HOOD CANAL

“Words Matter” – A Powerful Lesson for Our 5th Graders Our amazing counselor, Monica, led a meaningful lesson with our 5th graders this week all about the power of our words. She showed how words—once spoken—can be difficult to take back, even if we say we’re sorry. Using toothpaste and toothpicks, students were challenged to squeeze the toothpaste out and then try to put it back in. Just like our words, it was nearly impossible to undo once it was out. The frustration and challenge made a big impact, and students were still reflecting on the lesson days later. Thank you, Monica, for helping our students grow in kindness, empathy, and self-awareness!

Shoutout to our Junior Robotics Team! 🤖👏 Our young engineers did an amazing job designing, building, and testing their robots to complete challenges on the obstacle course! Their teamwork and problem-solving skills were evident as they worked together to refine their designs. A big thank you to our Middle School Robotics Team for stepping up as mentors—providing guidance, support, and sharing their experience to help our Junior Robotics members succeed. Check out these awesome robots and the incredible work our students put in!

Reminder: Conferences start tomorrow—sign up here: https://www.myconferencetime.com/hcs/ . While you're here, visit the Book Fair (details: https://tinyurl.com/39jyn2d9), and don’t forget to check the Lost & Found and grab free books in the Commons! See you soon!

Some of our students were able to attend the Skokomish College & Career Fair! They had a great experience as they explored local colleges, connected with work-related agencies, and discovered exciting employment opportunities in the community. A big thank you to the Skokomish Indian Tribe for hosting this valuable event!

Big congratulations to Grayson Harris, a Hood Canal 3rd grader, for his outstanding performance at the USA Gymnastics Washington State Men’s Finals in Everett! Grayson delivered his best performance ever, earning: 🏆 1st Place on Pommel in his division! 🥉 4th Place All Around in his division! 💪 5th Place for ALL Level 5 gymnasts in Washington State—an incredible achievement, especially as the youngest competitor out of 50 athletes! His team, Black Hills Gymnastics, also shined, taking 2nd Place in the team competition. Now, the top six scoring athletes—including Grayson and his teammate Wiley—are headed to Regionals in Minneapolis, MN in a few weeks to represent Washington State! We are so proud of you, Grayson! Your hard work, dedication, and talent are inspiring! Go get ‘em at Regionals! 💙💛

We're Hiring! Hood Canal School has several job openings, including a night custodian, bus driver (training provided), subs, and more. If you or someone you know is interested, visit our jobs page for details and to apply: https://jobs.redroverk12.com/org/2513 Come join our team and make a difference!

Our kindergarteners had a shamrockin’ good time celebrating St. Patrick’s Day! ☘️ From fun crafts to leprechaun adventures, it was a day full of laughter and luck! 🍀 #HoodCanalOrcas #StPatricksDayFun

Every morning, our amazing ASB students take the lead on announcements! They meet with Principal Torres to plan and script the day’s messages, making sure our school stays informed and connected. They even sing their own special version of “Happy Birthday” to celebrate classmates! Shoutout to Thomas, Dani, and Owen (pictured) and the rest of our ASB leaders for their hard work and dedication—you make our mornings brighter! #StudentLeadership #ASB #HoodCanalProud

🏀 ORCAS FINISH STRONG AT STATE! 🏀 In their final game at the State Championships, the Orcas battled hard but fell in a close one to Coeur d'Alene White, 57-53. In their first-ever State appearance, they went 2-2, finishing top 32 out of 1,300 middle schools—holding their own against much larger schools and club teams! We are incredibly proud of these boys, their coaches, and all they’ve accomplished! 💙🐋💛 #GoOrcas #OrcaPride #StateBound

Congratulations to Lin Spichiger, our 2025 Mason County Forest Festival Button Design Contest winner! 🎉 Out of over 560 entries, Lin’s design took the top prize. We’re proud to share that we had three students in the top 10 countywide, Lin along with Lindy June Kufman and Harper Myirsky were honored. Lin’s winning design has already gone to press. It was a wonderful evening at the ceremony, filled with proud families and a great sense of community. A huge shoutout to Mr. Max for making this opportunity possible for our students (and for being there to support them tonight)! 🌲🎨👏 #ForestFestival #ProudMoment #HoodCanalStudentsRock

🏀 ORCAS DOMINATE! 🏀 The Orcas took care of business tonight with a decisive 52-27 win over Eastlake White! 💪🔥 Next up: Hood Canal vs. Coeur d'Alene White (2-1) on Sunday, March 16, at 11:30 AM. Let’s keep the momentum going! 💙🐋💛

🏀 ORCAS STILL GOING STRONG! 🏀 Palouse fell to Brewster, placing the Orcas in the consolation bracket, now competing for 16th-32nd in the state! Next up: Hood Canal vs. Eastlake White on Saturday, March 15, at 5:20 PM. With 1,300+ middle schools in WA, making the top 32 is incredible! 💙🐋💛 #GoOrcas #OrcaPride #Top32

🏀 ORCAS FIGHT HARD, STILL IN THE HUNT! 🏀 Despite a strong finish, the Hood Canal Orcas fell to Brewster 36-60 this morning in a tough battle. 💪👏 Now, all eyes are on the Brewster vs. Palouse game at 12:40 PM—since we defeated Palouse last night, if they win by 25+ points, the Orcas will advance as the first-place team in our pool! Let’s go, Palouse! And as always, Go Orcas! 💙🐋💛 #OrcaPride #StillInTheFight #GoOrcas

🏀 ORCAS WIN AT THE BUZZER! 🏀 What a game! In Game 1 of the State Championships, the Hood Canal Orcas pulled off a thrilling 52-51 victory over Palouse, sealed by a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Tommy Gouley with just 1.1 seconds left on the clock! 🔥👏 Next up, the Orcas face Brewster at 8 AM on Saturday—let’s keep the momentum going! 💙🐋💛 #GoOrcas #BuzzerBeater #OrcaPride

Our PK, TK and Kinders had a wonderful trip to the Seattle Aquarium!

🌟 As we wrap up Classified Staff Appreciation Week, we want to give a HUGE shoutout to the amazing team that keeps Hood Canal School running smoothly every single day! 🎉 From driving buses 🚌 (and managing the unexpected sing-alongs), to serving meals 🍎, keeping our school clean 🧹, assisting in classrooms 📚, and handling a hundred other behind-the-scenes tasks—you are truly the glue that holds our school together. Your dedication, patience, and hard work make a difference in the lives of our students, staff, and families. We simply couldn’t do it without you! THANK YOU for all that you do—not just this week, but every day of the year! 💙💛

📚🥞 Read Across America & National School Breakfast Week! 🌮🎩 Hood Canal School is celebrating Read Across America Week and National School Breakfast Week with fun dress-up days, great books, delicious breakfasts, and special lunches! Join us for a week of reading, creativity, and school spirit. 📅 March 3-7 Dress-Up Days ✨ Monday – Fairytale Day ✨ Dress Up: Be a prince, princess, knight, fairy, or any fairytale character! 🌮 Tuesday – Taco Tuesday 🌮 Dress Up: Wear taco colors (red, yellow, green) or go all out as a taco! ❤️📖 Wednesday – I ❤️ Reading Day 📖❤️ Dress Up: Show your love for books by dressing as your favorite book character! ☁️🍝 Thursday – Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 🍝☁️ Dress Up: Inspired by the book, dress as your favorite "Cloudy" character or wear food-themed outfits! 🎩🐱 Friday – Dr. Seuss Day 🐱🎩 Dress Up: Celebrate Dr. Seuss by dressing as your favorite Seuss character!

Hood Canal Boys Basketball Gets Custom Warm-Ups for State! 🏀🔥 Our Hood Canal boys basketball team just got a special gift for the state championships—custom warm-up jerseys donated by Skokomish Tribal Council Member Brett Peterson! A huge thank you to Brett for his generosity and support of our athletes. Some of the boys couldn’t resist hamming it up as they showed off their new gear—looking sharp and ready to bring their best to the court! Let’s go, Orcas! 💙🐋💛 #HoodCanalPride #OrcaStrong #StateBound

🎉 Congratulations to Belinda Ratke and Carl Gray, our latest recipients of the Hood Canal Education Foundation Volunteer Award! 🌟 Belinda has been making an incredible impact with our Builder’s Club (Kiwanis student service club), guiding students to serve and lead in our community. 🔨💙 Carl has dedicated countless hours volunteering in our after-school programs, most recently helping out with our LEGO Club ✨ We’re so grateful for their outstanding service and the positive difference they’re making at Hood Canal School! Please join us in celebrating Belinda and Carl! 🎉👏

🚨 2-Hour Delay Today, Tuesday, Feb. 25 🚨 Due to a power outage, Hood Canal School will start 2 hours late today. Buses will run 2 hours later than normal, and there will be no AM preschool. Thank you for your patience and understanding. We will provide updates if anything changes. Stay safe!