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The Hugh Hartman Holidays

New holiday traditions at a Redmond elementary school confounded parents, who petitioned to get holiday celebrations back on the calendar

By Jack Harvel

On Feb. 15 a parent of a Hugh Hartman Elementary student started an online petition over what was happening at their child’s school. Within 48 hours the petition got over 150 signatures—quite a few considering the school only has 335 students.

The problem: the school didn’t have a Valentine’s Day celebration and replaced it with what it called Kindness Week. The petition connects Kindness Week with other times the school has altered or didn’t celebrate holidays, and alleges that Hugh Hartman no longer allows the celebration of popular holidays and cultural events. Hugh Hartman administrators say there’s no policy barring holiday celebrations, and that it is finding unique traditions for a unique school.

Hugh Hartman is a new addition to the Redmond School District. Opening its doors as a K-3 school in September 2020, it’s adding a grade each year and will become a full K-5 by the fall of 2022. It’s the only dual-language Spanish-English program in the district, and its student body is the most diverse elementary in town. Opening months after COVID-19 began circulating in Central Oregon, it’s had to deal with closures, masks and protesters trying to persuade students to stage a walkout.

“They actually had a classroom card exchange last year for Valentine’s. Which was really exciting, because that was the first celebration after a return to in person education last year,” said Catherine Alene, a parent of a third grader at Hugh Hartman, and the author of the petition. “When I learned that it was a more far-reaching decision, I was very surprised to learn that that had not been communicated to me terribly effectively.”

Alene likened it to Festivus, a neo-holiday popularized by "Seinfeld" that stripped away the commercial and jolly aspects of Christmas, replacing it with an “airing of grievances” and a wrestling match with the head of the household. The school, however, points to core values selected by parents as one of the guiding reasons for the different celebration. Before the school year, 190 Hugh Hartman families selected from a list of values to identify what they wanted to see at school. The highest ranking values are inclusion and belonging, safety, respect/responsibility, kindness and fostering individuality.

“In the case of Valentine’s Day, our families identified ‘kindness’ as one of their top core values. Another motivating factor was to expand the opportunities for students to share their appreciation, love and friendship to their peers and loved ones. Providing students with opportunities to design and create the cards is also empowering for children,” said Lisa Burgher, principal at Hugh Hartman Elementary, in an email. “And of course, any time there is pressure for families to produce cards or candy or gifts, undue financial burdens occur and we like to minimize burdens on the family.”

There have been complaints about other holiday celebrations, which are largely guided by the school’s monthly themes. In December a monthly theme of traditions around the world explored a diverse set of winter celebrations, but no singular event. In October the school’s theme of Hispanic Heritage Month gave opportunities for celebrations that mimicked Halloween and Día de los Muertos.

“We had dress-up days that highlighted the importance of historical people. Both holidays involve dressing up and celebrating the dead which is what we did, it just wasn’t labeled as such,” Burgher said.

Burgher’s talked to some parents about the new types of celebrations, and said that they’re more amenable after the school’s goals are explained. She also said that fourth graders were polled on whether they preferred Valentine’s Day or Kindness Week, and it was split 50/50. A small Facebook group of Hugh Hartman parents discussed the issue on and off for the past month, with a mixed response from parents. Parents differed on whether alternative celebrations were a big deal, but most agreed it could’ve been communicated better.

“A lot of the things are sent out in electronic format, and not all parents are getting those. Paper newsletters sometimes come out and sometimes don’t,” said Sarah Miller, a parent of a Hugh Hartman student. “There’s a lot of short notice for things, and I know a lot of parents have to have at least two weeks’ notice that they’re going to take time off to be able to attend a meeting or a function.”

The principal agrees with this and says after receiving parent feedback she’s looking to more effectively communicate with families. The different celebrations aren’t any new policy, and celebrations have typically been up to the discretion of administrators. Halloween, for example, could include all-day costumes, no costumes, a short parade or spirit week at different schools in the same district.

“As a district, schools obviously follow a set of like curriculum standards, but beyond that schools and administrators have a lot of autonomy about what types of events they plan,” said Sheila Miller, public information officer of the Redmond School District. “They know their schools best, and they know their communities best. So we give them that freedom in determining what types of celebrations and events they want to have at their school.”

Hugh Hartman, just its second year in, is still finding its identity. Burgher said children need “rhythm, routine and rituals,” and that these different holiday celebrations serve the same social functions as traditional holidays. She added that the school will seek to refine and tweak holidays as necessary moving forward, after gathering and considering input.

“At Hugh Hartman, we are still defining these traditions. There is no one way to celebrate any holiday or event,” Burgher said. "We prioritize linking learning to everything we do in our school, from our classrooms to our school and family events. By highlighting and teaching positive character traits for our students we are helping students to develop strong social skills and a positive self-image."

Credit Jack Harvel

Mandates Ending Even Sooner

Oregon is moving the end of indoor mask mandates sooner for the third time

By Jack Harvel

Gov. Kate Brown announced mandated indoor mask use will be lifted on March 12, at the same time as Washington state, after previously announcing Oregon’s mandate would end no later than March 31, and later pushed forward to March 19.

Oregon state health officials had wanted to hold off on repealing indoor mask mandates until there were fewer than 400 COVID-positive patients in the state’s hospital system, which aligns with the number of pre-Omicron caseloads. Masks will still be required in health care settings, airports and on public transit, adhering to federal requirements, but individual counties and school districts will be able to set their own policies. Brown announced the policies in a joint statement with Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. In California starting March 1, masks will not be required but will be strongly recommended for unvaccinated people in most indoor settings. Masks will not be required in California schools after March 11.

“On the West Coast, our communities and economies are linked. Together, as we continue to recover from the Omicron surge, we will build resiliency and prepare for the next variant and the next pandemic. As we learn to live with this virus, we must remain vigilant to protect each other and prevent disruption to our schools, businesses, and communities––with a focus on protecting our most vulnerable and the people and communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19,” Brown said in a press release.

During a press conference Feb. 28, Oregon state epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger said 479 people had COVID in Oregon hospitals. Most of Oregon counties still fall under the Centers for Disease Prevention’s high-risk category, which he expects will shift to lower risk categories in the next two weeks. Oregon and Washington are among the last states to lift mask mandates.

Director of the Oregon Department of Education Colt Gill said the Oregon Health Authority and ODE will provide updated guidance for schools at the local level in the next week. On Feb. 16 the Redmond School District became the second in the state to opt-out of mask mandates, but reneged on Feb. 28 after two school unions expressed concern and state agencies threatened fines. The board updated the resolution to no longer include a date, which was set as March 2.

Los mandatos terminan incluso más pronto

Por tercera ocasión, Oregon está adelantando el final del mandato del uso del cubrebocas en espacios interiores

Por/ By Jack Harvel Translated by Jéssica Sánchez-Millar

La Gobernadora Kate Brown anunció que el mandato del uso del cubrebocas en espacios interiores se eliminará el 12 de marzo, al mismo tiempo que el estado de Washington, después de haber anunciado anteriormente que el mandato de Oregon terminaría a más tardar el 31 de marzo y después se adelantó al 19 de marzo.

Las autoridades de salud del estado de Oregon querían posponer la derogatoria del mandato sobre el uso del cubrebocas en espacios interiores hasta que hubieran menos de 400 pacientes positivos a COVID en el sistema hospitalario del estado, que con el número de casos anteriores a Ómicron. Los cubrebocas seguirán siendo necesarios en los centros de atención médica, los aeropuertos y el transporte público, apegandose a los requisitos federales, pero los condados y distritos escolares podrán plantear sus propias políticas. Brown anunció las políticas en una declaración conjunta con el gobernador de Washington Jay Inslee y con el gobernador de California Gavin Newsom. En California, a partir del 1º de Marzo, no se necesitará del uso del cubrebocas, pero se recomendará el uso en las personas no vacunadas en la mayoría de los espacios interiores. No se requerirá del uso del cubrebocas en las escuelas de California después del 11 de marzo.

“En la costa oeste, nuestras comunidades y la economía están ligadas. Juntos, mientras que seguimos recuperándonos del alta de Omicron, edificaremos resiliencia y nos prepararemos para la siguiente variante y la siguiente pandemia. Mientras que aprendemos a vivir con este virus, debemos seguir al tanto para protegernos los unos a los otros y prevenir interrupciones a las escuelas, negocios y comunidades––con el enfoque de proteger a las personas más vulnerables y a las comunidades que se han visto afectadas de manera desproporcionada debido a COVID-19,” dijo Brown en una rueda de prensa.

Durante una conferencia de prensa del 28 de febrero, el epidemiólogo del estado de Oregon, el Dr. Dean Sidelinger dijo que 479 personas tenían COVID en los hospitales de Oregon. La mayoría de los condados de Oregon aún siguen bajo la catagoría de alto riesgo para los Centros para la Prevención de las Enfermedades, lo cual espera que cambien a la categoría de menor riesgo en las próximas dos semanas. Oregon y Washington están entre los últimos estados en eliminar el mandato del uso del cubrebocas.

El director de la Secretaria de Educación de Oregon (ODE por sus siglas en inglés), Colt Gill, dijo que la Secretaria de Salud de Oregon y la ODE ofrecerán orientación actualizada para las escuelas a nivel local en la próxima semana. El 16 de febrero, el distrito escolar de Redmond, llego a ser el segundo en el estado en no optar por el mandato del uso del cubrebocas, pero el 28 de febrero se retractó después de que dos uniones escolares expresaran la preocupación y las agencias estatales amenazaran con multarlos. La mesa directiva actualizó la resolución para no incluir ya una fecha, la cual había sido fijada para el 2 de marzo.

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