(Photo courtesy of Bend-La Pine Schools)
Bend-La Pine Schools is celebrating the incoming kindergarten class with a festival-like registration event called Kinder Fiesta. It takes place on Saturday, May 18 from 10am to 1pm at the Education Center, 520 NW Wall St. in Bend.
Spanish-speaking families with children entering kindergarten this fall can enjoy games, food, and more, all while registering their students and learning about several departments in the district. Interpreters will be on hand to assist.
Kinder Fiesta offers a welcoming environment for Spanish-speaking families that is culturally sustaining and linguistically accessible. Families can connect with each other while they meet representatives from Nutrition, Transportation, Information Technology, as well as meet their Family Advocacy Network (FAN) advocate. Kinder Fiesta is often the first contact many families have with Bend-La Pine Schools.
“We are so excited to welcome new Spanish-speaking families to our schools. Kindergarten is such a significant milestone for every family and child, and we want to make sure their first experience with us provides a sense of dignity, belonging, and connection,” said Kinsey Martin, executive director of Policy, Advocacy, and Equity for Bend-La Pine Schools.
Kinder Fiesta is designed by families, for families. The Latino Family Advisory collaborates with Central Oregon’s Latino community and Bend-La Pine Schools to organize the event and provide engaging activities for families and interpreters for parents enrolling their students.
“We are proud of our family leaders who co-designed this event with us, and who are key in building connections and trust with our new families,” said Liz Vargas, Welcome Center specialist and lead family liaison for the district.
Parents and caregivers with children entering kindergarten can continue to register for the 2024-25 school year at their neighborhood school. Neighborhood school boundaries can be found through the Attendance Area page: bls.fyi/attendanceareas.
To be eligible for kindergarten for the 2024-25 school year, students must be five years old on or before September 1, 2024.
To learn how to register online, visit bls.fyi/kindergarten. Register is available at bls.fyi/enrollment2024. Those who are not sure about their child’s school of attendance or who have additional questions about kindergarten registration can call 541-355-6820 to reach a staff member who can answer questions in English and Spanish.
