Bend International School

Emergency School Closure - Friday May 22nd

Bend International School will be closed due to a prevalence of uncontainable illness affecting students, families, and staff. School resumes Tuesday May 26th, providing a four-day respite and hopeful abatement.

Yesterday our 8th grade students participated in a 300 person march into the Comalapa community where they built stoves, dug latrines, and were immersed in Spanish through their service learning.

Our 8th graders have arrived at Long Way Home in Comalapa, Guatemala for their capstone trip. Spanish immersion, service learning, and cultural exchange with the Hero School focused.

Tonight we asked Bend-La Pine Schools to keep students first - especially those who need this the most, our students with special needs. We need to retain our autonomy on staffing this program - something BLS states in our last MOU “is in the best interest of students” and is taken away in our next proposed contract.

Thank you for your generous support of our first grade students! This spring they each received book sets at their individual levels every six weeks through the Just Right Reader grant program. Backpacks of books to use at school and take home - that's early literacy in action!

Seventh grade has arrived in Eugene! They explored the Eugene Science Center and the University of Oregon campus - and will be attending Mamma Mia tonight as part of their project-based learning on the performing arts!

Chickens are hatching in 2nd grade, as students study biology and chart conditions to determine influences on successful incubation. Hands on learning!

At BIS we practice gratitude and these notes - complete with their phonological spelling - are the best. Thank you all from Maestra Melissa!

Thank you for your grant supporting our 1st grade readers! Your "take everywhere" book sets build student agency, with backpacks of books at their level to read at home and at school.

At BIS students begin overnight fieldwork in 4th grade. These students spent three days and two nights with OMSI at Camp Grey, doing hands on learning in oceanography and marine biology.