Family Spotlight
Helping families stay connected to Bend-La Pine Schools
Get to know your Student Voice Council
The leadership group consists of stellar students from across the district's seven high schools. They work with their peers to share ideas about policies with the Superintendent and Board of Directors. These students are a powerful voice for students throughout the district.
Meet three members!
Esi Voelz is a sophomore at Summit High School, and she’s making big things happen.
"My goal is to be a voice and advocate. Student voice is important because everyone should be able to have a way to talk to adults about rules and policies that affect them. I work to be open to new ideas, and learn from others.”
Bella Callfas from Bend Senior High School might be a familiar face. The senior attended the Oregon School Board Association's convention in Portland in November and sat on a panel discussing how school boards can learn from and empower student voices.
"There is no average student of BLS, and giving every student a voice makes it possible for school leaders to serve their students to the highest degree possible.”
Senior Honey Walk wants to ensure every campus is a place a student feels welcomed, including her own community at Mountain View High School.
“BLS is for students, and who better to shape it than the students themselves? It’s important to hear critiques from every student so we can better understand how to grow our generation in the future.”
Esi, Bella, Honey, and the rest of the Student Voice Council, thank you for making a difference in your community!
Celebrate Black History Month with us
Join us for an evening of connection and celebration to launch Black History Month 2024!
Tonight - January 31
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Pacific Crest Middle School - 3030 NW Elwood Lane, Bend
We will have dinner; interactive displays by families and local partners such as the Father’s Group, COCC Afrocentric Program, and more; and fun activities (sports and games, arts and crafts) for families, friends, and staff to enjoy together.
Don’t miss the chance to honor the history of our families and community, deepen your commitment to equity and anti-racism, and strengthen our collective network of support for Black students to thrive in our schools.
End of first semester is tomorrow, February 1
Don’t forget! Friday, February 2 is a no-school day for all students. Teachers will be hard at work on final semester grades because the first semester of the school year ends on Thursday, February 1.
Families and students on the semester schedule will be able to view semester 1 grades in ParentVUE the week of February 5.
New to ParentVUE? It’s the parent web portal allowing access to a student’s education progress including grades, attendance, assignments, current IEP, progress reports, and school announcements. If you have not yet used ParentVUE, contact your student’s school or email us, and you will be sent an activation letter with instructions.
Canvas is also used by all Bend-La Pine middle and high school teachers as an extension to in-class instruction. On Canvas, teachers post assignments, share instructional support materials, give feedback, and communicate with students and their parents/guardians.
PLEASE NOTE: Bend Tech Academy and Realms Middle School and High School are on a trimester system. February 2 is a no-school day for those students as well.
Graduation rate rises sharply for La Pine High School
La Pine High School’s graduation rate improved nearly 11 percentage points last year, with an especially high rate among students taking Career Technical Education classes.
The school’s 2023 graduation rate was 70 percent, an increase of about 11 percentage points from 2022, according to data released by the Oregon Department of Education.
Nearly all La Pine students receiving multiple credits in a CTE program graduated in 2023, demonstrating gains of roughly 20 percentage points over the prior year.
“I’m very happy and proud of our staff that we have double-digit gains,” La Pine High Principal Scott Olszewski said. “We have great teachers in La Pine, and we offer a lot for a small high school, from our Career Technical Education offerings to fantastic music and theater programs and world language.”
Olszewski credited the relevancy and high engagement that CTE programs offer for helping boost the school’s graduation rate in 2023. Program areas include natural resource science, manufacturing technology and metals, criminal justice and law, and business management.
Bend-La Pine Schools graduated 1,260 students last year for an overall graduation rate of 83.6 percent – a slight increase from 2022 and the second-highest completion rate in the past 12 years. The statewide graduation rate was 81.3 percent for 2023.
The graduation rate tracks students beginning in ninth grade and measures how many of those students graduate within four years.
Please join us in celebrating Winter Walk + Roll to School Day on Wednesday, February 7 by walking or rolling to school! Put on your snow or rain boots, and walk with your classmates to school. Log your trip by submitting a completed Winter Walk bingo card to your school’s front office to receive a prize!
More information: commuteoptions.org/winterwalkday
Meet SRO Eric Russell
Get to know another rockstar SRO with the Bend Police Department. He serves Caldera High School, High Desert Middle School, and R.E. Jewell, Silver Rail, Pine Ridge and Elk Meadow elementary schools. Meet Officer Eric Russell!
"This is my second year as an SRO, but I've been with Bend PD for 7 years and 14 years overall as an officer. I love the positive outlook on life from the people of Central Oregon and their willingness to help others. My favorite part of being an SRO is definitely the high fives and stickers! I also appreciate the teaching opportunities in classrooms - connecting with students to show them the human side of policing and creating a place where students feel safe because I DEFEND THE DEN! Go Pack!
"Outside of work, my wife and two sons, 2 and 4 years old, are my life. We spend our time serving our church, engaged in recreational shooting sports, watching airplanes in Redmond, riding bikes, barbecuing and glow stick dance parties.
"I’m excited to be in partnership with Bend-La Pine Schools, bringing a higher level of service to our students and families. I am proud to be an SRO and will continue to grow in my position and push for positive change. Over the last year I have gained a new perspective and respect for our staff and teachers, specifically for their compassion and dedication to our students. I’m honored to be a part of the BLS team!"
And Officer Eric, we are honored to have you as part of the team! Thank you for everything you do!
Join us for a special evening
At Asian Family Night, build cultural pride and community with other families and students, as well as district staff and leadership. Enjoy a performance by a local group, and dinner prepared by our high school culinary program.
Your student can perform as well (optional, not required)! Students are welcome to prepare a poem, reading, dance, instrument, or other talent to perform at the event, as a solo or with a friend or family member. Sign up by clicking here. You can also sign up when you arrive the evening of the event.
Join us to celebrate and connect together as a community!
- English/Cantonese/Mandarin event
- Dinner provided
- Fun performances and Lunar New Year crafts
Bonds are for Buildings
Door lock replacement work begins in several schools
A major effort to improve school safety is underway in the district – one of the bigger projects from the 2022 bond measure approved by voters. Door locks are being replaced in 28 schools over the next three years. When completed, all classrooms in our district will have up-to-date, easy-to-use Schlage door locks.
Our schools were built and remodeled at different times over many decades, and we have thousands of doors in our buildings. A lot of the locks are older and not suited to safety practices today. Some doors cannot accommodate the new hardware and need to be replaced. The new locks are fast and easy to use. Once locked, it’s easy to see the door is locked from across the classroom. If someone exits the room, the door remains locked when closed again.
We plan to have nine schools retrofitted between now and mid-August. These include Bear Creek Elementary, Pilot Butte Middle School and Three Rivers K-8 School now. Next will be Mountain View High School, Cascade Middle School, and all four of our La Pine schools.
Summit High School students give the play-by-play
If you're at a Summit High School home basketball game, you might spot a small but mighty broadcasting crew at the top of the bleachers. They make it possible for the entire Summit community to watch games and cheer on their team from anywhere they can connect.
The new Sports Broadcasting Club has been years in the making. It's now flourishing thanks to the hard work of a small group of dedicated students and one creative activities director.
This unique club provides our community with a free way to follow Summit sports and offers students the opportunity to gain real-world broadcasting experience to pursue their own career aspirations. The games are currently being broadcast on the NFHS Network, and they are looking for new recruits and community support.
Check out a game at nfhsnetwork.com, and get the play-by-play from student producer Pierce Gordon and announcer Finn Gober. And GO STORM!
Cellphones - A Guide for Parents and Caregivers
By age 11, about half of children in the U.S. own a smartphone. These devices become a constant companion in the lives of preteens and teens - a source of connection, creativity, and, yes, distraction and potential risk.
See this parent and caregiver guide from Common Sense Media with tips to help preteens and teens use their phones safely and responsibly.
The guide also includes tips for determining when your kid is ready for a cellphone.
Resources for Families
Student Mental Health
Family Resources
Health & Wellness
School Meals
Accessing ParentVUE
Transportation
Next School Board meeting is February 13
The Board of Directors for Bend-La Pine Schools will hold its next board meeting on Tuesday, February 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Education Center, 520 NW Wall Street in Bend.
For information about board members, meetings and agendas, please visit our School Board page.
District policy review
Are you curious which district policies and regulations are currently under review? To see proposed changes and give feedback on new language, click here.