From Tammy and Karen
The statement above is meant to make you laugh, but I think we can all relate to the feeling that January goes on a looooooong time! We made it, and we’re already halfway through the school year. The next few months will move quickly and, we hope, be filled with fun, inspiration, laughter, and lots and lots of learning. Congratulations, and thank you for all you do to make school a place where every student feels excited to learn and a true sense of belonging in our community.
Here is some news to brighten your day: We will be cancelling our Horizontal Meeting on Tuesday February 3rd! The meetings we have had recently have covered the important topics for this month. We thought you might all enjoy the gift of time to focus on what is needed at your school site on that date!
Train Your Brain: It’s that time of the year, to identify your person in charge of the third grade “Train Your Brain” helmet safety program, which takes place each spring in all of our schools. Please identify the contact person for your school that Stuart Schmidt will connect with to organize the program. Often, it’s a third-grade teacher. The sooner you identify a person, the better choice of date you get! Click here to enter the information for your school. Thank you and safe riding!
All Admin PD: Kudos to Scott, Heidi, Kit, Nichole, Andy, Wendy, Julie and Karen for your work to lead the All-Admin PD this week. Leading in a school district is bigger than just keeping your strengths and skills contained in one school. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us all! Also, a big shout out to all who came early to set the room up. It was a nice transition to be all ready when people started showing up. Side note: Here is the slide deck from the All Admin PD on Wednesday (slide 27 has been edited to remove a dignity violation while keeping the context and message of the quote).
Field Trip Idea: Classroom Trips at Oregon Sled Dog Rides – $250 for 20 students! Check it out!
Important Links
- January 21st Elementary TLC Update
- Special EDge (January 29)
- 1-Page Student Management guide
- Dates to recognize groups (Coming up: School Counseling week–first week of Feb! and School Resource Officers – Feb 15)
- CPI Trained Staff List (let Sara Young know if you see staff who are not at your school)
Notes from our Team:
From Kinsey – Office of Policy and Advocacy
Immigration/ICE: -Action needed-
In light of ongoing national events, many of you have recently received questions from families and/or staff about the district’s preparedness should ICE activity occur on or near our campuses. Please copy and paste this message into your next staff communication–thanks for making sure both classified and certified receive this from you.
Additionally, this half-way point in the year is a good time to review the guidance (for admin and front office) for what you are expected to do should ICE activity occur on or near your campus. Note: Some edits were made this week–please be sure you and your office team are familiar with these expectations and that this updated version is printed and accessible where your front-entry greeter sits. One important note: Depending on your building’s layout, you may receive from me via interdistrict mail some signage: “Public Area” and “Not a Public Area.” I’ll send details with the signs for where to post them—just know these are related to our procedures here.
Complaints and Bias Incidents: -Action needed-
As the semester wraps up, please go into your Complaint Dashboard and ensure that all submissions there have been fully addressed (investigation, circling back with reporter and all parties, written findings when applicable, all copies and documents uploaded or linked, etc). When complete, you should select “Resolved By School: Yes” to close it out. If a complaint gets appealed, we’ll grab the documentation and records from there, so you don’t need to worry about that step.
From Kayla in Safety
- SRO Schedule Change– Officer Koehnke (Summit) and Officer Avery (Caldera) have shifted their schedules effective Feb 9. Please review the SRO sheet here.
- SRO Appreciation Day– Schools are encouraged to celebrate their SROs the week of February 17th for SRO Appreciation Day. Some ideas for appreciation that have been done in past school years are: decorate their office doors, buy lunch for them one day during the week, have students make cards and drawings, or have breakfast and invite the entire team. You have all done so amazing that the past two years BLS has been featured in the national SRO magazine!!
From Aimee Snyder from Healthy Schools
The upcoming “Start the Conversation” workshops are a family engagement opportunity for families of students with Tier 2 and Tier 3 needs. There will be repeat offerings of this 3-hour workshop in Feb – March.
The “Start the Conversation” workshop will improve families’ abilities to start difficult conversations with their student about topics such as mental health, attendance, substance use, and sex. The workshop is provided by Dr. Amy Yillik, HDESD Culture of Care.
The workshops are centered on developmental needs of middle school students, but are open to families of all BLS students.
Personal invites from admin and staff already working with students and families with Tier 2-3 needs would be the most effective approach.
Here’s the promotion fliers and a promotion blurb to use for promoting the workshop to your families:
How to Start a Difficult Conversation with Your Student
Have you ever struggled with how to talk to your student about difficult topics? Conversations with questions about drugs, sex, mental health, school attendance, etc.
Culture of Care and Shared Future Coalition have partnered to bring this Parent and Caregiver ‘Start the Conversation’ workshop to BLS Families. Some of the topics covered in the 3 hour workshop (food included!) are:
- Leading conversations with love
- Strengthening listening skills
- Engaging the youth in problem solving, collaborative and restorative conversations
- Differentiating high-priority and low-priority concerns
- Learning about community resources and asking for help
- Workshop will include non-stigmatizing ways to honestly and appropriately address youth questions about parent/caregiver history with substances and/or risky behaviors
There is also time built into the workshop for parents and caregivers to practice new skills and engage with other families experiencing the same challenging dynamics of raising adolescents. Please make sure to register so we have enough food and space for all registrants!
From Jennifer in Student Well Being
🎉 National School Counseling Week 2026 (#NSCW26) is February 2–6, 2026! This special week shines a spotlight on the incredible impact of our school counselors and the unique ways they support students every day.
The 2026 theme, School Counselors Amplify Student Success, says it all! Presented by ASCA, National School Counseling Week celebrates how school counselors help students thrive academically, socially, emotionally, and as they plan for future careers.
📅 National School Counseling Week is always held during the first full week of February, and we’re excited to share several resources below to help you celebrate the amazing school counselor(s) at your site.
💙 Please note: We will also be celebrating our Student Success Staff during School Social Worker Week, the week of March 1st.
🏅 Included below is a Certificate of Appreciation you can use to recognize your counselors, along with additional ideas and resources to make this week extra special. Let’s show our counselors how much they are valued and appreciated! 😊🎉
Resources:
Training Opportunity from the High Desert ESD
We are hosting a regional book study of Gender-Inclusive Schools, which will begin in late February and conclude in early May. Two sessions are virtual, and then we’ll culminate with a live session. This book is an easy-to-read, easy-to-use guide to help make our schools more welcoming to our LGBTQ2SIA+ students and their families. We would LOVE to have school and district leadership teams participate, though individuals are welcome, as well. Registration information and sub request information are in the attached handout.
Action Items
- URGENT: Complete letters for P3 employees by end of day tomorrow.
- Copy and paste this message regarding ICE into your next staff communication for classified and certified staff
- Go into the Complaint Dashboard to ensure all complaints have been addressed
- Identify you Train the Brain person and enter on spreadsheet.
- Get ready to celebrate School Counseling week! AND School Resource Officer Apprecation Day the week of February 17th.
Important Dates
- January 30: Progress Reports – No school for students (review BEA Article 15.8 regarding working from home that day for certified members)
- February 10: PLCs 1 and 2, 3:00 – 4:30
- February 16: President’s Day—you must use non-contract to take this day off, as it is not a paid holiday for us. It is a day off for Students and the rest of the staff.
- February 17: PLCs 3 and 4, 3:00 – 4:30
- February 18: All Admin PD 3:00 – 4:30 Perseverance Hall
- March 3: Elementary Horizontal 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. at the Board Room
- March 4: Educator Network Day
And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Tim Broadbent!
Tim Broadbent has been the Principal of Three Rivers for more than a decade, bringing steady leadership and deep commitment to the school community. Originally from the East Coast, Tim and his wife Elizabeth made their way to the Pacific Northwest years ago, drawn by the outdoors and an active lifestyle—both of which continue to shape how Tim approaches life and leadership. When he’s not at school, you’re likely to find him traveling, staying active, and cheering passionately as a devoted Buffalo Bills Superfan (sending condolences your way, Tim). Tim and Elizabeth, a teacher in Bend-La Pine Schools, are proud parents to their daughter Camille, a Gonzaga University student and member of the cross country and track teams. Congratulations Tim! Let us know your favorite school-appropriate drink and we will deliver!
