It’s Thanksgiving week, which means it’s time for our annual ‘weather issue’ of Hot News! This is where we like to remind families about how we make inclement weather decisions and how those decisions are communicated. Our district is very large - spanning 204 miles - and within our boundaries are elevations ranging from 140 feet to more than 1500 feet! That means the weather conditions can vary greatly from one area to another. Our goal is always to ensure the safety of all of our students and staff - be they our 10,000+ bus riders, student drivers, walkers, bike riders, or those transported by parents. And when we make an inclement weather decision it applies to all schools. Learn more about the decision-making process and how we will communicate with you on our website at hsd.k12.or.us/weather. Stay warm!
Our Featured Staff Member is Jeff Johnson, director of bands at Poynter and Evergreen Middle Schools! He has been selected to join a marching band of 400 band directors from across the country in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, November 23rd.  The Saluting America’s Band Directors parade entry will convey its theme, “America’s band directors: We teach music. We teach life.” to recognize the extraordinary dedication and accomplishments of band directors and music educators everywhere. According to Jeff, “this will be a transformative and enriching experience that I can bring back to my students’ everyday enjoyment of music-making.” Let’s all watch for Jeff on Thursday morning - so exciting! Thank you for representing us and making us Proud to be HSD!
Reminder: there will be no school for students the week of November 20th for family conferences and the Thanksgiving holiday. Please plan to attend your child’s conference! This is an important connection point where you can discuss educational progress with your child’s teachers. 
The fall edition of our bi-annual district newsletter, A Look Inside Hillsboro Schools, is complete and currently being delivered to all households in the HSD attendance area. Look for it in your mailbox, or read the digital version on our website. The Spanish version will be ready soon and will both be added to our website and mailed directly to households that have indicated their preferred language is Spanish.
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 to stay informed about what’s happening in our district and schools.