HSD News Round-Up

Pictured: Stone in Love, a Journey tribute band, is playing at HHS this Thursday, Dec. 5. The concert will raise food for the annual HSD-Fire District 3 Holiday Canned Food Drive. Admission is 2 cans of food per person.

Read on to learn about this fast-approaching community concert, how Hockinson schools are staying safe during cold & flu season, HHS Cheer's recent success, the upcoming bond proposal, and other HSD news.

HSD families, community members, and students of all ages are invited to join us on Dec. 5 for a concert that will both entertain and benefit the Hockinson community. Stone in Love, a renowned local Journey tribute band, will take the stage of the HHS Gymnasium at 6:30 pm. Admission is two cans of non-perishable food. All food donations will go towards the annual HSD/Fire District 3 Holiday Canned Food Drive to support local families in need.

Stone in Love will play faithful renditions of Journey’s classic hits. Expect a high-energy performance that will bring legendary hits to life once again. The band will be playing a 22-song setlist, including: Faithfully, Anyway You Want It, Lights, Who's Cryin' Now?, Open Arms, and, of course, Don't Stop Believin’.

See you there! Arrive early. Doors will open at 5:45 pm.

The HHS Cheer Team competed for the first time in a decade at the Nov. 22-23 River Ridge Carnival Classic Cheer Competition at North Thurston High School ... and they came home with a 1st Place Trophy. Great job, Hawks!

The team is coached by Chantelle Henry and Julie Ruhl.

As we enter the cold/flu/COVID season, we ask for your help with keeping our schools as safe and healthy by keeping students home who are symptomatic. Students can return to school if they have:

• a temperature under 100.4 degrees without a fever-reducer;
• not thrown up for a full 24 hours; and
• are not experiencing digestive issues, such as diarrhea.

If in doubt, please contact our school nurses Kat Young (HHES), Shawn Cass (HMS) and Shing Burkhart (HHS) for advice.

Winter illnesses are creeping in–and we’re doing everything we can to keep them at the door! As temperatures drop outside, our custodians are ramping up school sanitization efforts inside our schools. Nightly sanitization runs target high-touch surfaces, like desk tops, door handles, and push bars to prevent the spread of germs. Custodians also ensure that all hand sanitization stations around each campus are kept fully stocked. As Maintenance and Operations Supervisor Dave Wilson says, our custodians “are on the frontline to stopping the spread of germs on campus.”

Beyond sanitization, our custodial teams have prepared our buildings and grounds for winter. They've stocked up on de-icer, checked that our emergency generators are functional, and will be performing seasonal checks to prevent frozen pipes and other cold-weather damage. Read our recent Facility Friday to learn more about how our custodians prepare our facilities for cold weather.

Our level of safety preparedness would not be possible without the ongoing support from the Hockinson community. Levy dollars play a critical role in helping us fulfill our commitment to safeguarding our schools.

The annual Thanksgiving Lunch is a HSD tradition, a big production, and a huge hit with kids. This year, twenty-four turkeys were roasted and carved to prepare 928 lunches across all three schools! In addition to turkey, students enjoyed green bean casserole, mashed potatoes topped with gravy, old-fashioned stuffing, and homemade pumpkin cake. This special lunch was served the Thursday prior to Thanksgiving. Special thanks to HSD’s Nutrition Services Director Joshua Brown-Silva and our food service employees for continuing this special holiday tradition!

HMS hosted its first social of the school year on Friday, November 15, and it was a glowing success! With 230 students in attendance and 25 staff members chaperoning, the “Glow-cial” was a night to remember. Students danced, sang, played games, and created memories that will last for years to come. HMS Leadership students organized this event, but it was the entire HMS school community that made the evening so spirited and positive.

“It was the event of the season,” Principal Colpron said. “We have another [social] in April and we have a high standard to reach!” A big thank you to all who attended and helped make the Glow-cial a success!

On February 11, 2025, Hockinson voters will decide on a bond measure to fund the following proposed improvements at Hockinson schools:

1: A second elementary school to alleviate overcrowding at Hockinson Heights Elementary School (65.7% of total bond, after impact fees, property sales and state-assisted funding)

2: HHES campus remodeling and safety upgrades (26.5% of total bond)

3: A Career & Technical Education building at Hockinson High School for hands-on job readiness classes, and campus safety upgrades (1.4% of total bond, after leveraging additional in-kind and cash donor contributions)

4: A replacement track and multi-use synthetic turf field for Physical Education classes, athletics, and marching band at HHS. (5.5% of total bond)

5: A covered outdoor play and warm-up area at Hockinson Middle School (0.9% of total bond)

This $87.75 million bond would cost about $44/month for the average owner of a $750,000 home. Learn more about the bond proposal and what it means for our community: hocksd.org/bond

We’re here to answer your questions! View the full list of bond FAQs here. Below is just one question submitted by a Hockinson community member:

💬 Question: If a second elementary school is built in Hockinson, will elementary-aged siblings be kept together?

💡 Answer: Yes. Elementary school enrollment would be based on your address, which means families stay together and elementary-aged siblings attend the same school.

Having two TK-5 schools addresses two primary concerns expressed on parent surveys: Keeping elementary-aged siblings together and reducing traffic congestion at and around schools since parents of elementary-aged children would only attend school events, drop-off, and pick-up at one of the (potentially) two elementary schools in the district rather than at both.

📩 This question was submitted anonymously by a Hockinson parent through our Facilities Planning Committee Survey #3. Do you have a question about the upcoming bond? Submit it anonymously here.

- Nutrition Services Newsletter: The latest newsletter from Chartwells, our district's Nutrition Services provider, is available here. It features a nod to National Pepper Month, a shout-out to HHS food service employee Kelly Klein, and more.

- Calendar Questions: For those of you who are resolving to have a 2024-25 school calendar on the refrigerator door, here is the link. It's available on the district and school websites under "Students & Families" and "Calendar." The 2025-26 HSD Calendar will be approved at the HSD School Board's Regular Meeting on March 31.

* Please check your school newsletters and calendars for holiday concerts!

- Thur. Dec. 5: Stone in Love community concert at 6:30 pm @ HHS Gym. Doors open at 5:45 pm.

- Fri. Dec. 6: Hockinson Tree Lighting at 6 pm @ HCC

- Mon. Dec. 9: School Board Regular Meeting at 6-8 pm @ HCC and Zoom

- Dec. 23-Jan. 3: Winter Break - No School

- Mon. Jan 6: School resumes

- Mon. Jan. 13: School Board Work Session at 6-8 pm @ HCC and Zoom

- Sat. Jan. 18: One-act play: Totally Red! at 10 am, 2 pm & 7 pm @ HHS MPR

- Mon. Jan. 20: MLK Day - No School

- Fri. Jan. 24: Semester Break - No School

- Mon. Jan. 27: School Board Regular Meeting at 6-8 pm @ HCC and Zoom

ICYMI: In case you missed a previous newsletter, our Round-Ups are archived here!

Email: justine.hanrahan@esd112.org
Website: https://www.hocksd.org/
Location: 17912 NE 159th St, Brush Prairie, WA 98606, USA
Phone: (360) 448-6400