August 28, 2014

Keeping you up to date
on the latest news and
events in the Hillsboro
School District
FEATURED STUDENTS
Summer Internships Provide Valuable Career Experience
Erin Ruark and Connor Stansell were two of 80 youth who spent their summer interning across the community through partnerships with Summerworks, a program of Worksystems, Inc., the City of Hillsboro and the Hillsboro School District. Read the article written by Shirley Araiza, a student at Glencoe High School and a member of the City's Youth Advisory Council.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Tuesday
Sept. 2
First day of school: grades 1-6, 7, 9 and new students
Wednesday
Sept. 3
First day of school: grades 8, 10, 11 and 12
No academic seminar
Thursday
Sept. 4
First day of school: all kindergartners
Tuesday
Sept. 9
6 - 9 p.m.
Administration Center

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HOT NEWS HAS A NEW LOOK

Those of you who have been with us for a while know that this is not the Hot News of the past! Instead of having a primary focus on individual school activities and events, Hot News will now be more article-driven, scannable, and mobile-friendly. We will also feature both a parent/ community version and a staff version. Our hope is that the new format will be more informative and useful for a broader audience of patrons. Please let us know what you think!
PROUD TO BE HSD CAMPAIGN
The Communications Department has launched a campaign around its new theme: Proud to be HSD! We consider everyone who lives in the greater Hillsboro area to be part of the Hillsboro School District, so we want to hear from all of you--staff members, students, parents, and community members--about what makes you proud of the Hillsboro School District. Tobias principal Steve Callaway shows us here that students are what makes him proud, but what about you? Take a moment to share your story with us by filling out the brief form on our website.
DISTRICT RECEIVES NEARLY $729,000 IN ADDITIONAL GAIN SHARE FUNDS
At its August 14 meeting, Hillsboro School District Board members indicated their intention to use additional Gain Share money to both restore the one remaining budget reduction day to the 2014-15 school calendar and address staffing issues that may arise this fall.
 

The District was expecting over $1.2 million in Gain Share funds from the City of Hillsboro and Washington County in 2014-15. That money, along with a portion of additional State School Fund dollars, was already used to restore four instructional days to the 2014-15 school year. Read more. 
SYNERGY AND PARENTVUE
Elementary parents will have access to student information after first quarter
Last school year, the Hillsboro School District transitioned to a new student information system called Synergy.  Middle schools and high schools used the system's gradebook feature to track assignments, attendance and grades, and parents were given access to the system via ParentVUE so they could view their child(ren)'s information. This year, elementary teachers will begin using the gradebook in Synergy and parents of elementary students will be given ParentVUE accounts after the end of the first quarter.

When you log into your ParentVUE account from a computer, you will be able to view your personal information, including your address, phone number(s) and e-mail address(es), your child's emergency contacts, etc.  You can edit your phone number(s) in the system, but if any other information is missing or incorrect, please let your school's office manager know so they can get it updated.  The contact information in Synergy is what we use to get in touch with you, so please make sure it's current!
HSD WELCOMES OVER 400 NEW STAFF
Thanks to a combination of retirements, new positions and other vacancies, the District is thrilled to welcome more than 200 new teachers to its ranks in the 2014-15 school year. The new teachers had three additional contract days--August 20, 21 and 22--to get oriented to the District, receive specialized training, and have extra time in their buildings to prepare for the coming year. In addition, over 200 new classified staff are joining us this year.
COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS FRESHEN UP SCHOOLS
Summer cleanup and painting efforts took place across the district
Many thanks are due to the volunteers who spent part of their summer sprucing up many of our schools. Starbucks employees worked on painting and landscaping duties at Poynter Middle School on August 27. On August 16 and 23, families from area churches spent a Saturday morning painting, weeding, trimming, laying bark dust, and cleaning at several schools around the district as part of Community Care Day, sponsored by Love, Inc. Earlier this summer, on August 2, over 80 Wells Fargo employees and children descended on Hillsboro High School to spruce up various areas of the school. View our slideshow.
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A publication of the
Hillsboro School District
Communications Department
503.844.1500
Engage and challenge all learners to ensure academic excellence