Hawk Squawk April 2019
A Newsletter from Hiteon's Parent Teacher Club (PTC)
Presidents' Message
Greetings Hiteon Families,
Spring has sprung! We hope you had a relaxing break and are rested up for the final stretch of the school year. Our year is winding down, but we still have a lot to do and some exciting upcoming events. We encourage you to mark your calendars, bring your family, and join the fun!
Planning and preparing for our annual “Fun Run” fundraiser is in full swing. At the beginning of April we announced this year’s theme to the students~Dino Dash! This year brings many exciting changes: a one day event, an outside race course, official lap counts, and Dino Dash t-shirts for all of the students! There will still be plenty of opportunities to volunteer. Keep reading this newsletter for more details.
As the year’s end is in sight, it is time to start planning for next year. Unfortunately, our school is faced with many potential changes due to the budget shortfall. This is our opportunity as the Hiteon PTC to keep providing all of the beloved enrichment and community opportunities for our kids. We are grateful to have the most dedicated, helpful, and creative volunteers and they deserve some great leadership. Most of the PTC Board is finishing up its second year term, which means we need to relinquish our positions and find replacements.
Contact any of the current Board Members or Chairs if you are interested or have questions! It is a fun way to stay in tune with the happenings at Hiteon and make a positive impact on your child’s school experience. Find a friend and Co-Chair – it makes it twice as fun! PTC needs your help to continue to be successful.
Alicia Schenbeck and Marilee Shafer
PTC Co-Presidents
Hiteon's Dino Dash: 2019 Annual Fun Run
Hiteon’s Dino Dash Fun Run 2019 is coming up on Thursday, April 18th. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and is a very exciting time for Hiteon students. Please remember to have your child return their Fun Run packet on or before April 18th.
With Fun Run now being run outside, and taking place over one day instead of two, there are a lot of unknowns. One thing we do know is that we still need a lot of volunteers to make Fun Run successful. Please sign up for a shift on myvolunteerpage.com. Even if you can’t fill an entire shift, we welcome parents to please sign up anyway and stay as long as you can.
Please email vp1fundraising@hiteonptc.org if you have any questions.
BSD Budget Cuts and Hiteon
In January, the Beaverton School District (BSD) announced a budget shortfall of about $35 million. Hiteon’s Assistant Principal, Monica Arbow, shared the varied reasons for this shortfall during our January PTC General meeting.
BSD reports approximately $17.5 million is due to increased PERS costs; $12 million is due to contractual increases to salaries and benefits; $2.2 million is due to the implementation of the Pay Equity law, and $3.3 is due to increased costs and underfunding for utilities, fuel, maintenance, etc. and compliance costs, e.g. safety training. Also included in the $35 million total is a $4 million carryover from the 2018-19 shortfall.
The 2018-19 shortfall was a result of:
- ELL enrollment and specialized classroom enrollment was over-projected.
- Overall district enrollment has remained flat.
- Decrease of students in poverty, which reduces the State School Fund allocation.
- Less attrition of experienced teachers.
- Implementation of the Pay Equity law.
These numbers are estimates only and subject to change as revenue and expenditures are finalized at the end of 2018-19.
For more information, view this message about the budget shortfall from BSD superintendent, Don Grotting, and read this article from OPB.
What do these budget cuts mean for Hiteon? As of January, Hiteon has had to return $15,000 (20%) of its 2018-2019 operating budget to BSD, and is focusing on conserving consumables for the remainder of the school year.
At the April PTC meeting, Principal Meghan Warren reported that next year Hiteon is likely to face teacher and staff layoffs, larger class sizes, and/or programmatic changes. It is as yet unknown exactly what changes will take place across the district to mend this budget gap. Hiteon's principals will share information as it becomes available.
What can you do?
- Attend BSD School Board meetings. All meetings are open to the public, some meetings are available to receive comments.
- Sprinkle joy at Hiteon: share a smile, do a good deed, be kind.
- Get involved: Contact your legislators to advocate for school funding.
The PTC and YOU!
Despite the news of the BSD shortfall, remember that Hiteon has an active and engaged Parent Teacher Club (PTC). PTC funds provide enrichment programs, community events such as Family Dance and Bingo Night, and funds for teacher and staff grant requests (covering things like technology, maker space, Lion King kids musical, etc.).
But the PTC needs dedicated leaders and active parents to keep these programs running. A number of the Executive Board members have reached their term limits, and cannot serve next year in their positions. Might you be a future PTC leader?
We are still recruiting for President, Vice President 1 (Fundraising), Vice President 2 (Events), and Volunteer Coordinator for the 2019-2020 school year. You can nominate yourself or a friend. Interested parties will be voted on at the May general membership meeting.
Let's help make Hiteon Elementary School be the best it can be!
Please email board_members@hiteonptc.org for more information or to submit your nomination.
Dining for Dollars: April 23rd
The PTC is providing sweet treats on Wednesday and a potluck lunch on Friday of Staff Appreciation Week for all teachers and staff.
Please sign up to bake, cook, or broil your favorite dish to spoil our amazing staff:
5th Grade Colonial Fair
Friday, May 24
Take a trip back in time with the 5th graders! The Colonial Fair will take place during school hours (8:00am-2:00pm) and will need many volunteers to run activity stations for the students. Colonial Fair activities include:
Whirligigs and button toys
Candle making
Butter churning
Quilling and Sundials
Tin punch art
Yarn dolls
Cone toys and lavender sachets
Silhouettes, hats, and bonnets
Quilting
You do not need to be a parent of a 5th grader to volunteer; we welcome all interested parties to join us! Visit myvolunteerpage.com to sign up. If you are interested in more information or would like to help prepare materials for this event, please contact Susan Kalis at susan.kalis@gmail.com.
Hiteon Art and Culture Night
Thursday, May 30th
6:00-8:00pm
Calling all Hiteon artists! Please save the date for Hiteon’s Annual Art and Culture night. All Hiteon students and their families are welcome to participate. This year we will take an artistic adventure through the continent of Asia. Create mosaic tile patterns in Turkey, make felted wool art in Kyrgyzstan, create an oil pastel of tiger eyes in India, make a matryoshka doll portrait in Russia, design a foam block print in Japan, and decorate komodo dragon shadow puppets in Indonesia.
There are many volunteer opportunities for this event including materials preparation, set up, and supervising art stations during the event. Please contact Susan Kalis at susan.kalis@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering.
Lost and Found
Spring has sprung, which means that students are likely coming to school wearing a jacket in the morning, but not needing it by the afternoon. Often layers are peeled off when students are at recess enjoying the warmer weather. This may mean that coats, hats, and mittens are left behind on the playground and are now sitting in Hiteon’s Lost and Found.
Please take a moment to check the Lost and Found (or remind your child to do so) before noon on Thursday, April 25th. On that day ALL unclaimed items will be removed from the building and donated to the Beaverton School District Clothes Closet for district families in need. Keep in mind that items that have been labeled with the student’s last name can easily be returned to their owners.
Upcoming Events
April
11-12 Conferences - No Students
18 Fun Run, 8am-2:30pm
23 Dining for Dollars, Pizzicato, All Day
24 Passport Check
25 Volunteer Appreciation, 1:15-2:30pm
26 Coffee with the Principals, 8:15-8:45am
May
1 PTC Board Meeting, 6-7pm
1 PTC General Meeting, 7-8pm
3 Fun Run Money Due Date
6-10 Staff Appreciation Week
7 Art Lit Training, 8:30-10am
17 Popcorn Friday, 2:30-2:45pm
24 5th Grade Colonial Fair
27 Holiday - School Closed
28 Dining for Dollars, TBD
29 Passport Check
30 Family Art and Culture Night
Hiteon PTC Executive Board
Presidents: Marilee Shafer and Alicia Schenbeck, president@hiteonptc.org
First Vice Presidents (Fundraising): Amy Harrison vp1fundraising@hiteonptc.org
Second Vice Presidents (Committees): Shawna Grigsby vp2committees@hiteonptc.org
Volunteer Coordinators: Laura Harding and Brenda Montgomery, volcoord@hiteonptc.org
Treasurer: Megan Mumford, treasurer@hiteonptc.org
Secretary: Carrie Tillotson, secretary@hiteonptc.org