Eagles Daily

Week ending May 14

The last couple of weeks have been filled with fun activities, preparing for MCAS, deciding on classes for next year, organizing next year’s grade 6 orientation, assemblies, and more. And the real fun hasn’t even begun.

In preparation for our Star Search Talent Show to be held on May 21, about 50 students auditioned over 3 days. Choosing those acts who would compete was a very difficult task, but our PTO was up to it. They assure us we are in for a treat.

Our grade 8 students have been traveling this month. A trip to the Whaling Museum delighted all and provided students with valuable knowledge pertaining to the science curriculum.

Not to be outdone, our grade 7 students traveled to Fort Pheonix where they got a first hand look at local history. The experience opens their eyes to the world around them.

Also during the first week of May our PTO treated the staff to numerous surprises to celebrate Staff Appreciation week. We were treated to luncheons, dips and chips, manicures, and ice cream sundaes. This fabulous PTO certainly treats us like kings and queens.

Week ending April 1

Although it is a short week, it has been a busy one. Classes were back in swing after recuperating from MCAS mania. Before we know it the May session will be upon us.

Third term ends this week. Check your student’s progress on our X2 parent portal. Report cards will be sent home April 9.

Week ending March 26

Our preparations for MCAS appear to have paid off. After hearing pep talks last week and participating in an MCAS Rally, students settled in on Tuesday to the challenge of the test. From all accounts, they gave their best effort. We are confident our scores will be positive and reflect the dedication and tireless effort our staff makes every day.

To celebrate the end of MCAS testing, we enjoyed a presentation by Odaiko New England, a is a taiko performing group that weaves the traditional elements of Japanese drumming with contemporary percussion. This interactive show energized students and staff with music, stories, and bits of Japanese culture. We particularly enjoyed our students being allowed to try their hand at drumming. What a workout! It was easy to see this is nor normal drumming group. What a perfect way to end 3 days of serious work!

During our monthly PTO meeting we found out that we NEED parent volunteers to help with HMS Got Talent! Our students are really excited about this talent show but need your help. Please contact our office if you can be of service. We also talked about our plan to implement spirit wear as a component of a school wide improvement plan. As always our goal is to promote excellence and encourage academic achievement. Parent surveys will go home next week. Then the spirit wear committee will go on the road and present to the school committee! We are looking forward to implementing our spirit wear policy in the fall.

Week ending March 19

Hastings Middle School celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in style. Students and staff wore green and the student council sold homemade shamrock pops. We also kicked off our new PBIS iitiative. This program is a decision making framework that guides selection, integration, and implementation of the best evidence-based academic and behavioral practices for improving important academic and behavior outcomes for all students. 

Students also received pep talks regarding next week’s MCAS tests. They were reminded to come to school daily and try their best. The week ended with an MCAS rally. Teachers entertained students with music and song. We are all confident that our students are well prepared and psyched up to perform well on next week’s exams.

Eighth grade students ended their week with a trip to Fairhaven High School. Fifty-five students experienced a day in the life of a high school student. After a full day program, they were treated to lunch and a final presentation.

Week ending February 26, 2010

Where did the vacation go? Monday arrived and in no time we were back into the swing…focused on teaching and learning. The fast paced world of a school will never cease to amaze me. So much to learn and so little time!

This week our Hastings family welcomed a new staff member. Mrs. Marissa Rosa joins our special education department. We are extremely excited about the new program she will be implementing in an effort to more effectively meet the needs of our students.

Week ending February 5

Our basketball teams performed well against some powerful teams this week. We are all proud of the teams’ accomplishments throughout this season. Next week wraps up the season with 1 home and 2 away games.

The Green Team has added some nifty items to the school store inventory. Besides the ever popular Smencils they are now selling very cool water bottles. Students can purchase them for $6.00.

The 6blue team collected items for our 2nd shipment to our adopted troop serving in Afghanistan. The father of one of our students is a member of this company and we are happy to be able to show our support for him and his fellow soldiers. We encourage all to become part of this worthy endeavor. The soldiers love receiving letters, toiletries, candy, snacks, magazines. Contact Mrs. Haines at jhaines@fairhavenps.org for more information.

We are proud to announce that we collected over $750.00 for Haiti. The generosity of our students, staff, and faculty is commendable.

Week ending January 29

It seems as though we just celebrated New Year’s Eve and here we are at the end of another month. Before we know it another school year will be over and we’ll all wonder what happened.

Destination Imagination sponsored our first Karaoke event. We had a great turnout and lots of fun as students took the stage to show off their talents. It is obvious that Taylor Swift is a hit with our students. We can’t wait to hold our next one.

We also held our first Coffee with the Principal. Although our turnout was small, parents who attended had a chance to chat with staff about general school issues including how to go about becoming a volunteer. Our staff will look into ways to include our parents in the school community.

The PTO held another very successful meeting. Many fun events have been planned including our first HMS’ Got Talent! Stay tuned for more details.

Week ending January 15

Our PBIS team met this week to formalize a plan to roll out our new Positive Behavior Support plan. We are excited about this initiative which will give us tools and strategies to help us prevent and respond to school discipline issues and encourage school wide spirit and positive behaviors. PBIS is another component of our school wide effort to foster EXCELLENCE!

The Hastings Eagles girls’ and boys’ basketball teams thrilled fans with action-packed games this week. Our newly formed Spirit Squad added a dash of home grown spirit. They energized the fans with cheers and posters. Thanks to Ms. Beausoleil for organizing this awesome group and Ms. Richard for supervising our new snack stand.

Students in art class learned about print making. After drawing a creative version of an alien, students then slathered their creations with paint, ultimately pressing a print!

Week ending January 8

Our first week back after a 2 week break flew by.  During PLC meetings we began our work on articulating our core beliefs. They will facilitate the development of our vision statements. By clearly identifying what makes an excellent school, we will be able to take the necessary steps to achieve our goals.

Decked out in new uniforms purchased by the PTO, our basketball teams displayed teamwork and talent during 2 home games this week. GO EAGLES!

Ms. Beausoleil’s grade 8 science class had the chance to see what it’s like to be a researcher. Armed with microscopes, cheek swabs, and pieces of onions, students analyzed parts of cells. Mr. Barr thrilled the students with a hands-on activity dealing with static electricity. It was a HAIR RAISING event to be sure.

In instructional technology, students are enjoying learning how to use PowerPoint effectively. For more on this project see Ms. Reuther’s classroom link on our homepage . http://hastings.edublogs.org/category/powerpoint-lessons/

On Friday the halls were filled with strange looking things. Being Mix/Match Spirit Day, students dressed in a variety of crazy outfits. It was a fun way to end the week. Happy Friday!

Crazy outfits on Mix/Match Spirit Day