Special EDge
November 13th, 2025
January 8, 2026
A Short Note
STAS and SIRC
Reminder:
This guidance outlines when and how school psychologists should participate in STAS and SIRC processes at the middle and high schools. The purpose is to streamline communication, ensure teams include the right expertise, and support safe, equitable decision-making for students.
Our Occupational Therapist Team
As we continue to strengthen inclusive, student-centered practices across our schools, we encourage you to become more familiar with the role of school-based Occupational Therapists (OTs). OTs are key partners in supporting student access, regulation, and participation in learning and daily school routines. Reviewing the attached document will provide helpful context on how OTs support students, staff, and school-wide systems.
For full details on OT roles and responsibilities, please refer to the Bend-La Pine Schools Occupational Therapist Essential Roles and Responsibilities document. Not sure who your building’s Occupational Therapist is? Click [HERE] to find your assigned OT.
NEW! OT Screening Tool
Within an MTSS framework, screening helps identify students who may benefit from targeted supports early, allowing Occupational Therapists to match interventions to demonstrated needs rather than waiting for significant challenges to emerge. Using screener data, OTs collaborate with school teams to design timely, personalized interventions—such as hands-on support, consultation, accommodations, and staff training—that improve access, participation, and overall emotional, physical, and mental well-being for students across tiers. Moving forward, if concerns persist after interventions have been provided, school teams will need to complete a short screener via Smartsheet for the OT team to review to support next steps and decision-making. To access the screener, please consult with the OT assigned to your site.
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 these amazing printable resources!
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 Amity Creek and Desert Sky Montessori!
AMITY CREEK ELEMENTARY
The staff at Amity embodies inclusion. The way in which they purposefully start every day, the way in which they are constantly problem solving together to find more and more ways for students to find success, and even their school book club, are all designed to find ways to truly appreciate and learn about all students so they can be meaningfully included.
Amity is a true community school. They offer showcases for students to show something they are proud of, the warmth that staff shows to one another is immediately felt as soon as you walk through the doors.
The special education team at Amity is small, but mighty! They regularly work together in such a collaborative, meaningful way to ensure students are successful.
DESERT SKY MONTESSORI
Meaningful inclusion is a core value at Desert Sky! Work is designed to allow students to be part of their classrooms and participate at their level and in ways in which they feel success. The special education team gracefully balances this mission while building skills in meaningful ways that can carry back to their classrooms.
Go Desert Sky!
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!
Important Dates and Upcoming Events
- January 7: Building Directed SIW
- January 14: Teacher Directed SIW
- January 21: Educator Network Day
- January 28: Teacher Directed SIW
- January 30: End of Semester
- February 27: CPI Initial Training
- March 10: CPI Refresher Training
- May 12: CPI Refresher Training
*CPI Registration: Click HERE
Action Items
- Review STAS and SIRC processes around school psychologist involvement (middle and high school)
- Read more about our OTs and Processes!
- 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: