HOA Happenings
October 1, 2023
for all K-12 families at Hillsboro Online Academy
A message from our Administrator
Hello HOA families! We have been in school for a whole month now and so many exciting things have been happening. September was all about connections! We started the year with in-person orientations and the teachers and staff felt like they really connected with the students during this time. One of the best things that came out of these orientations was that we had less technical difficulties at the beginning of the year than ever before! Next, we held our first High School Social and High School Hispanic Family Night. We also had a K-8 HOA Community Night. Both events were very successful and I hope that you enjoy the pictures from those nights on our HOA website.
Starting the first week of October we will be starting in-person PE, Music and STEAM activities with our K-8 students at Tamarack. Please make sure if you are coming to in-person activities that you read all of the procedures that your teachers send out regarding drop-offs, lunches and pick-ups as we share buildings with other schools now. We are excited for our HOA 6th graders who will be off to Camp Meriwether for Outdoor School also during the first week of October.
We have many resources available for your students if they are struggling with on-line learning. Please start with reaching out to their Homeroom or Advisory teacher. We offer in-person and online times each week for study halls or group work at each level. Some teachers offer live lessons to work on certain assignments or skills. Other teachers offer small group work time in person or online. Students can always reach out to any of their teachers using the messaging system in Canvas if they need extra support. Please use your Canvas Parent Observer account to make sure your child doesn’t struggle and get behind.
Thank you for partnering with us to make this a very successful and fun year for our students! Please reach out to me if you need any other support.
Sincerely,
Shannon Freudenthal
K-12 Administrator, HOA
Attendance Reminder
Every full-time student must answer the daily attendance question, in their Homeroom or Advisory class, to be marked as being in class.
Students that are in virtual meetings, class activities, or lessons but do not answer the daily attendance question will be marked absent.
Our locations
K-8 @ Tamarack
7201 SE Kinnaman St
Hillsboro, OR 97123
High School @ Oak Street Campus
440 SE Oak St
Hillsboro, OR 97123
New options when calling HOA
English callers will have the option to enter an extension number OR be directed to our K-8 program at Tamarack or the High School program at Oak Street Campus. You will then have the opportunity to get to the Counselor or the Office at the location you chose! All Spanish callers will still be routed to Mrs. Estrada!
We hope these options will make it easier for you to reach the person you need to talk to! You can find staff extension on our website in our Staff Directory!
Parents on campus
Parents wishing to stay on campus while their student is in class, or participating in a club or activity need to be an approved volunteer with the Hillsboro School District.
The Volunteer Application process could take up to 10 business days to process, so you'll want to start the process early. Visit https://volunteerapplication.hsd.k12.or.us to start your application! You can visit the same site to check your status!
Click on the graphic above to get to the document.
We are able to offer HOP cards to families that are in need of transportation assistance. Please contact Kristina Estrada at estradak@hsd.k12.or.us if you need one for your student.
On-site PE starts Monday, October 2nd!
- Monday
- K-3 @ 10:30
- 4-6 @ 11:30
- 7-8 @ 1:45
- Wednesday
- K-3 @ 10:00
- 4-6 @ 11:00
- 7-8 @ 1:00
Monitoring student progress & schoolwork
We encourage our parents to set up a Parent Observer account in Canvas since we do not post grades to ParentVUE like the traditional schools. The Parent Observer role allows you to monitor your student's progress and communicate with your student's teachers.
Getting a Parent Observer account is easy as 1-2-3!
- Get a "pairing code" that your student can generate in their settings, or ask a staff member!
- Go to our log-in page (https://hsdk12.instructure.com) and click "Parent of a Canvas User?"
- Enter your information & the pairing code
If you have questions, you can ask any HOA staff member! We're here to help!
K-8 @ Tamarack News
Wonderful Wednesdays start on October 4th!
Elementary students begin at 10am and finish at 1pm. Middle school students begin at 11:30 and end at 2:30. Students will enjoy PE, music, lunch with their peers, and time in our classroom for STEAM or class activities.
We cannot wait to have the students come and spend some in-person time with us!
Drop-Off Procedures:
Please bring students to the front door of Tamarack Elementary (by the FlagPole). Parent parking is in the lot on Kinnaman Rd. Students will check-in with the greeter and then be escorted to either the gym, music room or upstairs. Family members are not allowed to stay on campus like in the past during class time. However, if an adult is an approved volunteer and actively supporting a teacher during class time, that is fine. Please help us to keep kids safe by parking and then walking them to the door. If you arrive late and you don’t see the door greeter, please take your student to the main office to check-in.
Pick-Up Procedures:
Pick-up will also occur at the Tamarack front office entrance. We must see you in order to release your student(s). Please use the same procedure as drop-off (park and walk up), and then your student will be released to you. If you are picking up a student early from an activity, please pick them up at the Main Office. Our office manager, Karen, will call up to the classroom teacher to have them dismissed.
District News
Chromebook repairs & replacements
The Technology Department is implementing new policy regarding all district-issued Chromebooks, chargers and styluses that are checked out to students.
- Loss or damage of a charger that requires a replacement charger for a student will result in a fee of $40.
- Continual repair or replacement of Chromebooks due to damage, neglect, loss, theft, and vandalism will result in a fee being charged.
- Damaged Chromebooks should be reported to the building immediately to initiate the repair or replacement process.
- Each student will be allowed one replacement Chromebook OR two Chromebook repairs prior to fees being charged.
- 3rd repair is $75
- 4th repair is $150
- 2nd replacement is $400
SERVICES OFFERED FOR TALENTED AND GIFTED (TAG) STUDENTS
Parents are welcome to refer their child for services designed for students identified as talented and gifted. Students who perform exceptionally beyond regular instruction on a universal screener measuring overall reading or math or on a mental abilities test, and have other confirming evidence that they learn at a rapid rate and advanced level, can be identified as TAG students. With parent input, individual plans are made to adjust the rate and level of the student’s instruction to meet his or her specific needs.
If you think your child may qualify for TAG services, and want information about the referral and identification process, please contact your school’s TAG Coordinator.
Strengthening Families
LifeWorks NW is now accepting registrations for the Strengthening Families program. This free, virtual class for youth ages 10-14 and their caregivers will be offered from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m on Wednesday evenings, Oct. 4 through Nov. 15, in English and Spanish. Learn more in this flyer (English, Spanish).
SafeOregon. Feel Safe. Be Safe.
All kids should feel safe and be safe at school. SafeOregon gives kids, parents, schools and their communities a way to confidentially or anonymously report safety threats or potential acts of violence. Together, we’ll empower people to speak out and spark change. One tip can save a life.
Cold and Flu Season
This is just a reminder and a recommendation for you. This is not an emergency, and this is not anything to be worried about. It is simply cold and flu season. We are seeing higher cases of staff and student absences.
Please:
- Wash your hands for 20 seconds frequently throughout your day
- AND Use hand sanitizer between times you wash your hands
- Distance yourself from those who may be sick
- Clean your work area frequently
- Wipe down surfaces and commonly used supplies (pens, keyboards, doorknobs, desks, phones, etc)
- Feel free to Wear a mask
DO NOT COME TO WORK if you are sick or not feeling well
Thank you, your friendly neighborhood District Nurse
Verify your student's information
Verifying your student information is very important for parents/guardians to complete each year for their currently enrolled student(s) in the Hillsboro School District. Having accurate contact information for parents is critical for communicating school and district news, as well as attendance and emergency notifications. Online verification allows you to update information such as:
- Address and contact information
- Emergency contacts
- Parent/student relationship information
- Vaccination information
- Digital resources consent form (important to continue student use of digital resources such as Google Classroom)
How do I access Online Verification?
You will need a ParentVUE account and access to a computer or mobile device.
Don't have a ParentVUE account? Contact your student's school for an activation key. Additional ParentVUE information can be found here.