Family Spotlight

Do you know someone on the road to kindergarten in the 2025-26 school year? Learn more about their new school journey in a park near you!

The big yellow school bus is hitting the road on Saturday, April 19 and touring neighborhood parks with all the kindergarten details you need to know. Families with new kindergarten students can stop by and learn about registering for the new year, register on the spot, or find out when to visit your child’s school this spring. PLUS all incoming kindergarten students will receive a cool SWAG bag!

Mark your calendar for the morning of Saturday, April 19 and find out where and when you’ll find the big yellow school bus!

Congratulations to the Caldera High School counseling team! They are one of only seven schools in Oregon to have earned the Recognized American School Counselor Association Model Program (RAMP) designation. The national recognition is a major achievement!

The RAMP designation showcases how effectively the counseling team engages with the Caldera community, aligning with high national standards. The hardworking counseling team at Caldera is key to creating a vibrant and healthy school community.

Earlier in March, we honored School Social Work Week, and the celebration continues for our incredible Student Success Coordinators, Clinicians, Instructors, Educational Assistants, FAN advocates, and family liaisons!

This group is instrumental in supporting students with significant emotional and mental health needs. They work tirelessly at our schools to provide intensive care coordination, family engagement, and academic and emotional support.

Thank you for serving as vital members of our schools’ education teams. You play a central role in creating safe and trusting relationships with our students and families, as well as in developing partnerships between home, school, and the community to improve student well-being and academic success.

A multi-level building to house 44 classrooms is taking shape on the campus of Bend Senior High School, with a vertical steel structure rising over the past few weeks. The classrooms, to open in 2026, will occupy three floors, with a fourth level dedicated to mechanical systems.

This project is the centerpiece of the $250 million bond measure approved by voters in November 2022. It’s one of many construction projects and updates in our schools in Bend, La Pine and Sunriver, with an emphasis on safety, security and efficiency.

Most of Bend High is being rebuilt in phases over four years, without displacing students or staff. Many of the older classrooms were demolished last summer, and for much of this school year the construction site has been something of a muddy mess as workers have been preparing the site and installing utility lines underground.

In the past month, concrete foundations and floors were poured, and the steel columns and beams are going in now. It’s exciting for students and staff to follow the progress, especially from the windows of the Robert D. Maxwell Center overlooking the construction site. We expect this phase of construction will be done in the fall of 2026.

Through an annual survey Bend-La Pine Schools is able to harness student perceptions to help our District and school leaders make improvements that will allow all students to learn and thrive.

The national nonprofit YouthTruth was administered in all 33 of our schools in January. The effort resulted in hearing from thousands of students, parents, guardians, and school staff on topics like academic challenges, school culture, and emotional and mental health. Key themes include school engagement, academic challenge, culture, relationships, belonging, college and career readiness, emotional and mental health, and school safety.

To view district-wide survey summaries, visit THIS LINK. Here are some highlights from this year’s YouthTruth survey:

High school students showed notable improvements in all survey themes. Nearly every question improved from 2024. Several questions improved by a statistically significant margin, meaning the change is unlikely due to chance.

Middle school students showed slight improvement in all survey themes. No questions or themes were noted for statistically significant change from last year.

Both middle and high school students report many increases in “Obstacles to Learning” from 2024. Students reported almost all the following as greater obstacles than they were last year. The largest increase in being an obstacle was “Extracurricular commitments.”

• Limited or no Internet access
• Limited or no access to a computer or a device
• Not feeling safe at home
• Not feeling safe at school
• Distractions at home and family responsibilities
• Feeling depressed, stressed or anxious
• My health or the health of my family members
• Extracurricular commitments
• My job
• Not having an adult to help me with my schoolwork
• Getting picked on or bullied
• My personal relationships

Families at all three levels reported the highest-ever ratings in “Communication & Feedback” from their schools.

Our schools will share summaries of their results, and steps they intend to take in response, with families of their students by the end of April.

Asian Family Night “Year of the Snake”

• Elementary School First Place: Dalia Kritzer, 3rd Grade, Highland Elementary
  
• Middle School First Place: Brenner Harrington, 7th grade, Pacific Crest Middle School
• High School First Place: Ariana Hagg and Cienna Bianchi, Summit High School
  

Black History Month “Inspiring Displays”

• Ami Zepnewski’s classroom at Pacific Crest Middle School
  
• Stephanie Boni and Keri Jacobi’s classrooms at Bear Creek Elementary School
  
• Westside Village Magnet

As spring break approaches, we encourage students to fully embrace this time for relaxation and rejuvenation. Step away from screens, reconnect with loved ones, and engage in activities that bring you joy.

Spring Break Checklist

• Rest and recharge

• Get fresh air

• Exercise

• Limit screen time

• Organize and declutter

Enjoy your break, unplug, and return refreshed! It’s okay to ask for help and support is available. Acknowledge your feelings and talk to a professional when needed.

988: If you or someone you love is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call or text 988. You are not alone. Call or text 988 to connect to staff prepared to provide compassionate, accessible care and support for anyone experiencing mental health-related distress.

• English: Text or Call 988
  
• Español: Llame 988 or envia “AYUDA” al 988
  

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲 is a free and confidential teen-to-teen help line. Students are encouraged to contact theyouthline.org via phone, text, chat, and email to talk about anything that may be bothering them. Teens are available to help daily from 4-10 p.m. Pacific Time (adults are available by phone at all other times).

𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 supports the well-being of our community and can help you quickly find treatment options matched to your needs, regardless of the circumstance. If you or your family members are looking for help with mental health or substance use, this is a complimentary and confidential care coordination service provided by Bend-La Pine Schools.

• Call 888-515-0595. Support is available 24/7/365 in over 200 languages.
  
• Visit caresolace.com/bls and either search on your own or click “Book Appointment” for assistance by video chat, email, or phone.
  

𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗢𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗼𝗻 allows students and families to report information that involves students, the safety of their fellow students or their school 24-hours-a-day. With safeoregon.com, students can report anything from vandalism to cyberbullying via text, phone, email or online.

We hope you have a safe and restful spring break!

Congratulations to DECA students from Bend Tech Academy, Caldera High School, and Bend Senior High! Oregon DECA held its State Career Development Conference in Portland and our students walked away with impressive wins, competing alongside 1,200 students from across the state.

We saw nine students automatically qualify for Internationals in April, and many more placing within the top 10 in their events.

What is DECA? It prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe.

Bend-La Pine Schools is hiring custodial staff to fill in for permanent custodians on leave. Starting pay is $19.65 an hour.

Full-time and part-time work is available. These are swing shifts, usually starting between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. No custodial experience is necessary. We will train you!

Work duties include cleaning floors, bathrooms and windows, and helping set up for school events.

Subs also may qualify for permanent positions with benefits. Apply online at BLS.FYI/jobs

Caldera High School Maker Space

Congratulations to the Bend Senior High Girls Swim team. They made a huge splash at the Class 5A state championships in Beaverton in February. The team broke the record for most points scored at the competition AND brought home the title for the third year in a row. Lava Bears, you make us proud!

Save the Date!

May 14th at Silver Moon

Come out and support the Education Foundation's biggest FUNdraiser for our schools. Challenging Trivia, Creative Costumes, Amazing Raffles and Prizes, Good Food and Great Fun!

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 regular meeting on Tuesday, April 8 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.

Bend-La Pine Schools believes that artificial intelligence, including generative artificial intelligence, is a useful tool for efficiency and creativity, with valuable instructional as well as operational functions. The district also recognizes that generative artificial intelligence involves concerns relating to privacy, risk, bias, accuracy, and integrity.

The District has drafted a new administrative policy designed to facilitate actions

regarding artificial intelligence. It’s intended to facilitate the safe and responsible use of AI in the instructional and operational functions of the district, and to supplement rather than replace guidance for Internet use and other technology policies.

We are now accepting public comment on the proposed policy. Please visit the Policies page of the District website or complete the comment form linked here.

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