To Do

• Check out the “do not schedule” dates from Kinsey below. Put those in your calendars now so you avoid school events on these days.
• If you haven’t already….sign up for the Mandatory AI Training

From Departments

From Scott in Communications:

On our way to brand new websites for Bend-La Pine Schools

A team from District Communications and IT have started the process of converting all our websites to a new platform for the 2025-26 school year. We have partnered with Finalsite, a leading provider of websites for schools. We are beginning this month with design for a new District site and will follow that with a new school template. We will work through the spring and summer with the goal of launching the new sites before school begins in September. If we run into issues or need to change the timeline, we can continue to use our existing sites as long as needed.

We have been talking about this change for a couple of years now, and we’re excited to be underway. The benefits include greater online security, cost savings, cleaning up and better organizing our web content, improved features for those visiting our sites, better mobile functionality, a much-improved content management system (for web editors), visual appeal, and improved accessibility for people with disabilities.

Starting next week, Scott Maben will begin reaching out to each school admin team to ask you questions about your existing website, your thoughts on your new website, and who will be your primary school website content manager in the 2025-26 school year. We also will share details on project timelines and staff training as we solidify those details.

Feel free to ask questions now or hold them for when we connect in the coming weeks.

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From Ryan in Human Resources:

• This note is coming to you a bit later than planned, but please join me in welcoming Sarah Westling to the building. Sarah is serving as our Certified Specialist II, supporting HR tasks and bringing valuable experience from her time in the Eugene 4J HR office. We are thrilled she chose to join us and are grateful for the contributions she’s already made to our team.

If you haven’t already, please stop by the large HR office next time you’re at the Ed Center to introduce yourself and welcome Sarah to BLS.

• The recruitment for three vacant BLAST positions has commenced. We are currently recruiting for a Director of Student Services, an Athletic Director/Assistant Principal position at Summit High School, and for the Principal vacancy at Cascade Middle School.

This Director of Student Services position comes in response to the growing scope of the department, particularly the integration of the Occupational Therapist classification that had formerly existed as a part of our local service plan with the High Desert ESD, which brings added responsibilities and oversight needs. Additionally, this position will supervise the daily operation of the Transition Co-Op program and manage the mentoring and training program for all Student Services staff. 

The Athletic Director/Assistant Principal position is a result of the latest MOA between BLS and BEA that moved the high school Athletic Driectors to the BLAST schedule prosepectively.  I’m confident that this role will help us align our co-curriculars at the secondary level with our overall vision of the student experience we’re working to provide for all students, regardless of their school. 

The Cascade Middle School Principal is to fill the vacancy created by Gabe Pagano, who accepted the offer to be the Director of District Activities and Athletics beginning July 1.

If you’d like to learn more about any of the vacancies, please connect with Ryan.

• Certificate of Insurance Reminder – It’s a busy time of year with events and travel, many of which require a Certificate of Insurance (COI)for participation. If an event your staff are planning requires a COI, please share this link and ask that they complete the form as early as possible to ensure that a certificate can be issued: Certificate of Insurance Request Form. Any questions about this form or COI’s can be directed to Andrea. 
• Clarification on Educational Assistant Responsibilities – There is a need to clarify the scope of Educational Assistant (EA) duties and ensure compliance with OAR 581-037-0015 regarding the supervision and assignment of EAs in our buildings. This message comes in response to recent timesheet entries referencing “teaching” as a task, which is not a permissible responsibility for EAs.

Educational Assistants may support instruction, but they may not provide instruction in place of a licensed teacher. Their role is strictly supportive in nature and must be carried out under the direction and supervision of a licensed educator.

Per state regulation, EAs can assist in the following ways:

• Instructional Support – Reinforcing lessons through practice activities, life skills instruction, or supplemental learning opportunities, as directed by the teacher.
• Clerical Support – Assisting with preparation of materials, duplicating, setting up classroom tools or technology.
• Student Supervision and Control – Monitoring students in various school settings.
• Personal Care, Translation/Family Engagement, and Media Center or Lab Support – As assigned.

If an EA is involved in instructional activities, these must be:

• Planned by a licensed educator
• Supervised and monitored on a regular basis
• Conducted with access to assistance and consultation

This means EAs cannot independently plan lessons, deliver new content, or be responsible for student learning outcomes.

Please ensure that all staff understand these expectations, and that any duties assigned to EAs align with the law. 

In instances where a Certified teacher is not present and no substitute is available, you may shift the EAs responsibilities from their regularly scheduled duties to supervision of a group of students. This would not be compensated, so long as the employee is already working that hour.

If you or your teams have questions about appropriate EA assignments or need support reviewing supervision plans, don’t hesitate to reach out to your level leader or HR.

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From Kinsey – Policy, Advocacy, & Equity:

Student Voice Council:

We’ll be honoring the departing senior representatives of the SVC at the May 13^th board meeting, in case you’d like to join (not critical, but you’re welcome) or otherwise recognize them: BSHS: Iris M, Quincy B, Taylor W; MVHS: Lindsay L; Realms: Elliot D; SHS: Alaina T, Finnegan H.

And, we are launching our recruitment for the 25-26 Student Voice Council!  Most of your schools have current members who will return to continue their term next year, but ALL of your schools will have open spaces for new representatives.  We will be promoting in a variety of ways (materials coming soon), and would love you to talk it up in your school as well (school-wide announcements, advisory, family newsletters, etc).  As you know, these students have quite the audience with our school board and public community, and have a lot to say about your schools—ensuring diverse and strong representative of your school on the SVC is critical in the positive impact this group can have.  Once we have applicants for your school, we’d love your partnership in interviewing and selecting your reps.  More to follow—for now, please help promote this with students, staff, and families.

Do Not Schedule dates:

As you start to schedule dates and events for next year, don’t forget to schedule around these dates.  Please share this with athletics, activities, counselors, office managers, parent groups, etc.  Thanks!

Interpreter requests:

As you submit requests for interpreters for end-of-year requests, please follow these tips (and share these with relevant staff):

• Submit in advance!  
• Be sure to note the event format.  Interpreters deserve to know in advance if they’re showing up to speak in front of hundreds of families!  
• Attach or paste links in Linguist Link any agendas, handouts, slides, or other materials that may be helpful for the interpreter to adequately prepare.
• If you need help thinking through efficient models of bilingual communication during a family event, please contact your Family Liaison, Language Specialist, or me.  

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From Sean in Student Services: Last CPI Training of the year!

Student Services are offering one final Full CPI training this year.   As a place to start, please have any regular inclusion EAs that has not been trained register for this training.  Further, encourage any temporary inclusion EAs that intend to apply for a regular position for next school year to register for this training.  After that, look at your buildings support team and identify untrained folks that you would want trained and have them register as well. 

Training details:

• What:  CPI Training
• Date: May 6, 2025
• Time: 8-4
• Location: Pacific Crest Cornice
• Sign up in UKG

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From Tami Pike:

National School Nurse Day recognizes school nurses who work to improve the health and learning of students. – Oregon School Boards Association

View the National Association of School Nurses National School Nurse Day Proclamation here.

Be sure to let your school nurse know how much you appreciate them!!

Calendar

• April 30: Deadline to share/process YouthTruth Data with staff, students and families
• May 1: HS only: HSS $ must be spent!
• May 2: Deadline: Option Sets must be built for curriculum process
• May 7: National School Nurse Day! Show some love to your nurse this week!
• May 7: District Safety Cadre Training @ 1:30 – mandatory for all safety admin leads
• May 7: Safety Cadre Meeting, 2:00-3:30, location TBA
• May 14: All Admin PD at Perseverance Hall, 3:00-4:30 Read Chapter 4!
• May 20: Counselor Celebrations 1:00-4:00 @ Wall Street Lab (Principals and admin who oversees counseling required to attend)
• May 20: Excellence in Education Event 4:30 @ MVHS Auditorium
• May 20, June 10 and June 17: Mandatory AI training. Sign up for one session! Mandatory AI Training
• May 26: Memorial Day, No School
• May 27: HS Principal work session 8:00-10:00 TBD (moved from May 20)
• May 31: HS only: Deadline by which Distracted Driving assembly or advisory lesson is completed
• June 4: All Admin PD at Perseverance Hall, 3:00-4:30
• June 12: Last Day students—half day
• June 13: Last Day staff work day
• June 10: HS Principal work session 8:00-10:00 @ TBD

Where in the World

This week we are highlighting Ryan Kelling, Executive Director of Human Resources. Ryan shared that Poipu Beach, Kauai is his happy place. “We come back every year as a family, and each time I’m reminded just how much I have to be grateful for. I’m wound pretty tight most days, but in Poipu, the noise quiets. Being with the people I love most, in a place that lets me be fully present, is enough.”

To Do

Staffing allocations and templates have been shared with principals. We will review plans with principals the week of April 21.

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Reminder: Please share student, staff, and parent Youth Truth data with your stakeholders by April 30th.

From Departments

From Lisa in the Superintendent’s Office:

This year we have done a lot of work on policy and implementation discussion related to AI use in BLPS. This training is MANDATORY for all school admin and you may choose between 4 options (5/20, 6/10, 6/17). Please refer to the document below to sign up for a time. They are listed in Yellow. 

As a reminder, Optional PD opportunities are available for all. As always, if you have an interest in a specific topic, please feel free to let me know so we can work on standing up some trainings. Have a great day. -L

Mandatory AI Training

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From Jennifer in Student Services:

Save the Date: Culture of Care Summer Institute is August 11th-15th. Location is TBD.

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From Paul in Operations:

Operations News

Please click on this Important Update On Fundraising for Capital Improvement Projects

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From Dean in TLC (also emailed):

It has long been the district’s goal to have curriculum ready for teachers on the first day of their contract in August. Each year we do our best to improve our process that will allow us to meet that goal, or at least move us closer. This year we continue to need your support.  In order to move toward a more automated process for ordering instructional tools and materials specific to the courses certified staff will teach, each school will need to create an abridged option set in Synergy shortly after finalizing section allocation.

We are not requesting a full option set. Instead, we are asking you to create an option set that only contains one section per prep (for our purposes, a prep is the combination of a teacher and a course – for example, Jane Smith/Modern World History). You will not need to enter meeting days or rooms for these sections, and you will not need to enter both semesters of a yearlong course. All sections can go into period 1. Grade levels and credit do not matter. We simply need one section of a course in the option set for each person who will teach it. Please name this option set ‘Curriculum Option Set’ so that it is easily identifiable.

Last year, Mountain View did a test build of this curriculum option set based on 2023-24 section allocation, with the addition of newly approved and forecasted 2024-25 courses. At one section per teacher prep, i.e., one section of each course each person would teach, the process took just under two hours including double-checking for accuracy. Attached are brief instructions for creating the curriculum option set as quickly and easily as possible.

Building administrators have received their staff allocations. We are asking you to have your curriculum option set built by Friday, May 2. This should allow just over two weeks for building the curriculum option set. We are not asking for this option set to be 100% up to date all of the time. Even if some preps change in your final option set, the curriculum option set will be accurate enough to allow us to start ordering curriculum in May.

We realize this is an additional task at a time of year that can already feel overwhelming. Our hope is that this proves to be a fairly simple process for you. Our efforts now will better allow our secondary teachers to begin the school year as smoothly as possible, and for that we are grateful.

Please reach out to Kindra or myself if you have any questions. 

High School Only

From Jennifer in Student Services

With the academic year drawing to a close, we wanted to take a moment to share some essential reminders and updates regarding our school counseling program expectations. It’s important that these points are communicated and completed by our students.

Calendar

• April 22: HS Administrator work session 8:00-10:00 @ Realms HS
• April 23: END for all teachers
• April 22 and 23: All day training for Campus Monitors – mandatory
• April 24: MS Horizontal 3:00 – 5:00 @ Sky View
• April 30: Deadline to share/process YouthTruth Data with staff, students and families
• May 1: HS only: HSS $ must be spent!
• May 7: District Safety Cadre Training @ 1:30 – mandatory for all safety admin leads
• May 20: HS Principal work session 8:00-10:00 @ BSHS Perseverance Hall
• May 31: HS only: Deadline by which Distracted Driving assembly or advisory lesson is completed.
• June 10: HS Principal work session 8:00-10:00 @ TBD
• May 20, June 10 and June 17: Mandatory AI training. Sign up for one session! Mandatory AI Training

Where in the World

No Where in the World this week as Word Press has a bug where it isn’t allowing pictures right now. We’ll be back next week!

To Do

Staffing allocations and templates have been shared with principals. We will review plans with principals the week of April 21.

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Reminder: Contract letters for licensed employees were sent to all licensed employees via UKG and must be returned no later than April 15.

From Departments

From Lisa in the Superintendent’s Office:

This year we have done a lot of work on policy and implementation discussion related to AI use in BLPS. This training is MANDATORY for all school admin and you may choose between 4 options (5/20, 6/10, 6/17). Please refer to the document below to sign up for a time. They are listed in Yellow. 

As a reminder, Optional PD opportunities are available for all. As always, if you have an interest in a specific topic, please feel free to let me know so we can work on standing up some trainings. Have a great day. -L

Mandatory AI Training

Calendar

• April 14: Personal Finance Training (required for HS teachers teaching the course) @Ed Center, Room 203 8-4.
• April 14-18: KT out of the office
• April 22: HS Administrator work session 8:00-10:00 @ Realms HS
• April 23: END for all teachers
• April 22 and 23: All day training for Campus Monitors – mandatory
• April 24: MS Horizontal 3:00 – 5:00
• April 30: Deadline to share/process YouthTruth Data with staff, students and families
• May 1: HS only: HSS $ must be spent!
• May 7: District Safety Cadre Training @ 1:30 – mandatory for all safety admin leads
• May 20: HS Principal work session 8:00-10:00 @ BSHS Perseverance Hall
• May 31: HS only: Deadline by which Distracted Driving assembly or advisory lesson is completed.
• June 10: HS Principal work session 8:00-10:00 @ TBD
• May 20, June 10 and June 17: Mandatory AI training. Sign up for one session! Mandatory AI Training

Where in the World

This week, we are highlighting Susie Alvarez Tostado, Assistant Principal at Caldera High School. Susie shared, “my happy place is traveling. Anywhere and everywhere.  This picture is from this year’s international trip to Iceland, southern coast from Reykjavik and back.”

To Do

HSS Spending: All HSS money must be spent by May 1, which is in four weeks!

From Departments

From Scott and Kayla in Safety:

Here are the Safety Cadre #3 Training Slides- Secondary from the last meeting.

Wednesday, May 7^th is our fourth and final training of the year. Safety administrators for every school are required to attend this training.

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From Ryan in Human Resources:

Contract letters for licensed employees were sent to all licensed employees via UKG and must be returned no later than April 15.

If you have not yet completed yours, please log in to UKG to review and submit your response as soon as possible. 

Administrators, please ensure your staff are aware of this deadline and follow up as needed – and don’t forget to return yours too!. 

If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to Candy Gelatt or [email protected]

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From BLPO

For our semester schools, next Friday, April 11^th is the last day that students with a W. For our trimester schools, the date is May 2^nd.

Senior’s last day is May 18^th. 

OSSMs are working to pull the reports and share these dates with students and counselors.

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

Emergency contacts:

We’ve learned from other districts across the country who have experienced immigration raids, or smaller-scale detention/deportation actions in their community, the importance of having up-to-date emergency contacts in Synergy for each student.  If parents/guardians suddenly become unavailable, we rely on emergency contacts–outdated information adds stress to an already traumatic situation.  

With conferences coming up, please encourage families (all families, not just those to whom the above situation might apply) to update their emergency contacts.  This might look like a station in your lobby with iPads and instructions (I’m working on getting some we can provide you), a reminder by classroom teachers, etc.  

Day of Silence:

The 2025 Day of Silence is coming up (student-led advocacy day to support the LGBTQ community).  I have asked your DEI-ICCL rep and/or GSA advisor to send a message to staff about this day, so staff are aware and know how to navigate.  

If you haven’t seen that message come out to your staff, or if you’d like to re-send it in your staff memos, please reach out to your DEI-ICCL rep.  Teachers should plan for nonverbal or written means of participation in class that day, if possible.

HS Only

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

Seal of Biliteracy (and Multiliteracy!) Cords:

In addition to purchasing the Biliteracy Seal cords like always, we’ll also be purchasing the Multiliteracy Seal cords for schools.  This is the same state award process, but designated for students who qualify in three or more languages.  We’ll get those cords (and the accompanying state-issued certificates and seals) distributed via our normal processes in May.  

You will need to add an asterisk to your grad program, delineating the Oregon State Seal of Multiliteracy and the corresponding cord (gold/white/purple), separate from the asterisk that indicates Oregon State Seal of Biliteracy (purple/silver cord).  This will impact very few students, maybe a couple each year.  

Calendar

• April 4: BLSO closes enrollment for all students on a trimester schedule.  (Exceptions can be made for graduating seniors.)
• April 8: MS and HS work session 8:00-10:00 @HDMS
• April 8: ICCL/Administrator training 4:15-6:15 @ BSHS Perseverance Hall
• April 9: All Administrator Professional Development 3:00-4:30 @ BSHS Perseverance Hall
• April 11: This is the last day for semester based students to drop a class and earn a W.  Any class kept open after April 11^th will earn a letter grade which includes a Fail. (9 weeks from the start of the semester.)
• April 14: Personal Finance Training (required for HS teachers teaching the course) @Ed Center, Room 203 8-4.
• April 14-18: KT out of the office
• April 22: HS Administrator work session 8:00-10:00 @ Realms HS
• April 23: END for all teachers
• April 22 and 23: All day training for Campus Monitors – mandatory
• April 24: MS Horizontal 3:00 – 5:00
• April 30: Deadline to share/process YouthTruth Data with staff, students and families
• May 7: District Safety Cadre Training @ 1:30 – mandatory for all safety admin leads

Where in the World

In this week’s Where in the World, we are highlighting Sean Reinhart, Executive Director of Student Services. Sean’s happy place is on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, Idaho.

To Do:

YouthTruth Data processing and sharing needs to be completed by April 30.

This look like:

*Process with all staff (including classified team members!): Develop a plan to review YouthTruth data that informs improvement planning during an BD SIW or a staff meeting

*Process with students: Review top two highest and lowest areas and collect/process feedback from students for improvement planning!

*Share with families: Share top two highest and lowest areas in communications with your families (digital newsletter?). Bonus points for collecting feedback for improvement planning!

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From HR:

Contract letters for licensed employees were sent to all licensed employees via UKG and must be returned no later than April 15.

If you have not yet completed yours, please log in to UKG to review and submit your response as soon as possible.  Administrators, please ensure your staff are aware of this deadline and follow up as needed – and don’t forget to return yours too! If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to Candy Gelatt or [email protected]

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From Departments

From Paul – Operations

Transportation of Students

Please be advised that we have some outdated policies regarding what is permissible when transporting students to/from off-site activities and athletic events.  Please follow EEADBA-AR and do not refer to EEACD-AR, EEBB-AR or EEADB-AR.  It is always advisable to contact the Executive Director of Transportation, Kim Crabtree, when you have questions regarding student transportation.

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From Scott and Kayla – Safety

Campus Monitors are required to attend two days of training on Tuesday, April 22 & Wednesday, April 23. The training is focused on Department of Public Safety Standards and Training Unarmed Security Professional Certification. Be sure your CM’s are freed up to attend this training.

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From Eric – Student Services

If you notice a YELLOW “Restrict!” bar on a student’s Synergy page, it most likely means they are either currently Expelled or that they have been Expelled at some point in their educational history. 

Restrict!

The purpose of this practice is to ensure that schools do not unintentionally enroll an Expelled student into their school (if a family attempts to move a student from one school to another to avoid disciplinary measures, for example) AND to encourage schools to review student records for any newly enrolled students (specifically those who were ever Expelled that we are aware of). 

If a student ever enrolls in your school from out of the area and the family references a past Expulsion (or you notice a prior Expulsion in the student records), please communicate with me so that I can help research the student’s disciplinary history from their former district(s) and to help us update their “Restrict” status. 

If you ever notice a student with this YELLOW “Restrict!” bar, you can call myself or April Jorgenson to discuss the student and we can help you if any Synergy limitations exist while this Restrict is placed on their file.

If you click on the “Other Info” tab (next to Parent/Guardian in the Student screen) you can see the possible Enrollment Restrictions (and corresponding dates) for the specific student:

We will utilize the Enrollment Restriction titled “Other Restriction” for those students who have a past Expulsion on file (but who are not currently Expelled).

Thank you!

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From Torie – LA TOSA

Language Arts Teachers Update: 

Below are the details for the upcoming writing workshop training. Substitute costs will be covered by the district. 

Please RSVP to Torie Withers. 

Language Arts Writing Workshop Training ✏️

Date: Thursday, April 3^rd

Time: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Location: The Boardroom (312) in the Education Center, 520 NW Wall Street, Bend

Facilitated by: Torie Withers, Loren Renfroe, and Colin Price 

Who Should Attend:

• Required for new hires or teachers who haven’t previously attended writer’s workshop training 
• Those who have previously attended a writer’s workshop training and are up for a refresher, new lesson and unit ideas, and ample collaboration and planning time with colleagues  

Workshop Focus: Learn how to structure and plan writing workshop units, including:

• Teaching the writing process through the workshop model 
• Standards-based instructional practices: feedback and grading 
• Unit planning time

Language arts teachers are encouraged to attend this professional development opportunity. Consider attending as a department team to engage in collaborative planning and work time. 

Please contact Torie Withers with questions. Thank you!

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From Jennifer – Student Services

Check out the below links for a fun Wayfinder challenge for HS students. Please consider sharing with specific high school classes like leadership teachers, design justice, CTE media/digital arts. Three levels of financial prizes, as much as $2500😊

Wayfinder App Link, Challenge Kits .

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From Superintendent’s Office

Calendar

• March 21: Certified and Support Staff Excellence in Education nominations due
• March 21: EVE Survey completion DUE
• March 21: BLSO closes enrollment for all students on a semester schedule. 
• March 24-28: Spring Break
• April 3: Job Fair
• April 4: BLSO closes enrollment for all students on a trimester schedule.  (Exceptions can be made for graduating seniors.)
• April 8: MS and HS work session 8:00-10:00 @HDMS
• April 9: All Administrator Professional Development 3:00-4:30 @ BSHS Perseverance Hall
• April 11: This is the last day for semester based students to drop a class and earn a W.  Any class kept open after April 11^th will earn a letter grade which includes a Fail. (9 weeks from the start of the semester.)
• April 14: Personal Finance Training (required for HS teachers teaching the course) @Ed Center, Room 203 8-4.
• April 22: HS Administrator work session
• April 22 and 23: All day training for Campus Monitors – mandatory
• April 24: MS Horizontal 3:00 – 5:00
• April 30: Deadline to share/process YouthTruth Data with staff, students and families

Where in the World

In this week’s Where in the World, we are highlighting Assistant Principal/Dean of Students Jamie Brock at Summit High School. Jamie’s place is the cone lap at Mt. Bachelor with her kids!

To Do:

YouthTruth Data processing and sharing needs to be completed by April 30.

This look like:

*Process with all staff (including classified team members!): Develop a plan to review YouthTruth data that informs improvement planning during an BD SIW or a staff meeting

*Process with students: Review top two highest and lowest areas and collect/process feedback from students for improvement planning!

*Share with families: Share top two highest and lowest areas in communications with your families (digital newsletter?). Bonus points for collecting feedback for improvement planning!

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From TLC:

AR UPDATES: Informational Meetings for Rollout of New Policies for MS and HS counselors and administrators

Please take a look at the updated Grading and Credit AR that was approved last month.

This update includes several important changes that will directly affect our work with students, specifically regarding:

• High School Credit for Middle School Students
• Procedures for Dropping a Class
• Awarding Credit for Courses Taken More Than Once
• Extended Parameters for Weighted Grades
• Driver’s Ed Credit
• Courses from Non-District High Schools or Post-Secondary Institutions

Katie Legace, Jess Calbreath, and Jennifer will be hosting two separate virtual office hours to discuss these changes and how we will implement them. It is expected that every counselor and the administrator overseeing counseling attends at least one of these sessions.

Tuesday March 18: 8:10-9:00 am or,

Friday March 21: 8:10-9:00 am

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From Departments

From Scott and Kayla

Campus Monitors are required to attend two days of training on Tuesday, April 22 & Wednesday, April 23. The training is focused on Department of Public Safety Standards and Training Unarmed Security Professional Certification. Be sure your CM’s are freed up to attend this training.

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

Congratulations:

Be sure to celebrate the folks in your building who won our recent community engagement contest opportunities, and include kudos to all your staff who participated!  Winners, participants, photos of submissions, and more are here.    

Complaints: 

Before spring break: Please go into your Dashboard and ensure you have followed up on all complaints or bias incidents logged there.  You should ensure there is documentation on your findings and follow-up actions/communications.  

Please always circle back with the reporting individual to let them know you received and handled their submission, and to share whatever outcomes you can (respecting confidentiality, of course).  This last step continues to be a frustration of students, feeling like they’re not hearing ‘anything’ from their school on incidents or complaints they report.  Whether that’s true or not, it never hurts to double-check that we’re closing communication loops!

Budgets:

As you prepare your budget for next year, be sure to include dollars to purchase all school supplies required by your teachers, as well as dollars to cover the fines/fees being assessed to any McKinney-Vento-qualifying student (see policy here—this will be a very minor impact on your budget, but is significant to our families experiencing houselessness).  

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From Superintendent’s Office

Calendar

• March 18: HS AP Requests DUE on this sheet – HS ONLY!
• March 18 OR March 21: 8:10-9:00 am Virtual Meeting – Update on Grades and Credit AR Every counselor AND the MS/HS administrator overseeing counselors attends one session
• March 21: Certified and Support Staff Excellence in Education nominations due
• March 21: EVE Survey completion DUE
• March 21: BLSO closes enrollment for all students on a semester schedule. 
• March 24-28: Spring Break
• April 4: BLSO closes enrollment for all students on a trimester schedule.  (Exceptions can be made for graduating seniors.)
• April 8: MS and HS work session 8:00-10:00 @HDMS
• April 9: All Administrator Professional Development 3:00-4:30 @ BSHS Perseverance Hall
• April 11: This is the last day for semester based students to drop a class and earn a W.  Any class kept open after April 11^th will earn a letter grade which includes a Fail. (9 weeks from the start of the semester.)
• April 14: Personal Finance Training (required for HS teachers teaching the course) @Ed Center, Room 203 8-4.
• April 22: HS Administrator work session
• April 22 and 23: All day training for Campus Monitors – mandatory
• April 30: Deadline to share/process YouthTruth Data with staff, students and families

Where in the World

In this week’s Where in the World, we are highlighting Dave VanLoo, Director of School Improvement. Dave shares, “my family and adventure bring me joy. In this picture we are exploring a remote slot canyon in Escalante, Utah.” Stunning image!

To Do:

From TLC:

AR UPDATES: Informational Meetings for Rollout of New Policies

Please take a look at the updated Grading and Credit AR that was approved last month.

This update includes several important changes that will directly affect our work with students, specifically regarding:

• High School Credit for Middle School Students
• Procedures for Dropping a Class
• Awarding Credit for Courses Taken More Than Once
• Extended Parameters for Weighted Grades
• Driver’s Ed Credit
• Courses from Non-District High Schools or Post-Secondary Institutions

Katie Legace, Jess Calbreath, and Jennifer will be hosting two separate virtual office hours to discuss these changes and how we will implement them. It is expected that every counselor and the administrator overseeing counseling attends at least one of these sessions.

Tuesday March 18: 8:10-9:00 am or,

Friday March 21: 8:10-9:00 am

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From Instructional Technology:

Scott McDonald and Karen Rush are forming an Instructional Technology Stakeholder group comprised of teachers, parents, students, administrators, and community members.  We have great representation from district staff and community members, but are hoping to have parents from across the district and grade levels join the group. We have shared this information in the Family Spotlight but would love to see more applications!  Will you please send out this notice to your school community members?  

Parent Newsletter IT Stakeholder (English and Spanish)

From Departments

From Scott in Communications:

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

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

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

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

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From Sean in Student Services:

High Needs Funds:

When you received your school’s 25/26 discretionary funds dashboard last week, you may have noticed that the line item called “High needs” in no longer in your budget.  Several years ago, the Student Services department transferred funds from our discretionary budget and placed them directly into each school’s discretionary budget.  The intent was to allow you to procure 70 hours of substitute EA time quickly and without having to go through our office.  For next year, we have decided to hold those funds in our discretionary budget.  When the need arises and you need extra staffing support due to new student move-ins, etc., please reach out to Student Services Admin and we will collaborate with your team to provide support.  Please reach out with any questions. 

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From Dean in TLC:

Here is a reminder of the important dates for Bend La Pine Online the remainder of the year. 

March 21st – BLSO is closing enrollment for all students on a semester schedule.  (Exceptions can be made for graduating seniors.)

April 4^th – BLSO is closing enrollment for all students on a trimester schedule.  (Exceptions can be made for graduating seniors.)

April 11^th – This is the last day for semester based students to drop a class and earn a W.  Any class kept open after April 11^th will earn a letter grade which includes a Fail. (9 weeks from the start of the semester.)

May 2^nd – This is the last day for trimester based students to drop a class and earn a W. Any class kept open after May 2^nd will earn a letter grade which includes a Fail.  (6 weeks from the trimester start.)

May 18^th – Last Day for All Seniors.  This is a firm deadline.  All K12 teachers have been given this final day for seniors and will grade them out based on this date. No work submitted after this date will be graded. 

June 8^th – Last Day for all 9th-11th graders. All K12 teachers have been given this final day for 9th-11th grade students will issue a final grade based on work submitted up to this date.  No work submitted after this date will be graded. 

Courses will not be extended beyond May 18^th for seniors and June 8th for all other students. 

Due to a platform change, we are unable to reopen or extend any incomplete class from this Spring into Summer.  

Final Grades will be transcribed based on the grade percentage at the time of the class closing and can not be changed or updated later on.  

Students who did not finish their class or are dissatisfied with their Final Grade are not able to improve their grade over summer or in the fall. 

There are absolutely NO Extensions or Reopening of a Class.

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From Instructional Technology:

Students in grades K-8 will now find a new icon on their iPad home screen directing them to the research databases hosted on our media center websites. Utilizing carefully curated research databases, instead of generic search engines, is crucial for fostering responsible information-seeking in the vast sea of online resources. Check out Quick Access to Safe and Reliable Research for more information. If you’d like support with research projects in your classrooms, please reach out to your instructional coach or our instructional technology team, Robbie Faith and Tracy Howk. 

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From Superintendent’s Office

Shout Out

Shout out to our Wayfinder winners! Below are photos of Darla Brandon representing all of LPMS as our middle school winner and Amy James of Mountain View High School taking home the high school award.

Calendar

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

Where in the World

In this week’s Where in the World, we are highlighting Becky Aylor, Assistant Principal at Mountain View High School. Becky states, “I’m an adventure seeker—whether it’s lounging on Hawaii’s beaches, riding through the Arizona desert, or snowmobiling in the Cascades. When I’m not exploring with Hubs, I love spending time with my adult son, Sebastian, his wife, Josie (pictured here), and my epic grandkids, ages 2 and 4.

PS. My “talent” is blinking during photos…I ALWAYS have sunglasses on to avoid the groans of having to retake…again and again.

To Do:

From Jennifer:

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

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

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

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

From Departments

From Scott in Communications:

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

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

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

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

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Regarding administrator professional development March 5:

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

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

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From Ryan in HR:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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From Jennifer in Student Services:

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

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From Scott in IT:

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

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

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

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

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

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

HS Only

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

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

MS Only

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

Calendar

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

Where in the World

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

To Do

From Dean Richards:

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

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

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

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From TLC:

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

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From Kinsey Martin:

Please review these messages and share with your staff:

Family Liaisons and Translation/Interpretation:

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

Immigration information:

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

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

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

Title IX and gender support protocols:

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

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

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

From Departments

From Jennifer Hauth:

SELday Flier

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From Superintendent’s Office

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From Dan Emerson in Finance:

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

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

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

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From Dave VanLoo:

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

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

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

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

MS Only

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

Calendar

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

March 18: AP Requests DUE on this sheet

Where in the World

We need some more entries!

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

To Do:

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

From Paul in Operations:

Field Trip/Athletic/Club Transportation

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

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

March Leadership Team Meeting

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

Network Outages

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

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From Ryan in Human Resources:

Administrators and supervisors,

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

Why This Matters

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

What You Need to Do

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

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

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

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

From Departments

From the Business Office:

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

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From Lisa:

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

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From Paul in Operations:

Facilities Development Office 

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

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From Jenn:

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

Safe Oregon Tip Line

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

988

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

This change will be effective Feb. 24, 2025.

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

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

Communicating to Families about Sex Ed

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

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

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

Calendar

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

March 18: HS AP Requests DUE on this sheet

Where in the World?

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