Tag: Bend La Pine Schools

BLP Schools announces superintendent finalists; public forum set for Wednesday

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December 14, 2020

Bend-La Pine Schools has announced the names of two finalists for its superintendent position.

The two will participate in interviews this week, including a virtual community forum open to the public on Wednesday.

“We are thrilled to have two exceptional candidates meet our community – one of whom will ultimately serve as Bend-La Pine Schools’ next superintendent,” said Carrie Douglass, board chair. “We believe Bend-La Pine Schools is the best school district in the state, which helped us attract a diverse and talented group of candidates from across the country and abroad. After an extensive and inclusive search process, we’re confident these two candidates demonstrate the competencies desired by our community and Board for our next leader.”

The new leader would take over for Interim Superintendent Lora Nordquist, who accepted the temporary post earlier this year as the pandemic paused the initial search.

Nordquist replaced Shay Mikalson, who left the district in July to take a position with the High Desert Education Service District.

In addition to the community forum, which will be streamed live on the district’s Vimeo and Facebook pages Dec. 16, community members can also learn more about the candidates, the process and submit a question for the public forum on the Superintendent Search website.

Feedback forms will be made available at the beginning of each session, available on our Superintendent Search website.

About the finalists:

Since 2018, Dr. Kristina Bellamy has been the Director of K-12 Teaching and Learning Anchorage School District in Alaska, which serves 48,000 students.

Bellamy previously served as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Renton School District in Washington, which serves 15,000 students.

From July 2013 through July 2016, she worked as the founder and then CEO of SOAR Academy charter school in Tacoma, one of Washington State’s first public charters, which served more than 100 students.

She has more than 18 years of public education experience including serving as a teacher, principal and administrator. She holds a Doctorate of Education Leadership and Policy Studies.

“I am widely regarded as a tenacious advocate for students, and a culturally responsive leader who motivates and inspires others to action. As a systems-thinker, I build adult capacity to handle adaptive challenges, while driving equity- focused inquiry and action,” Bellamy stated in her application packet.

Bellamy’s virtual public meeting will happen Wednesday at 6:15 p.m.

Find her resume here.

Since 2018, Dr. Steven Cook currently serves as Superintendent at Coeur d’Alene School District in Idaho, which serves 11,000 students.

Cook previously served as Acting Superintendent at Douglas County School District in Colorado, which serves 68,000 students.

From 2014-2018 he served as Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools and Deputy Superintendent at Douglas County School District.

Cook has more than 30 years of public education experience including serving as teacher, principal and superintendent. He holds a Doctorate of Education Leadership and Policy Studies.

“I am a leader that leans heavily on courage, integrity, and relationships. I have a proven ability to bring individuals with diverse ideas together around a common purpose and create win-win solutions,” Cook said in his application packet. “I have a heart for all students, and a heart for supporting educators to reach new levels of excellence in their profession through these experiences and relationships.”

Cook’s virtual public meeting will happen Wednesday at 5 p.m.

Find his resume here.

Draft of revised COVID metrics would allow Deschutes Co. schools to reopen K-5

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October 28, 2020

By TED TAYLOR
CENTRAL OREGON DAILY NEWS

All of Deschutes County’s elementary school students could be allowed to return to the classroom under new state COVID metrics expected to be released in the coming days.

That was the message Tuesday night from Bend-La Pine Schools Interim Superintendent Lora Nordquist during a board workshop.

Nordquist said Oregon Department of Education Director Colt Gill revealed a draft of the new metrics during a call on Monday.

There are conflicting reports on when the announcement on the new metrics will be made, but it could come as early as Thursday.

And the draft could change.

But the new metrics Nordquist saw were “much less restrictive in terms of the number of case counts” and gave counties a range to consider instead of one number.

So instead of needing three straight weeks with 30 or fewer cases per 100,000 residents to reopen schools for grades K-3, the new metric would look at a range of the two-week average of cases per 100,000 residents.

“We haven’t abandoned the idea of getting our 4-5s in full time, but as long as those social distancing barriers exist that’s going be a challenge.”
– BLP Interim Superintendent Lora Nordquist

Deschutes County does not meet the current metric, meaning the earliest K-3 students can return to the classroom is Nov. 30th.

“We meet the new metrics under the new guidelines to go ahead and start,” Nordquist said, adding that the new guidelines also allow for the return of 4th and 5th graders. (And 6th graders where they attend alongside the younger grades.)

But still up in the air is whether the new metrics will be a requirement or a recommendation and whether the state will allow districts to restart right away or wait until a specific date.

“We are absolutely committed to getting our students back into school as soon as the metrics allow,” she said.

Nordquist said the district will still stagger the restart by first bringing back kids in grades K-3 in a hybrid/alternative days model for a week or two.

Those students would then return to full-time, in-person instruction while kids in grades 4-5 return on alternating days in a hybrid in-person/distance learning model.

She said there simply isn’t enough space or staffing in the schools to bring back all the students full time and still abide by social distancing rules.

“We haven’t abandoned the idea of getting our 4-5s in full time, but as long as those social distancing barriers exist that’s going be a challenge,” she said.

And the COVID cases remain too high still to think about returning middle and high schoolers.

Nordquist also said if community spread of COVID continued and it was enough to keep kids out of schools into the new year, Gov. Kate Brown would implement tighter restrictions on businesses and close down higher-risk activities.

Gill acknowledged the health risks in bringing students back but said there were some additional negative health and safety issues to consider.

He told the group there were 1,500 fewer child abuse cases reported across the state in September 2020 than in September last year.

Many child abuse case reports start in schools with teachers or other trusted adults noticing a child who may be in danger.

Additionally, Gill told educators that after looking at areas where schools reopened across the world and U.S., the data showed schools weren’t a significant contributor to the community spread of COVID.

 

Deputy Day Camp Brings Sheriff’s Office to Life for Kids

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August 13, 2019

Deschutes County Sheriff Shane Nelson says it’s never too early to start recruiting for new deputies.

That’s why the sheriff’s office held their second annual deputy day camp Tuesday.

And if the afternoon session iis anything to go by, the future of law enforcement is in “very” safe hands.

Central Oregon Daily’s Anyssa Bohanan tells us more.

Moving In: North Star Elementary Teachers Set Up New Digs

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August 12, 2019

By Meghan Glova
Central Oregon Daily News

As students soak up the final weeks of summer vacation, teachers are ready for school to be in session.

On Monday morning, teachers began setting up their classrooms at Bend La-Pine School’s newest elementary school, North Star Elementary.

“It’s going to be an incredible campus for kids,” said Allison Harris a new teacher at North Star. “Bend-La Pine has put every detail into their brains and really made this a school where kids are going to grow and learn incredibly.”

The new two-story school can hold up to six hundred students, and features twenty four classrooms, a media center, and a large outdoor field with two playgrounds. Located in north-central Bend, North Star will help with overcrowding at elementary schools in the northwest and northeast parts of town.

“It’s been a long process, I think construction and development has been well over a year now,” said Tim Burdsall with the school’s student services. “So the culmination of seeing those doors open on September 4th will be really exciting for the whole community.”

For North Star’s 250 new students, educators will focus on four key traits–including commitment, compassion, curiosity, and courage.

After teaching at Elk Meadow elementary for 13 years, Harris says she is eager to implement these character traits in the classroom.

“This is just an incredible opportunity, and I am so excited to just have the kids dashing through the hallways and finding their classrooms, and just learning this process alongside with me,” she said.

Between a brand new building and experienced staff, North Star Elementary gives students a place to shine.

“The kids are just going to feel so welcomed” Harris says. “And they’re just going to be smiling and beaming from the first time they walk through those doors.”

North Star Elementary will be holding a ribbon cutting ceremony on August 29th at 4:40PM to celebrate the opening of the school.

Statewide Day of Action

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May 8, 2019

Central Oregon Daily’s Anyssa Bohanan highlights the “Day of Action” in which educators, school staff, parents, and many others across the state took to the streets to bring attention to Oregon’s lack of education funding and the impact it is having on our public schools.

MVHS Basketball Player Shooting for College Scholarship

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February 15, 2019

Mountain View High School‘s point guard, Chase McClain, has made a name for himself as one of the top guards in the state and his record is garnering interest from college scouts during his senior season. However McClain’s plans don’t stop at the collegiate level, as he’d like to make it all the way to NBA.

Central Oregon Daily’s Eric Lindstrom sat down with McClain to talk about his future and how his senior season has gone so far. 

Local School Tries to Curb Vaping Trend

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February 7, 2019

Vaping among young adults and children is on the rise nationally and Central Oregon school aren’t immune from the issue. With teachers and health professional concerned about the potential health risks, communities having been trying to find way to curb the trend.

In Central Oregon, La Pine High School is spear heading a program that educated parents, community members and students about vaping, vape products and the potential health risks that could accompany them. The first meeting for the community was held Thursday night but school officials have said their doors are always open if parents or community members have questions.

Central Oregon Daily’s Cydney McFarland has more.

New Elementary School Means New School Boundaries in Bend

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January 16, 2019
Bend-La Pine Schools are in the process of changing school attendance boundaries in preparation for a new elementary school, slated to open next fall. This could mean big changes for students and parents as the district works to balance enrollment numbers across multiple elementary schools.
 
Central Oregon Daily’s Anyssa Bohanan has more on the story.

Proposed Boundary Changes for Bend-La Pine Schools

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December 11, 2018

Proposed changes to the Bend-La Pine School attendance boundaries could mean changes for parents and students in the district next year. After weeks of public input the school board is ready to decide which of three proposals will go to the superintendent for approval. Central Oregon Daily’s Anyssa Bohanan has more on what kind of input the district has heard from the community.