HMS December 2024 Newsletter

Principal Corner

Dear HMS Parents, Guardians, and Students,

As we move into the final month of the year, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for the support and partnership of our families. Hastings Middle School continues to thrive because of the dedication of our staff, students, and the commitment from you, our families, to ensuring the success of every learner.

December is a time of reflection and celebration. In our classrooms, teachers are focusing on reviewing concepts, and preparing students for the transition into the second half of the school year. It’s a great time to encourage your child to check their grades in Schoology, stay organized, and finish their assignments with care.

As the holidays approach, I encourage you to take time to celebrate your family’s traditions and reflect on the accomplishments of this year. Winter break begins on Monday, December 23rd, and school will resume on Thursday, January 2nd, 2025.

Thank you for your continued partnership in making Hastings Middle School a place where every student can thrive. I wish you a joyous holiday season and a happy New Year!

Warm regards,
Ryan Wynn
Principal
Hastings Middle School

Quick Updates

Upcoming Events

December 2nd:
No School (Staff Development)
December 5th: 5th/6th Grade Band Concert
December 6th: 7th/8th Grade Dance
December 12th: 5th/6th Grade Choir Concert
December 17th: 7th/8th Grade Choir Concert
December 20th: Jingle Bingo and Ugly Sweater Day
December 23rd-January 1st: No School (Winter Break)

7th/8th Grade Dance Information

Theme: Winter Wonderland Dance
White, blue, or winter-themed clothing is encouraged!
Who: 7th and 8th grade students
When: 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Where: Hastings Middle School Cafeteria
Important: To join the fun, you must be at school that day, and for safety reasons, students can only leave early if we’ve spoken to a parent.
Admission:
$6 at the door
OR just $5 if you bring a donation for Hastings Family Service (let’s give back!).
What to Expect:
-Live tunes from DJ Jazzy Nicholson
-Delicious pizza, drinks, candy, and fun trinkets for sale (priced between $1–$3)
We are still looking for parent chaperones. Please call Lori Marsh at 651.480.7084 to sign up!

Lost and Found

From December 16–18, all lost and found items will be displayed in the main entrance of Hastings Middle School for parents and students to look through and claim.
Important: Any unclaimed items will be donated on Thursday, December 19.
Please take this opportunity to check for any belongings before they are given away. Thank you!

Student Illness

We are seeing a rise in student illness. We understand that when students feel ill, their first thought is to connect with a parent/guardian. Please remind your child to report to the nurse when feeling ill so we can follow our process for connecting with home. When a student reaches out first to a parent/guardian, this can cause confusion and goes against our cell phone policy. We strive for the best communication lines between school and parents/guardians and appreciated your support with this!

Academics

Academic Support
Quarter 2
November 4, 2024 to January 17, 2025
If you need assistance logging into the Parent Portal and Schoology, reach out to Lori Marsh.
Lori Marsh
lmarsh@isd200.org
651-480-7084

Parent Checklist to Support Your Student

Schoology Help Video of the Month
Calendar-Helping you see everything coming up for your students(s)
Schoology has its own calendar to help parents. On this calendar you can see the assignments that your student has happening all in one place. This will allow for quick easy check-ins with your student(s) to talk about what happened during their day at school. Watch this video to learn how to access the calendar.
If you do not have a parent login for Schoology and are ready to set it up, please contact Lori Marsh in the middle school counseling office at lmarsh@isd200.org. After you have your account setup you can watch this helpful video to see a brief overview of the benefits of Schoology parent.

Living the Raider Way

We are fortunate to have PBIS at our school! To find out more information on PBIS (living the Raider Way) check out this link on our website.

Living the Raider Way Means-

Being Safe
Being Respectful
Being Responsible

Student Opportunities

Encourage your student to be involved in HMS Athletics and Activities!
To learn more access our athletic and activities pages:
Athletics
Activities

Parent Partnership

Parent partnership is one an important part of making Hastings Middle School a success! Whether it’s through volunteering your time or contributing resources, your support can make a big difference.

PTA Membership: Our PTA is looking for parents/guardians to help support students and staff! Meetings are on the second Monday of each month at 6:30pm in the HMS media center. Contact the Middle School PTA with questions or interest at: hastingsmiddlepta@gmail.com.
Volunteer at the Raider Cove: Students earn Raider Recognition tickets and can exchange the tickets for some fun things! 2-3 parents/guardian volunteers are needed to run the Raider Cover each Friday from 10:30am-1:00pm. Sign up for a shift or few on this link.
Donate Items to Support the Raider Cove and Jingle Bingo: Any items purchased through this Amazon link is appreciated! PTA Amazon Link.

With Gratitude

Penny Wars:
Students raised $331.61 in coins. This money was donated to Animal Ark.
Raider-Thon:
Students and families raised $15,455 in support funding for HMS field trips.
Eagle Bluff:
Our 8th-grade field trip to Eagle Bluff was a success! The students had an amazing time exploring, learning, and creating wonderful memories together. The fee for the trip was brought down due to a generous donation from SMEAD and student-raised funds through last year's iMaGine Foundation's Raider-Thon. Photos from the trip are included in this LINK.

Raider Rockstars!

Shoutout to Our Rockstar Students and Staff!
We are excited to announce that the following students and staff have been nominated for being true rockstars and for modeling our Raider Way!
Thank you for your exceptional leadership and for setting such an amazing example for our community. Keep up the fantastic work—you inspire us all!