The Hive
April 15th
Happy Monday!
We hope this newsletter finds everyone well. Thank you for allowing your kids to join us at the Spring Fling on Friday. From what we hear and saw everyone had a blast! We couldn't do these types of events without your support. We appreciate it more than we could ever express!
Enjoy this beautiful day!
With kindness,
BC & SS
Upcoming Band Events!
HMS will have the Vancouver Pops Assembly on the morning of Tuesday, April 23rd.
Eighth grade students will be performing with the Vancouver Pops at HHES on 4/30 and will be back at HMS by 10:30am.
Meningococcal and HPV (combination)
Dear Parent or Guardian:
As a parent there is nothing more important than safeguarding your child’s health. The Washington State Legislature requires us to make information available to you about and human papillomavirus (HPV) and meningococcal disease. Know the facts about these diseases and the vaccines available to protect your child.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Prevention
What is HPV?
HPV is a very common virus that can cause cancers later in life. Nearly 42 million people are currently infected with HPV in the United States. About 13 million people, including teens, become infected with HPV each year. In the U.S., an estimated 36,000 people are affected by a cancer caused by HPV infection each year. While there is screening for cervical cancer that can detect cancer early, there is no recommended screening for the other cancers caused by HPV infection, like cancers of the back of the throat, anus, penis, vagina, or vulva.
How can I protect my child from HPV?
HPV vaccination provides safe, effective, and lasting protection against the HPV infections that most commonly cause cancer. HPV vaccination works extremely well. HPV vaccine has the potential to prevent more than 90% of HPV-attributable cancers. Since HPV vaccination was first recommended in 2006, infections with HPV types that cause most HPV cancers and genital warts have dropped 88% among teen girls and 81% among young adult women.
Who should get the vaccine and when should they get it?
Because the vaccine is more effective when given at younger ages, two doses of HPV vaccine are recommended for all boys and girls starting at ages 9 to 14. If boys or girls do not get the first dose of HPV vaccine before age 15, they will need three doses.
For more information on HPV, the vaccine, and cervical cancer:
Washington State Department of Health: www.doh.wa.gov/hpv
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention: www.cdc.gov/hpv
Meningococcal Disease and Prevention
What is meningococcal disease?
Meningococcal disease is a serious illness. It spreads through close contact by coughing, kissing, or sharing anything by mouth, such as water bottles, eating utensils, lip balm, or toothbrushes. It can cause pneumonia, blood infections, and meningitis (swelling of the covering of the brain and spinal cord). Severe disease can cause brain damage, loss of hearing or limbs, and death. Fortunately, this life-threatening infection is rare – we usually have only about 20 to 30 reported cases each year in Washington. Adolescents and young adults are more likely to get meningococcal disease, especially if they live in group settings like college dorms.
How can I protect my child from meningococcal disease?
The meningococcal conjugate vaccine, or MCV4, prevents against four types of the disease. It is a 2-dose series recommended for all children between 11 and 12 years of age, and again at 16 to 18 years of age. The meningococcal B vaccine, or MenB, is recommended during a meningococcal B disease outbreak or based on shared decision making with your health care provider.
For more information about meningococcal disease and how to prevent it:
Washington State Department of Health meningococcal information:
https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/illness-and-disease-z/meningitis-meningococcal-diseaseCDC meningococcal disease and vaccine information: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/diseases/mening.html
Where can I find the meningococcal and HPV vaccines?
Talk to your health care provider about the vaccines your child needs. In addition to meningococcal and HPV vaccines, your preteen should receive Tdap. Washington offers vaccines at no cost to kids through age 18 through the Childhood Vaccine Program. Participating providers may charge an office visit fee or administration fee to give the vaccine. If you can’t afford these fees, you can ask to have them waived. This provider map can be used to find providers in the Childhood Vaccine Program: https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/vaccinemap/
Sincerely,
Hockinson Health Services
SBAC Information: Getting Ready for Testing!
Taken from the Hockinson School District Facebook Page:
HMS SBAC Testing Dates:
May 6-24, 2024
The SBAC tests are crucial for measuring student learning, allowing teachers to tailor classroom support to student needs. The tests measure individual student progress and also give a snapshot of our school's overall performance. Last year, Hockinson School District students outperformed state averages in all three subjects tested: math, ELA, and science. When even one student does not take the test, it pulls the school’s average scores down because non-participation counts as a score of zero.
State funding for student programs is also influenced by SBAC participation rates. This underscores the importance of every student's involvement in the SBAC, for individual assessment and for the benefit of our school community as a whole.
Books & Blooms
We are excited to be part of this annual event! We hope you will join us! If you are interested in volunteering, please use this link to sign up! VOLUNTEERS
For more information: LINK
Youth Leadership Opportunity
From The Clark County Youth Commission:
The Clark County Youth Commission, an official youth advisory board to the Clark County Council, is seeking youth from all walks of life to join its group for the next school year.
Between now and April 30th, we are actively recruiting for Youth Commission members to fill at least 10 vacancies throughout Clark County:
· All open positions are available for youth who live in Clark County.
· New Leader positions are available for youth with no previous leadership experience.
· We have some positions open to students living in the geographical boundaries of specific school districts as the Youth Commission uses school district boundaries to ensure broad representation of youth from all areas of the county.
More information about the Youth Commission and applications to apply can be found at https://www.clark.wa.gov/community-services/youth-commission. The application is available in Word, PDF, and Google Forms.
We appreciate your interest and want to let you know we are here to help.
Please contact Elizabeth Houston-Hill at 564.397.5133 or Elizabeth.Hill@clark.wa.gov if you have any questions or need additional materials.
Chromebook Information
This is a friendly reminder that it is important for students to keep the protective cases on their school issued Chromebooks to protect them from accidental damage. If you opted into the Hockinson Assurance Program at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, and your student's Chromebook is damaged while any part of the case is off, the cost of repair will not be covered by your assurance as is stated in the exclusions section of the assurance form.
Here is the Hockinson Assurance Program form if you would like to take a closer look at what it offers, including coverage and exclusions. If you opted out of the assurance program at the beginning of the year and would like to have assurance coverage, you can opt-in at any time after your student's Chromebook has been inspected for damage. A paper form can be sent home with your student, or you can make an online payment through InTouch, the HSD payment portal.
Take Note: Important Dates!
April 2024
April 23rd Vancouver Pops Assembly
April 25th Take your child to work day
April 25th HMS Jazz Band
April 27th Earth Day Clean-up
May 2024
May 3rd-4th Books & Blooms
May 4th MS Solo/Ensemble Festival
May 5th Long Beach Loyalty Day Parade
May 6th-May 24th SBAC Testing
May 6th-10th Teacher Appreciation Week
May 10th District Visual Arts Show
May 18th Hazel Dell Parade
May 27th No School: Memorial Day
May 31st-June1st Hockinson Fun Days
May 31st Last day of school to check out library books
Hockinson Middle School
We teach, guide, and support students and our community by creating a safe environment where we learn and grow together.
*Students may be dropped of at 8:00am
Wednesdays: 1 Hour Early Release
Office Hours: 8:00am - 3:45am
Email: bess.colpron@hocksd.org
Website: https://hms.hocksd.org/
Location: 15916 NE 182nd Ave, Brush Prairie, WA, USA
Phone: 360-448-6440
Facebook: facebook.com/HockinsonMS/