Three La Pine High School students have qualified to compete at the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) National Business Leadership Conference, taking place this week in Chicago. The team returns home this weekend.

"I'm so excited for our team to go to nationals," said Ashley Rose, Co-president and team alternate, La Pine High School FBLA, "We worked really hard this year and really earned this opportunity,"

Seniors Brice deNecochea and Lance Dillon and junior Stacey Harder won the right to compete at the national level by taking third place in Business Ethics at the Oregon FBLA State Conference. Junior alternate Ashley Rose will also attend the event.

During the state speaking event, the students were given an ethical business dilemma then discussed the pros and cons of the situation before responding with a solution as a management team. They will compete in the same category during the national event.

The students raised funds to cover trip expenses. More than 10,000 students from all over the country will attend the FBLA National Leadership Conference to compete in the 50 events.

For more information contact Julianne Repman, Communications Manager, 541.383.6002.

 
Nearly 1,000 Bend-La Pine Schools (BLS) students will don caps and gowns this week as they take center stage to accept their high school diplomas.

Graduation ceremonies will take place at:

 

"I am looking forward to congratulating each of these fine students as they accept their diplomas," said Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Doug Nelson.

"Each and every one of our graduates can be proud of the work they have done to earn their degree," he adds. "They have made their parents, teachers and community very proud."

Nelson says that more than 85% of BLS students continue their education after high school.

"Hundreds of students have committed to trade schools, military programs, colleges and universities, and will continue their educations this fall," he says. "Our graduates will be attending schools including Duke, Cornell, Gonzaga, MIT, Stanford, Harvard, Carnegie Mellon, University of Oregon, Oregon State University, USC, Princeton, Air Force Academy, Whitman and COCC, to name a few." 

For more information contact Julianne Repman, Communications Manager, 541.383.6002. 

Four of Bend-La Pine Schools (BLS) finest bus drivers will test their skills against peers from across the state on Saturday, June 2 during the State School Bus Safety Exercise at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in Redmond. The event is expected to begin at 10:30 a.m.

Gabriel Veliz, Mike Roberts, Gene Thrasher, and Larry Harrison, will compete against drivers from across the state in individual and team bus rodeo categories. BLS drivers will compete in four of the events six categories. State winners will advance to the national competition later this year.

"Some of the events may include driving a serpentine, going through a diminishing alley, driving an offset alley, backing into an alley and stopping within six inches of a mark," said Bend-La Pine Schools transportation supervisor Denice Blake. "They also have events that include school bus stops as well as rail road procedures, a written test for general knowledge and a surprise event."

Blake says BLS drivers placed in three categories at the 2006 state event last year.

About the BLS transportation department
•   BLS bus drivers log more than 1,545,000 route miles each year
•   BLS bus drivers transport more than 7,000 students to school each day, and return more than 10,000 home each afternoon
•   There are 96 daily bus routes
•   Every BLS bus driver is required to maintain a commercial driver's license, school bus certificate, current first aid card, and a medical certificate
•   Certifications are renewed every two years. At age 55 and beyond, certifications are renewed each year
•   BLS bus drivers attend 32 hours of classroom study in each four-year period
•   According to the Transportation Research Board, school buses are 13 times safer than any other passenger vehicle on the road and are the safest mode of transportation for our school children

For more information contact Julianne Repman, Communications Manager, 541.383.6002. 

 
For the second consecutive year, a Summit High School sophomore has earned top honors at a state math competition. Tadd Phillips beat out students from nearly 80 Oregon public and private schools to take the top award in the precalculus division of the Oregon Invitational Mathematics Tournament (OIMT) this month at Oregon State University.

Math students from throughout the state are selected by their schools to compete in regional tournaments. Those who place first or second in their level-geometry, algebra II, precalculus or calculus-go on to the OIMT.

"Tadd's accomplishment as a state champion in math is as important as any state championship earned by individuals or teams at the school," said Lynn Baker, principal of Summit High School.

At the state tournament, students are given 90 minutes to complete the exam. Questions may be open-ended, meaning there is not a single correct path to an answer. Judges score the answers based on if the mathematics used are correct and appropriate to the problem; how the motivation and rationale for a particular answer is communicated; and the analysis of the solution for both its strengths and limitations.

Ten competitors are selected from each of the four levels to represent the top math students in the state. Tadd was the only student from Bend-La Pine Schools to earn top honors both this and last years. In 2006, Tadd competed in algebra II.

"Tadd is an exceptionally gifted math student," said Peggy Miller, Tadd's math teacher at Summit High School. "We are proud of his accomplishments and our ability to offer year-long classes that benefit all of our students."

Tadd Phillips, Summit High
State Math Champion 

 For more information contact Julianne Repman, Communications Manager, 541.383.6002.

 
A Wall Street credit rating agency, Moody's Investors Service, raised its rating for the Bend-La Pine Schools (BLS) general obligation bonds to Aa3 today. BLS joins an elite few Oregon schools with a rating of this caliber.
 
Moody's cited the area's strong economy, high real market value per capita, the Schools strengthening financial position and continuing growth, as well as other important credit qualities, for the upgrade. Moody's considered BLS operations, policies and fiscal results in their review.

"This rating upgrade confirms that our hard work to build fiscally sound budgets and to deliver cost effective projects, including new schools, is being recognized at the national level," said John Rexford, assistant superintendent of operations for the Bend-La Pine Schools.

"This elite rating distinguishes our bonds from others and should give bond investors another positive reason to add our bonds to their portfolios," he says. "Market conditions considered, this new rating could save us more than $300,000 when the $119 million school bond is sold in June,"

Rexford says the third party analysis validates to Central Oregonians that local tax dollars are being managed and used effectively to ensure students have what they need to succeed.
 
"For example, in 2005 we refinanced some of the Schools existing bonds which generated more than $12 million in savings to taxpayers," he adds.

Rexford says that BLS holds the highest bond rating for a district located east of the Cascades and is one of just seven school districts in the state with an "Aa" range rating.

Other districts with similar ratings are Tigard, Eugene, Hillsboro, Beaverton, Lake Oswego, and Portland. Oregon has 198 school districts.

The new rating will be assigned to the Schools current bonds and as well as the $119 million of bonds approved by voters in November of 2006. The bond sale is expected to take place as early as June 5.

For more information contact Julianne Repman, Communications Manager, 541.383.6002.

Bend-La Pine Schools will welcome two new leaders starting July 1. Stephanie Bennett will take over as the new Pilot Butte Middle School principal and Jim Boen will become the vice principal at La Pine Middle School. The announcement comes after a comprehensive, nationwide search and demanding interview process.

"It's exciting to find such talented leaders to bring to our schools," said Superintendent Doug Nelson. "We had many qualified applicants, and the experiences both bring will further enhance their schools."

Bennett comes to Pilot Butte Middle School from Coeur d'Alene, where she has more then six years experience in school administration. She is currently the director for The Bridge Academy, an alternative school she started four years ago. Other experience includes working as vice principal of Coeur d'Alene High School and Canfield Middle School and teaching at the middle and high school levels.

Bennett started her career as a middle school teacher and looks forward to once again working with that level of student.

"It's so refreshing to spend time with 11- to 14-year-olds. They give a completely different perspective on life," she said. "As a teacher, one of the most enjoyable moments is when you see a student understand a new concept. When the wheels turn, you know you have made a difference. As an administrator, I feel like I can make a bigger impact on more students."

Bennett has a Masters in education administration and Bachelors in physical education, natural science and health from the University of Idaho. She replaces Kathyrn Legace, who is the new Mountain View High School principal.

Boen has been an administrator, teacher and counselor. He comes to the role of vice principal of La Pine Middle School after spending the past four years as the principal of La Grande Middle School. He has been vice principal and counselor at La Grande High School and has worked at Gladstone High School and for the Spray School District.

"The best part of my job as an administrator is working with people, from students, to parents, to staff," he said. "What motivates me is the opportunity to help make someone's life better in some way. I get energized by being a member of a team that has 'What is best for the students?' as its first priority."

Boen takes over for Jay Mathisen, who is the new principal of La Pine High School. Boen received his Continuing Administrative License and Initial Administrative License from Lewis & Clark College, a Masters in counseling from Oregon State University and a Bachelors in physical education from Western Baptist College.

For more information contact Julianne Repman, Communications Manager, 541.383.6002.

After a highly competitive national process, Randy King, a teacher at Ensworth Elementary School, has been selected to participate in the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund (JFMF) Teacher Program and will spend three weeks in the country. King leaves June 10 for Tokyo for a week-long teachers conference, before living with a family in the northern Japan community Aomori for two weeks.

"This award is very important to me, because it allows me to model the benefits of travel and learning to my students," King said. "I am a life-long learner and it is important for our kids to know that their teachers are taking classes and constantly learning new things."

During the fully funded trip, King will visit schools and see how Japanese students learn. He hopes to set up a sister-school relationship for Ensworth Elementary.

"One of our goals as a school district is to take good schools and make them great," he said. "As we interact with people from other places-other cultures-we grow and change as people."

The JFMF Teacher Program www.fulbrightmemorialfund.jp is sponsored by the government of Japan to provide primary and secondary school teachers and administrators in the United States the opportunity learn about Japanese culture and education. Participants return home to implement a self-designed plan to share their knowledge and experience with their students, colleagues and the community.

Randy King

For more information contact Julianne Repman, Communications Manager, 541.383.6002.

It doesn't take a champion season-or even winning a game-to have what it takes to be an outstanding coach. Kyle Kalmbach, varsity boys basketball coach at La Pine High School, has been named the 2007 "Ford Coach of the Year" by the Portland Trail Blazers and Northwest Ford Stores.

Kalmbach is among four selected for this year's award and will be honored by the Trail Blazers organization at 9:45 a.m. Thursday, May 31 in the La Pine High School Gymnasium, 51633 Coach Road. At that time, $2,000 will be awarded to the school's boys basketball program.

Kalmbach was nominated for the award by his team and school administration for his determination and exceptional leadership during a season that ended without a W in the win column.

"It's a great honor to be recognized," he said. "You don't have to have a winning season to show that your program is going in the right direction."

Kalmbach teaches history at La Pine Middle School. Though he has been a coach for six years, this season was his first at La Pine High School. He saw this as a rebuilding year for the varsity team, and all but one player will return next season.

"Sports teach a lot about life and character," said Kalmbach. "They give student athletes a chance to deal with life challenges on a smaller scale."

The award is given to teachers, counselors, coaches, and mentors who positively influence and makes a different in the lives of Oregon's youth. The award money is given in hopes of assisting with the depletion of activity funds in schools.

For more information contact Julianne Repman, Communications Manager, 541.383.6002.