As parents, we value our children’s education and know that getting involved in their school life is important. Perhaps the most crucial first step is finding the school that is the right fit, whether it’s a larger public, smaller private, charter school or other. With so many different options, how is a parent to decide? […]
Education
Posted inBend Nest
A Walk in Someone Else’s Shoes
Thoughtful reads for kids to bust the winter break blues
As the snow drifts outside the frosty window, what could be more appealing than curling up by the fire (or space heater) in cozy holiday pajamas to lose yourself in a good book? Reading is the perfect, low-cost activity that both young and old can enjoy together. Broadening a child’s worldview and exposing them […]
Posted inBend Nest
Showing Up
Education and the importance of parental involvement
We did it! After a few weeks of frantic back-to-school shopping, our kids are finally ready to head back to school. The backpack is loaded, and the iPad is charged. Sure, we can get them to the bus stop on time, but our work doesn’t end there. We trust our teachers to deliver an amazing […]
Posted inBend Nest
Forging the Future
A radical new school opens in Bend
Imagine an alternative. Imagine your child’s day: They wake up, wolf down breakfast, get dressed and then head off to school-only “school” isn’t inside a fluorescent-lit, rectangular box. School takes place inside a traditional Native American tipi, replete with heated floors, swivel chair desks, a modern whiteboard and two teachers whose effervescence fills the room. […]
Posted inBend Nest
Rescue Mission
Substitute teachers provide much-needed stopgap to keep schools open
In the wake of the pandemic, there is now a serious shortage of licensed substitute teachers in Bend-La Pine Schools district. Schools are feeling the crunch, and some classes are even closing temporarily due to severe staffing shortages. Parents may wonder: What’s going on? Why is it so hard to keep schools open right now? […]
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Power To The People
Senate bill introduces mandatory civics class for all high school students
Abraham Lincoln once said, “The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next.” Perhaps Oregon legislators were thinking of this quote when they signed a new bill last spring that will require high school students in Oregon to take one semester of dedicated civics education prior […]
Posted inBend Nest
Preschool Pursuit
Finding the Best Fit for Your Family
Choosing the right preschool for your child is no small task. From navigating preschool philosophies to understanding curriculums to choosing the right class size, there is a lot to consider. The preschool years are crucial for your child’s development, and with the shortage of preschools and preschool slots available in Bend, local families need to […]
Posted inBend Nest
It’s a Desert Out There
The child care shortage in Central Oregon worsens amidst pandemic
Sarah Bystrom is a sales director and working mother of a family of four in Bend. She and her husband are raising two boys—one 3 years old and another age 20-months. On a workday, Bystrom leaves the house at 7:20 am to drop her youngest son at his daycare in northwest Bend and her older […]
Posted inBend Nest
Rites of Passage Gone Awry
What it’s like being a senior amidst the pandemic
It was the first day of high school, that telltale dreaded 24 hours of nerves, expectations and inevitable disappointment. My heart fluttered as I gripped the straps of my backpack and crossed the building’s threshold. I was a little fish in a big pond again, the bottom of the totem pole. I was told freshman […]
Posted inBend Nest
Pandemic School Year
2020-2021 may be the weirdest school year in Central Oregon since 1918
This fall, only the youngest students in the Bend-La Pine Schools district will go back to their brick-and-mortar classrooms, but COVID prevention protocols will begin the minute they step on the school bus. Most local students will not come to campus at all. At least, that’s the latest word as of this writing; most who […]