Principal's Updates

It's been a wonderful first week of school. What a building full of energy! Sports are in full swing. Clubs and activities are gearing up. It's going to be a great year.

We thank our LINK CREW leaders for hosting a fantastic orientation day for our incoming 9th graders. Our newest Summit Storm students were engaged and active all day as they prepared to begin their high school journey.

In advisory, we are reviewing our code of conduct and school-wide expectations. Our school culture and climate is grounded in our STORM values and our three expectations. Our Community Values At Summit High School were developed by students in the 2025-26 school year. STORM represents the values that guide how we learn, lead, and care for one another. More than a set of expectations, STORM reflects the kind of community we strive to create every day.

S – Supportive
We are present and encouraging in times of struggle and success.

T – Tenacious
We are persistent and continue to move forward in all aspects of life.

O – Original
We value people who express themselves in unique ways. We welcome fresh ideas and imagination.

R – Resilient
We are brave, adaptive, strong, ask for help, find our strengths, and recover from difficult situations.

M – Mindful
We are focused, nonjudgemental, and aware of our thoughts, feelings, and surroundings without being reactive.

Living the STORM values is about more than following rules, it's about contributing to a school culture where every student, staff member, family, community member and visitor feels a sense of belonging, purpose, and pride. Together, these values help make Summit High School a place where everyone can learn, grow, and thrive.

We will be regularly soliciting nominations for students who are show these values in an exemplary way. The nominees will go into drawings for STORM student of the month parking spaces, small prizes, and school recognition.

When you represent Summit for games, for events, for volunteering or for community gatherings, we ask for your partnership in helping demonstrate these values and expectations as well.

These values alongside our school-wide expectations (We are Safe, We Honor Dignity, and We are Ready to Learn) give us language for how we will interact with one another for a healthy, inclusive, and safe school culture. Thank you so much for your partnership in developing a school community culture that we all can be proud of.

Back To School Night Information

We are excited to invite families to our Back to School Night on September 23rd from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. While students are welcome to join us, this event is especially designed for parents and guardians. It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet your student’s teachers, explore their classroom spaces, learn about the courses and curriculum, and discover some of the key initiatives happening at our school.
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We will begin with two optional family breakout sessions. Each topic will be presented at both sessions. Please choose the two that interest you most:

Session Topics:

Advanced Placement (AP) Courses: Location - Choir Room

Is your student taking an AP course? Find out more about this College Board Program, student supports, registration deadlines, and more.

Class of 2030 - My Student's a Freshman, What Should I Know?: Location - Auditorium

If you have an incoming 9th grader, this session is for you. Find out more about 4-year planning and academic options for your high school student.

Class of 2027 - Preparing for Senior Year and Graduation: Location: C113

Come find out all the details for planning and preparing for your graduate's big day.

Standards Based Instruction and Grading: Location - Main Gym

What is Standards Based Grading? Why are Bend LaPine Schools shifting how we report student learning and progress? Join us for a presentation about this district-wide strategic initiative.

Tech Tools for Parents: Location - Library

Come learn about the tools you have for monitoring your student's progress. This is a session designed to provide an overview of the educational tools that are available and the services they provide. We will have a help table station throughout the evening where parent/guardians can solicit support with logging in.

Future Ready - Preparing your 11th and 12th Grade Student for Next Steps: Location - Commons

Find out more about SchooLinks (our College and Career Readiness platform), timelines for college and career readiness, and more.

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Following the sessions, we will all gather for a welcome in the main gym. Then, parents can follow their student's schedule to meet with teachers, see the classroom spaces, and experience their student's day.

You can choose to join us for just the breakout sessions. You can choose to join us for just the schedule walk. You can choose to join us for the entire evening. We look forward to seeing you here at Summit!

Showing Up Matters at Summit

As we kick off a new year with the Summit Storm, we want to start strong together—with attendance. Every day a student is present, they’re not only learning content, but also building relationships, confidence, and a sense of belonging that will carry them through high school and beyond.

Why Attendance Matters

Connections count. Being in class allows students to engage in conversations, collaborate with peers, and form meaningful bonds with teachers. These connections are the heart of the high school experience.
Opportunities are in the room. From labs to group work to quick feedback moments, much of what helps students grow can’t be fully captured outside of class.
Belonging drives success. Students who feel connected to their school community are more motivated, resilient, and confident. Attendance is the foundation of that connection.

What the Research Shows

Missing just 2 days a month (10% of the year) puts a student at risk of being chronically absent. This pattern has been linked with lower engagement and fewer options after high school.
Nationally, nearly 1 in 4 students was chronically absent last year—so this is a challenge facing students across the country, not just here.
The good news: consistent routines, strong family-school partnerships, and emphasizing the value of showing up all help students thrive.

How Families Can Help the Storm Start Strong

Make a plan for presence. Prioritize being in class whenever possible and schedule appointments outside school hours.
Talk about the why. Remind your student that school isn’t just about assignments—it’s about friends, mentors, and experiences they can’t get anywhere else.
Reach out early. If your family faces challenges that make regular attendance tough, let us know so we can problem-solve together.

Bottom line: Being part of the Storm means showing up—rain or shine. Every day in class is a chance to grow, connect, and take full advantage of all Summit has to offer. Let’s make this year one where our students don’t just attend—they belong, engage, and succeed.

Useful Local Links for Parents & Families

District-level resources:

Attendance & Absences — Learn about state requirements, absence reporting protocols, and guidance on reducing non-illness absences in our BLS Attendance Policy
Attendance Procedures - Understand our school's norms: Signing in/out, hall passes, and how tardies are handled at the secondary level (Student Handbook) pp5-6
Family Resources — Access support for basic needs, mental health, fee assistance, and more through our Family Access Network (FAN).

Summit High School-specific info:

Parent Tools Dashboard — Includes access to ParentVUE, Canvas (track your student’s assignments), calendars, and the Summit-specific FinalForm for athletics and activities. PARENT TOOLS

Standards Based Grading and Instruction

I am writing to share that this year our entire school will use Standards-Based Instruction and Grading (SBIG)—a system designed to provide clearer, more meaningful feedback about student learning. This shift will occur at all of our schools starting this fall.

Why Standards-Based Grading?

Traditional grading often combines academic performance with behaviors like participation, effort, or turning work in on time. While those habits are important, they can sometimes obscure what a student actually knows and can do. SBIG separates academic achievement from behavior and focuses on mastery of specific learning standards.

What Will This Look Like?

Learning Targets: Each assignment or assessment is tied to a specific standard or learning goal.
Proficiency Scale: Students are scored on a 0–4 scale:

4 – Advanced: Demonstrates advanced understanding or application.
3 – Proficient: Demonstrates consistent understanding.
2 – Developing: Partial understanding; more practice needed.
1 – Beginning: Beginning to develop understanding.
0 – No Evidence: Not enough information to assess.

Note: A score of 4 does not mean “perfect.” It means the student has shown a deeper or more complex understanding of the standard.

Final Grades & GPA: Students will still receive a traditional letter grade and GPA. These will be based on the average of their scores across all standards.

How Will You Stay Informed?

We are committed to keeping you informed and involved:

You’ll receive regular updates on your child’s progress toward each standard through Synergy ParentVUE
Teachers will share resources to help you interpret scores and understand how they reflect learning.
Conferences and communication will focus on growth, strengths, and next steps.

If you want to learn more about our reporting practices, please refer to our district’s policy on grades and credits (IKA-AR).

We believe this approach will help students take ownership of their learning, reduce grade anxiety, and better prepare them for future success.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher or myself. We look forward to partnering with you in this exciting shift toward more meaningful assessment.

Warmly,

Donna Baldwin

Summit Site Council

Want to get to know more about Summit school initiatives? Want to have a voice in our school design planning? Join our Site Council. Site Council will consist of a panel of school community voices made up of parent/guardians, students, staff, and community members.

We are looking for parents who represent diverse perspectives from our school community and can speak to the broad student experience. Interested? Email Principal Baldwin at donna.baldwin@bend.k12.or.us

All meetings will be held from 7:30-8:45 am.

Our first meeting will be Tuesday, Sept 29th. From there, we will choose the best day of the week/month for our following monthly meetings.

The topics we will explore together in 2026-27:

September: School Goals, School Initiatives
October: Sites & Facilities - preparing for the next bond initiative
November: No Meeting
December: Hall of Fame - Celebrating Summit’s Alumni
January: Sites & Facilities - round 2
February: TBD
March: TBD
April: Reviewing our Youth Truth Data
May: Looking ahead to 2027-28

Important Dates: Semester 1

Sept 15 - Summit Together Kick Off @ Waypoint (at the Grove) 4:30-6:30 pm

Sept 17-18 - Picture Days

Sept 18 - Welcome Back Assembly

Sept 23 - Back to School Night (5:00-8:00 pm)

Sept 25 - First home football game (vs Redmond). *NEW DATE*

Sept 25 - Club Fair

Sept 29 - Site Council 7:30-8:35 am

Oct 5 - Homecoming Spirit Week Begins

Oct 9 - Homecoming Assembly/Game (Bend)

Oct 10 - Homecoming Dance

Oct 12 - Senior Meeting re: Graduation during Advisory

Oct 15 - PSAT Offered

Oct 17 - ACT Offered at PCMS (all district)

Oct 27 - Music Hauntcert

Oct 28 - Picture Make Up Day

Oct 29 - Band Concert

Nov 4-5 - Honor Choir at MVHS

Nov 5 - Fall Conferences (5:00 – 8:00 pm) – Arena Style Conferences

Nov 10 - Veteran's Day Assembly* Extended Advisory Schedule

Nov 11 - No School - Veteran's Day

Nov 13 - Orchestra Jamboree

Nov 16 - Winter Sports Practice Begins

Nov 20 - Last day to pre-order your yearbook at the early bird price

Nov 20 - Skilled Trades Fair - Deschutes Co Fairgrounds

Nov 23-27 - NO SCHOOL-Thanksgiving Break

Dec 2 - Winter Sports Parent Meeting

Dec 11 - Fall Recognition Assembly

Dec 16 - Play-a-thon

Dec 16 - Performing Arts Assembly *Extended Advisory Schedule

Dec 21 - Jan 1 - NO SCHOOL-Winter Break

Jan 18 - NO SCHOOL - HOLIDAY - MLK Day

Jan 22 - Improv Showcase

Jan 22 - Youth Truth Survey

Feb 3 - Exclusion Day (Immunizations must be up to date by this day)

Feb 2-4 FINALS SCHEDULE (TBD)

Feb 4 - Last Day of Semester 1

Feb 5 - NO SCHOOL-Grading Day

See our school updates/announcements anytime on our school website:

https://summit.blschools.org/student-resources/shs-announcements

SHS Student & Family Newsletter

SEPTEMBER 2026