From Tammy and Karen
High rates of Youth Truth participation make a big difference in the quality of the information we receive and helps us to better design school programs to increase belonging and success in our schools. We saw this fun sign at Juniper and thought it was a great way to keep families focused on Youth Truth! During my stop at LaPine Elementary today, I found Megan giving out Rice Krispie treats to kids whose families completed the survey. What fun and creative ideas do you have to encourage families to fill out the survey?
As principals, you play a critical role in helping families see why YouthTruth matters. When you encourage parent participation, you reinforce that family voice is not only welcomed but essential to our improvement work. Thank you for helping elevate family voice so we can respond thoughtfully!
Please share the following with all your kindergarten staff: Head Start, a preschool organization that we often partner with, and support is gearing up for transitioning families for kindergarten this next fall with an event in February. They are looking for several kindergarten teachers to come be part of the event. More information here. We would encourage your participation to the extent you are interested and able and will be compensating up to 10 kindergarten teachers for 2 hours of your hourly salary to participate in the event. If interested, please fill out these two questions by the end of January. Thanks for your support of the class of 2039!
Important Links
- January 7th Elementary TLC Update
- Special EDge (January 15)
- 1-Page Student Management guide
- Dates to recognize groups
- CPI Trained Staff List (let Sara Young know if you see staff who are not at your school)
Notes from our Team:
From Ryan in Human Resources
Quick heads-up as you plan ahead:
Please hold Wednesday, May 13th, 4:30–6:30, for our annual Excellence in Education celebration at Mountain View High School, immediately following our Admin PD (also at Mountain View).
For those of you newer to BLS, this is one of the most meaningful events on our calendar and is a chance for us, as a community, to celebrate employees who have gone above and beyond this year through leadership, innovation, outstanding practice, and true service above self.
Each school and department is expected to have at least one Administrator or Supervisor in attendance to help celebrate your honoree(s). Your presence really matters. For many of our employees, this is a rare and powerful moment of recognition, and it means even more when it’s shared with the leaders who know their work best.
More details and the nomination forms are coming soon. For now, please make sure this time May 13th is protected on your calendar.
Thanks for the culture of appreciation you help create across our district, let Ryan Kelling know if you have any questions.
From Triz in Human Resources
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, 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*********
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.
- 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.
- Rubrics for certified staff (link)
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 positive impact 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.
From Sean in Student Services
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 Scott and Kayla 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.
From Sara in Student Services:
As we begin to establish a consistent MTSS process for Bend-La Pine Schools, we want to hear from you about what’s working and what the challenges are currently. We would love to set up a 30 minute meeting with you and relevant members of your team to learn more about what you do.
We are hoping to have gathered input from all schools by the middle of February. Could you please take a look at this attached spreadsheet and sign up for a time that works for you.
From Garra in Nutrition Services
Around the World Wednesdays: Tell your students to pack their appetite and passport! Bend-La Pine Schools Nutrition Services is taking students on a flavor tour throughout southeast Asia. On Wednesdays beginning February 6, school communities will have the opportunity to explore a new country through a special lunch crafted by our own Executive Chef TJ Bennett. For this journey, no plane ticket is required!
Nutrition services have created a passport for each elementary student. We will deliver these booklets to the schools by 1/28. We are asking schools to distribute these to the students by 2/4; the promotion begins on 2/6 and ends 3/11. Students will hold on to their passport through our six weeks of culinary travel. Each Wednesday when a student selects the new highlighted special, they will receive a sticker to place in their passports. The sticker represents their passport getting stamped for “traveling with their taste buds” to the highlighted country that day. At the end of the promotion, students will have the opportunity to vote on which item was their favorite and where their taste buds would like to go next.
From Katie Legace – Executive Director Secondary Programs
High Schools have several “Phone Caddies” that are available for free for your school! If you have any interest in these, reach out to your nearest High School and let them know how many you want!
Action Items
- Share Head Start information with Kindergarten Teachers
- Encourage Youth Truth participation and share any good ideas (or visit here to get ideas)
- Mark May 13th on your calendar for Excellence in Education Celebration
- Share Medicaid message (from Sean) in parent newsletters
- Be on the lookout for the Passports from Nutrition Services and share with teachers
- Sign up for a tour of the Kids Center
- Sign up for a time to meet with Student Services about MTSS needs
- Carefully read Triz’s instructions for Probationary 3 teachers
- Let your local high school know if you want any of their phone caddies!
Important Dates
- 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
- February 3: Horizontal Meeting 3:00 – 4:30
- February 10: PLC Meetings – all groups 3:00 – 4:30
And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Patrick Flanagan!
Patrick Flanagan has spent much of his career in Bend-La Pine Schools and currently serves as the principal of Ponderosa Elementary. Before that, he was the principal at La Pine Elementary and earlier taught at Juniper Elementary, giving him BLS experience at both the classroom and school-leadership levels. Outside of work, Patrick is an outdoor sportsman who enjoys spending time in Central Oregon’s playgrounds! Family is an important part of his life, and he values time with his wife—who is also a BLS teacher—their children, and grandchildren. Patrick is known for approaching problems from different angles and often brings creative, outside-the-box thinking to his work. He enjoys the challenge of finding practical, uncommon solutions and contributing ideas that help move things forward. Congratulations Patrick – let us know your drink of choice and we will deliver!
