HSD News Round-Up

Right before Winter Break, the Hockinson Heights Elementary School Commons was bustling with students as they demonstrated their learning about salmon life cycles and ecology at the Salmon Viewing Program.

“This is a unit we created where students explore why salmon in the Pacific Northwest are endangered and at risk of survival,” said Morgan Beaty, 4th Grade teacher. “Students used knowledge they gained through the Columbia Springs resources and presentations during their research.”

The program inspired students to get excited about science and learn more about ecosystems. “I really want to get a world water circulation map now to study the currents,” said Hockinson Heights Elementary student Colby Hohmen.

Kudos to our exceptional staff team, supportive parents, and motivated students who all contributed to this rich learning experience. Dozens of parents visited the commons area to view students’ salmon projects and hear from student teams about their research findings. Hands-on educational programs, like the Salmon Viewing Program, help our students to succeed. Hockinson School District students achieved the second highest passing rate in the region on the Science portion of the Spring 2022 Smarter Balanced Assessment.

If you have been in the HHES Main Office recently you might have noticed a new monitor, printer, and scanner on the front counter. The monitor displays a check in screen for both visitors and volunteers. What’s the difference? In most cases, a visitor is someone who is attending a performance or involved on campus for a brief portion of a school day. A volunteer has registered through the HSD’s online volunteer system and assists a classroom or program.

Upon entering the school, a visitor uses the monitor and keyboard to enter their name, contact information, and destination whereas a volunteer also enters their destination but just has to click a few buttons to activate their personal profile. Next, the printer produces an identification sticker that also comes with a bar code that the person scans to check out as they exit the building so school personnel are aware they are no longer on campus.

Superintendent Steve Marshall is excited about the new system. “We have been interested in improving our volunteer registration and management processes for a while and I am happy it is underway. Our first goal was to keep our students and staff safe. Our second was to streamline the registration, check in, and check out procedures, which we have done by shifting from a paper-and-pencil form to an electronic registration and check-in process. Finally, we needed to create a system that was cost-effective. We appear to have hit all three and the pilot has been really well-received so far.”

The new system will be evaluated later this spring to determine if and how it will be implemented and Hockinson Middle and High Schools.

Tracy Turner’s Entrepreneurship students aren’t quite burning the candle at both ends, but they are working hard to learn the lessons of launching a business…a candlemaking business. Their commercial enterprise, named Hawk-n-Scents, is giving them the opportunity to learn firsthand about business planning, budgeting, manufacturing, advertising, and sales.

Hawk-n-Scents offers seven distinct scent options, including Vanilla, Apple Cider, Ocean Breeze, and Peach, as well as five combination scents. You can learn more about Hawk-n-Scents @hawk_n_scents on Instagram and place an order HERE. Orders will be accepted through Friday, January 20. Each candle costs $10 and sales are cash only. Customers can pay for and pick up their order at Hockinson High School between 8:30 am - 4:00 pm.

Besides applying business concepts in a real-world setting, these future entrepreneurs are also showing their philanthropic side: All profits from the sale of Hawk-n-Scents candles will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital!

Thank You, HSD School Board: January is School Board Recognition Month, an opportunity for school districts across the state and nation to recognize school board members as outstanding public servants and champions for public education. Students and members of the Hockinson School District will celebrate our five directors with a short tribute at the start of its regular meeting on Monday, January 30. These dedicated community members lead the HSD on a 100% volunteer basis. Get to know your HSD board members by viewing their individual profiles under “Board Members” HERE.