{"id":2023,"date":"2026-02-12T20:42:41","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T20:42:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bend.k12.or.us\/westside.village\/?p=2023"},"modified":"2026-02-12T20:44:04","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T20:44:04","slug":"newsletter-february-12-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bend.k12.or.us\/westside.village\/2026\/02\/12\/newsletter-february-12-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Newsletter: February 12, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:19% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.bend.k12.or.us\/westside.village\/files\/2023\/09\/cropped-WVMS-Volcano-Logo-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-77 size-full\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-text-color wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#670c0c\"><strong><em>Hello Westside Vil<\/em><\/strong><em><strong>lage Families!<br>Here are a few things to look out for this week:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Important Dates:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4fc3f8e1 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Feb 13: Friendship Day at School<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Feb 16: NO SCHOOL, Presidents Day Holiday<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Feb 19: Fire on the Mountain Fundraiser<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Feb 20: Bend Science Station Field Trip for 4th Graders<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mar 2: WVMS Tour &amp; Info Session, 5:00<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mar 3: Fly Up Day for 8th Graders<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mar 4: Village Council Meeting, 8:00\/8:15<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mar 4: WVMS Tour &amp; Info Session, 1:00<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mar 5: Pastini Fundraiser<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mar 11: Elder Play Evening Performance, details TBA<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mar 12: Elder Play\/Six Week Celebration 4:30-6:30<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mar 18-20: NO SCHOOL, District Conference Days<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mar 20: Choice Options Lottery Deadline for Kindergarten<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mar 23-27: NO SCHOOL, Spring Break<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Apr 23: Save the Date: Village Rhythm &amp; Bingo (VRB)!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Click here for the full <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bend.k12.or.us\/westside\/news-events\/calendar\"><strong><em>WVMS School Year Calendar<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Friendship Day, Feb 13<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Valentine&#8217;s Day is celebrated at WVMS by celebrating healthy friendships and kindness. This is always an emotional time for students. Some children have unrealistic expectations with relationships. We really try to help everyone build relationships, reach out to those that they do not know as well, and have fun with friends. We DO NOT promote this as a romantic adult event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">-We remind our community that this day is about healthy friendships, not romantic love or the commercialism around the day.&nbsp; It\u2019s about having fun, being a great friend, and enjoying festivities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">-Please do not feel pressured to send Valentine cards.&nbsp; If you do, please <strong>do not put names on the cards<\/strong>.&nbsp; Students will make bags at school to collect any treats being passed out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">-If your child has a special gift for someone, please try to do it outside of school. In school, this can make other students feel excluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">-Students can make big posters to share with communities, buy a small treat for their community (something that has at least 65 for the upstairs community, 50 for Centers and 65 for Elders), write quotes to put in bags, pencils, erasers, (preferably something that is not single use plastic).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Bend Science Station (4th Graders), Feb 20<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">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 <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/19XG_7A3j-rJL-LbQiR4N5ACFq4AGjLKE\/view?usp=sharing\">here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Fly Up Day (8th Graders), Mar 3<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">March 3 is Fly Up Day, 10 am-12 pm.<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>All 8th\u00a0grade 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Choice Options Lottery for Kindergarten Closes Mar 20<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The Choice Options Lottery deadline for Kindergarten is Friday, Mar 20. Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bend.k12.or.us\/district\/academics\/choice-options\">this link<\/a> 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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Monday, March 2nd (Tour at 5:00, Info Session at 5:30)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Wednesday, March 4th (Tour at 1:00, Info Session at 1:30)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-normal-font-size\"><strong>Remember that all incoming siblings of Westside students MUST complete an application&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-normal-font-size\"><strong>Current Westside Village students do not need to re-apply for the lottery<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Don\u2019t hesitate to call Marcie with any questions.&nbsp; 541-355-2001<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.bend.k12.or.us\/westside.village\/files\/2026\/01\/2026-27_Choice_Options1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1964\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2025-26 Oregon Statewide Tests (OSAS)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">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.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Here are links to the Annual Notice for Statewide Testing \u2013 this contains information about the testing and the Opt-Out Form.<br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oregon.gov\/ode\/educator-resources\/assessment\/Documents\/Opt-Out_Form_English.pdf\">OSAS Annual Notice and Opt-Out Form English 25-26<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oregon.gov\/ode\/educator-resources\/assessment\/Documents\/Opt-Out_Form_Spanish.pdf\">OSAS Annual Notice and Opt-Out Form espa\u00f1ol 25-26<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">If you have any questions about the test, please email Felicia at felicia.anderson@bend.k12.or.us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>NO SCHOOL Days in February<\/strong>\/March<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Feb 16:<\/strong> NO SCHOOL for the Presidents Day holiday.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Mar 18-20:<\/strong> NO SCHOOL for District Conference Days (Westside will have had conferences already).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Mar 23-27:<\/strong> NO SCHOOL for Spring Break.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Friends of WVMS is offering camp on all of these non school days. <a href=\"https:\/\/register.bendparksandrec.org\/webtrac\/web\/search.html?module=AR&amp;search=Yes&amp;keyword=NOSCH&amp;finderID=NoSchoolFinder\">Sign up through Bend Parks and Rec!<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>News From Friends<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.bend.k12.or.us\/westside.village\/files\/2026\/01\/image.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1966\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.bend.k12.or.us\/westside.village\/files\/2026\/01\/image.png 225w, https:\/\/blogs.bend.k12.or.us\/westside.village\/files\/2026\/01\/image-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Give Back Night @ Fire on the Mountain, Feb 19<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4fc3f8e1 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Join us at Fire on the Mountain and raise money for Friends of Westside Village!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.bend.k12.or.us\/westside.village\/files\/2026\/02\/Bend-Westside-Village-Magnet-School.pdf-791x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2026\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Next up, Pastini on March 5th!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Nex<strong>Trex Recycling Challenge<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">We&#8217;ve collected 43 pounds so far!  Weigh your plastic at home and let us know how much you&#8217;ve taken to be recycled OR bring your plastic to school and we&#8217;ll weigh it for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">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 <a href=\"https:\/\/nextrex.com\/docs\/USDropOffLocations\">our participating drop-off retailer locations for recycling<\/a>. Make sure to email Ms. Marcie your weights so that we can log it! marcie.gibson@bend.k12.or.us<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"612\" height=\"792\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.bend.k12.or.us\/westside.village\/files\/2026\/01\/Trex-Challenge.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1978\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.bend.k12.or.us\/westside.village\/files\/2026\/01\/Trex-Challenge.jpg 612w, https:\/\/blogs.bend.k12.or.us\/westside.village\/files\/2026\/01\/Trex-Challenge-232x300.jpg 232w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 612px) 100vw, 612px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hello Westside Village Families!Here are a few things to look out for this week: Important Dates: Feb 13: Friendship Day at School Feb 16: NO SCHOOL, Presidents Day Holiday Feb 19: Fire on the Mountain Fundraiser Feb 20: Bend Science <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bend.k12.or.us\/westside.village\/2026\/02\/12\/newsletter-february-12-2026\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Newsletter: February 12, 2026<\/span><span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":762,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2023","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-newsletter-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bend.k12.or.us\/westside.village\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2023","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bend.k12.or.us\/westside.village\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bend.k12.or.us\/westside.village\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bend.k12.or.us\/westside.village\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/762"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bend.k12.or.us\/westside.village\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2023"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bend.k12.or.us\/westside.village\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2023\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2036,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bend.k12.or.us\/westside.village\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2023\/revisions\/2036"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bend.k12.or.us\/westside.village\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2023"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bend.k12.or.us\/westside.village\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2023"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bend.k12.or.us\/westside.village\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2023"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}