Author Archives: Tammy Doty

December 11, 2025

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From Tammy and Karen

What is with the weather here these days? Today my phone said it will be in the 60’s on Saturday! Karen is back from Minnesota and is really missing the white stuff, so bring it on! Nothing like a little snow to get us geared up for the upcoming winter break. One can hope..

Just a reminder that our All Admin PD will be at Aspen Hall and will start promptly at 3:00. Don’t forget to read chapters 6-8 (through page 99) in our Leading with Dignity book. It is also a seasonal celebration as well, so there will be fancy snacks! Come ready to spread cheer with your colleagues and friends!

Important Links

Notes from our Team:

From Sean Reinhart, Student Services

25-26 Child Count Data

Please click the link below to look at this year’s child count data, as well as our historical trends.  Overall, we are up about 40 students total with IEPs.  With the overall decrease in enrollment, that puts the district at 12.5% of students receiving special education services.  

25-25 Special Education Census Data

As a reminder, December 1 of each school year is the day that we report the total number of students with IEPs in BLS.  This is the number that ODE uses to base our funding for the following year.  School districts get a “second ADM weight” for each student with and IEP up to 11% of the district population.  BLS is currently at 12.5%.  

From Kinsey – Office of Policy and Advocacy

Cell phone/personal device usage: As we approach the policy shift that prohibits personal devices effective January, please remind teachers to review the IEPs, 504s, and Individual Health Plans of students in their class, and/or check in with Learning Specialists, to be clear on which students have documented permission to use their personal devices.  This info should also be noted in Substitute Folders.  

This will help reduce 1) the number of false claims by students saying they have a medical ‘need’ for their phone, and 2) repeated corrections or consequences for students who do need them but who frequently get reprimanded for usage that is actually permissible.  

Immigration: Check that you have the ICE guidance (linked and highlighted in this document) printed and posted near your front-entry/reception window for the staff who greet visitors.  This is also a good point to refresh yourself on the procedures expected of you and your team. 

If you become aware of immigration activity in the community that has impacted a student or family, please: 1) be extremely mindful of confidentiality, privacy, and professional boundaries—do notshare this information unless absolutely necessary, 2) take care of yourself and your emotions so you can take care of others , 3) refer the student or family to appropriate resources (your family liaison, our newcomer counselor specialist George, school counselor, FAN, etc), 4) let me know if you have a need I can support, resource- or policy-wise.  Thank you for your calm, compassionate, and steady leadership as these tough things continue impacting our community.    

From Kim Crabtree, Transportation

 Admin, please note that local field trips will be a “drop and return” for our bus drivers. They will not be staying on site to wait during the trip. If there is an emergency, please contact our office and we will return early. This information was provided to all office managers in August, but lately, our bus drivers are getting quite a bit of pushback from teaching staff.

We appreciate your understanding. Thank you!

From Jennifer Hauth-Student Well Being

Jess Calbreath, Amberlee Solito, and I presented at the Oregon State School Counseling Meeting this week on Bend La Pine’s journey to implementing a Comprehensive School Counseling Program. Please take a look at the slide deck that outlines our implementation journey over the last four years. Also, check out our elementary school counseling video (2 Minutes) that was shared at the Board meeting. For the first time in a long time, we have an elementary school counselor at every school!


At our Elementary School Counselor shared SIW PLC this week, they shares that they will be starting Sources of Strength presentations in January. The parent letter needs to go out two weeks before the classroom presentations. Slide Deck

From Student Services Coach Haley Gembarowski

Student Services is introducing a new process we are going to be using to boost morale and include more positivity and celebration in our weekly Special EDge Blog.

We will be starting Campus Kudos, a section of the blog highlighting two schools per week and celebrating ways that the school’s Student Services team has been working to promote inclusion, belonging for students, and working as a team to support each other. We will NOT be celebrating individual staff members in this process but really would like to make the focus be upon the entire team. Everyone deserves to be celebrated because they are doing hard work! 

So here is our ask: Please fill out the linked form when you feel you have seen something from your school team that is worthy of celebration, particularly things around inclusion, belonging, and teamwork. This can be a running record, and does not need to be filled out ONLY when it is time in the schedule for a particular school to be celebrated. 

HERE IS THE FORM

HERE IS THE TENTATIVE SCHEDULE FOR WHEN SCHOOLS WILL BE CELEBRATED (subject to change if we need to shift things around for more time to gather input)

Thank you all! We are excited to start celebrating your school teams and all of the hard work they are doing!

From Dave VanLoo–School Improvement

Here is a brief resource to help administrators with YouthTruth implementation. YouthTruth goes live on January 5. Contact Dave VanLoo with any questions about YouthTruth surveys.

YouthTruth January 2026 Admin One-Page Sheet

Action Items

  • Read Chapter 6-8 (through page 99) in our Dignity book for All Admin PD on Wednesday
  • Review ICE guidance with office staff and be extremely confidential with information
  • Review with teachers that when they go on a local field trip, the bus will drop and go
  • Watch the elementary counseling video–several cameos by amazing people!
  • Get the Sources of Strength Parent Letter ready to be sent at least 2 weeks prior to teaching the lessons
  • Be on the look out for Campus Kudos in your Student Services Department
  • Get ready for Youth Truth! How will you get more staff and families to take it this year?

Important Dates

  • December 16: PLCs 1 and 2, from 3:00-4:30
  • December 17: All Admin PD 3:00 – 4:30 pm at Aspen Hall
  • December 22 – Jan 2: Winter Break
  • 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 Megan Silvey!

Megan Silvey is in her third year as principal at La Pine Elementary, however, she has been there a lot longer than that. Fun fact about Megan, is that she has worked in our district in Nutrition Services, as an educational assistant, a classroom teacher, an assistant principal, and now a principal! She has done it all–almost! You don’t need to talk to Megan long to know she exudes a passion for serving students and creating systems and environments where all students can succeed. Megan is also a proud mom to two grown daughters who are living their best lives as a registered nurse and a high school FFA teacher, and a proud wife to Randy, who loves a good laugh with Megan. We celebrate you Megan! Let us know what your drink of choice is and we will get it delivered!

November 13, 2025

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From Tammy and Karen

One more week and we can all take a well deserved break, full of rest, family and friends, and some rejuvenation!

We are going to reschedule PLCs 1 and 2, that are scheduled for next Tuesday, the 18th, to Tuesday, December 16th. It is important that we all be able to attend the all district staff meeting , and both options take place during our PLC time that day. Until then, keep on observing your problems of practice. As a reminder, PLCs 3 and 4 are still on for Tuesday, the 9th, and we will all come together in the Board Room for Horizontal on Tuesday, the 2nd.

Important Links

Notes from our Team:

Dr. Cook and Dr. Birk to provide all-staff virtual updates Nov. 18

Superintendent Steven Cook and Deputy Superintendent Lisa Birk will host an update for all District staff on Tuesday, November 18, 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)

They will begin by recognizing several major accomplishments and celebrations from this school year. Other updates include:

  • State and federal funding
  • Long-term enrollment projections
  • Facility updates
  • Elementary and secondary priorities

They will provide the same update at the beginning of both meetings, then answer questions sent in from staff. Attendance is optional. If you can’t join either meeting live, we plan to share recordings with you afterward.

HAVE A QUESTION FOR DR. COOK?

Use THIS LINK to submit a question for the first meeting (3:05-3:35 PM)

Use THIS LINK to submit a question for the second meeting (3:50-4:20 PM)

From Eric in Student Services

We had a Community Justice Officer from Deschutes County reach out to a school this week with the following request: 

Hello, I am _____, (Student’s) Community Justice Officer. I was wondering if I can get a copy of (Student’s) Attendance, grades, and credits. I am not sure if this is the correct email to request all three. If there is someone else, I should reach out to or if you have any questions, please let me know. Thank you.

For this specific student, we did not yet have a record of the student being on probation or an ROI to communicate with outside providers. After communicating with district legal counsel, the following was recommended as the reply to be sent to the CJO:

“We need you to provide us with a release of information or legal basis for releasing this information, such as a health or safety emergency as defined by ORS 336.187.”

If you ever get a request like this, you can also forward the requestor to me and I can work with them directly to get them needed information (as I am allowed). Thanks!

.From Jennifer Director of Student Well-Being

College and Career Day K-12

Don’t forget to promote College and Career day on November 20th! Here are some ways to celebrate.

  • Dress as a professional
  • Wear college colors
  • Consider incorporating videos or lessons bringing awareness to careers and colleges. 
  • Consider inviting parents from the community in to talk about their careers.  

We hope you’ll join in the celebration.  Please send pictures of your participation to Becca Burda.  

Elementary only:

Waypoints formative assessment for K-2 teachers closes on November 21st and will not be able to be re-opened for teachers. Please send a reminder.

Action Items

  • Choose a time and tune in to the all district staff meeting on Tuesday
  • Share information with your staff about College and Career Day next Thursday, Nov. 20
  • Make sure all your K-2 teachers have completed the Waypoints assessment before they leave for break

Important Dates

  • November 14: Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day
  • November 18: All District Staff meeting—see choice of times above
  • November 20: College and Career Day
  • November 24-28: Fall Break and Thanksgiving
  • December 2: Horizontal in the Board Room from 3:00-4:30–Cheer to follow??
  • December 9: PLCs 3 and 4, from 3:00-4:30
  • December 16: PLCs 1 and 2, from 3:00-4:30

And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Lorin Page!

Lorin is the Assistant Principal at Three Rivers K-8. In case you are new and don’t know who she is, we don’t often get to see Lorin as much as we would like, as she takes on more of the communication with the middle school admin team and Tim does the elementary. When Lorin in not in school, she can often be found camping, hiking, adventuring, and traveling with her husband Ray, who is a teacher at Amity Creek. Prior to Administration, She is proud of her children who she and Ray have successfully launched into the world. Lorin was a special education teacher and Student Services Coordinator and worked at Highland Magnet School prior to Three Rivers. Congratulations Lorin! Let us know what your beverage of choice is and we will get it delivered!

November 6, 2025

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From Tammy and Karen

This week we began our Gratitude Tour site visits, and they have truly been bucket-filling for everyone involved. It’s such a gift to witness and hear about the incredible things happening in your schools every day. We are deeply grateful for these moments of celebration and connection over the next couple of weeks.

As many of you know, Karen will be away next week (November 10–14) to support her parents in Minnesota as they transition to a place with additional care and support. While she may be reachable by phone at times, please don’t hesitate to contact me (Tammy) if you need anything—I’m happy to help in any way I can.

We also know that several of you are currently supporting parents or loved ones with significant medical needs. Please know that we are here to support you however we can. Most importantly, give yourself the grace and permission to care for your family first—we’ll take care of supporting your school. Hugs!

Important Links

Notes from our Team:

From Eric in Student Services

When your school is documenting a Child Abuse Report, will you please store the Child Abuse Form in the following ways:

Send a copy to Eric Powell in Student Services (Email is fine) 

The building Principal should also maintain a copy of the report. Thank you!

From Ryan in HR

Earlier this week, all Classified staff received an email announcing the opening of applications for the 2025 cohort of Bend-La Pine’s Alternative Pathways Program (APP), a district-supported opportunity for Classified employees to pursue licensure for Certified roles that offers tuition reimbursement, paid student teaching/practicum leave, and other supports as needed as they pursue their license. The announcement was also shared in the most recent edition of this week’s Staff Spotlight.

The APP focuses on hard-to-fill positions and places a particular emphasis on supporting multilingual and bilingual staff, helping us strengthen our connection to students and families while developing our future educators and leaders.

I’m asking that you all take a moment to think about who in your building or department might be a great candidate for this program, both those who have already expressed an interest in becoming licensed educators and those who may not yet see their own potential. A shoulder tap from you might be the spark that helps someone find the confidence they need to take this step.

Applications are open through December 2, 2025. If you’d like more info on the program, you can email Ryan Kelling or visit the  Employee Portal.

From Jessica Houser in Payroll

Please make sure employees at your site are aware of this important payroll update.

For the November and December payrolls, all employees will receive a paper paystub (or a live check if not enrolled in direct deposit) mailed directly to their home address on file. Payday remains the last business day of each month.

This change ensures every employee can easily access their pay information during school breaks when most staff are off-site or not connected to the district network. From now on, paystubs and paychecks will no longer be routed to school sites for pickup or distribution.

What to Know

  • All employees will automatically receive mailed paystubs in November, December, June, July, and August.
  • Employees who want paper paystubs in additional months can email Payroll to opt in. (This election resets each year.)
  • Employees can update their home address in UKG.
  • Those who need help setting up direct deposit can review the “How To” guide on the Payroll Portal or reach out to Payroll.
  • Substitute and extra-duty employees will continue to receive paper paystubs automatically every month.
  • Employees can still view electronic paystubs through Employee Online when using a district device or network connection.

Thank you for sharing this information with your teams and helping ensure every employee has consistent access to their pay details.

From Julie in Curriculum and Instruction

The mClass Math Beginning-of-Year assessment is our required benchmark assessment for math k-5.

We have noticed that not all teachers have administered this assessment yet.

Next Steps:

  1. Check Your School’s Status: Log in to Amplify.
  2. Review the Admin Reports: Navigate to the Completion Report. This report will specifically show you which teachers still need to administer the assessment.
  3. Administer Immediately: Please contact any identified teachers and ensure they administer the assessment as soon as possible.

Meeting this benchmark is crucial for informing instruction. Please prioritize completion this coming week.

From Kinsey in Policy and Advocacy

Transgender Awareness Week    -Action item-

November 13-19 is Transgender Awareness Week.  Next week your building will receive a kit with ideas and supplies for simple ways to support your transgender students or colleagues.  Please connect with your Advocacy ICCL representative (or watch your mailbox) for those kits, and encourage your staff to participate.  

Family Engagement:    -For your review (share as applicable)-

Family Liaisons: Here are our Spanish-speaking liaisons, and here are reminders on how to use their services.  We also have part-time Black/African American, Asian, and Youth Partnerships Liaisons–if you’d like to connect with one of them, let me know.

FAN Advocates: Here are reminders on their role.  Remind your staff: FAN does not coordinate Christmas gifts for families and hasn’t for over 10 years.  FAN resources are maxed out prioritizing basic needs (food, utilities, etc).  There are many community-based organizations that do support religious or holiday-based requests like Christmas gifts: Here, here, and here are a few resources.  

Concerns/celebrations: If you have concerns about your liaison or advocate (inconsistent attendance, lack of responsiveness, etc), I need to know right away.  Of course, if you have a note of appreciation or celebration about them, send me those too!

Translation/interpretation: Remember, CAFE members are not your primary resource for language services.  Also, please don’t ask them to “quickly review” your AI/Google-translated communication.  Use Linguist Link for translation/interpretation requests.  Here are reminders on differences between these services.  

Food Access and Your Parent Groups:   -For your review (share as applicable)-

In the absence of SNAP benefits for families in need, some of you have parent groups organizing to gather food and distribute it to families.  This is great, if/when boundaries are respected.  Share these talking points with your parent group, as applicable.  

Here is the link to the policy on which movies can be shown during the school day in our schools that we went over at horizontal this week. Don’t forget, PG can only be shown in 4th and 5th grades and you must use a parental permission form to get permission to show them. SWANK , our new movie site can filter movies by ratings.

Action Items

  • Make sure your office staff knows the new person to send DHS reports to
  • Do you have a classified staff member who may be a great candidate for the Pathways Program? Let them know!
  • Share the Payroll Update with your staff
  • Connect with Advocacy ICCL Rep to partner with them on sharing about Transgender Awareness Week with your staff

Important Dates

  • November 11: Veteran’s Day–Enjoy!
  • November 12: All Admin PD from 3:00 – 4:30 at Perseverance Hall
  • November 14: Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day
  • November 18: PLC 1 and PLC 2 Meeting Day 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
  • November 20: College and Career Day
  • November 24-28: Fall Break and Thanksgiving

And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Kimberly Sundberg!

Kimberly is the principal at High Lakes Elementary, where she is in her 5th year as principal. Prior to that, Kimberly was in the great state of Alaska, where she cut her teeth in education as a teacher and eventually a school leader. Kimberly is passionate about creating an environment where students are loved, well cared for, and have a strong sense of belonging at their school. You can feel it the moment you walk into High Lakes. You may think of Kimberly as a serious person, but don’t let her fool you, she is as funny as they come! Fun fact, Kimberly and Lisa Birk went to the same high school in Idaho. Congratulations Kimberly! Please let us know your drink of choice and we will be happy to deliver.

October 23, 2025

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What is that you ask?

Vector trainings of course! Elementary leaders as of 1:30 today still have 63 Vector trainings to complete (4 of you still have all 10!) If you did not get a celebration text from Tammy today that you are done, please log into your system and get them done, as some of you still have 1 that was assigned later hanging out there. Have you checked your staff completion rate lately? Please do that as well and poke those who are not done to get ‘er done. Thank you for prioritizing this as important and urgent.

From Tammy and Karen

Keep this in mind, as you move about your year. We know this is the hard season for a lot of reasons, but even on the hardest of days, there are small steps and celebrations you are making forward, which are going to take you places!

As we head into conference week, we just wanted to wish you all an amazing time connecting with families, staff, and catching up with yourself, because we know that pile called “to do during conference days” is getting big! Let us know if there is anything we can do to support!

Important Links

Notes from our Team:

From Julie in Curriculum and Instruction

Winter/Spring DIBELS schedule

From Ryan in Human Resources

To support consistency across schools and ensure appropriate use of substitute coverage, guidelines outlining expectations by role classification for the 2025–26 school year have been developed.

These guidelines can be accessed here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X5QnwsfOyZIeS2UlkhPjl3EbIDWMXSPvkg_mPJUYIgA/edit?usp=sharing

Please review and share with office staff and others responsible for approving or entering substitute requests. These guidelines reinforce responsible staffing decisions while maintaining operational continuity and student support.

From Jennifer in Student Well Being

Just a quick reminder that tomorrow, October 25 is the last day for grades 3-5 Waypoints fall assessments. The K-2 Waypoints are open until November 21.

From Dave VanLoo in Teaching and Learning

ODE requires schools to report OSAS results to parents annually. Individual student reports (ISR) with ELA, Math, and Science scores from spring 2025 testing have been loaded into Synergy.  Here is a folder with brief instructions for staff, parents, and students to access OSAS state test scores in a variety of ways in Synergy. All users can view and download the one-page ISR that ODE creates each year. Teachers also can view lists of prior year OSAS scores for their classes in TeacherVue. Whether Spanish ISRs are loaded for a student is based on the ‘resolved’ language in Synergy. Schools should be prepared to print an ISR for any parent who requests it and may continue to print ISRs as makes sense. Teachers who want to use ISRs at conferences can quickly pull them up in real time and display them on any screens that are available to them.

From Michelle Rhoads in Transportation:

We’re excited to announce 2025 Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day on November 14. This special event is an opportunity to celebrate Ruby’s courage by walking to school and  is the perfect opportunity to teach students about the Civil Rights Movement and connections to collective efforts for change.

The history of Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day: On November 14, 1960, Ruby Bridges bravely integrated William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans. In May 2018, a group of fifth graders from Martin Elementary School in South San Francisco, California, learned about Ruby and asked their school board to pass a resolution making November 14 Ruby Bridges Day. This day honors Ruby’s historic role in advancing civil rights and serves as a reminder of the importance of equality, justice, and education for all children. Communities across the country participate in this event to recognize Ruby’s courage and to inspire future generations to continue her legacy. Here is a video about Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day. Here is a link to the Ruby Bridges Foundation.

Your school is encouraged to promote this special day in meaningful ways. Here are some ideas on how to participate, found on the Oregon Safe Routes to School website. English Bingo Below, Spanish Bingo Below.

For information on how to participate in this event, please contact Michelle Rhoads, Bend – La Pine Schools Active Transportation Coordinator, [email protected] , phone 541-355-5721.

Action Items

  • Get your Winter and Spring DIBELS dates on your main calendars
  • Review Substitute guidelines and share with office staff
  • Review with your 4-5 grade teachers how to get OSAS scores for conferences and print for parents if requested
  • What is your plan to celebrate Ruby Bridges Day? Don’t have one and want to celebrate? Check out the resources and call Michelle Rhoads for some inspiration and help.

Important Dates

  • October 29: Teacher work day (8 hrs)   Conf. (4 hrs.) Admin will have a ½ day Amplify training on this date. (Half in the morning and half in afternoon–check your calendar invite)
  • October 30: Parent Teacher Conferences, 7:15-7:15
  • October 31: No School and School Improvement Plans are due today.
  • November 4: Horizontal Meeting 3:00 – 4:30 at the Board Room
  • November 11: Veteran’s Day–Enjoy!
  • November 12: All Admin PD from 3:00 – 4:30 at Perseverance Hall

And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Tom Lence !

Tom is the Assistant Principal at High Lakes Elementary, where he was a teacher there prior to becoming Assistant Principal. Did you know that Tom and his wife taught in China prior to coming to Bend-La Pine Schools? Tom has also recently discovered that he likes to hunt rocks, so if you know of any good rock hounding areas, hook him up with the coordinates! He is the proud dad of two daughters and proud husband of Tami, a teacher at Silver Rail. Thanks for all you do, Tom, for the High Lakes Lynx and Bend-La Pine Families. We’ll be bringing you a beverage of your choice soon!

October 9, 2025

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Time for a good laugh!

The Black Eyed Peas can sing us a tune, but the chick peas can only “hummus” one.

From Tammy and Karen

I saw that joke this week and laughed my head off. I hope it brought you the same chuckle it brought me!

Before we jump into the news of the week, we just wanted to take a moment and once again, wish you all a happy Principal Appreciation Month! We witness the amazing work you are all doing at your schools to bring clarity to what is taught, to build a sense of belonging for your staff, students, and families, and to share your belief in the positive impact that everyone is making on a daily basis with our students. We see you and appreciate you!

Leave sheets due: This is a friendly reminder to email Tammy, Karen, and April J your leave sheet no later than Monday, 10/13). If you are an AP, please have your principal sign before sending them our way. If you do not have any leave, we ask that you please email us to let us know you did not have any leave. If you don’t do that, we have no way of knowing who forgot to do their timesheet and who didn’t have any leave. You could also email a leave sheet with the words “no leave taken” across it if you would rather document no leave that way. Thank you!

Important Links

Notes from our Team:

From Julie in Curriculum and Instruction

Please take 5 minutes during a staff meeting for your staff to share a “nugget” they took away from Educator Network day.  We received great feedback and this is an opportunity for your staff to share what they learned with their colleagues.

It is has come to our attention that some of the center materials are defective or have broken already.  Amplify Desmos Math plans to warranty the materials for us. However, we need to know which items at which schools need replacement.  Please ask teachers to complete this form for items that are defective.

From Jennifer in Student Well Being

Educator Network Day Success for Counselors and Student Success:

We had a great turnout yesterday at HDMS. Here is the slide deck with outcomes for our trainings this year:

  • Formalize and implement a clear framework for Tier 2 & Tier 3 mental health/social emotional interventions. 
  • Establish a clear process to Identify, Match + Fit, Provide + Monitor, and Evaluate.

Waypoints open until Friday October 24th end of day. Thank you to all of you that have had your students complete the assessment. 

The K-2 formative assessment will be live for teachers on October 15th and will be open until November 21st. The assessment is only 3-4 priority standards and six questions.. For K-2, the custom Waypoints will appear in the teachers’ to-do lists on the dashboard when they log in (starting 10/15). They will be labeled Kinder Beginning of Year, 1st Beginning of Year, etc. Instructions.

Great job Summit (75%), La Pine Middle (84%), Westside Village (56%) and Buckingham (52%) for the highest completion rates for this week. Elementary will have lower completion rates as they do not have k-2 completing the assessments until October 15th.

Class of 2025 Results are in! From thousands of college applications to exciting post-grad plans, the Class of 2025 kept busy shaping their futures last year. Using SchooLinks data, we are excited to share a snapshot of their accomplishments and next steps. 💙 Check out the full story here by Jess Calbreath: secure.smore.com/n/f3z05

From Scott and Kayla in Safety: Please take a moment to review this document reminding you of the protocol for calling 8888.

From Tami Pike, Director of Health Services:

First Aid CPR Certification Required for Medication Administration

Per Administrative Policy JHCD-AP, staff who administer medication must hold current First Aid and CPR certification. Bend-La Pine Schools provides free CPR/First Aid certification and renewal training for all staff. The course includes a 4-hour online component followed by a 20-minute in-person skills check. Instructions for registering for the training can be found here.

For any questions regarding CPR/First Aid training, please contact nurse Oliver Tatom by phone at 541-355-6922 or email at [email protected]

From Kinsey – Office of Policy and Advocacy:

Dignity and Belonging: Community Engagement 

Here is the Bingo card from our leadership meeting.  Please keep a copy throughout the year that you cross out as you go.  

This spring, completed copies will go into our raffle for some great prizes!  We will share the number of leaders from each school/dept who completed the full Bingo, and celebrate the creative ways your team engaged with the community in this process.  

Community Visit #1: The Giving Plate sign-up.  The dates for this tour/visit are coming up, so sign up soon! Here is our home visit guidance.  Feel free to share with staff as applicable, and ask your Liaison or FAN Advocate if you can join their next visit.  

Election Season and Political Topics – Action Item: Please share this principal/supervisor message with your staff:

Dear staff — As election season approaches, this is a good time to revisit our expectations around political topics in our school and workplace. While this November may not bring the same intensity as a presidential election year, maintaining neutrality in our professional capacity remains essential.

Here is our policy around staff engaging in political activities.  This is a great tool outlining boundaries and appropriate use of district equipment, time, and resources in relation to election topics.  District leadership asks that each employee read the information in those links carefully. Let me know if you have any questions or need clarification.

In addition, we know students may initiate conversations about politics, candidates, or ballot measures. To help navigate these moments: Here are 10 steps for teachers to prepare, navigate, and respond to sensitive discourse.  Our district Advocacy Coaches are also available to support you in facilitating respectful and balanced discussions.

From Ryan in Human Resources

Quick Reminder: Check Your UKG To-Do List

Please take a moment this week to log into UKG and check your To-Do list.
Pending Personnel Actions (PAs) can hold up key processes like pay changes and assignment updates if they’re not approved in a timely manner.

Regularly reviewing your To-Do list,  even when you don’t expect anything pending, helps keep workflows moving smoothly and ensures your employees are set up for success without delay.

This should be done regularly, but is particularly important on and around the Payroll cutoff dates, which can be found on the Portal on the Payroll page. 

If you have any questions about what’s showing in your queue or how to clear an item, reach out to [email protected] for support.

Thank you for helping us keep things running efficiently.

Extra Duty Procedures for 2025–26

We have a number of new Extra Duty positions this year and want to make sure everyone understands the procedures for tracking, and maintaining these roles. The details below outline how schools should handle placements for the new positions, updates to existing roles, and ongoing expectations for managing extra duty assignments.

Newly Bargained Positions (Effective 25/26)
  • K–12 Green Team Advisor – Range F
  • Elementary Music Director – Range E
  • Elementary Yearbook Coordinator – Range E
  • Elementary Battle of the Books Coordinator – Range E
  • High School Link Crew
Placement Process for 25/26
  • If someone is already performing the duties of one of these new positions, please email [email protected] to have the stipend assigned no application needed this year.
    • If no one is currently performing the duties of these positions, they must be filled through a competitive process – posting, interviewing, and hiring.
  • Future changes will follow the standard extra duty process: the current person resigns, the school requests a posting, and HR processes the hire.
  • Each school is allocated 1 FTE per position.
Ongoing Procedures and Reminders
  • Start Date: All year-round extra duty positions begin on September 1; complete hires before this date to avoid prorating.
  • Automatic Roll-Forward: Positions continue year to year unless HR is notified that duties have ended.
  • Annual Verification: Each August, HR will request confirmation of who will continue in each role.
  • Step Advancement: Each year an employee holds the same position, they move one step on the extra duty salary schedule.
Google Docs Tracking
Updates to Existing Positions
  • High School Musical Directors: Formerly offered every other year, this stipend is now available annually when a musical is produced. Total FTE remains 2.0 per school.
  • HS/MS Band, Orchestra, Choir, and Drama: Stipends are no longer tied to certified FTE. Staff offering the full complement of after-hours performances receive the full 1.0 FTE stipend per school.

Questions? Reach out to [email protected]

From Triz in Human Resources

Thought I would take a moment to remind you that the due date for SLGG’s is quickly approaching.  (October 15, 2025)

Probationary and temporary certified staff and Contact staff ON & OFF the evaluation cycle should be completing this task. 

Goal Setting & Evaluation Tools:

Student Learning Growth Goals (SLGGs) (ONLY Teacher, SPED Teachers, and Teacher Librarians- all other specialists use alternate goal-setting plan):

Please let Jessica Lamay (HR Tech) and I know if you need any assistance with your evaluation google doc.  We are here to support you. Thank you!

From McScott in IT

Cyber October IT update- 

Just who is Bend-La Pine IT and what is the best way to get a hold of them? There are 30 people who work in the basement of the Education Center who represent our IT team. The document linked here shows you a little bit about what each person does and how best to reach them.

Action Items

  • Turn in Leave sheets on Friday, 10/10
  • Make time at a staff meeting for teachers to share a nugget from END
  • Check out the Tier 2 and 3 learning from counselors/SSCs and make sure your Waypoints assessments are completed on time
  • Review 8888 protocol document
  • Check to see that you meet CPR/First Aid qualifications
  • Play Bingo and Sign up for a community visit or home visit
  • Share the election message from you to your staff (pre-made in Kinsey’s section)
  • Check the UKG “To-do” section and do it
  • Read all about the Extra Duty positions. Make sure you follow the procedures for someone already in the role or hiring someone new
  • Complete SLGGs meetings by October 15.

Important Dates

  • October 12: Timesheets due
  • October 14: PLCs 1 and 2, 3:00-4:30 at (1 @ Rosland and Phly Like Canadians @ Lava Ridge)
  • October 15: SLGGs are due by today
  • October 16: TAG Admin ICCL 3:30 – 5:30 Education Center Board Room
  • October 21: PLCs 3 and 4, 3:00 – 4:30. (PL C3PO @ Silver Rail and We Are the Winners @ La Pine)
  • October 22: Elementary Safety Cadre 1:15 – 3:45 at Silver Rail Elementary
  • October 29: Teacher work day (8 hrs)   Conf. (4 hrs.) Admin will have a ½ day Amplify training on this date. (Half in the morning and half in afternoon–check your calendar invite)
  • October 30: Parent Teacher Conferences
  • October 31: No School and School Improvement Plans are due today.

And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Deborah Buduan, !

Deborah is in her third year with Bend-La Pine Schools, in the role of Principal of Rosland Elementary, one of the two elementary schools located in La Pine. If you want to see Deborah’s eyes light up, just start talking about data, as she loves meaningful and informative data that can be used to celebrate growth and identify next steps to progress the learning. The rockets are currently working through the book, Driven by Data 2.0 with some great success. Want to know more? Reach out to Deborah!

September 18, 2025

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The above quote comes from Ann Morriss and you can hear it in it’s context in this quick (11 min) and inspiring TED talk. Thank you Michelle Wilson for passing on this gem of wisdom and opportunity to take a different perspective on solving problems one step at a time.

From Tammy and Karen

A quick shout out and thank you to PLCs 1 and 2 this week. We had a great time facilitating your groups and watching you start to come together as a PLC, connect as colleagues to bounce around ideas, and grow into friends to share the ups and downs with. PLCs 3 and 4 will be meeting this next Tuesday and we look forward to doing it all again with you!

We will soon be sending out the next round of site visit sign ups and this time we will be coming to visit you together. When you get the link, please put it on the urgent and important quadrant of priorities, as they start on September 29!

Important Links

Notes from our Team:

From Andrea in Human Resources

Certified Personal Leave Request Process Change

Human Resources is making a change to how certified employee personal leave requests are processed for the 2025-26 school year. 

Historically, HR has been responsible for approval / denial of all certified employee personal leave requests. This created an unnecessary step for both sites and HR, especially since the BEA collective bargaining agreement does not require it.  

Beginning this school year, HR review will only be required when a certified employee personal leave request falls within the restricted time frames outlined in the BEA contract. 

Approval or denial of all personal leave requests that are outside of the restricted timeperiods will be the responsibility of building principals. Please familiarize yourself with the criteria outlined in Article 7.8 regarding Personal Leave and ensure these guidelines are followed when processing requests. 

  1. Personal Leave

7.8.1      The District recognizes that a Certified Employee may need time off for personal reasons. Two (2) working days paid leave of absence may be used as personal leave. If a bargaining unit Certified Employee works less than ninety-five (95) workdays (not including unpaid leave), the District shall provide only one (1) day of personal leave. Personal leave may be used for personal reasons if a qualified substitute is available. Personal leave may also be used for the employee’s illness/injury and the illness/injury of the employee’s immediate family. Personal leave shall be used in increments of at least four (4) hours when a substitute is required by the district. If a substitute is not required by the district or if the district approves internal coverage, personal leave shall be used in increments of one (1) hour. Certified employees scheduled for less than eight (8) hours in a particular workday will not have personal leave deducted more than the number of hours scheduled.

7.8.2      No more than five percent (5%) of the bargaining unit Certified Employees in a school or two (2) bargaining unit Certified Employees, whichever is greater, may take personal leave on a given day. The Superintendent or their designee may make exceptions due to unusual or highly extenuating circumstances. Exceptions made by the Superintendent, or their designee will not be revoked.

7.8.3      Leave shall not be taken during the first week of the students’ school year, the last week of the semester/trimester or the last two weeks of the school year. Leave shall not be taken during parent conference days. The Superintendent or their designee may make exceptions due to unusual or highly extenuating circumstances. Exceptions made by the Superintendent, or their designee will not be revoked.

7.8.4      The District will not rescind personal leave once approved by the Human Resources Department or Superintendent/designee.

7.8.5      The District will allow the following options for the use of personal leave:

7.8.5.1   Certified employees will be allowed to bank up to two (2) days of unused personal leave for future use, but no more than four (4) days of personal leave (two current year personal leave and two banked personal leave) will be available in any given year.

7.8.5.2   Reimburse Certified employees for unused personal leave up to two (2) days at the daily sub rate of pay. The District shall provide Certified employees payment within thirty (30) days of the last workday of the contract year.

We shared this information with Office Managers on Friday, September 5, along with some more detailed instructions. Please reach out with any questions. We hope this change will help make the process easier and more efficient for everyone!

Reminders from Kayla in Safety

STAS & SIRC Training 

This week, an invitation to attend a training about Student Threat Assessment went to all new hires who are likely to be involved in this process at your site (Admin, Counselors, Psychs, etc.). Participants can choose one of two training days (October 2 or October 6). Training will be from 8-4 and lunch will be provided. If you yourself, or you have a staff member who you believe should participate, please simply sign up using THIS LINK. Questions? Contact Scott or Kayla in Safety.  

  • All new admin and counselors have been asked to attend one of the 8-hour sessions. REGISTER HERE.
  • Training dates are:
    • Thursday, October 2 -location TBD 
    • Monday, October 6- Pacific Crest Middle School 

Safety Cadre Invites have been sent out. Reach out if you have been missed. 

  • Dates are October 22, December 3, March 11, April 29 
  • Secondary will be 8:00-9:30am, Elementary will be 1:30pm-3:00pm

*8888 Extension Reminder 

  • When schools have an incident, we want to send a friendly reminder to use the *8888 voicemail. See handout attached you can share with any admin and front office staff. Handout here. 

From Kinsey in the Office of Policy and Advocacy:

Complaints: Recommended action item: 

Please go into your Complaints Dashboard and ensure you have either resolved the incidents submitted to date or are actively working on them.  (Looking for your Dashboard?  See my email titled “Complaints” sent Aug 14.)   

Take time with your admin team to notice trends so far: what is and isn’t showing up in your dashboard?  How is complaint response going for your team?  What feedback or opportunities are showing up there?  If you have questions about complaint process, timelines, etc, reach out.

From Lisa our Deputy Superintendent

Action Needed: Tier I Start-of-Year Check-In

Please take some time with your ICCL team to complete the survey below before the end of the day on October 3rd. The survey should be done together as a team (one survey per school) and will help the Task Force understand the roll-out of Tier I processes across the district. The Task Force will use this information in our first meeting together to recognize bright spots across the district, share trends back to our educator groups, understand consistency, and identify areas that may need more support as we move forward. You can access the survey using THIS LINK.

Amplify Math Update:

A few weeks ago Kerry Morton forwarded an email to be shared with kindergarten teachers regarding missing items from their Center Kits.  Amplify Desmos Math had a delay in their production, so we will not receive those for another 7-10 days.  Please alert your kindergarten teachers that items are delayed. If they need the items immediately, they can find the pdfs in the Unit Prep Packet (log into Amplify before clicking on the link). 

From Sara in the Student Services Department:

Questions regarding this? Please reach out to Sara Young, who can answer your question or help facilitate a team to problem-solve.

From Jennifer in Student Well Being

The required Waypoints summative assessment is now open for 3-12! The K-2 teacher observed will be ready October 1st. 

o    3-5 Implementation Guide

o    Admin Tutorial Video

Please review the help documents, from blog #2.

Please make sure that all teachers understand the “Why” behind the assessment and that the student results will help us to identify intervention skill building groups. Teachers need to read the instructions from the implementation guides to the students. This will ensure that we get quality data to inform interventions. Wayfinder will also recommend additional skill building activities based on what students in their specific classroom need.

Guest Speakers in the school: If your school is considering an outside speaker or organization for a classroom presentation or assembly, please submit a Guest Speaker Application at least three weeks before the event (instructions, application) . If you have any questions about the application process, please reach out to Dean Richards. All outside speakers and organizations must be vetted by district leadership to ensure they align with our curriculum and support programs.

Through Adi’s Act, the district has significantly invested in our Sources of Strength Peer Leader programs at our secondary schools, including funding for extended contract stipends and a site budget for activities.

To plan school-wide assemblies and activities that promote a positive school climate and culture, please collaborate with your Sources of Strength adult advisors, public health specialist, or district advocacy coach. (elementary counselors are our Sources contacts)

You can also partner with your public health specialist and/or district advocacy coach to review data from your School Health Improvement Process (SHIP) and Youth Truth surveys that are tied to student needs.Additional resources, such as the belonging curriculum and activity library in Wayfinder or materials from our advocacy coaches, are also available for planning ideas.

Action Items

  • Have you completed your Safe Schools yet? Has your staff? There was another one that just showed up, so double check if you think you are done. Due October 31 
  • Did you catch the new change with personal leave?
  • All signed up for safety cadre dates if your are the appointed admin at your school?
  • Are you new and need STAS/SIRC training?
  • Check your Dashboard for any complaints you need to resolve or update–check even if you don’t think you have any…just in case! (Kinsey’s Aug 14 email for directions)
  • Alert your K teachers about the Amplify Center Kits delay.
  • Calendar time for your ICCL team to take the survey shared by Lisa by the end of the day on Oct 3.
  • Make sure that your staff give the Waypoints assessments within the assessment window

Important Dates

  • September 23: PLCs 3 and 4, 3:00-4:30 (PLC 3 @ Ponderosa and PLC 4 at Elk Meadow)
  • September 22-24: Rosh Hashanah–no scheduling of evening events on these days.
  • October 1: All Admin PD 3:00- 4:30 at Perseverance Hall
  • October 7: Elementary Leadership Meeting, 3:00 – 4:30 at Education Center Board Room
  • October 14: PLCs 1 and 2, 3:00-4:30 at (1 @ Rosland and 2 @ Lava Ridge)
  • October 16: TAG Admin ICCL 3:30 – 5:30 Education Center Board Room
  • October 21: PLCs 3 and 4, 3:00 – 4:30
  • October 22: Elementary Safety Cadre 1:15 – 3:45 at Silver Rail Elementary
  • October 29: Teacher work day (8 hrs)   Conf. (4 hrs.) Admin will have a ½ day Amplify training on this date.
  • October 30: Parent Teacher Conferences
  • October 31: No School

And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner, Dan Wolnick!

Dan is the Principal at Juniper. He has held several positions at BLS at the elementary and middle levels and is a resident expert on creating and maintaining a positive school culture and technology integration. You can also catch him riding the trails on his bike, hiking the PCT, or summiting the Dolomites in Italy! Dan, let us know your drink of choice and we will deliver this next week!

September 4, 2025

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Just taking a moment to highlight Ensworth Elementary and how they incorporated the 6 Wayfinder core skills into their 3 schoolwide expectations. Pretty clever Coyotes–Aawwoooo!

From Tammy and Karen

Thank you for an incredible first day and a strong start to the year! We are so grateful for the way you and your staff leaned in with positivity, flexibility, and grace as you navigated both the expected and unexpected changes that always come with a new year. Each of you set a welcoming tone that helped students feel safe, excited, and ready to learn. The energy across our schools was uplifting, and that’s because of your leadership and the dedication of your teams. What a great way to launch the year—as we stay rooted in purposed and steady in growth!

Thank you to Robi Cole for putting together this amazing calendar of special dates throughout the year in which you can recognize the different groups that make up a staff. We’ll keep it in the important links below throughout the year.

Once again, we will share any fun field trips that come our way that you can connect to EL, math, Science, etc. This week, here is a flyer for Schillings Garden and their fall field trip experiences for our primary students. As a friendly reminder, we should not be asking families for money for field trips. You can do a fundraiser for things, but we do not charge families for an opportunity that is part of the school day.

Important Links

Notes from our Team:

From Jennifer Hauth–Director of Student Wellness.

Waypoints Assessment for grades 3-12:  This required assessment opens September 18th and closes October 25th for grades 3-12. Student results will  become available for all admin/counselors on the Wayfinder MTSS dashboard once all schools have completed the assessment, or October 27th. If all schools are done before October 24th, I will close the assessment so the data is available sooner. End of the year assessment is scheduled for: April 28th – May  30th

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. 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 that the student results will help to identify students in need of additional skill building groups. They need to read the instructions to the students so that we get quality data to inform interventions. Wayfinder will also recommend additional skill building activities based on what students in their specific classroom need.

Finally, we don’t need to get parent permission for Waypoints. However, there is a letter that you can make a copy of to use for your newsletter if you would like.

This was information was shared with all school counselors:

For the 2025–26 school year, we recommend not completing a school-wide needs assessment by school counselors. Between Synergy’s Early Warning System (EWS), Wayfinder’s Waypoints Assessment, and your school’s Request for Assistance (RFA) process, we should have sufficient data to identify students who may need additional targeted support. If, after consultation with your administrative team, you determine that an additional needs assessment is still necessary, please connect with Jennifer Hauth and Jess Calbreath before moving forward.

If your school chooses to administer a needs assessment, please follow the guidelines and best practices listed on this document.

From Julie Richards- Director of Elementary Curriculum & Instructional Supports

Forefront is for math and LITERACY! Here’s a help doc for leaders — it’s a friendly reminder and how-to regarding monitoring that teachers are getting in that expected data!

This is being shared with teachers on Wednesday, September 10th – mClass Beginning-of-the-Year math assessment – Here is a video about how to assign the assessment. Here is a helpful checklist to get ready for mClass. To get deeper into administering, here is a full document. Here is a description of the Benchmark Goals. There will be more professional learning about how to use the data as the year progresses.

From Sara Young-Director of Student Services

Here is the pdf of the above graphic. Please pay close attention to #4, as it is required to keep the correct ratio of CPI trained staff. If you need to have a training, please reach out to your student services support for information on how you can schedule one.

From Kinsey – Policy and Advocacy:

Cell phone policy: As of Sept 9th, you’ll find here the updated policy draft related to cell phone use in schools.  This is going out for community feedback on Sept 9; feedback will be incorporated as applicable into the final version for adoption October 14.  Much of this language derives from state legislation and as such cannot be significantly modified.  Secondary admin have also provided great input already.  However, if you, your staff, or your students and families have feedback on these drafts, please share (see feedback form available on the webpage linked above).  Engagement in our policy process is always valued and appreciated.

Office team trainings: All Office Managers and Registrars will be out of your building for required trainings during afternoon SIW on the dates below.  Please plan accordingly for alternative coverage or office closure on these afternoons.  Thank you!

Sept 17, Oct 22, Dec 3, Jan 14, March 11, April 29, May 27

From Ryan Kelling, Executive Director of Human Resources

UKG To-Do’s. You may have outstanding Personnel Action (PA) items in your To-Do section in UKG that require your approval for employees, whether they are new hires or returning staff. Please take a few moments this week to review and approve these items. Timely approval ensures that employees are correctly rolled over in the system, properly credited for their service, and paid without delay.

If you have any questions or need assistance with the process, please reach out to HR-Tech ([email protected])

Action Items

  • Update student enrollment numbers daily
  • Drop main schedule — live document into this folder
  • Clean up your UKG actions
  • Mark the dates office staff will be out for trainings and you need to cover or close the office
  • Check Your CPI percentages—are you compliant?
  • Have you completed your Safe Schools yet? Has your staff? Due October 31 

Important Dates

  • September 9: Elementary Leadership Meeting, 3:00-4:30 at the Ensworth Media Center
  • September 16: PLCs 1 and 2, 3:00-4:30
  • September 23: PLCs 3 and 4, 3:00-4:30
  • September 22-24: Rosh Hashanah–no scheduling of evening events on these days.

And finally… How did you feel at the end of your first day?

August 21, 2025

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Need a fun idea for back to school with your staff? How about a grade level/department walk up song video! Thanks Heidi for sharing this fun idea!

From Tammy and Karen

We are excited for you all, as you are gearing up to welcome back your staffs and kick off the 25-26 school year. We feel your energy, ideas and enthusiasm! We are looking forward to getting out next week and spending some time at each of your schools during inservice. Our goal in coming is to be visible and present with your staffs, show our unwavering support of the work that you all do, and cheer you on as you engage the important work of setting the tone and leading with heart in all your schools.

For this coming week, we need you to be updating your staffing plan daily, with actual numbers and how many in each class, as we are having to make some hard decisions concerning moves and need updated information. Thank you so much!

Please drop your main schedule in this folder. The folder is in your Admin Resources Drive in the Schedules folder, 25-26. We would like access to your live document as viewers, as we need to stay up on any changes that you make in real time. A pdf does not do that. Thank you so much–we look forward to being out in the schools and seeing the magic of teaching and learning all year.

The High Desert Museum has shared the flier for Educator Night Out, on September 18! Please make sure you share this with your staff. Don’t forget, you can come too–it’s a fun night to be had by all!

Important Links

Notes from our Team:

From Lisa Birk, the Deputy Superintendent: Please be on the look out tomorrow (Friday) for the new BLAST leave tool (non-contract, sick, FMLA, etc. recording tool). It is almost ready! There will be directions on how to fill it out, but please don’t hesitate to reach out to your Level Leaders if you need help with it.

From Rachel Mavis, IT Project Manager: NEW Attendance Features!

L10 – New late (Tardy) code for Teachers and Office staff will use for students who arrive 10 minutes + after class start time.  In the past teachers have been required to use Absence Unverified. By using a super late code, the student will be marked in class – but super late.

ParentVUE Attendance – Parents will have the option to submit attendance through ParentVUE.  The attendance request will go into a queue, where the office staff will Accept or Deny. More details and information will be released soon.

From Eric Powell, Director of Student Services: 10-Day Inactivation Process to Attendance Staff

On August 27, your secretarial staff who input/track daily attendance will receive the following information regarding changes to our 10-Day Inactivation process. 

Here is a link to that information: 10-Day Inactivations

The key highlights for you to know about are:

*Synergy will auto-send attendance letters to families after a student has missed 6 consecutive school days (Unexcused or Unverified ONLY)

*Synergy will auto-send attendance letters to families after a student has been 10-day Inactivated

*Both of these letters request families to connect with the school to schedule a meeting focused on supporting the student return to school

*At days 3, 6, and 9, school teams are asked to designate a staff member to reach out to the family to check on the student

*If a student is 10-day inactivated, your school team can fill out a Request for Assistance to ask the District’s Tier 3 Attendance team for support with a Home Visit or family outreach

From Julie Richards and Jennifer Hauth–collaborating on Wayfinder

Grades 3-5 should administer the Waypoints Summative Assessment in Wayfinder during the window of September 18 to October 25. You could set a culture and climate goal based on this data.

Several of you have asked about using Waypoints at the K-2 level to set goals. We are not going to be using Waypoints K-2 as a summative assessment. Because it it educator observed, it is currently too time consuming. Instead, we will be building our own modified assessment that is much less time consuming and tied to the priority standards. So we would like you to push pause on goal setting K-2 until further notice.

From Robbie Faith, Instructional Tech Coach

AI Training Reminder. All materials for the Artificial Intelligence PD are available on the AI in BLS website, including the full slide deck for your staff session (approx. 90 minutes). Please note that the slides are view-only. Using the provided link ensures your staff has the most current version, as updates are made regularly. 

Following the training, you are encouraged to share the AI in BLS website with staff. The site contains the same content as the slides, along with the syllabus statement and acceptable use scale. For questions, please contact [email protected].

From Kerry Morton, Math Coach

There has been approximately 230 teachers who have participated in the Amplify Desmos Math professional learning! The teachers all seem very excited about Amplify Desmos Math and a new school year.

You can check the attendance here. There is one more chance for teachers to attend on August 27th! Here is the list of registrants, as of 8/18, for August 27th.  If someone needs to sign-up still, here are the directions. If you have a new hire that does not have access to UKG, please send me their name, grade level, and personal email. Thank you!

From Ryan Kelling, Exec Dire HR

Updated Requirement: Interviews for All Vacancies

In the past, Administrators and Supervisors were not required to conduct interviews when the number of applicants matched the number of vacancies. While this may have streamlined the hiring process, we have since identified it as a poor practice because it removes the opportunity to evaluate the applicant’s skills, knowledge, and ability to meet the demands of the role. This approach does not align with our commitment to selecting the most qualified candidates through a fair and thorough process.

Effective immediately, all candidates must participate in an interview before being considered for hire, regardless of the number of applicants or vacancies.

This ensures that:

  • Each candidate demonstrates proficiency and readiness for the role.
  • We maintain a consistent, equitable hiring process across the organization.
  • Hiring decisions are based on observable qualifications and competencies.

This shift strengthens the integrity of our selection process and supports our goal of bringing the most capable talent into every position. Please plan accordingly when scheduling your hiring process. If you have questions about this change, please call me. Thank you!

Action Items

  • Update staffing numbers daily
  • Drop main schedule — live document into this folder
  • Share Educators Night Out flier with staff
  • Share attendance and Inactivation process with office staff
  • Find out which staff did not take the Amplify Desmos training and make sure they are signed up for Wednesday the 27th
  • Want to hire someone? Please make sure you go through the complete interview process
  • How are you doing on your priority matrix? Got those important and urgent things done? Have you had to add more?

Important Dates

  • August 25 – 29: Inservice Week
  • August 26: Welcome Back Kick Off – Virtual 8:30 a.m – 10:00 a.m.
  • September 2: Optional Teacher Work Day
  • September 3: FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
  • September 9: Elementary Leadership Meeting, 3:00-4:30 at the Ensworth Media Center
  • September 16: PLCs 1 and 2, 3:00-4:30
  • September 23: PLCs 3 and 4, 3:00-4:30
  • September 22-24: Rosh Hashanah–no scheduling of evening events on these days.

And finally…

August 7, 2025

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Who is going to wake up everyday this year rooted in our purpose and ready to lead with dignity? We are! Who is going to be a steward, a learner, and a nurturing leader? We are! Who is going to see that students have effective teachers, a strong curriculum, and the time they need to learn? We are! Who is proud to be a part of Bend-La Pine schools? We are, of course!

Thank you all so much for a fantastic start to the year, as we spent the first two days, solidifying our why, learning the 10 elements of dignity, and committing to the belief that, with an effective teacher, a strong curriculum and enough time, all students can learn. We are looking forward to our time together on Monday, August 11 at the High Desert Museum, from 9:00-5:00, as we continue to collaborate, learn, and plan for a wonderful year. For those of you who are out healing or caring for ailing family, know that you were missed and we look forward to the day you can be with us again.

From Tammy and Karen

Here are links to the slides we had access to from our leadership launch these past two days. We know there are more, and as we get them (or you remind us what else you need) we’ll add them here.

Elementary Commitments to Learning, Day 1

Life and Career Readiness Presentation

Elementary Prioritizing and To-Dos, Day 2

Teaching Smarter: Science Driven Techniques. (Dave and Liza’s presentation)

Prioritizing Tools from Robi

We forgot to add one important tab to the bottom of our “teams” document, and that is for the admin who is the rep on the safety cadre. There will be more in the blog next week about the days and times, but for now, if you could please add your admin name to this list, that would be amazing! Thank you.

Important Links

Notes from our Team:

From Tami Pike, Director of Health Services

To ensure a safe and successful field trip experience, review the Field Trip Checklist in advance. It is essential to notify your school nurse at least two weeks prior to any field trip. If a student requires direct nursing support during the trip, please complete the updated Request for Direct Care Nursing Services form at least two weeks prior to any field trip. Thank you!

From Kim Crabtree, Director of Transportation Services

Your school principal may receive an invite from Commute Options to meet.  Commute Options partners with us to help deliver education regarding safe walking/rolling to school. Commute Options has a great bike safety program (they provide the bikes/helmets).  We work closely with them to create safe walking paths to schools for our non-bus riders. Our department has hired an Active Transportation Coordinator (Michelle Rhoads) through a 2 year grant. The grant is very specific on where Michelle’s work must be directed (5 Title 1 schools). 

We hope to build a robust program district wide to support those that do not ride a bus. If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me. If you are looking for education for your students- Commute Options is your go-to at this time (we are happy to coordinate that for you also through them).  Have a great safe start to the year!

From Tracy Howk, Instructional Technology. AI PD & Resources in One Place

Everything you need for the Artificial Intelligence PD is on the new AI in BLS website, including the full slide deck for your upcoming staff training.

The training takes about 90 minutes. We’ve scheduled it during August in-service so staff can explore AI early, with the hope that leveraging it can help lighten their workload as the year gets rolling. 

There’s no need to be an AI expert. Just open the deck and guide your staff through it. The goal is to share accurate, useful, and timely information as we navigate the meaningful use of AI across the district. Questions? Reach out anytime: [email protected]

Action Items

  • Review your priority matrix and complete the important and urgent items now if they are not done already
  • review field trip checklist with your office staff and be ready when field trips arise
  • Meet with Commute Options if/when they call
  • Check out the AI training link and email the IT help email for Robbie and Tracy if you have questions
  • Come ready to enjoy the day Monday (inside and out) at the High Desert Museum, 9-5.

Important Dates

  • August 11: Elementary Horizontal at High Desert Museum from 9:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m.
  • August 18: Title 1 Kick Off for all Title Schools 8-10 @ ELK Meadow
  • August 21: Optional Wayfinder Training for Admin, 2:30-3:30 at North Star
  • August 25 – 29: Inservice Week
  • August 26: Welcome Back Kick Off – Virtual 8:30 a.m – 10:00 a.m.
  • September 2: Optional Teacher Work Day
  • September 3: FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
  • September 9: Elementary Leadership Meeting, 3:00-4:30 at the Ensworth Media Center
  • September 16: PLCs 1 and 2, 3:00-4:30 (you will learn about these on August 11)
  • September 23: PLCs 3 and 4, 3:00-4:30 (you will learn about these on August 11)
  • September 22-24: Rosh Hashanah–no scheduling of evening events on these days.

And finally….zoom in and check out how we are showing up this year, rooted in our purpose and steady in growth.

June 5, 2025

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Thank you for celebrating the incredible achievements of our school counselors this morning! These reports are a fantastic testament to the hard work and dedication that our counselors bring to our schools. We truly appreciate the time and energy counselors invest in creating these presentations to highlight their amazing contributions and unwavering support for our students. This is not just a report; it’s a vibrant opportunity to collaborate, share innovative ideas, and showcase the positive impact school counselors have on students’ lives. Thanks for showing up to support your counselors today! Below are links to the slides from the presentations.

Elementary Room 314

Elementary Room 312

Middle School

High School

From Tammy and Karen

Thank You! Thank you does not seem enough for all the hard decisions, conversations, and support you are providing your staffs right now. Know that we appreciate you all so much. These are not fun times, but working with an amazing elementary leadership group like you makes it a little more tolerable. You’re the best and we wish you all a fun and smooth last week of the school year!

Save the Date! Last week we indicated that there would be a training later this month in lieu of the All Admin SIW that was canceled this week. The day for that official training is Monday, June 23. It will be a 4 hour training, but which half of the day you attend depends on who has and has not read the book, ” Belonging Through a Culture of Dignity”, so block out the whole day to be safe! Look for more to come on this from Lisa. If there is a problem with you attending this day, please reach out to your level leader to let them know.

Important Links

Notes from our Team:

From HR Classified Team:

We are excited to share that the start dates for the 2025-26 school year are now available and posted on the Portal here. Complete work calendars for all classified employees are nearly finalized and will be uploaded to the Portal as soon as they are ready; we appreciate your patience as we put the finishing touches on them.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected]. Thank you for your continued support and dedication – wishing you an enjoyable wrap-up to the end of the school year!

Check out the above trainings with the Culture of Care this August. You can register here. (Just remember that our Elementary Admin Welcome Back will be August 11).

Action Items

  • Save the Date–June 23! For an All Admin PD
  • Check out the classified calendar for the 25-26 year. Stay tuned for the rest
  • Check out and sign up for any of the Culture of Care trainings in August you (or your team) may be interested in attending.
  • and…All the many things you do to make the end of the year joyful and memorable for your staff and students!

Important Dates

  • June 12: Last Day students—half day
  • June 13: Last Day staff
  • June 17: Elementary End of Year Celebration! 2:00 Somewhere!
  • June 23: Belonging Training—half day, but stay tuned to which half you need!

And finally…Caption this…text Tammy with your caption to be entered into a drawing for something fun!