JANUARY
1 - NO SCHOOL - Winter Break
7 - PTC Meeting, McAuliffe Media Center, 6:30-7:30pm
20 - NO SCHOOL - Martin Luther King Day
21 - NO SCHOOL - Teacher Workshop
27 - NO SCHOOL- Staff Development
28 - Countdown to Kindergarten Event, 5-6:30pm (see below for more info)

FEBRUARY
3-21 - McAuliffe Read-A-Thon
4 - PTC Meeting, McAuliffe Media Center, 6:30-7:30pm
17 - NO SCHOOL - Presidents' Day
26 - Evening Conferences & Scholastic Book Fair
27 - Evening Conferences & Scholastic Book Fair
28 - NO SCHOOL - Morning Conferences & Scholastic Book Fair

SAVE THE DATE!
Incoming Kindergarteners & their families are invited to visit our school on Tuesday, January 28th from 5:00 - 6:30 pm to meet Kindergarten teachers, take a school tour, and take part in a fun scavenger hunt.

Literacy Spotlight Presentations will also be held at 5:15pm,. 5:45pm, and 6:15pm in RM 183.

More information about the Countdown to Kindergarten, Literacy Spotlight Presentations, and enrollment was mailed to families in early January. If you did not receive this information, please reach out to the McAuliffe office.

To enroll online, click HERE.

Your student(s) has the chance to earn STEAM badges at home. What does this mean? Each month through May watch our newsletter for STEAM Badge Updates.  Each month your student(s) will have the chance to work with Mrs. Hewitt on a STEAM project at home. During her video she will read a story and talk about a STEAM project to try at home.  When students finish their project, use this link to share what you’ve learned. Each month’s upload earns them another badge. At the end of the year students will receive a certificate with all their badges.

For January let’s start with ASKING.  This month we spend time with Rosie Revere and think about ways we can solve problems in our everyday lives. Some problems are big, some are small, but when we use the STEM DESIGN PROCESS we can think about these problems and see if there is a way we can solve them. Click Here to view the ASK STEAM Challenge.   If you complete the activity found in the video, make sure to let Mrs. Hewitt know by clicking here so your student(s) can earn their ASK Badge.

Ready for Recess?

It is important for students to get outside for some physical activity every day. They are provided with a 20-minute daily recess.  We expect everyone to come to school dressed for the weather.  Our school will have indoor recess on days when the weather is not suitable for outside play:

• If the temperature with wind chill is below -11°.

• Some schools may choose to have a 10-minute outside recess for temperatures around -11°.  Outside supervisors will make this decision in cooperation with the office.

• Students with health plans on file in the health office may have special considerations that will be followed.

During the winter months, your child needs to wear a coat, mittens/gloves, snow pants and boots since the children will go outside for recess unless the wind chill temperature is below -11°. Once it snows, children who do not have boots or snow pants will need to stay on the blacktop area. Please contact our School Social Worker, Mackenzie Lucas-Kennedy (mlucas-kennedy@isd200.org, 651.480.7417) if you need any assistance with winter gear.

It is important that you have accurate phone numbers on file for your student with the school district. Although we are using a calling system to contact families in case of inclement weather, the district will still continue to post school delays or closings in the following ways:

Official school closing announcements will be made on Hastings KDWA Radio 1460, WCCO-Channel 4, KSTP-Channel 5, KMSP-Channel 9 and KARE-Channel 11 television and Hastings Public School Website.

In case of inclement weather, activities will be shared with families in the students’ take-home folders, as well as being posted on the school's webpage. Students with an Individualized Education Plan will follow lessons provided by their classroom teacher and/or lessons modified by their case manager. Please return completed work to school or submit it through Seesaw as directed by your teacher. The due dates for e-Learning day assignments will typically be due the next day.

*Please note, the first inclement weather day will not have e-learning expectations in place.

Link to the District E-Learning Day Plans

Illness and Keeping Your Child Home

A student should not come to school (and may be sent home from school) if they have or have had:

• a fever of 100 degrees F or more in the past 24 hours

• vomiting or diarrhea in the past 24 hours

• an undiagnosed skin rash

Reporting Absences

If your student will not be at school, please call and report the reason for their absence at 651-480-7391. If your student is ill, please report their symptoms and/or any diagnosed communicable condition like chicken pox, strep throat, cough and fever, influenza, or pink eye. It is recommended that you follow the MDH and CDC exclusion guidelines for communicable diseases.

Immunizations
In order to attend school, students must show that they're in compliance with Minnesota School Immunization Requirements (see the Minnesota Department of Health Link below for more Information). Hastings School's immunization policy states that students who are not up to date on their immunizations will not be allowed to start school until they provide the school with documentation that they have received the required immunizations.
Parents/guardians may check their student's immunization status by logging on to the parent portal in Infinite Campus. To see the immunization records, click on the HEALTH tab. If your student's immunization status says "current for grade" in ALL immunizations required by law, then the student is up to date and ready for the start of school. If your student is not current, they will need to get the required immunizations to attend the first day of school. Yearly physicals with their healthcare provider are strongly encouraged for students to have optimal health.

Parents/guardians may choose to decline immunizations for their students by filing a legal exemption with the school. Student Immunization Form

If you have further questions, please reach out to our building nurse: Emily Lubich, elubich@isd200.org

Early Pick Up & Dismissal Changes

In order to minimize interruptions to the classroom, students should not be picked up early unless it is an emergency. On those occasions when it is necessary to pick your child up during the school day, please go to the school office, with your ID, to sign your child out. If someone other than the parent/guardian is picking up, office must be notified in advance and their ID also is required. The office personnel will contact your child’s teacher to dismiss them and meet you in the office.

When there is a change to your child’s normal dismissal plan, please contact the main office at 651-480-7390 by 2:30 pm if possible.

Teachers will not release students unless the office gives prior approval. This practice has been established to help protect your child.

Your child's safety is of prime importance to us. There are a few procedure guidelines that help us maintain a secured building and limit the number of distractions to our classrooms. Our building is designed to have a single entry point during the school day. Please keep the following in mind:

• Always check in at the office whenever you are at school.

• We have a secure entrance, please ring the doorbell and state your reason for visiting.

• When delivering things for your child (ex. snow gear), please drop them off at the office. We will deliver articles or call your child down to the office.

Bring Your ID

Please bring your driver's license with you when you are checking out your student, volunteering, or visiting for lunch.

Attendance

Throughout the year, there may be times that your child may be sick, need to go to medical appointments, etc. If your child is absent or will be late, please call the attendance line by 8:50 am at 651-480-7391.

Being on time to school is very important. If you are late to school, please check your student in at the main office.

Parents of students with special needs are invited to join Hastings' Special Education Staff in discussing how to support one another and providing input on district programming. Please mark your calendars for the Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) 2024-2025 meeting dates!

• February 24th - time and location to be announced

• April 2025 - All Dakota County SEAC - Date, time, and location TBD

For more information about SEAC or if you are interested in becoming a member, please contact Jill Petersen at 651-480-7008 or jpetersen@isd200.org

Community Education Recreational Opportunities

TO REGISTER: Call 651-480-7670 or register online at www.HastingsCommunityEd.com

Hastings Public Schools

The Hastings School District consists of approximately 4,300 students. Please click on the links below to email the building principal or site leader. We've also included the phone numbers to the main offices of each of our district's sites:

• Tilden Community Center 651-480-7670

• Kennedy Elementary (K-4) 651-480-7221

• McAuliffe Elementary (K-4) 651-480-7390

• Pinecrest Elementary (K-4) 651-480-7280

• Hastings Middle School(5-8) 651-480-7060

• Hastings High School (9-12) 651-480-7470

• Hastings Alternative Learning Center 651-480-7690

*If you need any assistance in translating this newsletter, contact us at kgorr@isd200.org.

Website: www.hastings.k12.mn.us
Location: 1000 11th Street West, Hastings, MN, USA
Phone: 651-480-7000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hastingspublicschools