SB receives 2017 School of Distinction Award

South Bend High School was named a 2017 School of Distinction this week by the Washington Center for Educational Effectiveness.  Led by Principal Jason Nelson, South Bend is one of just 27 high schools across Washington being named for the award.

The Center for Educational Effectiveness (CEE) in partnership with the Association of Educational Service Districts (AESD), The Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP), Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA), Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA) and the Washington State Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (WSASCD), have recognized schools in the top 5% of improvement for their levels for the last 11 years.  This is South Bend's third School of Distinction Award.

Congratulations to the students, Principal Nelson, and the entire faculty and staff of South Bend High School for this recognition!

Generous support coming from local businesses for ballpark

Cheney Park as of October 26, 2017

South Bend School District is receiving generous support for the new baseball/fastpitch field being completed at Cheney Park.  With the major funding being provided for the synthetic turf and field construction by foundation grants, local businesses are stepping up with financial support to go toward additional field enhancements.

We are thankful for the following businesses who have shown their support:

Security State Bank--$5,000 cash donation; Coast Seafoods--$5,000 cash donation; Bud's Lumber--donation of all building materials for our two dugouts (to be constructed by our high school construction class); McDonalds (Hanner Enterprises)--$1,000 cash donation; Dr. Roof--$500 cash donation.

We are very proud to have the support of local businesses and it seems more businesses are coming forward each week wanting to help with this project, it is a true community effort.  Some of the things we need funding for include a scoreboard, field groomer (for the synthetic turf), an eventual field PA system and booth, an eventual bullpen, and other items that will add to the usability of the park.

Businesses who would like to provide in-kind or financial support toward the project can contact superintendent Jon Tienhaara at jtienhaa@southbendschools.org.

SB Receives Grant from the Baseball Tomorrow Fund

SOUTH BEND SCHOOL DISTRICT RECEIVES GRANT FROM THE

BASEBALL TOMORROW FUND

GRANT FUNDS AWARDED FOR CHENEY PARK FIELD RENOVATION

South Bend, Wa. -- October 24, 2017 -- South Bend School District was recently informed it has been awarded a grant in the amount of more than $48,000 from the Baseball Tomorrow Fund (BTF), which will provide funding toward the renovation of the ball field at Cheney Park, located in South Bend.

In the 2016-17 school year, South Bend re-instituted the baseball program after 30 years.  In addition, the district started a girls fastpitch program.  The school district partnered with the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation (CRSF) from Baltimore, MD to complete the renovation of the field at Cheney Park. 

Field construction at Cheney Park located in South Bend, Wa

With major funding from the Ben B. Cheney Foundation in Tacoma, WA, as well as CRSF, the field will feature a synthetic turf infield to accommodate both high school baseball/fastpitch programs and community baseball/softball youth programs.  The BTF grant will provide funding for fencing, field equipment and bleachers.

"We are very excited to be selected for the BTF grant," said Jon Tienhaara, Superintendent of South Bend Schools.  "The Baseball Tomorrow Fund operates a highly competitive grant program, and they do outstanding work all over the United States and around the world."  "SW Washington is known for unpredictable and extremely wet conditions throughout the year, making our new synthetic field vital to our program development."  "We are pleased to partner with BTF to help better the baseball and softball opportunities for kids in South Bend and around the Willapa area."

Field construction began in early October and the major field components are on-track to be completed early November.  

"The Baseball Tomorrow Fund is proud to partner with the South Bend School District to support its efforts to provide quality playing fields and programs," said Cathy Bradley, Executive Director of the Baseball Tomorrow Fund.  "On behalf of Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association, we thank the school district, the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, and the local foundation support of this much-needed project that will serve the young ballplayers in South Bend and the surrounding communities."

South Bend School District is still accepting in-kind and monetary contributions for its baseball/fastpitch programs and facilities.  Those interested in donating to the project may contact Jon Tienhaara at 360-875-6041.

About South Bend School District

Located along the Willapa River in rural Pacific County, South Bend School District serves over 650 students preschool through 12th grade in South Bend, Wa.  In 2016, the South Bend School Board of Directors re-instituted high school baseball and started girls fastpitch, which held their inaugural season with an all-away schedule during the Spring of 2017.  South Bend will open their 2018 season this coming March with the completed home field at Cheney Park located in South Bend, Wa. 

About the Baseball Tomorrow Fund

The Baseball Tomorrow Fund (BTF) is a joint initiative between the Major League Baseball Players Association and Major League Baseball designed to promote the growth of youth baseball and softball throughout the world by awarding grants to support field renovation and construction projects, equipment and uniform purchases, coaches training material and other selected program expenses.  Since its formation by the MLBPA and MLB in 1999, BTF has awarded more than 1,000 grants totaling over $32 million to non-profit and tax-exempt organizations in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa and Asia.  BTF also facilitates league-wide initiatives including the collection and distribution of new and gently used equipment to organizations in need as well as field maintenance education clinics.  For more information, visit baseballtomorrowfund.com and follow BTF on Facebook and Twitter.

2017 Wall of Fame Ceremony & Videos

We had a great evening in South Bend this last Saturday, September 9, 2017.  The Chamber of Commerce building was packed with almost 200 people as we celebrated some very special individuals and teams.

I want to thank the Wall of Fame committee, our special speakers, and the inductees themselves for traveling (some as far as Montana, Arizona, Texas and Colorado) to be with us.  Also thanks to the SB Booster Club for their help!

Below you will find links to the Wall of Fame program, as well as videos of each of the speakers.  Feel free to share with family and friends.

Click here for the 2017 Wall of Fame Program

Welcome Address, Mike Morris

Ben B. Cheney Wall of Fame, Andy Mullen

1956 Basketball & 1963 Track, Steve Rogers

1972 Basketball, Gary Wilson & Andy Mullen

Badminton, Lorna Martinson

Steve Koplitz, Brent Koplitz

Della Taylor, Scott Taylor

John Thompson, Steve Rogers

Recognizing the Inductees, Tom Sanchez, Chuck Spoor & Jon Tienhaara

Welcome New SB Staff & 17-18 School Year Information

New School Year Updates from South Bend School District

It's hard to believe school starts this month!  Our staff have been hard at work all summer preparing buildings and grounds for the new school year, which begins August 31st. We are excited to welcome students back for another great year!  Please read below for some important information on the upcoming school year.

New Staff from left: Tatiana Fox, Kayla Camenzind, Justin Hoagland, Haleigh See, Barb Cenci, Jewel Crow

New Staff

Our quality staff continue to make South Bend a great place for kids to learn. I am proud to welcome some amazing new teachers and staff to our team. We are fortunate to be able to hire people of this caliber and I am excited to see the great things they will bring to our school district.

Mrs. Tatiana Fox

Tatiana will be one of our First grade teachers. She and her husband arrived in South Bend this summer from Bakersfield, California. She earned her teaching degree in Venezuela and her masters degree in education from Ibero-American University in Spain. Fluent in Spanish, Tatiana is excited for the bi-lingual opportunities in South Bend and will be a great addition to our primary staff.

Ms. Kayla Camenzind

*Pre-school and Kindergarten start Tuesday, September 5th

Kayla will be our new K-6 school social worker. After working as an Americorp volunteer at South Bend during the 14-15 school year, Kayla returned to school to complete her masters of social work at Eastern Washington University. She has a degree in international relations and French from Gonzaga. Kayla is looking forward to working with our elementary students and families, and will provide quality services aimed at enhancing the educational success of our students.

Mr. Justin Hoagland

Justin began working at South Bend last February as a long term substitute teacher. This school year he joins our team as a full time faculty member teaching science in the upper elementary, junior high, and high school. He has a degree in biology and a masters in teaching from Western Oregon University. Part of his teaching assignment includes new courses in marine science for 8th grade and astronomy in the high school. Mr. Hoagland is a valuable asset to our staff and brings a wealth of knowledge to our district science program.

Ms. Haleigh See

Late this summer, long time teacher Mark Huber resigned to take a teaching position in Alaska.* Usually it is quite difficult to find teachers this late in the hiring season, so we are thrilled to have hired Haleigh to teach junior high social studies and PE. Haleigh is a lifelong resident of Pacific County and comes to us with a bachelor degree in history from Washington State University and a masters in teaching from Western Governors.  Ms. See brings valuable knowledge to our history and social studies department and is excited to be an active member of our school community. *Note: Mr. Jim Bleecker will be teaching high school psychology and US History.  Mr. Dan Raymond will be our new Spanish teacher. 

Mrs. Jewel Crow

Jewel will be our new elementary special education teacher. She comes to us from the Aberdeen School District where she has experience in special education and Indian Ed. She has a degree in social sciences from Washington State University, and she is currently working on her masters degree for special education. Mrs. Crow is excited to serve our special needs children. I am excited to have her join our team and look forward to the positive contributions she will provide our special education department.

Mrs. Barb Cenci

Barb is our new head cook in the early learning program and will also serve as our district food services coordinator. She will oversee the district nutrition program and work to ensure compliance with state and federal nutrition guidelines. She comes to us from the Naselle School District where she was the head cook and food service director for 5 years. Mrs. Cenci is excited to join our food services department and looks forward to helping provide quality, nutritious, food to our students.

More info to come!

As we get closer to the start of school, parents and students will receive more specific information and updates from their respective schools. If you have questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to call your school office. Numbers are provided below. Also, please remember that my office door is always open.  If you have questions, comments, or ideas, please do not hesitate to stop by and visit!

South Bend Schools Phone Numbers

Main School District Line: 875-6041

Early Learning Center:  875-5327

Chauncey Davis Elementary: 875-5615

Jr. Sr. High School:  875-5707

District Office: 875-6041

Transportation:  875-5000