To Do
Principals: Please verify that all of your Language Arts teachers have attended a required Book Club training. Our Secondary LA TOSA, Torie Withers, can confirm who has attended, if that is helpful. The next training is Tuesday:
Language Arts Book Club Training
Date: Tuesday, December 17
Time: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: The Big Room, Environmental Center 16 NW Kansas Avenue, Bend
Who Should Attend:
- Required for new hires or teachers who haven’t previously attended
- Those who have previously attended and are seeking collaboration with colleagues and planning time
Training Focus: Learn how to structure and plan book club units, including:
- How to approach and plan a unit
- Selecting unit themes
- Teaching reading skills and discussion strategies
- Choosing mentor texts and book club offerings
- Unit planning time
Language arts teachers are encouraged to attend this professional development opportunity. Please direct questions and RSVPs to Torie Withers. Thank you!
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From Ryan in HR: Green Team administrator leads
As we continue to advance sustainability initiatives across our schools, we are asking each building administration team to designate one member to act as the first level of support for your site’s Green Team. Please fill out your admin in the MS lead or HS lead spreadsheets under the Green Team tab.
This role is not about leading the Green Team but simply being available as a point of contact and support for the individuals spearheading sustainability efforts in your building.
Each site has a 1.0 FTE Green Team Advisor, which is on the Extra Duty schedule. This is a new role this year and must be filled via the recruitment process.
What was formerly our Custodial department is now Custodial and Sustainability, led by Walt Norris, Director of Custodial and Sustainability. Walt is actively recruiting a Sustainability Coordinator, who will soon serve as the direct liaison for all Green Team Advisors. Once this position is filled and up to speed, they will provide additional guidance and support for sustainability efforts across the district.
From Departments
From Dean: Science curriculum adoption update
Middle School:
Teachers from CMS, HDMS, PBMS, PCMS, SVMS, 3 Rivers and LPMS are currently field testing LabAids in grades 6, 7 and 8.
The following teachers are participating:
- 6th grade: Valerie Overely, Kelly Houston, Laruen McKeehan, Dean Pru’domme, Katie, Lyons, Jake Slodki and Matt Killebrew
- 7th grade: Sarah Durfee, Jane Shein, Mark Alvarado, Stacy Welsh, Madison Hargett, Hannah Perkins, Jake Slodki and Matt Killebrew
- 8th grade: Melody Craig, Tara Termes, Jackson Blackburn, Mark Segesta, Deidre Crabtree & Stephanie Kimbrell
This field test will wrap up by the end of January 2025.
High School:
A big thanks to Colleen Behrens and the Science Curriculum Adoption Team for their dedication during the science instructional materials vetting meeting on December 5th. The team members included:
- BSHS: Ron Crawford, Heidi Friesen
- BTA: Missie Wikler
- CHS: Sarah Trakselis, Case Bateman, Kathleen Glogau
- MVHS: Jon Nichols, Gillian Kellock
- LPHS: Suzanne Jones
- SHS: Greg Lampard, Lisa Lamb
During the meeting, the team reviewed four curricula for the NGSS Physics program to be implemented next year: OpenSciEd, PEER Physics, Patterns, and BioZone. PEER Physics emerged as the top choice and will move forward for field testing in the second semester/trimester. The team will continue to explore curriculum options for Chemistry and Biology in the coming months.
Roll out of new Science Pathway:
25-26: NGSS Physics for all Freshman
26-27: NGSS Physics continues and NGSS Chemistry for all Sophomores
27-28: NGSS Physics, NGSS Chemistry and NGSS Biology for all Juniors.
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From Dean:
Next week an email will go out to Social Science teachers about a temporary SS TOSA position for the rest of this year. We will be posting an internal only SS TOSA that will help lead standards, professional development and begin the adoption process. This position will be temporary until the end of the year and begin second semester (2/3.) It is posted in the range of .5 to 1.0. It will be available for both middle and high school social studies teachers to apply. We understand that this may cause some stress to your system with needing to hire a new teacher for second semester. Please reach out to Dean if there are any questions or concerns.
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From Eric: RE: Reviewing your “Incident Approval Queue”
If you don’t do this regularly, please remember to view your “Incident Approval Queue” in Synergy to Approve/Deny any Incident your school enters into Synergy. Any incident we enter as Administrators needs to be “Approved” this way as well, so many schools may have Incidents waiting to be posted that they believe were posted already. Here is a screenshot of what the screen looks like and what to search for in Quick Launch (we currently have 153 incidents district-wide waiting to be Approved/Denied!).
If you want to discuss this process, please call me at 4810.
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From Human Resources:
The HR office will have sporadic coverage over winter break, from December 21 through January 5. To ensure a smooth workflow, please complete and submit any hiring requests by Friday, December 20. New hiring requests should be held until the office resumes regular operations on Monday, January 6.
If you are in the process of making an offer that will take place between December 21 and January 5, please contact Ryan Kelling as soon as possible to develop a plan for completing the process during this period.
Thank you for helping us maintain a seamless hiring process.
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We are launching an Administrator Assignment Preferences Survey to give licensed administrators an opportunity to share their preferences regarding assignments. This survey is designed to:
- Gather insights into your preferences for school level, region, and program involvement.
- Help district leadership evaluate potential reassignments that align individual strengths with district needs and to refresh school cultures where needed.
What the Survey Will Ask:
The survey will ask for detailed input on:
- School Level: Indicate your preferences for working at the elementary, middle, or high school levels, or in district-wide roles.
- Region: Specify any regional preferences across the district.
- Program Involvement: Share your interest in specific programs or focus areas, such as Special Education, STEM, Advanced Placement, Social-Emotional Learning, or others.
- Additional Considerations: You’ll have space to share any other factors or context you’d like us to keep in mind, including professional goals or areas for growth.
Why This Matters:
This survey is part of a broader effort to ensure our schools remain vibrant, innovative, and engaging places for students and staff alike.
While we will make every effort to honor individual preferences, it’s important to note that some decisions may need to prioritize district-wide goals, ensuring the best outcomes for our school communities.
Next Steps:
To provide additional clarity and answer questions, this topic will be included in the agenda for the January horizontal meetings. These discussions will allow for deeper engagement and dialogue about the process and its purpose.
We understand that this may prompt reflection and questions, and we are committed to approaching this process thoughtfully, transparently, and with collaboration at the center. If you have any immediate concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your Level Leader, Ryan Kelling, or Lisa Birk.
Thank you for your openness and engagement as we work to create the strongest possible learning environments for our students and staff.
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From Dave:
YouthTruth
Here is a one-page document to help with our YouthTruth survey in January. Our goal is 90% completion for students, 95% from staff and 50% from families. The window is January 6-31. Reach out to Laura Clark if you have question about the Canvas module or Dave with any questions about YouthTruth.
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From Kinsey – Policy, Advocacy, & Office of DEI:
Save the date:
Our district-wide Spanish-language FAFSA Night will tentatively be Mon, Jan 13th 5:30-7:30pm. More details and flyers to follow, but for now please reserve this date (avoid scheduling school-based events that evening, if possible) and share with applicable staff like counselors, ELL, etc.
Complaints:
Please see Kinsey’s recent email about complaint management. Thank you for checking your Dashboards to be sure all complaints there are addressed (or more recent ones are at least in process) prior to heading into winter break. Reach out if you would like support on them!
Just for fun
From Mr. Snowflake in IT
Greetings,
Watching everyone attempt to create a “six-pointed snowflake” was a special moment taking me back to my first year of teaching at Three Rivers Elementary 26.5 years ago.
Before the winter holiday, a Sunriver resident named Jerry Sawyer would volunteer in my class to teach art lessons, one of which was how to create a true six-pointed snowflake. He would talk about how every snowflake was unique, forged around a central piece of dust, and always started its journey from the sky as a crystal with six points. Shout out to Pat McClain who is now teaching at Bend High and was a student in that class. Most year’s since then I have done my best to channel “Mr. Snowflake” in the other schools where I have worked. The “assessment data” on the floor yesterday demonstrated that many of you have yet to master the six-pointed snowflake. This video will share the steps to create your own six-pointed snowflake. Share with your staff if you wish. At the very least, you will have the answer key in the case you are tested again next year. Thank you for reading. And remember-dimple, snow cone, coyote head, torch!
Calendar
- December 17: HS Principal Breakfast @ 7:30
- December 19: Middle School Horizontal – 3:00 @ Cascade MS
- December 23-January 3. Winter Break
- January 6-31: Schools implement YouthTruth survey!
- January 2: HS Curriculum Guides on district website
- January 6: First Day back from break
- January 7: HS Administrator and Counselor work session (rescheduled from Dec 10) 8-10 @Mountain View HS
- January 14: MS and HS Administrator work session 8-10 @Caldera HS
- January 15: Safety Cadre Meeting 1:30 @ PBMS (Safety admin leads should attend)
- January 15: SIW Educator Network Day
- January 28: HS Administrator work session 8-10 @ Mountain View HS
- January 29: All Admin PD 3:00-4:30 @ Bend HS in Perseverance Hall
Where in the World
Thank you for all the entries! Keep ’em coming.
This week we are highlighting Lindsey Warner’s happy place! Congratulations to Lindsey, who got married in November!! Lindsey wrote: My happy place is anywhere with my husband, Charles. However, if I had to choose a place it would always be the beach! We honeymooned on Kauai and Maui in November; the weather was amazing, the beaches were beautiful, and the trip was perfect. We saw whales, dolphins, and turtles while on Maui. In Kauai we saw a lot of chickens and a monk seal.
We also attended a 49ers vs Seahawks game in San Francisco on our way to Hawaii. Go Hawks!
