Kina's priorities...
Kina strongly believes that elevating and serving students within the Bend-La Pine Schools District is truly the greatest investment in our community. As Kina likes to say, these kids are going to be running Bend someday!
Ensuring all students feel a sense of belonging
When students are included and feel safe, they experience less distractions and are able to better regulate their nervous system. This leads to less disruptions and less behavioral issues.
Increasing early literacy in early childhood
The first few years of a child’s life are massive in terms of development, especially creating neural connections. In addition to connecting various parts of the brain, early literacy strengthens healthy social and emotional bonds between children and adults. This leads to greater confidence in learning and more skills in building relationships, which all leads to favorable outcomes in the classroom.
Reducing absenteeism
Schools are a lifeline to fostering healthy peer-to-peer and child-to-adult relationships. In addition to critical instruction time, schools also provide access to student and family support and resources. Absenteeism has tremendous ramifications on a student’s future and wellbeing. When students are in class, they are more engaged than not, which leads to greater continuity and meaningful teaching.