Howdy!

I would like to introduce myself to you and tell you a little bit about myself.

My name is Derek Cook, and I had the good fortune to be selected as the principal of Hoquiam Middle School.

I was born in Tacoma, Wa. on May 28, 1967. If you do the math, (let's see....carry the two....subtract 13...divided by the birthmonth....) oh heck, I'm older than I want to be! My family moved to Hoquiam when I was three, and I had the good fortune to go to Central, Emerson, Hoquiam Middle School, and Hoquiam High School. I graduated in 1985. I loved my experience in the district as a student. My teachers were tough, but they cared. My time in Middle School and High School were probably my favorites. I was very proud to be a Grizzly, and take part in sports like Football, Swimming, and Tennis; activities like Foodball and The Grizzly Gazette; and attend games, dances, and all of the social opportunities that those years are full of. I was actually sad to leave high school and have to move on, but I did. I attended Grays Harbor Community College and then transferred to Western Washington University. Wherever my travels took me, the Harbor always felt like home, and to no one's surprise when I finished college in 1990, I returned to student-teach at Aberdeen High School. After a year of substitute teaching, I was hired on at Aberdeen High School as a social studies teacher. I coached Football, Swimming, and Tennis as well. Around 1997, I met my wife, Tina Snell, and in 1999 she did me the honor of becoming my wife officially. Around 2000, I decided to go into Educational Administration, and attended CWU classes at night to get my training. After a year and a half of driving back and forth from Aberdeen to Sea Tac, and spending a summer at the Ellensburg campus, I graduated and became the assistant principal and athletic director at AHS. There I stayed until 2013, where I became principal at Harbor High School, Hopkins Preschool, Grays Harbor Juvenile Detention Center in Aberdeen, where I served until coming to Hoquiam Middle School. It has been a challenging few years with COVID 19 and its impact upon every aspect of our lives. It is my hope and belief that there are better days ahead!

Contact Information:

Phone: 360-538-8225

Email: dcook@hoquiam.net