Community News
February 2024
Superintendent's Office
Message from Superintendent Bill Newton
Link to message from Superintendent Bill Newton
Content of this newsletter:
- May Street Elementary School spotlight
- New student enrollment for 2024-25 school year
- Core values survey results and listening sessions
- Upcoming important school dates
- School board information
- Oregon's Teacher of the Year Program
- Monthly recipe
- Free school meals program information
- School meals menus
- HRVHS graduation rate above 90%
- County sheriff's office offers water safety classes
- February is CTE month
- Every Day Matters (school attendance)
- February 5-9 is National School Counselors Week
- Community wellness and listening session
- Bus barn welcomes new bus
- Black History Month
- Opportunities for your student
- Hood River County Education Foundation scholarships
May Street Elementary Spotlight
AVID student leaders
SALT (Student Agency Leadership Team) Dragons: Forty-three May Street students received training to serve as student ambassadors and leaders as part of our AVID program.
Learning positive behaviors
Students learn positive expectations and behaviors, such as clear behavioral expectations for common areas and activities as part of our Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.
Recognizing student character
New student enrollment for 2024-25 school year open
The new student enrollment form for the 2024-25 school year is open. Families with children who will be five years old by September 1 are eligible to enter kindergarten at a school within Hood River County School District.
New student enrollment information will be posted on our school district website (About Us>Enrollment). We plan to begin promoting enrollment in mid-February. Please contact hrcsd.enrollment@hoodriver.k12.or.us or 541-386-2511 if you have any questions.
Core values survey results and listening sessions
In the January school board meeting, we presented the results of the core values survey for the fall 2023. Please visit this webpage to learn more.
Upcoming school dates
Monday, Feb. 19: All school operations closed (observance of President's Day)
*Tuesday, Feb. 20: Regular school day for all students and staff
Friday, March 8: End of second trimester (grades K-8)
Monday, March 11: No school for students (K-8 teacher work day; 9-12 conference compensation day)
*Tuesday, March 12: Regular school day for all students and staff
Monday-Friday, March 25-29: Spring Break (no school for students and staff)
*Instructional time is important in Hood River County School District. This day is an emergency closure make-up day.
To find our school district’s calendar, please visit this webpage.
School Board
Upcoming meeting dates
Wednesday, Feb. 21: HRCSD school board work session at 6:30pm at the Nathaniel Coe Administration Center
Wednesday, Feb. 28: HRCSD school board special board meeting and executive session at 6:30pm at the Nathaniel Coe Administration Center
Wednesday, March 6: HRCSD school board special board meeting and executive session at 6:30pm at the Nathaniel Coe Administration Center
Wednesday, March 13: HRCSD school board special board meeting and executive session at 6:30pm at the Nathaniel Coe Administration Center
Superintendent search
Milt Dennison, OSBA consultant, gave an update on the superintendent search process. The board reviewed the process for the screening committee applicants. The board appreciates the willingness of these selected individuals to participate in this important endeavor for the Hood River County School District. The superintendent screening committee applications involved a random lottery drawing to select individuals to represent different segments of the school community as presented below:
- Secondary Licensed Staff Representative: Shayla Moline (middle), Eric Keller (high)
- Elementary Licensed Staff Representative: Jessica McElfresh
- Secondary Classified Staff Representative: Kate Sherrill
- Elementary Classified Staff Representative: Jason Carpenter
- Confidential Staff Representative: Gretchen Winans
- Administrative Staff Representative: Tod Hilstad
- Other Staff/Department Representative: Sarah Hayden
- HRCSD Guardian/Parent Representatives: Adam McCarthy, Rachael Fuller
- Community Member Representatives: Paul Zastrow, Angie Green
The board of directors moved to appoint the applicants listed above to the HRCSD superintendent screening committee.
Human Resources
Oregon's Teacher of the Year Program
The Oregon Department of Education, in partnership with the Oregon Lottery, is pleased to announce the continuation of Oregon Regional Teacher of the Year to honor exemplary educators in every region of the state!
- Nominations are open statewide through February 21, 2024.
- Teachers will submit their applications by April 5, 2024.
- Oregon Education Service Districts will select a winner from their region.
- Regional Teachers of the Year will be honored across the state in September 2024!
- In October 2024, one of the Regional Teachers of the Year will be named the 2024-25 Oregon Teacher of the Year and will be eligible to apply for the honor of the National Teacher of the Year!
Regional Teachers of the Year will receive a cash prize of $1,000 and will be celebrated across the state. The 2024-25 Oregon Teacher of the Year will receive a $10,000 cash prize (with a matching $5,000 going to their school) and serve as a spokesperson and representative for all Oregon teachers. Anyone can nominate a teacher! All Oregonians are encouraged to nominate their favorite teacher today at: oregonteacheroftheyear.org
Nutrition Services
Monthly recipe: Sweet sesame snacking almonds
Sweet and just a little bit spicy, these almonds get an added crunch from sesame seeds. Give them to the nut lover on your list!
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw almonds
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
To read the full recipe, please visit this Chop Chop webpage.
Follow-up information on free meals program
On January 2, 2024, our school district instituted free meals for all students through the 2026-2027 school year, at a minimum. If your student has a credit/positive account balance you have three choices for the remaining balance on your student's school meal account. You can check account balances anytime on the LINQ Connect website.
Leave the funds on the account to pay for items not covered by the free school meal funding, such as milk or an extra slice of pizza.
Donate your remaining balance to a fund to assist families in paying down negative meal balances. District-wide, we have $21,500 in unpaid meal debt
Request an account balance refund.
School meals menus
Curriculum and Instruction
Hood River Valley High School graduation rate above 90% for fourth consecutive year
The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) released graduation rates on January 25. For the fourth consecutive year, the four-year graduation rate of Hood River Valley High School (HRVHS) students was more than 90 percent. Last spring, 90.5 percent of HRVHS students graduated on time (284 student graduates total) compared to 81.3 percent of all Oregon students.
Over the past 10 years, HRVHS graduation rates have steadily increased. Hood River County School District (HRCSD) attributed this increase to the dedicated staff and teachers, strong family partnerships, and generous community support.
To learn more, please visit this webpage.
Hood River County Sheriff's Office offers water safety classes
Our students in kindergarten, second, and fourth grades have the opportunity to participate in water safety classes with the Hood River County Sheriff’s Department and Deputy Joel Carmody. Joel Carmody is the county’s marine deputy and talks to students about life jackets and water safety. The Oregon State Marine Board has a long history of educational programs for young students. With our communities access to open water, these lessons are valuable for our students to maintain safety while having fun in the water. These lessons take place on the Friday of their swim lesson week. We are appreciate the partnership with Deputy Carmody and the county to support our students. These lessons are provided in Spanish and English
February is Career and Technical Education Month
CTE stands for Career and Technical Education and is one of the ways students can learn through hands-on activities and build pathways toward a potential career path. In Hood River County School District (HRCSD), there are robust CTE course offerings. HRCSD continues to lead the way in how it shapes students' learning with an interactive and engaging curriculum.
HRCSD offers many different courses that are designed to make sure students learn technical skills to apply to a future career pathway. Pathways at HRVHS include:
- Engineering
- Agricultural Science and Technology (Power, Structural, and Technical Systems; Animal Science and Plant Science)
- Integrated Media
- Health Sciences
- Education / Early Childhood and Human Services
- Business
Student Services
Every Day Matters: District-wide attendance report
Each month, we share our district-wide attendance. As a school district, our goal is to increase the percentage of students attending 90 percent or more. In the bar graph below, it shows that 65 percent of all HRCSD students met that standard last school year (2022-23). In December and January 2023, 76 precent and 75 percent of all HRCSD students met that standard, respectively.
National School Counseling Week 2024
National School Counseling Week 2024 is February 5-9, 2024, and focuses public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems. National School Counseling Week highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. National School Counseling Week is always celebrated the first full week in February. The 2024 theme is "School Counseling: Standards-Based, Student-Focused." We look forward to sharing with our school district community about our school counselors next week!
School-Based Health Center offers help with immunizations; Grief and loss support group
Exclusion Day is February 21
The School-Based Health Center reminds parents that Wednesday, Feb. 21, is Exclusion Day. State law requires all children in public and private schools, preschools, Head Start, and licensed childcare facilities to have up-to-date immunization records or an exemption to attend school. We are happy to help with catching your child up on their immunizations. Please give us a call at 541-308-8345.
Grief and loss support group for high school students
We are hosting a grief and loss support group for high school students every Tuesday. You are welcome to attend any session, you don't have to start with session 1. To register or for more information, call 541-308-8345 or visit https://bit.ly/3vVqA66.
The School-Based Health Center is located at Hood River Valley High School, 1220 Indian Creek Road, Hood River, OR 97031, and is open Monday through Thursday from 8am to 5pm (closed for lunch from 1pm to 1:30pm) and Friday from 8am to 2pm. Walk-in’s are always welcome! For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 541-308-8345 or visit us online at: https://bit.ly/48PgQcb.
Hood River County Health Department advises and supports families on Exclusion Day
The upcoming Oregon school exclusion deadline is Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024. Be sure to have your child up-to-date on all vaccinations by this date in order for them to remain in school. Immunizations are required by law for children in attendance at public and private schools, preschools, childcare facilities, and Head Start programs in Oregon. Nearly every place that provides care for a child outside the home requires vaccinations or a medical or non-medical exemption to stay enrolled.
To help, Hood River County Health Department offers vaccinations Monday through Friday, 8am to 4:30pm. No appointment is necessary. We are also able to look up vaccine records in the Oregon database to let you know what you or your child is due for.
There is no mandate for school-age children to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or the flu, but these shots are also available to anyone ages 6 months to 64 years.
Stop by the health department at 1109 June Street, Hood River for your routine vaccinations.
Upcoming community wellness and listening session on February 12
Hood River County School District (HRCSD) is hosting a free 90-minute event surrounding wellness. Please join us for an evening of listening and learning on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, from 6pm to 7:30pm. This meeting will be held virtually via Zoom (https://us06web.zoom.us/j/4848426773).
HRCSD is hosting this event with support and facilitation from Jonathan Hankins of Lines for Life. Specifically, this event will be a facilitated listening session to debrief about recent critical events. It will promote stress management and wellness. Participants can share how they are personally impacted, learn about self-care coping strategies, and find out how/when to reach out for help.
Lines for Life uses the Critical Incident Stress Management Debriefing (CISD) model to offer listening spaces for teachers, counselors, administrators, and other impacted community members following a critical event such as the death of a student. (CISD) Debriefing is a specific technique designed to assist others in dealing with the physical or psychological symptoms that are generally associated with trauma exposure. Debriefing allows those individuals who are impacted time to process and reflect.
The session is designed carefully to create a safe and respectful environment. To foster that environment, entry to the meeting will be closed at 6:10pm. Please enter this meeting within 10 minutes of the scheduled start time to ensure access to the virtual setting.
If you cannot attend due to a lack of internet access or technology resources, please contact the HRCSD administrative office by phone (541-386-2511).
Registration is not required and space is not limited. Please join us.
Transportation
Bus Barn welcomes new bus to the line-up
Our school district recently received a 77 Passenger Peterson IC Type C (Conventional Style-Engine in the front) bus. The IC/CE buses are known for their improved safety standards, excellent visibility for the driver, and commitment to a durable product. This bus has the Cummins Diesel Engine and Alison Transmission Combination. The bus includes lighting that is high visibility LED, integrated ground lighting (to aid in backing up), the SEON Security Camera system, and backup camera system. It also features new and improved signage and electronic stability control (to prevent slippage). We have added On Spot drop chains as well as a full Air Conditioned system. This system should keep the interior "like an icebox" during the summer. Needless to say, we are very excited for this bus.
The cost was $137,711. Each year, we submit for mileage reimbursement to the Oregon Department of Education as well as depreciation loss for school buses. These funds are then captured into a bus replacement fund, which is outside of the daily costs of transportation. This fund usually allows for the purchase of one bus per year. WIth that being said, when we add air conditioning and other features, it will become more difficult to stay on top of the replacement schedule.
It should be noted that this bus in an electric version with air conditioning can cost more than $400,000.
Family Partnerships
February is Black History Month
February is Black History Month. Please visit this website to learn more information and find resources surrounding Black History Month.
Peachjar shares resources and opportunities
Hood River County Education Foundation
High school scholarship program accepting applications
The Hood River Valley High School (HRVHS) Local Scholarship Program is accepting applications! Applications are open from January 3 to February 22 and open to all HRVHS and Hood River Options Academy (HROA) seniors. The program awards more than $500,000 in scholarships to Hood River County students every year, and it awards about 200 scholarships annually. Scholarship opportunities are available for students pursuing two-year degrees, four-year degrees, and trade certificates, as well as students who are uncertain about their next steps. Apply for scholarships, view detailed instructions, browse scholarships / scholarship requirements, and find resources at eschol.hrcef.org/
If you have questions, please contact Ms. Ownby, HRVHS School Counselor (sarah.ownby@hoodriver.k12.or.us), or Ms. Bauman, ASPIRE coordinator (meleah.bauman@hoodriver.k12.or.us).
Columbia Gorge News
Cascade Locks Elementary to receive new HVAC system | News | columbiagorgenews.com
Hood River County School District audit presented | News | columbiagorgenews.com
HRC Education Foundation: Gala tickets still available | Free News | columbiagorgenews.com
HR girls basketball tops Parkrose | Hoodriver | columbiagorgenews.com
HRV girls compete this week at district | Hoodriver | columbiagorgenews.com
Eagles sweep double dual | Hoodriver | columbiagorgenews.com
Eagle skiers sweep individual events | Hoodriver | columbiagorgenews.com
Eagle boys third at own wrestling tourney | Hoodriver | columbiagorgenews.com
Centennial tops HRV boys in overtime | Hoodriver | columbiagorgenews.com