The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) has launched a survey to learn what Oregon residents think of available telecommunications services. Residential telephone and cellular service customers are encouraged to take this survey to provide input about the quality of service received and whether there is access to appropriate telecommunications services for individuals and communities to thrive.

May 4-8 is Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week! Thank you to all who do so much for the children of Harney County!

April is Childhood Abuse Awareness Month and Pinwheel Gardens can be seen throughout Harney County. Put into place by the Frontier Oregon Parent Education Hub, pinwheels are a symbol of the happy, uplifting and carefree childhood we want for all children.

The HESD Learning Resource Center Library offers a wide range of professional development books that are available for teachers and staff of our component schools. A sampling of titles include "The Balanced Teacher Path: How to Teach, Live, and Be Happy" by Justin Ashley; to "Ditch That Textbook: Free Your Teaching and Revolutionize Your Classroom" by Matt Miller, to highlight just a few.

The teams were ready with their facts and posters; some even had matching or themed shirts. Some students dressed as their favorite character. All in all, it was a fun-filled day and HESD staff and community volunteers were honored to be able to provide assistance in moderating, timing, scorekeeper, running results, etc. For many of us, it was our first introduction to the contests, which began with a kick-off back in October.

The February 2020 issue of Harney Electric's Ruralite Magazine featured one of HESD's Early Childhood Center's great programs, the Home-Based Preschool Program. An instructor visits the enrolled child's home each week, providing parents with the tools they need to continue the lessons provided by the teacher.

It's a good day for students when HESD Computer Technician and Network Administrator, John Friedrichsen, visits the school. In addition to setting up and maintaining computers and servers, John is very knowledgeable about Google Classroom and helps the teachers navigate this teaching tool.