July 31, 2020

Greetings North Plains Families!   

Hopefully you have had the chance to drive by the school and see how far the construction is  coming!  The gym looks great and is on schedule to be ready by the end of November, and the parking lot will be ready at the end of August.  I know many of you are looking forward to being able to walk on the sidewalk and you can see that it has been recently poured!  Once the parking lot is done, the construction fence will be moved and that will be open for you.

With the recent guidance from Governor Brown and the Oregon Department of Education, our plans for returning this fall have changed quite a bit. Under these new guidelines, all HSD schools will open in September following a Comprehensive Distance Learning format. It is our hope that we can move to a hybrid model with in-person opportunities once it is safe to do so according to the metrics outlined in the plan. If you haven’t seen the guidance from ODE, here is the most recent version. Ready Schools, Safe Learners

Although Comprehensive Distance Learning no doubt encompasses challenges, you can expect a different experience from the spring. Throughout the summer, our leadership team has been meeting and planning to provide a robust online learning model to support all students. In the guidance above, you will see changes such as taking attendance, providing grades and feedback, specially designed instruction (SDI) for our students on IEPs, and additional synchronous (live) teaching expectations.  Here is a link explaining the differences between the Hillsboro Online Academy experience with the Comprehensive Distance Learning model: Comparison of CDL and HOA

When originally considering a hybrid model, some families made the decision to transfer their child to our Hillsboro Online Academy due to safety, flexibility, or instructional concerns. With the recent change of plans, if you would like to withdraw your transfer to HOA, and return to our school community, you are welcome to do so. You simply need to contact HOA and ask them to reverse your transfer. All applications for transfer to HOA, or reversal of transfers, need to be completed by August 12th. In addition, if you plan to withdraw from Hillsboro School District to pursue homeschooling or other options, please let me know at your earliest convenience. Thank you to the families who have already reached out to communicate their plans.

The first day of school has been pushed back to September 14 for all grades. The additional week will allow time for staff to communicate with families regarding needs, concerns and how we can best work together in this new format.Although it will be different, we are still a strong community and I know we can work together to do what’s best for kids!

Take care and stay healthy!

Becky rios

North Plains Hawks: Embracing growth, diversity, and change!

riosr@hsd.k12.or.us

(971) 220-6526