The foreign exchange students have arrived! Multiple Venezuelan boys and girls have been inducted into our Lava Bear society. To celebrate the arrival of these students the International Club held a dance on Wednesday, December eighth in I-7.

There were international dances and desserts for everyone to enjoy. Everyone who came to the party was required to bring a delicious foreign or American dessert for everyone to try. The Venezuelan kids taught some dances from their home country and some other students taught foreign dances as well. There was music and of course it was foreign!

Teachers and students both came together to have fun at this great event. Ms. Anderson and Mrs. Killen, two teachers at the event, agreed that it was great not only for the Venezuelan students but for the Bend High students and staff as well. It helped everyone become more connected and definitely enriched the American experience for the foreign exchange students. Student Kira Smily said the dance was “full of sugary goodness” and that “Venezuelans are way better at dancing than Americans.” If you missed this, you definitely missed out.

If you are walking down C Hall or coming in from the Mods, you might be lucky enough to catch the delightful smell of warm chocolate chip cookies just out of the oven. We have the talented teacher of Foods I and II and the Bend High Culinary Program to thank for this treat, Mrs. Louise Markland.

 Many of her students report she strives to get the best out of them. Her culinary students have won multiple awards on both sides of the Cascades Mountain Range. If you think it smells too good to be true, come and find out for yourself.

What’s on your list for this Holiday season? For the children at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, it may just be answered by our fellow Lava Bears.

The Doernbecher’s School Club “help[s] terminally ill children and young adults” according to Alyssa Snow, Vice President of the club. Meetings are held in Miss. Baird’s room every other Wednesday at lunch and the participants dream up creative fund-raising ideas,

The latest fundraiser was the toy drive for Christmas. Bins to full with toys were placed outside the Main and Athletic offices and at the Vibe Dance Studio near Safeway. Those in the club took a trip to Portland last Wednesday the 8th of December. Mariah Taunton, President of the club at Bend High remarks, “It’s nice to know that we are making a difference in people’s lives.”

And they are.

Doernbecher Children’s Hospital is specialized just for children with terminal illness. They create a safe, loving environment for the sick children and their families-and the toy drive through Bend High only boosts this. “I know the toy drive isn’t much…but we can bring them something…joy on Christmas,” Taunton says.

Those people that are in the club “are dedicated and reliable to help these children in their time of need,” Taunton continues…

“It’s never too late to join.”