Bess Colpron, current HHES Assistant Principal, has been named Principal of Hockinson Middle School, beginning next fall. Read the announcement of Colpron's hire and her letter of introduction below:
Announcement
April 19, 2023
Dear HMS Parents:
Interviews for the Hockinson Middle School Principal position were conducted last week and left us with a positive challenge: The consideration of three great candidates, all of whom were well qualified and had unique strengths that would benefit the HMS community.
Evaluating the candidates was made easier with your and staff input. This feedback, along with responses from this year’s student surveys, provided us with a clear picture of the top priorities of the HMS community as well the attributes valued in the school’s next leader.
I am pleased to announce that Bess Colpron has accepted our offer to become HMS Principal beginning with the 2023-24 school year. Mrs. Colpron possesses the vision, skills, and qualities that will advance school improvement efforts tied to:
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Promoting a high level of student learning and achievement;
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Creating a safe, welcoming, and positive learning environment that supports high academic and behavior expectations for all; and
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Communicating transparently and effectively to maintain trust and strengthen community involvement.
Because Mrs. Colpron will be leaving her current role as HHES Assistant Principal at the end of this school year, we intend to advertise that position immediately to attract a pool of talented applicants.
I want to thank Mrs. Gannon for all she has done for HMS staff and students over the past two years. HHES will undoubtedly be in good hands under her leadership. I feel similarly about HMS and Mrs. Colpron. HMS has unlimited potential and a number of exciting initiatives underway that I believe will take the school to the next level. I am confident that Mrs. Colpron will collaborate with HMS staff to continue to build on the school’s traditions, steward its changes and improvements, and ensure that every HMS student is known, valued, and prepared for future success.
Sincerely,
Steve Marshall
Superintendent
Hockinson School District
Letter of Introduction
Dear HMS Families,
I am delighted to be writing this email to you as the incoming principal of Hockinson Middle School! When I joined Hockinson School District last year, I was incredibly humbled by the warm and kind reception that I received welcoming me to this amazing community. I feel so lucky to work here and I am excited to be your child’s principal next year. I will be doing all that I can this spring and summer to make this transition as smooth as possible for you and your student.
For those of you whom I have not yet met, I wanted to introduce myself. My name is Bess Colpron and I am the current Assistant Principal at HHES. I am originally from Montana and I moved to Vancouver after marrying my husband, who grew up here. I have an 18 year old daughter who attends the University of Montana and is going to school to be a teacher. I also have an 11 year old daughter who is in 6th grade. Most of our weekends are consumed with sporting events, as I know many of you can relate. I have been in education for sixteen years. I spent fourteen years in Vancouver Public Schools working in different capacities with students from preschool through twelfth grade. I can’t wait to work with middle school students again as I enjoy building relationships with them and helping them reach their full potential as learners.
I know that for the past two years Mrs. Gannon has been a wonderful leader for HMS. I want to preserve the things that are going well and work together on ongoing needs that were identified in the parent survey, such as: Creating a culture of respect and kindness, expanding and improving extracurricular activities, and increasing opportunities for parent involvement. I will be partnering with Mrs. Gannon over the next few months to learn more about HMS programs and its amazing staff and students. I also know how critical communication is between school and families and will be exploring ways to build on the current processes for receiving input and sharing out news and information.
I am looking forward to meeting and getting to know all of you and building strong relationships with all of our HMS families. I will be involved in the Earth Day Clean Up this Saturday, so if you plan on participating in this event please do not hesitate to introduce yourself. I am working on other opportunities for us to connect this spring and fall. More information to come!
Go Hornets!
Bess Colpron