2015-16 Academic Calendar

Many parents and community members appreciate being able to plan well in advance for various trips and vacations.  Therefore, I wanted to put out next year's school calendar so people have the opportunity to plan accordingly.

Below is a link to the upcoming 2015-16 School Calendar, which was recently approved by the SB Board of Directors.

Link to 2015-16 Calendar

There are a couple aspects of the calendar I would like to highlight that will be a little different from prior calendars.

1.  Late Start Days are now Early Release

You will probably recall that we had several (almost monthly) Late Start days in the past.  These days will now be 12:30 Early Release days.  We made this change to better accommodate our students, allowing students to eat school breakfast on these days.  Remember, all students may eat both breakfast and lunch free of charge next school year.  

2.  Teacher Work Days

South Bend again received a State Board of Education waiver that allows only 177 school days rather than the usual 180 school days.  This allows us to provide 3 additional teacher only work days for professional development activities.  Historically, these days have been on four Fridays throughout the year.  Next school year, these days are moved to Mondays, and Tuesdays (one in October, one in January, one in February, one in March).  The Tuesday work days (January and February) are added to the Tuesday following Martin Luther King Day and President's Day, giving students and families a 4-day weekend.

School begins September 1

Due to the Pacific County Fair being later this year, and Labor Day being late, we will begin school on September 1.  The rest of the calendar is pretty much the same as years past.

Please watch for more informational updates in the coming weeks and months.  You can also subscribe to this blog at the top right to receive blog articles via email.

Enjoy your summer!

Future Looking Bright

Mr. Rangel supervising elementary lunch

It's been a great year at South Bend Public Schools!  In my 14 years of working in public education, this has definitely been one of the best.  I am continually impressed with the quality of staff, teachers, and students we have in South Bend and look forward to some exciting things as we start school in a couple months.



Moving forward full steam ahead

This past January we were hit by some serious flooding in Koplitz Fieldhouse.  Contractors began working this Spring and are moving fast toward completion.  KFH will see a new floor system, all new doors, new bathroom and locker room partitions, and fresh paint.  The project should be complete in a couple weeks.  We are excited to play our first volleyball game on the new gym floor September 10th!

SB loves our cooks!

Another new development will be in our food services department.  South Bend will be providing breakfast and lunch to all students free of charge beginning this Fall.  We have been working since March on a federal program making this possible, and were just notified of the change.  We make good, nutritious meals at South Bend and we are happy to now provide these meals to all at no cost.

On the curriculum side of the District, we are working to provide even more opportunities for our students.  At the elementary level, we will be piloting new instructional materials in the areas of math and language arts, and hope to decide on new materials this next year.  We are moving to a 7 period day in the Jr. Sr. High, which will give our students more learning options.  We are making algebra 1 available to 8th grade students, adding junior high Spanish, adding another period of robotics to 9-12, starting horticulture in a newly built greenhouse, and expanding opportunities in library information-technology through our new Teacher-Librarian.  We are also looking for ways to further the arts as we strive to provide quality learning opportunities for all students.

 New Staff for 2015-16

With four retirements and some teachers moving to be closer to family, we have new staff coming on board this fall, and we are excited to welcome each of them to South Bend.

Ms. Webber, Ms. Druzianich, and Ms. Johanson (L-R)

In the elementary, we have three new teachers:  Jessica Webber, Karly Druzianich, and Annika Johanson, who will be teaching in kindergarten, third grade and first grade (respectively).

We also have new staff coming into the high school.  Lili Newman will be taking over for Mr. Bale, and Adrianne Lartz will be our new school counselor taking over for Amy Nelson.  Mrs. Nelson will be the new Director for Early Learning and will now work in the Early Learning Center.  Finally, we are fortunate to have hired Lori Dearmore as Teacher-Librarian who will be serving staff and students K-12.

Ms. Newman, Ms. Lartz, and Mrs. Dearmore (L-R)

Hiring good people is one of our most important jobs.  After all, we entrust our students to their care.  South Bend is fortunate to have hired these new great people.  Each of them will add tremendous value to our school, and will help continue our efforts in providing a first class education to our students.

Please watch for an upcoming Fall Preview which will highlight our new 2015-16 staff and programs at South Bend Public Schools.

"A Great Place for Kids"

Small, rural schools are often looked upon as schools who struggle to provide quality education to students.  What I have found in South Bend is the exact opposite.  Students who come to South Bend not only get first class opportunities in the classroom, they receive warm care and support from our great staff.  Good education is accomplished through positive relationships, trust, and feeling a sense of belonging.  This is what we strive to provide our students, parents, and community.

 Our good people make all the difference in the education we provide.  We work as a team in South Bend and work hard to help each other help our students.  It is a team effort that makes South Bend, "A Great Place for Kids."  Our team and the service we provide are only getting stronger.

High School English Language Arts Teacher

South Bend High School is currently seeking applicants for high school English Language Arts teacher.  

Multiple subject endorsements and Spanish language proficiency is desired, but not required.

Please contact the school district office at 360.875.6041 or visit us on the web at www.southbendschools.org for more information.

"It's Been My Goal" SB Student Earns Gates Millennium Scholarship

Angelica Vasquez, "Angie," called by her teachers and friends, has recently realized her life-long goal and dream is about to become reality.  The South Bend senior has been admitted to the University of Washington and Gonzaga University, and will collect a scholarship to pay for everything, regardless of where she chooses to attend, valued at approximately $215,000.

"It makes me feel proud," says Angie, as she considers the fact that she will be the first person in her family (along with her twin sister, Alejandra) to attend college.  "As I think of the family I want someday, my future kids, I want them to have a better life," she continues.  A desire that has driven her motivation since she can remember, Angie wants to major in biology and become a surgeon.

With a nearly perfect GPA at 3.98, and having earned the honor of class Salutatorian, Angie is one of 1000 students (out of 52,000 applicants nationwide) to receive the Gates Millennium Scholarship.  The Gates Scholarship provides full tuition, books, living expenses, and transportation for any university Angie enrolls, and, has the potential to pay for graduate school.

"I've always wanted to be a doctor, and I knew keeping my grades up in school was the only way I could pay for college," says Angie as she reflected on the scholarship.  Her hard work is now paying off.

But it wasn't just hard work in school Angie has had to focus on.  She also has held an after school job since age 11.  Moving to Mexico at an early age, Angie worked in restaurants, bakeries, and other jobs she could find to help support the family.  Even now, she has worked at East Point Seafoods and currently Dairy Queen.  Though this is enough to keep most teens busy, Angie also spends time tutoring students after school in math, and ran for Pacific County Fair Queen this last year.

It is nice to see students set goals, achieve them, and receive even more reward than they may have set out for.  Angie serves as a great example to her peers as well as younger students following behind her.  

However, Angie and all other students at South Bend, are supported by caring, helpful staff that work tirelessly to provide help and assistance in not only teaching, but counseling, advising, and mentoring, making all the difference.  "Looking back I was supported by my teachers a lot," says Angie.  "Mrs. Sanchez has always given me good advice and Mr. Schroeder taught me a lot about life lessons and values."  "Mrs. Nelson has also helped me with a lot of things and played a big role (along with Mr. Bale and Ms. Camenzind) in helping me get this scholarship."  "The whole staff has been supportive of us here in South Bend."

Angie is an example of how hard work and determination leads to accomplishment.  She also is a testimony to the hard work of the South Bend school staff and community, who have invested time and care into her life.

To all the younger students at South Bend: set goals, work hard, and take advantage of the opportunities offered to you.  To the staff who work with our students each day: take a moment to be proud of the difference you make in the lives of our students, and carry on.

Good job, Angie.  And, good luck...  South Bend is proud of you.

SBHS Receives Washington Achievement Award

2014-15 South Bend Jr. Sr. High School Staff

South Bend Junior-Senior High School was recently recognized as a 2014 Washington Achievement Award recipient for both Math Growth and overall High Progress.

Washington Achievement Award recipients are the highest performing schools in the state, based on three years of academic information as reported in the Washington Achievement Index.

Recognizing the hard work of both students and teachers is important to do, and the staff and students in South Bend should be proud of what they have accomplished.  Beyond the efforts of individual teachers or groups of students, all staff members and students contribute to this success.  South Bend has a strong tradition of high standards for academic excellence, and each staff member works to reinforce these standards system-wide.  From the Early Learning Center, to Chauncey Davis Elementary and up through the High School, staff work with a common mission--to care for all students and to educate students to the best of their ability.  It is the teamwork and collaborative efforts of our staff that continue to make South Bend a Great Place for Kids.

Mr. Nelson and Mr. Oblad present a monthly Math Award

Congratulations to Mr. Nelson and his staff, and all students of South Bend Junior-Senior High School!

For more information on the Washington Achievement Award, please click here.

For definitions of Math Growth and High Progress, please click here.