August 28, 2024

Dear Families,

Welcome back to another exciting school year at Hudson Park Elementary! I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing summer, filled with fun and cherished moments with family and friends.  This is my fourth year serving as elementary principal and my twentieth year working as an educator in Rainier School District #13.  Mr. Howell, our Vice Principal, is beginning his eleventh year as an educator and third year here at Hudson Park. As we prepare to embark on the 2024-2025 school year, I want to take a moment to share our enthusiasm for the upcoming year and the plans we have in store. We have been busy preparing for the new school year, and our dedicated team is eager to welcome each of our students back to school.

This year, we are focusing on creating a positive and engaging learning environment where every child can thrive. Our goals include:

1. Enhanced Learning Opportunities: This year, we are implementing a new science curriculum, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), which is designed to support diverse learning styles and interests. Our curriculum will be enriched with hands-on activities and real-world applications to make learning science more interactive and enjoyable.
    
2. Social and Emotional Growth: We recognize the importance of supporting our students' social and emotional well-being. We continue to implement programs that foster resilience, empathy, and a positive school culture.  This year, in addition to our Character Strong curriculum, we are implementing a screener, Characteristics of a Successful Learner, in order to monitor students’ development of relationship skills, self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, and social-awareness.  This screener helps promote the creation of a school culture that supports kindness, care, connection, equity, diversity and inclusion and aligns with the social emotional framework as presented in House Bill 2166.
    
3. Family and Community Engagement: We value the partnership between home and school. We will offer various events and activities throughout the year to keep you informed and involved in your student’s education.  Stay tuned for an upcoming reading night this fall as well as upcoming events sponsored by our Parent Teacher Organization (PTO).
    
4. Safety and Well-being: The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our top priority. We have updated the Student/Family Handbook to ensure a safe, secure, and positive learning environment for all students. Teachers will be reviewing the handbook in-depth with students the first few weeks of school. Please take the time to review the handbook at home with your student as well. Contact your student’s teacher if you would like a printed copy of the handbook.

We look forward to working together to make this school year a successful and memorable one for your student. Thank you for your continued support and partnership.  Here’s to a fantastic year ahead!

Educationally yours,  

Megan Keplinger

Principal

503.556.0196

megan_keplinger@rsd.k12.or.us