K-8 Choice Options
Choice Options Enrollment Request
K-8 Choice Option Schools
K-8 choice option schools require families to submit an enrollment request form, either online or in person.
The enrollment application period for Amity Creek Magnet at Thompson School, Juniper Elementary Technology Magnet, Highland Magnet at Kenwood School, Westside Village Magnet at Kingston School and Realms Middle School is OPEN.
The Kindergarten lottery application is CLOSED.
2023-2024 INterest list is open
To apply for one of the Kindergarten choice options, please complete the following form:
Applications received after March 24, 2023 will be filled on a first come, first served basis should any spots remain.
The Grades 1-8 lottery application is CLOSED.
2023-2024 interest list is open
To apply for a vacant grade 1-8 spot in one of the choice option schools, please complete the following form:
Applications received after January 20, 2023 will be filled on a first come, first served basis should any spots remain.
Spanish Dual Immersion Program
The Spanish Dual Immersion Program in Bend-La Pine Schools is a research-based two-way immersion program model. The program begins in kindergarten and continues through high school graduation. There are two different application forms: Incoming Kindergarten and Late Entry Dual Immersion.
Spanish Dual Immersion Program - Incoming Kindergarten
The enrollment application period for Dual Immersion Incoming Kindergarten is currently CLOSED.
The lottery application period is CLOSED.
Spanish Dual Immersion Program - Late Entry
The enrollment application period for Late Entry applicants is OPEN year round.
Choice Option Schools and Programs
- Amity Creek Magnet at Thompson School
- Highland Magnet at Kenwood School
- Juniper Elementary School
- Realms Middle School
- Spanish Dual Immersion Program - at Bear Creek, R.E. Jewell, High Desert Middle, Bend Senior High and Caldera High
- Westside Village Magnet at Kingston School
Amity Creek Magnet at Thompson School
Principal: Andy Slavin
Enrollment: 175 students
Info sessions: 2 p.m. & 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 22. Watch a video about Amity Creek before the session.
About Program:
The
word amity means belonging, cooperation, togetherness and goodwill. This
description builds the cornerstones for our lives at school as we
emphasize community, choice-making, acceptance, risk-taking and the
celebration of our social, emotional and academic journeys. Amity Creek
at its core is a family.
Amity Creek is rooted in a sense of community and is a place where parents, children and staff are all valued and respected. The days at Amity Creek begin with Community Time, in which students, staff and parents gather together to celebrate the start of the day.
Amity Creek emphasizes academics and achieving high standards, while also helping kids develop social and emotional skills. Students learn they have a voice and advocate for their own learning and growing. Children are encouraged to take risks as they learn how to make good choices for themselves and their community.
The classrooms are designed to honor the community feeling, as students work at small group tables or gather together on risers to share and learn. Students and staff at Amity all know each other's names and students call staff members by their first names. Students have several choice times throughout the day to mix between grade levels. Rather than giving grades, teachers create an end-of-the-year narrative for each student that includes information on academic and social, emotional growth.
Finding a good fit:
Amity Creek is a good fit for parents and children who want a school
with a close-knit community. Amity parents help support the school in
many ways big and small. The goal of family engagement is to foster a
true sense of community.
Contact: 541-355-2800; 437 NW Wall St., Bend;
Highland Magnet at Kenwood School
Principal: Brian Kissell
Enrollment: 392 students
Information Session: 2 p.m. & 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1
WebEx Link Here
Highland focuses on strong academic fundamentals and is committed to
ensuring students reach their highest academic potential, with an
emphasis on direct instruction in core subjects. Students develop strong
basic skills in reading, writing and math. For a dedicated part of each
day, students also learn through the Scottish Storyline Method. This
innovative learning approach, which has been used internationally for
more than 40 years, is continually adapted and updated to meet current
standards. During each Storyline, students create a setting, become
characters and solve problems as incidents in the story unfold. For
example, students might become astronauts of the future with a mission
to colonize Mars, create and operate a bakery or become Park Rangers advocating for our National Parks. The learning is hands-on and requires cooperative learning
as students collaborate and work together.
Finding a good fit: Highland
is a particularly good fit for students who are inquisitive and
curious, as students can explore their interests to the fullest through
open-ended Storyline activities. The school appreciates a high level of
parent involvement in support of Storyline and all Highland activities.
Contact: 541-355-1900; 701 NW Newport Ave., Bend;
Juniper Elementary Technology Magnet (JETM)
Principal: Dan Wolnick
Enrollment: Approximately 500 students
Information Session: Virtual information session and tour available online. Please see below.
Tours: Please visit the Virtual Magnet Tour here
About: At Juniper Technology Magnet School (JTMS), our vision is to create a learning environment that uses best practices and 21st century instructional tools to support academic excellence and create future-ready students. Using technology maximizes student engagement, increases feedback for growth, extends differentiation, and prepares our students for the changing future. Like any traditional school, we teach foundational skills in reading, writing, and math using paper and pencil, but overlay a computer science curriculum in all grade levels which maintains a healthy balance of targeted screen time. Specifically, we use Code.org which is set up to create an engaging and relevant class that helps students uncover and develop the knowledge they need. The teacher acts as the Lead Learner whose role shifts from being the source of knowledge to being a leader in seeking knowledge. These experiences empower students to become creative, productive, socially responsible, life-long learners, and problem solvers who successfully contribute to a culturally diverse and technologically evolving society. Additionally, students participate in a devoted tech week once a month and a unique tech buddy program, where older and younger students learn together. Many students have digital tools through the Bend-La Pine Schools digital conversion initiative. JTMS stands apart by implementing a CS curriculum and devoting increased professional development to enhance our tech fluency as Lead Learners.
About JTMS: JTMS was identified as 2015 Model School and received the highest rating — a Level 5 — from the Oregon Department of Education. JTMS is also an Apple Distinguished School and currently has one Apple Distinguished Educator on staff, in addition to the 2016 Oregon Teacher of the Year. Juniper is a Title school with a diverse community of approximately 500 students.
Finding a good fit: If you are interested in your student being equipped with the tools necessary to be engaged in modern learning and your child would enjoy using tech as a learning tool on a day-to-day basis, then Juniper is a place for them.
Contact: 541-355-1800; 1300 NE Norton Ave., Bend;
Realms Middle School
Principal: Roger White
Enrollment: 152 students
Information Session: 6 p.m. on Thursday, January 12 and 6 p.m. on Wednesday, January 18
2022/2023 Information Night FAQ
Who should attend? Anyone interested in learning more about Realms Middle School for the 2023/24 school year. We strongly encourage families (this includes students!) who are interested in entering the enrollment lottery at Realms Middle School to attend
Tours: Take place after the lottery for those who have been accepted or are top 10 on the waitlist.
Contact: 541-322-5323; 63175 OB Riley Road, Bend;
Spanish Dual Immersion Program
R.E. Jewell Elementary School, Bear Creek Elementary School, High Desert Middle School, Bend Senior High School and Caldera High School.
Information Session: 6 p.m. on Tuesday, February 21 @ Bear Creek Elementary and 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7 @ R.E. Jewell Elementary
Tours: TBA
Bend-La Pine Schools offers a Spanish Dual Immersion program located at Bear Elementary School, R.E. Jewell Elementary School, High Desert Middle School, Bend Senior High School and Caldera High School. Students enrolled in this program learn to become fluent in Spanish and English and learn to appreciate other cultures.The Spanish dual immersion program is a strand within the school that involves some classrooms at each grade level. Beginning in kindergarten, students receive academic instruction in Spanish and English, with the goal of creating bilingual learners.
The rigorous curriculum matches the content taught throughout Bend-La Pine Schools; the only difference is that dual immersion students learn in both Spanish and English. About 80 percent of the instruction in kindergarten takes place in Spanish, and 20 percent takes place in English. This ratio gradually changes over time and by fifth grade, instruction is evenly split between Spanish and English.
The student population is divided equally between native Spanish and native English speakers. The research-based program allows Spanish-speaking students to learn English, while also retaining their home language. English-speaking students acquire Spanish at no cost to their academic achievement. The schools celebrate their multicultural atmosphere with the goal of creating global citizens who are bilingual and bi-literate.
Finding a good fit: Families should be ready to embrace the bilingual and bicultural nature of the program.
Contact: Kinsey Martin;
Westside Village Magnet at Kingston School
Principal: Wendy Winchel
Enrollment: 279 students (196 in grades K-5; 83 in grades 6-8)
Information Sessions: 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 12, 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8 and 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 9
Tours: 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 12, 3:00 p.m. on January 18, March 1, March 8, March 15 and March 22
About Program: Westside Village Magnet School is a nurturing, stimulating and democratic learning environment. We are a true community, driven and united by our belief—all children can be academically successful, happy, hopeful, contributing community members. We inspire our students and parent community to be engaged, thriving citizens, striving together to make the future a better place. We personalize learning by meeting children wherever they are, and helping them to realize their infinite potential. We empower our students to think and advocate for themselves and others. We learn together by engaging in real world projects that help us become stewards of our community, the earth and its diverse cultures.
Our community is passionate about understanding the diverse needs of our learners. We are an inclusive mixed age K-8 school. Students are not boxed into individual grades or labels; they are fluidly and flexibly grouped throughout the day in a highly structured, well thought out, purposeful and meaningful way. Students are encouraged to solve rigorous real life problems by applying critical and creative thinking across the curriculum.
Students at Westside Village are encouraged to participate in a democratic school in a variety of ways. As they grow, they take on more leadership roles. For example, students may write proposals to solve problems, start new activities, help people in need or aid community issues. The school also focuses on community service and the outside environment. Ultimately, the goal of this approach is to help students learn to advocate for themselves, each other, our natural world and create a world in which they aspire to live.
Finding a good fit: Parents whose children attend Westside Village engage in the community, appreciate innovation and are prepared to engage in an education environment that is likely different than what they experienced as children.