Dear HMS Parents, Guardians, and Students,
Our halls were filled with energy and purpose this week as students settled into routines and formed new friendships. We saw our new 5th graders find their way, and teachers greeting students with warm smiles at their classroom doors. These everyday moments made our HMS community feel truly special.
This week also served as a reminder of the importance of caring for and supporting one another, both in and out of school. I am proud of the kindness and empathy our students continue to show, and I encourage families to keep those conversations going at home. Together, we can model the resilience and compassion that make our community stronger.
Earlier today, we held our first fire drill, and our students did an outstanding job following directions and staying safe. All week long, staff have been reinforcing the Raider Way. Our core values are being safe, respectful, and responsible. This keeps our positive momentum going.
Teachers are also handing out Raider Recognition Tickets to students showing these positive behaviors. It’s wonderful to see students already embracing these expectations that help everyone feel safe, valued, and ready to learn.
Thank you for your support. With such a positive start to the year, we’re excited to build on this momentum in the weeks ahead.
Go Raiders!
Ryan Wynn
Principal
Hastings Middle School
🚗 Student Drop-Off &🚦Traffic Flow
To keep students safe and traffic moving smoothly, please note these important rules:
🚫 No Student Drop-Off: Students may not be dropped off in front of the District Office entrance.
🚫 No Thru Traffic: Vehicles are not allowed to cut through the bus loading zone or restricted lanes on the Pinecrest side.
✅ Parent Drop-Off Routes: Please follow the designated green parent routes on the map for morning and afternoon drop-off and pick-up.
5th & 6th Grade → Highway 55 side
7th & 8th Grade → Pinecrest side
Families with multiple grades → Choose one side (Highway 55 or Pinecrest) and use it consistently
During school hours → All drop-offs/pick-ups must be on the Pinecrest side
⚠️ Parking Reminder: Please do not park in the Highway 55 parking spots or sit in them with your child until doors open. These are limited staff parking spaces, and we need to keep them available.
Thank you for following these procedures to ensure safety for all students and staff.
🚨 Updated Pick-Up and Drop-Off Procedures
As part of our ongoing commitment to safety, we want to remind families about our process for picking students up early and dropping off items. While these procedures are not entirely new, we are emphasizing them to reduce congestion in the office and keep our welcome area calm and secure.
Item Drop-Offs
If you are dropping off an item for your child, please leave it on the table in the vestibule. Paper and pen will be available for labeling the item. We will ensure the item is delivered to your child.
Early Pick-Ups
If your child needs to leave early for an appointment or is being dismissed from the nurse’s office, please follow the process below:
If you are scheduling an appointment, please contact the front office ahead of time to let us know. If the nurse has already contacted you to pick up your child, you do not need to call again.
After you call (or are contacted by the nurse), we will send a pass to your child right away so they know when to leave class and come to the office. They will then be ready and waiting for you at the time of pick-up.
When you arrive, your child should come right out to meet you. If they do not come out within 5–10 minutes, please call the office at 651-480-7060 to let us know.
If circumstances require, you may enter the first set of doors, ring the doorbell, show your ID to the camera, and we will call your child down to the office. Showing ID in this case ensures that anyone entering the building is either a parent or an approved emergency contact.
If someone other than a parent is picking up (for example, a grandparent, aunt, or another emergency contact), we will always verify their ID to confirm they are listed as an approved contact before releasing your child.
Important Clarification
These procedures apply only to students leaving early during the school day. They do not change our regular morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up routines. Families should continue to follow those procedures as usual, including the established drop-off location on the 55 side of the building.
The most important point to remember is that we want to minimize the need for parents or adults to enter the building unless it is absolutely necessary.
Cell phones must be put away during the school day from 7:55 a.m. until 2:35 p.m.
1️⃣ First Offense: Device is confiscated and turned into the office. Student may pick up the device at the end of the day.
2️⃣ Second Offense: Device is confiscated and turned into the office. A parent/guardian/caretaker must pick up the device at the end of the day.
🔁 Beyond the Second Offense: Continued issues with cell phone use will result in a behavior plan 📋 developed with the parent/guardian, principal or assistant principal, and student.
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)
To help ensure a safe and efficient dismissal, our afternoon buses line up in designated areas around the Middle School.
Pinecrest Side: Routes 1–3, 6–13, 16, 21, and 22 stage along Pinecrest.
Highway 55 / North Lot: Routes 4, 14–20, and 23 stage in the north parking lot by Highway 55.
Please remind your student to know their bus route number and where it will be parked at the end of the day.
👉 Click here to view the full staging map
September/October Events
9/22 No School - Staff Development Day
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
NAPAC Cultural Craft Nights
Click here to RSVP for NAPAC Ribbon Workshops!
📊 Upcoming Fastbridge Testing: Sept. 15–19
This fall all students in grades 5-8 will be taking Fastbridge aMath and FASTtrack reading tests in their math and language arts classes. These computer-adaptive screener assessments will help us identify students who are at risk for math and reading and will help our teams better support your student in math and reading.
Students will be taking Fastbridge tests in their math and language arts classes during the week of September 15th-19th. Thank you for your support!
Please help us to support your student with Fastbridge testing by providing wired headphones to students during testing and by reminding them, as always, to arrive to classes with their Chromebook fully charged.
🎒 School Supplies from HFS
If your child is still in need of school supplies, or if you know of new families joining our district, Hastings Family Service (HFS) has extra supplies available throughout the year. Families can call 651-437-7134 to schedule a time to pick out what they need. Teachers are also encouraged to reach out if classroom supplies are needed at any point.
We are grateful to Hastings Family Service and our community for helping ensure every student starts the year prepared for success!
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.
In everything we do at HMS, we live the Raider Way. We are safe, respectful, and responsible.
We establish clear expectations
We use positive language
We foster a climate of belonging
We celebrate student growth
One of the ways we do this is to frame expectations in a positive way. For example, instead of saying “don’t run” saying “we walk in the halls.” Research shows that people are more likely to meet our expectations when instructions are stated positively. This is not always easy to do!
Click here to learn more about the HMS expectations that we are teaching students
Details about Hastings Middle School Athletics, including location, available sports programs, and the school start date, can be found on our athletics website here.
We’re excited to share our new HMS Family Resource Page, a live collection of links and documents to support families throughout the year. This includes:
Parent guides for Schoology and Infinite Campus
Calendar and event reminders
Family tech support
Communication tools
Back-to-school documents, and more!
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 are donated on a regular basis, and donation dates will be shared in advance.
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 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 continue supporting our students and staff! Contact Devyn Dimmick-Partington with interest at: devyn.dimmick@gmail.com
