Supe‘s On! With Dr. Steven Cook

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week and that means Dr. Cook is headed to a middle school classroom to celebrate two outstanding educators. Cascade Middle School math teacher Brian Kent and special education teacher McKenna Johnsen share what they love about middle school (blunt, hilarious students who keep them young), how working together is building students’ confidence and what’s giving them hope. P...

Today’s podcast takes on a serious, disheartening subject: bias incidents in our schools. Superintendent Steven Cook, Director of Diversity Equity and Inclusion Kinsey Martin and Assistant Director of Student Services Eric Powell walk listeners through what we are seeing in schools and how our staff are responding. Listeners will learn how many bias incidents have been reported this year, how each...

It’s School Library Month and Dr. Cook is connecting with two outstanding teacher librarians, Eila Overcash (Summit High) and Donna Layne (Mountain View High), to get an inside look at our thriving libraries. The duo share tips on how to find a book to reach even the most reluctant reader, how they approach books with controversial subjects and how they have turned their libraries into the center...

In today’s episode, Dr. Steven Cook talks with two athletic directors about the moment everything changed in their worlds, how they handle ever-changing protocols, and the transformative power of athletics. Caldera’s Dave Williams and Mountain View’s Lance Haas share the importance of staying flexible and why they know their work matters for kids.  

What does a School Resource Officer do? Superintendent Steven Cook talks with longtime School Resource Officer Amy Ward from Bend Police Department about her day-to-day duties, how she collaborates with Bend High Principal Chris Reese, and why relationships are at the heart of everything she does. 

In this episode, Superintendent Steven Cook learns about a key local resource for mental health support for students – YouthLine, a free teen-to-teen crisis support and help line. Dr. Cook talks with two of YouthLine’s local student volunteers who share the kind of issues and challenges they are hearing from students, how youth today are breaking the stigma of reaching out for help and what’s givi...

Snow is here! Learn how to find out if school is in session. In this bonus clip, learn how we decide whether to delay or close schools during inclement weather (staff hit the roads at 3 a.m.!) and find out how to learn about those decisions as soon as they happen. Featuring Transportation Director Kim Crabtree and Superintendent Steven Cook. BLConnect: https://bls.fyi/connect My Stop: https://bls....

In this deep dive, Superintendent Steven Cook talks with two dynamic school counselors about why this time of year can be challenging for some families, finding our strengths, how to talk to teens about serious issues and why our students make them hopeful for the future. Thank you to Bend Senior High School’s Christine Ewing and La Pine High School’s Kelsey Jaeckel for sharing your stories and pa...

Today on the Supe’s on!, Dr. Steven Cook talks with Kinsey Martin, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, about new Every Student Belongs legislation, the difference between bias and hate, pushing back on the notion that our community isn’t diverse, and the importance of empathy and staying at the table during uncomfortable conversations. 

With cold, blustery weather on the horizon, it’s a good time to get prepared for inclement weather. Today on the Supe’s On! Podcast, Superintendent Cook talks with our Transportation Director Kim Crabtree about how we make decisions about when to call snow days and how our drivers prepare for inclement weather of all kinds. Learn what it’s like behind the wheel, the numerous ways Crabtree and the...

Did you know Bend-La Pine Schools has its very own Executive Chef? On this episode Tracie Surgeon takes us into the high tech production kitchen at Bend High, where she and Superintendent Steven Cook talk supply chain issues, buying local, the surprisingly sophisticated palates of kindergartners and why she is proud to be called THE Lunch Lady. Plus the pride she feels of preparing to feed from-sc...

Fruit math and four square:  Today, in a change of pace, Superintendent Cook goes back to school and gets a taste of what fifth grade at Amity Creek is like thanks to tour guide Quinn. He learns about fruit math, the importance of four square and finds out when Quinn would advise “don’t bite yourself!” 

Director of Schools play a critical role for our schools – learn what these folks do, their vision for what challenges lie ahead, unforgettable first days and whether they think families and staff can dare to get excited for the first day. Thanks to Juan Cuadros, Tammy Doty, Katie Legace and Skip Offenhauser for joining Dr. Cook to share their insights.    

For part three of Dr. Cook's series on Return to School Planning, we flipped the script a bit and instead of Dr. Cook conducting the interview, he is interviewed by Alandra Johnson, Assistant Director of Communications for Bend-La Pine Schools. Alandra and Dr. Cook have a good conversation about how the district is preparing for school in the fall, with information on the district's Continuation o...

This week's episode of Supe's On! With Dr. Steven Cook features an interview with Tami Pike, Assistant Director of Health Services for Bend-La Pine Schools. Tami and Dr. Cook cover a lot of ground about how the district is preparing for school in the fall with good information on masking, vaccinations, quarantines and more.  

This episode contains information about how the district is preparing for school to resume in the fall, including current information on masks, vaccinations, quarantines and summer school guidelines.