VR Goggles Open a World of Place-Based Learning at HHES
Hockinson Heights Elementary School is stepping into the future with Virtual Reality (VR) goggles for classroom lessons. The goggles, purchased with Parents Working Together (PWT) fundraising dollars, will be used to immerse kids in exploring a variety of subjects. This innovative, experiential approach opens a world of place-based learning to HHES students.
Fourth graders in Mrs. Ruestig’s class put the goggles to use for the first time on March 8. Fourth grade students are studying Asia for their multicultural unit this spring, and this VR exploration of landmarks in Asia will add a new perspective to their research. “I thought it was really cool. This could be really big because it could be used in the classroom to transport you to another place,” said Maci Pacheco, 4th grade student at Hockinson Heights Elementary.
Potential uses for VR in the classroom include visiting countries around the world, traveling the path of a white blood cell through the body, and following along with an interactive story.
The VR goggles have been welcomed with excitement by some HHES parents and suspicion by others. "The HSD embraces traditional and innovative instructional resources. We have a diversity of learners and we do our best to meet these varied needs and provide them with different ways of accessing content," said Superintendent Steve Marshall. "While some might view this as 'big brother' technology, it isn't. It is essentially a modern View Master that brings our curriculum to life."
Ashla Green, PWT President, agrees. “Virtual reality gives teachers a tool to take students places a school bus cannot. It engages the kids and makes learning accessible for more students,” said Green.
March Silver Social Recap and April Preview
After only its initial voyage, the Hockinson Silver Social is sailing into the future as a promising opportunity for adults to gather and connect. Continuing in April, local residents are invited to the Hockinson Community Center for a time of socializing, games, guest speaker visits, and light refreshments on a monthly basis.
On Tuesday, March 5, forty attendees spent the afternoon with local area historian and author Louise Tucker. Tucker is known for her books Battle Ground Lake Before It Became a State Park and Battle Ground…In and Around. Tucker's remarks centered on the theme, "You can never finish what you don't start" as she recounted the twists and turns of the research process and the daunting task of tracking down primary accounts and historic photographs. Guests enjoyed coffee provided by Hearth Coffee and refreshments courtesy of the Heritage Safeway. We are grateful to both businesses for their generous support.
We hope you join us at the next Silver Social held on Tuesday, April 9. The event will feature a talk given by Superintendent Steve Marshall, Hockinson Market co-owner Justin VanNatta, and Pastor Shaun Hart, entitled “Putting Hockinson on the Map." The trio will present the stories behind the “Hockinson Homegrown Highway” and Hockinson Historic Driving maps, which illustrate the evolution of Hockinson through its businesses, farms, and points of interest, both past and present.
Interested? Please RSVP at (360) 448-6480 or via email at katie.omalley-soot@hocksd.org.
The HSD and Hockinson Community Education are very excited to offer this unique opportunity for area residents to meet up and interface on a variety of topics. When considering possible names for this series, there was some concern that the Silver Social moniker might give the impression that these events are for retirees only, but this is not the case! Hockinson Silver Socials events are open to adults of all ages.
Spirit Trophy
Positive Impact
The HSD Communications Survey is Now Open!
It’s that time of year again. Let us know how we’re doing! We’d love to hear your feedback about the communications that you receive from your school and the district. Your insights are valuable to us, so please take a moment to share your thoughts and let us know how we can continue to improve our communication with you and your family. You can complete the survey HERE. We're listening!
How was your communications survey feedback from last year put into action?
Last spring, HSD families provided feedback about school and district communications through our annual survey. Your input is important to us and helps us improve! Here are the changes that we made this year based on your feedback on the 2023 survey:
You let us know that most families prefer to receive school information in e-newsletters (94%) and on social media (60.7%). We refocused our efforts to producing frequent e-newsletters and posting timely school news to social media.
Families asked for more information in order to make the most of opportunities available to students. In e-newsletters this year, we spotlighted student voices about favorite classes, extracurricular activities, and how they’re planning goals for the future. We have also been intentional about providing registration links and deadlines.
Open-ended comments asked for better consistency across communications from all three schools and the district. We heard you; our school and district level communicators meet once per quarter to collaborate on communications, coordinate messages and share the ways that we’re communicating them with parents.
Music in Our Schools Month, A Spotlight on HHS, HMS & HHES Bands
In our last Round-Up, we shared some of HMS and HHS Bands’ recent participation in state and regional honor bands. March is Music in Our Schools Month and the perfect opportunity to share updates on what HSD student musicians have been working on.
Megan Miles’ 2nd and 3rd grade students recently performed "Wing It!", a bird-themed musical, where they learned to perform songs with ukuleles, percussion instruments, body percussion, and vocals. Each class performed scenes with solos and speaking parts, impressing the Hockinson community. Now, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th graders are studying folk songs from different cultures while 4th graders prepare for their upcoming musical of humor titled, "Lighten Up.” This late-April performance will feature recorder songs, solos, speaking roles, and comedy skits. Kindergarten and 1st graders are gearing up for their May 16 concert by learning ocean-themed songs, and TK students have been exploring musical beats and different instruments’ sounds while “Jammin’ in the Jungle.”
HMS Band performed at the regional LCRMEA Band Festival earlier this week and were ranked "Superior" by three adjudicators! What is next for the Band? Student musicians are scheduled to march in the Loyalty Day, Hazel Dell, and Hockinson Fun Days Parades. Students are also looking forward to performing alongside the Vancouver Pops Orchestra next month, at District Jazz Night,
and at other upcoming school events.
March is a busy month for musicians! As HHS Band Instructor Corey McEnry said, school ensembles across the country are either preparing for or just coming off of a performance. HHS Band is no different. Upon returning from their Pearl Harbor Day performances, students have been rehearsing diligently for their Spring Concert held earlier this month. Students rehearsed daily as an ensemble, held weekly sectionals, and often dedicated their daily Focus period for additional individual practice. Thanks to support from the Hockinson Music Boosters, professional musicians have been working with students weekly on instrument-specific skills leading up to the Spring Concert. The music season heats up in the spring: HHS Band has 10 upcoming performances on the books, including the Portland Starlight Parade.
While the intense schedule poses its fair share of challenges, it also brings rewards. Not only does musical education foster teamwork, leadership, and a strong work ethic, but according to McEntry it also "exercises" areas of the brain left untouched by other academic subjects. Introducing students to music builds a lifelong connection to the arts and creates a sense of community at school.
Facilities Planning Committee Clarifies School Improvement Priorities
The HSD Facilities Planning Committee started in June 2022 to:
- Inform committee members of facilities updates, projects, and needs.
- Collaborate on solutions to short- and long-term facilities needs.
- Guide a district-wide maintenance plan and short- and long-term facilities plan.
- Communicate with the larger community on the above topics.
The FPC currently consists of 8 community members, a School Board representative, Operations Director, and Superintendent. Meetings are facilitated by two representatives from the ESD 112’s Construction Services Group.
The group has processed state Information and Condition of Schools (ICOS) reports, facility analysis summaries, enrollment data, and input from building leaders to identify the following priorities:
Address 1. Overcrowding at Hockinson Heights Elementary School, which is the largest elementary school in Clark County and 2. Needed facility repairs and upgrades, including:
HVAC replacement at HHS and HHES
HHES, HHS, and DO Roof Replacement
Resurface HHS Track and research options for field improvement
HHES Safety upgrades: Public address upgrades, additional cameras, perimeter fencing, "hardened" single entry, classroom communications, campus-wide lockdown button.
Access and parking lot improvements at HHES
Educational adequacy improvements at HHES (improved facilities and reduced student passing times)
HHES covered play areas
HMS covered play area
HHS Multi-purpose Room improvements (exterior lighting and vestibules)
Moving forward, the FPC will explore the options and costs related to these projects. The group will also reach out to HSD families for their input throughout the spring, starting with a survey next week.
2022-23 HSD Annual Report Available Now
Each year, we publish an annual report with information about Hockinson School District for the previous school year. This includes enrollment, budget, facilities, demographic, standardized test score, and attendance statistics. Read the 2022-23 annual report here!
News Bites
Sign up for the 3/20 HSD Schools Tour: HSD parents and community members are invited to join us next Wednesday, March 20 on our spring "Focus on Learning" Community Tour. This tour is an opportunity for our families and neighbors to get better acquainted with Hockinson's schools. At each stop, principals will share a summary of their school improvement plans before giving parents an opportunity to visit classrooms to observe our amazing educators and students in action. If interested, please register by completing this short questionnaire. We will be sending additional information to our "school tourists" via email.
Hawks Flock to Spring Sports: Did you know that 270 HHS students turned out for a spring sport? That's 37% of the school's student body! We want to thank our Hockinson community for providing these opportunities for our students. Levy dollars make it possible to offer Baseball, Softball, Girls Golf, Girls Tennis, Boys Soccer, and Boys and Girls Track to our high school student-athletes. More numbers like this will be shared in Superintendent Steve Marshall's spring "By the Numbers" message to HSD families.
PWT, Families and Students Prove We "Coin" Do It! HHES students and families made a big investment in literacy last week by raising nearly $7,000 in the school's Coin Challenge organized by PWT. That's a lot of change that will bring about a positive change in the HHES Library! So far this year the HHES community has raised over $11,000 to expand the school's book collections. The upcoming Spring Scholastic Book Fair (March 25-29) will be the final chapter in the school's library fundraising efforts.
HSD Facilities Committee Survey: Be on the lookout for a short survey from the HSD Facilities Planning Committee also during the week of March 25. The committee will be asking families for their input on its list of facility improvement priorities (above).
Contact Us
Email: justine.hanrahan@hocksd.org
Website: https://www.hocksd.org/
Location: 17912 NE 159th St, Brush Prairie, WA 98606, USA
Phone: (360) 448-6400