser

Hello Admins!

This is a friendly reminder that time and leave sheet cut-off is Sunday, February 9th. All completed time and leave sheets you receive for sign off are due to the Payroll Office by Monday, February 10th.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to [email protected] with any questions or if you need additional support.

Thank you for all you do!

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From Jennifer Hauth:

Care Solace is a care coordination service to help students, staff, and their families find mental health and substance use treatment matched to their needs. Care Solace’s multilingual and culturally sensitive Care CompanionTM team is available 24/7/365 to quickly connect individuals to community providers regardless of need.

Register & Login to your Care Solace Account

If you missed the registration email for your Care Solace account, reach out to Lisa McNulty. Administrators, School Counselors, Student Success Clinicians/Coordinators, School Psychologists and Nurses have accounts. 

Care Solace Family and Staff Flyers

Spanish Flyer Family Version and Letter

MTSS and using Care Solace for Warm Handoffs

Care Solace Best Practices for School Site Teams:

1. Integrate Messaging into Your Communications

Care Solace creates monthly mental health messaging and social media posts for you to use in your communication with your school community. Send this content to your school families and staff as a resource, share it on your social media, or share it at school events.

2. Print and Distribute Flyers Around Campus

Post flyers around the school for students and staff to provide additional information about Care Solace. You can find these flyers in the Care Community in the Resource Center.

3. Configure Your Email Signature & Out-of-Office Notification

Add information about Care Solace to your email signature and out-of-office messaging. This will promote access and ensure support outside of school hours or when staff members are away from work.

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From Kinsey Martin:

From Kinsey – Policy, Advocacy, and Office of DEI:

Winners!

Thank you to all who participated in the Asian Family Night’s Year of the Snake drawing contest.  Submissions came from:

Pacific Crest

Buckingham

Lava Ridge

Ponderosa

Highland

Pine Ridge

Juniper

Bear Creek

Miller

The winners from the submissions above will be announced shortly—stay tuned!

Having some FOMO?  Here’s another opportunity:

February is Black History Month.  Your school’s DEI-ICCL rep should have shared with staff some teaching and learning opportunities related to this important topic.  This includes our annual Door-Decorating Contest!  

Please encourage your teachers (and non-teaching staff—counselors, athletics, front-office teams, principal’s office, Superintendent’s office, transportation etc) to participate!   Don’t be left off the list of schools engaging in this important work of representation, belonging, equity, and celebration in what might otherwise feel like a time of fear and frustration for many students and colleagues of color in our community.  Some details you can share with them here.  

MS Only

Fly Up Day: Check an email from Stephen about Fly Up Day logistics.

Calendar

• February 11: HS Administrator work session 8:00-10:00 @ Summit HS
• February 11: ICCL/Secondary Administrator 4:15-6:30 @ BSHS Perseverance Hall
• February 19: All Admin PD 3:00-4:30 @ Bend HS in Perseverance Hall
• February 25: HS Principal work session 8:00-10:00 @ Caldera HS
• February 27: MS Horizontal 3:00-5:00 @ High Desert

March 18: AP Requests DUE on this sheet

Where in the World

Keep those pictures coming!

This week, we are highlighting Austin James, in Instructional Technology. Austin states, “As an avid hiker, I’m at home when I’m on the trail. In April 2024, I hiked the Seven Hanging Valleys trail in the Algarve region of Portugal. It winds along the clifftops of the southern Portugal overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The cliffs shown are those at Praia da Marinha and Praia da Mesquita.”