Welcome to Bend Senior High School!

Message from the Principal

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Students:

Mensaje del director

Greetings Lava Bears!

I hope you are all having a fantastic summer. Even though this is not the start of a school year any of us imagined, I am so excited for all of you to be a part of this amazing community and school culture. The Bend High story is powerful. We have assembled and retained an outstanding staff that is committed to making Comprehensive Distant Learning (CDL) successful for you. NO LAVA BEAR LEFT BEHIND is our mission. Student engagement is of the utmost importance to make this work. We will do everything in our power to make distant learning as rewarding as possible given all of our circumstances. These are unprecedented times and we are obligated to do the best with the hand we were dealt. Our students and families deserve our best. Thanks for your continued support of the Bend High story and being a part of the “long-blue-line”. Please know that I am including a lot of information in this message. At times it can seem overwhelming. My goal in the following paragraphs is to lessen the flow from the firehouse. I will try and be as concise as possible. Enjoy the remainder of your summer. GO BEARS!

Comprehensive Distant Learning Versus Hybrid:
We are starting off with Comprehensive Distant Learning or CDL. Every 6 weeks, Bend-La Pine Schools, will look at the metrics for our county, and work with Oregon Department of Education (ODE) to determine if we can shift from CDL to a Hybrid schedule. This information can be found on the district webpage. Please explore the district site if you would like more information on the “why”. There will also be some town hall opportunities for more discussion. Learn more about High School Comprehensive Distance Learning

Calendar:
-See Attached (Will remain the same for Semester 1 and 2)-
The first 6 weeks of Semester 1 – (9/14-10/23) - Blue Day Classes Only (Periods 1,3,4,6,7B)
The second 6 weeks of Semester 1 (10/26-12/11) – Gold Day Classes Only (Periods 2,3,5,6,7G)
The third 6 weeks of Semester 1 (12/14-2/5) – White Day Classes Only (Periods 1,2,4,5,7W)
The first 6 weeks of Semester 2 – (2/8-3/19) - Blue Day Classes Only (Periods 1,3,4,6,7B)
The second 6 weeks of Semester 2 (3/29-5/7) – Gold Day Classes Only (Periods 2,3,5,6,7G)
The third 6 weeks of Semester 2 (5/10-6/18) – White Day Classes Only (Periods 1,2,4,5,7W)

Schedule:
-See Attached-
English
Spanish

The first 6 weeks of Semester 1 – (9/14-10/23) - Blue Day Classes Only
Monday & Thursday – Periods 1, 3 and 4 – “Live” (synchronous) instruction
Tuesday and Friday – Periods 6 & 7A – “Live” (synchronous) instruction
Monday & Thursday – Periods 6 & 7A – “CANVAS” (asynchronous) instruction
Tuesday and Friday – Periods 1,3 & 4 – “CANVAS” (asynchronous) instruction
Synchronous Days (Live) - These are fixed schedule, live, teacher-directed and interaction focused sessions where students are "in class" virtually. Students will typically be "live on WebEx" for 30-45 minutes of the period.
Asynchronous Days (CANVAS) - This is flexible schedule, student-directed time.
Students will complete readings, assignments, projects, discussion boards and may also be working on group projects, etc. Teachers will be available to support learning during each class period.

Wednesday Schedule:
No new instruction (with exception of IB enrichment/supplemental). Asynchronous (CANVAS) learning for ALL students (students still need to remain engaged for attendance purposes). Synchronous (LIVE) learning for some students: -small group intervention & support -students receiving ELL/504/SPED services -credit recovery - IB enrichment - General education teachers partner with special education, ELL and 504 coordinators to contact students struggling academically more frequently.

Alternative Key Instruction/Recording Lessons:
During Comprehensive Distance Learning, some teachers may elect to record lessons on WebEx and posted on Canvas. Please know that student voice, student image, and student name are allowed to be recorded and uploaded/shared within their Canvas classroom. Teachers are required to provide alternative key instruction to students who are unable to attend synchronous (live) learning. Sometimes this will include recording lessons. This might not always be the case, but teachers will still provide that alternative key instruction in some form.

International Baccalaureate Enrichment:
Please know that we understand the concern and angst from our International Baccalaureate students and families. Bend High IB staff share some of those same concerns. We are working hard to address those concerns with the “6 week gap” in instruction. I trust our IB Coordinators and teachers to think outside the box, and to come up with a game plan to mitigate the “6 week gap”. They are working hard at that as we speak. As of right now, IB testing is still occurring this spring. IB students might be involved in new instruction on Wednesday’s during their “6 week gap”. If you are an IB student, rest assured our staff is committed to coming up with a game plan to get you prepared.

Schedules Go Live:
Student Schedules will go LIVE in StudentVue/ParentVue – Wednesday 9/9/20

Schedule Changes:
No Schedule Changes this school year 2020-2021. The only exception will be a true placement (level change) issue. “Why”?: We build our schedule based on forecasting data. We build a schedule that allows students to access classes and one that is balanced. Right now, our schedule is balanced and will allow us to shift from CDL into a HYBRID model. If we start changing classes, and they become unbalanced, we cannot shift into a HYBRID model with the constraints placed on us from Oregon Department of Education. I ask you in advance for your understanding, patience and grace. We are in unprecedented times and cannot throw everything out of balance. After schedules go “live” on 9/9, please ONLY contact your counselor if you believe there is a true placement (wrong level of class) issue. Counselors have been instructed to not change schedules for any other reason based on this “why”.

Distribution of Materials:
We have a fantastic group of administrators and classified staff who are working on a process for distribution of materials (textbooks, yearbooks, iPADs, etc.). Once this plan is in place, with guidance from the State of Oregon, we will be posting on our Bend High webpage. More information within the coming two weeks…..

Tools:
The following tools are going to become important to your success in CDL – All of these tools can be accessed through the district provided iPAD.
1. StudentVue/ParentVue
2. WebEx – Virtual Meeting space, like Zoom, that Bend-LaPine Schools will use. Especially for Office Hours and synchronous (live) instruction days.
3. CANVAS – This is a consistent platform that ALL teachers, grades 6-12, will be using in Bend-LaPine Schools. This is the most important tool you will need to become familiar with. This tool will be of the utmost importance, especially on asynchronous days. We are asking all students to complete an introductory course next week 9/7-9/11. Please complete, so you are ready to go on 9/14. There is also parent information available for CANVAS. Both student and parents can access information with the following link:

https://www.bend.k12.or.us/district/organization/c...

Grades and Grading Periods:
Letter grades (A-F) and credit will be assigned for Comprehensive Distant Learning (CDL). Grades will be updated in ParentVue/StudentVue every two weeks. The end of a grading period is at the 6 week mark. It is important that from day 1 (9/14), students are engaged in their learning.

Essential Skills:
This year’s graduating class (2021), is NOT responsible for Essential Skills from the State of Oregon. This requirement has been waived. This requirement included passing State tests and/or work samples in Reading, Writing and Math. One less thing to take off your plates Seniors.

Student Engagement:
Again, I cannot stress enough how important student engagement is going to be during CDL. Please, please get up to speed with CANVAS prior to 9/14. Be prepared to hit the ground running on 9/14. You can expect to be engaged for approximately 180 minutes, per class, per week. This is both synchronous and asynchronous instruction. 180 minutes is the sweet spot and target. However, some classes might go a little over. Make sure you are in the game and not on the sideline.

Attendance:
Attendance will be taken through daily student engagement such as quizzes, discussions, assignments or WebEx. Attendance will be taken after a 24 hour time frame. If students are engaged (attend live WebEx, turn in an assignment, take a quiz, participate in a discussion, etc.) within a 24 hour time period, they will be marked as Virtually Present (VP). If they are not engaged, they will be marked as Not Virtually Present (NVP). Parents will get a phone message if their student is marked NVP in one or more of their classes.

Learning Gap from Spring 2020:
Teachers and other staff understand the learning gap from the COVID 19 closure last Spring 2020. We are very aware of this gap and are thinking through potential ways to mitigate that loss of learning. One example might be reviewing Algebra 1 concepts from last Spring with current Geometry students. I trust this group of educators to help address that learning gap to the best of their ability.

September 14th and 15th:
The first couple of days of school you can expect to meet your teachers “live” during synchronous class periods. Teachers will go over class expectations, course syllabus, introductions, etc. During your asynchronous day, you will have an introductory CANVAS module. Please come ready to meet your teachers and get class expectations. Remember to stay engaged from day 1. We also believe in this amazing school culture. We are thinking creatively about how to keep students connected to their school community. Without assemblies, this can be difficult to achieve. I have tasked Student Leadership and Government to find ways to make those connections happen. Stay tuned……

Logging in Day 1 of School (9/14/20):
Next week the District and Bend High will be sending out explicit directions on how students log in the first day of school. This will be to both their “Live” WebEx session (synchronous) and CANVAS session (asynchronous). Please look for this instruction next week. Stay tuned…..

Student Handbook/Due Process:
On Wednesday 9/16, ALL students will be required to review the student handbook. There will be an assignment provided through CANVAS to complete around the student handbook. This is part of the student’s due process and will cover behavior expectations. We will specifically look at online bullying/harassment, plagiarism/cheating and WebEx behavior expectations. Please know that if a student becomes disruptive during a Live WebEx session (disrupts the learning of others), we will give students a warning and try to correct the behavior. If the behavior continues, teachers have been given permission to remove the student out of the Live WebEx session and report the behavior to the appropriate administrator. With CDL and short, fast weeks, we cannot disrupt the learning of others. We appreciate your understanding and support.
NO LAVA BEAR LEFT BEHIND DURING CDL:
1. Are students safe and fed?
2. Do they know they are loved and missed?
3. Do they have the coping skills to deal with this crisis?
4. Do they have access to materials and tech?
5. Are they learning?
This is our order of priority with Comprehensive Distant Learning for us at Bend High. In order to accomplish this mission, we are forming teams at Bend High. These teams will match the mission of Bend-LaPine Schools. Those teams are:
School Curriculum/Instruction
Safety Team
Family Connections Team
School Culture of Care Team
It is important that we stay connected to our families. We are here for you. However, we have many non-working email and phone numbers. Please make sure your information is up to date and confirmed in ParentVue.

Communication/Meetings with Staff:
Most communication and meetings between families and staff will happen remotely/virtually. The best communication tools will be phone, email and WebEx. Some communication needs to happen in person. We ask during those unique circumstances that you have an appointment with that staff member. It is important that we have those open lines of communication. However, please know that some staff have to meet remotely/virtually because of their own situations.

Access to Facility with Appointment:
If you have an appointment and/or enter Bend High, you must adhere to the following:
1. Wear a mask prior to entry and at ALL times in the facility
2. Sanitize Hands upon entry and exit
3. Stay 6 feet apart from others – Social Distance
4. You will be required to fill out contact tracing log at main office – upon entry and exit
5. Single point of entry through main entrance

Limited in Person Instruction/Support:
At some point in the near future, we hope to have some limited in person instruction. We are hoping that our county metrics allow this, as we know we have students who need that support. The caveat is we can only have 250 people per week (to include staff) in that cohort. With a school our size (1800) we are going to have a hard time narrowing down the population to that level. Please know that if we get to this measure, those students and families will be identified by staff. Students will be prioritized by need. Thanks for your understanding, as we know that every student would benefit from live in person instruction.

What Can You Do Now?:
1 – Make sure your contact information (phone numbers, email and physical address) are up to date in ParentVue. This is the #1 priority, and will be a necessity in communication and connections.
2 – Get up to speed with CANVAS prior to September 14th – See above for important training opportunity to be completed 9/7-9/11
3 – Be ready to engage day one! – 9/14/20 – Look for the first day log in information next week
4 – Review the attached poster about “What it Means to be a Lava Bear”

I realize that this is a lot if information. However, I wanted to get it out there for all Lava Bears to process. I hope you all have a fantastic Labor Day Weekend. I am so excited about the start of the school year, even if it is CDL. Much respect and admiration…..patience, grace and kindness…..Keeping the main thing, the main thing…….

GO BEARS,

Christopher Reese

GO BEARS!

Mr. Reese
Principal

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School Location

230 NE 6th Street
Bend, OR 97701