The Hawk's Nest
Hansen Community Newsletter
March, 2025
A Note from Mrs. Jones
4 Big weeks!
We have 4 big weeks of learning ahead of us! The weeks between Mid-Winter Break and Spring Break are some of our most important weeks of learning. Students really know their routines, procedures, and expectations. Classroom communities are strong, and relationships are established. This is the time to really push for excellent attendance. Please make every effort to have your student at school every day. Hansen is not the same without them!
Strive for fewer than 5 days absent!
From now until the end of the school year, our goal is to "Strive for Five!" This means working to miss less than 5 total days- school is so important! We are really taking off in our 2025 school year at Hansen Elementary School! I am so excited to see all of the smiling faces every day. Students are settling in, working hard, and learning how important their presence is within their classroom communities.
Please help us with school attendance:
- Use bus routes when available. Buses will almost always get kids here on time in the morning
- For parent drop-off, have kids at school at 8:15 AM
- Schedule appointments outside of the school day when possible
- Unless kids are vomiting or have a fever, please send them to school
- Please schedule vacations during regularly scheduled breaks from school
If I can be of assistance in any way as it relates to getting kids to school on-time, please don't hesitate to reach out. [email protected]
Announcements
CISPUS
5th grade camp CISPUS is coming soon! On March 10, 11, 12 our 5th grade students will be going to a 3-day, 2-night outdoor science camp that is an incredible hands-on learning experience for kids.
** IMPORTANT**
All medication and its official paperwork must be turned into our Hansen school nurse no later than Wednesday, March 5th. Please bring that paperwork to Hansen by March 5th.
All luggage should be brought to Hansen Thursday afternoon, March 6th, between 3pm-6pm. If that is not possible, you can bring luggage Friday morning, March 7th, by 9am. All student luggage must be brought at this time. Students do not take their luggage on the bus when they go to CISPUS. The luggage meets them at camp.
Conference Week is coming!
March 24th- 28th is spring conference week. Our goal is to conference with every single student and their grown-ups. Conference scheduling is done through our Skyward System. When you log into Skyward, you will be able to schedule your student's conference according to the availability their teacher has set. If you are unable to use skyward to schedule your conference, please email your student's teacher and they can give you a time slot. Scheduling will open on March 4th to those families who have multiple children at Hansen so that you can schedule those conferences back-to-back if you'd like. Scheduling for ALL Hansen students opens March 6th.
School is dismissed at 11:35 during conference week, March 24th - 28th.
There is no preschool during conference week.
**Conference week will also be Spirit Week for all of the Hansen community. More info of the themed days will come through a parent square message.**
Syrup, Stories, and Smiles!
We have a VERY exciting Hansen event coming on March 21st! You won't want to miss this one- Syrup, Stories, and Smiles. This event will kick off our spring book fair! Free pancake dinner served to ALL who attend!
Date: Friday, March 21st
Time: 6pm-7:30pm
Location: Hansen Elementary
Details: Free Pancake dinner, book fair, book exchange, raffles, art, photo booth, friends!
Book Drive
In preparation for our March 21st event, Syrup, Stories, and Smiles, we are holding a book drive. The event will be a place where every attendee can choose a free book. For the next few weeks, we are collecting gently used books to give away at the event. You may bring your donation of books to the Hansen front office- there will be a collection box there. Your student may also bring books to school with them to donate.
Yearbooks are for sale!
It's time to buy your yearbook! Presale pricing ends at the end of the month.
Hardcover: $20
Softcover: $15
Purchase your yearbook using this link.
HAP Information Night 3.13
Thursday, March 13th is our HAP informational night. EVERYONE is invited to come and hear more about HAP (Hansen Alternative Program). We invite all to come and hear about this program and participate in the lottery if interested. Please invite any neighbors or acquaintances- students don't have to live within our school boundaries to enter the lottery for HAP. We invite everyone at any grade level!
Thursday, March 13th
6pm
Hansen Library
Free childcare
All are invited!
Middle School Options
For those families with current 5th grade students, middle school registration will come soon! Please be sure to take a look at the multiple options OSD has for middle school. Click HERE for an overview of middle school options and the process to enter the lottery.
Citizen Science Institute @ TMMS
Click HERE to see a slideshow presentation about this program
Click HERE to enter the lottery for CSI entrance
All applications must be completed by 4:00 PM Friday, March 14th, 2025 to be considered for the lottery.
Reeves Arts and Music School (RAMS)
See information for a 5th Grade Parent Night HERE
Jefferson Accelerated Math and Science (JAMS)
See JAMS information HERE.
Students are selected based on their Hi-Cap status
ORLA Middle School Academy
If interested in information, please email [email protected]
Olympia Junior Programs
Our 1st - 5th grade students have the amazing opportunity to experience theater! Thank you, Hansen Community Council for funding all students and chaperones for this very important experience at the Washington Center. We love that our kids get this opportunity to see live theater. We are looking for grown-ups to participate as ushers. Here is the link to sign up. You must have an OSD volunteer background clearance in order to be an usher.
1st/2nd grade: March 18th (look for this permission slip!)
3rd - 5th grades: April 21st (permission slip will be available at your conference)
Clothing Needs
Our nurse's office is looking for gently used clothing. There are times kids may need a change of clothes at school. We are specifically looking for:
Pants/Leggings/Sweats
Underwear
Small Socks
Thanks for anything you're able to donate!
Reminders
Westside Choral Festival
All 5th grade classrooms and our 4/5 HAP classrooms will be participating in the Westside Choral Festival. This is an awesome community event! Students from all westside elementary and middle schools get to join Capital High School for a choral concert.
Date: Wednesday, March 26th
Time: 6pm
Location: Capital High School auditorium
*Please have your student at Capital High School at 5:30pm.*
3rd Grade Musical
Our very own Hansen 3rd graders have prepared a musical drama for us to enjoy! Our students will have a chance to see this performance during the school day. Our adult/parent performance will take place on Thursday, March 27th at 6pm in the Hansen Cafeteria. All 3rd grade students participate. If you have a 3rd grader, please bring them to Hansen that evening at 5:30pm. Thank you to our amazing music teacher, Ms. Swan, for her dedication to giving all Hansen students a performance opportunity throughout the school year!
Parent Square
At this point, we hope you all have received email notifications to sign up for Parent Square. This is the platform that our school will use for school communications. If you do not sign up for Parent Square, you will continue to receive notifications based upon your Skyward preferences.
However, please sign up. This platform is amazing. It will allow you to keep track of all school communications and it will allow you to update your Skyward information with ease.
Here is a link to sign up for Parent Square.
Here is a link to learn more about Parent Square through the district website.
Snack Donations
Hansen is looking for snack donations. Most classrooms will have a class snack time. We are looking to provide a snack to any child who needs one during their snack time. We are specifically looking for donations of:
Goldfish crackers
Pre-made Popcorn
Saltines or Pretzels
Financial Assistance Available
he Olympia School District Education Foundation provides support to families in need. With their support, we can help with:
- Rent and utility bills
- Clothing and shoes
- Eye exams and prescription glasses for students
- Transportation
- School Supplies
- School-related expenses
- Internet through Xfinity
- And so much more...
We can also provide grocery vouchers to Ralph’s or Bayview grocery stores and gas vouchers to help with transportation. Contact Family Liaison Lakia Hollis if you have questions. [email protected]
Volunteer at Hansen!
Parents, Caregivers, Community members, and Guardians are welcome at Hansen! If you are interested in helping our school in any way, please fill out a background check form here. If you are interested in helping directly with your child's teacher, please contact the teacher directly after filling out the background check. There are many jobs around our school for volunteers to help with. When you are visiting or volunteering at Hansen, we ask that you please not take any photos of kids who are not your own.
HCC/HAP News
Monthly Meeting
Please join us every month for the HCC and HAP parent meetings. You will see a reminder in each month's newsletter about the meeting date and time.
- Date: Tuesday, March 11th
- Schedule:
- HCC @6PM
- Principal's Report @6:45PM
- HAP @7PM
Both HCC and HAP will hear the monthly principal's report at 6:45pm. Please consider joining HCC and/or HAP. This is an excellent way for all community members to be a part of the wonderful things going on at Hansen!
Visit the Hansen HCC website here or email [email protected] to find out more information.
*If you cannot attend in person, please click here for either meeting to attend virtually
HAP Lottery for the '25-'26 school year.
Dates for entering our HAP program have not yet been released. However, we invite anyone who is interested in being in a HAP classroom to attend one of our upcoming information nights. Both nights will be located in the Hansen library and will share identical information:
Tuesday, Feb. 25th @ 6pm
Thursday, Mar. 13th @ 6pm
Our HAP classrooms are community-based classrooms where you will find many caregivers offering their time, talents, creativity, and resources. We welcome ALL students in our city to join HAP!
HAP email list
If you’d like to receive emails from the HAP Leadership Team regarding upcoming HAP events, donation and volunteer opportunities, please sign up by filling out our Google Form. We hope you will join us for the HAP parent meeting this month where we will be voting on our HAP Handbook during the meeting. Come at 6:45 to hear the principal's report and stay for the 7pm meeting.
For questions regarding HAP or how to be a part of the HAP lottery this spring, email [email protected] anytime!
Important Upcoming Dates
March 5th, 12th, and 19th: Early Release Wednesdays @ 1:55pm
March 5th: Elementary Orchestra Concert @ OHS @6PM
March 6th: Elementary Band Concert @ TMMS @6PM
March 9th: Spring FORWARD--Daylight savings time begins!
March 11th: HCC/HAP community meeting
March 18th: 1st/2nd grade to OJP
March 21st: Syrup, Stories, and Smiles @6pm- Book Fair Opens!
March 22nd: Countdown to Kindergarten! 10AM @ Olympia High School
March 24th-28th: Conference Week - Dismissal @ 11:35Am; Book Fair Week!
March 31st - April 4th: SPRING BREAK, no school
April 7th: Return to school!