HDESD’s Vision Team paired with Oregon Adaptive Sports (OAS) for a sunny, fun-filled day at Mt. Bachelor.  Beginners got to enjoy the new Woodward Start Park and a couple of students tried the chair lift for the very first time. One student, a snowboarder, was speeding down the slopes and the teachers of the visually impaired had a hard time keeping up with her and her OAS guide.  The group was very thankful the storm held off until the end of the day.  

First Interstate Bank is an early investor in, i4Education, the innovation arm of the High Desert ESD! With their support, we’re taking the ThinkUp innovation process to Silver Rail Elementary to unlock the great ideas of educators and systematically connect them with local entrepreneurs to workshop, prototype and test their ideas. 

Thank you to our board members for their commitment to our students, staff and community. We are grateful for their service and dedication.Their service on the High Desert ESD Board directly impacts all of the wonderful children we have the privilege of serving and supports the incredible programs we provide for them. Without their steadfast leadership we could not focus all of our time and attention on serving children and their families.  Thank you from the entire HDESD team!

The Family Access Network (FAN) recently received the Community Service Award from the Redmond Chamber of Commerce & CVB. The Redmond Chamber awards celebrate the individuals and businesses that have had a significant impact on the Redmond community throughout 2019. FAN was thrilled to be considered and selected for all the work that our advocates do in Redmond schools and early childhood sites.

“We are so honored to receive this award from the Redmond Chamber of Commerce! It is a pleasure to work closely with the Redmond community to provide basic-need services to local children and families,” Julie Lyche, Executive Director.

The Redmond Chamber of Commerce & CVB aims to create a strong local economy by bringing the business community together to develop strong networks. The chamber is composed of 835 Redmond business leaders and continues to grow.

Pictured left to right: Eric Sande (Redmond Chamber Executive Director), Julie Lyche (FAN Executive Director), Marianna Frisinger (FAN Foundation Board Vice-Chair), Tammy Gates (FAN advocate), Laura Garcia (Redmond Chamber 2019 Board President)

Middle school students and teachers from Bend and Redmond gathered at OSU-Cascades for an immersion in computer science activities sponsored by the STEM Hub program. Students worked with micro:bits to “roll” electronic dice and create probability tables. After a campus tour and lunch, a group of Jill Hubbard’s OSU-Cascades students led them in an artificial intelligence activity. Students and teachers worked side-by-side to learn these new skills!

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded the Center on Brain Injury Research and Training (CBIRT) a 4-year, $2.2 million cooperative agreement to study a Central Oregon Return to School (RTS) program for students with Traumatic Brain Injury. A kickoff event occurred on Friday, November 22 at McMenamins Old Saint Francis School to celebrate the award.

Pictured are members of CBIRT, High Desert ESD, and local medical providers who will be working on the project together.

Over 700 students from around the region packed  Deschutes County Fairgrounds to attend the 4th Annual Central Oregon Skilled Trades Fair. With 75 organizations present, hands-on activities were offered such as virtual welding, construction, coding, and fire science to name a few. Several academic programs were on site as well.

The Trades Fair is a regional partnership led by Central Oregon STEM Hub, High Desert CTE, East Cascades Works, and Central Oregon Community College.

Mark your calendars for the upcoming Early Childhood Summer Institute! It’ll be held on the campus at Central Oregon Community College on June 15-18, 2020.

Working in schools, specialists like physical therapists, occupational therapists, autism specialists and more see ways in which assistive technology could really help young people in need.

Assistive technology includes a wide range of devices and tools that can support people with disabilities. While tablets or smartphones may come to mind when we hear the word technology, in the case of assistive technology, items can range from an adaptation of a wheelchair to a therapeutic swing.

In many schools, specialists are left to figure out how to adapt equipment or surroundings for their students. But in Central Oregon, Bryan Malone, an adaptive equipment specialist with High Desert Education Service District, serves a unique and vital role, handcrafting assistive technology for students in need.

While Malone is a licensed physical therapist, the title doesn’t nearly define all he does in a day’s work. Jill Barrett, another physical therapist with HDESD who works with Malone every week, summed it up better. To continue reading…

Juntos Aprendemos is in its second year and has added a third location, Bear Creek Elementary in Bend. The program helps parents and preschool-age children of Spanish-speaking families in Bend and Redmond prepare for Kindergarten by learning literacy and social skills. Juntos Aprendemos – Spanish for “we learn together” — teach children in Spanish only, partly because it’s the language these children are most familiar with. Some spots are still available. To find out more, contact Gabriela Peden at gabriela.peden@hdesd.org