The Hawk's Nest
Hansen Community Newsletter
January, 2025
A Message from Mrs. Jones
Welcome back Hansen community! I hope there was time for rest and time for fun while we were on our 2-week Winter Break. As we return to school and re-enter our routines, I want to give some reminders about the importance of regular and on-time school attendance. Students are building habits that will last them throughout their lifetime as they navigate through the elementary school years. The habit of getting up at the same time each morning, walking through a morning routine that looks the same each day, arriving at school on time every day, attending school consistently, and engaging in a predictable evening routine are all incredibly important habits for our kids to develop. As you, our Hansen community members, set and support these routines, you are giving our students a foundation for success that will benefit them through middle school, high school, and beyond. The instruction our teachers give each day builds upon itself as we work through the school year. It is so important that students work to attend school every single day so that they do not miss this instruction. Additionally, our students and staff all meet together in the gym every morning for specific announcements, reminders, and 'shout-outs.' This is a really valuable community-building time for our school, so we encourage all students to be on time every morning. Thank you for your support with students attending school every day!
Here are some important reminders:
School Doors Open: 8:15am
School Starts: 8:30am
M, T, Th, F Dismissal Time: 2:45pm
Wednesday Dismissal Time: 1:55pm
As always, if you have questions or concerns regarding your student's experience at Hansen, please reach out to me. Your family's sense of belonging is a top priority here at Hansen!
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 360.596.7400
School Day Logistics
Drive Safely Around Hansen
As we move through the school year, we want to remind all members of the Hansen community—students, parents, and guardians—about the importance of driving safely in and around campus. With so many students and families walking, biking, and driving each day, our shared attention and patience make all the difference in keeping everyone safe. This is especially important as we move into the dark, winter mornings.
Please remember to slow down in school zones, follow posted speed limits, and stay alert for pedestrians and cyclists—especially during busy drop-off and pick-up times. Avoid distractions such as texting or using your phone while driving, and always yield to crossing guards and buses with flashing lights.
Sadly, in the past, our community has experienced incidents where pedestrians were struck near schools. We never want to see that happen again. No appointment, text, or quick errand is worth risking someone’s safety.
We ask families who drive to and from Hansen each day to set an example of care and courtesy by following parking and traffic rules, using designated loading zones, and remaining patient, even when traffic backs up.
A few extra moments of caution can prevent tragedy. Together, we can ensure that every member of our community arrives safely at school and home again each day.
Thank you for doing your part to keep our Hansen community safe.
School Drop-Off & Pick-Up Reminders
If you are driving your student to school, please have your child exit the car once you are up in the turnaround area. We do not want students walking through the parking lot for safety reasons. Once your student has exited your car onto the sidewalk, please pull forward to exit the school right away to keep traffic moving. This is very important so that all cars can get through the drop-off zone in a timely fashion.
If you walk to school, please carefully follow the directions of the crossing guard, enter where the car parking lot is located, and stay on the sidewalks. Please do not walk through the bus entrance gates. This is unsafe as buses are entering and exiting.
If you pick up your student after school by car, please follow the traffic flow to the right after entering the school parking lot. You will then enter the turnaround and proceed as far forward as possible. Adults are with the students, directing them to a specific cone as they see your car approaching. Please meet your student at the cone they are directed to. Please stay inside your car if you are in the pickup line. If you would like to get out of your car to pick up your student, or if your student needs extra help getting in the car, please park in a designated spot and walk up to their grade level pickup area.
Any adult or student walking to and from school will need to follow the directions of our crossing guards. It is extremely important that no one walks through the bus loading area. If you are walking to drop off or pick up your student, please help guide and teach them to follow the sidewalks in the car entrance gate and wait for crossing guards to stop the parking lot traffic before crossing to the next sidewalk.
Thank you for following these community agreements to help our drop off and pick up areas stay efficient and safe!
MAP Testing
The week of January 12th is scheduled for our 1st-5th grade students to complete their Winter MAP testing. Please make sure students are well rested and at school this week. Kindergarten students will MAP test on Jan. 26th.
Electronics & Toys
As we return from break, it's tempting for kids to want to bring new toys/gadgets to have with them at school. Please help by double-checking your child's backpack, ensuring there are no extra toys, trinkets, or electronics inside. These types of things really add to the distractions and stress levels of the kids. Many times, important items get lost at school.
Our Hansen policy follows the OSD policy of "Students will not use telecommunication devices in a manner that poses a threat to academic integrity, disrupts the learning environment, violates the privacy rights of others, or as part of bullying, harassment, or intimidation."
At Hansen, we ask that all cell phones, smart watches, and any other electronic device be stored in the student's backpack during the school day. This helps ensure a safe and focused learning environment.
If your student would prefer to store their device in the school office (and pick it up every day), that is always an option.
Thank you for double checking your student's backpack each day.
If you or your student need to get ahold of each other for any reason during the school day, there are phones available in the office that students may use.
Food & Drink
All students have the option of receiving free breakfast and lunch at Hansen. Additionally, each classroom has a snack each day. Some students like to bring their own snack, which is wonderful. (If they don't have a snack, our school receives donations of goldfish, popcorn, and pretzels to offer students as a snack.)
It's important that students do not bring candy as a snack in the classroom. This leads to sticky messes that often need custodial assistance to help clean up. If your student wants to bring a piece of candy to school, the appropriate place to eat it would be at lunchtime in the cafeteria.
Students are encouraged to drink water throughout the day. If your student doesn't already have their own water bottle, we are happy to provide one for them. In the classroom, students may have water only. Sending colored drinks of any kind causes stains when spilled, and they often cannot be removed from our carpets. We kindly ask that students only bring water for the classroom. If your student would like something other than water to drink, they are welcome to bring that into the cafeteria at lunchtime.
If your student chooses to bring a lunch from home, please ensure that it is food that can be eaten without the use of a microwave. We do not have a microwave in the cafeteria for students to access at this time. Thank you so much for your support in keeping our classrooms clean!
HALF-DAY: January 30th
Friday, January 30th is a half day for students. This is to allow teachers the time needed to complete semester 1 report cards. Hansen's dismissal time on January 30th will be 11:35am.
Announcements
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Our all-school assembly to honor the life and work of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be held on Friday, January 16th at 9:05 AM. Our second-grade students will lead the assembly. All Hansen community is invited to join us.
*There will be no school on Monday, January 19th, in honor of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
CISPUS Informational Meetings
**For 5th Grade families only**
OSD is holding two informational meetings about our upcoming CISPUS outdoor school experience. All 5th-grade students have the opportunity to experience outdoor school, and this is not an experience they want to miss! The two informational meetings are identical, so you only need to choose to attend one. One of the meetings is right here at Hansen to make it most convenient for families. Please choose the meeting time/place that works best with your schedule. Here are the details:
Option #1: Wednesday, Jan. 14th, 6pm @ McKenny Elementary School
Option #2: Thursday, Jan. 15th, 6pm @ Hansen Elementary School
Olympia Schools Supportive Education Council (OSSEC)
Do you have a student receiving support through an IEP or 504 plan, or think your student may need extra support? Please join the Olympia Schools Supportive Education Council (OSSEC) throughout the school year for resources, community building, and a welcoming space to share ideas!
OSSEC is similar to a PTA/PTO for families, students, and staff supporting OSD students with disabilities from birth through post-high school, but without any fundraising or volunteering usually associated with a PTO. Just show up as you are!
We have planned a mix of social events and informative meetings for the 2025-26 school year!
Mark your calendars for our next event:
January 21, 2026 6-7:30pm - Zoom
Topic: Regulate to Relate: Self care for caregivers and support for meltdowns.
Join Beth Kim, local parent educator and coach, for support and practical tools to navigate big behaviors and meltdowns. Learn why your regulation matters, why self care is essential, and explore strategies for felt-safety and co-regulation to strengthen your connection.
Please email [email protected] with any questions, and join our email list here to get meeting reminders and Zoom links.
Information Linked Here
Parent Square Updates from OSD
Please click this link to read about parent square updates that Olympia School District has made. These changes took place officially on Dec. 9th.
REMINDERS
Snacks Donations
At Hansen, we have a snack time in classrooms. Students are encouraged to bring a healthy snack with them to school each day. We also provide snacks to any student who needs one. Please join us by donating snacks, if you'd like! We are looking for:
- Goldfish Crackers
- SmartPop popocorn
- Pretzels
- Saltine crackers
Volunteer ROCK!
As I have looked through the statistics of OSD's volunteer hours, I am so excited about Hansen! Hansen has one of the district's highest amounts of volunteer hours! Our community is welcome at Hansen, and our students love to see so many adults who care about them in our school. I am deeply grateful for all the volunteers who come to help in classrooms, read with kids, make photocopies, do art projects, bring snacks, attend field trips, and make our school a better place.
If you are interested in spending time at Hansen, please fill out a background check form here.
The volunteer background check form must be filled out every school year.
If you are interested in helping directly with your child's teacher, please contact the teacher directly after filling out the background check. It's important that classroom teachers know when to expect volunteers in their classrooms so that they can plan accordingly and make the best use of the time.
Anytime you are on the school campus during instructional hours, please first check in at the main office, and we ask that you please not take any photos of kids who are not your own.
GO HAWKS!
Lost & Found
If your student is missing any article of clothing, lunch box, water bottle, etc., please have them check the lost & found. Parents and caregivers are also welcome to come and look through the lost & found for your student's items. If you choose to come in and take a look, please check in at the main office to receive a visitor badge. All items from our lost & found will be donated during the February mid-winter break.
Inclement Weather
In the case of severe winter weather, the Olympia School District will make decisions about closing schools due to unsafe roadways. Please click here to go to the OSD website's page with information about emergency procedures. This page will give you a lot of helpful information about what you'll want to know regarding a two- or three-hour late start and school cancellations.
HCC/HAP
Monthly Meeting
Please join us every month for the HCC and HAP parent meetings.
- Date: Tuesday, January 13th
- Schedule:
- 5:30pm FREE dinner
- 6pm HCC agenda begins
- 6:45pm Principal's Report
- 7pm HAP meeting
Important Upcoming Dates
December
- 1/7, 1/14, 1/28: Early Release Dismissal @ 1:55pm
- 1/13 HCC/HAP parent group meeting
- 1/14: Option #1 CISPUS information meeting @ McKenny 6pm *5th grade only*
- 1/15: Option #2 CISPUS information meeting @ Hansen 6pm *5th grade only*
- 1/19: NO SCHOOL (MLK Jr.(
- 1/30: Half Day, dismissal @ 11:35am