OCTOBER
1 - McAuliffe PTC Meeting, 6:30pm @McAuliffe Media Center
11 - NO SCHOOL - Teacher Workshop
14 - Indigenous Peoples' Day Author Visit
14 - Evening Conferences & Scholastic Book Fair
15 - Evening Conferences & Scholastic Book Fair
16 - NO SCHOOL / Morning Conferences & Scholastic Book Fair
17 & 18 - NO SCHOOL- Teacher Association Days
23 - Elementary School Picture Retake Day

NOVEMBER
1 - NO SCHOOL - Staff Development
21 - McAuliffe PTC Meeting, 6:30pm @McAuliffe Media Center
28 & 29 - NO SCHOOL - Fall Break

Elementary Conferences are scheduled for the evenings of Monday, October 14th and Tuesday, October 15th, as well as the morning of Wednesday, October 16th. Click the button below to sign up for a conference time.

Beginning on Monday, October 14, students in the Hastings School District (grades 4-12) will have the opportunity to participate in the School Perceptions Student Life Survey. The survey is designed to measure student's 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 positively 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 with the surveys 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 10.

All District 200 K-4 elementary students received school bus safety training on a school bus in late September. Hastings Bus Company drivers conducted the training. They have developed lesson plans that correlate with the bus safety curriculum classroom teachers cover each fall.

School Picture Galleries Have Been Delivered!

Didn't receive an email?
Some emails go to junk or spam folders. Look for an email in your inbox from: no-reply@imagequix.com

Fill out the gallery password request form HERE

https://share.hsforms.com/1R5DT-lD5QN-w4-dl0SGz0Qcrwo6

Need a Retake?

Sign up here for school picture retakes. Picture retakes are on Wednesday, October 23rd. All galleries will be emailed to parents 2-5 business days after picture day.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Cahill Studios. 

The Cahill Studios Customer Care Team
Email: service@cahillphotostudio.com
Office Number: 715-268-9363
Toll-Free Number: 866-229-0135

Back-to-School Annual Updates

If you haven't yet, please review and sign the 2024-25 annual update forms for you student through your parent portal.

After logging into your Parent Portal Account, click More and Back-To-School Annual Updates to begin.

• TO PURCHASE THE OPTIONAL STUDENT DEVICE PROTECTION PLAN CLICK HERE

• BACK TO SCHOOL ANNUAL UPDATES: STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

• Infinite Campus and Technology Information

• Student and Parent Technology Support Resource Information

One parent or guardian from the primary household will be required to provide information for your children. Parents/Guardians from a secondary household will be able to update their own contact information.

If you are having trouble logging into your parent portal account, please contact the office at 651-480-7391 or email edannenberg@isd200.org.

Educational Benefits

Did you know "Educational Benefits" are more than Free and Reduced Lunches? By qualifying for benefits, families can access WIC Benefits, the Metro Transit Assistance Program, reduced internet programs (FCC Affordable Connectivity Program), and scholarships or discounts on camps, athletic programs and child care.

All families are encouraged to apply as these benefits also help Hastings schools qualify for education funding, discounts and other meal programs that benefit all students.

Link to apply: https://frapps.horizonsolana.com/HASS01

Change of Address or Daycare

If, during the school, year your address or daycare changes and this requires a change in transportation, please contact the school, not the bus company. If you give us the information we will work with the bus company to make the changes. The only changes that can be made are those that are permanent or for an extended length of time. It is very difficult for the bus company to make brief or sudden changes in the routes. If you need to update your address, please complete this form to turn into the office Thank you for your help in this matter.

Dress for the Weather

As the weather begins to cool, please be sure your child is dressed appropriately for playing outside. Students spend twenty minutes outside for recess.

When the temperatures start to dip into the 40’s and 50’s, we do strongly recommend students to wear a light jacket or sweatshirt outside. When winter arrives, winter clothing will be required.

This year we are conducting routine vision and hearing screenings for Kindergarten, 2nd, and 4th grade students. If you want to opt your child out of this health screening, contact the health office (651-480-7395 elubich@isd200.org) by November 4th. Screenings will be completed during the school day in early November. You will be notified (phone call and email) if your child has any concerns with vision or hearing after the screenings are completed.

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

The district as adopted a wellness policy. We are still celebrating student birthdays; we are just not doing so with birthday treats. Healthy or non food items are encouraged.

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!

• October 28th - time and location to be announced

• 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