Author Archives: Tammy Doty

From Tammy and Karen

It has been a beautiful week! While these summer temperatures definitely make it harder to focus on school, now is the time to keep our momentum going. Our students have gained incredible knowledge over the past several months, our teachers are in a fantastic instructional groove, and the environment is absolutely ripe for putting all that learning into action. You got this!

Just a friendly reminder that Waypoints closes tomorrow (5/22)! Here is some information from Wayfinder for how to check the percentage complete, so you can make sure your school is completed. For grades 3-8, go to the Waypoints tab; the overview shows the percent completed (make sure you are filtered to student-reported and summative). 

For K-2, you cannot see completion rates because they did not complete the summative. Custom Formative assessments (what was created for K-2 in Bend-La Pine) are not tracked for completion. You would have to go into each school and click on each assessment to see completion.

Lastly, a big thank you to Karen, for picking up things for me this week in my absence. My mom is doing very well with her new knee and has been a model patient, but I can’t wait to get back to my own bed! Catch you all next week. Enjoy the 3 day weekend!

Important Links

• May 20^th Elementary TLC Update
• Special EDge   (May 21 Edition)
• 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 Kinsey Martin in Policy and Advocacy:

School Supplies: As you know, state law prohibits us from requiring families to provide school supplies for their children’s education.  Even suggesting contributions in a way that creates undue pressure or expectation for family donations is inappropriate and doesn’t align with our equity values.  Please be sure your staff clearly understand this expectation and the reasons for it.

That said, some families would really like to contribute, and I know we’re all interested in maximizing community support to take the edge off our budgets.  To balance these competing interests, here are some recommended practices:

• Make it very clear to families that there is no obligation for any family to contribute any school supplies. 
• Avoid publishing classroom- or grade-specific “lists” that can create a sense of obligation. 
• Let families know that, for those who have extra supplies at home or who simply enjoy purchasing and contributing supplies to prepare for school each fall, the school will accept voluntary donations of general, unused supplies during your fall Welcome Back/Curriculum Night events. 
• Have school-wide “Optional School Supply Donations” buckets/tubs available in the front lobby during fall events, rather than having families take supplies to a particular teacher or classroom (where donations are more attributable to individual students, which increases pressure).  

Pride Month: June is Pride Month!  Bend-La Pine Schools will have our regular booth at the summer Pride festival on June 6th–drop by and visit!   

Encourage your teachers to cover LGBTQIA2S+ history (supported by Oregon required standards) by implementing some of the lessons, read-alouds, and activities available on our district Equity Resources page (click on Cultural Calendar, then scroll to June).  Here are some teacher prep tips, and/or contact the Advocacy Coaches for instructional support. 

From Directors in Student Services

As we prepare for the end of the year, we wanted to make you aware of a new check-out process that your Learning Specialists, Psychologists, Speech and Language Specialists, and OTs will be doing. Please make sure you have received the green light from Colleen, Josh, or Sara before checking out with you. Here is their process:

Please schedule a bookings appointment or phone call with the records clerks. You may book now but these meetings will not take place until the beginning of June. During this meeting, the Records Clerks will be checking:

• Learning Specialists:
  • All IEPs are completed and finalized
  • All progress notes are completed and finalized
  • All equipment lists are updated
  • High cost and staffing needs are submitted
  • Restraint and Seclusion paperwork have been turned in
  • If required for your role: All Senior Paperwork
• Psychologists:
  • Evaluations finished and uploaded
  • Location of test kits have been verified
  • For PILOT participants: Medicaid logs are completed in SEAS until last day served
• Speech and Language Pathologist:
  • All IEPs are completed and finalized
  • All progress notes are completed and finalized
  • Medicaid logs are completed in SEAS until last day served
  • Evaluations finished and uploaded
  • Audiometers have been turned in
  • If required for your role: All Senior Paperwork
• Occupational Therapists:
  • Feeding protocols have been updated, completed, and sent to records
  • Evaluations finished and uploaded
  • Medicaid logs are completed in SEAS until last day served
  • All equipment lists are updated

When you have completed this meeting and have all of your paperwork complete, the admin who supports your site (Josh, Colleen, or Sara) will let your building administrator know that you have the GREEN LIGHT from Student Services to check-out for the year! 🙂. If you have any questions, please reach out to the coach who supports your site!

From McScott in IT

Due to the recent changes shared by Deputy Superintendent Lisa Birk, we will not be replacing student devices for the 26-27 school year. As a result, we need to make a few adjustments to our previously communicated device roll-in plan.

Elementary and Middle School students will keep the same devices for next school year. With that in mind, please plan to collect and store devices in a manner that works best for you and your building.

From Lisa, Deputy Superintendent

See this Spring Update regarding Technology and Assessments for the 26-27 school year.

From Tami Pike, Director of Health Services

Please review the Bend-La Pine Schools Protocol and Procedures for Management of Concussions ~ May 2026 update. More information about concussions can be found on our BLS website under Health and Wellness.

From Jason Westmorland in IT

Additional updates for discipline audits have been added to the School Discipline Audits analytics report dashboard. Specifically, an updated version of the “Discipline & Attendance Mismatch” report is at the bottom of the dashboard (you will need to scroll down to see it).

Jason Westmoreland [[email protected]] would like additional feedback on this audit specifically. Are there changes that would be helpful, are there any false positive or incorrect entries shown, or is there any confusion surrounding how to resolve the audits?

To access the discipline audits (until we are able to publish this to a PAD Tree location), you will need to use the Quick Launch, by typing ‘Synergy Analytics Home Page’ and selecting the entry.

Once you are on the Synergy Analytics Home Page, click the ‘hamburger’ under the label, and expand the navigation links. Find the Discipline option and select it.

You may be presented with a number of options to choose from (I recommend exploring when you have time), however, to review discipline audits, you will need to select the ‘School Discipline Audits’ dashboard from the Audits group.

Once you have selected the appropriate dashboard, there will be multiple audits available on the page. The new ‘Discipline & Attendance Mismatched’ audit is at the bottom of the page (you will need to scroll down using the far-right scroll bar – multiple scrolls may be nested).

The audit is intended to show you where ISS/OSS discipline and attendance are not matched on a given day. Based on what actually happened with a specific student / disposition, you should correct either the disposition Dates & Days, or the Attendance codes for those days (and appropriate periods).

Remember that you can expand individual reports in the dashboard to expand the entire display window by using the four arrows pointing to the corners. This will expand the report to use the whole screen for easier navigation.

NOTE: If you have questions regarding how to resolve these audits (or any audits on this dashboard) please connect with Jason Westmoreland (x1222)

Please review ALL your audits on this dashboard including the new Discipline & Attendance Mismatched audit. These audits need to be resolved prior to the end of the school year.

From Rodger Moore, Director of Facility 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.

Action Items

• Check your Waypoints report–make sure all assessments are done by tomorrow (Friday)
• Understand School Supply Donation ideas
• Read the Spring Technology and Assessment update for the 26-27 SY
• Review concussion Protocol
• Resolve the Discipline Audits in Synergy
• Take Monday off! Like really, don’t do any work!

Important Dates

• May 22: Waypoints Assessments closes today
• 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: 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–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, Jessica Reilly!

Jessica Reilly is currently in her third year with Bend-La Pine Schools, having brought her leadership to administrative roles at High Desert Middle School and, currently, Silver Rail Elementary. At SRE, Jessica is loved by her students for her deeply empathetic heart and her profound understanding of those who struggle the most. Her impact extends to the staff as well, who recognize her work in leading professional development and trainings. Outside of school, Jessica is an avid reader who loves to snuggle up with a great book, and a passionate online gamer who enjoys connecting with friends in virtual worlds. Don’t let her quiet nature fool you, though—she is also a master of self-defense who can easily take you down if you make a wrong move! Congratulations on being our winner this week, Jessica; let us know what your favorite beverage is, and we will happily bring it your way to celebrate!

From Tammy and Karen

First full week of May and the weather did not disappoint! Sure hope you have all been able to get out and enjoy the sun–it does wonders for the soul!

We know you have all been working hard to show appreciation to your staffs this week and have gotten a kick out of the variety of themes we have seen all around. I mean, a picture of Kit from the early 90’s is kind of hard to beat!

We just wanted to extend our appreciation to you, for entering this busy time of the year with a smile, gratitude, and can-do spirit, even on some heavy days. You’re the best!

Important Links

• May 6th Elementary TLC Update
•  Special EDge   (May 7 Edition)
• 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 Kinsey, Office of Policy and Advocacy

“Do Not Schedule” Dates:    – Action required – 

Here is the updated (26-27 through 28-29 school years) list of key religious observance dates to protect when scheduling any academic or extracurricular events.  This applies to field trips, family nights, info sessions, tests and exams, special one-time assemblies or events, etc. 

Please be sure you have shared that document with all relevant staff: office managers, activities and athletics, counselors, family engagement team, PTA/Booster Club leadership, ICCL team, etc.

Those key observances are also all populated into our 26-27 district-wide Family Engagement calendar in Outlook.  If you add that calendar to your school or dept calendar, those “do not schedule” dates (along with any district-wide family events) will be visible to you, to avoid scheduling conflicts.

From Julie in Curriculum and Instruction

Reminder:  DIBELS starts next week.  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 Ryan in Human Resources

Staffing Update: We are continuing our Classified staffing reconciliation process to ensure that all staff entitled to positions for next school year are appropriately placed. As we complete this work, we are going to temporarily pause posting additional Classified positions until those staff impacted are notified.

We expect communication regarding employees who will be involuntarily transferred to go to building leaders on Wednesday, May 13th, with the expectation that conversations with staff occur by Friday, May 15th.

Following that process, we will move forward with posting Classified positions for next year. In an effort to align our Certified and Classified staffing processes, we will also pause posting new Certified positions for the 2026–27 school year until May 15th.

A quick reminder of expectations under Policy GCPC/GDPC-AP: Reemployment of PERS-Retired Staff. Policy Summary: Employees who retire under PERS may request to continue working through the end of the school year. Requests to be rehired upon retirement must be submitted in writing at least 30 days before the end of the school year.

Approval is based on:

• District need
• Satisfactory performance history

If the request is approved:

• Continued employment is Temporary through June 30
• There is no guarantee of continued employment beyond the current school year
• Final decisions are made at the discretion of the Superintendent or designee

The district may choose to reemploy a PERS retiree beyond the year of retirement:

• Employment may be offered for a maximum of one year for each hiring action
• All employment is Temporary for the single school year
• Licensed staff may be rehired for up to three years following retirement
• Different rules and limitations may apply for licensed and non-licensed staff
• A shortened hiring process may be used

From Jessica Scott, Talented and Gifted Program

Hello–we are asking that each Admin TAG Coordinator send this flier to rising 4th and 5th-grade TAG-identified student families. 

From Scott and Kayla in Safety on behalf of Bend PD

Just giving you a heads up that your school SRO may be contacting you about gathering some student generated art that they can display in the Bend Police Department. We are unsure about the amount of space they have to display these works, so please talk with your SRO before doing anything. There is also talk that it may be theme related (Nature, animals, F1 cars-wink-wink, etc.) Your SRO may know about that as well.  Thanks for considering helping make their space feel fun and celebrated.

Action Items

• Document your “Do Not Schedule” dates for next year and see that they are honored
• Send Julie your DIBELs Schedule ahead of time so the team can come prepared
• Share End of Year assessment windows with teachers and see that all assessments are done
• Share TAG information with rising TAG identified 4th and 5th grade families

Important Dates

• 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, 5:30 at Mt. View High School
• May 19: PLC1 Meeting at Westside Village 3:00 to 4:30
• May 21: Karen Mapp Family Engagement Training–New East Bend library, 8-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

And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner, Brian Uballez !

We are thrilled to celebrate Brian Uballez, who is now in his 6th year as Assistant Principal at Bear Creek Elementary! Brian brings a wealth of experience to the Bears, having previously served as an AP at Sky View and High Desert Middle Schools, as well as a teacher at Pilot Butte. He has a special talent for connecting with students who are having a tough time; his calm and caring approach provides exactly the kind of steady presence they need to feel supported. Outside of school, Brian stays busy embracing the outdoors, whether he’s working on his latest yard projects, mountain biking with Dan, or relaxing at his cabin on the McKenzie. Nature is truly his lifeline! Congratulations, Brian—please let us know your favorite drink so we can bring a treat your way!

From Tammy and Karen

Karen and I just want to acknowledge how hard this week has been and how proud we are of you all for buckling down and doing the hard things. Our rational brains know how the system works with budget reductions; you can’t buy what you want when you don’t have money. But, the decisions, conversations, and feelings that you and your staff are experiencing are about people you care about and it hits right at the heart, and that hurts. Knowing that, take care of yourself and your people. When the time is right, I like leaning into the phrase, “Yes…and….” when it come to things like this. Yes, this is hard, upsetting, confusing, etc….and what new opportunities will present themselves for change, growth, collaboration, etc. that you haven’t thought about before? You got this!

Important: Please update your staffing plans with names, certified and classified as soon as possible. This is necessary for the next conversations around classified employees. In addition, For all the title schools, I have gone into your plans and placed all the certified positions, and in some cases, classified ones as well. Please do not adjust those, as they have been budgeted for and are done. They support your current certified FTE and school improvement plans. As in the past, when the dust settles later this year (August/Sept) we may be able to add more funds to be used for materials and/or classified hours.

Important Links

•  April 22nd Elementary TLC Update
• Special EDge  (April 23 Edition)
• 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 Julie in Curriculum and Instruction

Middle School Transition and Math Bypass Testing for 5th grade: An assessment needs to be given for some 5th grade students who could potentially skip 6th grade math if they meet the requirements. This assessment will only be given to 5th grade students whose teacher nominates them based on their math proficiency being exceptional, parents request their child take the test, or students who nominate themselves. This assessment will use iReady and takes approximately 45 minutes to complete on the iPad.  

FAQ you can provide families

Testing coordinators need to schedule this assessment for some time in May and pull the identified students to a space and administer the assessment before the end of the year. 

From Kinsey in Policy and Advocacy

1. Chronic Absenteeism: Family Engagement and Attendance:  (Action needed)

We know you are working hard to get kids to school.  As part of our broader efforts to improve student attendance under the leadership of Eric and his team, and in alignment with our ongoing work on student voice, dignity, and belonging, in addition to our school design plan improvement cycles, we will be taking a closer look at the connection between family engagement and chronic absenteeism.  Research shows that specific, practical family engagement strategies can significantly improve student attendance across K–12.

On Thursday, May 21 from 8:00–12:00 (and continuing into next school year), national expert Dr. Karen Mapp will join us in person to help us reflect on our current work, identify school-specific and districtwide coordinated efforts, and plan concrete, evidence-based strategies to reduce chronic absenteeism. This is a valuable opportunity to reflect on this year and begin planning for next year.

Your Advocacy ICCL rep will attend, with substitute costs covered by the Office of Policy and Advocacy. If there are one or two additional staff members (ex: family engagement committee members) who would benefit from participating, they are welcome as well—we can support some additional substitute costs; please contact me if interested in adding participants. Please also plan for an administrator to join us. This work will directly inform your 2026–27 school design plan and provide practical tools to strengthen attendance efforts.

More information to follow—for now, please mark your calendar.

2. ELL/Multilingual Services (From Liza):  (FYI)

Hello admin teams! I wanted to inform you about a change in ELPA test scores this school year, per ODE:

• There is a new ELPA score called “Early Proficient.” 
• “Early Proficient” means the student scored very close to proficient, so they may be able to exit English Language Learner (ELL) status.
• Next steps: Language Specialists will connect with the families of students who have scored “Early Proficient” and set up meetings to discuss their options during their case management periods. See the attached family flyer.
• The decision must be made by a parent, guardian, or by the student themselves if they are an adult (18 yrs. or older).  All forms are due by June 11, 2026. 

Your Language Specialist will be connecting with you on this new process.  If you have additional questions, please reach out to me directly. Happy to support!  -Liza

From Jason Westmorland in IT

Admins at schools will need to correct data in the ‘School Discipline Audits’ dashboard prior to June for ODE State Reporting.

NOTE: Due to a bug in Synergy, these reports are being hindered from being published directly to PAD Tree locations / screens in Synergy, however, once those issues are resolved they will be much easier to locate and use (by simply using Quick Launch or PAD Tree navigation). Level Leaders should also have access to these reports & should monitor them to verify their schools are making progress cleaning up audits.

Users may have to sign out and back into Synergy to see these changes.

NEW REPORTS

Currently, there are two dashboards being exposed to Principals & VPs, the ‘School Discipline Reports’ & ‘School Discipline Audits’ Analytics reports.

The ‘School Discipline Reports’ displays reports of incidents at schools for which specific reporting requirements at the district or state level are required. These include:

• Title IX Incidents – Incidents of Title IX (sex-based discrimination) incidents at school
• Title VI incidents – Incidents of Title VI (discrimination based on race, color, or national origin) incidents at school
• Threats / Intimidation – Incidents of Threats or Intimidation at the school
• IAES (Interim Alternate Educational Settings – SPED) – Specific IAES alternate placements for SPED at school
• Expulsions – Specific expulsions at school
• Weapons & Counts – Specific weapon violations & counts by school
• Suicides – Typically these are selected in error, but should be verified.
• Homicides – Typically these are selected in error, but should be verified.

The ‘School Discipline Audit’ displays reports of incidents having some kind of known data entry issues, which will need to be verified / corrected prior to ODE data submission by June. These include:

• Discipline Missing Elements V2 – This audit displays data that is missing or mis-configured for the incidents shown
• Disposition Date Issues – This audit returns incidents / students where the date(s) associated with their State Reportable dispositions have some kind of issue and/or conflict with the ‘Days Assigned’
• Overlapping Dispositions – This audit returns dispositions assigned to students on the same day (totally more than a single day) indicating overlapping discipline
• Attendance vs Discipline Mismatched – This report is currently a work in progress and will be released at a later date before the end of the school year. It will show where suspension data & attendance don’t match.

ACCESSING DASHBOARDS

To access these reports, users will need to navigate to the ‘Synergy Analytics Home Page’ screen (using Quick Launch).

Once in this screen, they will need to locate the ‘hamburger’ icon at the top left and expand the navigation menu.

In the menu, select the ‘Discipline’ category, then locate either of these Analytics dashboards to view the reports they contain.

Each individual report can be expanded to use the whole screen (helpful for smaller screens or for the audits having many columns). You may need to SCROLL DOWN to see all of the reports on a given dashboard.

This can be done using the icon with 4 arrows pointing to each corner.

The SIS_NUMBER and INCIDENT_ID columns contain links to either the Student Incidents or Incidents screens, respectively, in Synergy so you can directly access the discipline data entry elements corresponding to that entry / row.

Additionally, these Analytics reports can be filtered, columns re-ordered or hidden and exported to Excel if needed. For details, connect with Ted Helton or Jason Westmoreland.

IMPORTANT

Items that are displayed in the reports on the ‘School Discipline Audit’ dashboard need to be corrected prior to ODE data submission. Please review these items ASAP.

Policy & Procedure questions should go to Eric Powell [[email protected]], while data entry or issues with Synergy should be directed to Ted Helton [[email protected]] and/or Jason Westmoreland [[email protected]].

If anyone that SHOULD have access to these reports does NOT have access, please contact Ted Helton or Jason Westmoreland.

If you have any other questions or concerns, please let us know as well.

Action Items

• Update staffing plans with names asap
• 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

• April 28: The PLC3PO and We Are the Winners meet from 3:00-4:30
• April 29: Safety Cadre #4 at Pine Ridge, 1:30-3:00
• April 30: Life and Career Readiness Fair
• May 1: Asian Family Night 
• 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 25. Memorial Day Holiday, no School
• May 28: School Design Plan Showcase 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Andy Slavin!

Andy Slavin serves as Principal at Amity Creek Choice Option School, where he has been principal for many years. Under his leadership, Amity has really strengthened it’s identify, focused on student connection, and placed an emphasis on learning. It is also a place that feels like home, and you feel that, as you walk around the building with him and students say, “Hi Andy!”, “Andy, watch this…” or you attend morning meeting with the entire school and parent community. Andy has had an amazing education journey, spending a lot of time in education overseas, most notably in Bali! Can you imagine? When he is not at school, he loves hanging with his grandchildren (who also attend Amity), traveling with his wife, and especially enjoying the great outdoors. Congratulations Andy! Let us know your coffee order and we’ll head your way!

From Tammy and Karen

I have been in awe with the Artemis II astronauts this past week. So much about this mission seems unfathomable, yet here they are, 4 human beings (and many more people on earth), making this amazing mission happen. They will have traveled 695,080 miles by the time they return, with a maximum distance of being 252,756 miles away from earth. Now that is a lot of frequent flier miles! As impressive as all the math and science is that makes all this happen, the expertise, teamwork, and camaraderie of the crew is equally impressive. Here’s wishing them the best as they are set to splash down in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of San Diego on Friday night at 8:07.

ECSC Transition Meetings: Many of you are getting ready to start ECSC transition meetings for your incoming kindergarteners next year. Here is some guidance we have put together to help you know how to make sure your kindergarten teachers, who are being asked to attend the meetings are being covered with subs, or in some instances, compensated for their time.

Guidance for upcoming ECSC transition meetings (* is from the contract):

• *The district will provide substitute release time or compensation for preparation for, as well as attendance at ECSE meetings. 
• *Kindergarten teachers who are required to attend ECSE meetings will be compensated at the certified employee’s per diem rate unless a substitute is provided to allow for such meetings to occur within the workday. 
• *If the certified employee volunteers to attend such a meeting outside of the workday, such member shall be compensated at their per diem hourly rate.
• Kindergarten teachers can attend IEP meetings for their current students during their scheduled prep time. However, if a teacher misses their prep time to attend ECSC meetings (requiring sub coverage), they must either be provided with equivalent makeup prep time or be compensated at their per diem hourly rate.
• If Kindergarten teachers attend ECSC transition meetings after the student contact day during a designated ‘work day’ (2:30–3:15 PM), they will be compensated at their per diem hourly rate. If other meetings are scheduled during that time—such as staff meetings, PLCs, MTSS, committees, etc.—the teacher will be excused to attend the ECSC meeting instead.

Important Links

•  April 8th Elementary TLC Update
•  Special EDge   April 9th
• 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 Julie, in Curriculum and Instruction

Here is the list of sessions for Educator Network Day on April 15^th from 2:05-3:15.  

Admin:  Please note your location for the session.  Also, please plan to participate in the session you are attending. 

For our virtual hosts, A link will be sent to you with a list of participants and a zoom link to the session.  Please plan to email participants the zoom link about 30 minutes before the session begins.  Plan to take attendance.  Virtual sessions are below:

• Tammy- TDG
• Karen and Anna- NEWSELA
• Gary and Laci- Wayfinder

From Triz in Human Resources

Hope you all continue to cruise through your evaluation process and have experienced some relief in getting all the steps complete.  Just a friendly reminder that we need to have files dropped into your provided Google Files as well as the workbooks for HR to have access.  If you are having any issues with the sheet, please remember to reach out to Jessica Lamay or me.

We should be starting the summative cycle for classified staff, so if you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.  

Thank you again for all your work on these!

Classified Eval Guide

Certified Evaluation Guide

Helpful hints about uploading to your google drives.

Click the link to open the Rubric.

Choose the Download Icon to download and save your own copy to complete digitally complete or print and complete.

Save and/or upload with the correct naming convention to your provided Google folder and the correct employee spot in your workbook.

Linking Files:

Once you’ve dropped your files into the shared site folders  

Please be sure to link them into the correct column of your workbook. 

See steps in the samples below:

2. Click to select the file you are attaching in the workbook.
3. Click the ‘chain link’ icon to copy the link to that file -OR- Ctrl/Command+C.

2. Click on the ‘File Chip’ in the corresponding row and column for that employee/eval piece. Ctrl/Command+V -OR- Right mouse click, then click Paste, to attach the file.
3. Tab -OR- click on the file name pop-up (as above) to complete the attachment.
4. File is attached.

From Tami Pike in Nursing

From Kinsey, Policy and Advocacy

May Day. May Day (May 1st) celebrates the labor movement and workers’ rights, and is often recognized internationally with protests and rallies.  This year, a national “Day Without Immigrants” is also being planned on the same date.  

Locally, there are some community groups organizing strikes and community action on May 1st.  They are hoping our educators and students will participate in their May Day Strike, and have asked the district to support by facilitating student/staff absences and allowing teams of community volunteers to do service projects on our campuses as a form of the protest on that day. 

As you know, our neutrality here is important.  If you get similar requests for your school to engage in this effort, here are a few tools:

• Our response to their request—feel free to borrow any of this language;
• Our guidance on participating in protests;
• Please let us know if you believe your school will be impacted by substantial student or staff absences that Friday, so we can support you;
• Media inquiries should be directed to Communications.  

Other Dates For Your Calendars: 

Thurs, May 14 = Latino Family Night and KínderFiesta*   *These can be found on our district Outlook Family Engagement calendar

• Thurs, April 30 = Life and Career Readiness Fair*
• Fri, May 1 = Asian Family Night*

From our Middle School Partners

Our middle school partners either will be reaching out or already have reached out regarding information on your 5^th grade students.  They are looking for data around supports as well as critical need to know information.  Please be on the look out for this and ensure your teams are responding to these requests in the desired time frame.  Thank you!

From Ryan in Human Resources

Next week, we’ll be sending out the complete list of each site’s Excellence in Education honoree.

Emails inviting each honoree to the recognition event will go out on Thursday, April 23.

Before that goes out, pleaes take a moment to notify their honorees directly.

We encourage you to start thinking about how you can deliver the news in a celebratory fashion – announce it at a staff meeting, share it in front of peers, or however feels right for your setting. These recognitions reflect the incredible work happening across our system, and we want the entirety of the process to feel meaningful.

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

Action Items

• Look at your Educator Network Day assignment for Wednesday and plan on attending and supporting the instructor, whether it is live or virtual
• Follow the directions for end of the year summative evals that Triz sent–make sure you can access them and get questions answered before you need it
• Orient yourself with the May Day protest information and how to respond
• 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.

Important Dates

• 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 Jesse Rasmussen!

Congratulations to this week’s winner, Jesse Rasmussen, Principal at RE Jewell. Prior to being the Principal at Jewell, Jesse was the Assistant Principal and a teacher at there as well. One could say that the Jaguar pride runs deep with him! Jesse has had a worldly upbringing and education. From growing up in Africa to spending three years teaching in the Middle East, he has experienced diverse educational environments firsthand. Jesse and his wife, who is also a teacher in the district, are proud parents to 3 amazing daughters, who have all had the opportunity to attend school with him at Jewell. When he is not “principaling”, Jesse enjoys various hobbies, from designing board games, painting figurines for the games, and getting energized weekly on the Taekwando mat. Please let us know your drink of choice Jesse and we’ll deliver!

From Tammy and Karen

#1. We hope you all enjoyed our PLC and mClass time as much as we did yesterday! Thinking about all the different topics that the 4 PLCs will be digging into these next few months is exciting. Thank you for all your engagement in the activities. Here are the slides from the PLC time. If you did not take the PD survey, please remember to do that.

#2 We also received the following email today from Amplify in regards to the survey they gave. We know you care about being team players and supporting our partners. Please take a moment and respond to their ask:

“Charmaine mentioned that each session had about 15–20 participants, and we’ve only received a handful of responses to our survey. The feedback is really important for understanding how the session went for our team.

Could you send out a quick reminder to the participants with the survey link? Getting more feedback will help us. You can copy paste the line below:

The Amplify PD team values and is looking for your feedback. If you haven’t done so already, please take a moment to complete the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AmplifyPDsurvey with Customer Code (for the 1st session at 8am): 1087315 and Customer Code (for the 2nd session at 9:45am): 1087316.”

#3. Last minute reminder that staffing plans are due before you take off tomorrow for spring break! Karen and I are work tomorrow and part of next week and need your plans for the tasks we have to accomplish. Thank you!

#4 Lastly, we hope you have an amazing week off, taking time to rest, enjoying the special people in your life, filling your lungs with fresh air, and doing all your favorite things! Be safe and we will see you all on the flip side of break!

Important Links

• March 18th Elementary TLC Update
• Please read this week’s Special EDge    (March 12)
• 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 Rodger Moore, Director of Facility Operations

I am writing to inform you of an upcoming adjustment to our landscape irrigation practices in response to current budget constraints.

To ensure responsible resource management, the district will be implementing a strategic reduction in landscape irrigation across our campuses. As a result, overall landscape aesthetics may fall below our typical district standards in certain areas. You can expect to see dry or brown grass in locations where reduced irrigation will not impact student use or safety.

Please note that maintaining safe and functional environments remains our top priority. Athletic fields and high-use play areas will continue to receive focused irrigation to ensure they remain green, safe, and suitable for student activities.

We appreciate your understanding as we take these necessary steps to balance fiscal responsibility with the needs of our students and facilities. If you have any questions or would like additional details, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

From Michelle Rhoads in Transportation

Please orient yourself and pass on to your PE teachers, this attached information page about an upcoming professional development opportunity related to bicycle safety. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me to answer questions. A separate day for the La Pine Schools will be held on April 15.

From Lisa–Acting Superintendent in Dr. Cook’s Absence

Join us virtually March 31 for staff updates

Acting Superintendent Lisa Birk will host an update for all District staff on Tuesday, March 31, with two 30-minute virtual sessions:

• Session 1 – 3:05 – 3:35 p.m. (LINK to join Session 1)
• Session 2 – 3:50 – 4:20 p.m. (LINK to join Session 2)

Action Items

• Complete Amplify and BLS PD surveys from yesterday
• Complete your initial thinking for staffing plan by end of day today
• Pass on the PE professional learning to your PE teachers

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 TBD
• April 15: Educator Network Day for SIW
• April 21: PLC3-PO and Phly Like Canadians meet from 3:00-4:30
• April 28: The #1 PLC and We Are the Winners meet from 3:00-4:30

And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Gary DeFrang!

This week’s Duck winner is Gary DeFrang, Principal at Lava Ridge. Gary has been an administrator in our district longer than most of us (22 years!) splitting his time of service between High Desert Middle School and Lava Ridge Elementary. He is the proud dad of two amazing boys, who have and are attending Bend-La Pine Schools. Fun fact, did you know that Gary was a collegiate swimmer at the University of Washington, where he was a standout on the team? He often lead the Huskies with his powerful backstroke! You can still find Gary to this day, swimming regularly to keep up with all those lions on the playground.

From Tammy and Karen

We just wanted to take a moment to extend appreciation for you and they way in which we will all be working together to navigate this next season of staffing with grace and understanding. To reiterate what Lisa said, it is important that we are all the face of optimism and positivity as we eventually roll out information to staff and support the work moving forward. Confidentiality is of the utmost importance, so when in doubt of whether or not you can say something, please reach out to us for clarification before saying anything.

Karen and I will be reaching out to get some time with each of you as we get your staffing plans. We will be delivering them to you at that meeting.

Updated Conference Guidance for Teachers: Below is a link to updated guidance for teachers on how they can conference with staff. This was discussed with BEA and you all, so the hope is it provides clarity to the concerns. Not a lot is different, just said differently to hopefully add clarity. Please share with staff and reach out with any questions.

Conference Information for Teachers

Repeat–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.

Important Links

• March 4th Elementary TLC Update
• Please read this week’s Special EDge    (March 5)
• 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 in Safety

Reminder that Wednesday, March 11 is our Safety Cadre Training #3

• Secondary- 8:00AM-9:30AM in the HDMS Library
• Elementary- 1:30PM-3:00PM in the NSE Library

We will be having an informational presentation from our Deputy District Attorney on the juvenile justice process followed by a tabletop exercise. Please coordinate with your level-leader to have one member of your admin team present.

From Ryan in HR

Last week, I shared the forms to submit names of the Certified and Support Staff you’d like to recognize as part of our Excellence in Education program. Resharing the links here with a reminder that nominations are due by Friday March 20th. Timely submission allows the next portion of the process to move forward so that everything can be ready in advance of the recognition evening, May 13th.

• The Certified Staff Nomination form is here: https://forms.gle/uN8bDYzrRFFo65nH9
• The Support Staff Nomination form is here: https://forms.gle/ofLPgm3NoN5AmM4f7              

If you need the names of previous honorees from your site, please email me and I will share those with you.

From Julie in Curriculum and Instruction

Here is the form to fill out to confirm Erin’s Law has been taught in your building.  Please send to April J when complete.  

Here is the spreadsheet for SB 1003 (Dyslexia Legislation).  This spreadsheet tells you which Kindergarten students will need a letter at Spring conferences.  Click on your school and look for a green highlighted section that says, “April notifications”.  Print and fill out letters and have teachers go over with families at conferences.  If you have a student that it doesn’t make sense to send a letter for just let me know and I will remove their name (i.e. newcomer).  

Thank you and let me know if you have any questions. 

From Kinsey in Policy and Advocacy

Community Engagement Visits:   -Action requested-

Don’t forget about the chance to win a gift card ($25-$49.99) to places like El Sancho, Spork, downtown shops, and more!  A little motivation and token of appreciation for getting outside your building/office and into the community we serve.  (Bingo card here.)    

Thanks to all who visited The Giving Plate and Bethlehem Inn!  (If you missed those, it’s not too late–reach out to me.)  Our next community partner visit is in April, to the Latino Community Association.  Sign up here to participate.  

While this time of year feels particularly busy, these visits (and/or the average home visit) last 30 minutes or less, and hopefully leave you re-energized and reminded of your ‘why.’  This visit is also a tangible action you can take to support your immigrant and Latino families right now.  

Also, for those of you who recently visisted the Kids’ Center with our awesome safety team: Use that as one of your “optional” spots on your Bingo card.  One step closer to your prize!  🙂

Fundraising Listening Sessions:  -Action needed-

Don’t forget to sign up to attend one of the Fundraising and Donations update sessions.  Your parent leaders, coaches, and community members will be getting this information the following week, so we want you to feel informed and be able to give any final input.  See email from Kinsey sent Feb 27 for details (one admin per building, AD, Activities, etc).    

Taking It Up:   -Action needed-

If you have not yet attended Taking It Up, please talk with your Level Leader about their expectation for your participation in this workshop (register here).  I can cover a sub for your admin duties those two days.  Please also include this invitation in your next staff communication, and encourage folks to represent your school/dept in attending.

Black History Month Door-Decorating Contest: 

Wow–we had great participation rates this year, with kindergarten through adult groups submitting entries!    Check out the submissions.  Tomorrow, winners will be contacted via email (we’ll copy building admin so you know if you have a winner in your building–they will also be featured on social media this month) to celebrate and get them their prizes.  

Family Nights:

Save the dates: Asian Family Night = Friday, May 1; Latino Family Night = Thursday, May 14.  (These are on our district Family Engagement calendar in Outlook.)  More information to follow!

Action Items

• Fill out Excellence in Ed Nomination by 3/20
• Document Erin’s Law being taught
• For Conferences, print out and pass out to identified students, the Dyslexia Law paperwork
• Sign up for an LCA (Community Engagement Bingo) visit
• Sign up and/or share about Taking It Up workshop
• Sign up for a fundraising policy listening session if you haven’t already
• Safety Cadre Meeting—3/11. See you there!

Important Dates

• March 8 Daylight Savings Time—jump ahead one hour today!
• March 9. Fundraising Conversation, Board Room 10:00-11:15 (option1)
• March 11 Safety Cadre Meeting at North Star Elementary 1:30-3:00
• March 11 Fundraising Conversation, Board Room 3:00-4:15 (option 2)
• 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 Carl Hjeresen!

Carl Hjeresen (pronounced: year-uh-sun) is in his third year as Assistant Principal at La Pine Elementary. Prior to that, Carl was Student Services at Rosland Elementary for 2 years. Fun fact, way back when, Carl started his teaching career at La Pine Elementary, so he has come full circle! Another fun fact, is it was at LPE that he met this amazing 4th grade teacher, named Tracy, who later became his wife! Carl and Tracy have two amazing kids, Hadley and Tate, who are their pride and joy, and also the source of a very busy life for the Hjeresen family, going from sport to sport each season and weekend. Carl and his family, like some of you, had the opportunity to teach overseas in the middle east for several years, where they got to enjoy new cultures, new friends, and an adventurous life. We are so glad they came back, as Bend-La Pine is so lucky to have them here making a difference in the lives of so many every day! When he has a little extra time, you can probably find Carl on the golf course with a brother or two, having the time of their lives! Congratulations Carl! Let us know your drink of choice!

From Tammy and Karen

When I read the quote above, it reminded me of our PLC group 4 meeting this week. We were sharing the observations admin had made, specific to discourse, they were looking for during mini observations over the last few weeks. One of the take aways was that when we focus on something we had not been specifically focusing on ( like the types and quantity of discourse) during a classroom visit, we start to see discourse everywhere. What is something you may be struggling with, but can look at differently? What one sees as a problem, another sees an opportunity!

In addition to PLCs this week many APs have been trying out a new observation tool created from the 5D framework and incorporating some debrief questions for each dimension. Strong instructional leaders have quality debrief conversations in which teachers leave knowing what is going well and having next steps to move student learning forward. Here is a link to the tools. The first couple of pages are overviews of the 5 dimensions and look-fors (thanks for the model Beth!) The next pages are the 5 dimensions made to print back to back. Feel free to check them out and use them. We are open to feedback as we want to design a tool that supports you and your teachers. Based on feedback from a group, the tool is designed to collect information on the front and having the debrief questions and next steps on the back.

Important Links

• February 18th Elementary TLC Update
• Special EDge    (February 19)
• NEW: BLS School Libraries Newsletters!
• 1-Page Student Management guide
• Dates to recognize groups (Coming soon: March 2-6 Classified Appreciation Week)
• CPI Trained Staff List (let Sara Young know if you see staff who are not at your school)

Notes from our Team: 

From Jennifer in Student Well Being

🎉In honor of School Social Work Week and Classified Appreciation Week (March 2 -6th), we want to take a moment to specifically honor our Student Success Coordinators, Clinicians, Instructors, and Educational Assistants.

The ongoing need for specialized and compassionate support for students makes the Student Success team a central role in bridging the gap between home and school, ensuring that social, emotional, and mental health needs are met with expertise and empathy.

Whether they are providing intensive care coordination, fostering family engagement, or offering a steady hand during a mental health crisis, they work to bridge between a student “getting by” and truly thriving. The effort they put into building safe, trusting relationships that extend from the classroom to the home with students is essential.

Please take a moment at your school the first week of March to thank them for their service!

🌟 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.

This reflection helps us continue strengthening a comprehensive, responsive support system for all students across Bend-La Pine Schools. Your presence matters as we celebrate growth, learn from one another, and look ahead to the next year of impact. I will send a calendar invite for each school. We hope you’ll join us! (From Tammy and Karen—it is an expectation that every school who has a counselor sends at least one administrator to the presentations.)

Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Elementary School | 7:30–10:30 a.m.
Location: Education Center Boardroom & Room 312

From Kinsey–Office of Policy and Advocacy

Guidance on Email Communications and Student Information:

Here is the guidance we reviewed at horizontals recently, and the quiz activity you can use when introducing this to staff.  Please don’t only email this guidance out to staff—it’s not urgent, but take some time to review and discuss it together at some point between now and your August launch next year.  

Policy Updates:  Here is the policy we reviewed and discussed together recently.  This sets out specific expectations for administrators, certified educators, and all employees.  As a reminder, it replaces and covers Staff Responsibilities, Assignment, Employee Dress Code, and more.  Worth being very familiar with!

Here is our policy on showing movies/films in class.  As discussed, it’s not necessarily intuitive in all cases—please share with your teachers. 

Ramadan and Religious Practices: This week marked the beginning of Ramadan, which continues through March 19. Please be mindful of both employee and student needs related to religious observances:

If an employee requests accommodations for fasting or prayer (or any other religious purpose throughout the year), contact me so we can ensure we meet our Civil Rights obligations and coordinate with Benefits.

Please also remind your staff that students may request accommodations related to religious observances. This could include adjustments connected to fasting, prayer, PE participation, or assessments. When these arise, loop me in so we can support the student’s civil rights appropriately and consistently. 

From Andrea in Human Resources

A friendly reminder to please make sure anyone helping with school traffic or crossing guard duties is wearing a high-visibility vest and/or clothing.

Wearing a vest helps reinforce safe practices for our students and families. We appreciate your attention to this and your continued support in keeping our campus safe.

If your site needs a vest, please email Andrea Wilson.

In the spirit of the Olympics, here is an opportunity you may be interested in

Last year, Silver Rail, Elk Meadow, and Bear Creek hosted Paralympian, Rudy Garcia‑Tolson as a guest speaker during an assembly, and the impact was tremendous. Rudy presents on national stages, yet has a unique ability to connect meaningfully with elementary students through stories, humor, and hands‑on interaction with his prosthetics.

This May, Rudy will again be in Central Oregon. His travel, lodging, and most of his time are being covered by the Dean Family Kids Triathlon, making school visits highly accessible.

Why it aligns well with elementary priorities:

• PBIS Support: Rudy’s message reinforces core PBIS themes—perseverance, positive choices, resilience, and inclusive community behavior. Schools last year shared that his assembly strengthened their existing PBIS culture.
• Career Readiness: As the first double amputee to complete an Ironman, a five‑time Paralympian, and a gold‑medal athlete, Rudy provides a powerful example of goal-setting, grit, and exploring future possibilities—foundational elements of early career readiness. 

He can present between two to three schools per day, and typically schools contribute a $500 honorarium (often funded through PTO or PBIS/SEL allocations).

If you’re interested in scheduling Rudy, please reach out to Mark Dean (503-403-8548) for available times and additional details. You can also connect with any of last year’s hosts—Brian Raber, Mary Dean, Amanda Gylling, Lindsey Manitsas—to hear firsthand about the student impact.

Action Items

• Mark your calendar for the counselor presentations (6/2, from 7:30-10:30 at the Ed Center)
• Be mindful of our new policies and Ramadan practices
• Make sure everyone on crosswalk and parking lot (and recess) duty has a reflective vest!! Yes, you too!

Important Dates

• February 24: PLC3PO at Silver Rail 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
• 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 (3-4 hours–more to come)
• March 19: Conferences (12 hours)
• March 20: No School
• March 23-27: Spring Break!

And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Amanda Gylling!

Amanda Gylling is currently in her first year as Assistant Principal at Juniper Elementary, where she has increased her leg strength going up and down all those steps! Prior to Juniper, Amanda was AP at Elk Meadow for two years, Student Services at Bear Creek, Student Services in Redmond and a teacher at Lava Ridge! She has lots of experiences to draw from. In case you don’t know Amanda that well yet, she is the world’s best baseball mom, as she and her husband (who is also a teacher and coach in BLS) travel all over supporting their son and his ball team, who were playing at the national level last year. On any given weekend in the spring and summer, she can be found on the ball field. She also has an amazing therapy dog, who occasionally makes an appearance for all the wildcats at Juniper to enjoy. Congratulations Amanda! Let us know your beverage of choice and we will deliver!

 

From Tammy and Karen

2026 Theme for Black History Month: “A Century of Black History Commemorations” 

The 2026 theme marks exactly 100 years since the first national observance began in 1926. It focuses on the historical evolution of these commemorations and their role in the pursuit of racial justice and equality.

What are you doing in your building to celebrate? We’ll be decorating our door to room 332!

Kindergarten Orientation Preparation: Yay!! It’s that time of the year to start preparing for kindergarten spring orientation. Can you believe it? There are two things you need to do now to be ready. First, identify your spring orientation date, time, and what you will be doing. This is important to do now because we need to post it on our website for families. Becca mentioned needing to post, because we have families already looking for the information. Please add your date, time and activity to this list.

The next thing is to review this document, and make sure you use this when planning.

We hope that you have been able to get out and enjoy the amazing sun and warm temperatures that we have had this week. Get ready, some colder air is on it’s way!

Wayfinder Help–please share with your teachers!

Wayfinder is seeking your feedback on the updated Wayfinder Elementary Core Curriculum for the 2025–26 school year. If you used the Wayfinder curriculum in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years, please click here to complete a brief, four-question survey to share your feedback. Your insights are invaluable as Wayfinder continues to refine and improve its curriculum to better support teachers and students.

Important Links

• February 4th Elementary TLC Update
• Special EDge   (February 5)
• 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 Lisa, Deputy Superintendent:

Assessment Team: As you know, SB141 will require interim assessments in grades K-8 for reading and mathematics to begin in the fall. In mid-February, we will know the identified assessments and logistics related to their implementation. We would like a team of administrators and teachers to review tools, give input, and consider implementation plans in preparation of this requirement taking place in our district. If you would like to be considered to be part of this group, please add your name to the following sign-up sheet by February 13th. SB141 Assessment Consideration Team

Data Team: Throughout this year, we have spent time considering data related to EWS and MTSS needs for our teams. However, as an administrator it is likely that you have specific data that you’d like to be able to see about your school frequently to help guide your training, actions, and team plans. I would like to bring a team of administrators together to discuss what would be most beneficial to have access to in a dashboard format that you would be able to consistently access daily to lead your school best. If you have ideas and would like to join this team, please sign up using the following sheet by February 13th. Data Dream Team

SIF Budgets: When you receive your budget for next year, you will notice that SIF will no longer be a separate budget tab.  In the past, these dollars were governed by a grant and required specific spending approval. That is no longer the case and remains as an extra hurdle for our business office. To streamline processes, it will be included in the dollars for your general fund moving forward. Your level leader will continue to meet with you for general budgeting guidance as always.

From Kinsey in Office of Policy and Advocacy

Family-teacher conferences:

Please work with your language specialist and family liaison to submit ASAP your interpreter needs for conferences.  Remember to schedule blocks/back-to-back appointments for families who need interpreters, to the extent reasonable.  This helps maximize interpreter resources, which will be tight this year.

Also, please remind staff that virtual interpreters are perfectly acceptable and sometimes even better quality than in-person services.  If the Linguist Link team says an interpreter will be available virtually for your request, the teacher(s) should provide a link to their Teams/WebEx/etc account (send the link to the language specialist and/or paste into the Linguist Link request), and pull up the interpreter on their iPad or laptop during the conference.   We are prioritizing in-person interpreters for secondary conferences, given the format of those conferences.  

Someone should be available in your front office during all conference hours, to greet interpreters and point them in the direction of their assigned rooms, and/or to answer phone calls if interpreters are trying to log into a virtual appointment and getting locked out.  Interpreter no-show?  CAFE Program members can step in in a pinch, as available.

Remind teachers to honor family requests for virtual or phone conferences, within reason (if you need reminders about what’s ‘within reason,’ check in with your liaison or ELL specialist for details).

From Jess Scott about TAG:

TAG Support: In addition to the four elementary and middle school PD sessions offered throughout the year, I am happy to meet one-on-one with assistant principals to provide support with complex TAG case studies or to further walk through the TAG identification process. These individual conversations can be a helpful space to ask questions and talk through specific situations. Please feel free to reach out to Jessica Scott to coordinate a time to meet.

From Triz in Human Resources

Any new classified staff member hired after tomorrow, Friday February 6, 2026, will not need to have a summative evaluation completed for the 25-26 school year.  Classified employees hired as of February 9, 2026, through the end of the year, will participate in goal setting in the fall and be evaluated for the 26-27 school year.  Please let me know if you have any questions/concerns.

From Sean in Student Services:

Hi All! This has been sent out to selected teachers and SSC’s.  We want to expand to invite administrators or anyone on Kinseys team.  COREN has provided us 25 subs for the first 25 folks that register that need subs.  

Collaborative Problem Solving Training: We wanted to reach out and share an upcoming Collaborative Problem Training for Educators this March. The training is free, and slots will be limited. 

Please check out the Collaborative Problem Solving Flyer and Registration Link to learn more!

From Ryan in Human Resources:

Elementary and Middle School Admin  Human Resources will be sending an Extra Duty Attestation Form to employees we have on record as currently serving in the Elementary Music Director, Elementary Yearbook Advisor, and Elementary OBOB Advisor roles prior to their formal inclusion on the Extra Duty Schedule, as well as to the building principal for verification.

These roles were added to the Extra Duty Schedule through agreements between the District and BEA. 

The form is intended to document prior service – within Bend-La Pine Schools or in other districts – so that employees can be accurately placed on the Extra Duty Salary Schedule. Employees will be asked to complete, sign, and return the form, with the supervising administrator reviewing and confirming the information.

The Middle School OBOB Advisor role was also added to the Extra Duty Schedule. Because we in HR do not have a record of who may be serving in this role, Human Resources will send the attestation form to all middle school Principals to share with the individual currently performing these duties, if applicable, for completion and return.

Please let Ryan know if you have any questions.

From Dave in School Improvement

“Testing season” is quickly approaching. Here are a few resources to help with planning and organization. Please reach out with any questions or suggestions. I’m happy to come out and meet with you as is helpful, especially with anyone who may be new to testing-related roles.

• Here is an updated for 2025-26 OSAS Essential Information and Planning Resources document for school test coordinators. This resource is meant to compliment ODE’s resources and highlight some of the most important big ideas.  This document will be updated as needed. Note that we have made a change to the opt-out and exemption tracking tool to streamline it and make it easier to use. Please save and use as a resource https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tTBz01GxuRhjZvxM8RoqF02uGBuRM4c2daIoPlv7f4Q/edit?usp=sharing 
• I’m resending this high-level summary of 25-26 test and survey timeframes. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PTS5BYZPRJTJcmcB1o_Fb3nFEVmoQlec3xnE2-uQNWQ/edit?usp=sharing 
• I’m also resending this document that summarizes key purposes and scheduling considerations of many commonly used tests in the district. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Qe6LnQ2IOKwaWUne6TF-AIctTlDAQHh2Y6taoAhFL8Y/edit?usp=sharing 

First District Cup Golf Tournament will be May 15 at River’s Edge

Bend Tech Academy Business Leadership is excited to announce the first District Cup Golf Tournament at River’s Edge on May 15 starting at 4:30 p.m.

Participation is open to District staff. So far, teams have registered representing our School Resource Officers, Information Technology, and Bend Tech Academy. Registration deadline is April 15. The entry fee is $200 per team plus cart fees.

Action Items

• Share Wayfinder survey ask with teachers
• Add Date, Time, and Activity to the Kindergarten Spring Orientation List
• Let Lisa know here if you want to be on the assessment team: SB141 Assessment Consideration Team
• Let Lisa know here if you want to be on the Data Dream Team
• Get a jump on planning for interpreters at Spring Conferences
• Please check out the Collaborative Problem Solving Flyer and Registration Link if you want
• Look for the Extra Duty Attestation form from HR and fill out when you get it

Important Dates

• 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.
• Feb 17-20: Hope to schedule next rounds of walkthroughs this week—this time APs!
• 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. in the Board Room
• March 4: Educator Network Day

And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner John Craft!

John is in his fourth year as the Assistant Principal at Miller Elementary, where he has been dabbling in principalship as acting principal this winter. Prior to that, he was Assistant Principal at Silver Rail for one year. Most of you who have been in the district for a while, probably know John best, as one of our Instructional Tech coaches, where he would come out to our schools and dazzle us with his tech knowledge and ideas for integrating technology into our day. When not at school, you may find John running all over local trails, flying by on his bike, or swimming in a nearby body of water. Put all that together and you have a triathlete! A very humble one, as John’s accomplishments would make your jaw drop. (Think qualifying for the Hawaiian Iron man in Kona!). Education runs in the family, as John’s wife and sister work for BLS as well. Congratulations John–let us know your drink of choice and we will deliver!

T

From Tammy and Karen

Nothing like a week shrouded in low clouds and chilly fog to make you crave some good crusty bread and a hearty bowl of soup! Here is one of my favorite recipes, “Zuppa Toscana”, otherwise known as the Olive Garden soup. Enjoy!

Here is the link to the January Slide deck from Horizontal. Remember, there is a link to the Core Effectiveness meeting slides for your mid year review. This is also mid-SLGG review time. Don’t forget to check in with your staff on their goals (there is no where to document the conversation in the eval system, but please make sure to have these conversations.). Tammy and Karen will connect about SLGGs at upcoming site visits. In the meantime, Here is the SLGG form that your teachers and you will use to fill out your SLGGs as well as a list of plug and play SLGGs for everyone in your building.  

Important Links

• January 21st Elementary TLC Update
•  Special EDge   (January 22)
• 1-Page Student Management guide
• Dates to recognize groups (Coming up: School Counseling week–first week of Feb!)
• CPI Trained Staff List (let Sara Young know if you see staff who are not at your school)

Notes from our Team: 

From Andrea in Human Resources

❄️ Cold Weather Reminders from Human Resources ❄️

While our winter has been relatively mild thus far, we wanted to share a few helpful reminders – just in case Old Man Winter decides to show up! Please be sure to review our Inclement Weather Guidelines.

If winter weather does roll in, remember to: 

• Don’t forget to walk like a penguin – short steps, slow and steady wins the race.
• Give yourself extra travel time (driving and walking),
• Bundle up and wear weather-appropriate footwear,

From Kayla in Safety

Reminder for recess/lunch winter weather guidance:  When the outside temperature falls to 20°F or below (not including wind chill), the administration will use caution when allowing outdoor school activities(This information is found in the Quick Reference Guide for Emergencies aka “the Red Green”). See the NOAA Windchill chart here. 

Administrators have the discretion to send students outside in inclement weather. For example, it could be above 20°F but extremely icy, so you may decide to keep students inside. 

From Becca in Communications

It’s never too early to get Educators’ Night Out at the High Desert Museum on your calendars! The annual back-to-school night for teachers is Thursday, September 24, 2026. All educators are invited to network with community organizations to support and enhance their upcoming school year. 

As we look toward spring and getting our own school open houses on calendars, we can leave this date open for our staffs. In other words, please do not schedule your Open Houses on this date, so that your staff can attend. Thank you!

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:  

• Certificate of Appreciation
• Sign
• NSCW Toolkit
• Promo Kit

Action Items

• Download the Core Effectiveness Slides
• Review and share Inclement Weather Guidelines
• Review inside recess guidelines
• Block out September 24 as a “no evening event” for the fall to attend Educators Night Out
• Get ready to celebrate School Counseling week!

Important Dates

• January 27: PLCs 3 and 4 from 3:00 – 4:30
• January 28: All Admin PD 3:00 – 4:30 Perseverance Hall
• January 30: Progress Reports – No school for students (review BEA Article 15.8 regarding working from home that day for certified members)
• February 3: Horizontal Meeting 3:00 – 4:30 at Bear Creek in the Library
• 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

And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Brooke Catterson!

It’s back to back Porcupines, with this week’s winner being, Brooke Catterson! Brooke is Assistant Principal at Ponderosa Elementary, where she has trained at least 3 different principals in her tenure there! 🤣 Prior to Ponderosa, Brooke was Student Services and a classroom teacher at Ensworth Elementary for many years. Need to know the history of BLS? Brooke is your gal, as she has been in the district for many years. One of Brooke’s greatest joys has been getting to attend school each day with her daughter Mackenzie. How lucky to have a front row seat to your child’s education. She joked for years that she would retire when Mckenzie graduated Ponderosa…she wasn’t joking! It’s no secret that Brooke is retiring at the end of the year as Mackenzie moves onto 6th grade! We are missing you already, but until then, congratulations for winning this week! Let us know your drink of choice and we will be happy to deliver. Thanks for all you do Brooke!

From Tammy and Karen

Who doesn’t want a new year filled with endless opportunities for growth and success? May you embrace each opportunity with reckless abandon and joy!

The blogs prior to break were leaner than most, so please read this one carefully, as it has more content and there are many important things for you to share with your staffs that are timely. You play a very important role in communication with the staff and there are several things you will need to communicate.

By the end of the day tomorrow (Friday), Karen and I will be reaching out to about 4-6 of you, who we will task to lead the January 28, All Admin PD at Perseverance Hall, just like the last meeting that was facilitated by our Middle School colleagues. When we reach out, we will let you know the chapters of the book, and the date/time of an initial planning session with us. What an opportunity to grow and share !

There are also several other leadership opportunities we want to highlight and call out from the notes below:

• the opportunity to strengthen our belonging and dignity work by participating in an upcoming visit to Bethlehem Inn
• the privilege of getting ready to celebrate black history month
• the importance of calling 8888 for any kind of help (safety, maintenance, etc.)

Important Links

• January 7th Elementary TLC Update
•  Special EDge  (January 8)
• 1-Page Student Management guide
• Dates to recognize groups
• NEW! CPI Trained Staff List (let Sara Young know if you see staff who are not at your school)

Notes from our Team: 

From Julie: Curriculum and Instruction

Please communicate this information with your staff as soon as possible.

Progress Reports – IT is finishing them this week and they will be sent to translation.  They are not live yet. Do not enter any data until January 15th or you might lose your data.  The deadline for having all progress reports finished is at the latest 2/6.  

Progress Report Updates and Changes 

1. Characteristics of a Learner has switched from M=Met, SM=Somewhat Met etc…TO 1-4 scale like the rest of the progress report
2. Characteristics of Learner is now based on priority standards for your grade which are directly linked to Wayfinder and ODE standards.  Here are the priorities and rubrics. 
3. Slight changes to wording in mathematics in K-2, 3-5 remains the same as previous years
4. Amplify-Forefront-Synergy Data Flow
   • Only End of Unit assessments will automatically transfer from Amplify to Forefront to Synergy- all other assessments will need to be entered into Forefront manually
   • Data will be migrated from Amplify-Forefront-Synergy 1x per week until January 12th
   • 1/13-1/20 Kerry Morton (YOU ARE THE BEST) will upload the data each day.  Please not there is a 1-2 day delay as the data migrates from Forefront to Synergy
5. EL-Forefront-Synergy-  This project is delayed but should be available by End of Year progress reports
   • If you have data in Forefront for EL, and you teach 3rd-5th, you can print handouts to see final calculations of scores.  Here are the directions: Using Forefront Handouts Sample below:

6. Remember Forefront is available for entering EL assessments.
7. Here is the folder for Progress Report Guidelines
   • 3-5 has updated information regarding reading fluency
8. Asset-Based Language  Resource to use for progress report comments

IMPORTANT:

ROAR is experiencing some issues in K/1. The wrong assessments are showing up.  Stanford is working on it.  Please wait until next week to start this assessment.  

K-letter, phoneme

1-phoneme, word, sentence

From Kinsey – Office of Policy and Advocacy

Community Engagement: Don’t forget about the chance to win a gift card ($25-$49.99) to places like El Sancho, Spork, downtown shops, and more!  Just a little motivation and token of appreciation for getting outside your building/office and into the community we serve.  (Bingo card here.)    

Thanks to all of you who visited The Giving Plate this fall!  (If you missed that round, it’s not too late–reach out to me.)  Our next community partner visit is in January, to the Bethlehem Inn.  Sign up here to participate.  

Black History Month: In the next few days, your Advocacy ICCL representative will share with your staff some opportunities for recognizing Black History Month and honoring our Black students, colleagues, and community members–including our fourth annual Inspiring Displays Contest.  Last year, over 18 community agencies and partners voted on the amazing contest submissions—more info here.  

When that message comes through, please reiterate it with your staff.  This will A) honor the leadership of your Advocacy ICCL rep, and B) show your staff that you care about this topic as a leader and want your school engaged.  Here’s a draft communication you can edit or copy/paste into your staff blog, or you can simply reference the message your Advocacy ICCL rep will have recently sent.

From Colleen in Student Services

As we continue to strengthen inclusive, student-centered practices across our schools, we encourage you to become more familiar with the role of school-based Occupational Therapists (OTs). OTs are key partners in supporting student access, regulation, and participation in learning and daily school routines. Reviewing the attached document will provide helpful context on how OTs support students, staff, and school-wide systems.

For full details on OT roles and responsibilities, please refer to the Bend-La Pine Schools Occupational Therapist Essential Roles and Responsibilities document. Not sure who your building’s Occupational Therapist is? Click [HERE] to find your assigned OT.

From Scott and Kayla in Safety

We have updated our 8888-emergency phone document for schools to show which district level leaders receive the phone calls. I’ve linked the updated document, and it can also be found in our Safety Google Drive – here. 

As we are coming back off winter break, would you please send this document and link out in your weekly blogs as a reminder on when and how to use the 8888 phone number for any safety/emergency related issues at schools.

Safety Cadre: We are working with Kids Center to provide a training for our fourth Safety Cadre meeting. Kids Center has graciously offered to facilitate tours of their site for our admin who are interested. If you are interested in a brief pre-training tour (multiple times will be available), please reach out to Kayla Martin so we can get an estimate on attendance.  

From our Central Oregon STEM HUB Partners

I hope that your new year is off to a good start. If you have not already, we would appreciate your help in sharing these survey links directly with relevant educators and others in your network.

As a reminder, the survey is designed for elementary school teachers, principals, and district superintendents. It only takes about 15 minutes to complete, and participants will receive a free coding workshop and be entered to win a $30 Amazon gift card. 

The survey links are included here:

• Teachers:http://bit.ly/3GVvci7
• Principals:http://bit.ly/43bl4t0
• Superintendents:http://bit.ly/3Zjtq0v

Every response provides us with a better understanding of the current CS opportunities in elementary schools across the state. Thank you for your support!

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. 

Some things we’d like to find out more about when we visit with you are:

• What MTSS meetings you currently have and what are their purposes?
• What data do you routinely look at during each of these meetings?
• Who attends each of these meetings?
• What are things that are working really well? From your lens, what MUST stay as part of an MTSS process (for example, certain components of meetings, essential questions or connections, etc)
• Are there any stuck points or gaps in the current system? (You don’t have to have a solution to this!)
• Are there any forms or collection tools that are working especially well that you could share?
• Any other feedback you have

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.

Action Items

• Communicate the information from Julie to your staff
• Sign up for a Bethlehem Inn visit
• Meet with your Advocacy Coach to plan for Black History Month
• Get to know you OT
• Review the 8888 document
• Let Kayla know if you want to tour the Kids Center
• Share STEM HUB survey with staff
• Sign up for a time to meet with Student Services about MTSS needs

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

And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Brian Raber!

Brian Raber is in his first year as Assistant Principal at Elk Meadow and is in his third year with Bend-La Pine Schools. He hails from the great state of California, where prior to stepping into building leadership, he was a Special Education teacher. Brian prides himself in supporting caring classroom communities through the use of community circles, to strengthen the community as well as a tool for repair when harm has been caused. Have nothing to do on a Friday night? You should catch one of our local Central Oregon high school basketball games! You just might catch Referee Raber on the courts trying to help maintain peace and order on the hardwoods as well. Need a pickleball partner–he’s your guy! Congratulations Brian! Let us know your beverage of choice and we will deliver!