Dear HMS Parents, Guardians, and Students,
It’s been a wonderful week at Hastings Middle School. Our students demonstrated outstanding punctuality. In the 5th grade we saw nearly 99% of our class periods start on time. 5th grade teachers rewarded all their advisory students with Raider Recognition tickets to celebrate this achievement. Classroom energy is high as we wrap up our first month of learning, with students engaged and settling into positive routines.
We also took time on Thursday to appreciate our amazing custodial staff on National Custodian Day, surprising them with treats and a big thank-you card. Their hard work behind the scenes keeps our school safe and clean every day.
Enjoy the weekend, and as always – Go Raiders!
Ryan Wynn
Principal
Hastings Middle School
October/November Events
10/7 Picture Retake Day
10/9 5th/6th Grade Dance
10/10 No School: Teacher Workshop
10/14 Evening Conferences
10/15 No School: Conferences
10/16 No School: Teacher Association Day
10/17 No School: Teacher Association Day
10/31 End of Quarter 1
11/6-11/7: Fall Musical: Annie Jr.
11/11: 7th & 8th Grade Band Concert
11/20: 5th & 6th Grade Band Concert
11/27 No School: Fall Break
11/28 No School: Fall Break
October 9th — 5th & 6th Grade Dance
The Hastings Middle School cafeteria will host a Halloween-themed dance for 5th and 6th graders on Thursday, October 9th, from 6:30-8:00 pm.
Admission is $6, or $5 with a school supply donation (items such as pencils, loose-leaf paper, glue sticks, etc.).
Volunteers Needed:
We are also seeking parent and family volunteers for the Dance. If you’d like to help, please email hmsraiderway@isd200.org or call the HMS Wellness Center at 651-480-7084.
Thank you for supporting our students and school community!
📋 Parent, Staff, and Student Surveys
Parent, staff, and student surveys will be distributed on Monday, October 13. Please review the following information for both the parent and student surveys.
Parent Survey
At Hastings Public School District, your child’s success is at the heart of everything we do. We're always looking for ways to make our schools even better, and we know that starts with listening to you.
To help us understand what’s working well and where we can grow, we’ve partnered again with School Perceptions, an independent research firm, to conduct a short parent/guardian survey. Your honest feedback will help guide our next steps and strengthen the connection between home and school.
Keep an eye on your inbox! The survey link will be emailed out on October 13 and will remain open through October 27 at 5:00 PM. If you don’t see it, be sure to check your spam or junk folder.
Your voice matters, and your input can make a big difference. Thank you for taking a few minutes to share your thoughts and help us continue building a school community we can all be proud of.
Student Survey
Beginning on Monday, October 13, students in the Hastings School District (grades 4-12) will also have the opportunity to participate in the School Perceptions Student Life Survey. The survey is designed to measure students' engagement at school. It will provide our District with answers to important questions, such as:
What practices help our students learn, and what barriers are in the way?
Do students feel supported?
What could be done to increase student involvement, both in and out of the classroom?
The survey is online and takes about 10 minutes to complete. Once the survey is done, the District will receive a summary report that will not include confidential or identifiable information. The purpose of the survey is to ensure that our practices are meeting the needs of our students. Any trend data will be used in our upcoming planning and programming to ensure continuous improvement.
This survey is designed ONLY to reflect on the engagement and opportunities for our students. However, if you would like to preview the survey, it is available in the district office, in the office of every school, and has been posted on our website. If you would prefer that your student not participate, please return the opt-out form, which is available on the website and is also provided here for your convenience. Please note that any opt-out forms need to be returned by the end of the school day on Thursday, October 9.
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Parent/Teacher conferences will be held October 14th from 4:30-8:30pm and October 15th from 8:30-11:30 and 12:30-3:30. The default option will be to meet via Google Meet, but in-person attendance can be requested during the sign-up process. Conferences will be scheduled for 5-minute time blocks. The conference link for scheduling will be available Monday, October 6th.
📸 Important Message from Cahill Studios
Hastings Middle School Retake Day
📅 Tuesday, October 7th
Families can view 100+ FREE background options and the Picture Day Survival Guide on the Cahill Studios Website.
Retake Information
If your child needs a retake (already had their picture taken and needs a new one), please complete the Retake Form or notify Cahill Studios by Thursday, October 2nd.
Filling out the form is not required, but students not on the list are not guaranteed a retake photo.
If your student missed the original Picture Day, please remind them to have their picture taken on Retake Day.
Ordering Photos
Galleries will be available online 2–5 business days after Retake Day.
Orders placed within 7 days will:
✅ Ship free to the school
✅ Include a FREE Low-Resolution Digital Download with any Package or BYOP bundle
📧 Email: service@cahillphotostudio.com
☎ Office: 715-268-9363 | Toll-Free: 866-229-0135
Main Office
📞 651-480-7060
Wellness Center
📞 651-480-7084
Main Office 651-480-7060
Wellness Center 651 480-7084
Nurse's Office 651-480-7072
Attendance Line 651-480-7061 (late or absent), 651-480-7062 (passes to leave school)
The Raider Way is a team of dedicated staff who work to ensure that everyone at HMS is being safe, respectful, and responsible by using the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework.
5th/6th Grade Halloween Dance - Thursday, October 9
On Thursday, October 9th there will be a dance for fifth and sixth grade students in the Hastings Middle School cafeteria from 6:30-8 p.m. The cost for students to attend is $6.00 (tickets purchased at the door) or $5.00 with a donation of school supplies, such as kleenex or pencils.
We are still in need of parent/family volunteers. If you are interested, please email hmsraiderway@isd200.org or call the HMS Wellness Center at 651-480-7084.
Costumes are encouraged at this dance! There will be music and a photo booth as well as pizza, gatorade, pop, water, candy, and dance items for sale. These items will range in prices from $1.00 to $3.00.
All school rules apply for this event. Students must be present at school the day of the event (with the exception of funerals or appointments). Students who were unexcused absent or ill on October 9th, for example, may not attend.
Once students enter the dance they will not be allowed to leave early without school staff talking to a parent or guardian. Please have students bring small bills if possible.
7th and 8th grade students will have a beach dance on November 14th. More information to come on that dance later this month!
We want to keep our HMS community safe and healthy! Here are some important updates from the health office this week:
Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease 👣 – We’ve been seeing a lot of cases recently. Please keep an eye out for symptoms.
Undiagnosed Rashes 🌸 – Per school board policy, all undiagnosed skin rashes require a doctor’s note before a student can return to school.
Measles Alert ⚠️ – The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has reported measles cases in Dakota County. Because rashes can look similar, it’s important to identify the cause before sending your student to school.
📎 Helpful Resources:
🤒 Illness and Keeping Your Child Home
A student should not come to school (and may be sent home) if they have or have had:
📞 Reporting Absences
Absences may be reported by calling the main office of your child’s school. Please share symptoms and/or any diagnosed communicable conditions such as:
Chicken pox
Strep throat
Cough and fever
Influenza
Pink eye
If your child has an injury or illness that requires changes to their school day, please contact the health office before they return.
Wishing everyone a healthy weekend,
Nurse Erin and Nurse Katie 🌸
Lost and Found
Lost and found items are primarily located near the gym. These include clothing, water bottles, hats, and similar items, which students can collect during the school day. After school, students and families can access these items by entering through the gymnasium doors.
Smaller valuables, such as headphones and jewelry, are kept at the Welcome Center. These can be retrieved during school hours or after school until 3:30 pm.
Please remind your child to regularly check the lost and found for any missing items throughout the school year. Unclaimed items will be donated on the following dates:
October 15
November 26
December 23
February 25
March 13
May 1
Parent Lunch
Parent/guardians are welcome to eat lunch with their student. Please alert Rachel Boatman in the Welcome Center 24 hours in advance either by phone (651-480-7062) or email (rboatman@isd200.org). When notifying Rachel Boatman, please state the day you are planning on coming in to eat lunch and your child's name/grade level. To enter the building, you will need to show your driver's license as part of our check in system.
Grade Level Lunch Times are Below:
Grade 5: 11:19-11:44
Grade 6: 12:16-12:41
Grade 7: 10:50-11:15
Grade 8: 11:47-12:12
Parent Portal and Schoology Access
If you need assistance logging into the Parent Portal and Schoology:
Reach out to Natalie Shofner nshofner@isd200.org 651-480-7084
Parent partnership is a vital part of making Hastings Middle School a success! Whether it’s through volunteering your time or contributing resources, your support makes a big difference for our students and staff.
PTA Membership
Our PTA is looking for parents/guardians to join and help continue supporting our school community. If you are interested, please contact Devyn Dimmick-Partington at devyn.dimmick@gmail.com.
Ways to Get Involved:
