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About The Hood River news. (Hood River, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 8, 2020)
A2 Wednesday, January 8, 2020 HOOD RIVER NEWS | Hood River, Ore. hoodrivernews.com SCHOOLS: Superintendent stresses setting expectations for fulfilling values continued from A1 valuable thing. Knowing the creative side of the kids and the things that honors the kids and that they know they are respected and encouraged is the best thing we can do as educators, be- cause everyone is different. We can’t treat everyone the same and as educators, we know that. HRN: Between class sizes, meeting state standards and the sheer physical challenges of each school, it can be hard to develop those relationships. How can the district and administration work to help teachers and kids find those ways to connect? Hahn-Huston: One, is set- ting the expectation of those relationships. At my first meeting with all the admin- istrators, I asked them what we value in this district. This was back in the beginning of August. Independently of each other, I asked them to come up with three things they value. They wrote it on sticky notes and put it into categories and we put them all on the wall. And hands down, the lon- gest list was relationships: What do we value as a dis- Photo by Kirby Neumann-Rea trict? If we know what we value, A YEAR of change: Hahn-Huston, left, helped thank school board members including Corinda Hankins Elliot and Brandi Sheppard we’re going to live what we at the ground-breaking at the new May Street School, in September. Assisting her is finance director Saundra Buchanan. value, and that’s what they collectively showed, it was up for.” dual-language schools. community just by eating out. around equity and relation- Here is the first of the two- Her career highlights at I’m a city girl getting trans- ships. Knowing the value is Gresham-Barlow, a district part interview, to continue in formed one orchard at a time. there, setting the expectation serving 11,000 students, in- the Jan. 11 edition. Because we’re on an orchard for what that looks like, and HRN: What did you do your cluded leading ongoing pro- tour, going to different places fessional learning for eight first morning as superinten- and discovering new ones principals and 10 assistant dent? all the time. I enjoy taking principals and the transition Hahn-Huston: I don’t re- pictures and we’ve enjoyed Sara Hahn-Huston and purchase of digital cur- member much about it, but the amazing views. We visited HRN: What do you like to one orchard and sampled riculum, implementing the that whole first week was district’s High School Success getting acclimated to where do as a family? different pears and the boys Hahn-Huston: We play a were trying to decide which Plan and redesign of alterna- things are in the district. Be- tive programs. fore I interviewed, I came out lot of Legos; the boys are all is their favorite pear variety. Hahn-Huston spoke of her a couple of times and drove addicted. They’re great at They decided it was the Gem. professional goals and the around the county to see the building, but not so much They’re not used to that much Sara Hahn-Huston challenges of the district, and schools and neighborhoods. taking them apart. Star Wars variety. balancing being a mother as I feel like I had a good un- is big for them. They like HRN: Your own children well as the district’s chief ex- derstanding of that before my riding bikes, and they’re into have a creative side; speaking creating the time and oppor- making their own comic as superintendent, how can tunity to make it visible and ecutive officer. first week. Her children are Jack, a So coming to work it was books now. They’ve been schools foster creativity in our live and authentic is really sixth grader at Hood River really getting a better un- reading graphic novels and young people? our primary task. Middle School, Ethan, a West- derstanding of the systems want to write their own. Lucas Hahn-Huston: Personally Every principal has dif- side third grader, and Lucas, a in place and the folks at the is an artist and his brothers and professionally I believe ferent leadership styles and Westside second grader. District Office and who over- help with the words. We like that through adults getting to how they go about it might Her kids are doing well, but sees what and the supports to travel and visit new places. know the kids brings a lot of look different, but as we get coming to Hood River where the schools have. I kicked off We spend a lot of time togeth- that out. I know I’m thankful to know people through rela- for it, and I don’t think it’s ex- tionships we can find ways to Mom is the superintendent a kind of informal analysis er as a family. has been a period of adjust- and audit. HRN: What have you done clusive to me because I work encourage and engage them, ment. HRN: I presume you’ve had together? in the district, but I’ve seen too. So I think helping prin- “They’d forget I’m at work a chance to visit each school. Hahn-Huston: There is so in the people and staff who because when they’d see Hahn-Huston: Oh, yes, much to do here. We still have have invested to get to know me, they thought I’m picking and I’m impressed. There’s a lot of bike trails to tour. Call (students), to know what they them up early, because I al- just a lot of great work that’s it an excuse to eat out, but we like. Going to conferences, ways worked in a district that happening. call it our “food tour”: We’ve people knew my son well HRN: How have your kids been trying different places enough, because they spent wasn’t where they lived, so it’s new to them,” Hahn-Hus- adjusted? and it’s great because all the enough time to know him and Hahn-Huston: They love it. places I go there is always how to best motivate him and ton said. “They’re now used to see- They like riding their bikes, so a neat connection to Hood the areas of strengths he has ing me and when I have my they love that they can come River and people are very in- and how to build on that. badge, they know I’m not home and get on a bike and vested in the community and The relationships the staff there to get them early for be free and have the beautiful most have come from here. has and taking time to get whatever I’m picking them scenery rather than the city. I’ve learned a lot about the to know the kids is the most ‘There is so much to do here. We still have a lot of bike trails to tour.’ ‘The relationships the staff has and taking time to get to know the kids is the most valuable thing.’ cipals knowing, if they don’t know already, the best strat- egies to get them the tools to develop that. ■ Next issue: Hahn-Huston discusses professional devel- opment, equity, partnerships and how it feels to be new, yet be increasingly recognized as the superintendent. “I strongly believe in the district here, or I wouldn’t put my most precious investment of my kids into the care of the district by any means. As a su- perintendent, this (HRCSD) was really the only job I was interested in. I was pretty se- lective not only about where I want to work but also where I want my kids to learn and grow.” Board meets Jan. 8 in Hood River Hood River County School District Board of Directors meets for the first time in 2020 on Jan. 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the District Office, Eugene and 10th streets. The board agenda includes a presentation on “Why? Talk About Suicide?” by Hood River Valley High School Counselor Jennifer Schlosser and Anne Carloss, director of Students Services, and an update on Emergency Response planning by Director of Human Resourc- es Catherine Dalbey and School Resource Deputy Joel Ives from Hood River County Sheriff’s Office. The board will hear that updated emergency response binders are now available both in hard copy and digital for- mats for district leadership and emergency responders, and efforts are underway to create a training video tutorial about the binders and emergency response process. Dalbey said the board will hear about a new “commu- nity-based wrap-around” ap- proach to evaluating threats. Participating in the ongoing HSTAT team — Hood River County Healthy and Safety Stu- dent Threat Assessment — are Mid-Columbia Center for Living, Department of Human Services, Juvenile Department, Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, Oregon Youth Authority, Hood River Police Department and the school district. Happy th HR Pool starts free swim lessons Jan. 10 Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District has announced that, in conjunc- tion with the Hood River Val- ley High School Swim Team, the center will be offering free swim lessons instructed by the high school swim team athletes on Fridays in the month of January. Dates are Jan. 10, 17, 24 and 31 from 6-6:20 p.m. These lessons will be held during the beginning of the Friday $1 swims, and partici- pants will be asked to call or stop by Hood River Aquatics to register in advance of their requested date. The facility is located across from Hood River Middle School, at 17th and May streets. Admission of $1 will be re- quired, but youth may swim after their lesson for the re- mainder of the evening open swim. Limited spaces are avail- able; call 541-386-1303 or ty’s health and safety,” said stop by to register. Lessons Mike Howard, Aquatic Center begin promptly at 6 p.m., so director. anticipate arriving and being ready on the deck before- hand. Late arrivals will not be permitted in the water. “We thank you for your support of Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District and thank the Hood River Valley Swim Team for their dedication to our communi- 40 Wedding Anniversary, Dick & Christie Reed! We love you! SUDOKU This week’s Sudoku is presented by: BRIEN D . GIBSON CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT 1 1 5 6 3 9 2 4 3 8 9 5 2 7 1 8 2 3 4 7 8 5 8 9 5 7 2 1 6 4 9 3 © 200 Hometown Content Fill in all 81 squares on the puzzle with numbers 1 to 9. You can use each number 1-9 only once in each nine square section, in each horizontal line of nine squares, and in each vertical column of nine squares. The puzzle is completed when you correctly fi ll every square. BRIEN D . GIBSON CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT T: (541) 226-3503 F: (503) 331-3904 E: briencpa@gorge.net L: 1814 BELMONT AVE. HOOD RIVER, OR 97031
