HSD News Round-Up

As we transition to autumn and winter, it is important that both our schools and families prepare for colder temperatures - and the possibility of late starts and school cancellations due to inclement weather. Parents, we encourage you to take this opportunity to update your contact information in Skyward Family Access if it has changed in the past year.

Weather-related late starts and closure decisions are typically made with just a few hours notice. We will do our best to notify parents of any schedule changes as early as possible. Ideally, families can expect to be notified by 6:15 am via a School Messenger text, email, and phone call. Snow route/late start/closure announcements will also be posted in an alert box on the HSD website and shared with local news media. We will also send out follow-up communications if we switch from a late start to a closure. School closures will result in make-up days. Our district’s designated snow make-up day is Friday, March 15 (2023-24 School Calendar here.) Additional closures will likely be added to end of the school year.

We are aiming to include a feature on a Hockinson student in every HSD Round-Up this year. The first student profiled is HMS student-athlete-leader Tavin Timperley! Yes. Tavin is a "triple threat" 8th Grader - he plays basketball, runs cross country and track, and is involved in ASB Leadership. Fun Fact: Tavin and his teammates capped the cross country season with a league championship and Tavin finished the league meet with the top time of 10:28 on a 1.9 mile course! More from Tavin:

What are your favorite classes right now?

U.S. History and Leadership

What do you look forward to most at school?

Seeing my friends and learning new things

What are your favorite after-school activities?

Running, basketball, and fishing

Do you have any advice for incoming 6th graders new to HMS?

Do your homework, don't get behind, and put yourself out there and make new friends. Have fun and enjoy middle school because it goes by fast.

Have you thought about any plans for the future?

I would like to play basketball, run cross country, and track in high school. My future goals would be to run cross country and play basketball in college. After college, my dream is to play professional basketball or run professionally.

HMS Principal Bess Colpron had this to say about Tavin: “He is an all-around awesome student who is coachable [and] a positive presence throughout the school. Also, students look to him to do the right thing."

Way to go, Tavin! We look forward to profiling another HSD student in our next Round Up.

All three HSD schools stepped up to celebrate Unity Day on October 18. At HHES, the event was the culmination the school's 6-week "Focus on Kindness" campaign. Students dressed up for Spirit Days, participated in an activity promoting kindness, and enjoyed a fun challenge each week such as doing something positive for someone at home. Students from Hockinson HS supported the Hornets by bringing posters with positive messages, greeting students in the morning, and reading books on teamwork, acceptance, and friendship.

At HMS, guest speaker Alex Green shared his “Dream and Believe” message at a school-wide assembly. Green, a former NFL player is now a motivational speaker and mental health advocate. He spoke to students about believing in themselves, resisting peer pressure, never giving up, and setting and achieving goals even if it takes a few tries. He even signed autographs for a few very inspired students! HMS students also dressed up for spirit days throughout the week and People Working Together (PWT) organized an orange avalanche on Wednesday to show HMS students that they have the power to create a safe and positive school environment.

Students, parents, and school and district staff got into the spirit by wearing orange as a reminder that creating safe and welcoming schools is a team effort.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and Unity Day is dedicated to using togetherness to combat bullying and promoting a kind, safe school environment. Why orange? Orange is associated with safety and visibility, and its vibrancy makes an impactful statement.

Achieving the the HSD's goal of providing "a safe, welcoming, and positive learning environment that supports high behavioral and academic expectations for all" requires everyone in our school communities to take a stand. Thanks to our students, staff, and parents who joined together to: Speak up with kindness, reach out with acceptance, and be a friend by including others!

Thank you to our students who recently participated in the biennial Washington State Healthy Youth Survey (HYS). This statewide student survey is given to students in 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grade. HYS is an anonymous survey that helps schools gain insights into current youth health trends and possible concerns. This data helps schools throughout Washington plan, evaluate, and improve programs best tailored to students’ needs, and helps schools access funding and resources to do so. Data is also shared with local health departments and approved researchers.

The HSD recognizes the benefits of this survey. It also understands that not all families are comfortable with the idea of their students sharing personal information. For these reasons, HMS and HHS school leaders reassured parents that survey data is cumulative and does not identify any single student. Moreover, no one within the HSD will have access to individual student answers.

Students who opted to take the survey could skip any questions they did not want to answer. They could also stop the survey at any time. Those students who did not participate had the option of studying or reading in the library.

To learn more about the HYS, parents are encouraged to visit the Washington State Department of Health website.

Every year, Identity Clark County (ICC) puts a spotlight on school employees and volunteers who go above and beyond in their service to students and schools. ICC is a non-profit coalition of business leaders who recognize that schools are the “foundation of vibrant, healthy communities where people want to live and employers want to operate.”

At its October 26 “Learn Here Real Heroes” awards ceremony at Washington State University-Vancouver, ICC recognized HHES teacher Hollie Rose and community member Evelyn Weed for teaching and supporting our students. Read their citations here. Rose and Weed join a distinguished group of past honorees who have dedicated their time and talents to Hockinson’s schools. Thank you, Hollie and Evelyn!

Again this year, the HSD's “Focus on Learning” Tour started, appropriately enough, at the site where public education was first established in Hockinson over 150 years ago. Gathering at the Hockinson Community Center, HSD parents were welcomed by Board members Pat Carter and Anne-Elissa Carter and given a brief tour by Community Education Coordinator, Katie O'Malley-Soot, who showed how the facility is currently being used. Superintendent Steve Marshall shared data from the recent parent perception survey as well as an overview of the district’s “Upward Together” efforts to improve student achievement and our students’ overall school experience.

The public school "tourists" then hit the road in a school bus, which stopped for hour-long visits at HHES, HMS, and HHS. At each stop, principals presented a summary of their school improvement plans before giving parents the opportunity to visit classrooms to meet students and see teaching and learning in action.

For those parents who were unable to join us this time, the HSD will be offering another tour opportunity later this year. A longer “virtual tour” will be shared on the next newsletter once we have had an opportunity to filter all photos through our do-not-photograph permissions.

Scholastic Book Fair - A big thank you to the PWT for organizing the fall book fairs at HHES and HMS. Thanks, too, to our parent volunteers and teachers who helped to make them such a success. These fairs put hundreds of books in the hands our students and on the shelves of the libraries at all three of our schools.

Last Chance to Register to Bid and Run (or Walk) - The AAA Boosters' Hawk-o-ween Virtual Auction ends tomorrow More info. Sign up for tomorrow's Haunted Hustle Fun Run or Kids Costume Mile Registration info.

The Hockinson Halloween Carnival is Tomorrow at HHES - PWT and community volunteers have organized family-friendly activities and a safe setting for trick-or-treating tomorrow from 4:30 to 7 pm at Hockinson Heights Elementary School.

Nutrition Services Newsletter - Our three schools are rolling out new menu items that are healthy and delicious. Read more in the latest Nutrition Services newsletter.

XC Teams Headed to State - Congratulations to our Girls AND Boys Cross Country Teams. Both teams had season's best performances at yesterday's District Meet and qualified for the State Meet next weekend. The girls team, which finished the regular season as 2A GSHL Champions, came in 2nd overall while the Boys narrowly secured a state berth by placing 3rd!

HHS Girls Soccer Advances to Playoffs - The HHS Girls Soccer Team finished the season with back-to-back wins, defeating Mark Morris 7-1 on Oct. 25 and Woodland 2-1 on Oct. 26. Next up: Two district crossover games next week. Good luck in the post-season, girls!

Boys Golf Sets Season Mark, Qualifiers Off to District Tourney - Recently, the HHS Boys Golf Team finished 3rd in the league 2A tournament. The team's six varsity players represented Hockinson at the District IV Golf Tournament in Union, WA. Branden Corry, Grant Gumringer, and Ethan Wall finished in the Top 15, earning a chance to compete at State in the spring.

REMINDERS:

Heads Up! Please Obey School Safety Zones - Students, staff, and parents: For the safety of our students, please comply with the posted school zone speed limit of 20 mph during drop-off and pick-up times.

Student Punctuality and Attendance is Critical to Learning - Parents, staff are working hard to create respectful and academic climates on our three campuses. Please reinforce our HERO initiative: We want Hockinson students Here, Everyday, Ready to learn, On time.

Help Us Stay Healthy: We are in the middle of cold, COVID, and flu season. If your child is symptomatic please keep them home until healthy. Remember that students need to be fever-free for 24 hours before returning to school.

- Oct. 27: Final home football game and ribbon-cutting for the new HHS Concessions Booth

- Oct. 28: Halloween Carnival at HHES, Haunted Hustle Fun Run registration info, and

final Day of Hawk-o-ween Virtual Auction!

- Oct. 30: HSD School Board General Meeting at HCC @ 6:30 pm

- Nov. 6: Citizens Advisory Committee Meeting @ 6:00 pm

- Nov. 13: First Day of HHS Winter Sports Practice

- Nov. 16 - 18 WSSDA Conference involving HSD School Board representatives

- Nov. 17: Family Binglo Party at HMS 6-8:00 pm

- Nov. 22 - 24 Thanksgiving Break: NO SCHOOL

- Nov. 27: HSD School Board General Meeting at HCC @ 6:00 pm

HHS Fall and Winter Sports Schedules available HERE

Email: amelia.holmes@hocksd.org
Website: https://www.hocksd.org/
Location: 17912 NE 159th St, Brush Prairie, WA 98606, USA
Phone: (360) 448-6400