Author Archives: Karen Rush

June 11, 2026

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Which leadership team are these babies? Send your guess to Karen to be entered into a drawing for a giant Chocolate Bar prize to be awarded at Horizontal!

From Tammy and Karen

Happy Last Day of School!

This has always been both my favorite and my least favorite day of the school year. As a principal, I loved the celebrations, promotions, parties, outdoor activities, and the hugs from students. I also looked forward to the quiet that followed—a few days to catch my breath and sift through the stacks of papers that had accumulated on my desk throughout the year.

At the same time, it was my least favorite day because of all the goodbyes. We all have those students who are especially hard to see head out the door for the last time. They are the ones we think about all summer, hoping they return in the fall. Saying goodbye to our fifth graders can be particularly bittersweet. Some of them arrived with a mouthful of baby teeth, and before we know it, they are walking out our doors ready for their next adventure.

And then there are the colleagues. We grow accustomed to seeing one another every day, sharing challenges, celebrations, caffeine connections, and countless ordinary moments that become meaningful over time. Knowing that some will be moving on to other schools, new roles, or new adventures makes this season of transition especially poignant.

Goodbyes have never come easily to me because relationships are what I treasure most. They are the heart of this work and the reason so many moments stay with us long after the school year ends. As you reflect on these final days, what memory from this year still makes you smile, laugh, or feel grateful? Which student, colleague, or family has left a lasting imprint on you? What goodbye feels especially difficult?

Perhaps the gift of this day is that it reminds us that endings matter because relationships matter. While this school year is coming to a close, the impact we have had on one another does not end here. The encouragement we offered, the lessons we learned together, and the connections we built continue to ripple forward in ways we may never fully see.

As we head into summer, let’s carry with us gratitude for what was and hope for what is still to come. The people who have touched our lives this year become part of our story, and in many ways, the best parts of this year will continue growing long after the last bus leaves!

Important Links

Notes from our Team: 

From Julie, Curriculum and Instruction

Reminder from February 23rd:  Budget Request

As you all wrap up your budgeting by Wednesday, Karen, Julie and I have one request.  We are starting to see the hard work everyone is doing with the K-2 Literacy project, gaining some momentum and we are seeing changes in winter Dibels data like we have not seen in years.  For example, as noted in the TLC blog last week, Kindergarten data is seeing double digit improvements at this time of the year compared to years past.  Now is not the time to take our foot off the gas if we truly want to make a difference for our kids.  

That is where your budget comes in.  This coming year, the budget that has paid for the bulk of this work is no longer available for everything we are doing.  So, before we even have momentum to carry us forward, we are at risk of losing some programming that got us here.  We need you to add a line item in your budget for District K-2 Literacy Subs.  Looking through all the SIF plans for this year, most of you budgeted subs for certified workdays, so since SIF funds are now wrapped up in your discretion (forgot that?  Read the Blog, 2/5) we thought this would be a good place to set aside some of your funds for that work.  

Plan to set aside the following depending on what cohort your school is in:  

Budget $325 a day for subs.  2 days $1950, 1 day $975

Cohort 1:  2 days for one K, one 1st, one 2nd (PRE, HLD, ROS, LPE, PON, LRE, BUC)

Cohort 2:  2 days for one K, one 1st, one 2nd (NSE, SRE, EME, REJ, ENS, JUN, BCE)

Cohort 3:  1 day for one K, one 1st, one 2nd (TRE, HLE, WEM, ACE)

We know this is a big ask and don’t take this ask lightly.  We also know that together we can make a difference and prioritizing our students’ learning to read is paramount to their future success. 

Thanks for your help! 

From Triz in Human Resources

Finalizing your Summative Evaluations?  Please remember the following steps to assist HR.

To allow HR to have access to all of the required pieces of the evaluative process, files must be dropped into the HR provided Google folders, in addition to being linked into the workbook.

What happens if you don’t?  Files are not accessible to HR and we have the potential of losing data.

If they are only shared in the spreadsheet without residing in the folders it is possible the files may get lost.

If you need technical assistance in accessing any of the documents or folders/workbook shared again, please reach out to Jessica Lamay.  

Thank you all so much, for your continued help in making staff evaluations successful!

From Kinsey – Office of Policy & Advocacy

Formal Complaints:    -Action required-

Please go into your Dashboard and ensure you have completed your investigations and communication about each complaint or bias incident in your Dashboard.  Be sure to mark it as “Resolved By School” when you have included notes, links/attachments, and other documentation.  Reach out if you need support. 

CFEE:

We have a last-minute opening for the week-long CFEE (racial equity workshop that all of Cabinet and many of our leaders have attended).  June 22-26 in Salem, expenses covered.  If you’re interested or know someone who is, reach out asap—first come first served.

Community Engagement Bingo:    -Action requested-

Time for prizes!  Want to win a gift card ($25-$49.99) to places like El Sancho, Spork, downtown shops like Almadorada Coffee, and more?

If you attended any of the community visits and/or did a home visit this year, please note that here so we can celebrate your leadership and enter you into the raffle.  For each Bingo square you completed, your chances of winning will go up!  We’ll draw names at our June 15 admin lunch.  

From Eric Powell- Student Services

As you continue to review your end-of-the-year discipline audits (based on previous guidance from IT), please do not hesitate to call or Email me with any Incidents that are being flagged as having errors. I plan to spend time next week reviewing audits district-wide and I can help correct any ‘issues’ to help you finish the year. I know you all have so many things going on right now, so please do not hesitate to reach out!! These audits must be completed before you check out for the year.

Action Items

  • Upload all Safety Committee meeting minutes into google drive shared folder
  • Send in your timesheets for the end of year (2 for June)
  • Complete all Discipline audits before checking out for the summer.
  • Title 1 schools- be sure to check in with Tammy before checking out for the summer.
  • Resolve all investigations and complaints in the smartsheet system before checking out for the summer.
  • Here is the sign about office hours over the summer.

Important Dates

  • June 12. Last day for most staff—progress reports due by 3:15
  • June 15: End of Year Administrator Celebration (and lunch!), High Desert Middle school 11:30-1:00
  • June 16: End of year Elementary Leadership Literacy Review and Celebration 3:00 – 4:30 @ Crux Fermentation Project
  • June 19: Juneteenth Holiday!
  • August 11, 12, 13: Leadership Launch at Caldera
  • August 18: Elementary Horizontal all day at the new Central Deschutes County Library

And finally… Congratulations to our LAST (but not least) Duck Drawing winner, Jessica Scott!

Jess Scott is our newly hired Principal of W.E. Miller Elementary! Jess has been a teacher, Student Services Coordinator, Assistant Principal at Juniper, and over the last year has been an Administrator sub across multiple schools. She has been the Interim Assistant Principal at Miller since this winter and the staff is absolutely thrilled that she will be continuing as the Principal starting in July! The mom of two girls, and a care provider for her parents, she stays busy traveling to water polo tournaments and getting ready to move into her new home. Jess is a native of Bend, but you should never follow her directions to a location because she is known for never taking the most direct route! Sounds like a great explorer to me! Congratulations Jess and let us know your drink of choice.

May 29, 2026

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From Tammy and Karen

When I got home last night, the internet at my house was out. At first, I was frustrated and worried that I wouldn’t be able to finish the blog. But then, I leaned into the gift of some unexpected, forced rest. I curled up on the couch with my puppies and spent the evening watching and listening to the beautiful thunderstorm roll across the sky. As the rain fell and the thunder echoed in the distance, sending the blog a few hours late suddenly didn’t seem like such a big deal.

I hope each of you finds a few moments of “forced rest” over the next few days. You’ll need them as we careen into the final two weeks of school with our students!

Tammy and I were so proud and grateful following the exciting School Design Showcase last night! You are all doing some remarkable work and we were so impressed with the thoughtful way you connected your school goals to meaningful professional development and reflections of celebrations and dreams for your school! Kudos to all of you!

Important Links

Notes from our Team: 

Testing Coordinators- Julie Richards

iReady for 6th grade math bypass- please be sure to let Dean Richards know when you finish testing students, so he can check the reports and let you know which letters to send.  

From Scott Maben, Communications

Update on ParentSquare rollout and training plan

On Wednesday of this week, we trained office managers on use of ParentSquare. Our family liaison team also attended this training. We learned more about how schools currently use School Messenger, including to message secondary students. This is helpful as we prepare for School Messenger to end on June 30 and we transition to use of ParentSquare as our primary family messaging and engagement tool.

Next week we will invite all district staff to activate their ParentSquare accounts. We are not ready for you (outside of our 5 South County pilot schools) to begin using ParentSquare to communicate with your families, but you will see some content we plan to share from the District level now through summer. Schools may begin using ParentSquare in August, and teachers will be able to use it once trained in early September.

Bringing families into the ParentSquare fold will take time, and we’d like to begin around the end of the school year. Parents will receive an invite to verify their accounts, set preferences, and download the ParentSquare app. We will schedule reminders to those who don’t respond to the initial invite. It’s important to know that even if a parent never responds to these invites, they will still receive our ParentSquare communications — as emails — but they won’t benefit from the full features of ParentSquare, such as setting their message preferences or using the handy mobile app.

We’re looking at dates when we can offer school administrators basic training on using ParentSquare and will communicate those details soon.

Our training opportunity for all teachers and any other staff who need to be ready to communicate with families will be the second day of in-service week:

PARENTSQUARE BASIC TRAINING

  • Tuesday, Sept. 1, 10-11 a.m.
  • Teams meeting (link to be shared later) with a trainer from ParentSquare
  • Note that this will begin shortly after the Superintendent’s Welcome Back program at 8:30 a.m. You may want your team to remain together in the same space.

On Wednesday, Sept. 2, we will provide follow-up ParentSquare support opportunities at the District-led PD (elementary at Caldera, secondary at Pacific Crest).

After school starts, we would like to visit every school for drop-in sessions for staff who’d like to ask questions or get help using ParentSquare.

Please reach out if you have questions on any of this. Thanks!

Action Items

  • Let us know if you have any end of year events you would like us to attend! These moments are so much fun and we love to be able to witness them with you!
  • Contact Dean Richards when you finish math bypass testing.
  • Be aware that families and staff will soon receive invitations to set up Parent Square. No action needed on your part, but you may receive some questions! Encourage people to set up an account for the most effective communication.
  • Make sure to rest and relax a little- these days are some of the busiest of the school year and it is important to recharge.

Important Dates

  • June 2: Elementary Counseling Celebration, 7:30-9:30 in the boardroom–expectation for at least one admin to be there
  • June 2: Horizontal Meeting, 3:00-4:30-
  • June 15: End of Year Administrator Celebration (and lunch!), High Desert Middle school 11:30-1:00
  • June 16: End of year Elementary Leadership Celebration 3:00 – 4:30. Location TBA
  • June 19: Juneteenth Holiday!

And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner, Kit Galloway!

Kit is in her first year as the Principal at Elk Meadow Elementary! She is a new Central Oregon resident who joined us after serving as an administrator in Portland. Kit is a strong advocate for her students, school, and community and impresses with her ability to keep the focus on the needs of students. She is a strong instructional leader who brings with her a wealth of knowledge of best practice and ways to bring them to life in the classroom. Kit and her fiancee Mark recently bought a log cabin and and enjoying time spent together remodeling and shaping it into their dream home! Congratulations on being our winner this week, Kit; let us know what your favorite beverage is, and we will happily bring it your way to celebrate!

May 14th, 2026

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From Tammy and Karen

We’d love to hear from you!

So far, 23 people have responded to our survey on Belonging in our Elementary Team, and if you haven’t had a chance to complete it yet, we hope you will take a few minutes to share your voice. Our goal is to hear from everyone, and your feedback truly matters as we continue moving forward together.

Please take the survey here:
https://forms.gle/9NbzmT4THN4TDG6G8

Important Links

Notes from our Team: 

From Julie in Curriculum and Instruction

Reminder: DIBELS has started!   Here is the schedule.  

Please plan to have testing area set up.  Plan to have 8-9 people from the testing team and also the testers available from your building.  Send me the testing schedule so I can share it with the team.  Plan to have a runner who is bringing classes to the testing area.  If you have had new students in grades 3-5 be sure to have them tested.  

End of Year Assessment Windows: Please share with your staff and ask that these required assessments are complete by the end date.  

  • MClass and ROAR- May 15-June 5th
  • Wayfinder Waypoints- April 28th- May 22nd

From Rodger Moore, Director of Facilities Operations

To help schools manage classroom relocations smoothly and minimize disruption to instruction, the district is developing a standardized process for both same-school and inter-school moves. The procedure is intended to outline clear responsibilities for administrators, teachers, custodial teams, maintenance, and IT staff to help ensure moves are coordinated efficiently. The district is currently testing our work order platform Hero HQ for submitting move requests and coordinating details such as scheduling, technology needs, furniture, and specialty equipment. Additional procedures, expectations, and implementation guidance will be communicated in an upcoming Level Leaders’ Blog once the workflow and support processes are finalized.  

Large-scale moves, such as the Realms transition, will be exempt from this process.

From Travis Hanford, Custodial

Are you in need of a complete class set of these chairs?  If so, please reach out to Custodial Manager, Travis Hanford to get them.  We would like them to go as a complete set if possible, not a few here and there.  In the next few weeks, we may also have more available as we prepare Buckingham for the inclusion of Realms Middle and are finding there are quite a few of these there as well. 

Action Items

  • Please complete our Belonging Survey as soon as possible. Should only take a few minutes!
  • Share End of Year assessment windows with teachers and see that all assessments are done

Important Dates

  • May 19: PLC1 Meeting at Westside Village 3:00 to 4:30
  • May 21: Karen Mapp Family Engagement Training–Unitarian Church, coffee and breakfast 7:45, Session is 8:00-noon
  • May 25: Memorial Day Holiday, no School
  • May 26: PLC3PO at Silver Rail and We are the Winners at Bear Creek 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
  • May 28: School Design Plan Showcase 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
  • June 2: Horizontal Meeting, 3:00-4:30–Site to be determined (not the boardroom)
  • June 15: End of Year Administrator Celebration (and lunch!), High Desert Middle school 11:30-1:00
  • June 16: End of year Elementary Leadership Celebration 3:00 – 4:30. Location TBA
  • June 19: Juneteenth Holiday!

And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner, Dr. Michelle Wilson !

Michelle Wilson has been leading Buckingham Elementary for the past three years, bringing a wealth of experience from the valley where she served as an instructional leader, elementary principal, and assistant superintendent. Michelle is known for her professionalism, passion, courage, energy, and unwavering commitment to equity. She has guided Buckingham through the transition of sharing learning spaces with Realms with compassion, thoughtfulness, and heart, always keeping students and staff at the center of her leadership. Outside of school, Michelle is an avid Pilates practitioner, loves to hike and downhill ski, and has been embracing the beauty of Central Oregon through cycling adventures across the region.

April 30, 2026

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From Tammy and Karen

May is here and from this point on it will feel like so much to do and so little time to get it done! I took a peek at the weather forecast and we are in for a beautiful change with at least 10 days of sunshine and high 70s! As a great mindfulness exercise, take a moment each day during arrival, recess duty, dismissal, or any other time to enjoy the feeling of warm sun on your face, the smell of blooming flowers, and the sounds of children playing! So much joy in the world!

We believe it is important to update you on upcoming certified staffing changes within the TLC department due to budget cuts. At this time, we have reduced our elementary instructional coaching staff by one position and our district mentoring staff by 1.5 positions. This represents a loss of over 20%. Like many of you, we are feeling the weight of these reductions and are doing our best to adapt for the coming year.

Consequently, our current instructional coaching and mentoring models will need to be reimagined. We are currently developing a plan to navigate these changes and will communicate exactly what support will look like for your schools next year. This plan will be shared with you before you leave for summer break.

As we finalize our strategy, we are carefully prioritizing several factors, including K-2 Early Literacy, Math GEN, and blended classroom support. If you have any questions in the meantime, please feel free to reach out to Julie.

Important Links

Notes from our Team: 

From Scott and the team in Information Technology:

We wanted to share a quick note about web filtering and content blocking. Our system does a strong job of protecting students from the less appropriate parts of the internet. That said, no system is perfect—some content (especially games) may occasionally get through. When that happens, staff play an important role in helping us respond quickly.

If you come across a site that should be blocked, please copy the URL and submit it through a Web Help Desk ticket. Select “Software and Services” and then “Website Filtering.”

There are two reporting options available—please reserve “High Risk” for situations involving student safety.

Alternatively, you can work with your building’s Client Services representative or contact the Help Desk at x1200.

From the Educational Technology Team:

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, introduced a new version of their product, designed specifically for educators, and it is now available to all BLS staff by request. It includes expanded capabilities, higher usage limits, and protections for professional use in education, going beyond what is available in a standard free ChatGPT account. You can find details about access, best practices for use, and how it fits alongside MagicSchool in our EdTech blog post: ChatGPT for Teachers. Please feel free to share with your staff. 

From Eric Powell, Student Support

For ALL Administrators: Please take a moment to review the “Incident Approval Queue” in Synergy for your school (you can access this via a Quick Launch search). 

We currently have 485 incidents waiting to be approved via this queue (district-wide) with some occurring all the way back in September – And our Administrators are the ones who need to approve/deny these incidents.

If you are unfamiliar with the Incident Approval Queue, please call Eric Powell (4810) and he can help you out. 

From Jennifer Hauth, Student Wellbeing

Please remind your teams about implementing the Waypoints Core Skills assessment for the end of the year summative😊 K-5 closes May 22nd and Secondary closes May 28th!

From Robi Cole:

From Tami Pike, Director of School Health

Action Items

  • Check out the incident approval queue in Synergy
  • Plan for Middle School Bypass Assessment for identified students
  • Identify which admin will attend the Karen Mapp training on May 21, from 8-12
  • Correct school discipline audit data–if you do it now, you have less to do at the end!

Important Dates

  • May 1: Asian Family Night 
  • May 4 – 8: Teacher (Staff) Appreciation Week
  • May 11: Phly Like Canadians at Lava Ridge 3:30 to 4:30
  • May 12: Horizontal Meeting, 3:00-4:30 at Pine Ridge Elementary
  • May 13: All Admin PD at Mt. View High School from 3:00-4:30, (note the change of venue due to the next event)
  • May 13: Excellence in Education—plan on attending to honor your two staff—at Mt. View
  • May 14: Latino Family Night and KínderFiesta
  • May 19: PLC1 Meeting at Westside Village 3:00 to 4:30
  • May 25: Memorial Day Holiday, no School
  • May 26: PLC3PO at Silver Rail and We are the Winners at Bear Creek 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
  • May 28: School Design Plan Showcase 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
  • June 15: End of Year Administrator Celebration

And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Marc Zollinger!

Marc is the Principal at Bear Creek Elementary! He began his career as a high school Spanish teacher, and his fluency in Spanish continues to be a tremendous asset—especially in supporting Bear Creek’s Dual Immersion program and building meaningful connections with students and families. Marc brings a strong equity lens to his work, consistently advocating for students at his school and beyond. Marc joined Bend-La Pine Schools after serving as an administrator in the Reynolds School District, so he is a fairly recent transplant to Central Oregon. As a dad of two young sons who attend elementary school in BLS, and the husband of a BLS science teacher, Marc is a busy guy who is always on the go and shows a tremendous amount of energy and enthusiasm for learning! Marc, let us know your beverage of choice and we will deliver!

April 16, 2026

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From Tammy and Karen

In a week filled with challenge and pressure, I found myself returning to a simple but powerful leadership idea shared by Susan, our interim Chief Human Resources Officer. In addition to many interesting leadership moves, she shared the distinction between “low self” and “high self,” and the idea that we could flip it like a switch. I could feel when I was slipping into low self after an especially long day full of aggravation: tight, reactive, and carrying the quiet belief that I had to figure it out alone. The shift came when I chose something different, asking for support, leaning into problem-solving, and grounding myself in the belief that together, we can do hard things. That movement into high self didn’t remove the challenge, but it changed how I showed up within it: more open, more steady, and more connected to the kind of leadership this moment requires. What opportunities have you had this past week to recognize yourself shifting into “high self” mode?

Important Links

Notes from our Team: 

Student Opportunity: Road Safety Art Contest

Our partners at the Oregon Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) invite students to unleash their creativity and let their imagination shine by participating in the annual Road Safety Art Contest.

Contest Details
  • The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (part of USDOT) is holding its annual Road Safety Art Contest, inviting K-12 students nationally to creatively depict how to stay safe on the road around large trucks and buses. 
  • Submissions can be original artwork, digital art, a photo or a video – whatever inspires the student – and winners will be awarded in four categories based on grade.
  • Entries are accepted through June 5, 2026.
  • View contest rules, how to enter and more at https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/OurRoadsArtContest.
Contact Us

From Ryan in Human Resources

We will be announcing the honorees for the 2026 Excellence in Education on Thursday, April 23rd in an email to all staff. Please be sure that your site/department’s honorees are recognized ahead of this date so that you can capture the significance of the recognition in a way that is distinct and celebrates the individual.

As a reminder: The event will take place at Mountain View High School on Wednesday, May 13 from 4:30–6:30 p.m. 

From Rodger Moore in Operations:

Here is a one page guideline about who is responsible for costs when it comes to repairs and improvements.

Action Items

  • Respond in a timely way to the middle school requests for information to transition students
  • Notify your Excellence in Ed winners in your building in a meaningful way prior to the big announcement on April 23.
  • Review the guidelines from Operations and check in with Karen or Tammy with questions

Important Dates

  • 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
  • April 30: Life and Career Readiness Fair
  • May 1: Asian Family Night 
  • May 14: Latino Family Night and KínderFiesta
  • May 28: School Design Plan Showcase 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Heidi Thomas!

Heidi Thomas serves as assistant principal at Highland, where her passion for belonging and social-emotional learning is evident in the way she supports both students and staff. A Bend native and former Buckingham Elementary student, she has a deep-rooted connection to the community she now serves. Outside of school, Heidi loves spending time on the river, camping, and exploring the beauty of the western United States with her family. As a mother of two, she brings both heart and perspective to her work, creating spaces where students feel seen, valued, and truly connected. Heidi, let us know your drink of choice and we will deliver!

April 2, 2026

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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

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: 

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! 

March 12, 2026

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Countdown to Spring Break! What fun plans do you have?

From Tammy and Karen

As we move into the staffing plan process, we want to provide school leaders with a clear and thoughtful approach to navigating this important work. Over the next few days, we will be scheduling times to visit schools to review staffing plans together. These conversations are intended to support you in reflecting on your plan, verifying key data points, asking questions, and ensuring that the documentation is complete. In some cases, Jennifer Hauth and members of the Student Services leadership team may also join these conversations if they are available. It has been wonderful to collaborate across departments on these important plans. Above you will see a cool infographic that Tammy put together using Notebook LM (p.s. if you haven’t tried out this tool, we recommend you look at it.) We hope this guide can help make this process smooth, thoughtful, and supportive for your school community.

END: Thank you all for your support last week in attending the Educator Network Days! This is just an FYI: Here is the attendance information of the Educator Network Day from last week. We don’t believe that elementary has a problem with people not attending the sessions, but it has been brought to our attention that missing END as a district has been problematic, so take a quick peek to confirm that your list is accurate. 

Important Links

Notes from our Team: 

From Jennifer in Student Wellbeing

Please see below for an opportunity here in Bend for district administrators that are helping to lead this work😊 Learn how to strengthen our Wayfinder implementation to help meet our strategic initiatives. I will be there and I think it would be great to have some of you join, especially those of you that have not attended any Wayfinder trainings in the past. 

From Patrick Cook-Deegan – CEO and Founder of Wayfinder:

I’d like to personally invite you to join us for the Oregon Community Workshop on Friday, April 17 at Tetherow Resort in Bend.

This will be a focused, working session with district leaders from across Oregon on how schools are implementing Wayfinder to:

  • Meet Oregon’s mandated TSEL standards
  • Align with SB3 requirements
  • Strengthen instruction for the Oregon Health Education Standards

More than 115 Oregon districts are already bringing this work to life with us. During the workshop, we’ll share concrete implementation strategies, lessons learned, and practical tools you can take back to your district or school site immediately.

Event Details

8:30 AM – 2:30 PM (breakfast and lunch provided)
Tetherow Resort
61240 Skyline Ranch Rd
Bend, OR 97702

This will be interactive and collaborative—not a sit-and-get session. You’ll experience Wayfinder activities firsthand and connect with peers navigating similar priorities.

RSVP here.

From Shelby Paulson from Library Services

Thursday, May 7th is the 2nd annual School Library Symposium. This is a library-specific PD event for classified and certified school library staff in our region. This event is free of charge to remove barriers and encourage attendance.

From Marta in Superintendent’s Office

A NEW and updated Frequently Called Numbers document is available on the Portal! https://bendlapine.sharepoint.com/SitePages/Frequently-Called-Numbers-List.aspx#all-fcn-numbers

Action Items

  • Fill out Excellence in Ed Nomination by 3/20
  • Document Erin’s Law being taught
  • Complete your initial thinking for staffing plan by end of day on March 19th
  • Bookmark the new Frequently Numbers List

Important Dates

  • March 18: Teacher work day (8 hours) Conferences (4 hours)
  • March 18: Elementary Admin PD 8:00-11:15 a.m. Lunch provided after
  • March 19: Conferences (12 hours)
  • March 20: No School
  • March 23-27: Spring Break!
  • April 8: All Admin PD 3:00 – 4:30
  • April 14: Elementary Horizontal 3:00 – 4:30 location TBD

And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Scott Edmondson!

This week’s Duck winner is Scott Edmondson, currently the Principal at Highland Magnet at Kenwood.  Prior to Highland, Scott was Principal at RE Jewell, and Sky View Middle School.  Scott is a beloved principal and known to be able to be the leader that struggling school communities need to bring a caring and kind culture to a school.  Fun fact, if you are to google Scott, you just might get the following…and it’s all true!  “Scott Edmondson, a longtime educator in Bend, Oregon, gained recognition as the ‘Worlds Strongest Principal’ around 2010. While leading Sky View Middle School, he won a world championship in powerlifting, bench-pressing over 585 pounds. He later served as principal at R.E. Jewell Elementary and was named principal at Highland Magnet at Kenwood School in 2023.”  In addition, Scott can spend hours educating you on all things Sasquatch, so if you are so inclined, hit him up for some good stories. That is, when he is not spending time with his family, as he is a proud dad and grandpa as well. Congratulations Scott!  Let us know your drink of choice, and we’ll send it your way. 

February 26, 2026

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From Tammy and Karen

First, I want to thank you all for your kind words of support and care for my family. It means a lot to know you are thinking of us and I so appreciate your understanding as I step away from work to be close to my family at this time. My mother is making slow progress in recovery from her fall, and I am so glad I can be here with her and my dad. Thank you for your grace!

Mark Your Calendar! We are looking forward to time together with you all on March 18th at the Education Center. We will start at 8 and work together until 11:15 a.m. Afterwards, we invite you to stay for lunch with us in the Board Room. You will be working with your PLC groups and spending 90 minutes getting training on Amplify and 90 minutes starting your next cycle for our PLC work. We have learned a lot over our meetings together this fall and winter and are looking forward to applying some of these changes to our work together moving forward. We will share more information at our Horizontal Meeting next week.

Camp Fire Central Oregon is one of our partner agencies providing after school care in our schools.  Please share these two Camp Fire events in your family newsletter:

✅ No School Day Camps (NSDCs) are happening in South County and BendParent-teacher conferences (March 18-20) Spring Break (March 23-27, Bend only)

💲GIVE $20/GET $20 PROMOTION!💲You and your buddy get a $20 credit when you refer a friend to sign up for March No School Day Camps.To receive your referral credit, ask your friend to add your name at checkout. Limit 1 referral credit per registered youth. Credits must be used within 12 months. Example: Refer 5 friends and get $100 towards future Camp Fire programs Our NSDCs aren’t just a fabulous solution for working families, but they engage kids through fun themes, get them off screens, and focus on building character, nurturing curiosity, confidence, and compassion. Sign up HERE!
Absolutely Incredible Kid Day® 

On Sunday, March 15, Camp Fire Central Oregon is celebrating the incredible youth in our lives in honor of Absolutely Incredible Kid Day®—or #KidDay
FREE ice skating party for kids (ages 17 and under), activities, Camp Fire birthday cake, and connection! Kids must be accompanied by a caring adult.Sunday, March 15, 12:30-3:30 p.m., arrive by 3 p.m. to skateThe Pavilion, The Pavilion, 1001 SW Bradbury Way, Bend

KIDS CAN ENTER to win a free laptop—must enter online by March 10!

Important Links

Notes from our Team: 

From Sara and Gabe regarding MTSS:

Last month, we came out to interview all the buildings about MTSS. HERE are the trends from those interviews.

Thank you all so much for your time and collaboration so we can move forward in creating a stronger system – your insight and tools were critical! We learned so much!

From Curriculum and Instruction: Winter Progress Monitoring Updates

–Updated Winter Progress Monitoring List

Following the mid-year benchmark, please find the updated Winter Progress Monitoring List above. Our primary goal this semester is to maximize direct instructional minutes; every minute spent on testing is a minute taken away from student learning.

Monitoring Frequency Guidelines

To ensure we are gathering necessary data without over-testing, please adhere to the following schedule:

  • 1st–10th Percentile: Monitor 2x per month.
  • 11th–20th Percentile: Monitor 1x per month.

Efficiency Targets

  • Limit Measures: Use the minimum number of measures required to track growth. Do not over-monitor across multiple sub-skills if one key indicator suffices.
  • Professional Judgment: You know your students best. Please add any students who were omitted from the list but require tracking.
  • Support: If the volume of progress monitoring is impacting your ability to deliver Tier 1 or Tier 2 instruction, please reach out immediately. We are committed to problem-solving solutions that protect your instructional block.

Please share this information with staff members who may not receive this blog.  

Erin’s Law Link Update: The link in the October blog to the Erin’s Law lessons was incorrect.  Here is the correct link.  

From Ryan in HR

I’ve now reviewed all of the responses to the Administrator Preference Survey, thank you for taking the time to complete it.

As a reminder, the goal of the survey is to help better understand your interests, reflections, and professional aspirations as we enter the early stages of planning for the 2026–27 school year and the survey is designed to make sure you have voice in the process.

In a handful of cases, a follow-up conversation would be helpful to clarify interests, better understand context, or talk more about professional goals. If that’s the case, I’ll reach out directly to schedule time. If you don’t hear from me, it simply means your responses were clear and don’t require immediate follow-up at this time.

This is just part of our normal planning rhythm and gives me a clearer picture as we look toward 2026–27. We’re just getting started with that planning, and nothing has been decided.

As always, final assignment decisions are made with the needs of the entire district in mind, and your input informs that work.

If you want to talk through anything you shared (or didn’t share), call, text, or email and we’ll set up time.

From Stephen DuVal, MS Executive Director

Please share the following information with all your 5th grade families as soon as possible. Thanks!

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, March 10. A big milestone is around the corner. Our middle schools are rolling out the welcome mat for Incoming 6th Grade Family Night, and you’re invited to be part of the excitement. This is your family’s first step into the middle school experience!

✨ Tour the campus
✨ Visit classrooms
✨ Meet amazing teachers and staff
✨ Get your questions answered
✨ Start imagining the year ahead

It’s the perfect chance to explore, connect, and get a feel for your new school community. We can’t wait to welcome our future 6th graders and their families!

Action Items

  • Mark your calendars for Elementary Admin PD on March 18th from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm (lunch included)
  • Review Progress monitoring information from Curriculum and Instruction
  • Share Camp Fire events with families

Important Dates

  • March 3: Elementary Horizontal 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. in the Board Room
  • March 4: Educator Network Day
  • March 18: Teacher work day (8 hours) Conferences (4 hours)
  • March 18: Elementary Admin PD 8:00-11:15 a.m. Lunch provided after
  • March 19: Conferences (12 hours)
  • March 20: No School
  • March 23-27: Spring Break!

And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Trevor Arsenault!

Trevor is in his 3rd year as an Assistant Principal for Rosland Elementary! He is a hands-on problem solver who shows up wherever support is needed. A deeply involved father of two daughters, he can often be found at cheer practices and competitions, fully embracing the role of “cheer dad” and learning the ropes along the way. He loves fishing on his boat — a place where he can reset and recharge — but even downtime tends to spark ideas. Trevor is naturally handy and has recently put his new 3D printer to work creating desk organization tools and practical solutions for staff. He designed and built a mobile cart to support classrooms while working in the commons and most recently constructed a projector cart to streamline assemblies. Whether at home, on the water, or supporting classrooms, Trevor brings creativity, reliability, and a builder’s mindset to everything he does. Congratulations Trevor and please let us know your favorite drink and we will Rocket over to Rosland to drop it off!

February 12, 2026

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From Tammy and Karen

2026 Theme for Black History Month: “A Century of Black History Commemoration

As we observe Black History Month, I’m inviting all of us to pause and reflect not just on the few names we hear most often, but on the many Black educators who changed the face of education in America, from the founders of schools and literacy programs to the leaders who fought for equity and opportunity against impossible odds. The list at the link below highlights 50 African Americans whose contributions reshaped how and where learning happens, from those who opened doors for access and inclusion to those who stood on the front lines of academic thought and civil rights. Take a moment this month to explore that collection, learn their stories, and think about how their courage, creativity, and commitment continue to impact classrooms and communities today. (ctulocal1.org)

BLACK HISTORY MONTH: 50 African-Americans Who Forever Changed Education

.Conference Information:

With conferences quickly approaching, we have several topics to go over concerning this time of the year.  

Conference Length Expectations:  In past partnership with the BEA, we landed on the following information.  If a teacher has 25 or less students, their conferences need to be between 25-30 minutes to accommodate for transition times as needed (25 min gives time for a quick restroom break, time in case one goes longer, etc.).  If a teacher has 26 or more students, their conferences can be 20 minutes, giving the teacher the ability to have a few longer ones as well as including transition times if needed.  

How we conference:  The following link to staff is a mutually developed message from Bend-La Pine and BEA that needs to be copied and pasted into your staff newsletter regarding the parameters around “how” we conference.  Following the letter to staff is a link for a family letter you can use to send to your families explaining what may happen if they choose to go on a vacation during conference times. 

Link to message for teaching staff

Letter to Families re: leaving during conferences.  Using this letter is at your discretion.  

Interpreters: Principals, work with your office team to submit your requests for interpreters ASAP via Linguist Link (do not rely on CAFE members at this point–they should be used for back-up only).  Language Specialists and Family Liaisons can help coordinate languages and appointments.  On conference nights, a front-office staff member needs to be available to support interpreters (direct them to their assignment location, clarify scheduling or meeting access info, etc).  

Important Links

Notes from our Team: 

From Dave VanLoo in School Improvement:

NNAT3 Resources: Here is a folder with recent versions of NNAT3 resources including platform and administration user guides, information for identifying new to district students, parent notices, and other documents. If there is anything else helpful you would like added, please let me know. 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1YVGfeexotrnkH6-oMBM33uLVhGsYL_wd?usp=sharing

From Kayla and Scott in Safety

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 Tami Pike – Health Services

As we continue navigating cold and flu season, OSU Extension’s Family and Community Health Department is offering updated High Speed Hand Washing materials for our K–5 classrooms. This method, originally developed and piloted in Central Oregon more than 15 years ago, demonstrated an 82.6% increase in proper handwashing frequency among 1,687 fourth-grade students and has been associated with significantly reduced absenteeism during flu outbreaks. Designed to allow an entire class of 20–30 students to wash their hands thoroughly in under three minutes, the routine supports consistent hygiene before eating or handling food. OSU Extension is hoping to distribute laminated color posters (English, Spanish, or bilingual) across our elementary classrooms and may also offer a brief five-minute demonstration for staff, along with an updated instructional video. Contact Tami if you are interested. This opportunity aligns well with our ongoing focus on healthy habit-building and strong attendance. Please see the linked flyers (English and Spanish) for additional details.

From Scott M. in Technology

Never let an outage go to waste! On Monday,  Clever access was restricted for students and teachers due to an outage.  We know that determining whether something is a “user error” or an actual outage can be frustrating.  

You can reduce your frustration by visiting-https://bls.fyi/status

This handy dashboard lists all of our common tools and their current operational status.  Our team will also update a custom message at the top of the site listing any known issues. Go ahead and bookmark it now.  That way, you can check it out the next time something gets wonky!

Action Items

Important Dates

  • 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.
  • Feb 17-20: Walk throughs with APs
  • February 17: PLC 4, 3:00 – 4:30
  • February 18: All Admin PD 3:00 – 4:30 Perseverance Hall
  • February 24: PLC 3 3:00 – 4:30
  • March 3: Elementary Horizontal 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. in the Board Room
  • March 4: Educator Network Day
  • March 18: Teacher work day (8 hours) Conferences (4 hours)
  • March 19: Conferences (12 hours)
  • March 20: No School
  • March 23-27: Spring Break!

And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Wendy Winchell!

Wendy Winchel has led Westside Village K-8 Magnet School for over 25 years.  It was the brainchild of Wendy and a group, who were at the time, teaching in the basement of the old Kenwood School gym (Kenwood is the current home of Highland Magnet School).  Prior to that, Wendy taught in England for several years, where she first experienced teaching in a more project-based, justice-driven, blended school, where the desire to provide students with an alternative educational experience, different than a more traditional setting was born.  Wendy loves the outdoors, whether it is on an outdoor adventure with the kids at Westside, paddleboarding on local lakes and rivers, or gardening with her husband, she lives for fresh air!  Congratulations Wendy—let us know your drink of choice and we’ll head your way with your goodie. 

January 29, 2026

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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

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:

Spanish StC Flyer

StC 2026 Flyer

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!