BLPO FAQ

What is Bend-La Pine Online?

Bend-La Pine Online is a long established virtual education offering through Bend-La Pine Schools. The program, which started in 2010, serves thousands of students each year in grades K-12. Each student has access to a robust curriculum that is offered both online and through physical materials like books and math manipulative materials and equipment to carry out science experiments, for instance. Each student connects with educators through their classes and can also connect with a teacher in person at our Bend campus. This approach allows students to work at their own pace while also getting in-person instruction and support from a local certified teacher. Starting in fall of 2020, all students will also receive an iPad to help complete their work.

***Since the online computer lab will NOT be available for students for the first six weeks of the 2020/21 academic year, students can take advantage of the live sessions/office hours provided by their online teachers***

Is Bend-La Pine Online part of Bend-La Pine Schools?

Yes! We are a district program. Students who enroll with Bend-La Pine Online stay connected to their “home” school. The degree of this connection is determined by student and family wishes and needs.

How much does it cost?

We are free for Bend-La Pine students during the regular school year. Our optional summer program is fee based.

Do students have to enroll in the program full time?

Nope! Students can choose to take anywhere from 1 class to a full schedule online. Please see our level pages under the “Academics” menu for more information pertaining to elementary, middle and high school options.

Can students enroll in online classes and continue to participate in school activities?

Yes! We do all we can to keep students connected to their home school, if they choose. This means that online students can participate in clubs, athletics and even graduations with their neighborhood school.

How do students connect with teachers through this program?

We believe in the power of personal connections, and incorporate them whenever possible. Depending on the grade level your student is in and the courses they take, teachers have both online and in-person opportunities for students to connect with them, ask questions, and talk about their learning. These opportunities include virtual class sessions, face to face labs, 1:1 appointments and more. We try to be flexible and meet the needs of our students and community.

What is the class size in an online class?

The class size varies by grade level. In general, the online platform allows a teacher to support more students than would be possible in a brick and mortar classroom. However, the teacher's ability to give each student the attention they need is always a priority. At the elementary level, a homeroom teacher might support anywhere from 40 - 50 students. At the middle and high school levels, a content area teacher can support upwards of 200 students, much the same as a brick and mortar school. Note that at the elementary level the students will only have one teacher whereas at the middle and high school levels they will have a different teacher for each course.

What kind of curriculum is used through Bend-La Pine Online?

At Bend-La Pine Online, we use the K12 curriculum. In grades K-2, learning is very materials based and parents are important partners as their child’s “learning coach”. In grades 3-5, more materials and lessons move online, but materials and manipulative materials still play an important part in learning. For grades 6-12 most families choose to use the PEAK online class platform, which provides a more structured online class environment with a back-end teacher. Please visit the academic pages of our website to access sample lessons, materials and more information about our curriculum.

As a parent, how involved should I expect to be?

Elementary parents are very involved in their child’s learning with Bend-La Pine Online. Our online teacher will guide and support both you and your student in this online journey, but you, as the parent, are considered the Learning Coach. You will be given student materials in addition to learning coach materials to help you feel confident in this role. You will help organize and carry out the daily lessons as well as have the opportunity to learn with your child.

As the parent of an online middle school student, your role is to help your child build routines and practices that will guide them to success, and check regularly on progress. You’ll need to encourage your student to reach out his or her the teacher or mentor immediately with any questions. You can help your student create a “school” space and a regular schedule on which your student can work productively on classes. The student’s mentor can help set up a pacing guide for each course and as a parent, you can help your student to follow the pacing guide and stay on track. You will also have a “guardian” account in our system and receive progress updates every 2 weeks via email.

All parents of high school students taking an online class will have a guardian account created for them. Guardians will receive an update on their student's progress via email every 2 weeks. In addition to tracking your student's progress we recommend that parents help their student maintain a routine and schedule, and that they consistently check in and monitor their student's online class activity. Lastly, we encourage parents to be in regular communication with their student's assigned program mentor. This might include checking and responding to emails, following up on phone calls or other follow ups in person as necessary to meet each student’s individual needs.

How can I learn about course options for students or preview curriculum?

Sample lessons for K-8 can be found linked here.

Our complete course catalog is linked here.

What is the difference between Bend-La Pine Online and the remote learning that students engaged in last spring?

Bend-La Pine Online is a long established virtual education offering through Bend-La Pine Schools. The program, which started in 2010, serves thousands of students each year in grades K-12. Bend-La Pine Online serves students who want a full-time online experience or students who just want the option of taking an online class to complement their existing class schedule. Students enrolled in Bend-La Pine Online use the curriculum from K12 and FuelEd, depending on their level, with support from local Bend-La Pine Schools teachers.

Remote learning, also known as distance learning, provides the opportunity for students and teachers to remain connected and engaged with standard district curricula while working from their homes. Remote learning keeps kids connected to their local school, teachers, and classroom community. This is the model experienced last spring and the model that will be used in our “Balanced” option during the 2020-21 school year. When in a remote learning setting, students will be engaged in activities and projects directly related to their in-class instruction and course outcomes. District curriculum and digital tools such as Canvas, Google Classroom, SeeSaw, and WebEx, will be utilized as part of remote learning.

How can I get more information, or enroll my student?

Enrollment is open to all students residing within the Bend-La Pine School District and we have no limit to the number of students we can support. You can click on this link to learn more about the enrollment process, or request more information from one of our enrollment coordinators.

Will my student lose his or her spot at their magnet school if they attend Bend-La Pine Online?

For the first semester of the 2020-21 school year, Choice Option students who enroll in Bend-La Pine Online (BLPO) and remained actively enrolled for the entirety of the first semester will not lose their spot at the following Choice Option schools:

• Amity Creek Magnet at Thompson School
• Highland Magnet at Kenwood School
• Westside Village Magnet at Kingston School
• Realms Middle School
• Realms High School
• Skyline High School
• Bend Tech Academy at Marshall High School

If there is a waitlist at the Choice Options listed above, opportunities to fill the open spot will not be offered to anyone while the student is actively enrolled at BLPO. If a student in the K-12 Dual Immersion Choice Option desires to enroll in BLPO then they must contact Kinsey Martin, the Assistant Director ELL and Dual Language Programs, at 541-355-1026 or [email protected] to discuss the conditions under which the student would not lose their spot in the Dual Immersion Program.

If a Choice Option student enrolls in BLPO and subsequently fails to complete the coursework for the first semester, they may lose their spot at the Choice Option. The principal will consult with the superintendent or designee to determine if that student will be readmitted to the Choice Option. In addition to the BLPO option, incoming Kindergarten students may postpone their entry into a Choice Option School until the start of the 2021-22 school year without losing their spot.

If a Choice Option student enrolls in a program or school outside of Bend-La Pine Schools (including district charter schools) for the 2020-21school year, their spot will not be held. This AR will be reviewed again in January 2021 in order to determine if it will remain in effect for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year.

The official Administrative Regulation on our choice option programs can be accessed here.

Can we try Bend-La Pine Online and switch back to a traditional school if we don’t like it?

We understand that Bend-La Pine Online might be new to some families and that the transition to this mode of learning might be difficult. Because Bend-La Pine Online uses a different curriculum, transferring back and forth can be difficult. Before transferring back we would encourage families to reach out to our Bend-La Pine Online staff for assistance and guidance. We have well trained staff that can help families navigate the online curriculum and can provide support in many different ways. However, if a student from a non-magnet school wishes to transfer back to their home school this is allowable.