Amigos Meeting Schedule

What makes BIS unique in the Bend La Pine School District is the strength of the community. A family at BIS will get to know not only the other students in the classroom but also their families. 

Class Ambassadors are what schools traditionally call the classroom parent but at BIS they have the added challenge of growing and strengthening the classroom parenting/family community, which makes them one of the most important volunteer positions at the school. 

As a BIS family, you will be introduced to your class ambassador(s) the first week of school. You can expect monthly emails as well as more frequent communications in the classroom chat. 

Volunteer Opportunity: Classroom Ambassador

Each classroom has 1-2 ambassadors who do the following 

• Connect with your classroom teacher to identify and support classroom needs

• Coordinate with families to fill volunteer roles and organize support

• Communicate PTO initiatives and schoolwide efforts to families

• Build community among parents through regular updates and meetups

If you would like to be a classroom ambassador, there will be an opportunity to volunteer for 2027-2028 near the end of the current school year. 

Volunteer Opportunity: Classroom Volunteer

Many opportunities exist to volunteer in the classrooms. Touch base with your grade teacher to learn more about these. 

One of the beautiful things about BIS is students grow up learning and interacting with the entire teaching and staff group. Because of these long term relationship, the families of the FTO adore our BIS Staff and look forward to spoiling them every year during Staff Appreciation week. 

Nationally, teacher appreciation week is held in May but because May tends to be one of the busiest months for families, the BIS community celebrates in March

Volunteer Opportunities: Breakfast Coordinator

• Create a breakfast signup sheet

• Coordinate with families

• Come the night before to help set up with breakfast volunteers

To be our breakfast coordinator, use the appreciation week volunteer form below

Volunteer Opportunities:

Appreciation Week Volunteer – sign up

Each day of appreciation week has a theme. Volunteers help these activities go smoothly. 

BIS One World Gala takes place in April. It is a formal event where our goal is to move the greater community to support our BIS vision. Families are welcome to attend AND this is an event that requires many volunteers. To make this event go smoothly, Gala hits the ground running with meetings starting in October. Our goal as a PTO/FTO is rally the volunteers. 

Volunteer Opportunity: One World Gala Volunteer – sign up

Many different jobs available. Sign up to be part of the team. Jobs will be distributed as planning progresses. 

• Planning 

• Soliciting donations 

• Invitations + Thank yous

• Day of set up and execution

Volunteer Opportunity: BIS Family Businesses – Auction Donor or Gala Sponsorship – email link

Calling all BIS family Businesses. Donating an item or service to Gala is a great way to drum up business and advertise within the Greater Bend Community. . 

• Items or services for live auction (examples from the past – donate a weekend at your rental property or if you are a season tickets holder, donate tickets to a game

• Items or services for the silent auction (examples from the past – if you have a painting business, donate the service of painting a room)

• Advertising coupons or trinkets  – this is new but if enough people participate we can include advertising swag items in the goody bags

• Sponsorship – sponsorship comes with tickets to the event and more – various sponsorship packages available

Fall : Giving Tree (BIS Community)

October-November 

Who: This fundraising campaign is for BIS families and extended family. 

• Fundraising Goal: 50K

• How to contribute: a QR code will be distributed in the mail, the school newsletter and class emails. Cash or check can be accepted at the front office

• Recommended donation: 1$/day of school which is ~200$/child. But any amount is appreciated. Participation is more important than quantity

• Jog-a-thon: To make it easier for extended family/friends to contribute, AND as a palpable and fun way for all students to participate, Running Club is hosting a jog-a-thon in November. More information to come

Spring: BIS One World Gala (Broader Supporters) April 10th 2027

Who: This fundraising campaign is focused on broadening the donor base for BIS. BIS families are welcome to attend, but the event goal is to gain support from the charitable community in Bend.  

Fundraising Goal: 70K

• How to contribute:

• Help to secure high value donations for the Live Auction by Dec 15th

• Share your contact list of charitable minded people or businesses to be invited

• Families with businesses can consider a sponsorship or live auction donation to promote their business

• Join the Gala Committee to help create the event – connect with us at gala@bendinternationalschool.org 

Garden Club is the care team for BIS’s gorgeous community garden. The club takes many forms as we strive to get every child working in the garden. If you love gardening or want to learn more about gardening, this might be your community.

Volunteer Opportunity: Garden Coordinator

Each year we have two coordinators who make the master plan for the season. They work with teachers and parents to 

• Brainstorm the annual plan for the garden

• Assemble a summer maintenance crew

• Lead before school Garden Club in the fall and Spring

• Enjoy gardening! 

Garden Coordinators are usually selected from the Garden Team. If you feel like this might be your calling, sign up for Garden Team.

Volunteer Opportunity: Garden TEAM – sign up

Many hands make light work. If you would like to get your hands in the garden (help plant and work with students), sign up here. This list is checked monthly and garden team members are emailed with upcoming events.

Running club is BIS’s most popular before school club. Each week (October-November and March-May), we meet at school and run our morning wiggles out. Kids are excited to be with their friends and earn running club tokens along the way If you love sharing a love for movement or enjoy cheering kiddos on, this could be your perfect community fit. 

Volunteer Opportunity: Running Club Coordinators

Each year we have 1-2 coordinators who manage the weekly activity. Coordinators do the following

• Organize weekly volunteers

• Develop and maintain the running token stash

• Develop the lap tracking system

• Serve as chief organizer for Annual Run-a-thon

If you would like to take a bigger volunteer role, our chief running club coordinator could always use a partner in crime. Chat with her at running club !

Volunteer Opportunity: Day of Volunteers – sign up

Parents love this club as much as the kids do. We need day-of volunteers to do the following

• Mark lap cards

• Help distribute lap cards and reward tokens

• Cheer on our amazing runners

Please visit the following sign up link to snag volunteer position. 

BIS STEAM Club was new to the 2025-2026 school year. The Amigos PTO saw an interest and a need to provide more science opportunities. STEAM club currently has two seasons. 

Part 1: November – January – Inventerprise Competition

Part 2: January – March – BIS Science Challenge (Ex: Egg Drop Challenge)

In our first year we had 5 Inventerprise winners and supported over 25 kids to enter our very own Egg Drop Challenge. 

This year we are hoping to build off what we started last year  and host a new science challenge. If you love instilling a love of science in the next generation, this might be your community. 

Volunteer Opportunity: STEAM Club Volunteer – sign up

STEAM club volunteers do it all. 

• Plan the STEAM club challenge

• Work with student groups to create entries

If you would like to be part of our STEAM club team (or if you would like to learn more), Plan to attend the November 5th Amigo’s meeting and sign up here. 

Family Workday is one of BIS’ oldest and most cherished traditions. Twice a year, we host a workday where parents and kids come to school to help out with projects on campus. Families model generosity and develop skills together that support and give back to their school community–building character, responsibility and connection. 

Typical Workday Activities Include

• Landscaping

• Garden Cleanup and Planting

• Playscape Projects

• Building improvements – wall painting etc.

Volunteer Opportunity: Workday Volunteer

Mark your Calendars and Bring your landscaping tools! RSVP below for the following dates so we can get a headcount for food supplies. An email will be sent out as it gets closer for an updated headcount

October 17th 2026 – sign up

May 9th 2027 – sign up

Fiesta is our end of year celebration for students and their families. It’s a low key and fun way to get together as a community, celebrate the year’s successes and kick off summer.

Volunteer Opportunities: Planning Committee Volunteer – sign up

Fiesta is a pretty well oiled machine so if you are looking for an easy way to get involved where the bulk of the work is on the day of the event, this is a great community to join. 

• Attend the Fiesta Planning Amigos meeting on January 7th 2027

• Help coordinate volunteers and items needed for the celebration 

• Be available to help on the day of the celebration (June 3rd 2027)

At BIS, parents have the opportunity to help mold school initiatives. Project Playscape, a parent led initiative to improve our outdoor spaces is the perfect example of this. The Project Playscape team consists of parent architects, volunteers and grant writers who work throughout the year to make this vision possible. The PTO/FTO supports this initiative by helping to rally the volunteers. If enhancing recess play and long term campus improvement is an interest of yours, this is the community for you

Volunteer Opportunities: Project Playscape Volunteer – signup

This group is the perfect example of people bringing their talents to achieve a greater vision. This list is checked monthly and project team members are emailed with upcoming events. 

• Ordinary people who want to be a helping hand as things come up

• DIY champions or construction talented people to tackle projects. 

• Grant writers or community connections to help raise funds