Please see below for an opportunity here in Bend for district administrators that are helping to lead this work. Learn how to strengthen our Wayfinder implementation to help meet our strategic initiatives. I will be there and I think it would be great to have some of you join, especially those of you that have not attended any Wayfinder trainings in the past.
From Patrick Cook-Deegan – CEO and Founder of Wayfinder:
I’d like to personally invite you to join us for the Oregon Community Workshop on Friday, April 17 at Tetherow Resort in Bend.
This will be a focused, working session with district leaders from across Oregon on how schools are implementing Wayfinder to:
Meet Oregon’s mandated TSEL standards
Align with SB3 requirements
Strengthen instruction for the Oregon Health Education Standards
More than 115 Oregon districts are already bringing this work to life with us. During the workshop, we’ll share concrete implementation strategies, lessons learned, and practical tools you can take back to your district or school site immediately.
Event Details
8:30 AM – 2:30 PM (breakfast and lunch provided) Tetherow Resort 61240 Skyline Ranch Rd Bend, OR 97702
This will be interactive and collaborative—not a sit-and-get session. You’ll experience Wayfinder activities firsthand and connect with peers navigating similar priorities.
Here is the weekly agenda for Athletics and Activities. March 9th-13th, 2026
From Sara Young:
Here is this week’s (very short) Special EDge. Find information about:
Plan for ESY – Links have started going out!
Check out the Learning Labs
Check out the incredible work of teams in Campus Kudos!
Utilize the Student Services Launchpad
Save the Date for upcoming events
Calendar
March 16: Staffing discussion HS Principals 3:00pm – Education Center – KT’s office
March 16,17,18: MS Staffing Plan Check Ins
March 17: HS Learning Walk – Language Arts 9-12 @ RHS and BTA
March 18: Building Directed SIW for HS
March 18-19: MS Spring Conferences
March 19: MS Staffing Plan version 1.0 due
March 20: Excellence in Education Nominations DUE to HR
March 19 and 20: Katie out of the office – available by cell
March 23-27 Spring Break: Katie and Stephen out of the office – available by cell
April 3: HS Principal Connection 8-10 @ SHS
April 7: Admin/ICCL 4:15 – 6:15 @ BSH
April 7: HS Admin WS 9-11 @ RHS
April 8: All Admin PD 3-5 @ BSH
April 14: HS Admin WS 9-11 @ MVHS
April 14: MS Walkthroughs @ PCMS
Where in the World?
Congratulations to to Kristy Knoll who guessed the image from last week!
The image is of Crater Lake National Park. This national park is located in the southern part of Oregon and is made of a gigantic crater. If you haven’t made the time to see it, it is worth a visit!
Guess this location by Monday morning and we will bring you a school appropriate beverage of choice! Bonus points for adding its historical significance.
Leave sheets are DUE to Katie and Stephen by tomorrow!
Principals, let us know if you do not have leave or submit your leave sheet to Katie or Stephen. Assistant Principals, submit your leave to your Principal.
Last week, I shared the forms to submit names of the Certified and Support Staff you’d like to recognize as part of our Excellence in Education program. Resharing the links here with a reminder that nominations are due by Friday March 20th. Timely submission allows the next portion of the process to move forward so that everything can be ready in advance of the recognition evening, May 13th.
Don’t forget about the chance to win a gift card ($25-$49.99) to places like El Sancho, Spork, downtown shops, and more! A little motivation and token of appreciation for getting outside your building/office and into the community we serve. (Bingo card here.)
Thanks to all who visited The Giving Plate and Bethlehem Inn! (If you missed those, it’s not too late–reach out to me.) Our next community partner visit is in April, to the Latino Community Association. Sign up here to participate.
While this time of year feels particularly busy, these visits (and/or the average home visit) last 30 minutes or less, and hopefully leave you re-energized and reminded of your ‘why.’ This visit is also a tangible action you can take to support your immigrant and Latino families right now.
Also, for those of you who recently visisted the Kids’ Center with our awesome safety team: Use that as one of your “optional” spots on your Bingo card. One step closer to your prize! 🙂
Fundraising Listening Sessions: -Action needed-
Don’t forget to sign up to attend one of the Fundraising and Donations update sessions. Your parent leaders, coaches, and community members will be getting this information the following week, so we want you to feel informed and be able to give any final input. See email from Kinsey sent Feb 27 for details (one admin per building, AD, Activities, etc).
Taking It Up: -Action needed-
If you have not yet attended Taking It Up, please talk with your Level Leader about their expectation for your participation in this workshop (register here). I can cover a sub for your admin duties those two days. Please also include this invitation in your next staff communication, and encourage folks to represent your school/dept in attending.
Black History Month Door-Decorating Contest:
Wow–we had great participation rates this year, with kindergarten through adult groups submitting entries! Check out the submissions. Tomorrow, winners will be contacted via email (we’ll copy building admin so you know if you have a winner in your building–they will also be featured on social media this month) to celebrate and get them their prizes.
Family Nights:
Save the dates: Asian Family Night = Friday, May 1; Latino Family Night = Thursday, May 14. (These are on our district Family Engagement calendar in Outlook.) More information to follow!
Reminder that Wednesday, March 11 is our Safety Cadre Training #3
Secondary- 8:00AM-9:30AM in the HDMS Library
We will be having an informational presentation from our Deputy District Attorney on the juvenile justice process followed by a tabletop exercise. Please prioritize the administrator who oversees safety in your building attend the session.
March 16: Staffing discussion HS Principals 2:30 Teams
March 17: HS Learning Walk – Language Arts 9-12 @ RHS and BTA
March 18: Building Directed SIW for HS
March 18-19: MS Spring Conferences
March 20: Excellence in Education Nominations DUE to HR
March 19 and 20: Katie out of the office – available by cell
March 23-27 Spring Break: Katie out of the office – available by cell
April 3: HS Principal Connection 8-10 @ SHS
April 7: HS Admin WS 9-11 @ RHS
April 14: HS Admin WS 9-11 @ MVHS
Where in the World?
Congratulations to Stephen for stumping all of us! Benjamin O. Davis was the image from last week and no one guessed correctly! O’Davis was among the first graduating class of Tuskegee airmen and integral in implementing the Air Force’s plan to desegregate. Stephen gets the beverage of his choice!
Guess this location by Monday morning and we will bring you a school appropriate beverage of choice!
Facilitate an interactive discussion focused on your school’s YouthTruth data with your certified and classified staff (together or separately) and your students by the end of April. Here is the template for you to use with staff and students.
Plan to send out written communication (in English and Spanish) to your families about your two strongest and two lowest data points by the end of April.
HS Admin Only – please add your slides and parent communication to theHS Admin handbook under YouthTruth tab and the bottom.
From Departments
From Sara Young and Gabe Pagano:
Last month, we came out to interview all the buildings about MTSS. HERE are the trends from those interviews.
Thank you all so much for your time and collaboration so we can move forward in creating a stronger system – your insight and tools were critical! We learned so much!
From Jess Calbreath:
We are looking forward to our upcoming BLS College Information Night on March 11 from 6:00–7:30 pm at SHS (thank you for hosting this year!) and wanted to share a general overview of the evening, along with a request for counselor support.
The night will begin with a main presentation in the Theater at 6:00 pm featuring BLS School Counseling and OPU/COCC. We will also offer a Spanish-speaking presentation with an interpreter available to ensure all families can fully access the information.
Following the presentation, families will transition to the Commons for a College & Career Fair–style setup. Representatives from OPU, COCC, Financial Aid, and College Now will have tables available for individual questions.
We would greatly appreciate having at least one counselor and one STC from each high school in attendance to support families and represent your school community. Your presence helps reinforce that all BLS students are supported in their postsecondary planning.
You are welcome to use ASPIRE to timesheet your time for this event.
I’ve now reviewed all of the responses to the Administrator Preference Survey, thank you for taking the time to complete it.
As a reminder, the goal of the survey is to help better understand your interests, reflections, and professional aspirations as we enter the early stages of planning for the 2026–27 school year and the survey is designed to make sure you have voice in the process.
In a handful of cases, a follow-up conversation would be helpful to clarify interests, better understand context, or talk more about professional goals. If that’s the case, I’ll reach out directly to schedule time. If you don’t hear from me, it simply means your responses were clear and don’t require immediate follow-up at this time.
This is just part of our normal planning rhythm and gives me a clearer picture as we look toward 2026–27. We’re just getting started with that planning, and nothing has been decided.
As always, final assignment decisions are made with the needs of the entire district in mind, and your input informs that work.
If you want to talk through anything you shared (or didn’t share), call, text, or email and we’ll set up time.
Supe’s On Podcast:
Kudos to Emily O’Neill, Language Arts Teacher, and Chris Boyd from Caldera who were featured on the next Supe’s On Podcast focused on SBIG. Check it out here.
From Sara Young:
Here is this week’s Special EDge, where you’ll find information about:
Communication Guidance
Fundraiser opportunity for Transition Co-Op
Plan for ESY! – Make sure to look at the NEW Workflow!
Take a look at the information from Jennifer Hauth
Check out the Learning Labs
Check out the incredible work of teams in Campus Kudos!
Fly up day is next week. Please ensure students going to BSH, CHS, or MVHS have name tags when they board the buses. SHS, LPHS, and the new choice HS will have their own protocols for when students arrive.
Calendar
February 13-April 10: Pre ACT testing
March 13: Principal Connection 7-9 @ MVHS
March 17: HS Learning Walk – Language Arts 9-12 @ RHS and BTA
March 18-19: MS Spring Conferences
March 19 and 20: Katie out of the office – available by cell
March 23-27 Spring Break
April 3: Principal Connection 8-10 @ SHS
April 7: HS WS 9-11 @ RHS
Who in the World?
Congrats to Monica Hanson for correctly guessing the image from last week! 💥
The image was of James Arthur Baldwin (né Jones; August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987). Baldwin was an American writer and civil rights activist who known for his essays, novels, plays, and poems. His 1953 novel Go Tell It on the Mountain has been ranked by Time magazine as one of the top 100 English-language novels.
We continue our celebration of Black History! Who is this famous individual and what is he famous for?
HS principals and VP’s who oversee social studies: Schedule time to meet with your social studies departments to review the timeline for adoption and the materials available for adoption. Monica and Dean can be available to be present if requested. Please coordinate with them directly.
Facilitate an interactive discussion focused on your school’s YouthTruth data with your certified and classified staff (together or separately) and your students by the end of April. Here is the template for you to use with staff and students.
Plan to send out written communication (in English and Spanish) to your families about your two strongest and two lowest data points by the end of April.
HS Admin Only – please add your slides and parent communication to the HS Admin handbook under YouthTruth tab and the bottom.
From Departments
From Communications:
ParentSquare is coming! Thank you to the south county schools who agreed to pilot ParentSquare as their communication tool this spring. Additionally, district level communications will use ParentSquare this spring. Staff will be trained in ParentSquare this August and will be the required form of communication beginning with the 26-27 school year.
OngoingCommunication about Standards Based Grading and Instruction:
Social Media:
You may have seen our recent social media posts on SBGI. We plan to send out a new post every Sunday between now and the end of the year featuring information as well as students, staff, and administrators talking about the change.
The first two weeks in February we highlighted the difference between Traditional and Standards Based Grading and Instruction. Donna and Cooper, one of the Student Voice Representatives from Summit, were featured in the video. Next up: SBGI Definitions highlighting CHS students!
Make sure you’re following Bend-La Pine on our social media platforms!
Supe’s On Podcast:
Kudos to Emily O’Neill, Language Arts Teacher, and Chris Boyd from Caldera who will be featured on the next Supe’s On Podcast focused on SBGI!
COTV feature:
Check out Stephen and Shauna Johnson, MVHS Social Studies Teacher as they talk about SBGI on COTV!
Thank you to Scott and Becca for their amazing partnership on these projects!
On Monday, Clever access was restricted for students and teachers due to an outage. We know that determining whether something is a “user error” or an actual outage can be frustrating.
This handy dashboard lists all of our common tools and their current operational status. Our team will also update a custom message at the top of the site listing any known issues.
Go ahead and bookmark it now. That way, you can check it out the next time something gets wonky!
Guidance on Email Communications and Student Information:
Here is the guidance we reviewed at horizontals recently, and the quiz activity you can use when introducing this to staff. Please don’t only email this guidance out to staff—it’s not urgent, but take some time to review and discuss it together at some point between now and your August launch next year.
Policy Updates:
Here is the policy we reviewed and discussed together recently. This sets out specific expectations for administrators, certified educators, and all employees. As a reminder, it replaces and covers Staff Responsibilities, Assignment, Employee Dress Code, and more. Worth being very familiar with!
Here is our policy on showing movies/films in class. As discussed, it’s not necessarily intuitive in all cases—please share with your teachers.
Ramadan and Religious Practices:
This week marked the beginning of Ramadan, which continues through March 19. Please be mindful of both employee and student needs related to religious observances:
If an employee requests accommodations for fasting or prayer (or any other religious purpose throughout the year), contact me so we can ensure we meet our Civil Rights obligations and coordinate with Benefits.
Please also remind your staff that students may request accommodations related to religious observances. This could include adjustments connected to fasting, prayer, PE participation, or assessments. When these arise, loop me in so we can support the student’s civil rights appropriately and consistently.
🎉In honor of School Social Work Week and Classified Appreciation Week (March 2 -6th), we want to take a moment to specifically honor our Student Success Coordinators, Clinicians, Instructors, and Educational Assistants.
The ongoing need for specialized and compassionate support for students makes the Student Success team a central role in bridging the gap between home and school, ensuring that social, emotional, and mental health needs are met with expertise and empathy.
Whether they are providing intensive care coordination, fostering family engagement, or offering a steady hand during a mental health crisis, they work to bridge between a student “getting by” and truly thriving. The effort they put into building safe, trusting relationships that extend from the classroom to the home with students is essential.
Please take a moment at your school the first week of March to thank them for their service!
🌟 You’re Invited! Mark Your Calendars!
Join us for end-of-year presentations led by our dedicated Bend-La Pine Schools counselors. During these brief school updates, each team will share progress on their annual goals, highlight key programming initiatives, and reflect on the data gathered throughout the year. These presentations offer an opportunity to see how counseling programs are supporting students academically, socially-emotionally, and in their college and career readiness. Teams will share successes, lessons learned, and how this year’s work will inform future planning within our coordinated system of student support.
This reflection helps us continue strengthening a comprehensive, responsive support system for all students across Bend-La Pine Schools. Your presence matters as we celebrate growth, learn from one another, and look ahead to the next year of impact. I will send the lead counselor over counseling a calendar invite for each school. We hope you’ll join us!
📅 Presentation Schedule
Thursday, May 21, 2026 High School | 8:00–10:30 a.m. Location: (Awaiting Confirmation) Perseverance Hall
Thursday, May 28, 2026 Middle School | 8:00–11:00 a.m. Location: Education Center Boardroom
MS Only
A friendly reminder to please make sure anyone helping with school traffic or crossing guard duties is wearing a high-visibility vest and/or clothing.
Wearing a vest helps reinforce safe practices for our students and families. We appreciate your attention to this and your continued support in keeping our campus safe.
If your site needs a vest, please email Andrea Wilson.
HS Only
Graduation Ceremony Expectations: High Schools are required to follow these expectations. Please reach out to Katie if you have questions.
Calendar
February 13-April 10: Pre ACT testing
February 23-26: Katie out of the office – available by cell
March 10: HS WS 9-11 @ RHS
March 13: Principal Connection 7-9 @ MVHS
March 17: HS Learning Walk – Language Arts 9-12 @ RHS and BTA
March 19 and 20: Katie out of the office – available by cell
March 23-27 Spring Break
April 3: Principal Connection 8-10 @ SHS
Who in the World?
Congrats to Kelly Schmidt for correctly identifying Bessie Coleman as our who in the world this week. Coleman was the first licensed Black pilot in the world as well as the first Native American to hold a pilot license.
We continue our celebration of Black History! Who is this famous individual and what is he famous for?
SRO Appreciation Day– Schools are encouraged to celebrate their SROs the week of February 17th for SRO Appreciation Day. Some ideas for appreciation that have been done in past school years are: decorate their office doors, buy lunch for them one day during the week, have students make cards and drawings, or have breakfast and invite the entire team. You have all done so amazing that the past two years BLS has been featured in the national SRO magazine!!
From Gabe Pagano, District Activities and Athletic Director:
Fly Up Day: For future Bend-area high school students – Ensure these students receive this PowerPoint by next Friday and have their form filled out. For future La-Pine High students – connect with La Pine High about this day if you haven’t already done so.
Calendar
February 13-April 10: Pre ACT testing
February 17:HS Administrator Work Session 9:00-11:00 @ BTA
February 17:Admin/ICCL – Bend High 4:15 – 6:15
February 18: All Admin Meeting – Bend High 3:00-5:00
February 19: MS Horizontal – Sky View 3:00 – 5:00
Who in the world?
Congratulations to Jessica Gambee, who guessed the image from last week! The image was of Zora Neale Hurston, an American novelist. She is seen as one of the most important Black writers in American history. In 1937, she published Their Eyes Were Watching God, the story of a Black woman looking for love and happiness in the South. The book was criticized at the time, especially by Black male writers, who condemned Hurston for not taking a political stand and demonstrating the ill effects of racism. Instead, the novel, now considered her masterwork, celebrated the rich tradition of the rural Black South. Hurston’s work remained uplifting and joyful despite her financial struggles.
We continue our celebration of Black History! Who is this famous individual?
Please work with your language specialist and family liaison to submit ASAPyour interpreter needs for conferences. Remember to schedule blocks/back-to-back appointments for families who need interpreters, to the extent reasonable. This helps maximize interpreter resources, which will be tight this year.
Also, please remind staff that virtual interpreters are perfectly acceptable and sometimes even better quality than in-person services. If the Linguist Link team says an interpreter will be available virtually for your request, the teacher(s) should provide a link to their Teams/WebEx/etc account (send the link to the language specialist and/or paste into the Linguist Link request), and pull up the interpreter on their iPad or laptop during the conference. We are prioritizing in-person interpreters for secondary conferences, given the format of those conferences.
Someone should be available in your front office during all conference hours, to greet interpreters and point them in the direction of their assigned rooms, and/or to answer phone calls if interpreters are trying to log into a virtual appointment and getting locked out. Interpreter no-show? CAFE Program members can step in in a pinch, as available.
Remind teachers to honor family requests for virtual or phone conferences, within reason (if you need reminders about what’s ‘within reason,’ check in with your liaison or ELL specialist for details).
Please read and reach out to me with questions. “Testing season” is quickly approaching. Here are a few resources to help with planning and organization. I’m happy to come out and meet with you as is helpful, especially with anyone who may be new to testing-related roles.
Here is an updated for 2025-26 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. Note that we have made a change to the opt-out and exemption tracking tool to streamline it and make it easier to use. Please save and use as a resource https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tTBz01GxuRhjZvxM8RoqF02uGBuRM4c2daIoPlv7f4Q/edit?usp=sharing
ICCL/Administrator Training February 17: If you haven’t already, be sure to forward the inviteto your ICCL’s!
From Departments
From Lisa:
Assessment Team: As you know, SB141 will require interim assessments in grades K-8 for reading and mathematics to begin in the fall. In mid-February, we will know the identified assessments and logistics related to their implementation. We would like a team of administrators and teachers to review tools, give input, and consider implementation plans in preparation of this requirement taking place in our district. If you would like to be considered to be part of this group, please add your name to the following sign-up sheet by February 13th. SB141 Assessment Consideration Team
Data Team: Throughout this year, we have spent time considering data related to EWS and MTSS needs for our teams. However, as an administrator it is likely that you have specific data that you’d like to be able to see about your school frequently to help guide your training, actions, and team plans. I would like to bring a team of administrators together to discuss what would be most beneficial to have access to in a dashboard format that you would be able to consistently access daily to lead your school best. If you have ideas and would like to join this team, please sign up using the following sheet by February 13th. Data Dream Team
SIF Budgets: When you receive your budget for next year, you will notice that SIF will no longer be a separate budget tab. In the past, these dollars were governed by a grant and required specific spending approval. That is no longer the case and remains as an extra hurdle for our business office. To streamline processes, it will be included in the dollars for your general fund moving forward. Your level leader will continue to meet with you for general budgeting guidance as always.
Any new classified staff member hired after tomorrow, Friday February 6, 2026, will not need to have a summative evaluation completed for the 25-26 school year. Classified employees hired as of February 9, 2026, through the end of the year, will participate in goal setting in the fall and be evaluated for the 26-27 school year. Please let me know if you have any questions/concerns.
Human Resources will be sending an Extra Duty Attestation Form to employees we have on record as currently serving in the Elementary Music Director, Elementary Yearbook Advisor, and Elementary OBOB Advisor roles prior to their formal inclusion on the Extra Duty Schedule, as well as to the building principal for verification.
These roles were added to the Extra Duty Schedule through agreements between the District and BEA.
The form is intended to document prior service – within Bend-La Pine Schools or in other districts – so that employees can be accurately placed on the Extra Duty Salary Schedule. Employees will be asked to complete, sign, and return the form, with the supervising administrator reviewing and confirming the information.
The Middle School OBOB Advisor role was also added to the Extra Duty Schedule. Because we in HR do not have a record of who may be serving in this role, Human Resources will send the attestation form to all middle school Principals to share with the individual currently performing these duties, if applicable, for completion and return.
In addition to the four elementary and middle school PD sessions offered throughout the year, Jess Scott has volunteered to meet one-on-one with the administrator in charge of TAG to provide support with complex TAG case studies or to further walk through the TAG identification process. These individual conversations can be a helpful space to ask questions and talk through specific situations. Please feel free to reach out to Jessica Scott to coordinate a time to meet.
HS Only
From Lisa, CTE TOSA:
CTE Month is coming up next month, and we’re excited to celebrate the amazing work happening across our programs!
To help us highlight and recognize CTE, we’d love your support with the following:
Here is the nomination form to identify exemplary CTE students. Students will be highlighted throughout the month: Student Nomination Form
We would also love to highlight past CTE students (alumni)—please share names or success stories on the above form.
Please send along photos or information about activities, projects, field trips, or events from your program that the district can feature during CTE Month to Becca Burda and Lisa Keown.
Thank you for all you do to support CTE students—we can’t wait to showcase your programs!
Calendar
February 13-April 10: Pre ACT testing
February 10: HS Learning Walk 9:00-12:00 @ SHS
February 17:HS Administrator Work Session 9:00-11:00 @ BTA
February 19: MS Horizontal – Sky View 3:00 – 5:00
Who in the world?
Congratulations to Colin Bado for correctly identifying Shirley Chisholm for Who in the World this week. Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to congress and represented New York’s 12th district from 1969 to 1983.
We continue our celebration of Black History! Who is this famous individual?
In light of ongoing national events, many of you have recently received questions from families and/or staff about the district’s preparedness should ICE activity occur on or near our campuses. Please copy and paste this message into your next staff communication–thanks for making sure both classified and certified receive this from you.
Additionally, this half-way point in the year is a good time to review the guidance (for admin and front office) for what you are expected to do should ICE activity occur on or near your campus. Note: Some edits were made this week–please be sure you and your office team are familiar with these expectations and that this updated version is printed and accessible where your front-entry greeter sits. One important note: Depending on your building’s layout, you may receive from me via interdistrict mail some signage: “Public Area” and “Not a Public Area.” I’ll send details with the signs for where to post them—just know these are related to our procedures here.
Complaints and Bias Incidents: -Action needed-
As the semester wraps up, please go into your Complaint Dashboard and ensure that all submissions there have been fully addressed (investigation, circling back with reporter and all parties, written findings when applicable, all copies and documents uploaded or linked, etc). When complete, you should select “Resolved By School: Yes” to close it out. If a complaint gets appealed, we’ll grab the documentation and records from there, so you don’t need to worry about that step.
Reminder from HR, Probationary Letters due by February 3: Those of you with third-year Probationary/Temporary certified staff being recommended for Contract status you will need to generate letters of support for each one. The School Board wants each of us to be able to articulate the specific reasons any third-year Probationary/Temporary teacher should move to Contract status, and they take time to read every letter you prepare. Please have these letters uploaded in the appropriate school folder in the google drive listed below no later than February 2, 2026. If you experience any issues with uploading your letters or accessing any of the links below, please email [email protected].
Complete and upload all your Renewal Recommendation letters into the appropriate school folder within this google drive. You will find the list of probationary/temporary certified staff in the drive as well to assist you.
Here is a draft template/sample Renewal Recommendation letter for your guidance (make as many copies of the letter as you need)
Be sure your letter is submitted on your school’s letterhead and has your signature prior to uploading
Certified Professional Growth and Performance Manual here.
From Deschutes County Health Services:
Please promote the following with your families. It is geared toward MS but open to all levels.
The upcoming “Start the Conversation” workshops are a family engagement opportunity for families of students with Tier 2 and Tier 3 needs. There will be repeat offerings of this 3-hour workshop in Feb – March.
The “Start the Conversation” workshop will improve families’ abilities to start difficult conversations with their student about topics such as mental health, attendance, substance use, and sex. The workshop is provided by Dr. Amy Yillik, HDESD Culture of Care.
The workshops are centered on developmental needs of middle school students, but are open to families of all BLS students.
Personal invites from admin and staff already working with students and families with Tier 2-3 needs would be the most effective approach.
Here’s the promotion fliers and a promotion blurb to use for promoting the workshop to your families:
SRO Schedule Change– Officer Koehnke (Summit) and Officer Avery (Caldera) have shifted their schedules effective Feb 9. Please review the SRO sheet here.
SRO Appreciation Day– Schools are encouraged to celebrate their SROs the week of February 17th for SRO Appreciation Day. Some ideas for appreciation that have been done in past school years are: decorate their office doors, buy lunch for them one day during the week, have students make cards and drawings, or have breakfast and invite the entire team. You have all done so amazing that the past two years BLS has been featured in the national SRO magazine!!
From Jennifer in Student Services:
🎉 National School Counseling Week 2026 (#NSCW26) is February 2–6, 2026! This special week shines a spotlight on the incredible impact of our school counselors and the unique ways they support students every day.
The 2026 theme, School Counselors Amplify Student Success, says it all! Presented by ASCA, National School Counseling Week celebrates how school counselors help students thrive academically, socially, emotionally, and as they plan for future careers.
📅 National School Counseling Week is always held during the first full week of February, and we’re excited to share several resources below to help you celebrate the amazing school counselor(s) at your site.
💙 Please note: We will also be celebrating our Student Success Staff during School Social Worker Week, the week of March 1st.
🏅 Included below is a Certificate of Appreciation you can use to recognize your counselors, along with additional ideas and resources to make this week extra special. Let’s show our counselors how much they are valued and appreciated! 😊🎉
Please read this week’s Special EDge to learn more about:
IEP At a Glance!
Culture of Care PD Opportunity
HDESD Learning Labs
Campus Kudos!
High School Only
HS Counseling Midyear Check-In
As we move from first to second semester, this midyear window is a critical checkpoint to ensure counseling practices, data, and systems are aligned before forecasting begins.
Course Planning in SchooLinks (Grades 9–11)
All students should complete an updated course plan in SchooLinks before forecasting opens
Plans should be completed through Tier 1 core counseling practices (classroom/advisory lessons, planning conferences, group sessions, family communication)
Tier 2
Identify students needing additional help in SchooLinks
Provide small-group, flex/access time, or 1:1 planning support
Seniors: Midyear Transcript Review
Ensure transcripts are updated and midyear reports are sent to colleges
Review credits, diploma requirements, and graduation plans for all seniors
Identify and update seniors that are at-risk and ensure:
Student check-ins
Formal family notification
Clear next steps and timelines
Grades 9–11: Transcript & Schedule Review
Review transcripts and current schedules
Identify credit or placement concerns early
Coordinate Tier 2 interventions and credit recovery as needed
Match recovery options to student need
Tracking & Communication
Monitor at-risk data and identify themes if needed
Ensure counselors have consistent communication with families and support teams and are documenting in Synergy.
CTE Month is coming up next month, and we’re excited to celebrate the amazing work happening across our programs!
To help us highlight and recognize CTE, we’d love your support with the following:
Here is the nomination form to identify exemplary CTE students. Students will be highlighted throughout the month: Student Nomination Form
We would also love to highlight past CTE students (alumni)—please share names or success stories on the above form.
Please send along photos or information about activities, projects, field trips, or events from your program that the district can feature during CTE Month to Becca Burda and Lisa Keown.
Thank you for all you do to support CTE students—we can’t wait to showcase your programs!
The ODE (Oregon Department of Education) Tool Kit provides a variety of resources and materials to support CTE programs in Oregon. It typically includes guidelines, best practices, and templates for educators to enhance their CTE initiatives. You can find it on the ODE website under the CTE section.
The ODE CTE Website is a comprehensive resource for educators involved in Career and Technical Education. It features updates, policies, and resources regarding CTE programs, including links to funding opportunities, training, and professional development for teachers.
The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) offers a variety of resources to celebrate CTE Month. This includes promotional materials, lesson plans, and activities that can be used to engage students and the community in CTE initiatives. You can visit the ACTE website to access these resources.
Calendar
February 2-6:National School Counseling Week! Celebrate your counselors!
February 10: HS Learning Walk 9:00-12:00 @ SHS
February 17:HS Administrator Work Session 9:00-11:00 @ BTA
February 19: MS Horizontal – Sky View 3:00 – 5:00
Who in the World?
Congrats to Mary Thomas who correctly guessed the image from last week!
Frederick McKinley Jones invented the first successful system for mobile refrigeration. His invention eliminated the far less effective use of ice and salt to preserve foods for transport, greatly extending the distance over which food could be effectively delivered.
We celebrate Black History Month in February! Who is this famous individual?
Reminder from HR, Probationary Letters due by February 3: Those of you with third-year Probationary/Temporary certified staff being recommended for Contract status you will need to generate letters of support for each one. The School Board wants each of us to be able to articulate the specific reasons any third-year Probationary/Temporary teacher should move to Contract status, and they take time to read every letter you prepare. Please have these letters uploaded in the appropriate school folder in the google drive listed below no later than February 2, 2026. If you experience any issues with uploading your letters or accessing any of the links below, please email [email protected].
Complete and upload all your Renewal Recommendation letters into the appropriate school folder within this google drive. You will find the list of probationary/temporary certified staff in the drive as well to assist you.
Curriculum Guide Audits: TOSAS and our secondary team are currently doing an audit of curriculum guides to ensure that the information shared is consistently communicated for our families.
So, far, we are finding that some schools have made adjustments to the science and math pathways. If this is the case for you, please adjust those ASAP. If you are not sure, reach out to Dean.
From Departments
From Jenn in Student Services:
🎉 National School Counseling Week 2026 (#NSCW26) is February 2–6, 2026! This special week shines a spotlight on the incredible impact of our school counselors and the unique ways they support students every day.
The 2026 theme, School Counselors Amplify Student Success, says it all! Presented by ASCA, National School Counseling Week celebrates how school counselors help students thrive academically, socially, emotionally, and as they plan for future careers.
📅 National School Counseling Week is always held during the first full week of February, and we’re excited to share several resources below to help you celebrate the amazing school counselor(s) at your site.
💙 Please note: We will also be celebrating our Student Success Staff during School Social Worker Week, the week of March 1st.
🏅 Included below is a Certificate of Appreciation you can use to recognize your counselors, along with additional ideas and resources to make this week extra special. Let’s show our counselors how much they are valued and appreciated! 😊🎉
Reminder for recess/lunch winter weather guidance:
When the outside temperature falls to 20°F or below (not including wind chill), the administration will use caution when allowing outdoor school activities(This information is found in the Quick Reference Guide for Emergencies aka “the Red Green”). See the NOAA Windchill chart here.
Administrators have the discretion to send students outside in inclement weather. For example, it could be above 20°F but extremely icy, so you may decide to keep students inside.
AI resources for students just got an upgrade, including a new AI for Research slide deck and our AI Guide for Students, both found on the AI in BLS website. If AI instruction is on your radar, we’re glad to partner with you to support classroom conversations and provide staff learning.
January 27: Climate and Culture Task Force 8-12 @ Ed Center Boardroom
January 28: All Admin Professional Development 3:00-4:30 BSHS Perseverance Hall
February 2-6: National School Counseling Week! Celebrate your counselors!
February 10: HS Learning Walk 9:00-12:00 @ SHS
February 17: HS Administrator Work Session 9:00-11:00 @ BTA
Who in the World?
Congrats to Dave McKae for winning the where in the world contest this week! The photo is of The Hole in the Rock formation in Papago Park near Phoenix, Arizona. An awesome hike if you’re ever down there. Right next to the zoo!
We celebrate Black History Month in February! Who is this famous inventor and what did he invent?
Here at BLS we aspire to place the best teachers possible in front of students, and as such we want to be very deliberate in renewing third-year Probationary/Temporary status teachers. The primary means for removing underperforming Probationary/Temporary staff members before they reach Contract status is non-renewal of their contracts prior to the end of the third year of probation; once a teacher attains Contact status, separation of a deficient performer from the district becomes a much more labor-intensive process.
Per the 25-26 Full Evaluation Resource Guide sent out with your Evaluation Google file this fall (see deadlines below), HR Leadership had requested that you notify us by November 1st regarding any third-year Probationary/Temporary certified staff with whom you had concerns and that no later than December 5, 2025, you would have met with and notified an third-year staff member of concern that they were being placed on Support Strategies.
*****Deadlines For Non-Renewal of Third Year Probationary Teacher****
Timeline
No later than November 1st:
Notify HR Leadership regarding any third-year Probationary/Temporary certified staff about whom you have concerns with
Met with and notified those staff members that they are being placed on Focused Performance Review (~3 weeks)
No later than December 5th
Met with and notified third-year staff member of concern that they are being placed on Support Strategies (4-6 weeks)
Communicate with HR Leadership and BEA President Sarah Barclay regarding your concerns about these staff members
If you have not moved anyone to Support Strategies, you must reach out to us immediately so we can determine whether it is possible to meet the required timelines. Should you have any questions/concerns regarding these steps, please contact me [email protected] to discuss further.
******Please remember our change in practice for Temporary 3 certified staff. We nowrequire all Probationary 3 practices for renewal/non-renewal for Temporary 3 certified staff. When you write a letter of support for a Temporary 3 staff member, then you are obligating your school to employ this person for the 2026/27 school year and beyond********* Please also note, that those certified members with previous contact status in an Oregon school district (HB 2900) will also be obtaining contract status with your recommendations.
If you have taken the necessary measures with a third-year Probationary/Temporary staff member that you don’t believe should be granted Contract status, we are at the point beyond which you will be able to meet deadlines to non-renew that teacher.
Those of you with third-year Probationary/Temporary certified staff being recommended for Contract status you will need to generate letters of support for each one. The School Board wants each of us to be able to articulate the specific reasons any third-year Probationary/Temporary teacher should move to Contract status, and they take time to read every letter you prepare. Please have these letters uploaded in the appropriate school folder in the google drive listed below no later than February 2, 2026. If you experience any issues with uploading your letters or accessing any of the links below, please email [email protected].
Complete and upload all your Renewal Recommendation letters into the appropriate school folder within this google drive. You will find the list of probationary/temporary certified staff in the drive as well to assist you.
Here is a draft template/sample Renewal Recommendation letter for your guidance (make as many copies of the letter as you need)
Be sure your letter is submitted on your school’s letterhead and has your signature prior to uploading
Certified Professional Growth and Performance Manual here.
From the Desk of April Diehl, Medicaid Program Manager:
The district will soon be sending an email to families requesting that they complete a Medicaid Parental Consent form. This consent allows the district to access Medicaid reimbursement for eligible services, and your help in sharing this information ensures families are aware of the email and its importance.
Please share the following message to families in your weekly newsletter:
Families will soon receive an email from Bend-La Pine Schools requesting completion of the one-time Medicaid Parental Consent form. The district is asking every family to respond, whether or not your child is covered by Medicaid. Families who have already completed the consent will not be emailed. This form allows the district to access Medicaid reimbursement for certain health-related services provided at school. Completing the form does not affect your child’s benefits or services in any way. Please watch for the email and take a moment to complete the form when it arrives. Thank you!
From Departments:
From Kinsey – Office of Policy and Advocacy
Student-Led Protests:
Here is guidance for administrators and staff regarding how to navigate student-led protests. Please review and share applicable portions with your staff. This guidance is a general quick reference—for specific instances or questions, please let me know.
Home Visits:
Regarding our community engagement work: The end of the semester is a great time to drop by a home to check in on a struggling student or deliver a quick care package/item.
Too busy? No time? Home visits usually take 30 minutes or less. This small investment has a significant positiveimpact on the student and family, and for the staff who see you modeling this level of care and community leadership. Likely, you’ll find a home visit is more meaningful professional development than sitting in workshops talking about concepts like equity or belonging—I’m confident you’ll grow immediately as a leader after visiting a student’s home.
Your MTSS team or counselors can recommend a student/family to visit. Ask your Family Liaison, FAN Advocate, or ELL Specialist to go with you as needed, or ask them if you can tag along on a visit of theirs. Additional tips here.
We have locked in two dates & times for our admin to do a tour of KIDS Center. Sign up for a KIDS Center Tour here.
From Marcus LeGrand – Board Chair and COCC faculty
Hi Wonderful Educators,
Attached are the flier for all Black History Events and the link to sign up for the event as well. Please read the website carefully to ensure you sign up properly. Next, the Empowerment Weekend has priority registration for students until next week, so have your kids and their friends sign up because there is limited space.
If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know, call, or email. Finally, can’t wait to see you all in the building for the events.
Quick heads-up as you plan ahead: Please hold Wednesday, May 13th, 4:30–6:30, for our annual Excellence in Education celebration at Mountain View High School, immediately following our Admin PD (also at Mountain View).
For those of you newer to BLS, this is one of the most meaningful events on our calendar and is a chance for us, as a community, to celebrate employees who have gone above and beyond this year through leadership, innovation, outstanding practice, and true service above self.
Each school and department is expected to have at least one Administrator or Supervisor in attendance to help celebrate your honoree(s). Your presence really matters. For many of our employees, this is a rare and powerful moment of recognition, and it means even more when it’s shared with the leaders who know their work best.
More details and the nomination forms are coming soon. For now, please make sure this time May 13th is protected on your calendar.
Thanks for the culture of appreciation you help create across our district, let Ryan Kelling know if you have any questions.
From Robi Cole:
I am working with the ESD to create some regional Admin Mentoring offerings. One offering I would like to get the word out is an upcoming Mentoring Training. I have attached the flyer– it is for experienced admin, principal supervisors, and current/future admin mentors.
The second opportunity we have with the CORAMP program is to tap some aspiring administrators OR Deans/VP’s that want to get ready for the principalship. Two flyers are attached describing these offerings. Flyer 1, Flyer 2.
From Amber McGill – COREN:
COREN’s Culture of Care team has 2 opportunities in February with space and sub coverage now available:
2/5/26 Restorative Conferencing (Tier III)
Schedule: Thursday, February 5th, 2026 (9:30am-1:30pm)
Location: Becky Johnson Community Center, Redmond (In person)
Substitute coverage provided by COREN for this session.
From Amy Yillik with culture of care: Please share the following info with your families: Here is the link & attachment for the upcoming MS/HS family workshops.
Calendar
January 20: MS and HS Admin Work Session – 9-11 Summit High School
January 20: New Choice High School Information Night 6:00 @ BTA Campus
January 22: HS Only – Tier II Academic Intervention Team 2:30-4:00 @ CHS
January 23: 504 training required for ALL admin who oversee 504’s 9:00 @ Wall Street Lab
January 23: 26-27 Area Change Request (ACR) Deadline for submission
Where in the World?
Congrats to Scott, who correctly guessed the image last week, which is Angels Landing at Zion National Park!
This week, it’s Where in the World? Any admin who correctly identifies this location by Monday morning (after break) will be entered in a drawing for coffee/tea or morning beverage of choice to be delivered by Katie or Stephen. Note: This contest will be limited to MS and HS admin.
Building leaders, please complete these tasks related to our Health curriculum:
Sadly, we continue to have suicide attempts across our schools. Here is a reminder of the administrator asks to assure that our schools are doing all we can to reduce suicide.
Reach out to Health/PE teachers (of 6th, 7th, 8th grades, Health 1 and 2) at the beginning of a semester:
To confirm that they’re aware that suicide prevention education is required.
To identify when they will teach suicide prevention education.
To confirm the school’s procedure for responding to students who need mental health support, particularly if a student needs to leave the classroom because they are not ok.
To see if the teacher needs any coaching support to build their confidence and skills. Connect Health teachers to school counselors for coaching, if needed.
Alert counselors, admin, and other relevant staff about 1 week before suicide prevention will be taught. Confirm who will be on standby for responding to student mental health needs. Remind these staff of the procedure for response if students need support:
Recommended procedure, if able: Have another adult in the classroom during the lessons who can escort students who need support to the counseling office, if needed.
If unable to have another adult in the classroom, have a plan for the teacher to call your counseling center or front office staff when a student in need of support leaves the room so that someone can follow up and ensure they reach a counselor.
Always have a school counselor available during and after the lessons to respond to students’ mental health needs that may arise.
ICCL/Administrator training this week: Our focus for this training was “SBIG: systems and strategies to move the learning forward.” We heard presentations from:
*LPHS Principal, Scott Olszweski and five teachers: Suzanne Jones, Luke Donahue, Lindsey Spring, Kent Eby and Jessica Kinzel Schneiter
*Sean Keating, PCMS Principal
*Julie Montoya, World Language TOSA
*Shauna Johnson, Social Studies Teacher at MVHS.
They each spoke to tangible examples of SBIG implementation in their schools and classrooms. Here are the slides. Please pass these along!
Key takeaways from the sharing:
*Teacher leadership is vital in this work we are doing together
*Collaboration results in higher levels of learning
*Design to the 4! Provide exemplars and clear, specific rubrics prior to assigning
*Providing feedback (without a score) coupled with time to rework leads to high levels of learning
Please share this opportunity with your students and encourage them to participate. It is an excellent way for them to engage with the democratic process and contribute to our community.
Dear Educators and Administrators: I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to bring to your attention the Deschutes County Clerk’s Office’s “I Voted” Sticker Contest for 2026. This contest offers a unique opportunity for local K-12 students to engage in a creative celebration of America’s 250th birthday while showcasing their artistic talents in a meaningful civic initiative.
Contest Highlights:
Eligibility: Open to all K-12 students in Deschutes County.
Submission Deadline: January 31, 2026.
Design Theme: Celebrating America’s Semiquincentennial. Original designs are encouraged to incorporate red, white, and blue colors.
Winning designs will be:
Featured on the cover of the Voters’ Pamphlets for the upcoming May Primary and November General elections.
Printed as actual stickers. These stickers will be distributed during the upcoming elections this year .
Displayed at the Deschutes County Services Building.
Submit signed entry forms to:
In Person: Deschutes County Clerk’s Office, 1300 NW Wall Street, Ste 202 Bend
Contest entry form is here for your convenience. Additional information can be found on our website, here.
Thank you for your support in promoting civic engagement among students. Feel free to reach out with any questions.
Steve Dennison | County Clerk DESCHUTES COUNTY CLERK’S OFFICE 1300 NW Wall Street | Bend, Oregon 97703 Tel: (541) 388-6544
From Departments:
From Kinsey – Office of Policy and Advocacy:
Community Engagement:
Don’t forget about the chance to win a gift card ($25-$49.99) to places like El Sancho, Spork, downtown shops, and more! Just a little motivation and token of appreciation for getting outside your building/office and into the community we serve. (Bingo card here.)
Thanks to all of you who visited The Giving Plate this fall! (If you missed that round, it’s not too late–reach out to me.) Our next community partner visit is in January, to the Bethlehem Inn. Sign up here to participate.
Black History Month:
In the next few days, your Advocacy ICCL representative will share with your staff some opportunities for recognizing Black History Month and honoring our Black students, colleagues, and community members–including our fourth annual Inspiring Displays Contest. Last year, over 18 community agencies and partners voted on the amazing contest submissions—more info here.
When that message comes through, please reiterate it with your staff. This will A) honor the leadership of your Advocacy ICCL rep, and B) show your staff that you care about this topic as a leader and want your school engaged. Here’s a draft communication you can edit or copy/paste into your staff blog, or you can simply reference the message your Advocacy ICCL rep will have recently sent.
Curriculum Guide for New Choice High School: The curriculum guide for the New Choice High School is currently live on the RHS and BTA websites Here are the English and Spanish Versions.
We are preparing a “toolkit” for schools to explain the framework of the New Choice High School that we will be sharing in the coming days!
We have updated our 8888-emergency phone document for schools to show which district level leaders receive the phone calls. It can also be found in our Safety Google Drive – here.
Please review this information as a reminder on when and how to use the 8888 phone number for any safety/emergency related issues at schools. Reach out with questions.
We are working with Kids Center to provide a training for our fourth Safety Cadre meeting. Kids Center has graciously offered to facilitate tours of their site for our admin who are interested. If you are interested in a brief pre-training tour (multiple times will be available), please reach out to Kayla Martin so we can get an estimate on attendance.
As we continue to strengthen inclusive, student-centered practices across our schools, we encourage you to become more familiar with the role of school-based Occupational Therapists (OTs). OTs are key partners in supporting student access, regulation, and participation in learning and daily school routines. Reviewing the attached document will provide helpful context on how OTs support students, staff, and school-wide systems.
Could you all please add this CPI Trained Staff List to your Important Links/Resources for building leaders? We want to make sure they are quickly able to see the trained staff at their sites.
Also, we try to keep up with when people leave or move sites, but if they have any updates that we haven’t caught, they can absolutely let me know!
Please make yourself aware of this document being shared with middle school counselors. working Middle School Forecasting document. We will talk more at our February horizontal if you have any questions.
Look for slides about the New Choice High School to show students in next week’s advisory!
HS Only
From Jennifer and Jess:
High School Forecasting & Academic Planning: A Unified Approach Across BLS
During our recent Admin/Counselor PLC prior to winter break, we revisited our shared, districtwide forecasting framework and the systems that support academic planning across BLS. We are grateful for the thoughtful, coordinated work taking place in every building to ensure students and families are well-prepared to make informed academic decisions. Forecasting remains a critical component of postsecondary preparation and is fully embedded within our comprehensive counseling programming—not a stand-alone task or event.
Our shared vision centers on ensuring that all students and families understand the purpose and value of forecasting throughout the middle and high school years. Middle school counseling lessons introduce academic planning, high school graduation requirements, and early college and career awareness, while SchooLinks activities build readiness and self-awareness. Eighth-grade students, as well as students in grades 9–11, complete their course planners in SchooLinks at least two weeks prior to meeting with high school counselors for forecasting. In high school, annual counseling lessons continue to reinforce graduation pathways, diploma options, and postsecondary planning, with course planners updated in advance to support meaningful forecasting conversations.
Districtwide consistency for students and families remains at the core of our unified forecasting framework. It is essential that schools maintain clear, predictable communication with families before, during, and after forecasting to support understanding and engagement at every stage of the process. Before forecasting, the framework includes timely family outreach, updated materials, and classroom lessons aligned to graduation and pathway requirements, with students completing course planners in advance. During forecasting, schools provide grade-level lessons, 1:1 support, and ongoing family communication to help students make informed, goal-aligned course selections. After forecasting, schools offer family review windows, course request verification, and clear reminders about scheduling parameters and key deadlines.
We are also continuing to align our practices and communication related to BLPO and other non-district or postsecondary course options to ensure families receive clear, accessible guidance and required documentation. Ongoing alignment between middle and high school teams remains a priority, with dedicated time built into our January END to continue this work. As a result, students and families will experience consistent resources across all schools, including shared timelines, communications, lessons, and forecasting guides.
Thank you to everyone who contributes to our annual cross-level forecasting alignment that help create a smooth, predictable, and supportive experience for students and families.
Calendar
January 13: HS Learning Walk 10-1 @ LPHS
January 14: SBIG Early Adopter Virtual Drop in 8:00-8:30
January 14: New Choice High School Information Night 6:00 @ BTA Campus
January 16: Principal Connection 7:00 @ CHS
January 20: MS and HS Admin Work Session – 9-11 Summit High School
January 20: New Choice High School Information Night 6:00 @ BTA Campus
January 22: HS Only – Tier II Academic Intervention Team 2:30-4:00 @ CHS
January 23: 504 training required for ALL admin who oversee 504’s 9:00 @ Wall Street Lab
January 23: 26-27 Area Change Request (ACR) Deadline for submission
Where in the World?
Congrats to Brian Barringer of LPMS for winning this week’s where in the world. The image was from a snowy 1960s Bend!
This week, it’s Where in the World? Any admin who correctly identifies this location by Monday morning (after break) will be entered in a drawing for coffee/tea or morning beverage of choice to be delivered by Katie or Stephen. Note: This contest will be limited to MS and HS admin.
