September is here! A month where the slate is clean for every student, and hope runs high! Hope is often a very misunderstood concept. How often have you said or been told that "I hope you have a good day"? Don't get me wrong, we all desire others to have great days! But "hope" and "wish" often get used in place of each other. A wish is a plea into the universe. WE have no control over it happening. It is up to unseen forces to make it happen or not.

But HOPE we have some power over. Hope is more than wishing for good things—it’s the belief that we or our children can set goals, find ways to reach them, and keep trying even when challenges arise. When students have hope, they stay motivated, solve problems, and celebrate progress along the way. I think we all agree that this is an outcome we would like to see for anyone. At home, you can definitely help your student with homework, and obviously the big life lessons you are working on as a parent! Here is a quick tip for helping your child with their HOPEWORK:

Encourage your child to set one small goal each week, such as completing a homework assignment on time or learning a new skill. Ask them to think of at least two ways to achieve it, and then celebrate their effort, not just the result. This simple practice helps children build confidence, resilience, and a positive mindset for the future. It crosses over into all facets of their lives, and skillsets.

By fostering hope at school and at home, we help our students grow academically, socially, and emotionally. So as we start a new school year, lets all try to be supporters in building hope in our students, and each other.

Welcome Back!

Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns that we need to be aware of. Our office phone number is 360-538-8220.

When: September 3, 4, and 5

Time: 11:55-3:25 (Each conference is between 10-15 minute)

Where: Your student's homeroom, or via phone if needed

This is an opportunity to update us and help us to get to know each other a little better. Your student's teacher will be interested in what works and doesn't with your child in terms of how they learn best. If there are any developments we need to be aware of, it is an opportunity for you to clue us in on how we can be supportive. Teachers have reached out to most of you, but if you haven't scheduled your meeting yet, you can still do so by calling the main office at 360-538-8220, stopping by in person, or emailing Mr. Cook at dcook@hoquiam.net. Looking forward to seeing you!

Our goal at HMS is to try and minimize the financial cost to your families in terms of school supplies needed for the coming year. Once again, this year we are able to provide a binder, paper, pens, pencils, highlighters to your student. We get a lot of questions about what else do the students need, at this time of year. Here is a list of some suggested items.

• A backpack for carrying items to and from school. Backpacks are to be kept in lockers during the school day, but they have a definite purpose in getting everything here and back home.

• Extra pencils and pens, because they will lose them, sometimes very rapidly, during the course of the year.

• Extra paper-You just can't have enough. Get the loose leaf packets so they can put in their binders as needed.

• If your child wants colored pens or pencils for their own use or are picky about those things, those will always be a good purchase. Nice, but not required.

Again, we are providing them with the basics they will need in every class. That does not prevent you from getting extra items if you feel it is needed or necessary.

While we are on the topic of school shopping, here are some guidelines to keep your student from having to have a dress code conversation:

• Shirts must cover the midriff

• Undergarments must be covered

• Pants at the waist, minimal rips above mid-thigh

• No halters, sheer clothing, blankets, capes, or slippers. We make exceptions for some of these for Spirit Weeks (we have roughly 3 of those per year).

• Shoes required at all times...slippers and steps sometimes don't mix well.

• Hoods must stay down indoors...we need to be able to see their heads and ears.

• No inappropriate or gang-related items or logos (inappropriate means clothing that relates to alcohol, tobacco, drugs or paraphernalia, or suggesting or sexual themes)

If you have any questions about items or clothing, please give us a call, or stop by, and I will be glad to explain the why's and what for's.