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