School Board Unanimously Selects 'Bears' as New Mascot

For Immediate Release

School Board Unanimously Selects 'Bears' as New Mascot

South Bend—At their regular February meeting, the South Bend School Board of Directors unanimously voted to adopt 'Bears' as the new school mascot. The decision comes after months of community engagement and input from students, teachers, and alumni, after being required by the State of Washington to change from Indians.

"We are happy to announce that the Board has selected the 'Bears' as our new school mascot," said Jon Tienhaara, Superintendent of South Bend Schools. "This decision represents a collective effort to choose a mascot that is inclusive, representative of our area, and reflects the desires of our students." "The bear is a symbol of strength, determination, and resilience, and we are confident that it will inspire our students to work together and strive for excellence throughout their entire experience at South Bend."

The selection process involved extensive research and consultation with stakeholders to determine the most fitting and unifying mascot for South Bend Schools. The school board's decision was based on a number of factors, including the mascot's ability to inspire school spirit and pride, its potential for visual representation, and its relevance to the local community.

"I want to thank school director Wendy Manlow for leading the selection effort these last several months.”  “Wendy has done a tremendous job collecting stakeholder feedback.”  “I also want to thank principal Jason Nelson for his work in facilitating the focus group, which consisted of community members, staff, and students.”  School director Manlow added, "I was very impressed with the students on the focus group."  "They clearly communicated their desire and did a good job explaining their thinking on the matter."  The focus group’s work was the final step of the selection process, and ultimately made two recommendations to the board for final selection. 

South Bend School District will now begin the process of transitioning to the new mascot, which will include updates to the school's logo, uniforms, and other branding materials. The district is committed to ensuring a smooth and seamless transition and will provide regular updates to the community throughout the process.

"We want to thank everyone who participated in the selection process and provided valuable input and feedback," said Tienhaara. "We are excited to move forward as the South Bend 'Bears' and continue to build a strong, vibrant, and inclusive school tradition."

Campus lockdown drill conducted

 

Community Update

January 18, 2023

SOUTH BEND--On Wednesday morning, 1.18.23, South Bend School District initiated a planned campus-wide lockdown/intruder drill.  The drill concluded at 9:15 am.  The drill was conducted to test building/classroom procedures and internal/external notification & communication.  South Bend Police Department was notified of the drill in advance.  For security purposes, further details will not be shared with the public.

Questions can be directed to Superintendent Jon Tienhaara at 875-6041.

Mascot update

 

Sample mascot images for South Bend High School

Mascot Selection Moves to Next Phase

SOUTH BEND--South Bend School District has moved to the next phase of the mascot selection process.  In 2021, a Washington state law signed by Governor Jay Inslee banned all Native American related names and images from being used as school mascots within the state, forcing South Bend School District to replace Indians as the longtime South Bend High School mascot.

As detailed previously, the current phase is now to take community input on identified mascot names/images.  The mascot names receiving the most support from recent community, staff, student, and alumni polling conducted last summer include:  Timbers, Bears, WarHawks, & RiverHawks.  Image samples are installed at Koplitz Field House, where community members can view and provide input at upcoming home basketball games.  Input can also be provided to school director Wendy Manlow at wmanlow@southbendschools.org.  

A focus group will be appointed this month to review feedback and recommend two possible mascots to the South Bend School board of directors, who will make a mascot selection before March 1, 2023.  After the mascot name is selected, final mascot imagery will be determined.  Individuals who have interest in serving on the focus group can contact Wendy Manlow at the email address above.

New fitness building soon to break ground

 

Rendering of new South Bend School Fitness Building

SOUTH BEND---South Bend School District is about to break ground on another building project.  At their regular board meeting in December, the district board of directors awarded Rognlins Inc. a contract to construct the facility, with ground work to begin as weather allows in the coming months.  The steel-frame building will be approximately 3,750 square feet and will include restrooms, storage, and a large activity area with multiple weights/exercise equipment.  The estimated $675,000 project is almost entirely grant funded.

Site of new SB Fitness Building

The district has been working for the last year with Cheryl Green of CM Green Design (Raymond, WA) on the building design and layout, as well as the site specifications and planning.  The building is a steel-frame structure engineered and fabricated by Pacific Building Systems of Woodburn, Oregon.  The structure will be sited west of Koplitz Field House in order to have easy access to utilities, parking, and locker room facilities.

Superintendent Jon Tienhaara says, "We are very grateful for two large grants totaling $550,000 to put toward this much needed project.  Our current weight room is quite small and does not provide our students the necessary space. This project will provide the school district with room to grow our physical fitness programs, athletic teams, and provide yet another space to support community needs as well."

Exterior elevations of SB Fitness Building

The district placed the order for the building this month and Rognlins Inc. has been selected to erect the steel building. "It has been challenging moving the project forward due to all sorts of factors, including rising construction costs, various delays, and supply chain issues," Tienhaara notes.  We have specific grant funds with spending deadlines approaching.  With the funds we have in-hand, we can now procure the building and the contractor needed to erect the building, which will be completed late this spring." 

Raising Additional Funds

"We've had folks contact us who are interested in contributing toward the project," says Tienhaara.  The district will be completing interior work once the building is up, we expect the remaining costs to be approximately $125,000, which will finish out the interior building components." "Donors who wish to contribute can contact the school district or the South Bend School Foundation."

Tienhaara concludes, "It can be a challenge for small school districts to continue to move needed projects forward, especially in these current economic times." "We are blessed to have access to competent local designers (Cheryl Green) who has been great throughout all the planning.  We also have a talented staff capable of doing much of the interior work and planning in-house."  "I look forward to getting the project off the ground in the coming weeks, and I am excited for our students to have this space."

Veterans Day assembly

 

South Bend School District is having our annual Veterans Day assembly tomorrow, November 10, 2022 at 9:00 am.  All Veterans, their families and friends, and the community are welcome.  Please join the South Bend School students and staff at Koplitz Field House as we honor those who served our country!  Refreshments will be provided after the assembly.