You don't want to miss this year's HRS Galactic Gala & Auction on March 22! Not only will it be a wonderful time to connect with the HRS community, but you'll also enjoy retro specialty beverages, an amazing meal, the chance to support this year's Fund-a-Need, and the opportunity to bid on auction items and experiences. Everything you do supports our students!

Here is a sneak peek of a few live auction items that could be yours when you register here:

• A dance class for 8 and Q&A with one of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour dancers
• A premium-cuts package of 100% Wagyu beef from Palouse River Beef
• An overnight stay and 7-course meal at The Lodge at St. Edward Park
• Primo sports tickets
• Getaways to Whistler, Sun Valley, Whidbey Island, Winthrop, and more
• Multiple unique items and experiences

Other ways that you can support the auction include:

• Donate Airline Miles
  • We can really use some airline miles for one of our auction items! Contact Jen Fukutaki.
• Donate a Faculty Ticket 
  • Please consider donating a faculty ticket for the auction here.
• Plan to bid in the Online Auction
  • We'll have tons of amazing items to bid on during the Online Auction from March 18-23.
• Support this year's Fund-a-Need
  • Our goal is to raise funds to add and enhance the play and fitness structures for Lower and Middle School students. You can donate at the live auction or donate online here.

Please reach out to Jen Fukutaki with any questions!

Registration for our Spring After-School Programs is open now! This trimester, we are offering the following options:

• Podcasting
• Hip-Hop / K-Pop Dance
• Dungeons and Dragons
• Filmmaking: Shorts & Reels
• 1:1 Guitar, Drums, Violin, Ukulele, and Piano
• Scratch Coding
• HRS Spring Musical: Madagascar Jr!
• Painting 
• 1:1 Voice
• Dodgeball
• Track & Field
• Ultimate Frisbee
• Magic: The Gathering
• MS Basketball 
• Gardening 
• Climbing & Bouldering

After-School Programs begin the week of March 17. Read full descriptions and register on CampBrain!

March 13 and 14 are Conference Days and there will be no classes. Day-On programming is available on both days, with details featured below:

Join the Auxiliary Programs team at Day-On: A Bug's Life! Get out your magnifying glass to join the teeny-tiny party that’s all around us. Together, we’ll explore the world of our insect friends with games, experiments, and a trip to the Pollinator Path and Tropical Butterfly House at the Pacific Science Center!

Register on CampBrain (link is also available via Auxiliary Programs tile on myHRS). 

From the Instructional Support Team:

At this year's Family Association meetings, as well as in conferences, we've heard from parents that you would like to better understand how to support your student at home (especially over the summer). We are excited to invite you to a special workshop designed to equip parents with practical strategies and tools to help their students tackle unknown words and become more confident readers.

Word Attack Strategies: Supporting Your Child’s Reading at Home
Thursday, April 24
3:45 – 5:30 PM
4th Floor Conference Room, HRS Middle School

To host this event, we need a minimum of 25 participants, and we can accommodate up to 100 attendees. Please register here, no later than Friday, April 18. Childcare is provided at no charge - but you must pre-register your student(s).

Questions? Contact Lindsey Key at lkey@hamlinrobinson.org.

It's going to be a super summer! Register today for HRS Summer Academy. 

HRS Summer Academy offers weekly, fun-filled enrichment camps for every interest (June 23 - August 8), plus a multi-week Slingerland® morning class (July 7 - 30). Here are just a few of this year's camp options:

• Filmmaking
• Finding Nemo: The Musical!
• Marvel/DC Camp
• Art of the Graphic Novel
• Auto Mechanics 101
• eSport Strategy + Tournament
• Paper-Mache Art + Sculpture
• and so much more! 

All students entering grades 1 - 8 are welcome - you don't need to be an HRS student to join the fun! Click here to check out the full camp lineup and secure your spot. For more information, visit the Summer Academy webpage. See you this summer!

Thursday Thoughts showcases a different Arts & Wellness subject area each week. This week, Melissa Schmoll spotlights what's happening in Lower School Art.

The Lower School Art Studio is in full swing! There is a pleasant buzz of activity in our choice-based studio. All levels have access to Drawing, Paper Arts, Painting, and Sculpture Centers. During studio work time, one may see projects such as a sculpture of a robot with moving parts, a painting of a rainbow, an intricate pencil drawing, or mixed-media collage. Primary students are beginning a printmaking experience. Intermediate students are practicing the Artistic Process (Idea, Plan, Make, Reflect and Share) as they begin planned projects for Arts Fest in May.

Registration is open for the spring cohort of the PAT (Parents of Adolescents and Teens) Program through the Learning Center! 

PAT is a supportive small group experience for parents of 10-18 year olds. Parents learn from experts, connect with peers, and benefit from a toolbox of strategies and resources for parenting preteens and teens. 

• Thursday evenings (5:30 - 7:30pm) from April 17 - May 8
• In-person or virtual options available
• Open to any parents of adolescents and teens, not just HRS parents

To learn more about the program and register, click here.

March is Women’s History Month, a time to recognize, honor, and celebrate trailblazing women across the world. Visit the HRS Library webpage for hand-picked book recommendations for students of all ages and learn more about incredible, history-making women of the past and the present!

The Link Newsletter - Out Now

The March edition of The Link, the Learning Center newsletter, is out now! Stay updated on the latest from the Learning Center by reading The Link every month.

Free Webinar Opportunity

As the community resource hub of HRS, the Learning Center wanted to pass along information about this free webinar through the Neurodiversity Education Series. 

Helping Neurodivergent Kids Manage 'All The Feels' 
with Emily Kircher-Morris, LPC
Wednesday, March 19
5:30 - 6:30pm (PST)
Learn More + Register

Remember - no school tomorrow, February 28, for Progress Report Day.

Day-On will be offered, and registration is still open on CampBrain. We will be celebrating National Science Day by creating plastic-bottle cars, making pancakes, and more!

Day-On registration is also open for Conference Days on March 13 and 14. See details below!

This year's HRS Galactic Gala & Auction is just around the corner - on March 22! There are many ways that you can help:

• Procurement forms for donated auction items are due tomorrow - February 28
  • The support of our families is very appreciated. Your donated items make a difference.
  • Our auction webpage offers ideas, along with procurement forms. We ask that every HRS family contribute in any way they can.
  • For an easy way to help with procurement, consider purchasing from our Amazon wishlist! Items can be shipped directly to the HRS Advancement Office. (Please fill out a procurement form for any Amazon purchases, thank you.)
• Consider a Sponsorship 
  • Click here to find out how you or your business can sponsor a table or catalog advertising in support of HRS. 
• Donate a Faculty Ticket 
  • Please consider donating a faculty ticket for the auction here.
• Volunteer
  • Whether or not you are purchasing tickets to attend the auction, you can serve in a volunteer role. 
  • Contact Jen Fukutaki. (Night-of volunteers will be fed and well taken care of!)
• Register to Attend
  • The registration deadline is Friday, March 7. Register here!

Please reach out to Jen Fukutaki with any questions!

It's going to be a super summer! Register today for HRS Summer Academy. 

HRS Summer Academy offers weekly, fun-filled enrichment camps for every interest (June 23 - August 8), plus a multi-week Slingerland® morning class (July 7 - 30).

Here are just a few of this year's camp options:

• Filmmaking
• Finding Nemo: The Musical!
• Marvel/DC Camp
• Art of the Graphic Novel
• Auto Mechanics 101
• eSport Strategy + Tournament
• Paper-Mache Art + Sculpture
• and so much more! 

All students entering grades 1 - 8 are welcome - you don't need to be an HRS student to join the fun! Click here to check out the full camp lineup and secure your spot. For more information, visit the Summer Academy webpage. See you this summer!

The Middle School Dance is tonight, February 27, from 7:00pm-8:30pm. Drop off and pick up for the dance will take place in the front of the Middle School building on 20th Ave S. The following expectations have been shared with Middle School students:

• Only HRS Middle School students will be admitted.
• Students are subject to behavior rules and expectations as outlined in the Student Handbook.
• No outside drinks, drink containers, or gum allowed.
• There are no in-and-out privileges. Once a student leaves the dance, they may not re-enter. 
• Students should be picked up promptly at the end of the dance (8:30pm).
• Leave large bags and personal items of value at home. There will be a coat check for items, including cell phones.  

We hope to see your student at the dance! 

Registration for our Spring After-School Programs is open now! This trimester, we are offering the following options:

• Podcasting
• Hip-Hop / K-Pop Dance
• Dungeons and Dragons
• Filmmaking: Shorts & Reels
• 1:1 Guitar
• 1:1 Drums
• Scratch Coding
• HRS Spring Musical: Madagascar Jr!
• 1:1 Violin
• Painting 
• 1:1 Voice
• Dodgeball
• Track & Field
• Ultimate Frisbee
• Magic: The Gathering
• 1:1 Ukulele
• MS Basketball 
• Gardening 
• Climbing & Bouldering
• 1:1 Piano

After-School Programs begin the week of March 17. Read full descriptions and register on CampBrain!

STAR reports are now available on myHRS. Please log in to review your child's results. If you have any questions, please reach out to your child's teacher for assistance.

Student make-ups are currently in progress and will be uploaded to myHRS by Friday, March 7.

Thursday Thoughts showcases a different Arts & Wellness subject area each week. This week, Rebecca Osman spotlights what's happening in Middle School Drama (and Art!).

Character is a fundamental concept in Drama. During character exercises in Drama class, students often choose to play characters very similar to themselves — Middle School students of the same gender with similar interests and preferences. While some students easily slip into their imaginations and embrace playing very different characters, many find it difficult to fully become someone completely unlike themselves—to embody a true character distinct from their own identity.

This trimester, Ms. Cantrell and I offered a collaborative Art-Drama elective called Character Creation, in which students created an original character based on an animal.  Students spent one day a week in the Art room and two days a week in the Drama room. This class has been exciting and so much fun for many reasons! Not the least of which is the collaboration between the Art room and the Drama room and the opportunity for students to explore the concept of character both from an Art and Drama perspective. As a Drama teacher, it has been truly rewarding to see students understand what a character is and embrace the fun of stepping into and embodying this other person. 

Students developed a “physical character”—a unique physical characterization of posture, walk and mannerism—inspired by their animal. They then found a vocal characterization and finally developed an entire back story—a personal history that illuminated the inner life including desires, feelings and motivations—of their character. Once they had created their character, they practiced “staying in character” through improvised interviews and scenes. This week, students showed off their characters in front of a Lower School audience with a “red carpet interview.” Each of the characters was invited to a Charity Gala for the Robinson Park Zoo. As they "approached the entrance" (crossed the stage), Ms. Cantrell interviewed them about their lives, their connection to the zoo, and the gala they were attending. What fun to see our students fully become their original character!

From the Instructional Support Team:

In the digital era, you may wonder why handwriting is still necessary. While typing is convenient, research continues to show that putting pencil to paper plays a crucial role in literacy development. 

The physical act of writing activates multiple areas of the brain, engaging visual, motor, and tactile senses. This multisensory process makes information stick—students quite literally remember more when they write by hand. They internalize spelling patterns and retain knowledge more effectively, strengthening their literacy skills over time. 

Here is a research article confirming what we see every day—handwriting is a powerful learning tool. Thank you for your continued support in encouraging your child’s writing skills!

March 13 and 14 are Conference Days and there will be no classes. Day-On programming is available on both days, with details featured below:

Join the Auxiliary Programs team at Day-On: A Bug's Life! Get out your magnifying glass to join the teeny-tiny party that’s all around us. Together, we’ll explore the world of our insect friends with games, experiments, and a trip to the Pollinator Path and Tropical Butterfly House at the Pacific Science Center!

Register on CampBrain (link is also available via Auxiliary Programs tile on myHRS). 

Thank you to everyone who supported the Student Council Book Drive, benefitting Wellspring Family Services and the Rainier Valley Food Bank. 1,144 books were collected, surpassing Student Council's goal of 1,001!

As we prepare for this year's HRS Galactic Gala & Auction on March 22, we need your help collecting or donating auction items to sell! Our auction webpage offers many ideas, along with procurement forms. Here are a few suggestions:

• Group dinners  
• Wine or other spirits 
• Themed gift baskets (food, books, beauty products, etc.) 
• Unique experiences 
• Vacation rentals and weekend getaways
• Sports tickets, stadium suites, or field passes  
• Concert, symphony, ballet, or arts tickets
• Handcrafted, one-of-a-kind items 
• Sports equipment 
• Gift cards or restaurant certificates 

Your invitation to the auction will arrive in the next few weeks — please reach out to Jen Fukutaki with any questions!

We are thrilled to share that as part of our ongoing reaccreditation process with the Northwest Association of Independent Schools, a visiting team of educators will be on campus next Monday and Tuesday. This is an exciting opportunity for us to showcase our school’s mission in action and receive valuable insights as we continue to grow and improve.

The visiting team will be observing classes, meeting with staff, and learning about our community, but their presence will not impact the regular functioning of the school day or your child’s experience.

Thank you for your support as we embrace this important step in our school's journey! To learn more about the Reaccreditation process, visit our Reaccreditation webpage.

Take a trip around the world during our first Spring Break Day-On! The Auxiliary Programs team has put together an exciting program for the week of April 7 - 11. Each day, students will focus on a different continent, learning about its music, art, culture, history, wildlife and food. The adventure will extend beyond our campus through field trips to museums, farmers' markets, restaurants, and community organizations. 

To help with planning, please register on CampBrain by tomorrow, Friday, January 24. Registration will remain open after that date, provided we meet our minimum enrollment threshold.  

On Thursday, February 27, Jonathan Lee, Director of Equity and Belonging, will host a conversation group for adoptive parents/guardians at HRS to meet, connect, and discuss their students' experiences. The event will take place from 3:30-5:00pm on the Middle School 4th floor, and childcare is available.

Please RSVP here. Questions? Please contact Jonathan Lee.

Thursday Thoughts showcases a different Arts and Wellness subject area each week. Today, Eva Barrett spotlights what's happening in Lower School Technology & Digital Media Arts.

Our Lower School Technology & Digital Media Arts classes buzz with energy, as students explore new digital tools and dive into creative projects. In our classroom, technology meets imagination - and the results are exciting! 

Primary students are having a blast designing bookmarks using Canva. They’re learning skills like drag-and-drop design, resizing, cropping, layering, and more. By mapping out designs and developing themes, students learn to manipulate existing graphics into their own unique designs.

Intermediate students have been learning PowerPoint: organizing content, summarizing ideas effectively, and designing with intention. These projects culminate in class presentations, where students practice public speaking and audience interaction. They have done a super job!  

Class activities help students build valuable skills in problem-solving, creativity, and technology. It’s wonderful to see their confidence grow as ideas are brought to life! 

Several food containers are still unclaimed from December's Family Association luncheon! If any of these look familiar, please email Jen Fukutaki. Thank you!

The HRS Student Council is sponsoring a book drive beginning Monday, February 3! The book drive will support the HRS Community Library -- which offers educational resources to support the literacy needs of students in Rainier Valley. 

Please donate gently used books for children ages newborn to 17 anytime between February 3 through February 14. Donation bins will be available near the front office of the Lower School and Middle School.

Middle School Student Council is excited to present their latest newsletter! Click here to read their updates and get to know Student Council members.