7:40 - 7:55: All students should arrive and enter through the main doors. Breakfast is served. Students may not enter the building before this time.

8:00 am: School begins

2:35 pm: Dismissal for all walkers

2:40 pm: Dismissal for bussers

OCTOBER
Sept 28 - October 6 - Read-a-thon
7 - PTA Meeting
11 - NO SCHOOL - Teacher Workshop
14 - Evening Conferences / Book Fair - Elementary Only
15 - Evening Conferences / Book Fair - All Grades
16 - NO SCHOOL / Conferences / Book Fair - All Grades
17 & 18 - NO SCHOOL- Teacher Association Days
23 - Elementary School Picture Retake Day

NOVEMBER
1 - NO SCHOOL - Staff Development
4 - PTA Meeting
8 - Family Movie Night
28 & 29 - Fall Break

Fall Conferences

Fall conferences will be held after school on October 14th and 15th and during the day on October 16th. Please sign up for a conference as soon as possible.

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

School Picture Retake Day: Wednesday, October 23rd

Need a retake? Sign up here for school picture retakes. All galleries will be emailed to parents 2-5 business days after picture day.

Cahill Studios will send you important picture day information from the following email address: no-reply@imagequix.com, so keep a lookout!

If you have any questions, you can 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

School Perception Student Satisfaction Survey

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.

Mr. Bakker is spending a little time in each classroom to talk with students and read "The World Needs Who You Were Made To Be" by Joanna Gaines.

Bus Safety Training

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.

Join the Pinecrest PTA! Meetings are held the first Monday of each month at 7:15 pm in the Pinecrest library. New members are always welcome!

Visit our Pinecrest Elementary Community Facebook Page for more information!

The Pinecrest Read-a-thon is coming up September 28 - October 6! 

This year we have set a goal to raise $10,000 for field trips for the 2024-2025 school year! 

Click here to register and you will be able to share your student's online donation page via email and social media (you can start doing this right away!) and log your student's reading minutes (both in-school and at-home) September 28 - October 6 during the Read-a-thon!

All donations collected during the Read-a-thon will fund field trips for Pinecrest students. We will receive 85% of online donations (donors may choose to cover the 15% platform fee if they would like to do so) and 100% of offline donations (checks can be mailed to Pinecrest PTA, PO Box 512, Hastings, MN 55033; please do not send cash or checks to school).

Watch for additional information via Seesaw and on the Pinecrest Elementary Community Facebook Page in the coming weeks! 

Fall Book Fair

Our Scholastic book fair will be held in the Media Center during conferences.

• Monday, October 14, 3:00 – 7:30

• Tuesday, October 15, 3:00 – 7:30

• Wednesday, October 16, 8:00 – 12:30

50% of all sales come back to the Pinecrest PTA for the purchase of books for the Pinecrest library!

Volunteers needed!

Music Notes

We have had a great start to the year as we looked at our Basic Needs and how each one of us has those same basic needs of fun, belonging, power (a feeling of accomplishment and self-worth), and freedom (the opportunity to make choices). In addition, we have been working on showing our Pinecrest Pride in the music room and in the hallway.

Our students in Kindergarten are discovering their voices and many of the different sounds they can make with their voices, as well as matching pitch. We are focusing on the concept of steady beat and using our bodies, instruments, and icons to demonstrate that we have mastered this concept. In addition, we have looked at the different shapes of instruments and played the circle drum, the rectangle bell steps and the triangle.

Grade 1 has reviewed high and low, fast and slow, loud and soft, the steady beat, and our different types of voices as well as the different types of instruments. We are currently working on our first grade vocabulary, forte and piano in place of loud and soft as well as allegro and largo for fast and slow.

Grade 2 has reviewed the concept of the steady beat, along with the strong and weak beats. In addition, we have reviewed our rhythm reading, specifically, “tah”, “rest” and “ti-ti”. Finally, our music street houses have returned to music street so we are reading sol, mi and la.

Grades 3 and 4 are reviewing canon echoes, steady beat and reading the rhythms of “tah, ti-ti, rest, half note and half rest. Be sure to ask your student what the word “canon” means. We are reading do, re, mi, sol and la on the staff!

Grade 4 is preparing for their field trip to Orchestra Hall to see and hear the Orchestra in Orbit. We are excited for our Pinecrest Choir to get going again! All students in Grade 4 are welcome to join us! Rehearsals will begin on October 22nd and occur every Tuesday at 7:15am in the Pinecrest Music Room.

We are looking forward to a great year of music-making!

Fine Arts Happenings Around the District

October 14: High School Vocal Concert 7:00pm HHS Auditorium
October 22: High School Band Concert 7:00pm HHS Auditorium
October 22: Pinecrest Choir Rehearsals Begin 7:15AM Music Room 20
October 24: Grade 4 to Orchestra Hall 9:00am-2:00pm

Art Corner

We are thrilled to share that the school year is off to a fantastic start in the art room! Our students have been diving into a world of creativity, learning, and hands-on projects that inspire imagination and self-expression. Remember, there’s no “right” or “wrong” way to make art, and our young artists have embraced this spirit wholeheartedly!

Fourth Grade started the year jumping into a project learning about the endless types of lines and patterns. They drew a picture of something they like or enjoy and filled those objects in with zentangle designs, which is the combination of a whole bunch of lines and patterns. We are currently learning about color mixing and the science behind how we see colors as we move into our next project, Color Chemistry! 

In third grade we reviewed different ways to use paint and paintbrushes to create different effects with watercolor paint. The students reflected on hobbies, animals, and things they enjoy as they drew their design. Using watercolor as the finishing touch we wrapped up this project last week and are heading straight into learning about symmetry in art! 

In second grade we talked about all the different places we see art outside, a style called Street Art. The students then used their own names to create a graffiti style art piece! As we move into our next project we are reviewing the primary and secondary color families. The students are using the primary colors red, yellow, and blue to create a paper collage robot! Students have had a lot of fun coming up with their own robot designs!

First grade students began the year reviewing the different types of lines. They created a tree with curly, zig zag, and/or swirly lines before brainstorming what crazy object or animal lived in their tree. It was so cool to see the creativity flourish as students finished these projects. 

In Kindergarten, our young artists started by learning what art is all about, embracing a positive mindset as they explore and create. They have been wonderfully supportive of one another, reminding each other that in art, mistakes are simply part of the journey. We’re focusing on having fun and doing our best!

It has been a joy to get to know all the talented students at Pinecrest and watch their artistic skills run free. We can’t wait to see what incredible creations they will continue to make throughout the year! 

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 noon recess.

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

Treats at School

The district has adopted a wellness policy in regards to treats at school. We are still celebrating student birthdays, we are just not doing so with birthday treats. We ask that students not bring any treats in honor of their birthday.

Vision & Hearing Screenings

This year we are conducting routine vision and hearing screenings for Kindergarten, 2nd, and 4th grade students. Screenings will be completed during the school day in October. You will be notified by phone and/or 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 651-480-7281. 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 health office at 651-480-7286.

Early Pickup and End of Day Transportation 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 651-480-7280 by 1:35 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 valid driver's license with you when you are checking out your student or visiting our school.

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

Order your Spirit Wear! Can be customized to our school!

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