HMS February 2025 Newsletter

Principal Corner

Dear HMS Parents, Guardians, and Students,

February is here, and with it comes the energy and excitement of a busy second semester at Hastings Middle School! As we continue working toward our academic and behavioral goals, I want to take a moment to highlight some important events and initiatives happening this month.

Academic Focus & Mid-Year Check-In

With the third quarter underway, this is a great time for students to reflect on their progress and set goals for the rest of the year. Our Winter FastBridge Screener results are helping us identify areas of growth and support for students. Please encourage your child to stay organized, keep up with assignments, and use their planners and binders to stay on track.

Raider Way & Behavior Expectations

We continue reinforcing positive behavior through Raider Way (PBIS), ensuring that students understand and meet expectations in and out of the classroom. Thank you for your support in promoting respect, responsibility, and readiness at HMS!

Course Registration for 2025-2026

As we look ahead, course registration for next school year is happening this month. Counselors will meet with students the week of February 10th to guide them through the process, and we encourage families to discuss course selections together.

As always, thank you for your ongoing support and partnership. If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Let’s make February a great month at HMS!

Ryan Wynn
Principal
Hastings Middle School

Quick Updates

February Events

3 Snow Week: Jersey Day
4 Snow Week: Comfy/Cozy Day
5 Snow Week: Monochromatic Day
6 Snow Week: Beach Day
6 7th & 8th Grade/HHS Band Concert
6:30 pm (HHS Auditorium)
7 Snow Week: Raider Day
10 5th/6th Grade Band Concert
6:30 pm (HMS Auditorium)
13 5th Grade Bingo
2:45-3:30 (HMS Cafeteria Cost $2)

14 Valentine's Day: Wear Red or Pink
14 5th Grade Buck Hill Trip
17 Parent/Teacher Conference Sign-Up Link Available
17 No School: Presidents' Day
20 5th Grade Orchestra Concert
6:30 pm (HMS Auditorium)
20 6th, 7th & 8th Grade Orchestra Concert
7:30 pm (HMS Auditorium)
27 Parent/Teacher Conferences 4:30-8:30 pm
28 No School: Parent/Teacher Conferences
8:30 am-3:30 pm
28 Lost and Found Item Donation

Scholastic Book Fair

Get ready--the Scholastic Book Fair is coming to Hastings Middle School! This is a great opportunity to connect with your child over the thrill of bringing home new books to dive into again and again. A love of independent reading boosts academic success.

Family Event Dates: March 4 and March 6 from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Location: Near the Hastings Middle School Auditorium

Our Book Fair homepage: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/hastingsmiddleschool

Visit our Book Fair homepage to set up a Book Fair eWallet, the digital payment account that allows your child to shop for books at the Fair without cash.

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.

Lost and found donations will occur on the following dates:
February 28th
April 17th
June 6th

Please remind your child to look for any missing items!

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!

Reporting Absences Online

Parents/guardians can now submit full day absence requests directly through their Infinite Campus Parent Portal account. This can be used to inform the school attendance office in advance when your child is not going to be in school. This may be done using a computer or the Campus Parent Portal app on your mobile device. The portal absence request process is only available for full day absence requests. Absence requests for late arrivals or leave early requests must still be done by contacting the school attendance office. You also still have the option of calling the attendance office to report full day absences if you prefer. If you do not have a parent portal account, contact Lori Marsh at 651-480-7084 or lmarsh@isd200.org. More information including step by step instructions for how to submit an absence request directly through your portal account can be found on our website. Link: https://www.hastings.k12.mn.us/o/hps/page/attendance

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Parent/Teacher conferences will follow the same format as the fall conferences. 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, February 17th.

Drop Off/Pick Up Reminders

As a friendly reminder, please help us keep our drop-off and pick-up process running smoothly and safely for everyone.

Recently, we've noticed an increase in cars parking or stopping in the drop-off lane, causing traffic backups to Pine Street, and some vehicles entering the bus corral near Door 16 during pick-up times. These practices create safety concerns for students walking and biking and disrupt bus traffic.

To ensure the line moves efficiently and to maintain safety for all:

Avoid parking or stopping in the drop-off lane. This area is meant for quick drop-offs only.
Use the designated parking lot pick-up areas and avoid entering the bus corral.
Be mindful of others and keep the line moving by pulling forward as space becomes available.

We understand the colder weather can make things more challenging, and we appreciate your cooperation in maintaining a safe and efficient process for all students and families.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your continued support!

Academics

Academic Support
Quarter 3
January 22nd to April 4th
If you need assistance logging into the Parent Portal and Schoology, reach out to Lori Marsh.
Lori Marsh
lmarsh@isd200.org
651-480-7084

Schoology Help Video of the Month

Recent Grades-Helping you see what your student(s) just learned

If you are curious to see what is happening in class and how your student(s) is performing on their work, you can learn about that in the recently graded areas. There are multiple ways to access this, so this video will walk you through the steps and you can decide which way works best for you.

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.

AVID

Advancement Via Individual Determination

AVID is:

A program designed to increase thinking, processing, and sharing of information.

A 30 year record of proving that given the right resources and tools for academic rigor and support, virtually all students can be academically successful.

AVID Schoolwide Encourages:

Responsible use of daily planner
Organizational tools
Setting goals
Time management skills
Note-taking strategies
Inquiry and critical thinking skills
Collaborative learning
Effective reading strategies for increased comprehension
Building a community of learners

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.

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: Any items purchased through this Amazon link is appreciated! Amazon PTA Link

7th Grade Courage Retreat

7th Grade Courage Retreat

The 7th Grade Courage Retreat was a great success! If you have a 7th grader, be sure to ask them what they learned about courage and which activity they enjoyed most.

Raider Rockstars!

A Huge Round of Applause for Our Outstanding Students and Staff!

We’re excited to celebrate the incredible students and staff who embody the spirit of the Raider Way! Your leadership, dedication, and excellence make a lasting impact on our community. Keep shining and striving for greatness!