OSP Connected

This past week, I had the opportunity to spend time with some people from the City of Hillsboro and learn more about what makes our city such a wonderful place to live. Some great shout-outs were given to our impressive parks, the amazing partnerships between our businesses and schools in support of CTE, and the growing diversity that makes our city so special!

In HSD, we are lucky to see that diversity increases in our community, which makes our schools even more special as we grow and learn together. For some of our students who are newcomers and emerging bilinguals (or multilinguals), I often think about what school might feel like for them. Learning a new language is hard, let alone learning English, where “there”, “their”, and “they’re” can still be confusing to those of us that are native speakers. My mom is bilingual and came to this country when she was 20. She has often shared the “horror” stories of her evening English classes, where she would leave shaking her head, wondering if she’d ever understand this crazy, complicated language. She still remembers when she was told that sometimes an “E” is bossy and sometimes it’s short.

Our students are pretty awesome for what they are navigating and learning in another language in our classrooms. It takes a lot of confidence and resilience to keep trying, when at times it can feel so overwhelming! The work that you all do to support language in the classroom, on the bus, in the lunchroom, etc., makes a huge difference for our students. We know our students possess knowledge that sometimes they don’t always get to share with us as they navigate the challenges of language, but they also have adults in our schools who don’t give up on them, who invest in them, and who find new ways to scaffold and support their language development so that their knowledge can shine through. Thank you for being that adult for them!

The K-12 Math Adoption Leadership and Piloting Team has selected new math curricula to recommend after a year-long process focused on growth, improvement, and alignment with the teams’ math beliefs for HSD students: Focus, Engagement, Pathways, and Belonging. Teacher and student feedback informed their decision to recommend:

• K-6: iReady

• 7-8: iReady

• 9-12: enVision

Next Steps:

• February: Recommendations will be reviewed by the Community Curriculum Advisory Committee (CCAC).

• Spring: Final approval will be submitted to the Board.

Due to financial constraints, the curriculum purchase may be delayed or staggered into the 2025-26 school year. HSD remains committed to supporting math achievement, providing professional development, and aligning with best practices to implement the adoption process effectively.

While suicide rates have decreased for youth identified as white, rates for youth of color have remained or increased, and suicide continues to be the second-leading cause of death for youth ages 5-24 in Oregon. The article, Beyond the Surface: Understanding Mental Health Among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Youth, shares important information about a community too often left out of the conversation about mental health in America. Staff are encouraged to explore this information and consider how they can impact positive change for our students. One way to support is by taking suicide prevention trainings offered through our district and community. Additionally, this article reviews that youth have expressed having access to wellness and recovery spaces in classrooms and schools is helpful for their mental health.

For community training opportunities, check out Get Trained to Help or register below:

• Youth Mental Health First Aid- January 23rd, 2025

• Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training - Feb. 27th-28th

• Youth Mental Health First Aid- April 24th, 2025

• Youth SAVE (virtual trainings) *participants should have a basic understanding of how to engage with someone having thoughts of suicide

• January 16, 2025 12:00pm-3:30pm & January 17, 2025 8:30am-12:00pm REGISTER HERE

• January 21, 2025 12:00pm-3:30pm & January 22, 2025 8:30am-12:00pm REGISTER HERE

• January 23, 2025 12:00pm-3:30pm & January 24, 2025 8:30am-12:00pm REGISTER HERE

In HSD, we believe consistent attendance is key to student success. Our current campaign, Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow, emphasizes the importance of consistent attendance for student success. As we look ahead, we're working with our community to develop a new attendance campaign that reflects our district's goals and values.

Building a culture of attendance means we collectively work together to create an environment that is inviting and engaging for all students (click here for more information). By enhancing our attendance systems, we allow educators to prioritize building strong, supportive relationships with students and families. Together, we can foster a community where every student feels connected and ready to learn.

The theme of this year’s National School Counseling week is “School Counseling: Helping Students Thrive.” What does it mean to help a student thrive as a School Counselor? Here are some examples!

• Academically: Supporting students in setting goals, staying motivated and finding joy in learning. Or, develop strategies to be successful academically, whether it comes naturally or is more of a challenge.

• Emotionally: Helping students feel balanced, resilient and supported. Listening to feelings of stress or anxiety, or just generally identifying and navigating their feelings.

• In Future Planning: Guiding students to identify and understand their strengths and passions as well as exploring different careers and plans in order to develop a future that fits and excites them.

Please celebrate the school counselor(s) in your building for their dedication to both students and staff. Much of the work they do to advocate for needs and improve student outcomes and achievement may go unseen or unknown. However, school counselors are hard at work navigating some of the most complex student needs, juggling caseloads of students up to 500 and evaluating systems and structures to have more impact and efficiency.

A simple, genuine “thank you” will go a long way, but other ideas could include:

• Cards or posters signed by staff and/or students

• Crafts or student projects sharing what they love or value about their School Counselor

• Recognition at an assembly, on a bulletin board or at a staff meeting!

• Invitations to your class or space for a thank you directly from your students!

• Treats, coffee or flowers

Join us in celebrating the 65 HSD School Counselors February 3-7!

Celebrating and appreciating large cultural events is essential to fostering a more connected, inclusive, and vibrant community. These moments allow us to honor the diverse histories, traditions, and contributions that shape our shared experiences, creating a deeper sense of belonging and mutual respect. By actively engaging in these celebrations, we open doors for learning, dialogue, and understanding, helping to break down barriers and challenge stereotypes. This collective appreciation not only strengthens relationships but also nurtures empathy and equity within our schools and neighborhoods.

Evergreen Middle School has committed to serving their ELs through schoolwide PLC cycles. At the start of the year, each department committed to trying at least one student talk routine. While they implemented the routine, they collected teacher and student data. Each team took one day out of their classroom to reflect on their previous work and plan a future routine. During the day, one teacher opened their classroom to be observed as a part of a lesson study. This process has sparked excitement and collaboration around integrating language supports. EMS administrators collaborated with district TOSAs to create the agenda for the day and to support the studio classroom teachers.

Did you know that over 200 HSD students have accessed the Hillsboro Activity Scholarship program this year? The HSD Activity Scholarship Fund has paid almost 14 thousand towards registration fees to help students access community activities. If you know of a student who could use financial help, please share the Hillsboro Youth Athletic Activities Scholarship information with them.