Community News

Enlace a noticias de la comunidad en español

Link to message from Superintendent Bill Newton including Hood River Middle School students.

Content of this newsletter:

• New curriculum
• FACT Oregon
• National Suicide Prevention Week and Month
• School attendance
• Equity Advisory Committee update
• Bus routes and backpack reflectors
• Safety drills
• SafeOregon Tipline
• Food Corps
• A Team Approach to Technology and Family Tech Tips
• Hood River County Education Foundation fundraiser

Wednesday, Sept. 11: HRCSD board meeting at 6:30pm at Nathaniel Coe Administrative Center

Please visit this HRCSD webpage (Our District>Calendar) to view the 2024-25 school calendar. You may add the Google Calendar to your device(s) and/or print the calendar.

This year, we are beginning to implement various new curriculums across our school district. Our high school math department will be implementing new math materials. Reveal Math is a complete 9–12 core math program built on contemporary academic research and designed so all your students can succeed in mathematics. We also are embarking on new science materials K-12, Mystery Science at elementary, Lab Aids at middle school and Savvas at the high school. Our hope with science is to provide all students hands-on scientific experiences that promote critical thinking and analysis

State achievement assessments were administered at Hood River County School District schools in the Spring of 2024 to students in grades 3-8 and 11.

In early October, families will receive an email with a copy of their student’s results. The message will be sent in Spanish if that is the home language on record in our information system. Families can contact their student's school if they would like more information or a copy of the Individual Student Report (ISR).

Every student in HRCSD is a valued member of our school and classroom communities and we look forward to welcoming them every day!

• Students can suffer academically if they miss 10% of the school year. (That is 18 days) That can happen before you know it—even by missing just one day every two weeks. It does not matter if these absences are excused or unexcused. They all represent lost time in the classroom and a lost opportunity to learn.
• Attendance matters as much in kindergarten as later years. Studies show many students who miss too many days in kindergarten and first grade can struggle academically in later years. They often have trouble mastering reading by the end of third grade.
• Tips to improve your student's attendance
• Avoid extended vacations that require your student to miss school.
• Try to schedule preventative health care appointments for days off of school, or afternoons.
• Set regular homework, bedtime and morning routines to help your student get enough sleep.
• Younger students need 9-11 hours of sleep
• Older students need 8.5- 9.5 hours of sleep
• Make sure that when the lights go out, so do the cell phones, video games and computers. Consider keeping technology in another room at night.

• We want to help! Contact your student's school for assistance!

Attendance Tracker (Spanish)

A friendly and caring reminder 💜 #weallbelong

• National Suicide Prevention week is Sunday, Sep 8, 2024 – Saturday, Sep 14, 2024
• World Suicide Prevention Day is Tuesday, Sept. 10

Please consider wearing teal and purple throughout the month to honor these recognition activities.

Stay tuned for upcoming dates related to QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Suicide Prevention training.

If you are interested in finding more resources on this topic, please call or visit the following websites-

• HRCSD Community Resources Directory (includes information on suicide prevention and crisis, local health clinics, counseling & mental health services, more)

• Mid-Columbia Center for Living 24 hour crisis line: #1-888-877-9147

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

• Lines for Life

• QPR Institute (Question-Persuade-Refer)

• Dougy Center

• Oregon Health News - Mental Health Support

Please reach out to your student's school counselor, student support specialist or administrator if you have questions or concerns.

The 988 Helpline is a vital resource for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis or emotional distress. Available 24/7, this confidential service connects individuals with trained professionals who can provide support, guidance, and resources. Whether you're struggling with anxiety, depression, or any other mental health challenge, the 988 Helpline is here to help. Please don't hesitate to reach out—help is just a call or text away.

Empowering Families - Transforming Disability

HRCSD’s Student Services team is committed to developing collaborative relationships as we support our families of students experiencing disabilities. Our goal is to build relationships and trust for our families navigating the complex world of Special Education. One of the best resources for our families is FACT Oregon.

FACT Oregon has served as Oregon’s Parent Training & Information Center (PTI) since 2012-13. Their work is to empower families and transform how communities perceive disability. We support families to navigate disability and special education, drawing on the lived experience of our team, many themselves parents of youth experiencing disability, and we call out the critically important role of parent/caregiver as a child’s number one fan and advocate.

FACT Oregon's Support Line is staffed by parents of youth experiencing disability. You can contact them in several ways:

Call or text 503-786-6082 or 541-695-5416

Email us at support@factoregon.org or apoyo@factoregon.org

At Hood River County School District, the safety of our students and staff is our top priority. To ensure we are well-prepared for any emergency, we regularly conduct five key emergency drills throughout the year, following the Standard Response Protocol. These drills include Fire Drills, Shelter-In-Place Drills, Earthquake Drills, Secure Now Drills, and Lockdown Drills. Each drill serves an important role in familiarizing students and staff with the proper safety procedures, helping us stay ready in case an emergency arises.

We encourage families to stay informed about these drills and the safety protocols we follow. Having updated emergency contact information for your student is crucial, so please ensure that your records are current. If you'd like more information about the drills or safety procedures, you can visit the I Love U Guys Foundation website or reach out to your school office or the superintendent’s office. Working together, we can help create a safe and prepared environment for all.

Students are encouraged to share with a trusted adult any information that is concerning them. “See something, say something” is a critical and proven part of preventing incidents of school violence. Please encourage your students to speak up if they see something distressing. Students can report their concerns to a school administrator or school counselor. Additionally, students can report their concerns electronically via the SafeOregon tip line. To submit an anonymous tip or incident report, use one of the three following methods:

• Email tip@safeoregon.com
• Call or text 844-472-3367
• Enter information on SafeOregon website
• Enter information on SafeOregon webpage for Hood River County School District

All Hood River County School District students may ride the bus. The bus routes are posted on this HRCSD webpage (Departments>Transportation>Bus Routes). Please call your school office if you have any questions.

Students and families can request reflector tags from their school office. These tags go on backpacks to assist with sight and visibility as the mornings and afternoons become darker.

HRCSD has partnered with FoodCorps AmeriCorps to implement evidence-based strategies to help schools serve the needs of students through food education and nourishing meals.

Two Food Education members placed at Mid Valley Elementary and May Street Elementary will work alongside educators to provide kids with food education and culturally affirming experiences with food in the classroom, cafeteria, and outdoor spaces.

A school nutrition member will work with schools, community organizations, students, and families to promote nourishing school food environments.

Keep an eye on this space in the coming months for tips, recipes, and activities from our FoodCorps members to try at home with your students!

All Hood River County School District students receive school meals through a federal program at no cost. For more information about Nutrition Services, please visit the nutrition services website (Departments>Nutrition Services).

This HRCSD webpage (Department>Nutrition Services>Menus) includes the September breakfast and lunch menus for elementary, middle, and high school students.

According to OAR 581-022-2307, “The duties of an Educational Equity Advisory Committee shall include: Advising the school district board and the school district superintendent about educational equity impacts of policy decisions; and Informing the school district board and school district superintendent of the larger district-wide climate and the experiences of underserved student groups, and advising the board and superintendent on how best to support.”

After a careful selection process, HRCSD board of directors approved the following members to serve on the HRCSD Educational Equity Advisory Committee.

• Anh Nguyen
• Dawn LeMieux
• Nan Noteboom
• Laura Rangel
• Amber Orion
• Bianca Badillo
• Jesus Mendoza
• Martha Ortega-Verduzco
• Jim Mangan
• Kristi Heck
• Gina Clark

We are also working with Hood River Valley High School leadership to identify and invite two students to participate on the committee.

We appreciate our community members who generously dedicate their time to serving our school and students. Please visit this volunteer webpage (Departments>Human Resources>Volunteer) to apply to volunteer. Once you are notified of your application approval, you can contact our school office to learn how to serve within our school.

We use Peachjar to share student resources and opportunities. Parents/guardians receive digital flyers containing school and community resources that aim to improve the trajectory of students’ lives. Digital flyers help save our schools time and money while ensuring important information makes it home to parents/guardians. Please visit this Peachjar website for current opportunities for Hood River County School District students.

As we collaborate with HRCSD on a Team Approach to Technology, we're excited to launch a series of Family Tech Tips designed to help you create healthy screen habits and keep technology in its proper place at home.

At Better Screen Time, we believe in solutions that work. That's why everything we teach is:

1. Family-tested

2. Backed by research

We are also parents, and we recognize that managing screen time is a crucial aspect

of raising children today. Our five children span college, high school, middle school, and the elementary levels, so we intimately understand the challenges technology brings to modern parenting.

Our collaboration with the school district is not just about improving tech use in schools and homes—it is about changing our children's lives for the better. They need our guidance, support, and understanding now more than ever.

These Family Tech Tips are our way of giving back to our community. We hope they will empower your family to: to reduce screen time, restore family connection, and raise kids and teens who thrive in the digital age.

Together, we can create a healthier, more balanced relationship with screens and foster stronger family bonds.

Here's to less screen time and more family time,

Andrea Davis, Founder of Better Screen Time

We are hiring for the 2024-25 school year. To learn more about job opportunities, please visit our human resources website. You may also email human.resources@hoodriver.k12.or.us if you have any questions.

Join The Hood River County Education Foundation at The Ruins on Saturday, October 12, for a fundraising concert featuring Hit Machine and local favorites County Line. Indian Bowl & Roll and Taqueria La Picosita will be on site to make sure all attendees have their fill of tacos, samosas, and more! Cornhole enthusiasts will have the chance to show off their skills, and winners have the chance to receive fabulous prizes. HRCEF will also be hosting a raffle, with the opportunity to win event tickets or an evening at one of your favorite Hood River restaurants. The HRCEF fundraiser at The Ruins promises to be an evening of music and fun for the community. We hope to see you there!

Link for the event:

https://hrcef.org/join-hrcef-county-line-hit-machine-at-the-ruins-october-12/

Link to the direct ticket purchase:

https://www.tickettomato.com/event/8926