Middle Schools

Realms Middle School

Tours: Take place after the lottery for those who have been accepted or are top 10 on the waitlist.

About the Program:
Realms Middle School is a magnet school in Bend-La Pine Schools serving approximately 150 sixth through eighth grade students who seek a school where academically rigorous curriculum meets active teaching methods. Our expanded definition of student achievement, drawn from our work with EL Education, goes beyond the traditional mastery of knowledge and skills. At Realms, students become young adults of character who possess the ability to produce high quality work through a curriculum that focuses on real world, interdisciplinary and problem-based learning, frequent fieldwork and authentic stewardship/service. Students at Realms are immersed in curriculum that brings content to life through in-depth studies leading to high levels of academic achievement for all students. Units of curriculum start with guiding questions and progress through a carefully sequenced set of standards-aligned lessons that connect to real-world problems, involve students in original research and critical thinking and often lead students into the field to collect data, participate in service, or in some way experience the application of their learning. Learning expeditions at Realms are often inter-disciplinary in nature and culminate in an event in which students share high quality work with an audience more “real and inspiring” than the refrigerator door.

Finding a good fit: At Realms, we value diversity in our student body. Realms is often a good fit for students who enjoy learning in a community that emphasizes collaboration, determination and a willingness to step outside one’s comfort zone. Because fieldwork is an important component of learning at Realms , students who enjoy venturing outside the classroom to learn (including multi-night trips) often make the easiest transition to Realms.

Spanish Dual Immersion Program

Bear Creek Elementary School, High Desert Middle School and Bend Senior High School

About the Program:
Bend-La Pine Schools offers a Spanish Dual Immersion program located at Bear Elementary School and High Desert Middle School. Students enrolled in this program learn to become fluent in Spanish and English and learn to appreciate other cultures.

At both Bear Creek and High Desert, the Spanish dual immersion program is a strand within the school that involves some classrooms at each grade level. Beginning in kindergarten, students receive academic instruction in Spanish and English, with the goal of creating bilingual learners.

The rigorous curriculum matches the content taught throughout Bend-La Pine Schools; the only difference is that dual immersion students learn in both Spanish and English. About 80 percent of the instruction in kindergarten takes place in Spanish, and 20 percent takes place in English. This ratio gradually changes over time and by fifth grade, instruction is evenly split between Spanish and English.

The student population is divided equally between native Spanish and native English speakers. The research-based program allows Spanish-speaking students to learn English, while also retaining their home language. English-speaking students acquire Spanish at no cost to their academic achievement. The schools celebrate their multicultural atmosphere with the goal of creating global citizens who are bilingual and bi-literate.

Finding a good fit: Families should be ready to embrace the bilingual and bicultural nature of the program.

Westside Village Magnet at Kingston School

About the Program:
Westside Village Magnet School is a nurturing, stimulating and democratic learning environment. We are a true community, driven and united by our belief—all children can be academically successful, happy, hopeful, contributing community members. We inspire our students and parent community to be engaged, thriving citizens, striving together to make the future a better place. We personalize learning by meeting children wherever they are, and helping them to realize their infinite potential. We empower our students to think and advocate for themselves and others. We learn together by engaging in real world projects that help us become stewards of our community, the earth and its diverse cultures.

Our community is passionate about understanding the diverse needs of our learners. We are an inclusive mixed age K-8 school. Students are not boxed into individual grades or labels; they are fluidly and flexibly grouped throughout the day in a highly structured, well thought out, purposeful and meaningful way. Students are encouraged to solve rigorous real life problems by applying critical and creative thinking across the curriculum.

Students at Westside Village are encouraged to participate in a democratic school in a variety of ways. As they grow, they take on more leadership roles. For example, students may write proposals to solve problems, start new activities, help people in need or aid community issues. The school also focuses on community service and the outside environment. Ultimately, the goal of this approach is to help students learn to advocate for themselves, each other, our natural world and create a world in which they aspire to live.

Finding a good fit: Parents whose children attend Westside Village engage in the community, appreciate innovation and are prepared to engage in an education environment that is likely different than what they experienced as children.

culminate in an event in which students share high quality work with an audience more “real and inspiring” than the refrigerator door.