When we choose to trust the journey and embrace love and joy, we are free to fly. —Anniken R. Day
FYI
As we gear up to spend a few days together as an elementary leadership team next week, we wanted to take a moment to introduce and re-introduce new leaders to our team. Since we took a break for summer, we have one last principal hire to announce. We are excited to announce that Tim Burdsall has stepped up to become the interim principal at North Star this year. We are thrilled, as Tim’s commitment to the Navigators is deep and his passion to do a great job is strong. We are also very happy to announce that supporting Tim in an Interim Assistant Principal role will be Vanessa Tobolski, who is back in Central Oregon! In the meantime, here are all the schools with new admin hires or moves to new schools or positions this year. To all our returning leaders, please go out of your way to find these new folks and extend a warm welcome! If a school or person is not on here, it means there are not any changes. A complete list will be given next Wednesday Without further ado, here are the changes (an * indicates they are new to our elementary leadership team):
- La Pine Elementary: Megan Silvey, Principal and Carl Hjeresen Assistant Principal
- Rosland Elementary: *Deborah Buduan, Principal and *Trevor Arsenault, Dean of Students
- Jewell Elementary: Jesse Rasmussen, Interim Principal, Erich Brocker, Assistant Principal
- Elk Meadow Elementary: *Ben Johnston, Interim Principal and Amanda Gylling, Assistant Principal
- Silver Rail Elementary: *Brian Raber, Assistant Principal
- Bear Creek Elementary: *Marc Zollinger, Interim Principal and *Lindsey Manitsas, Student Services
- Ensworth Elementary: Anna Park is now a Dean of Students
- Buckingham Elementary: *Michelle Wilson, Principal and Stephanie Jensen, Assistant Principal
- Ponderosa Elementary: Patrick Flanagan, Principal
- North Star Elementary: Tim Burdsall, Interim Principal, Assistant Principal is TBD
- Highland Magnet: Scott Edmonson, Principal and Heidi Thomas is now a Dean of Students
- W. E. Miller: Not new to us but with a new name- Jennifer Johnson (formerly Jen Healy)
Amazing sunset at the Bend Elks game!
Reminders and Asks
Wayfinder training: Recently you received a login code from Wayfinder, and an invite from Jennifer Hauth, to a 45 minute virtual admin training with Wayfinder on Friday, August 11, starting at 9:00. This training is not optional, so please make sure you get it on your calendar and click on the link at 9:00. If for some reason, you are unable to make it, please reach out to Lisa or Tammy to let them know.
From Kinsey Martin, Policy, Advocacy, and Equity: Inclusion and belonging are critically important values in our organization. A key opportunity to demonstrate these values is to respect important holidays observed by faith groups in our community. Some of these dates are not designated days off school within our district calendar, so we need to do our best to keep them free of major activities.
On the following fall dates, please do NOT schedule school family nights, special events or trips, or exams/required activities or trainings (for staff or students) that can’t be made up. In addition, share with your office, athletics, counseling, and teachers as applicable.
- Saturday, Sept 16 Rosh Hashanah
- Monday, Sept 25 Yom Kippur
Learn more about these holidays and how to accommodate here. Guidance for best practices around religion in our schools here.
Also from Kinsey: Taking It Up workshop: Our district’s intention is that all staff—prioritizing leadership—participate in Coaching for Educational Equity (CFEE, a week-long intensive workshop) and/or the two-day Taking It Up. Many of our leaders are already CFEE graduates, so we’re well on our way.
CFEE and TIU are incredibly valuable ways to engage in the ongoing journey of understanding oppression in Oregon’s history and education system, as well as to develop shared language as a leadership team and staff.
If you have not yet participated in CFEE and don’t anticipate being able to do so in the next year or so, please sign up ASAP for Taking It Up this August 22-23. Please also consider including this invitation in your welcome-back message to your staff and encouraging them (particularly your ICCL members) to sign up. Thanks!
From Scott McDonald in IT: Beginning this week, a new network for personal devices (Bring Your Own Device) is available in our schools and district facilities. This network is called BLS BYOD. BLS BYOD will be replacing BLS Wi-Fi (our old personal device network). Staff and students needing a wireless connection for their personal device should now use BLS BYOD. This change does not impact district issued computers, iPads or other devices. Additionally, district owned devices should never be connected to BLS BYOD.
The password to connect to BLS BYOD is knowledge. After connecting, you will be prompted for your district username and password.
Staffing Plans: Keep on updating those plans! (Staffing Summary Tab–update actual numbers in column E and section averages). Don’t know what we are talking about? Not to worry, we’ll provide some 1:1 support next week!
Inservice Week : Here is a reminder of the the guidelines for inservice week, as you and your leadership teams plan and prepare for your launch to the school year.
Important Dates!
- August 7, 8:00-4:00 at the Riverhouse Convention Center (address: 100, 2955, US-97, Bend). A Culture of Safety and Belonging: K-12 Leaders
- August 7, BLAST (Bend-La Pine Administrator and Supervisor Team) K-12 and District Admin Dinner at the home of Dana and Dan Pedersen, 5:00. You and your spouse/partner, are invited to an amazing dining experience catered by our own nutritional services department. Come and enjoy a relaxing time to eat, drink, and be merry, with your colleagues at the Pedersen’s beautiful country setting. Dana’s address is: 62880 Dickey Road (east out Hwy 20).
- August 8, 8:00-4:00 at the Riverhouse Convention Center. A Culture of Leading and Learning: K-12 Leaders
- August 9, 8:00-4:00: Elementary Team Launch–Vince Genna Stadium–8:00 am, with a transition to Hollingshead Barn at 10:15, where we will finish the day.
- August 11, Wayfinder training, virtual link sent to you from Jennifer Hauth. 9:00-10:00
- August 14, 9:00-12:00: Title 1 Meeting in the Boardroom (Title schools only). You will want to bring school admins, office managers, and you are welcome to invite your title teachers (we can pay them) but will leave it up to you to invite depending on what they do.
- August 21: 8:00-12:00: Elementary Admin Horizontal (Location TBD)
- August 28, 7:30-9:00: New Teacher Orientation Day at Silver Rail Elementary
- August 29, (time TBD, but plan for about 1.5 hours around 8:00) District Virtual Welcome Back Event
- August 30, all day: Districtwide Wayfinder and Really Great Reading Training for all