HSD News Round-up

Twice a year, members of the Hockinson School Board participate in campus visits at each of the district’s three schools. On March 15, Teresa VanNatta (District 1) and Patrick Carter (District 2) stopped by Hockinson Middle School to: Visit classrooms, learn about the school’s visioning process for 2022-23, and check on the condition of the facility and its current maintenance projects. Next, the Board will visit Hockinson Heights Elementary School. These campus visits provide the School Board with valuable context for the school’s upcoming School Improvement Plan presentations in April and May.

While Hockinson Schools were largely left out of the federal Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) program, the district has cranked up our efforts to find and secure grants to enhance student learning and balance our budget. These efforts have paid off this spring!

The HSD recently learned that it will receive a $30,000 grant for socioemotional curriculum. This will enable schools to purchase materials that will help students learn to regulate their emotions, cope with stress, anxiety, and depression, and interact positively and successfully with others. The HSD was also awarded a $390,000 digital learning grant that will expand its 1:1 device program to Grades K-4 through the purchase of additional Chromebooks, Chromebook covers and storage carts, and wireless access points. This grant will also enable the HSD to purchase adaptive technologies for students with special needs and disabilities.

Although a new law requiring public and private schools to make menstrual products available at no cost to students does not take effect until the 2022-23 school year, two HHS students took the initiative to ensure that these products are accessible to their classmates now. The efforts of sophomores Emma Clayburn and Lilly Crabb were recently featured in The Columbian. Click to read the article and gofundme if you would like to make a donation to this service project.

The HMS Library will host a Scholastic Book Fair this coming week, courtesy of the school’s PWT. Not only does the fair put an array of childrens and young adult books in the hands of kids, it brings in funds that benefit all three of the district’s school libraries.

The book fair will run Monday 3/28 - Thursday 3/31. Hours of operation:

Monday: 8:45 - 3:30 pm & 5-8 pm and Tuesday - Thursday: 8:00 am-3:30 pm. Please remember the HMS is a closed campus so HHES students are asked to visit the fair after 12:30 pm.

Spring break can bring apprehension for our families with food insecurity. HSD families can pick up free food from the HSD Care Closet next week - or any week - by completing a confidential request form.

Hockinson High School’s third Volleyball-a-thon might have been its best one yet.

What is a Volleyball-a-thon? It is a big, intramural-esque volleyball tournament in which students put together their own teams and come up with costumes and a team name. Nearly 170 students participated in this year’s event, which was held this past Friday night in the HHS Gym from 7 pm - Midnight.

According to organizer Beth Tugaw, the event’s open format creates a great mix of students who are interested in being competitive and those who want to have fun with their friends. “It is just a fun, active atmosphere. There’s music, squeaking shoes, and a lot of cheering,” said Tugaw. She added, “My favorite part is the laughter and seeing students encourage each other. It was obvious everyone was having a great time.”

The event is also a fundraiser for the school’s ASB account. “ASB is by the students, for the students. So the Volleyball-a-thon is a real win-win. It is something positive that brings our school closer together and it generates funds so we can do other fun things for our kids,” said Tugaw.

Are you interested in having additional COVID tests for at-home testing? HSD families can sign up for two free iHealth COVID tests per student here: Covid-19 Home Test Kit Distribution Form. Once registered, you can pick up your test kits at the COVID Testing Center at 17912 NE 159th St. Families are encouraged to test their children whenever they display COVID-like symptoms and as a preventive measure as students return to school after spring break.

The HSD will continue to offer drive-thru COVID testing through the end of the school year. Current drive-thru testing hours are 6:45 am - 9:00 am.

• March 28-April 1 Conference Week (half days at all schools)
• March 28 First day of HMS Boys & Girls Track & Field
• March 28-31 Scholastic Book Fair at HMS Schedule
• March 28 Regular School Board Meeting @ 6 pm at HHS Library
• April 3-8 Spring Break (No school)
• April 11 School Board Work Session @ 6 pm
• April 23 Earth Day Clean Up at HHES (all day)

• May 13 PWT Book Swap
• May 14 PWT Book Swap & Community Plant Sale

Website: hocksd.org
Location: 17912 NE 159th St, Brush Prairie, WA 98606
Phone: (360) 448-6400
Facebook: facebook.com/HockinsonSchools