HSD News Round Up
April 18, 2022 Edition
STEM and Robotics in the News:
Hockinson Middle School STEM Ambassadors Share Projects with Community
One of the best ways to build interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) is by sharing exciting experiments with others. Recently, students from Hockinson Middle School showcased their STEM research at Vancouver Mall. On April 2, HMS STEM Ambassadors shared such projects as an aerodynamics experiment featuring a wind tunnel, drag racing cars that run on compressed air, a large catapult, a remote control robot that kills viruses with UV light, a nerf rocket launcher, catapults, wind turbines, bridges and a roller coaster called the Thunderhound! STEM Ambassadors meets as an after-school club led by Mark Muckerheide, longtime Science teacher at HMS.
“Team Mean Machine” Heading to Worlds
Over spring break FIRST Robotics Competition Team 2471, also known as Team Mean Machine, competed at the FRC District Championships in Cheney, Washington. After an intense three-day competition, Team Mean Machine qualified for the FIRST Championship in Houston, Texas, on April 20, 2022. This event is the culminating international event for the youth robotics competition season. Click HERE to view a recap video.
Team Mean Machine consists of students from the HSD as well as the Camas and Washougal School Districts. Congratulations and Good Luck in Houston, Team Mean Machine!
Mark Your Calendars:
Forecasting and Information Night for Incoming HHS Class 2026
PWT & Volunteers to Join Forces on April 23 to Honor Earth Day, Spruce Up HHES
This coming Saturday, community volunteers will again carry on the Earth Day tradition started in 1970 by Clark County native Denis Hayes by cleaning up and beautifying the grounds of HHES. You are invited to join volunteers from the Hockinson PWT, HSD, Hockinson Main Street Team, and Citizens for Hockinson Schools as they weed, plant, and spread bark dust across the campus. The event runs from 10 am-2 pm. A Burgerville lunch will be provided.
Click on these links to SIGN UP or DONATE.
Hockinson Band Booster Club Hosting Blood Drive on May 9
"Be Our Guest!" at May 14 HHS Band Benefit Dinner, Auction, and Concert
Get Dinner or a Treat and Support the 2022 Grad Night
It takes a lot of fundraising to put on a safe, fun, and memorable Grad Night! This year’s Grad Night Committee wants the Hockinson community to be aware of some upcoming opportunities to grab dinner or a treat while helping raise money for the Class of 2022’s graduation celebration. Visit these businesses on the following dates to help:
Menchies frozen yogurt in Battle Ground, April 19 from 1-9 PM
Panda Express, Battle Ground, April 19 from 10 AM-9:30 PM
Beaches Restaurant, Vancouver, May 13 from 11 AM-9 PM
When you order, show your flier (on your phone or printed out) to be sure the funds are given to the grad committee! All flyers are in this week’s HHS Inside Scoop.
COVID News:
HSD Clarifies Current COVID Guidelines
COVID Vaccination Not Required for Student Attendance in 2022-23
On Wednesday, April 13 it was announced by the State Board of Health (SBOH) that the COVID-19 vaccine will not be required for Washington State public school students this fall. View the complete article HERE. General immunization requirements for students will remain the same as past school years. The SBOH supports the efficacy of the COVID vaccine and, at this time, no changes have been made to the governor’s proclamation requiring vaccination for public school employees. The HSD will continue to share information about updated state and local pandemic requirements.
Learning, Testing, and Skyward Account Updates:
School Board Members Visit HHES
Twice a year, members of the Hockinson School Board participate in campus visits at each of the district’s three schools. On April 12, Dave Olson (District 3) and Gordon Smith (District 5) stopped by Hockinson Elementary School to: Visit classrooms, learn about the school’s academic progress, and check on the condition of the facility and its current maintenance projects.
Principal Josh Robertson and Assistant Principal Bess Colpron shared i Ready data on student gains in Reading and Math. These promising learning trends were made possible through individual and collaborative staff efforts and teacher willingness to adapt their instructional practices and classroom routines to students’ needs. After visiting a sample of TK-Grade 5 classrooms, Olson and Smith noted the warm and supportive classroom environments and a high level of student engagement in large and small group learning activities. In a follow-up email to staff, Olson and Smith acknowledged the challenges that come with change and thanked everyone for advancing a school-wide vision on literacy and making a lifelong difference in the lives of students.
Fall Testing Backstory & Looking Forward to Spring Assessments
We want to apologize to the HSD families and community for a testing error that resulted in an abnormally low Science test score on the fall 2021 state assessment. The fall tests were a modified version of the Smarter Balanced Assessments that were carried over from the previous spring. Due to a misunderstanding, HHS freshmen were not given the 8th Grade Science Assessment. So, even though our test takers posted a much higher collective score, the non-testers counted as zeroes and brought down the HSD average to 35.8%. We regret this mistake and the negative impact it had on our learning data and test scores. Here are the percentages of HSD students who met standard on the fall tests (v. state average):
ELA - 59.7% (47.7); Math - 42.6% (30.4); Science: 35.8% (45.8).
Hockinson Schools are now especially motivated to ensure that our spring student scores are representative of our students’ actual level of learning. Students have been working hard and we are excited to see how much they have learned this year. As demonstrated above, it is important that all students participate in the spring SBA because these tests give students and parents a progress report on critical academic skills and reflect on the level of teaching and learning in HSD classrooms. As test administrators we will make sure we cross our t’s and dot our i’s and we ask that parents help us in the following ways:
- Avoiding vacations during the testing windows below
- Making sure students get a good night’s sleep and a nutritious breakfast
- Encouraging students to give their best effort and take as much time as needed to complete the tests
Again, we apologize for the misstep this past fall and we thank you in advance for your partnership in rocking these assessments this spring.
SCHOOL - TESTING WINDOWS
HHES - May 12th - June 4th
HMS - May 9th - May 27th
HHS - April 14 - May 4th
Action Requested: Please Update Student Skyward Student Profile by May 31
By May 31, we ask that all HSD parents update their student profiles in Skyward Family Access. The federal government has created 222 categories for ethnicity and race data in an effort to more accurately reflect individual student backgrounds. As in the past, parents have the option of choosing more than one race for their child.
Please be aware that ethnicity data is sent to the state in numbers only. Student names do not get reported with this data. Thank you for your assistance with this update. We will be sending out reminders in the weeks ahead.
General News:
Spring Cleaning at HSD: Staff Work Hard over Break to Make Schools Shine
Spring Break can be a time for recreation. For HSD custodial and grounds staff it is a time to address maintenance projects that cannot be completed when school is in session. During the Week of April 4, there was a flurry of cleaning, fixing, updating, inspecting, and servicing as staff prepared our schools and equipment for the final months of the 2021-22 school year that included:
Filling potholes in parking lots; Installing LED lights as part of an energy-savings pilot at HHES; HHS pressure washing (with the help of baseball parent volunteers); Removing defunct kitchen equipment; Backflow testing; Completing a comprehensive Fire Marshal inspection; Servicing HHS vans; Replacing filters district wide and HVAC inspection; Replacing the washer/dryer at HHS kitchen and spraying weeds at all HSD campuses.
The HSD takes its role as the steward of our community’s facilities very seriously and actively takes steps to enhance the appearance, efficiency, and safety of all school facilities.
CSHE Curriculum Available for Review
This Spring, HIV/AIDS content from the newly adopted G-W Essential Health Skills and the Human Sexuality Accompanying textbook, will be taught to HSD students in grades 6-12. Dates of instruction are as follows:
Middle School - May 25, 26 & 27, 2022
High School - May 24 & 25, 2022
Parents have two options to review this curriculum:
1. To review the materials online, click HERE (or on the HSD website, visit "Departments," "Teaching & Learning," and "CSHE Curriculum Information." Be sure to look at the materials under your child’s grade level. These online materials will be available until May 31st, 2022.
2. We will also be hosting a drop-in evening session on April 21st from 6:00-7:00 pm in the HHS Library. Hard copies of the textbooks will be available and computers will also be open to review the materials online.
If you choose to opt your student out of the HIV/AIDS instruction, please fill out the appropriate high/middle school opt-out waiver. These students will receive an alternate assignment from their science or health teacher and will be supervised in a different location. A new waiver will need to be filled out each year.
Upcoming Events
April 19 HHES Multicultural Night 5-8 pm
April 21 CSHE Parent Night 6-7 pm at HHS Library
April 23 Earth Day Clean Up at HHES
April 25 Regular School Board Meeting 6 pm at HHS Library
April 29 HSD Visual Art Show 5:30 - 7 pm at HHS Commons
May 7 Hockinson Saturday Market at HCC*
(Other market dates: 5/28, 6/18, 7/2, 7/23, 8/6, 8/20, 9/3 & 9/17)
May 9 Band Booster Blood Drive 1-7 pm at HCC
May 13 PWT Book Swap at HCC
May 14 PWT Book Swap & Community Plant Sale at HCC
June 3 & 4 Fun Days (Yes. Fun Days is back! More details to come.)
June 17 New Last Day of School (pending Board approval and no cancellations)
*HCC = Hockinson Community Center (Old Middle School)
Connect With Hockinson Schools
Email: amelia.holmes@hocksd.org
Website: hocksd.org
Location: 17912 NE 159th St, Brush Prairie, WA 98606
Phone: (360) 448-6400