Happy New Year! We hope you all enjoyed a restful and fun winter break and are ready to start 2023 strong.
Although the 2022 calendar year has ended, cold and flu season has not. COVID-19, the flu, RSV, and other respiratory viruses are circulating broadly in our community. While there is no single preventive measure that can guarantee you or your child(ren) or other family members will not get sick, there are many things you can do to stay healthier and to limit the spread of diseases.

Get vaccinated against COVID-19 and the Flu
Wash and sanitize your hands often
Cover your coughs and sneezes
Avoid close contact with people who are ill
Stay home if you are sick
Get plenty of rest and stay hydrated, and
Consider wearing a face covering indoors

If you have any questions about whether or not your child is too sick to attend school, please reference the Too Sick for School flyer on our website. If you are unsure if your child meets the guidelines for missing school due to illness, feel free to reach out to the district nurse assigned to your child’s school or contact the COVID Resource Team at 503-844-1784.
So far this school year, we have been extremely fortunate to have not been put in a position where we needed to close a classroom or a school because of excessive illness and absenteeism. With all of us working together in observing good health hygiene habits, we hope that will continue to be the case.
If your child is healthy, it is very important that they attend school so they are able to fully access their instruction. Regular, on-time attendance is a key measure of academic success.
Our Featured Event was the swearing in of a Hilhi graduate as the state’s new Labor Commissioner. In the November 8th, 2022 general election, 2001 Hilhi graduate Christina Stephenson won the statewide vote to become Oregon’s next Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries. This nonpartisan position is tasked with protecting the rights of workers, encouraging and enforcing compliance with state laws, and promoting the development of a highly skilled, competitive workforce. She chose as the backdrop for her swearing-in ceremony on Friday, December 16th, an engineering classroom at her alma mater. The class is taught by former Intel Engineer Wayne Clift, in a true nod to what it means to prepare students for the real jobs they will be entering upon graduation. We are proud to see our alumni going on to do amazing things!
Hot News is produced and emailed to HSD families and staff each week school is in session. Please add the address to your “safe sender” list to make sure you always receive the latest issue. Please also bookmark our district website: hsd.k12.or.us and the 2022-23 School Year page: hsd.k12.or.us/202223schoolyear to stay informed about what’s happening in our district and schools.