To Do
- Complete your Immigration and Student Privacy training by 9/30
- Complete your school-wide Bias Incident lesson by 10/31
- Administrators: Complete your Vector safety trainings ASAP
- Everyone else: Complete your Vector safety trainings by 10/31
- HS Only: College Night – promote to senior families: Promote this important night to all of your senior families.
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From Kinsey:
To meet our legal requirements regarding new state laws related to immigration, complete the following by September 30:
- Share the messages below with your staff.
- Train your staff at a staff meeting by Sept 30:
- Slides, with presenter notes. The slides are intentionally text-heavy, so you can lean on them without needing to memorize the content.
- Pre-recorded version of the training. You can watch this to prep yourself for presenting, or you can play this recording at your staff meeting instead of presenting the content yourself. Please do not simply send this link to staff via email and count it as your training.
- The entire training will take about 1 hour: The live/in-person portion at your staff meeting will take about 30 min. The remainder of our training obligation will be met by staff completing the pre/post reflection activity and reviewing the resources you’ll send them. They’ll complete those pieces asynchronously and we aren’t asking them to submit reflections. I anticipate this will take them 30 min-ish, to round out the 1-hr training.
- Let me know if you need any support with this topic. I am happy to join you for the training or a follow-up staff meeting, or to help with questions before or after.
From Departments
From TLC:
Remember to include any feedback regarding MTSS in this link
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From Sara Young regarding CPI:
As a reminder, per SB 283, every site is required to have a 50:1 ratio of students to CPI trained staff members. To meet this ratio, staff members can be trained in the full course or the verbal intervention only (which does not include training on restraints and seclusions).
Here is the list of trained staff in your building. If people are highlighted, that means they will expire this year, so they will need to take a refresher or re-do their verbal intervention training to remain certified and count for your school total. If you notice any changes on this list, please let Sara Young know and she will make the adjustments.
Our CPI trainings for the year are listed below! Please support staff is signing up early for these trainings.
Click HERE to Register
Location: Education Center Board Room (Room 314)
- October 6 – Initial *Includes Restraint Training
- November 17 – Verbal Intervention (AM and PM sessions)
- December 1 – Refresher *Includes Restraint Training (AM and PM sessions)
- February 2 – Initial *Includes Restraint Training
- March 2 – Verbal Intervention (AM and PM sessions)
- April 6 – Refresher *Includes Restraint Training (AM and PM sessions)
- May 18 – Verbal Intervention (AM and PM sessions)
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From Kinsey – Office of Policy & Advocacy:
Policy Feedback:
There are several policies currently out for feedback, many of which may be of interest to you or your staff. Here, you can review the proposed updates and provide feedback on each.
It can be easy to tune out policy work until a decision is made that affects you or your work. To support transparency, engagement, and better decision-making on the front end, please take a look and share with staff as applicable.
Immigration Requirements:
As part of the new state requirements governing immigration enforcement in schools, we are required to include community partners that operate programs in our schools in certain communications.
Please note here if you have a community partner that regularly operates a program on your campus during or after the school day.
Hispanic Heritage Month:
Sept 15 – Oct 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month! Your Advocacy Representative received resources, lesson and activity ideas, and other materials to support participation. Please connect with your Advocacy Rep and encourage your staff to participate.
Your Advocacy Rep will receive similar resources to share with your building for November’s Native American Heritage Month and other opportunities for recognition and awareness.
This is also an important leadership opportunity for you, to reinforce your vision for an inclusive school community. Your visible encouragement and support help signal the value of this work and make it more likely that staff will incorporate these conversations and activities meaningfully into their classrooms.
CAFE Program:
Do you have bilingual staff who are not yet members of our district CAFE Program? We are offering another round of testing and training for bilingual colleagues interested in joining. CAFE members receive a $1,000 annual stipend, while also increasing our districtwide capacity of trained professional linguists available for translation needs.
Testing will be offered Oct. 19 at 4:15 pm and/or Nov. 4 at 2:45 pm. Training will be Nov. 16 at 4:30 pm.
Please encourage bilingual staff to participate. Additional details will be included in the next district newsletter (This Week in Bend-La Pine Schools). For full information about the CAFE Program, click here. For a list of full translation/interpretation resources available to you, click here.
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From Tony in HR:
BEA Negotiations: Contract Input
BEA and BLS will begin negotiations this spring for a successor collective bargaining agreement. The current BEA Collective Bargaining Agreement expires in June 2027.
As we prepare for negotiations, your perspective as a BLS leader is important. Your experiences and insights will help inform the BLS negotiating team and ensure management priorities, operational needs, and areas of concern are considered as we prepare for the process.
Tony Sanchez, CHRO, will be sending an email directly to Admin Leaders with a link to the BEA Contract Input Form. Please watch for this communication and take a few minutes to share your feedback.
Thank you in advance for your thoughtful input and participation as we prepare for the upcoming bargaining sessions.
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From Scott in Communications:
Tapping the brakes on logo designs
AI-powered graphic design tools like Canva, Figma and ChatGPT have made it easier than ever to quickly create designs and logos. As a result, we’re seeing a sharp increase in new logos and designs for programs and departments, including official school logos.
We understand the enthusiasm for updating older logos, but we need to adhere to some standards, guidelines and design rules. We consider factors such as color palette, typography, iconography, sizing and accessibility in digital formats – best practices for ensuring our logos are effective and versatile across any medium.
While we work to establish new standards and guidelines and a formal process to develop, review and approve District and school logos, please refrain from initiating this kind of work without first consulting your Communications team, Scott and Becca. Thank you!
When we must communicate about safety incidents in schools
When you call 8888 to alert us to a school emergency or safety incident, Communications evaluates what should be communicated to families. Under state law (ORS 339.324) and District policy (EBCA-AP), we must send a message to families and building staff within 24 hours after every Lockdown, Secure, Shelter in Place, and Evacuation. This includes accidental alarms. A Hold is not included in the requirements, but we may decide the situation warrants communication.
Please be prepared to work with Communications to craft and send appropriate messaging following any of these incidents. We have templates and scripts for most scenarios we’ve experienced over the past three years. The messages will be delivered via ParentSquare.
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From Jenn:
October 8th Professional Development for School Counselors, Student Success and School Psychologists at Aspen Hall 8:30 am to 4 pm
This has been communicated with your certified staff that are invited but want to share with admin as well.
We are so excited to have this professional learning with Hatching Results this year and so thankful for our grant from COREN. Our professional learning will be centered around this work for the year so this will be our day to unpack the foundation of how we move forward supporting students at Tier 2 and 3.
Learning Outcomes for the Day:
- Explain the value of a data-driven approach to targeting students for Tier 2 support, including when systems change (rather than an individual intervention) is the right response.
- Identify symptoms versus root causes in common school counseling and student service provider scenarios and apply a root cause analysis process to select appropriate Tier 2/3 interventions.
- Assess current Tier 2/3 implementation using the Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycle, and make recommendations for strengthening the program, starting with diagnosing root causes in the “Plan” phase.
If your K-8 SSC needs a substitute in order to attend, please plan to use building funds. Reach out to Jennifer, Stephen and Katie with questions.
Local Crisis Support: Deschutes County Switches Exclusively to 988
Getting help in a mental health or substance use crisis just got significantly easier for Deschutes County residents. The county is officially doing away with the traditional Deschutes County Crisis Line (541-322-7500, ext. 9) and transitioning to 988 as their single, direct crisis phone number.
Deschutes County is leading the way as the first county in Oregon to pilot this shift, fully retiring local crisis phone lines in favor of the streamlined, three-digit national hub.
Here is what you need to know about the change:
- One Simple Number: Students and families no longer need to search for or remember a 10-digit local number with an extension during an emergency. Just call or text 988.
- Smart Geo-Routing: Thanks to recent updates in geolocation technology, 988 now automatically connects callers to local resources based on their physical location rather than their phone’s area code. Whether callers have an out-of-state cell number or are traveling locally, they will instantly reach responders who know Deschutes County resources, when calling from Deschutes County.
- Same 24/7 Local Care: Callers will still receive compassionate and immediate support from qualified professionals trained to handle mental health crises.
If you or someone you know is struggling, reaching help is now as simple as dialing three digits. Save 988 in your phone today.
Individuals and families can also still access the Deschutes County Stabilization Center, which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Wayfinder Core Skills Screener Opens Monday for 3-12
The required Waypoints summative assessment opens on Monday for 3-12! See original blog post for details and resources.
MS Only
From Monica Freeman, Social Studies TOSA:
Oct. 15 – Middle School Social Studies Training
Full-day training in the Wall St. Lab for all middle school social studies teachers. The focus: active, inquiry-based instruction using district-adopted materials.
New 8th Grade USH Books
Eighth grade teachers are working with a new edition this year. There is a stronger emphasis on inquiry.
New 6-7-8 Nystrom Atlas’
6th World Atlas
7th World History Atlas
8th USH History Atlas
Ask teachers about active learning and the inquiry based strategies they are using with the new materials. Virtual Training set for END on Oct 14.
HS Only
Standards Based Instruction and Grading: Thank you for continuing to provide opportunities for families and students to ask questions and learn from you.
Here is an example of some clear messaging around attendance and SBIG from the SHS team!
Please share with Katie:
*messaging you are sending to families related to SBIG
*when you will/did provide space for families to hear from your school team/ask questions about SBIG (Open House and Parent Conferences are perfect opportunities – be sure you schedule interpreters!)
*when you will/did present to students on SBIG and provided time for questions
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From Dean:
Reminder of Learning Walk Assignment
Prior to October 13th you should be checking in with 3 teachers and ask the three questions:
- What standards are you focusing on right now?
- What exemplars are you using to teach those standards?
- Can you share the rubric you are using to assess those standards with me?
These conversations are intended to build shared understanding around the key components of standards-based instruction and provide a foundation for the classroom-based Learning Walks that follow. We will debrief the answers at the High School Horizontal meeting on October 13th with the following questions:
- What patterns or trends did you notice across the conversations you had with teachers?
- Where did you see the strongest alignment between the standards being taught, the exemplars being used, and the rubrics used to assess learning?
- Based on what you heard, what might be one next step for your building to strengthen clarity and consistency around standards-based instruction?
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From Jenn:
College application season has begun!
Bend La Pine Schools’ (BLS) School Counselors would like to invite seniors and their parents/caregivers to a “BLS College Application Kickoff Night” where students and families can learn more about the admissions process and the resources available in our schools. This event will take place on Wednesday September 30, 2026 from 6:00 – 7:30 pm at Summit High School.
During this BLS College Application Kickoff Night, students and families will hear about the following topics:
- Brief overview of the “College Application Process”
- Introduction to SchooLinks and the college application manager
- Review BLS School Counseling and STC resources to support students with college applications
- Connect with School Counselors and STC from each high school
We look forward to seeing you all there! College Application Night Flyer
Calendar
September 21: Wayfinder Summative opens today!
September 24: MS Horizontal – 3:00-5:00 @ High Desert
September 25: HS Principal Connection 8:00-9:30 @ LPHS
September 29: AP Strategy Studio #2– Instruction 9-12 @ CHS
October 1: AP Strategy Studio #2– Attendance 9-12 @ CHS
October 8: MTSS Training for counselors, SSC, and admin who oversee counselors 8:30-4:00 @ Aspen Hall
October 13: HS Admin Work Session – 9-11 @ CHS
October 16: Due: Bus Evacuation video shown and documentation submission
October 30: Waypoints screener closes
October 31: Vector Trainings must be completed
Have you seen it?
Congrats to Dave McKae for winning the drawing this week by correctly identifying the movie as Mrs. Doubtfire. In the scene pictured, Mrs. Doubtfire smashes her face in a cake to disguise herself. The icing drips into Mrs. Sellner’s tea and she says, “There you go, you’ve got your cream and your sugar now.” This line was actually completely unintentional. Because it was so hot on set, the icing dripped from Robin Williams’ chin, and he just improvised from there.
Ready for another round of Have you seen it?, where we will show a screen shot from one of our team member’s favorite movie or TV show. If you recognize the screen shot, reply to Katie and Stephen with the name of the movie or show (NO AI help), and you will be entered into a drawing for a beverage to be delivered to your place of work. (Anyone can participate but the drawing will be limited to MS/HS admin and office managers!)
Check out the image from one of BSHS Assistant Principal, Paul Hutter’s favorite movies! Recognize the movie or TV show? Let Stephen and Katie know.
