The Hive

Dear HMS Families,

Oh my goodness how quickly the summer has flown by, we blinked and now it's August. Let us be the first to welcome everyone to the 2025-2026 school year! We are really excited to kick off this year with a renewed commitment to all of you to create a positive and upbeat experience for your kids. We are going to continue to work on being present, visible and approachable to all of our students and families so that we can build sustaining relationships that celebrate the amazing parts of our community and also be willing to work through the difficult things together.

Sid and I have an open door policy. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to reach out to us - stop by and visit, email or give us a call. It takes all of us working together and communicating to create the best experience for our kids. We are really looking forward to working with all of you this year!

We've said this multiple times and we will say it again - We have the absolute BEST kids!!! We are going to have a great year, we can just feel it! The energy of this group of kids is fantastic and we are really excited to channel that into something extraordinary!

Please scroll below for some important dates and information reminders. :)

With Kindness,

Bess & Sid

P.S. If you haven't already, we REALLY encourage you to follow our Facebook page or our Instagram account. It is the best way to get a sneak peak into what happens around here!

Schedules will be available digitally for students to view through Skyward Family Access on Friday, August 22nd. Sixth grade students will receive a printed copy of their schedule if they attend Hornet Academy on Monday, August 18th.

The question of schedule changes always comes up this time of year. We are a small school and we have a limited amount of teachers that teach specific subjects during specific periods during the day. When I moved to HMS from HHES, I could never have imagined the complexities involved in student schedules. It has been quite a learning curve for me. Mr. Nelson has worked really hard to build individual student schedules based on forecasting and class selections. I truly understand your frustrations with me around this, however please know that unless it is a mistake on our end, we cannot change schedules at this time. I really appreciate your flexibility and understanding.

If you do have a schedule question, please reach out to ben.nelson@hocksd.org.

We strongly encourage you to opt-in for our assurance program.

For the 2025-26 school year we are offering the Hockinson Assurance Program (HAP) as a way for families to greatly reduce the financial risk if a Chromebook is accidentally damaged or lost. This program is completely voluntary, but students who opt-out should still complete and submit the enrollment form online, choosing the "Decline" option.

HAP is an insurance program that covers student's Chromebooks in case of accidental damage or loss. The program costs $20 to enroll and covers any repairs to Chromebooks due to accidental damage. If the Chromebook is stolen or lost, the student will only be liable for $150 of the replacement cost with HAP, unless a police report is submitted, then the cost is fully covered.

For detailed information on HAP, please see the Hockinson Assurance Program from on the Technology Forms page.

Who: 6th Grade Students

When: Monday, August 18th ( 8:00am - 12:00pm)

Where: HMS (enter through the main entrance)

During this half-day event, students will meet their teachers and run through their daily schedule. In each class, students will complete a different activity designed to help them get to know their school and prepare for their first day as a middle schooler. These activities will include taking their photo, getting their school ID card and signing up for a locker if they want one.

Parents: Please plan on dropping off your student for this event. Also, from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm, we will have a Schoology session for families to learn how to navigate our learning management system.

Parents can also pay fees and sign Assurance forms for the Chromebooks.

Who: 7th & 8th Grade Students

When: Friday, August 22nd (8:00am - 12:00pm), this is a drop-in event

Where: HMS (enter through the main entrance)

Details: Students, along with their parents, can pick up their class schedules, pay fees, sign Assurance Chromebook forms, take their school photo, sign up for a locker if they want one and learn more about school activities.

Who: 6th, 7th & 8th Grade Students & Families

When: September 2nd

5:30-6:00pm @ HMS gym, parent meeting with Mrs. Colpron & Mr. Slom

6:00-7:00pm Shortened student schedule classroom rotation

Parents and families are encouraged to stop by to meet their child’s teachers and learn more about the curriculum for each course. We hope to see you there!

I hope that you had a great summer!

If we have not met, my name is Sid Slom and I am the Athletic Director and Dean of Students at Hockinson Middle School. This is my third year at HMS and I am looking forward to getting the fall season started. For our incoming 7th and 8th grade students we are excited for girls volleyball, cross country, and a pilot season of football this fall.

Cross Country, Volleyball and Football are all scheduled to start Monday 8/25.

Volleyball tryouts will take place from 8/25 - 8/28.

Please note that not all who tryout for volleyball will make a team.

Registration for all fall sports will be through FinalForms and is currently open. Your student athlete will need to make sure that they have a current physical on file, and all forms (student & parent) are signed through FinalForms.

More information about registering on FinalForms & the Physical form can be found here -> Registration & Physical Form

Please register your student as soon as possible as individual coaches will begin emailing more sport specific information with practice/tryout times and any equipment needs through FinalForms in the coming weeks.

If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to reach out to me via email (sid.slom@hocksd.org).

August Dates - Please Take Note

August 18th 6th Grade Hornet Academy (8:00-12:00pm)

August 22nd 7th & 8th Grade Orientation (8:00-12:00pm)

August 25th First Day of School

August 25th First Day of Fall Sports

September

September 1st No School: Labor Day

September 2nd Open House

September 12th Fall Sports Pictures

September 19th 8th grade band playing at HHS Football Game

September 29th-October 3rd Spirit Week

October

October 3rd Volleyball-a-thon

We really try to post one thing a day that is student centered. If you are curious what we are up to throughout the day, please consider following our Facebook or Instagram accounts. We love to give you all insight to all the amazing things that happen here.

We have such an awesome community and it's wonderful to be able to celebrate it!

We teach, guide, and support students and our community by creating a safe environment where we learn and grow together.

School Hours: 8:50am-3:20pm

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/