New Principals Bring Dynamic Leadership Skills to Bend-La Pine Schools  Three more Bend-La Pine Schools will have new leaders in the principal seat this fall. After a comprehensive, nationwide search and demanding interview process, Superintendent Doug Nelson is pleased to announce the names of the schools’ newest principals. "We are fortunate to have been able to both promote from within, as well as bring in a leader from outside the state for these positions," says ... [full story]

Students to play in joint concert for Japanese community For many, it will be the first time that they’ve left the comfort and familiarity of the Central Oregon region. Yesterday morning, nearly 40 Mountain View High School (MVHS) Band Students loaded up their suitcases and instruments and took off for a cultural exchange in Japan. The group departed MVHS at 7 a.m., bound for Japan via the Redmond airport.  “This exchange is exceptionally significant as it ... [full story]

Kathryn Legace to take over at Mountain View High School After a competitive nationwide recruitment, Mountain View High School will have a new leader this fall, Bend’s Kathryn Legace. Legace will take over for current Mountain View High School principal Bob Jones when he transitions into a new administrative position with the Bend-La Pine Schools (BLS) in July.   Mountain View High Schools’ new principal, Katie Legace “We were pleased with the strong group of candidates for this position ... [full story]

Tonight, 29 fourth-grade students from Juniper Elementary School will make their most recent state history project available for the world to see. During a 6 p.m. Open House for parents, friends and community members, students will launch their Oregon Virtual Museum on the World Wide Web at http://www.oregonvirtualmuseum.com  The online museum project gives the usual state history lesson a new, 21st century twist with the introduction of technology tools including cameras, computers and website development.“To collect ... [full story]

CORVALLIS – This summer Oregon State University will host “A Taste of College,” the two-week college prep program for high school students in grades 10-12. The program, held on the OSU campus and open to Oregon and out-of-state students, runs from June 24 through July 6. Now in its third year, “A Taste of College” was developed to create a seamless transition from high school to college. Participants will live on campus in a residence ... [full story]

The Central Oregon Community College (COCC) Foundation’s 32nd annual Meal of the Year benefit raised more than $240,000 for scholarship assistance for COCC students and related Foundation activities. Last year’s event raised $225,000.  “The best part of Central Oregon is the generosity and sincerity of so many who live here. That spirit was definitely displayed during these events, from restaurants donating their excellent cuisine and time on Friday, to businesses that donated to the auction, ... [full story]

TESA testing is suspended until the end of the 2006-07 school year, Vantage TESA contractor claims $2.8 million is owed by ODE The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) announced this week that all Oregon schools will use paper-and-pencil assessment tests in math and reading for the remainder of the 2006-07 school year.  This action is necessary because ODE's contractor for TESA (Technology Enhanced Student Assessment), Vantage Learning, has declined to continue performing services required under ... [full story]

More than 1,000 kindergarten students expected next year; registration begins April 18 Parents of future kindergarteners are urged to register their children for the 2007-08 school year beginning April 18. Many schools are planning kindergarten kickoff events on April 18; parents can contact their neighborhood school for more information.More than 1,000 new students are expected to enter the Bend-La Pine Schools at the kindergarten level when school begins in September. “In such a quickly growing ... [full story]

Buses manufactured before 1977 will need to be replaced under bill approved by House Salem—House Majority Leader Dave Hunt (D-Clackamas County) praised a move by the Oregon House of Representatives Wednesday that will ensure Oregon school children safer transportation to and from school each day. House Bill 2456, authored and championed by Hunt, prohibits the use of school buses manufactured before April 1, 1977 for education-related activities.  More than one-quarter million Oregon students board a ... [full story]

CORVALLIS - Oregon State University is ranked tops in the nation in the study of agricultural sciences and sixth for its geosciences research, based on the citation impact of its scientists’ published research. Published in recent reports from Science Watch, the rankings are based on trends and performance of the top 100 federally-funded U.S. universities and reflect the number of times scientists cited research in peer-reviewed journals. An impact score, calculated as citations-per-page during a ... [full story]

CMS and MVHS Principal Candidates Announced; Community forums will be held this week with Cascade Middle and Mountain View High finalists Bend-La Pine Schools have announced the finalists for principal positions at Cascade Middle School and Mountain View High School for the 2007-08 school year.The finalists for the Cascade Middle School position are Brian Gander of Salem, Oregon; Michael Hecker of Ann Arbor, Michigan; Melissa Sandven of Portland, Oregon; and Carl Swan of Springfield, Oregon.Gander ... [full story]

The Oregon Arts Commission announces that Ian Jones, 18, of The Center for Advanced Learning, Gresham, has won Oregon’s 2007 statewide Poetry Out Loud competition. The state competition took place in Loucks Auditorium of the Salem Public Library. Poetry Out Loud is a collaborative project of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation and the Oregon Arts Commission.  As winner of the Oregon competition, Jones wins $200 and an all-expense paid trip to ... [full story]

Meet Principal Candidates for Mountain View High, Cascade Middle schools The community is invited to the first of several community forums designed to give students, parents, teachers and neighbors an opportunity to meet the candidates who may become their next school principal.  Mountain View High, La Pine High, Cascade Middle, La Pine Elementary and Elk Meadow Elementary schools are interviewing for principal positions this month. The openings come following planned retirements this summer at three ... [full story]