For two weeks, more than 100 students at High Lakes Elementary School engaged in a slightly unique kind of school work -– bicycle riding. The 5th grade students have been participating in an intensive one hour a day bicycle safety education program provided by Commute Options of Central Oregon. The free course takes students through the parts of the bicycle, helmet fitting, traffic laws and safe bike operation. The ten day/ten hour course is divided ... [full story]

SALEM, Ore.  – State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo announced Wednesday that thirteen Oregon public schools have been placed on a “watch list,” under the school safety provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Because these schools exceeded the minimum rate of expulsions due to violence, they have been identified as needing school safety improvement plans and must file a corrective action plan with the state. Third year: Salem-Keizer SD 24J - McKay High ... [full story]

Oregon State University (OSU) recently announced the names of students who made the Scholastic Honor Roll for fall term.  A total of 554 students earned a perfect 4.0 grade point average (gpa), including twelve from Bend, two from Redmond, and one from Terrebonne. An additional 2,364 earned a B-plus or better (3.5 gpa) to make the listing.  To be included on the Honor Roll, students must carry at least 12 graded hours of course ... [full story]

If you are like millions of other time-starved moms, the thought of back-to-school shopping leaves you feeling stressed and wondering how you can possibly get it all done within your budget and in the limited time you have. Take advantage of these mom-tested, time-saving tips this year and get your children ready for back-to-school in record time - without busting your budget: 1. Start with a plan: Create a master back-to-school shopping list and budget ... [full story]

Slightly more than 95 percent of Central Oregon Community College nursing program students have passed the National Council Licensure Examination. The pass rate for Central Oregon Community College (COCC) ranks seventh among 20 nursing programs in Oregon, including both associate and bachelor degree programs. The pass rate for Oregon schools as a whole is 92.5 percent, the highest in the nation. “I am extremely proud of our nursing graduates; their hard work and dedication is ... [full story]

AAA, the nation's largest network of leisure travel agencies, is once again rewarding high school students for their knowledge of geography and tourist destinations. The 5th annual AAA Travel High School Challenge begins January 8, 2007, and will award $100,000 in scholarships and prizes. The competition aims to increase travel and geographic literacy and encourage an interest in travel, tourism and hospitality careers among high school students Taking the Challenge Participating in the AAA Travel ... [full story]

Due to the high demand for tickets, Fulbright Specialist and Moroccan professor Dr. Jamal Koubali will offer a second community presentation of “Is Cross-Cultural Understanding Possible?” at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17, in Hitchcock Auditorium on the Central Oregon Community College (COCC) campus. Admission is $3; tickets will be available only at the door.    “I would like to explore with community members how mass media, especially newspapers, impact and form beliefs and opinions about ... [full story]

Play it Again Prom supports senior night parties for Bend Senior High and Mountain View High School It’s time to dust off your blue suede shoes and get ready to dance at the “Play it Again Prom”, an adult event that supports the drug and alcohol-free graduation parties for Mountain View High School and Bend Senior High. The Prom will be held on Saturday, February 10 from 8 p.m. until 11 p.m. at Bend Senior High School. ... [full story]

Amity Creek Elementary School staff will flip pancakes in honor of Amity parents from 7:00 – 9:00 am on Wednesday, October 11 at their annual Parent Pancake Breakfast. Principal Carol Hammett says the breakfast is an event that she and her staff especially look forward to each year.“It’s wonderful to sit down with our students, staff and parents to enjoy a delicious breakfast. It really gives us a chance to get to know each other ... [full story]

Oregon – During the 2006-2007 school year, 104,156 low-income Oregon students participated in the national School Breakfast Program, according to the School Breakfast Scorecard 2007. This was a slight increase over the prior year. The 2007 Scorecard was released this week and is issued annually by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) to measure national and state trends in school breakfast. “Breakfast provides an important nutritional boost for children, but can be particularly critical ... [full story]

Three area high schools propose retention of semester format and extension of classes Three area high schools are recommending maintaining the current semester format with increased class time beginning in the 2007-08 school year. The recommendations from Bend, Summit and Mountain View high schools were submitted to Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Doug Nelson Friday afternoon. “We’ve asked our three largest high schools to review their daily schedules to ensure students are able to fulfill their ... [full story]

Thanks to a new radio-broadcasting program at La Pine High School (LPHS), and a very ambitious student, Hawk football has a new voice. Freshman Jacob Gilmer is joining off-season coaches Kent Wieber and Greg Stackhouse on the microphone at all home and away La Pine High Hawks football games for “Voice of the Hawks in Action.”  “The Communications Technologies program at LPHS features radio broadcasting as one of several Career and Technical Education courses,” said radio ... [full story]

Astronaut Don Pettit, an Oregon State University alumnus, will be the keynote speaker for the da Vinci Days festival at 7 p.m., Saturday, July 15, at OSU's LaSells Auditorium. Da Vinci Days, an annual summer festival fostering the understanding and integration of art, science and technology through music, creative contests, exhibits and hands-on activities, is exploring "Tools for Change" this year. Pettit will deliver a presentation about his spaceflight experiences and tools that have enabled his ... [full story]