From Tammy and Karen
It’s been a while since we posted a monthly calendar from the Action for Happiness Series! With the wonderful weather on the way, its a great month to focus on getting more active! I am dusting off my hiking shoes and hitting the trail this weekend! What are your favorite activities? Speaking of activities, see the information below about after school clubs!
Extra-Curricular Clubs
We’re happy to share that we’ve found a path forward for our elementary after-school clubs! We want to ensure that those of you eager to start programs like Lego Robotics, Chess, or Choir can do so while fairly compensating our hardworking staff.
Moving forward, you may utilize your school’s discretionary funds to pay club leaders at their hourly (per diem) rate. While PTA/PTO funds cannot be used for direct compensation, you can coordinate with them to purchase supplies or materials for the school.
As you decide which clubs best serve your students, please run your plans by your Level Leader for a second pair of eyes. We look forward to seeing these programs come to life!
Important Links
- March 18th Elementary TLC Update
- Please read this week’s Special EDge April 2nd
- BLS School Libraries Newsletters!
- 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 Kayla Martin, Safety
All schools are required to complete two earthquake drills per school year. We apologize if there has been any miscommunication that they were optional. These are required by the state in ORS 336.071
From Jennifer Hauth, Director of Student Well-Being
🌟 You’re Invited! Mark Your Calendars!
Join us for end-of-year presentations led by our dedicated Bend-La Pine Schools counselors. During these brief school updates, each team will share progress on their annual goals, highlight key programming initiatives, and reflect on the data gathered throughout the year. These presentations offer an opportunity to see how counseling programs are supporting students academically, socially-emotionally, and in their college and career readiness. Teams will share successes, lessons learned, and how this year’s work will inform future planning within our coordinated system of student support.
Your presence matters as we celebrate growth, learn from one another, and look ahead to the next year of impact.
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Elementary School | 7:30–10:30 a.m.
Location: Education Center Boardroom & Room 312
Waypoints Summative Assessment for grades K-12:
The final summative assessment opens April 28th and closes May 30th for secondary and May 22nd for Elementary:
- Overview of resources. One pager for new Admin.
- 3-5 Implementation Guide. K-2 Infromation coming soon.
- 6-12 Implementation Guide and 6-12 Teacher Directions
- Admin Tutorial Video
The assessment takes 15 to 20 minutes and can be completed on a student’s Ipad, using Clever and then selecting Wayfinder. Here are instructions for how it will appear in Student View.
- For students in grades 3–5: When they log in to the Wayfinder platform, the Waypoints assessment will be clearly visible at the top of their dashboard. It will appear as a box containing the assessment’s name with a “Start” button next to it.
- For students in grades 6–12: When students log in, the Waypoints assessment will be displayed in their “To-Do List,” which is typically located on the right side of the page. On a smaller screen like an iPad, the To-Do List may appear at the top of the screen. Students will see the name of the assessment and a “Start” button.
Students can leave and return to the assessment at any time, as their progress is automatically saved.
Please make sure that all teachers understand the “Why” behind the assessment and how it ties into any of your schoolwide goals or initiatives. Teachers need to read the instructions to the students so that we get quality data.
Finally, we don’t need to get parent permission for Waypoints. However, there is a letter that you can adapt language for your newsletter if you would like.
From Andrea Wilson, Human Resources
Seeking Spring Conferences Feedback – Elementary & Middle School Administrators
Please share your experiences with elementary and middle school conferences held the week prior to spring break. Your input will help inform future planning decisions. Thank you for your time and perspective.
https://forms.gle/Hc4Qu7X53XNTqqtMA
From Kinsey, Policy and Advocacy
Day of Silence – Action needed –
Please share this message with your staff:
2026’s Day of Silence is Friday, April 10. You will likely have students observing this day. Students have the right to express themselves (including through silence, in this case) as long as it is done in an orderly and non-disruptive manner—see related policy. Thank you for accommodating your participating students by:
1. Planning nonverbal or written options for class participation that day
2. Letting substitutes know to be prepared to accommodate students as well
3. Learning about the day and its significance to your students
4. Promptly interrupting and reporting any harassment or bias incidents
Community Engagment Bingo – Action requested –
Sign up by this Friday for a quick drop-in to the Latino Community Association office, to get a quick tour and overview of their services. It is easy to be upset by what we see in the news regarding the treatment of immigrants—this is one way to actually do something about it, by supporting the local folks who are helping our students, their families, and some of your own staff. Sign up by this Friday—thanks for your care for this important topic.
Action Items
- Make sure you complete 2 earthquake drills this school year.
- Plan to attend the End of Year presentations for counseling programs on June 2nd.
- Get ready for the Waypoints assessment window opening on April 28th.
- Give your feedback to Human Resources on conferences and spring break.
- Sign up for a visit to the LCA and share Day of Silence information
Important Dates
- March 23-27: Spring Break!
- March 31: All staff virtual update–see information above
- April 8: All Admin PD 3:00 – 4:30
- April 14: Elementary Horizontal 3:00 – 4:30 location North Star Elementary
- April 15: Educator Network Day for SIW
- April 21: #1 PLC and Phly Like Canadians meet from 3:00-4:30
- April 28: The PLC3PO and We Are the Winners meet from 3:00-4:30
And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Beth Martin!
Congratulations to this week’s winner, Beth Martin, who is in her second year as Principal at North Star Elementary. While originally from the Lone Star state, Beth has spent a good part of her career in the Corvallis School District, where she has been both a teacher and principal. However, the year prior coming to Bend, she packed up her family and took them on an adventure to Costa Rica! It was there that Beth dabbled in K-12 leadership, taking on a much broader role than she thought she was going to do, while experiencing a new culture and place with her family. Beth is an innovative and humble leader, who puts student needs at the center of everything that the Navigators do. Her exceptionally kind and caring personality helps make everyone feel welcomed and cared for! Please let us know your drink of choice Beth, and we’ll deliver!
