Countdown to Spring Break! What fun plans do you have?
From Tammy and Karen
As we move into the staffing plan process, we want to provide school leaders with a clear and thoughtful approach to navigating this important work. Over the next few days, we will be scheduling times to visit schools to review staffing plans together. These conversations are intended to support you in reflecting on your plan, verifying key data points, asking questions, and ensuring that the documentation is complete. In some cases, Jennifer Hauth and members of the Student Services leadership team may also join these conversations if they are available. It has been wonderful to collaborate across departments on these important plans. Above you will see a cool infographic that Tammy put together using Notebook LM (p.s. if you haven’t tried out this tool, we recommend you look at it.) We hope this guide can help make this process smooth, thoughtful, and supportive for your school community.
END: Thank you all for your support last week in attending the Educator Network Days! This is just an FYI: Here is the attendance information of the Educator Network Day from last week. We don’t believe that elementary has a problem with people not attending the sessions, but it has been brought to our attention that missing END as a district has been problematic, so take a quick peek to confirm that your list is accurate.
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 Wellbeing
Please see below for an opportunity here in Bend for district administrators that are helping to lead this work😊 Learn how to strengthen our Wayfinder implementation to help meet our strategic initiatives. I will be there and I think it would be great to have some of you join, especially those of you that have not attended any Wayfinder trainings in the past.
From Patrick Cook-Deegan – CEO and Founder of Wayfinder:
I’d like to personally invite you to join us for the Oregon Community Workshop on Friday, April 17 at Tetherow Resort in Bend.
This will be a focused, working session with district leaders from across Oregon on how schools are implementing Wayfinder to:
Meet Oregon’s mandated TSEL standards
Align with SB3 requirements
Strengthen instruction for the Oregon Health Education Standards
More than 115 Oregon districts are already bringing this work to life with us. During the workshop, we’ll share concrete implementation strategies, lessons learned, and practical tools you can take back to your district or school site immediately.
Event Details
8:30 AM – 2:30 PM (breakfast and lunch provided) Tetherow Resort 61240 Skyline Ranch Rd Bend, OR 97702
This will be interactive and collaborative—not a sit-and-get session. You’ll experience Wayfinder activities firsthand and connect with peers navigating similar priorities.
Thursday, May 7th is the 2nd annual School Library Symposium. This is a library-specific PD event for classified and certified school library staff in our region. This event is free of charge to remove barriers and encourage attendance.
Complete your initial thinking for staffing plan by end of day on March 19th
Bookmark the new Frequently Numbers List
Important Dates
March 18: Teacher work day (8 hours) Conferences (4 hours)
March 18: Elementary Admin PD 8:00-11:15 a.m. Lunch provided after
March 19: Conferences (12 hours)
March 20: No School
March 23-27: Spring Break!
April 8: All Admin PD 3:00 – 4:30
April 14: Elementary Horizontal 3:00 – 4:30 location TBD
And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Scott Edmondson!
This week’s Duck winner is Scott Edmondson, currently the Principal at Highland Magnet at Kenwood. Prior to Highland, Scott was Principal at RE Jewell, and Sky View Middle School. Scott is a beloved principal and known to be able to be the leader that struggling school communities need to bring a caring and kind culture to a school. Fun fact, if you are to google Scott, you just might get the following…and it’s all true! “Scott Edmondson, a longtime educator in Bend, Oregon, gained recognition as the ‘Worlds Strongest Principal’ around 2010. While leading Sky View Middle School, he won a world championship in powerlifting, bench-pressing over 585 pounds. He later served as principal at R.E. Jewell Elementary and was named principal at Highland Magnet at Kenwood School in 2023.” In addition, Scott can spend hours educating you on all things Sasquatch, so if you are so inclined, hit him up for some good stories. That is, when he is not spending time with his family, as he is a proud dad and grandpa as well. Congratulations Scott! Let us know your drink of choice, and we’ll send it your way.
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.
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.
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.
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!
First, I want to thank you all for your kind words of support and care for my family. It means a lot to know you are thinking of us and I so appreciate your understanding as I step away from work to be close to my family at this time. My mother is making slow progress in recovery from her fall, and I am so glad I can be here with her and my dad. Thank you for your grace!
Mark Your Calendar! We are looking forward to time together with you all on March 18th at the Education Center. We will start at 8 and work together until 11:15 a.m. Afterwards, we invite you to stay for lunch with us in the Board Room. You will be working with your PLC groups and spending 90 minutes getting training on Amplify and 90 minutes starting your next cycle for our PLC work. We have learned a lot over our meetings together this fall and winter and are looking forward to applying some of these changes to our work together moving forward. We will share more information at our Horizontal Meeting next week.
Camp Fire Central Oregon is one of our partner agencies providing after school care in our schools. Please share these two Camp Fire events in your family newsletter:
✅ No School Day Camps (NSDCs) are happening in South County and BendParent-teacher conferences (March 18-20)Spring Break (March 23-27, Bend only)
💲GIVE $20/GET $20 PROMOTION!💲You and your buddy get a $20 credit when you refer a friend to sign up for March No School Day Camps.To receive your referral credit, ask your friend to add your name at checkout. Limit 1 referral credit per registered youth. Credits must be used within 12 months. Example: Refer 5 friends and get $100 towards future Camp Fire programs Our NSDCs aren’t just a fabulous solution for working families, but they engage kids through fun themes, get them off screens, and focus on building character, nurturing curiosity, confidence, and compassion. Sign up HERE!
CPI Trained Staff List (let Sara Young know if you see staff who are not at your school)
Notes from our Team:
From Sara and Gabe regarding MTSS:
Last month, we came out to interview all the buildings about MTSS. HERE are the trends from those interviews.
Thank you all so much for your time and collaboration so we can move forward in creating a stronger system – your insight and tools were critical! We learned so much!
From Curriculum and Instruction: Winter Progress Monitoring Updates
Following the mid-year benchmark, please find the updated Winter Progress Monitoring List above. Our primary goal this semester is to maximize direct instructional minutes; every minute spent on testing is a minute taken away from student learning.
Monitoring Frequency Guidelines
To ensure we are gathering necessary data without over-testing, please adhere to the following schedule:
1st–10th Percentile: Monitor 2x per month.
11th–20th Percentile: Monitor 1x per month.
Efficiency Targets
Limit Measures: Use the minimum number of measures required to track growth. Do not over-monitor across multiple sub-skills if one key indicator suffices.
Professional Judgment: You know your students best. Please add any students who were omitted from the list but require tracking.
Support: If the volume of progress monitoring is impacting your ability to deliver Tier 1 or Tier 2 instruction, please reach out immediately. We are committed to problem-solving solutions that protect your instructional block.
Please share this information with staff members who may not receive this blog.
Erin’s Law Link Update: The link in the October blog to the Erin’s Law lessons was incorrect. Hereis the correct link.
From Ryan in HR
I’ve now reviewed all of the responses to the Administrator Preference Survey, thank you for taking the time to complete it.
As a reminder, the goal of the survey is to help better understand your interests, reflections, and professional aspirations as we enter the early stages of planning for the 2026–27 school year and the survey is designed to make sure you have voice in the process.
In a handful of cases, a follow-up conversation would be helpful to clarify interests, better understand context, or talk more about professional goals. If that’s the case, I’ll reach out directly to schedule time. If you don’t hear from me, it simply means your responses were clear and don’t require immediate follow-up at this time.
This is just part of our normal planning rhythm and gives me a clearer picture as we look toward 2026–27. We’re just getting started with that planning, and nothing has been decided.
As always, final assignment decisions are made with the needs of the entire district in mind, and your input informs that work.
If you want to talk through anything you shared (or didn’t share), call, text, or email and we’ll set up time.
From Stephen DuVal, MS Executive Director
Please share the following information with all your 5th grade families as soon as possible. Thanks!
Mark your calendars for Tuesday, March 10. A big milestone is around the corner. Our middle schools are rolling out the welcome mat for Incoming 6th Grade Family Night, and you’re invited to be part of the excitement. This is your family’s first step into the middle school experience!
✨ Tour the campus ✨ Visit classrooms ✨ Meet amazing teachers and staff ✨ Get your questions answered ✨ Start imagining the year ahead
It’s the perfect chance to explore, connect, and get a feel for your new school community. We can’t wait to welcome our future 6th graders and their families!
Action Items
Mark your calendars for Elementary Admin PD on March 18th from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm (lunch included)
Review Progress monitoring information from Curriculum and Instruction
Share Camp Fire events with families
Important Dates
March 3: Elementary Horizontal 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. in the Board Room
March 4: Educator Network Day
March 18: Teacher work day (8 hours) Conferences (4 hours)
March 18: Elementary Admin PD 8:00-11:15 a.m. Lunch provided after
March 19: Conferences (12 hours)
March 20: No School
March 23-27: Spring Break!
And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Trevor Arsenault!
Trevor is in his 3rd year as an Assistant Principal for Rosland Elementary! He is a hands-on problem solver who shows up wherever support is needed. A deeply involved father of two daughters, he can often be found at cheer practices and competitions, fully embracing the role of “cheer dad” and learning the ropes along the way. He loves fishing on his boat — a place where he can reset and recharge — but even downtime tends to spark ideas. Trevor is naturally handy and has recently put his new 3D printer to work creating desk organization tools and practical solutions for staff. He designed and built a mobile cart to support classrooms while working in the commons and most recently constructed a projector cart to streamline assemblies. Whether at home, on the water, or supporting classrooms, Trevor brings creativity, reliability, and a builder’s mindset to everything he does. Congratulations Trevor and please let us know your favorite drink and we will Rocket over to Rosland to drop it off!
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.
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!
2026 Theme for Black History Month: “A Century of Black History Commemoration
As we observe Black History Month, I’m inviting all of us to pause and reflect not just on the few names we hear most often, but on the many Black educators who changed the face of education in America, from the founders of schools and literacy programs to the leaders who fought for equity and opportunity against impossible odds. The list at the link below highlights 50 African Americans whose contributions reshaped how and where learning happens, from those who opened doors for access and inclusion to those who stood on the front lines of academic thought and civil rights. Take a moment this month to explore that collection, learn their stories, and think about how their courage, creativity, and commitment continue to impact classrooms and communities today. (ctulocal1.org)
With conferences quickly approaching, we have several topics to go over concerning this time of the year.
Conference Length Expectations: In past partnership with the BEA, we landed on the following information. If a teacher has 25 or less students, their conferences need to be between 25-30 minutes to accommodate for transition times as needed (25 min gives time for a quick restroom break, time in case one goes longer, etc.). If a teacher has 26 or more students, their conferences can be 20 minutes, giving the teacher the ability to have a few longer ones as well as including transition times if needed.
How we conference: The following link to staff is a mutually developed message from Bend-La Pine and BEA that needs to be copied and pasted into your staff newsletter regarding the parameters around “how” we conference. Following the letter to staff is a link for a family letter you can use to send to your families explaining what may happen if they choose to go on a vacation during conference times.
Interpreters: Principals, work with your office team to submit your requests for interpreters ASAP via Linguist Link (do not rely on CAFE members at this point–they should be used for back-up only). Language Specialists and Family Liaisons can help coordinate languages and appointments. On conference nights, a front-office staff member needs to be available to support interpreters (direct them to their assignment location, clarify scheduling or meeting access info, etc).
CPI Trained Staff List (let Sara Young know if you see staff who are not at your school)
Notes from our Team:
From Dave VanLoo in School Improvement:
NNAT3 Resources: Here is a folder with recent versions of NNAT3 resources including platform and administration user guides, information for identifying new to district students, parent notices, and other documents. If there is anything else helpful you would like added, please let me know.
SRO Appreciation Day– Schools are encouraged to celebrate their SROs the week of February 17th for SRO Appreciation Day. Some ideas for appreciation that have been done in past school years are: decorate their office doors, buy lunch for them one day during the week, have students make cards and drawings, or have breakfast and invite the entire team. You have all done so amazing that the past two years BLS has been featured in the national SRO magazine!!
From Tami Pike – Health Services
As we continue navigating cold and flu season, OSU Extension’s Family and Community Health Department is offering updated High Speed Hand Washing materials for our K–5 classrooms. This method, originally developed and piloted in Central Oregon more than 15 years ago, demonstrated an 82.6% increase in proper handwashing frequency among 1,687 fourth-grade students and has been associated with significantly reduced absenteeism during flu outbreaks. Designed to allow an entire class of 20–30 students to wash their hands thoroughly in under three minutes, the routine supports consistent hygiene before eating or handling food. OSU Extension is hoping to distribute laminated color posters (English, Spanish, or bilingual) across our elementary classrooms and may also offer a brief five-minute demonstration for staff, along with an updated instructional video. Contact Tami if you are interested. This opportunity aligns well with our ongoing focus on healthy habit-building and strong attendance. Please see the linked flyers (English and Spanish) for additional details.
From Scott M. in Technology
Never let an outage go to waste! On Monday, Clever access was restricted for students and teachers due to an outage. We know that determining whether something is a “user error” or an actual outage can be frustrating.
This handy dashboard lists all of our common tools and their current operational status. Our team will also update a custom message at the top of the site listing any known issues. Go ahead and bookmark it now. That way, you can check it out the next time something gets wonky!
Get a jump on planning for interpreters at Spring Conferences
Make plans to honor SROs the week of February 17th!
Important Dates
February 16: President’s Day—you must use non-contract to take this day off, as it is not a paid holiday for us. It is a day off for Students and the rest of the staff.
Feb 17-20: Walk throughs with APs
February 17: PLC 4, 3:00 – 4:30
February 18: All Admin PD 3:00 – 4:30 Perseverance Hall
February 24: PLC 3 3:00 – 4:30
March 3: Elementary Horizontal 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. in the Board Room
March 4: Educator Network Day
March 18: Teacher work day (8 hours) Conferences (4 hours)
March 19: Conferences (12 hours)
March 20: No School
March 23-27: Spring Break!
And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Wendy Winchell!
Wendy Winchel has led Westside Village K-8 Magnet School for over 25 years. It was the brainchild of Wendy and a group, who were at the time, teaching in the basement of the old Kenwood School gym (Kenwood is the current home of Highland Magnet School). Prior to that, Wendy taught in England for several years, where she first experienced teaching in a more project-based, justice-driven, blended school, where the desire to provide students with an alternative educational experience, different than a more traditional setting was born. Wendy loves the outdoors, whether it is on an outdoor adventure with the kids at Westside, paddleboarding on local lakes and rivers, or gardening with her husband, she lives for fresh air! Congratulations Wendy—let us know your drink of choice and we’ll head your way with your goodie.
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.
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. Classifiedemployees 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.
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
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.
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!
The statement above is meant to make you laugh, but I think we can all relate to the feeling that January goes on a looooooong time! We made it, and we’re already halfway through the school year. The next few months will move quickly and, we hope, be filled with fun, inspiration, laughter, and lots and lots of learning. Congratulations, and thank you for all you do to make school a place where every student feels excited to learn and a true sense of belonging in our community.
Here is some news to brighten your day: We will be cancelling our Horizontal Meeting on Tuesday February 3rd! The meetings we have had recently have covered the important topics for this month. We thought you might all enjoy the gift of time to focus on what is needed at your school site on that date!
Train Your Brain: It’s that time of the year, to identify your person in charge of the third grade “Train Your Brain” helmet safety program, which takes place each spring in all of our schools. Please identify the contact person for your school that Stuart Schmidt will connect with to organize the program. Often, it’s a third-grade teacher. The sooner you identify a person, the better choice of date you get! Click here to enter the information for your school. Thank you and safe riding!
All Admin PD: Kudos to Scott, Heidi, Kit, Nichole, Andy, Wendy, Julie and Karen for your work to lead the All-Admin PD this week. Leading in a school district is bigger than just keeping your strengths and skills contained in one school. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us all! Also, a big shout out to all who came early to set the room up. It was a nice transition to be all ready when people started showing up. Side note: Here is the slide deck from the All Admin PD on Wednesday (slide 27 has been edited to remove a dignity violation while keeping the context and message of the quote).
Field Trip Idea: Classroom Trips at Oregon Sled Dog Rides – $250 for 20 students! Check it out!
Dates to recognize groups (Coming up: School Counseling week–first week of Feb! and School Resource Officers – Feb 15)
CPI Trained Staff List (let Sara Young know if you see staff who are not at your school)
Notes from our Team:
From Kinsey – Office of Policy and Advocacy
Immigration/ICE: -Action needed-
In light of ongoing national events, many of you have recently received questions from families and/or staff about the district’s preparedness should ICE activity occur on or near our campuses. Please copy and paste this message into your next staff communication–thanks for making sure both classified and certified receive this from you.
Additionally, this half-way point in the year is a good time to review the guidance (for admin and front office) for what you are expected to do should ICE activity occur on or near your campus. Note: Some edits were made this week–please be sure you and your office team are familiar with these expectations and that this updated version is printed and accessible where your front-entry greeter sits. One important note: Depending on your building’s layout, you may receive from me via interdistrict mail some signage: “Public Area” and “Not a Public Area.” I’ll send details with the signs for where to post them—just know these are related to our procedures here.
Complaints and Bias Incidents: -Action needed-
As the semester wraps up, please go into your Complaint Dashboard and ensure that all submissions there have been fully addressed (investigation, circling back with reporter and all parties, written findings when applicable, all copies and documents uploaded or linked, etc). When complete, you should select “Resolved By School: Yes” to close it out. If a complaint gets appealed, we’ll grab the documentation and records from there, so you don’t need to worry about that step.
From Kayla in Safety
SRO Schedule Change– Officer Koehnke (Summit) and Officer Avery (Caldera) have shifted their schedules effective Feb 9. Please review the SRO sheet here.
SRO Appreciation Day– Schools are encouraged to celebrate their SROs the week of February 17th for SRO Appreciation Day. Some ideas for appreciation that have been done in past school years are: decorate their office doors, buy lunch for them one day during the week, have students make cards and drawings, or have breakfast and invite the entire team. You have all done so amazing that the past two years BLS has been featured in the national SRO magazine!!
From Aimee Snyder from Healthy Schools
The upcoming “Start the Conversation” workshops are a family engagement opportunity for families of students with Tier 2 and Tier 3 needs. There will be repeat offerings of this 3-hour workshop in Feb – March.
The “Start the Conversation” workshop will improve families’ abilities to start difficult conversations with their student about topics such as mental health, attendance, substance use, and sex. The workshop is provided by Dr. Amy Yillik, HDESD Culture of Care.
The workshops are centered on developmental needs of middle school students, but are open to families of all BLS students.
Personal invites from admin and staff already working with students and families with Tier 2-3 needs would be the most effective approach.
Here’s the promotion fliers and a promotion blurb to use for promoting the workshop to your families:
How to Start a Difficult Conversation with Your Student
Have you ever struggled with how to talk to your student about difficult topics? Conversations with questions about drugs, sex, mental health, school attendance, etc.
Culture of Care and Shared Future Coalition have partnered to bring this Parent and Caregiver ‘Start the Conversation’ workshop to BLS Families. Some of the topics covered in the 3 hour workshop (food included!) are:
Leading conversations with love
Strengthening listening skills
Engaging the youth in problem solving, collaborative and restorative conversations
Differentiating high-priority and low-priority concerns
Learning about community resources and asking for help
Workshop will include non-stigmatizing ways to honestly and appropriately address youth questions about parent/caregiver history with substances and/or risky behaviors
There is also time built into the workshop for parents and caregivers to practice new skills and engage with other families experiencing the same challenging dynamics of raising adolescents. Please make sure to register so we have enough food and space for all registrants!
From Jennifer in Student Well Being
🎉 National School Counseling Week 2026 (#NSCW26) is February 2–6, 2026! This special week shines a spotlight on the incredible impact of our school counselors and the unique ways they support students every day.
The 2026 theme, School Counselors Amplify Student Success, says it all! Presented by ASCA, National School Counseling Week celebrates how school counselors help students thrive academically, socially, emotionally, and as they plan for future careers.
📅 National School Counseling Week is always held during the first full week of February, and we’re excited to share several resources below to help you celebrate the amazing school counselor(s) at your site.
💙 Please note: We will also be celebrating our Student Success Staff during School Social Worker Week, the week of March 1st.
🏅 Included below is a Certificate of Appreciation you can use to recognize your counselors, along with additional ideas and resources to make this week extra special. Let’s show our counselors how much they are valued and appreciated! 😊🎉
We are hosting a regional book study of Gender-Inclusive Schools, which will begin in late February and conclude in early May. Two sessions are virtual, and then we’ll culminate with a live session. This book is an easy-to-read, easy-to-use guide to help make our schools more welcoming to our LGBTQ2SIA+ students and their families. We would LOVE to have school and district leadership teams participate, though individuals are welcome, as well. Registration information and sub request information are in the attached handout.
Action Items
URGENT: Complete letters for P3 employees by end of day tomorrow.
Copy and paste this message regarding ICE into your next staff communication for classified and certified staff
Go into the Complaint Dashboard to ensure all complaints have been addressed
Identify you Train the Brain person and enter on spreadsheet.
Get ready to celebrate School Counseling week! AND School Resource Officer Apprecation Day the week of February 17th.
Important Dates
January 30: Progress Reports – No school for students (review BEA Article 15.8 regarding working from home that day for certified members)
February 10: PLCs 1 and 2, 3:00 – 4:30
February 16: President’s Day—you must use non-contract to take this day off, as it is not a paid holiday for us. It is a day off for Students and the rest of the staff.
February 17: PLCs 3 and 4, 3:00 – 4:30
February 18: All Admin PD 3:00 – 4:30 Perseverance Hall
March 3: Elementary Horizontal 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. at the Board Room
March 4: Educator Network Day
And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Tim Broadbent!
Tim Broadbent has been the Principal of Three Rivers for more than a decade, bringing steady leadership and deep commitment to the school community. Originally from the East Coast, Tim and his wife Elizabeth made their way to the Pacific Northwest years ago, drawn by the outdoors and an active lifestyle—both of which continue to shape how Tim approaches life and leadership. When he’s not at school, you’re likely to find him traveling, staying active, and cheering passionately as a devoted Buffalo Bills Superfan (sending condolences your way, Tim). Tim and Elizabeth, a teacher in Bend-La Pine Schools, are proud parents to their daughter Camille, a Gonzaga University student and member of the cross country and track teams. Congratulations Tim! Let us know your favorite school-appropriate drink and we will deliver!
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.
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! 😊🎉
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!
High rates of Youth Truth participation make a big difference in the quality of the information we receive and helps us to better design school programs to increase belonging and success in our schools. We saw this fun sign at Juniper and thought it was a great way to keep families focused on Youth Truth! During my stop at LaPine Elementary today, I found Megan giving out Rice Krispie treats to kids whose families completed the survey. What fun and creative ideas do you have to encourage families to fill out the survey?
As principals, you play a critical role in helping families see why YouthTruth matters. When you encourage parent participation, you reinforce that family voice is not only welcomed but essential to our improvement work. Thank you for helping elevate family voice so we can respond thoughtfully!
Please share the following with all your kindergarten staff: Head Start, a preschool organization that we often partner with, and support is gearing up for transitioning families for kindergarten this next fall with an event in February. They are looking for several kindergarten teachers to come be part of the event. More information here. We would encourage your participation to the extent you are interested and able and will be compensating up to 10 kindergarten teachers for 2 hours of your hourly salary to participate in the event. If interested, please fill out these two questions by the end of January. Thanks for your support of the class of 2039!
CPI Trained Staff List (let Sara Young know if you see staff who are not at your school)
Notes from our Team:
From Ryan in Human Resources
Quick heads-up as you plan ahead: Please hold Wednesday, May 13th, 4:30–6:30, for our annual Excellence in Education celebration at Mountain View High School, immediately following our Admin PD (also at Mountain View).
For those of you newer to BLS, this is one of the most meaningful events on our calendar and is a chance for us, as a community, to celebrate employees who have gone above and beyond this year through leadership, innovation, outstanding practice, and true service above self.
Each school and department is expected to have at least one Administrator or Supervisor in attendance to help celebrate your honoree(s). Your presence really matters. For many of our employees, this is a rare and powerful moment of recognition, and it means even more when it’s shared with the leaders who know their work best.
More details and the nomination forms are coming soon. For now, please make sure this time May 13th is protected on your calendar.
Thanks for the culture of appreciation you help create across our district, let Ryan Kelling know if you have any questions.
From Triz in Human Resources
Principals & Supervisors –
Here at BLS we aspire to place the best teachers possible in front of students, and as such we want to be very deliberate in renewing third-year Probationary/Temporary status teachers. The primary means for removing underperforming Probationary/Temporary staff members before they reach Contract status is non-renewal of their contracts prior to the end of the third year of probation; once a teacher attains Contact status, separation of a deficient performer from the district becomes a much more labor-intensive process.
Per the 25-26 Full Evaluation Resource Guide sent out with your Evaluation Google file this fall, HR Leadership had requested that you notify us by November 1st regarding any third-year Probationary/Temporary certified staff with whom you had concerns and that no later than December 5, 2025, you would have met with and notified an third-year staff member of concern that they were being placed on Support Strategies.
*****Deadlines For Non-Renewal of Third Year Probationary Teacher****
Timeline
No later than November 1st:
Notify HR Leadership regarding any third-year Probationary/Temporary certified staff about whom you have concerns with
Met with and notified those staff members that they are being placed on Focused Performance Review (~3 weeks)
No later than December 5th
Met with and notified third-year staff member of concern that they are being placed on Support Strategies (4-6 weeks)
Communicate with HR Leadership and BEA President Sarah Barclay regarding your concerns about these staff members
If you have not moved anyone to Support Strategies, you must reach out to us immediately so we can determine whether it is possible to meet the required timelines. Should you have any questions/concerns regarding these steps, please contact me [email protected] to discuss further.
******Please remember our change in practice for Temporary 3 certified staff. We now require all Probationary 3 practices for renewal/non-renewal for Temporary 3 certified staff. When you write a letter of support for a Temporary 3 staff member, then you are obligating your school to employ this person for the 2026/27 school year and beyond*********
If you have taken the necessary measures with a third-year Probationary/Temporary staff member that you don’t believe should be granted Contract status, we are at the point beyond which you will be able to meet deadlines to non-renew that teacher.
Those of you with third-year Probationary/Temporary certified staff being recommended for Contract status you will need to generate letters of support for each one. The School Board wants each of us to be able to articulate the specific reasons any third-year Probationary/Temporary teacher should move to Contract status, and they take time to read every letter you prepare. Please have these letters uploaded in the appropriate school folder in the google drive listed below no later than February 2, 2026. If you experience any issues with uploading your letters or accessing any of the links below, please email [email protected].
Complete and upload all your Renewal Recommendation letters into the appropriate school folder within this google drive. You will find the list of probationary/temporary certified staff.
Here is a draft template/sample Renewal Recommendation letter for your guidance (make as many copies of the letter as you need)
Be sure your letter is submitted on your school’s letterhead and has your signature prior to uploading
Certified Professional Growth and Performance Manual here.
Here is guidance for administrators and staff regarding how to navigate student-led protests. Please review and share applicable portions with your staff. This guidance is a general quick reference—for specific instances or questions, please let me know.
Home Visits:
Regarding our community engagement work: The end of the semester is a great time to drop by a home to check in on a struggling student or deliver a quick care package/item.
Too busy? No time? Home visits usually take 30 minutes or less. This small investment has a significant positive impact on the student and family, and for the staff who see you modeling this level of care and community leadership. Likely, you’ll find a home visit is more meaningful professional development than sitting in workshops talking about concepts like equity or belonging—I’m confident you’ll grow immediately as a leader after visiting a student’s home.
Your MTSS team or counselors can recommend a student/family to visit. Ask your Family Liaison, FAN Advocate, or ELL Specialist to go with you as needed, or ask them if you can tag along on a visit of theirs. Additional tips here.
From Sean in Student Services
From the Desk of April Diehl, Medicaid Program Manager:
The district will soon be sending an email to families requesting that they complete a Medicaid Parental Consent form. This consent allows the district to access Medicaid reimbursement for eligible services, and your help in sharing this information ensures families are aware of the email and its importance.
Please share the following message to families in your weekly newsletter:
Families will soon receive an email from Bend-La Pine Schools requesting completion of the one-time Medicaid Parental Consent form. The district is asking every family to respond, whether or not your child is covered by Medicaid. Families who have already completed the consent will not be emailed. This form allows the district to access Medicaid reimbursement for certain health-related services provided at school. Completing the form does not affect your child’s benefits or services in any way. Please watch for the email and take a moment to complete the form when it arrives. Thank you!
From Scott and Kayla in Safety
We have locked in two dates & times for our admin to do a tour of KIDS Center. Sign up for a KIDS Center Tour here.
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.
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.
From Garra in Nutrition Services
Around the World Wednesdays: Tell your students to pack their appetite and passport! Bend-La Pine Schools Nutrition Services is taking students on a flavor tour throughout southeast Asia. On Wednesdays beginning February 6, school communities will have the opportunity to explore a new country through a special lunch crafted by our own Executive Chef TJ Bennett. For this journey, no plane ticket is required!
Nutrition services have created a passport for each elementary student. We will deliver these booklets to the schools by 1/28. We are asking schools to distribute these to the students by 2/4; the promotion begins on 2/6 and ends 3/11. Students will hold on to their passport through our six weeks of culinary travel. Each Wednesday when a student selects the new highlighted special, they will receive a sticker to place in their passports. The sticker represents their passport getting stamped for “traveling with their taste buds” to the highlighted country that day. At the end of the promotion, students will have the opportunity to vote on which item was their favorite and where their taste buds would like to go next.
From Katie Legace – Executive Director Secondary Programs
High Schools have several “Phone Caddies” that are available for free for your school! If you have any interest in these, reach out to your nearest High School and let them know how many you want!
Action Items
Share Head Start information with Kindergarten Teachers
Encourage Youth Truth participation and share any good ideas (or visit here to get ideas)
Mark May 13th on your calendar for Excellence in Education Celebration
Share Medicaid message (from Sean) in parent newsletters
Be on the lookout for the Passports from Nutrition Services and share with teachers
Sign up for a tour of the Kids Center
Sign up for a time to meet with Student Services about MTSS needs
Carefully read Triz’s instructions for Probationary 3 teachers
Let your local high school know if you want any of their phone caddies!
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
February 3: Horizontal Meeting 3:00 – 4:30
February 10: PLC Meetings – all groups 3:00 – 4:30
And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Patrick Flanagan!
Patrick Flanagan has spent much of his career in Bend-La Pine Schools and currently serves as the principal of Ponderosa Elementary. Before that, he was the principal at La Pine Elementary and earlier taught at Juniper Elementary, giving him BLS experience at both the classroom and school-leadership levels. Outside of work, Patrick is an outdoor sportsman who enjoys spending time in Central Oregon’s playgrounds! Family is an important part of his life, and he values time with his wife—who is also a BLS teacher—their children, and grandchildren. Patrick is known for approaching problems from different angles and often brings creative, outside-the-box thinking to his work. He enjoys the challenge of finding practical, uncommon solutions and contributing ideas that help move things forward. Congratulations Patrick – let us know your drink of choice and we will deliver!
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.)
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
Characteristics of a Learner has switched from M=Met, SM=Somewhat Met etc…TO 1-4 scale like the rest of the progress report
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.
Slight changes to wording in mathematics in K-2, 3-5 remains the same as previous years
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
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:
Remember Forefront is available for entering EL assessments.
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.
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 workshopand be entered to win a $30 Amazon gift card.
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!
