Notes From The Den Principal's Newsletter - jan 2024

Dear Cougar Students and Parents,

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Happy New Year! January is a time for many of you to map out the year, and here at MVHS it is no different. In the weeks to follow your student will be planning to take final exams, preparing for their new Semester 2 schedule and mapping out the courses they will select for the 2024-25 school year.

Our district shared some exciting news last week regarding changes in federal guidelines that allowed MVHS to be one of 12 additional schools that can now serve free breakfast and lunch to all enrolled students without the need for families to apply for free and/or reduced meals! Our school meals are top notch and I encourge you and your student to take advantage of the delicious and healthy options being served up daily, FOR FREE! Read more details here.

Feb 2 marks the end of Semester 1. As in years past, we will run an end of semester finals schedule on Jan 30, 31 & Feb 1. The schedule consists of 90 min class sessions intended to spread out finals for our students, while also providing students time to study or seek additional support from our teaching staff during optional study hall periods. There is no school on Friday, Feb 2. Please review the schedule linked below and help us by ensuring your student takes advantage of the provided time and support.

View Sem 1 Finals Week Schedule Here

Believe it or not, we also begin preparing for next school year this month! ‘Forecasting’ is what we call our process of students choosing courses for next year. Over the next couple of months we will be pushing out more information about this process. It is important that you pay attention to this information and discuss with your student which classes they are interested in taking. We build our schedule and teacher assignments based on student requests.

Lastly, parents received an email from me earlier this week regarding our annual YouthTruth survey. Your input will be reviewed by me and my leadership team to determine areas of success and areas for improvement. Thank you in advance for taking a few minutes to complete the family survey for us here: YouthTruth Parent Survey (click here)

Please continue reading below for other happenings on campus. Go Cougars!

Michael Hicks, Principal

Recent Student Highlights

  • Congrats to both the girls and boys basketball teams for your wins again Bend High this week
Students may appeal if their attendance is above 70% with excused absences for extenuating circumstances (family illness, family emergency, medical and things of that nature). Appeals were due Jan 10th by 3:45. Guest Dance Passes are due by Jan 16 by 4pm.
BLS IT HACKS FOR IPAD USE AT HOME

Parents can take an active role in how and how often school issued iPads are used while at home. There are two device monitoring applications available for Bend-La Pine families:

  • Apple Screentime : Screentime is simply a group of features found in the settings menu on most all Apple devices. Using Screentime is probably the easiest method to start for most families. Screentime allows parents to restrict applications and set time limits for device use. Just remind parents to to turn off their “secret” passcode before the student returns to school!
  • JAMF Parent : This application is installed on the parent’s phone and has a few alternative features that are not available in the screentime settings. It is important to note that any restrictions applied in JAMF parent will not function during normal school hours (7:30AM-4:30PM) Monday through Friday.
Fill out information on your casting/role interested and spring rehearsal availability on the Google Form Linked Here

All About Seniors - Class of 2024

The Class of 2024 Commencement Ceremony will be held on campus at MVHS Jack Harris Stadium located at 2755 NE 27th Street on Saturday, June 8 at 2:00pm. Stay informed about everything happening for your senior this year by bookmarking the Senior Information page of the MVHS website!

Upcoming Deadlines & Important Reminders:

  • OSU Cascades will be here on Tuesday, Jan 16 at 10am in A1. If you have questions or need help applying, stop by A1 for a pass.
  • College Info Series on learning more about COCC or help applying is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan 17 at 9:50am in A1. Sign up in A1
  • Southern Oregon University will be here on Monday, Jan 22 at 2pm in A1. If you have questions or need help applying, stop by A1 for a pass.
  • Financial Aid Night RESCHEDULED to Wednesday, Jan 24 at 6pm in the Library. Info on the new FAFSA as well as other state aid will be presented. Seniors and their parents/guardians are encouraged to attend!

Teen Driving Awareness Month

Getting a driver’s license is an exciting time for a young person, but can be a little nerve-wracking for parents and families! Luckily, there are plenty of ways to keep your young driver safe:

  • having regular conversations about driving safety (including the risks of impaired driving)
  • practicing together
  • leading by example
  • setting expectations and limits

Learn more here about what you can do to support your student as they reach this important milestone.

Inclement Weather Resources

Winter has finally hit Central Oregon! The district makes all decisions during bad weather. Families can stay connected to information regarding delays and closures due to inclement weather by using the following resources:

  • 💬 Sign up for BLConnect, an emergency alert text messaging system. Register at this link: bls.fyi/blconnect
  • 💻 Visit the BLS website: www.bend.k12.or.us (an alert banner will be posted to every page in the case of a delay, closure or early release.)
  • 📲 Visit our social media pages: Facebook English: @BendLaPineSchools, Spanish: @EscuelasdeBendLaPine, Twitter: @BLPSchools
  • 📱 Subscribe to Mystop to receive push notifications on your mobile device about changes to the school bus. Sign up today here. To install the app, simply visit the Google Play Store (for Android) or the Apple Store (for iOS), and search for "Versatrans My Stop" or log-in via the web at My Stop. Make sure you select Bend-La Pine Schools when prompted.
  • 📺 Tune it to local media
  • Read more details here

Holidays & Breaks 2024-2025

The 2024-2025 school calendar for Bend-La Pine Schools is not yet solidified but below are the dates of holidays and major breaks for next school year:

  • September 2 - Labor Day
  • November 25-29 - Thanksgiving Break
  • November 11 - Veterans Day
  • December 23-January 3 - Winter Break
  • January 20 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
  • February 17 - Presidents Day
  • March 24-28 - Spring Break
  • May 26 - Memorial Day

Tentatively, the first day of school is scheduled for September 4 and the last day of school is scheduled for June 12, 2025. These dates are subject to change.

Important Dates & Other Reminders
  • January 15 : NO SCHOOL Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  • January 16 : Winter Formal Guest Dance Passes due by 4pm
  • January 18 : Advisory Bell Schedule
  • January 20 : Winter Formal, 7-10pm in the MVHS Cafeteria & Commons
  • January 24 : RESCHEDULED from snow closure! Financial Aid Night, at 6pm in the Library. Info on the new FAFSA as well as other state aid will be presented.
  • January 27 : MV Theatre Semester Showcase, details here
  • January 30-Feb 1 : Sem 1 Finals Schedule
  • January 31 : BLS HS Academic Information Night, hosted at MVHS from 5:30 -7:00pm, see more details on the BLS website later this month
  • January 31 : BLS Family Event - Black History Month kick-off celebration
  • February 2 : NO SCHOOL - End of Sem 1

Check out our weekly MVHS Announcement webpage for continued school announcements.

Be sure to visit the MVHS website and like/follow us on Facebook to keep up to date on what is happening around campus. Go Cougs!