To Do

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.

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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.

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Ongoing Communication 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!

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From Scott in IT:

Never let an outage go to waste!

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.  

You can reduce your frustration by visiting-https://bls.fyi/status

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!

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From Gabe:

February 17th-20th, 2026

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From Kinsey – Office of Policy and Advocacy:

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. 

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From Jenn:

🎉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!

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📅 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?

To Do

Remind ICCLs of the Admin/ICCL meeting at Bend High on Tuesday from 4:15-6:15

From Departments

From Sara in Student Services:

Please read this week’s Special EDge to read more about:

• DUE February 20th: Review assigned OT equipment at your site and complete the Smartsheet
• Remember about OTs when scheduling
• Plan for ESY! – Make sure to look at the NEW Workflow!
• Consider passing on the Boys and Girls Club opportunity for teens to families
• Check out the Learning Labs
• Check out the incredible work of teams in Campus Kudos!
• And more

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From Jess, Lead Counselor:

School Counseling Program Updates

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From Kayla in Safety:

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!!

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From Gabe Pagano, District Activities and Athletic Director:

Here is the weekly.  Have a great week.

February 9th-13th, 2026

MS Only

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?

To Do

Timesheets are due Monday! The time period we are recording for is 01/12/2026-02/08/2026. 

Principals, if you do not have any leave to report, please let Katie or Stephen know so we don’t expect a sheet from you.

Assistant Principals submit your timesheet to your principal.

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From Kinsey – Office of Policy and Advocacy:

Family-teacher conferences:

Please work with your language specialist and family liaison to submit ASAP your 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).

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From Dave Van Loo:

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 
• I’m resending this high-level summary of 25-26 test and survey timeframes. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PTS5BYZPRJTJcmcB1o_Fb3nFEVmoQlec3xnE2-uQNWQ/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/1Qe6LnQ2IOKwaWUne6TF-AIctTlDAQHh2Y6taoAhFL8Y/edit?usp=sharing 

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How will YOUR school honor your counselors next week?

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ICCL/Administrator Training February 17: If you haven’t already, be sure to forward the invite to 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.

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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.

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From Student Services:

Collaborative Problem Solving Training

We wanted to reach out and share an upcoming Collaborative Problem Training for Educators this March. The training is free, and slots will be limited. 

Please check out the Collaborative Problem Solving Flyer and Registration Link to learn more!

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From Gabe Pagano, District Activities and Athletic Director:

Here is the update for this week.

MS Only

Elementary and Middle School Admin – 

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.

Please let Ryan know if you have any questions.

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TAG Support:

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 12^th district from 1969 to 1983. 

We continue our celebration of Black History! Who is this famous individual?

To Do

From Kinsey – Office of Policy & Advocacy:

Immigration/ICE:    -Action needed-

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.  

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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.

Rubrics for certified staff (link)

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.

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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:

• StC 2026 Flyer
• Spanish StC Flyer

From Departments

From Kayla in Saftey:

• 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!!

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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! 😊🎉

Resources:  

Certificate of Completion

Sign

NSCW Toolkit

Promo Kit 

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From Gabe, Director of Activities and Athletics:

January 26th-January 30th, 2026 – Weekly SMORE

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From Jess, Lead Counselor:

School Counseling Program Updates

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From Sara Young in Student Services:

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.

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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!

Resources for CTE Month:

ODE Tool Kit

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.

ODE CTE Website

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.

ACTE CTE Month Resources

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?

To Do

Priority # 1: YouthTruth Survey closes next Friday!

Time is running out—just 7 school days left before surveys close end-of-day Friday, January 30^th!

• DON’T FORGET TO TRACK SURVEY PROGRESS
  Follow along at http://www.ytsurvey.org/BLSprogress26.

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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.

Rubrics for certified staff (link)

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.

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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! 😊🎉

Resources:  

Certificate of Completion

Sign

NSCW Toolkit

Promo Kit 

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❄️ Cold Weather Reminders from Human Resources ❄️

While our winter has been relatively mild thus far, we wanted to share a few helpful reminders – just in case Old Man Winter decides to show up!

Please be sure to review our Inclement Weather Guidelines

If winter weather does roll in, remember to: 

Don’t forget to walk like a penguin – short steps, slow and steady wins the race 

Give yourself extra travel time (driving and walking),

Bundle up and wear weather-appropriate footwear,

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From Kayla in Safety:

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. 

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From Educational Technology:

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.

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From Gabe, Director of Activities and Athletics:

January 20th-23rd, 2026 – Weekly

Calendar

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?

To Do:

From Triz in HR:

Principals & Supervisors –

 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 now require 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.

Rubrics for certified staff (link)

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.

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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.  

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From Dean Richards:

Educator Network Details for 1/21.

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From Kayla Martin in Safety:

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.

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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. 

Link to sign up: https://cocc.edu/departments/multicultural/afrocentric/black-history-month

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From Ryan Kelling in HR:

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.

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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.

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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.

2/26/26 Restorative Conference Simulation (Tier III)

• Schedule: Thursday, February  26th 2026 (12:30pm-4:00pm)
• Location: Becky Johnson Community Center, Redmond (In person)
• Substitute coverage provided by COREN for this session.

Learn more & register here!

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From Gabe Pagano, Director of Activities and Athletics:

Here is the weekly – January 12th-16th, 2026

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From Jess Calbreath – Lead Counselor

School Counseling Program Updates

MS Only

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.

To Do:

You should have a plan in place to review Mid Year SLGGS by the end of February.

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Sign up for a tour of the Bethlehem Inn – see details below!

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From Dean in Teaching and Learning:

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.

1. Reach out to Health/PE teachers (of 6th, 7th, 8th grades, Health 1 and 2) at the beginning of a semester:
   1. To confirm that they’re aware that suicide prevention education is required. 
   2. To identify when they will teach suicide prevention education. 
   3. 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.
   4. 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. 
2. 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:
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Always have a school counselor available during and after the lessons to respond to students’ mental health needs that may arise.

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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

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From Steve Dennison, County Clerk:

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
• By Mail: PO Box 6005, Bend, OR 97708
• Email: [email protected]

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:

1. 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.  

2. 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.

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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!

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From our Safety Department:

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.  

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From Student Services:

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.

For full details on OT roles and responsibilities, please refer to the Bend-La Pine Schools Occupational Therapist Essential Roles and Responsibilities document. Not sure who your building’s Occupational Therapist is? Click [HERE] to find your assigned OT.

From Sara Young:

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!

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From Gabe Pagano, Director of Activities and Athletics:

Here is the weekly for Athletics and Activities.

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MS Only

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.

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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.

Nice job Michael Hicks who was on KBND this week! You can listen to his interview around the new Cell Phone directive here.

To Do

Please remind your ICCL team about our training on 1/6 at Bend High – We will have a number of schools and teachers presenting on SBIG strategies that work.

From Departments

From Dave VanLoo:

Here is a brief resource to help administrators with YouthTruth implementation. YouthTruth goes live on January 5. Contact Dave VanLoo with any questions about YouthTruth surveys.

YouthTruth January 2026 Admin One-Page Sheet

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From Sara Young:

Here is this week’s Special EDge Student Services Blog. Please pay close attention to the STAS and SIRC process update regarding school psychs.  

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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.  

All you have to do: Join your colleagues for quick tours of local service providers, tag along with your family liaison or FAN advocate on a home visit to check on a student, and continue the school-specific efforts you’re already doing.  (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.  

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From Gabe Pagano, Director of Activities and Athletics:

Here is the weekly for Winter Break – December 13th-January 4th, 2026

Calendar

December 20-January 5: Winter Break

January 6: Secondary Admin/ICCL Training – 4:15 – 6:15 BSH Perseverance Hall

January 8: MS ONLY – TAG Admin/ICCL Meeting – 3:30 – 5:00 – Ed Center Board Room

January 20: MS and HS Admin Work Session – 9-11 Summit High School

Where in the World

Congrats to Susie at Caldera for correctly identifying the image as a celebration of Kwanzaa! 

Kwanzaa is an annual, week-long celebration of African-American culture held from December 26 to January 1. Created in 1966 by activist Maulana Karenga, it is based on African harvest festival traditions and aims to reaffirm traditional communal values, foster unity, and provide a cultural foundation for people of African descent. 

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.

To Do

Please ensure you have the Student Health Survey wrapped up by 12/22. We would like to see higher participation from students!

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Reminders for HS: teach these two lessons before winter break:

Cellphone lesson

SBHC lesson (MVHS and BSHS – skip slide 8).  AND send home the SBHC family letter and permission form.  

From Departments

Kudos to our HS counseling team!

Jennifer Hauth, Jess Calbreath and Amberlee Solito presented at the Oregon State School Counseling Meeting this week on Bend La Pine’s journey to implementing a Comprehensive School Counseling Program. Please take a look at the slide deck that outlines our implementation journey over the last four years. Also, check out our elementary school counseling video (2 Minutes) that was shared at the Board meeting. For the first time in BLS history, we have an elementary school counselor at every school!

Here are the slides from the HS administrator and counselor Meeting from 12/9. Slide Deck 

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From Sean Reinhart, Executive Director of Student Services:

25-26 Child Count Data

Please click the link below to look at this year’s child count data, as well as our historical trends.  Overall, we are up about 40 students total with IEPs.  With the overall decrease in enrollment, that puts the district at 12.5% of students receiving special education services.  

25-25 Special Education Census Data

As a reminder, December 1 of each school year is the day that we report the total number of students with IEPs in BLS.  This is the number that ODE uses to base our funding for the following year.  School districts get a “second ADM weight” for each student with and IEP up to 11% of the district population.  BLS is currently at 12.5%.  

Kudos to our student services team members!

Student Services is introducing a new process we are going to be using to boost morale and include more positivity and celebration in our weekly Special EDge Blog.

We will be starting Campus Kudos, a section of the blog highlighting two schools per week and celebrating ways that the school’s Student Services team has been working to promote inclusion, belonging for students, and working as a team to support each other. We will NOT be celebrating individual staff members in this process but really would like to make the focus be upon the entire team. Everyone deserves to be celebrated because they are doing hard work! 

So here is our ask: Please fill out the linked form when you feel you have seen something from your school team that is worthy of celebration, particularly things around inclusion, belonging, and teamwork. This can be a running record, and does not need to be filled out ONLY when it is time in the schedule for a particular school to be celebrated. 

HERE IS THE FORM

HERE IS THE TENTATIVE SCHEDULE FOR WHEN SCHOOLS WILL BE CELEBRATED (subject to change if we need to shift things around for more time to gather input)

Thank you all! We are excited to start celebrating your school teams and all of the hard work they are doing!

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From Kinsey — Office of Policy and Advocacy:

Cell phone/personal device usage:

As we approach the policy shift that prohibits personal devices effective January, please remind teachers to review the IEPs, 504s, and Individual Health Plans of students in their class, and/or check in with Learning Specialists, to be clear on which students have documented permission to use their personal devices.  This info should also be noted in Substitute Folders.  

This will help reduce 1) the number of false claims by students saying they have a medical ‘need’ for their phone, and 2) repeated corrections or consequences for students who do need them but who frequently get reprimanded for usage that is actually permissible.  

Immigration:

Check that you have the ICE guidance (linked and highlighted in this document) printed and posted near your front-entry/reception window for the staff who greet visitors.  This is also a good point to refresh yourself on the procedures expected of you and your team. 

If you become aware of immigration activity in the community that has impacted a student or family, please: 1) be extremely mindful of confidentiality, privacy, and professional boundaries—do not share this information unless absolutely necessary, 2) take care of yourself and your emotions so you can take care of others , 3) refer the student or family to appropriate resources (your family liaison, our newcomer counselor specialist George, school counselor, FAN, etc), 4) let me know if you have a need I can support, resource- or policy-wise.  Thank you for your calm, compassionate, and steady leadership as these tough things continue impacting our community. 

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From our Safety Department

Thank you all for your attendance and participation at our second cadre meeting!

Here is the link to the Cadre and Student Services slides. 

A few pieces of information that were discussed: 

Provide feedback  here!!   

Here is the Health & Safety POC Roster- The best place to start when fielding your safety concerns. 

Want to revoke visitation privileges? Start here.

Holiday party refresher

Volunteer: Helping with the party by providing a service or supporting supervision (Ex: helping students build gingerbread houses in the hallway) 

Visitor: Attending the party!

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From Gabe Pagano, Director of Activities and Athletics:

Here is the weekly for activities and athletics.

From Jess Calbreath, Counselor on Special Assignment:

Here are the school counseling notes.

Calendar

December 16: HS Administrator Work Session 9:00-11:00 @ CHS (come early for breakfast!)

December 17: Optional Early Adopter Drop in @ 8:00

December 17: Admin PD Session – 3:00 @ Aspen Hall (please carpool)

December 18: MS Horizontal 3-5 @ High Desert

December 19: Principal connection @ 7:00

December 20-January 5: Winter Break

What in the World

Congratulations to Darla Brandon at La Pine Middle for correctly identifying our Where in the World image as Hobbiton, the set from the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies that is now a tourist attraction in New Zealand.

This week, it’s What in the World? What celebration does this week’s image below represent? Any admin who correctly identifies this location by Monday morning 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. 

To Do

Carpool to the admin meeting December 17th at Aspen Hall. The parking is limited so please consider riding together as a team. Additionally, we will be covering chapters 6-8, so please review before the 17th.

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Send in Leave Sheets:

Leave sheets are due on Monday, December 8th.  The time period we are recording for is 11/10/2025-12/07/2025.  

Principals, submit your leave sheets to Katie and Stephen.  Send an email if you did not take any leave during this time period.  

Assistants, please submit your leave sheets to your principal.

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Please ensure you have the Student Health Survey wrapped up by 12/22. We have many sites with no results yet.

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Reminders for HS: teach these two lessons before winter break:

Cellphone lesson

SBHC lesson (MVHS and BSHS – skip slide 8).  AND send home the SBHC family letter and permission form.  

From Departments

From Dave Van Loo:

Here are links to use for documenting OSAS testing opt-outs and exemptions in 2025-26. These forms are like what we have used in the past and are needed for cleaning up data at the end of the school year. Opt-outs apply only to ELA and Math testing; anything else follows ODE’s exemption process.

ELA & Math:  https://forms.gle/PJL18GBVXBrtZHT7A

Science & ELPA: https://forms.gle/VvvQoTtdz8hYFKfw5

In addition, principals and VPs can view students added to the opt-out and exemption forms at these links. These links contain data for all schools, but schools can filter their own students to help plan and manage testing.

2025-26 OSAS ELA & Math Opt Out Tracking Form (Responses)

2025-26 OSAS Science & ELPA Exemption Tracker (Responses)

Let Dave VanLoo or Stephanie Bent know if you have any questions or need other staff added to the response spreadsheets. 

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From Kinsey – Office of Policy and Advocacy:

Policy Training:

Here is the slide with links to the policies we discussed via scenarios at your recent horizontal meetings.  Let me know if you have an issue related to one of these scenarios or policies that you’d like to discuss.  

Bias/Complaint Response Template:

As a reminder, most of our complaint policies require that you communicate your investigation findings in writing.  This can often be an informal email format (for a bias incident between students, or a straightforward complaint where you’ve been communicating frequently with the parent or employee already), and other times a more formal findings document.  

In either case, there are certain points you need to include in that written conclusion of the investigation (ex: your conclusion, how to appeal, etc).  Here is a template you can download and use.  It’s geared toward bias incidents and a formal format, but you can adapt and use pieces as desired.  If this is overwhelming or unhelpful, disregard.  I’m always happy to review a draft email or findings document to check it against policy considerations before you send it, if helpful for you!

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From Scott and Kayla in Safety:

Thank you all for your attendance and participation at our second cadre meeting!

Here is the link to the Cadre and Student Services slides. 

A few pieces of information that were discussed: 

• Here is the Health & Safety POC Roster- The best place to start when fielding your safety concerns. 
• Want to revoke visitation privileges? Start here.
• Holiday party refresher
  • Volunteer: Helping with the party by providing a service or supporting supervision (Ex: helping students build gingerbread houses in the hallway) 
  • Visitor: Attending the party!
• Provide feedback  here!!

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From Tami Pike:

Health Services Support During School-Sponsored Activities

Please ensure that parents/guardians of students who require specialized health services (e.g., diabetes management, seizure support, adrenal insufficiency care) are informed that the school nurse must receive at least two weeks’ notice before any school-sponsored activity that occurs outside of regular school hours (such as dances, movie nights, or Robotics events). This advance notice is necessary to arrange appropriate health supports.

For overnight trips, a request should be submitted by the parent/guardian at least four weeks’ in advance of the event to allow sufficient time for planning and coordination.

Parents/guardians can submit a request for health services support here (English/Spanish).

This guideline does not apply to athletic events or classroom field trips, as those requests must be submitted by the coach or teacher using the Request for Direct Care Nursing Services form.

PPE 

Our post-COVID PPE supply is running low, and we are currently out of medium-disposable gloves. Prior to COVID, schools were responsible for purchasing their own gloves for general use, and we will be returning to that practice. The remaining PPE items listed below will not be replenished once they are gone.

Current inventory available through Distribution:

• Small disposable gloves
• Large disposable gloves
• Hand sanitizer
• Disposable masks

Well Child Exams

Please share in your school newsletters.

English/Spanish

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From Gabe, Director of Activities and Athletics:

December 1-5

Calendar

December 8: Leave Sheets due

December 10: Optional Early Adopter Drop in @ 8:00

December 17: Optional Early Adopter Drop in @ 8:00

December 17: Admin PD Session – 3:00 @ Aspen Hall (please carpool)

December 18: MS Horizontal 3-5 @ High Desert

December 20-January 5: Winter Break

Where in the World?

Congratulations to Kelly Beaudry for identifying the image from the secondary blog!

The image was of the Edmund Pettus bridge.  The bridge became a symbol of the momentous changes taking place in Alabama, America, and the world during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s and 70’s. It was here that voting rights marchers were violently confronted by law enforcement personnel on March 7, 1965. The day became known as Bloody Sunday.

This week, it’s Where in the World? Check out this week’s image below. Any admin who correctly identifies this location by Monday morning 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.