Principal's Message—February 20, 2026
In the Pine-Richland School District, we value diversity in our student body and community as a strength and feel it is important to share windows into the experiences of those who are different from us through various learning activities that align with our learning goals and curriculum.
The month of February has been very exciting at Hance while we continue to build a welcoming, inclusive culture within the building. Focusing on compassion, our monthly RAMS Way trait, has allowed us to model success in multiple aspects of our school.
Our Glow Run, held on February 6, exemplified how an entire school community can come together and work towards a common goal. From watching space-themed videos on how kids can go from dreamers to leaders to working together to meet daily challenges to witnessing over 60 volunteers cheer on classes as they were introduced, the Glow Run signified much more than a fundraiser. It showed us that we can work as one unit and create a positive culture that you can physically feel upon entering the building. Collectively, we raised $33,735!
At Hance, we find it important that the stories, contributions and accomplishments of past and present Black Americans are celebrated as a part of Black History Month and the manners in which diversity has helped to strengthen our country.
One of the common threads throughout RAMS Way that we often talk about is showing respect to all and understanding the differences we have across our community of learners, whether it be skin color, learning styles, religion etc. To connect this thread to Black History Month, take a look at some of the building-specific experiences throughout the month of February:
- Morning announcements featuring:
- Highlighting positive stories, achievements, or inventors
- Books accessible from the library for the students or teachers to check out to learn more about notable Black Americans
Paula Giran