HPE Family Newsletter
Dear Families,
October was an action-packed month! Students completed i-Ready reading and math assessments, which will help teachers identify students’ baseline for instruction as well as determine the need for interventions in the classroom. Teachers have spent many hours learning the new English Language Arts Curriculum, Savvas, and have been preparing to begin reading small groups in all classrooms, K-6, by November 7. We began working together as a staff to review the playground rules and expectations as part of our School Improvement Plan (SIP). Since the start of the school year, we have seen a decline in the number of behavior incidents on the playground, but an increase in incidents in the classroom. Overall, physical contact and physical aggression are our most frequently occurring behaviors, which we are continuing to address. Please, also, talk with your student/s at home to ensure they understand the importance of keeping hands to self.
Tutoring
At this time, we are reviewing i-Ready assessment data and will reach out to students’ families for those most in need of tutoring. Our capacity to tutor is dependent on staffing. We are aiming to begin tutoring this month and will be offering tutoring after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students participating in tutoring will have a snack from 3:00-3:15 and then tutoring will take place from 3:15-4:15. The activities bus will be available for students and will depart from Rainier Junior Senior High about 4:15ish.
Swim Lessons
We will continue with generally the same swim lessons schedule this month, which includes swimming on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only. On Mondays and Fridays, we will provide regular PE instruction instead of swim lessons. Students in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 will continue with swim lessons through the end of the first semester (January 26, 2023). See below for the revised November 2022 swim lessons schedule. Students in PreK (tentative), K, 6, and multi-age will participate in swim lessons February through June 2023. A schedule for second semester swim lessons will be sent out prior to the start of swim lessons in February 2023. Please email your questions about the Briarcliff Pool to pool manager, Destinee Ryder, destinee_ryder@rsd.k12.or.us.
Donations Needed
We are currently accepting donations of the following items:
New or like-new swimsuits children’s size 10/12 or larger (We do not need swim trunks at this time.)
New, reusable water bottles
Playground equipment (E.g., basketballs, soccer balls, wall balls, jump ropes, soft footballs only, etc.)
Please drop off your donations at the Hudson Park Elementary office window or send them to school with your student along with a note indicating the items are a donation.
Kindles for Books Program
Hudson Park students (grades K-6) have been working hard to meet their reading goals and quite a few students have entries in the drawing already! Your student has the opportunity to meet their reading goal multiple times, and each time the goal is met they earn another entry in the drawing. Thank you for all you do at home to support your student(s) with reading. Your encouragement and support makes all the difference! For complete information about the program, click on the following links: Kindles for Books Flyer and Reading Incentive Rules Explained. Please email your questions about the Kindles for Books Program to the program coordinator, Louise Johnson, louise_johnson@rsd.k12.or.us.
Volunteers
Teachers are busy planning field trips for this school year. If you think you may be interested in volunteering for a field trip, it is suggested you complete the volunteer paperwork as soon as possible. Only approved volunteers will be able to chaperone for field trips. Also, the volunteer paperwork must be completed every school year at the beginning of the year. Click here to access the volunteer packet. If you need a printed copy of the packet, please contact the HPE office or stop by the office window. Once the volunteer packet is complete, please submit it to the school office. Please note, volunteers must be fully vaccinated, or apply for an exception, which is outlined on the volunteer webpage linked here.
HPE Office
The Hudson Park Elementary office is open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Please stop by the outside office window to conduct school business in-person. To contact the office, please call: 503.556.0196. You may also email the office secretaries:
Erin Knox, erin_knox@rsd.k12.or.us
Carrie Vawter, carrie_vawter@rsd.k12.or.us
Staff Webpage
If you haven’t already, please be sure to visit our staff webpage where you’ll find access to the emails of teachers and a link to the Welcome Letters from teachers. Click on each staff picture for more information about teachers’ educational background, educational philosophy, classroom management plan, classroom daily schedule, and grading/report card policies. Click here for a complete staff directory.
School Schedule/Calendar
Student Daily Schedule:
8:00 a.m.-2:45 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
8:00 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Wednesdays *EARLY RELEASE
*Students may be dropped off no earlier than 7:45 a.m. each day. Staff are unable to provide supervision for students prior to 7:45 a.m.
Attendance
Under Oregon law, (ORS, Chapter 339), all students between the ages of 6 and 18, who have not completed grade 12, are required to attend school regularly unless otherwise exempted by law. All students, five years of age, who have been enrolled in a public school are also required to attend regularly. “Regular attendance” means attendance which does not include more than eight unexcused one-half day absences, or the equivalent thereof, in any four-week period in which the school is in session. Students’ attendance will be monitored and letters will be sent to families with excessive absences. Oregon state law requires that we withdraw students who miss ten consecutive days of school. If a student is absent for any reason for ten consecutive days, they will be withdrawn from school and will have to re-enroll when they return.
Transportation
Dianne Gabriel is the manager at MidCo Bus Company. Please call 503.556.9140 with any transportation-related questions or concerns. Click here for bus route information including the 2022-2023 Snow Routes.
Nutrition Services
Breakfast is provided at no charge for all students. Lunch price for K-5 is $3.25 and grades 6-12 is $3.75. To add money to your student's lunch account, click here to access Mealtime Online. You may add money to your student's lunch account (small fee), sign up for email notifications for low balances on account (free), and look up what your child has been purchasing (free). You may also send a check or cash with your student to school and the money will be added to your student's lunch account.
If your family was affected by the Weyerhaeuser strike, you may be eligible for meals at no charge. Also, school funding and grants are often dependent on our free and reduced price lunch percentage, so please help the school provide more services by filling out a free and reduced lunch application. Applications can be done online at. Hard copies are also available in the HPE office.
Please email Nutrition Services Director, Debby Webster, with any questions: debby_webster@rsd.k12.or.us
Students Services
The Student Services Department offers support to students based on their individual needs, talents, or interests. These services include: Nursing, Native Voices Club, Talented and Gifted, English Language Learners, Special Education, and Behavior Analyst. If you have questions about these services, please feel free to reach out to Heidi Schafer, Student Services Director, 503.556.9121, or email heidi_schafer@rsd.k12.or.us.
Reading Interventions
Louise Johnson, Hudson Park’s Reading Specialist, is providing reading support to students in both push-in (classroom) and pull-out groups. Based on i-Ready reading assessment data, Acadience Benchmark Assessments (K-2), teacher observation, and parent input, reading intervention groups have been formed. These groups in grades 1-5 are currently meeting with Mrs. Johnson and support staff four days a week for focused, intensive reading intervention. If your child is receiving extra support from Mrs. Johnson, you will see a note in the comments section of the report card. Please email your questions about reading support to Louise Johnson, louise_johnson@rsd.k12.or.us.
Counseling
Our school counselor, Sara Gray, provides individual and group counseling services for students with both short-term and long-term needs. This includes conflict-resolution for any students struggling with peer issues. If you feel your student needs counseling support, please contact Sara Gray to arrange for services by emailing sara_gray@rsd.k12.or.us or calling the Hudson Park Elementary office.
Important Dates
November 2022 Swim Lessons Schedule
The entire Hudson Park Elementary staff recognizes and appreciates the time and effort you put into making our school-home partnership successful. As we work together to support student growth and learning, our community is also strengthened. Thank you for making a difference!
Educationally yours,
Megan Keplinger
Principal
503.556.0196
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: Filing a Program Complaint as a USDA Customer webpage, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 Complaint form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
email: program.intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Click here to download a PDF version of this letter.