In November, we celebrate Native American Heritage Month, recognizing the tremendous beauty, resilience, and positive impact of Native American, Alaska Native, and Indigenous cultures. This commitment extends beyond celebration. It is also a moment to confront the historical injustices and ongoing struggles for recognition, equality, and peace that Native communities face.
To build a truly inclusive community, we believe that visibility saves lives. Increasing the visibility of Native American, Alaska Native, and Indigenous students and staff is an essential first step in fostering strong, lasting relationships within our district. This month, we renew our commitment to highlighting the rich and diverse cultures of these communities.
More importantly, we pledge to ensure that this recognition is not confined to November. Our educators have access to comprehensive lessons and resources designed to seamlessly integrate and elevate Native American, Alaska Native, and Indigenous histories, cultures, and contemporary contributions throughout the entire school year. We encourage every member of our district to seek out opportunities to learn, listen, and honor the Indigenous people who enrich our community.
Please mark your calendars for our Native American/Alaska Native Heritage Month Celebration from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 6, at Orenco Elementary School. The event is free and open to all HSD students and families and will feature delicious food, drumming, and storytelling.
For additional information and more upcoming events, please visit our website.
Our featured event took place at Butternut Creek Elementary School. On Thursday, October 23, Butternut students joined others from around the state participating in “Oregon Crunch-at-Once” to celebrate National Farm-to-School Month. Crunch-at-Once encourages students to bite into locally grown apples, carrots, or other crunchy produce at the same time to make a powerful statement about the importance of local food and agriculture education in our schools. Butternut Creek’s garden steward, Reeba Daniel, and the rest of the parent club signed up the school to participate, and Principal Bethune worked with Nutrition Services to secure local apples for the event. In an interesting twist, they were able to source the apples from Bell Orchards off of Farmington - the owners of which lived three doors down from Butternut Creek for 35 years and sent all six of their children to elementary school there!
Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, November 2, at 2 a.m. Remember to set your clocks back one hour before going to bed Saturday night. 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.