Now parents, it's time to shift the focus to you. The above message focuses on staff and students, but you comprise a third essential group in the "educational triangle"! Thank you for the role you have played in making all of this possible. You generously support our classrooms and service activities. You also support our students on a daily basis and make sure they come to school healthy and ready to learn.
On Thursday and Friday, a number of you expressed your concerns about school security and student safety. I assure you that safety was one of our top priorities yesterday. It is every day. Each HSD school practices how to best respond to a number of safety scenarios including: Evacuation, Earthquake, Shelter-in-Place, Lockout (external threat), and Lockdown (internal threat). We also take steps to proactively avoid situations that could potentially disrupt learning or threaten student and staff safety. Our schools address socioemotional issues, identify students and situations that need extra attention, and engage in a threat assessment process if necessary. Each school also has a safety committee that meets regularly.
In response to the nationwide TikTok threats, I sent a general notification to all staff and our principals followed up with a more specific email to all staff. We tightened up our safety protocols on Friday, which included: Additional outside supervision, confirmation of visitor identities and intent before allowing school entry, and other measures such as the monitoring of security cameras and perimeter checks throughout the day. Thankfully, the day was incident-free in Hockinson and other local schools.
As I acknowledged with staff, the transition to in-person learning has been bumpy at times. However, despite the restrictions and occasional inconveniences, we are making it work and it is gratifying to see our students enjoy being back at school; I have a feeling that they are settling in and getting more and more comfortable with being part of a school community with every passing day. I am inspired by our students' academic gains these past four months and impressed with their skills as athletes, musicians, and leaders. Like you, I am excited to see what we will achieve in 2022.
As has been the refrain for nearly two years: Stay healthy and stay positive, everyone. Happy Holidays!
Sincerely,
Steve Marshall
Superintendent
Hockinson School District
