Principal Brandon Hammond

  • Aug. 18, 2022

    Dear OHES Families,
    I hope that you had a restful summer and are ready to learn and have fun. We have some exciting upcoming events and activities this year. This will be my first year at Orchard Hill and I am excited for the opportunity to serve you and your students. For a quick introduction, this is my seventeenth year in education, ten of those have been in administration. I look forward to meeting you all individually throughout the school year.

    A major focus this year will be rethinking and redesigning family engagement opportunities. This goal developed from many listening sessions with students, families, and staff, and through extensive professional learning. Our purpose is to create a community that is not only welcoming but allows every voice to be empowered and heard. To begin this journey, when we welcome you to our classrooms on September 6th, you will find some changes to the format of our time together. During our initial meeting, you will meet with your child’s teacher and learn the grade level learning targets of the year, in both content and social areas. A follow-up meeting will be held during our Back-to-School BBQ at the end of September. This time together will be used to review class data and learn how to target specific learning areas. We are committed to giving families the tools they need to support our shared mission of accelerating student growth.

    Lastly, with regards to family engagement, our district will be conducting a thorough assessment and analysis of our practices. This fall, in the form of a survey, you will be given the opportunity to provide us with invaluable feedback related to how we serve you and your child. We have contracted with an outside organization to evaluate the feedback and offer recommendations for our improvement.

    As principal, I strive to create an environment where students feel safe and have the tools to succeed. I believe in student-centered instruction and empowering educators to accomplish what they have been trained to do. As a staff, we will be prepared, positive, and work equitably with you and your child. Remember if you ever have any questions or concerns please let me know at brandon.hammond@phoenix.k12.or.us or contact the school.

     

    Sincerely,

     

    Brandon Hammond
    Orchard Hill Elementary School
    Principal

  • Hello Orchard Hill families!  

    My name is Brandon Hammond and I will be the new principal at Orchard Hill beginning the 2022-23 school year. A bit about myself. My educational path began at Utah State University where I graduated with a degree in

    Principal Brandon Hammond

     elementary education, Go Aggies! While attending Utah State, I fell madly in love with an Oregon girl, Charisa. We married, and after graduating, moved to the Willamette Valley where my professional career in education launched as a substitute teacher. Our first teaching position took us to Eastern Oregon, where I taught for the Sherman County School District as the Title I teacher. As a rural educator, there was a myriad of opportunities afforded within all aspects of education. I worked as the district ELL Director, Title I Director, and spent my final year at Sherman County as Elementary Principal.

    Following our time in Sherman County, we relocated to Boardman, Oregon, where I spent 2 years as an Assistant Principal for a 7-12 building. For the next 5 years in the district, I worked as principal for our 4-6 building and K-3 building. During my 7 years in Morrow County School District, I had the opportunity to become involved within the community as an elected City Councilman. This time working in the community allowed me to see the value of establishing positive relationships, both in and outside school. The last 2 years I have been working as Superintendent for the Arlington School District. This has been one of the most challenging times within my career in education as we’ve worked through the effects of COVID. Thankfully, with every challenge, our communities rise to the occasion and we met these trials as a team.

    Charisa and I have been married 20 years this July. We have 5 children, Mary(19), Matthew(17), Nathen(14), Seth(12), and Isaac(8). Our four boys keep us active in a variety of sports, including soccer, cross country, basketball, and track. As a family, we are excited for this new adventure as we relocate to southern Oregon and have a chance to be next to a Chick-fil-a.

    GO HAWKS!!

    Brandon Hammond
    Principal