Special EDge
November 13th, 2025
February 5, 2026
A Short Note
Can you believe we're now officially over half-way through the year?! This is the time of the year I feel like I always start to see all the work that was put in during the fall take shape and growth seems to really take off! It's so encouraging to know that each of those little moves and steps really matters.
It looks like there's a chance of snow this weekend in the mountains! Fingers crossed! If you want to warm up with a delicious bowl of soup, while you watch the Super Bowl Halftime Show, try this recipe (compliments of Tammy Doty)! It was a hit in our house!
It's time to start planning for ESY! NEW WORKFLOW!
✨ ESY case managers, we have an exciting new workflow for ESY, which will require LESS work from you! Yay!
📝 If a student qualifies for ESY, per their IEP, their parent or guardian will receive a Smartsheet link to complete, that allows them to indicate whether they will be attending ESY or not and whether they would like transportation to the site.
✅ If email will be a barrier for a family, you can help them, by entering what they tell you verbally - you will also be emailed the link. 🙂
⭐ Based on what is listed in the IEP, it will automatically be marked if they will be offered the short or long session of ESY or GRO/EXCEL and that will be communicated to the family when they receive their link.
❗You will NO LONGER have to print forms, collect signatures from families, and send them back to me! Hurray!
👍 If ESY times are not currently listed on the student's IEP, you will be getting an email from me (Sara), asking you to fix this, so we can ensure that families receive the correct information.
🏫 FYI - We do not have solidified locations for ESY, yet. Locations will be finalized when we find out who will be attending ESY. The location will be chosen based on student equipment need.
Sensory-Friendly Swim Opportunity
FREE Culture of Care Parent and Guardian Workshop
How to Start a Difficult Conversation with Your Student
Have you ever struggled with how to talk to your child about difficult topics? Conversations with questions about drugs, sex, mental health, school attendance, etc.?
Culture of Care and Shared Future Coalition have partnered to bring this Parent and Caregiver ‘Start the Conversation’ workshop to Central Oregon Families. Some of the topics covered in the 3 hour workshop (food included!) are:
- Leading conversations with love
- Strengthening listening skills
- Engaging the youth in problem solving, collaborative and restorative conversations
- Differentiating high-priority and low-priority concerns
- Learning about community resources and asking for help
- Workshop will include non-stigmatizing ways to honestly and appropriately address youth questions about parent/caregiver history with substances and/or risky behaviors
There is also time built into the workshop for parents and caregivers to practice new skills and engage with other families experiencing the same challenging dynamics of raising adolescents. Please make sure to register so we have enough food and space for all registrants!
Learning Options:
- Monday 1/26/26 5-8pm PBMS Library
- Sat 2/7/26 9-12am, Hanai Foundation
- Thurs 2/26/26 5-8pm, Cascade MS Library
- Virtual Thur 3/19/26 4-7pm (Spanish Interpretation available)
- Spring TBD, 5-8pm PBMS Library
- Thurs 4/9/26 5-8pm Redmond ESD
- Thurs 5/14/26 5-8pm Sisters MS Library
HDESD Learning Labs!
Did you know that HDESD offers this Learning Lab website? It has many, many printable resources and even a video library!
Take a look at this video with tips about Proloquo2go!
Welcome back to Campus Kudos, where we will be celebrating ways that a school’s Student Services team has been working to promote inclusion, belonging for students, and working as a team to support each other. Stay tuned each week to see which school is highlighted and what kinds of amazing work they are doing to support students.
This week we are celebrating Juniper and Pacific Crest!
JUNIPER
Dan Wolnick (Principal) says “through a series of meetings, staff input, and collaboration, the Juniper Student Services Team has redesigned and reorganized the support structure to serve our students and staff in a meaningful and productive way. Key changes were weekly collaboration meetings with Inclusion EAs, led by the Learning Specialists; bi-weekly SPED/Admin meetings to review schedule changes and problem solve; and including all Student Services (ERC, Life Skills, SLP, SSC, Counseling, and School Psych) together under one organizational umbrella. These changes are reinforcing our focus on collective efficacy through working together and hearing all voices.”
This team works really hard to listen to one another, support one another where they are, and jump in to problem solve and support one another, no matter the task!
Go Juniper!!
PACIFIC CREST
Sean Keating (Principal) shares that “our Special Education team has started a full Life Skills room this year. Our teachers have brought peer mentors from the general ed setting into the classroom. They've also done a great job pushing our students out into the general ed setting where appropriate. With our higher needs students out during lunch and in general ed classes, general ed peers learn to view all students as fellow Golden Eagles. And on two occasions, our learning specialists have presented Universal Design for Learning principles to our staff for professional development. These two teachers are helping our school evolve!”
Another way that Pacific Crest is evolving is by incorporating functional life skills instruction for students and providing an amazing service to the pets of PCMS. Students have started baking dog treats, and selling them to staff at the school. Keating’s dog loves them!
Student Services Launchpad
Have you ever wanted all of the most important Student Services links all in one place?? You’re in luck! Look at our new Student Services Launchpad for tons of helpful links. We recommend that you bookmark this page or add a shortcut to your Drive for easy access!
Job Alike CHANGE
From Haley Gembarowski - Elementary teachers, we heard your feedback and will be shifting the 2/11/26 Job Alikes to provide time for you to dig in deeper to the resources shared at our last two Ed Network Days. Please see the flyer for more info!
Important Dates and Upcoming Events
- February 11: Job Alike SIW
- February 18: Teacher Directed SIW
- February 25: Building Directed SIW
- February 27: CPI Initial Training
- March 4: Educator Network Day
- March 10: CPI Refresher Training
- March 11: Teacher Directed SIW
- March 18: High School Building Directed SIW/Elementary+Middle Teacher Directed SIW
- March 19+20: Conferences - No Students Elementary + Middle School
- March 23-27: Spring Break
- May 12: CPI Refresher Training
*CPI Registration: Click HERE
Action Items
- Plan for ESY! - Make sure to look at the NEW Workflow!
- Consider passing on the Sensory-Friendly Swim opportunity to families
- Check out the Culture of Care PD Opportunity and consider passing along to families
- Check out the Learning Labs
- Check out the incredible work of teams in Campus Kudos!
- Utilize the Student Services Launchpad
- Save the Date for upcoming events
Contributions to the Blog
Do you have something you'd like added to the blog? Please reach out to Sara Young at sara.young@bend.k12.or.us if you'd like to share something!
Previous Blogs
Previous Special EDge Student Services Blogs: