Happy First Day of Winter this Weekend! I do love the Solstice!
From Tammy and Karen
As we wrap up the final blog of the year and head into winter break, I’m feeling grateful and hopeful. This season has been full of hard work, laughter, collaboration, and countless moments of care and connection that make a difference every day.
Winter break is a chance to pause, rest, and enjoy the simple things. We hope it brings you warmth, joy, and time to recharge. Thank you for all you do, and wishing you a peaceful break and a bright start to the new year ahead.
Over the Break, Tammy and Karen will be working the first part of next week. From Christmas Day through January 2, Tammy will be out of the country, so please reach out to Karen with any urgent concerns. Enjoy any travel or fun plans you might have and we look forward to sharing stories in January!
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.
From Dave VanLoo–School Improvement
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.
Get ready for Youth Truth! How will you get more staff and families to take it this year?
Enjoy your last day with students and have fun on your break!
Important Dates
December 22 – Jan 2: Winter Break
January 13: Horizontal Meeting 3:00 – 4:30 at Highland Elementary
January 19: Martin Luther King Jr Day – No School
January 20: PLCs 1 and 2 from 3:00 – 4:30
January 21: Educator Network Day
January 27: PLCs 3 and 4 from 3:00 – 4:30
January 28: All Admin PD 3:00 – 4:30
January 30: Progress Reports – No school for students
And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Lybe Hawkins!
Lybe Hawkins brings both deep experience and joyful curiosity to her role as principal of Silver Rail Elementary. She has spent 22 years serving Bend-La Pine Schools, teaching at LaPine Elementary and Ensworth, supporting students and administrators at Lava Ridge, and now leading Silver Rail for the past four years. Lybe is known for her fun, adventurous spirit and her genuine love of the world around her. When she’s not at school, you’ll likely find her in the garden, out with her two fuzzy and adorable dogs, Clyde and Charlie, or binoculars in hand embracing her self-described role as a “Bird Nerd,” always on the lookout for her next feathered friend. Congratulations Lybe, we look forward to bringing you a hot drink in January – hopefully on a snowy day!
What is with the weather here these days? Today my phone said it will be in the 60’s on Saturday! Karen is back from Minnesota and is really missing the white stuff, so bring it on! Nothing like a little snow to get us geared up for the upcoming winter break. One can hope..
Just a reminder that our All Admin PD will be at Aspen Hall and will start promptly at 3:00. Don’t forget to read chapters 6-8 (through page 99) in our Leading with Dignity book. It is also a seasonal celebration as well, so there will be fancy snacks! Come ready to spread cheer with your colleagues and friends!
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.
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%.
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 notshare 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.
From Kim Crabtree, Transportation
Admin, please note that local field trips will be a “drop and return” for our bus drivers. They will not be staying on site to wait during the trip. If there is an emergency, please contact our office and we will return early. This information was provided to all office managers in August, but lately, our bus drivers are getting quite a bit of pushback from teaching staff.
We appreciate your understanding. Thank you!
From Jennifer Hauth-Student Well Being
Jess Calbreath, Amberlee Solito, and I 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 a long time, we have an elementary school counselor at every school!
At our Elementary School Counselor shared SIW PLC this week, they shares that they will be starting Sources of Strength presentations in January. The parent letter needs to go out two weeks before the classroom presentations.Slide Deck
From Student Services Coach Haley Gembarowski
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.
Thank you all! We are excited to start celebrating your school teams and all of the hard work they are doing!
From Dave VanLoo–School Improvement
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.
Read Chapter 6-8 (through page 99) in our Dignity book for All Admin PD on Wednesday
Review ICE guidance with office staff and be extremely confidential with information
Review with teachers that when they go on a local field trip, the bus will drop and go
Watch the elementary counseling video–several cameos by amazing people!
Get the Sources of Strength Parent Letter ready to be sent at least 2 weeks prior to teaching the lessons
Be on the look out for Campus Kudos in your Student Services Department
Get ready for Youth Truth! How will you get more staff and families to take it this year?
Important Dates
December 16: PLCs 1 and 2, from 3:00-4:30
December 17: All Admin PD 3:00 – 4:30 pm at Aspen Hall
December 22 – Jan 2: Winter Break
January 13: Horizontal Meeting 3:00 – 4:30 at Highland Elementary
January 19: Martin Luther King Jr Day – No School
January 20: PLCs 1 and 2 from 3:00 – 4:30
January 21: Educator Network Day
January 27: PLCs 3 and 4 from 3:00 – 4:30
January 28: All Admin PD 3:00 – 4:30
January 30: Progress Reports – No school for students
And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Megan Silvey!
Megan Silvey is in her third year as principal at La Pine Elementary, however, she has been there a lot longer than that. Fun fact about Megan, is that she has worked in our district in Nutrition Services, as an educational assistant, a classroom teacher, an assistant principal, and now a principal! She has done it all–almost! You don’t need to talk to Megan long to know she exudes a passion for serving students and creating systems and environments where all students can succeed. Megan is also a proud mom to two grown daughters who are living their best lives as a registered nurse and a high school FFA teacher, and a proud wife to Randy, who loves a good laugh with Megan. We celebrate you Megan! Let us know what your drink of choice is and we will get it delivered!
This week (which has been especially “interesting”) I’ve been reminded that the greatest gift we have in our work is each other. Every day, we lean on the collective wisdom, creativity, support, and generosity of our colleagues, and it is this spirit of collaboration that turns challenges into possibilities. When we share ideas, step in for one another, ask thoughtful questions, or simply listen with care, we create a community where everyone can thrive. Our individual strengths are powerful on their own, but together they become something extraordinary—something that lifts our schools, our students, and our shared purpose. Thank you for the many ways you show up for one another; your collaborative spirit is the heartbeat of our success.
From Julie Richards, Director of Elementary Curriculum
Please share with staff:
Subject: Maintaining Strong Instructional Routines as We Approach Winter Break
As we move into the final three weeks before winter break, we want to thank you for your continued dedication to high-quality instruction and for the warmth, creativity, and care you bring into your classrooms during this season.
These last weeks before break are a critical window for student learning, particularly in reading and mathematics, where consistent, uninterrupted instructional time has a meaningful impact on student growth. Strong routines, clear expectations, and protected instructional minutes help ensure that students continue to make progress right up to the final day.
We fully support engaging, fun, and meaningful seasonal activities and projects that are inclusive of all students and reflect the diverse traditions, backgrounds, and experiences in our school community. At the same time, we ask that core daily routines for reading and math remain intact and that instructional minutes in these areas are not reduced or replaced. When possible, consider ways to integrate literacy, math, and content standards into projects and celebrations, allowing students to learn while engaging in seasonal fun.
Your ability to balance joy with purpose is one of your greatest strengths. By maintaining consistent instructional routines alongside engaging and inclusive activities, we ensure our students continue to thrive academically while feeling valued and connected during this time of year.
Thank you for your professionalism, intentional planning, and commitment to maximizing every learning minute for our students.
From Kayla Martin, 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.
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!
From Dave VanLoo – Director of School Improvement
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.
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.
Let Dave VanLoo or Stephanie Bent know if you have any questions or need other staff added to the response spreadsheets.
From Tami Pike – Director of Health Services
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
Action Items
Prepare for our PLC meetings in the next two weeks by revisiting the notes, thinking about your problem of practice, collecting any data or helpful resources, and be ready to set goals for outcomes and for your individual and collective learning. You can access notes and slides for the next meeting here.
Share information with staff regarding teaching expectations for the month of December
Share Well Child Exam info in school newsletters: English/Spanish
Use the forms provided by Dave VanLoo to document opt outs from testing
Important Dates
December 9: PLCs 3 and 4, from 3:00-4:30
December 16: PLCs 1 and 2, from 3:00-4:30
December 17: All Admin PD 3:00 – 4:30 pm at Aspen Hall
December 22 – Jan 2: Winter Break
January 13: Horizontal Meeting 3:00 – 4:30 at Highland Elementary
January 19: Martin Luther King Jr Day – No School
January 20: PLCs 1 and 2 from 3:00 – 4:30
January 21: Educator Network Day
January 27: PLCs 3 and 4 from 3:00 – 4:30
January 28: All Admin PD 3:00 – 4:30
January 30: Progress Reports – No school for students
And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Lynne Tat!
Lynne Tat is in her second year as Assistant Principal at North Star. Prior to that, she was a counselor at High Desert Middle School for many years and a District Equity Coach. Her roots in elementary school go way back though, as she started out her career as an elementary teacher in Pendleton. She is the proud mother of Hannah, a member of the Wolfpack at Caldera and Brady, who is a High Desert Diamondback. Throughout the year, you can find Lynne cheering on her kids in sports, or husband Ban, as the coach. Lynne brings a passion for creating school environments in which all students, families, and staff are seen, welcomed, and appreciated as valuable members of a community. Thanks for all you do Lynne! Let us know what your beverage of choice is and we will bring it your way!
