HSD Superintendent Steve Marshall counts the varied ways the Hockinson community helps to lift our schools and students to new heights!
Dear Families:
The HSD School Board and I know that we cannot offer the programs and opportunities our students deserve without the support of our community. We do our best to capitalize on your support through partnerships, making student-centered decisions, and finding efficiencies.
Winter Break has given me a chance to write you a message to provide you with a few examples of how your support benefits Hockinson’s schools and students. Rather than attempt to describe this impact solely in writing, I chose to illustrate it in a “By the Numbers” format - and sprinkle in a random HSD data point here and there. So, in no particular order, let’s dive right in…
10,000
Estimated number of food items donated to Hockinson Schools’ canned food drives. HMS students collected over 6,000 cans of food!
28
Hockinson families-in-need will be assisted on an ongoing basis by the canned food, toys, and clothing collected by HHES, HMS, HHS and Fire District 3. Donated items were also given to the North County Food Bank.
$1.25
million in grant dollars for the 2022-23 school year! This total includes grants for HVAC replacement and energy-saving projects at HHS and HHES, instructional technology, public health, Transitional Kindergarten, and forthcoming pedestrian and bicycle safety upgrades at HHES. This total is up from the $860,000 in grant dollars secured by the HSD in 2021-22.
876
Current enrollment at Hockinson Heights Elementary School, including 72 students in our Transitional Kindergarten program (up from 53 students last year). As of Dec. 1, our total district enrollment is 1,925 students.
$41,000
Amount of donated dollars collected by the HHES Fun Run & Boosterthon that have been spent to enhance Hockinson Heights Elementary. Improvements include: PE equipment, art and music supplies, and a new portable sound system for the schools’ assemblies and concerts. These funds also enabled HHES to also purchase a new electronic reader board that is expected to be installed in front of the school in February!
305
Number of Hockinson students involved in the district’s band program. That’s approximately 1 of every 4 students in Grades 5-12!
20/15
Number of sports and clubs, respectively, available to HHS students.
6
new student clubs offered at HHES and HMS. These include: Small engine repair, cross stitch, volleyball, board games, journaling, and creative writing! More information to come in 2023.
136
Number of incoming 6th Grade students who participated in HMS’s first-ever August transition day, during which students met their teachers, toured the campus, and participated in orientation activities. Interesting side notes: There are 147 students in the Class of 2029 - and HHS had a similar rate of participation in its freshman transition day!
$80,000
Raised by the AAA Boosters so far this year to support HHS extra-curricular programs. Funds were primarily generated by events like the Hawk-o-ween Auction and Fun Run and holiday bazaar as well as concessions and spirit wear sales. Athletics give our students and fans incredible experiences but they also carry a lot of expenses! Boosters fundraising helps to offset equipment and uniform costs as well as travel and tournament expenses.
132
New school safety kits in HSD schools, including 102 classroom buckets, 12 trauma kits, 18 emergency backpacks for buses. These supplies are in addition to the 8 Automated External Defibrillators that are also on our campuses and the 4 emergency suitcases, with supplies for natural disasters and student-family reunification, that will be deployed in early 2023.
5
% increase in student participation in our school breakfast and lunch program this year. Our Nutrition Services team has worked hard to improve menu variety and quality, including the addition of fresh-baked bread and flatbread, vegetable and salad bars, and a fruit smoothie pilot at HHS.
48% / 49.9%
Percentage of HSD students who showed a high level of growth in English-Language Arts and Math, respectively, on the Spring 2022 Smarter Balanced Assessment. These percentages were not only among the highest in our region, they were among the highest in our state!
733
Total number of in-person professional development hours completed Aug-Dec by HSD certificated staff over and above that offered in the entire 2021-22 school year! These hours reflect trainings on the Oct. 14 State Inservice Day, our expanded teacher orientation (increased from 1 to 2 days), new teacher monthly roundtables, and topical “microburst” trainings. HSD teachers are slated to complete a total of 544 additional professional development hours on instructional strategies and lesson planning in Jan-June 2023.
1,356
Total number of hot cocoa gift certificates provided by PWT - one for every HHES and HMS student!
$4
million in HSD levy dollars to be collected in 2023 at a rate of $1.64 per $1,000 in assessed value. Last February, this rate was projected to be $1.89/$1,000. Thank you for supporting this levy - it is critically important for our students! These dollars, which comprise just over 10% of the HSD’s total budget, will fund an array of student programs such as extracurricular activities, school safety, health services, transportation, special education, and curriculum - all of which help to keep our students safe, engaged, and prepared for today’s careers.
43
pints of blood were donated at the HHS Band Booster Blood Drive earlier this week.
800
Number of books added to the HHES Library this winter. The addition of 600 early-reader books and 200 additional fiction and non-fiction titles was made possible by revenue generated by this fall’s Scholastic Book Fair. These books are geared to spark interest in our TK and Kindergarten students and put all early learners on a path to reading proficiency by 3rd Grade!
$53,000
Amount of scholarship dollars that will be made available to HHS seniors by the Hockinson Public Schools Foundation (HPSF) this spring. This total was recently increased by a memorial fund that was established to support students interested in preparing for STEM-related careers. This fund will generate $40,000 in scholarships on a recurring, annual basis! Information on all HPSF scholarships will be made available by Spring 2023.
While there are many more quantifiable examples of our community’s generosity (Jazzercise donating $1,500 to the Fire District 3 Toy and Canned Food Drive, the HHS Football Team and 52 other benefactors purchasing presents for the HMS Giving Tree, and our Transitional Kindergarten students creating 20 holiday gift bags for the county’s homeless) it is impossible to know of, and attach an accurate value to, all of the acts of kindness in Hockinson this year and every year.
So I will stop here and close this message with a big Thank You to everyone who makes Hockinson a special place to live and the HSD a special place to learn. Our staff have been working diligently this year to increase alignment, expectations, and ultimately student learning and achievement. Your efforts and contributions help to lift us and our students to new heights!
I wish you a happy holiday and a safe winter break.
Sincerely,
Steve Marshall
Superintendent
Hockinson School District