Family Spotlight

We are rounding the bend in the 2024-25 school year, at the same time planning for the future. Complete school calendars for the 2025-26 are available now.

You’ll notice a change in next year’s school calendar. Spring conferences, which have traditionally taken place in mid-April, will move to just before spring break, March 18-19, 2026.

• March 18-19, 2026: No school for elementary and middle school students
  
• March 20, 2026: No school for all students
  
• March 23-27, 2026: Spring break
  

Why the change? Spring break at the end of March with April conferences just weeks later interrupts learning for our students. Scheduling conferences and spring break back-to-back creates eight weeks of consistent learning days for students, from the end of spring break to the last day of school.

Conferences remain an important time for families and teachers to connect. It’s an opportunity to stay engaged with your student’s teachers and learn ways to support their success at school and at home!

2025 - 2026 School Calendar

2025 - 2026 School Calendar (Bend Tech Academy, La Pine High School only)

• September 9: First day of school for grades 1-6 & 9 with staggered K start
  
• September 10: First day of school for grades 7-8 & 10-12 with staggered K start
  
• September 11: All students attend school at all grade levels
• November 11: Veterans Day
• November 23-27: Thanksgiving Break
  
• December 21-January 1: Winter Break
• January 18: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• February 15: Presidents' Day
• March 22-26: Spring Break
• May 31: Memorial Day
• June 17: Last Day of School
  

Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook joined six other Oregon superintendents in a new video expressing support for children and families in light of cuts to federal programs and grants that help communities across the state. “Whenever a resource disappears for children and families, it also disappears for schools. Many people rely on schools to fill the gaps, but we cannot continue to do so. The gaps are already too large, and they are continuing to grow," the superintendents said in a joint statement.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

Bend-La Pine Schools invites the community to see the preliminary design for the new Bend Senior High School Auditorium during an open house on Thursday, May 15, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the school’s main gymnasium. Use the gym entrance to the left of the main entrance.

Architectural renderings will be on display and representatives of the school district and BBT Architects available to answer questions. Those attending may provide feedback on the design with a link to an online form.

The District demolished the old auditorium last summer after the building was found to be structurally unsound. The new auditorium will be built on the same spot and have 1,400 seats – the same seating capacity as the former venue. The proposed design includes seats on the main floor and in a balcony.

The District is working with BBT and Kirby Nagelhout Construction Company, the same team that is leading the four-year rebuild of most of Bend High as part of the 2022 voter-approved bond program.

Auditorium design work will continue through 2025, followed by city permit work. Construction is expected to begin in June 2026 and be substantially completed by fall 2028. That corresponds with the anticipated completion of the entire Bend High rebuild.

Has a teacher or other staff member made a positive impact on your student or family this year? Help us say “thank you!”

We will be honoring staff members who make a difference during Teacher Appreciation Week, May 5-9. Click the button below to share a positive story or appreciation for a teacher or other staff member.

What's your favorite way to get to school? Pick your mode and join us for another Walk + Roll to School Day on Wednesday, May 7!

Log your trip for a chance to win prizes from our friends at Commute Options. Find early morning gatherings and events kicking off at 7:00 am at the following schools:

• Bear Creek Elementary: meet at Ponderosa Park parking lot, near 15th St. and SE Virginia
  
• Buckingham Elementary: meet at Big Sky Park parking lot, first parking lot off Neff Rd.
  
• Lava Ridge Elementary: meet at Rockridge Park, southeast entrance at Alpine Ridge Place and NE Liberty Lane
  
• Pine Ridge Elementary: meet at Renaissance Ridge Park, Princeton Loop
  
• Ponderosa Elementary: meet at Pine Nursery Park, parking lot near Yeoman Rd. entrance

A standing ovation for Caldera High School's vocal jazz group, Inversion!

Under the direction of Music Director Luke MacSween, these talented students took first place at the prestigious Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival at the University of Idaho, one of the largest and most celebrated jazz festivals in the world. What an incredible achievement for our newest school. Wolfpack, you make us proud.

Safety is a primary concern as we return to nice weather. That begins with all of us doing our part to make sure students have safe ways to travel to and from school, whether by bus or car, bike or scooter, or on foot.

Here’s how DRIVERS can help: Slow down and watch for students making their way to buses, walking or rolling to school, and crossing streets and parking areas.

SAFE ROUTES: We have fun, safe and convenient walking/biking routes to many of our schools. See all 19 Safe Routes for Bend-La Pine Schools at commuteoptions.org/safe-routes-to-school

E-BIKES: Students 16 and older legally may operate e-bikes in Oregon. Anyone under 16 may not, according to state law. Be aware of this and use e-bikes legally and responsibly.

ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET if using a bike, scooter, skateboard or other wheeled device.

WATCH YOUR SPEED! Please slow down in high-traffic areas and around pedestrians.

DISMOUNT AND WALK your bike, scooter or skateboard when on school property. We ask that you not ride on school grounds, before or after school.

Thanks, and have a safe spring!

As the weather warms up in Central Oregon, land managers begin prescribed burns to reduce wildfire risk. While these burns help keep our communities safe, the smoke can still affect air quality.

Smoke is smoke. Whether it’s from wildfires, prescribed burns, or even campfires—breathing it in can be dangerous.

Children are more sensitive to smoke because their lungs are still developing. Deschutes County Public Health encourages families to limit kids’ exposure when it’s smoky:

• Keep windows closed
  
• Use an air purifier or DIY filter fan
  
• Check air quality before outdoor play
  
• Talk to your doctor if your child has asthma or other conditions
  

Stay informed at CentralOregonFire.org and sign up for alerts by texting COFIRE to 888-777.

For local support:

KIDS Center has materials and free local trainings to help parents and caregivers protect youth from the potential harms of media and technology use. Start with this Grade by Grade Guide to Media Use and KIDS Center's Training Calendar to see what free local trainings are available.

The week of April 14, Summit High School’s robotics team, known as Chaos Theory 5468, traveled to Houston, Texas with their competition robot Triton. To top off an extraordinary season, they competed in the FIRST Robotics World Championship.

They made it out of the qualifying rounds and in their first playoff match, where they beat the highly favored 2nd ranked team. And as an exclamation point to a phenomenal season, they won the Quality Award in their division for best designed/constructed/maintained robot. Chaos Theory, congratulations on a stellar season! Learn more about Chaos Theory 5468.

Spring weather brings out more members of our community to enjoy access to school fields and playgrounds outside of school hours, including evenings and weekends. Bend-La Pine Schools welcomes visitors and requests that everyone be good stewards of this public resource. Our priority is to provide safe and healthy facilities for our students and staff.

Recently we posted new signs at the gates to all publicly accessible school grounds. Each sign displays a QR code linking to the district’s Community Use Guidelines, which address issues such as vandalism of school property, prohibitions of alcohol and tobacco, waste disposal, and supervision of animals, including picking up dog waste.

If a site is experiencing problems due to visitors not following these guidelines, district administrators may choose to suspend community access for a few weeks or months. Repeat offenses may result in loss of access until the end of the school year.

Come out and support the Education Foundation's biggest FUNdraiser for our schools. Get ready for challenging trivia, creative costumes, amazing raffles and prizes, good food, and great fun!

Sponsor a team and register today! $10 raffle tickets will put you in the running for 2 round trip tickets with Alaska Airlines, tickets to Brad Paisley and much more. Join us for the fun on May 14 at Silver Moon, and be a part of raising money for our schools!

We are honored to give the Champion for Students award to a valued member of the greater Bend-La Pine Schools community, Clare Gordon, the Facilities Supervisor for Bend Park & Recreation’s Pavilion. She’s a partner who has made a positive impact on our students.

We honor Clare for her commitment to growing the partnership between Bend Park & Recreation and Bend-La Pine Schools in support of our community’s LGBTQ youth. Through her leadership and dedication to the LGBTQ Skate Nights at the Pavilion, she has created a lasting impact on our students who are welcomed into a safe, healthy space for physical and social activity. At Bend-La Pine Schools, we deeply appreciate Clare's partnership and are proud to count her as a Champion for Students.

Top row from left: Board Chair Marcus LeGrand, Board Vice Chair Carrie McPherson Douglass,

Kina Chadwick

Bottom row from left: Amy Tatom, Cameron Fischer, Shirley Olson, Ross Tomlin

The Board of Directors for Bend-La Pine Schools will hold its next work session on Tuesday, May 13 at 5:30 pm at the Education Center, 520 NW Wall Street in Bend.

For information about board members, meetings and agendas, please visit our School Board page.

Are you curious which district policies and regulations are currently under review? To see proposed changes and give feedback on new language, click here.