Newsletter: February 19, 2026

Important Dates:

Click here for the full WVMS School Year Calendar.

Bend Science Station (4th Graders), Feb 20

Our 4th grade students will be visiting Bend Science Station on Friday, February 20th! They will be learning about Combustible Chemistry. They will leave around 9:15am and be back by 11:30am. Permission slips are going home today and can be found here.

Fly Up Day (8th Graders), Mar 3

March 3 is Fly Up Day, 10 am-12 pm. All 8th grade students will fly up to their high school to learn about CTE programming and other relevant info. Students are picked up at Westside Village and bussed to their high school. They spend a bit of time getting a tour, learning about electives and CTE programming and then return to school for lunch. If your student is on the wait list for an area change, they will attend their neighborhood high school. Permission slips will be coming home soon and can be found here.

Reminder: Early Pick Up Policy/Limit Pick Ups After 2:45 Please

The end of the school day at Westside Village is an important time for fitness and community. Therefore, we ask that students not be picked up after fitness begins (between the hours of 2:45 and 3:35) unless it is an emergency. If your student leaves early for a regular sports practice or activity, please arrange to pick them up at or before 2:45. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

Choice Options Lottery for Kindergarten Closes Mar 20

The Choice Options Lottery deadline for Kindergarten is Friday, Mar 20. Visit this link for more information. If you know of any families that would be a good fit, send them our way! We will have two info sessions:

Monday, March 2nd (Tour at 5:00, Info Session at 5:30)

Wednesday, March 4th (Tour at 1:00, Info Session at 1:30)

• Remember that all incoming siblings of Westside students MUST complete an application  
• Current Westside Village students do not need to re-apply for the lottery 

Entry into the Choice Options lottery, Dual Immersion lottery, and Priority Area Change Requests all require a current enrollment in a Bend-La Pine School for the school year requested. Enrollment for the 2026-2027 school year is open.

Don’t hesitate to call Marcie with any questions.  541-355-2001

Erin’s Law

Westside Village School is committed to developing future-ready students to meet the ever-changing landscape of the 21^st Century.  Our staff takes great pride in cultivating the whole child: academically, socially and personally.  As you are aware, the safety of all students is our highest priority, especially when it comes to abuse. 

Oregon State Bill 856 is legislation requiring public schools to educate students about safe/unsafe touch and secrets that are not okay to keep. We will begin teaching the Barbara Sinatra’s Fight Child Abuse sexual abuse prevention program to all Kindergarten through 5^th grade students.  This program is a personal safety and self-advocacy program that empowers children to feel good about themselves, recognize uncomfortable situations, and report inappropriate acts to trusted adults in their lives. Though the program does cover “stranger safety,”  it also empowers students to use assertiveness skills with people of all ages, especially individuals they know. 

You can access information about the specific program at this link:Erin’s Law Overview (2).pdf

If you have any questions, please call 541-355-2000.

All Bend-LaPine Kindergarten through fifth grade students receive this curriculum. Should you prefer that your child not participate in these lessons, please let your student’s teacher know and we will make arrangements to offer an alternative learning activity.

We very much look forward to working with your child to help them become more confident, safe and informed.

2025-26 Oregon Statewide Tests (OSAS)

This school year our 3rd through 8th grade students will take the Oregon Statewide Tests. Parents have the right to opt their child out of the English Language Arts and/or the Math tests. We have made it a mission to be creative and smart about how we administer the OR Statewide Tests. We are not going to make students sit for hours at a time testing; we are going to offer them fun snacks, breaks when needed, and all the support we can give. We would like to take this opportunity to turn this challenge into a fun and meaningful experience. 

Here are links to the Annual Notice for Statewide Testing – this contains information about the testing and the Opt-Out Form.
OSAS Annual Notice and Opt-Out Form English 25-26
OSAS Annual Notice and Opt-Out Form español 25-26

If you have any questions about the test, please email Felicia at [email protected].

NO SCHOOL Days in March

Mar 18-20: NO SCHOOL for District Conference Days (Westside will have had conferences already). 

Mar 23-27: NO SCHOOL for Spring Break. 

Friends of WVMS is offering camp on all of these non school days. Sign up through Bend Parks and Rec!

News From Friends

Give Back Night @ Fire on the Mountain, Feb 19

NexTrex Recycling Challenge, Collect Your Plastic Bags!

We’ve collected 43 pounds so far! Weigh your plastic at home and let us know how much you’ve taken to be recycled OR bring your plastic to school and we’ll weigh it for you.

Help us reach our goal of collecting 1,000 lbs of clean plastic bags and film in one year! Westside Village is participating in the NexTrex Recycling Challenge starting in February and we need your help! You can collect at home and bring to the school OR collect at home, weigh it, and take it to one of our participating drop-off retailer locations for recycling. Make sure to email Ms. Marcie your weights so that we can log it! [email protected]

Plastic bags and film packaging are important durable and lightweight protection for food and merchandise in transit. But these materials SHOULD NOT be recycled in most curbside carts or single stream programs. Thankfully, many grocers and retailers and some communities provide specific collection bins for bags and film to be recycled separately from other recyclables.