November 13, 2019
In this Bulletin
Message from the Principal
Hastings News
- Cary Memorial Library Book Sale Vouchers - New
- School Picture Retake Day - Tomorrow
- Square 1 Art Fundraiser
- Halloween Photos - New
- Water Bottles
Acknowledgements
- Big Backyard (K, 1, 2) - New
Upcoming Events
- Perfectly Puzzled (formerly Math Night) - Tomorrow
- Multicultural Potluck - Next week
- Early Literacy Coffee - Next week
- Parents' Night Out - New
- PTO Meeting
School Committee
Calendar
Community Events
MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Last weekend I had an opportunity to attend a performance of the musical “Come From Awayâ€. The show tells the story of the 7,000 international travelers who were grounded in Gander, Newfoundland on September 11, 2001. The Newfoundlanders opened their schools, military base, churches, rec. center and homes to the stranded passengers of 38 planes that were stuck mid-travel for five days after the attacks, in many cases with little knowledge of whether their NYC relatives were safe, or when they would get home. One line summed up the message. A local Gander resident said to a new friend from NYC, “Newfoundlanders can’t do knock-knock jokes.†Her visitor asked why not and proceeded, “Knock, knock…†The response from the local was “Come on in, the door’s always open!†From basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, medical care, veterinary medicine, phones and computers, to counseling, care and unconditional kindness; the people of Newfoundland opened their homes and their hearts to strangers in need without question.
On Monday as the nation honored our veterans, I thought more about the message of the play and the holiday. In a moment when divisiveness seems to be the norm in our country, taking time to thank others, to reach out to someone in need, to welcome a newcomer in are all gifts we can easily give one another.
Louise Lipsitz
Hastings News
Cary Memorial Library Book Sale Vouchers
The Angel Fund of Lexington provided vouchers for all Hastings students for up to $5.00 to use at the Cary Memorial Library Book Sale next weekend! The fair is Saturday, Nov 16 and Sunday, Nov 17. These vouchers will be distributed by the classroom teachers, so check your child's backpack! Check out the links below for further information:
Support reading and your public library at the same time!
School Picture Retake Day
School pictures were delivered last week and we hope you love your child’s portrait. But, if you are not happy, don’t worry! School picture retakes will be tomorrow,
Thursday, November 14. On retake day, students who were absent will take their portrait photo. And, students who wish for a retake photo, please bring your pictures and provide any notes for the photographer.
Thank you! If you have question please email Grace Lee & Christine Manavian at
schoolpictures@hastings-pto.org.
Square 1 Art Fundraiser
Deadline for paper order forms (to be returned to your child's teacher or the Square 1 Art folder on the PTO table) is
Friday, November 15 at 3:00pm and deadline for
online orders is
Friday, November 22 at midnight.
Celebrate your Hastings student's artistic talents with gifts from Square 1 Art! All students have received personalized catalogs, showcasing their artwork and the many products available for purchase. Water bottles, tote bags and mugs are popular gifts for the artist and for family members. Get a jump start on your holiday shopping and support Hastings in the process. The more you buy, the more our school earns. If we are able to reach our participation goal of 45%, we receive an even higher profit percentage, so every purchase counts!
All products will go home with students by Monday, December 16th.
Halloween Photos
LHS Volunteer Photographers took photos at our Halloween Party and you can find those great pictures here:
Hastings Photo Album.
Water Bottles
Acknowledgements
Big Back Yard Thank You (K, 1 & 2)
Thank you for a wonderful kick off to our BBY walks!
Kindergarten students kicked off their BBY journey observing seasonal signs and changes with: Christine Manavian, Jin Lee, Jaime Talkowski, Juan Yin, Julie Zhu, Heather Coogan, Joe Lei, Fang Xia, Kimberly Ryan, Ali Lynch, Robyn Piasecki, Ling Zhang and Meena Sivanarayanan.
1st Graders learned about the "habitat" animals need to survive and how this changes with the seasons thanks to the help of:
Ching-Ju Kuo, Indu Ananthakrishnan, Nikhil Dighe, Beth Bristol, Shaila Murdeshwar, Anita Kirmani, Jessica Holt-Carr, Andreina Toro, Erika McPhee, Rituparna Basu, Jin Chyung, Yan Jiang, Kathryn Ready, Liz Sullivan and Jaime Talkowski.
2nd Graders learned about types of soil and erosion integrating our building project into this lesson as they took samples from around Hastings with help from: Saimei Feng, Marisa DeVellis, Naveen Cherukuri, Azadeh Assarpour, Emily Jochim, Ali Lynch and Fatima Syed.
Upcoming Events
Perfectly Puzzled
Date: TOMORROW - Thursday, November 14
Time: 7:00-8:15pm
Location: Hastings Gym
We will be hosting our fourth annual math night this fall, which is newly named Perfectly Puzzled! A team of Hastings' teachers will be facilitating the evening and we are thrilled to share these messages and resources with you!
The event will be similar to last year as we will be focusing our evening together on facilitating math conversations at home. If you attended last year, we hope you come again! Some messages might sound familiar, but there will be new games and resources for you to try out at home.
Perfectly Puzzled is November 14th, from 7:00 - 8:15pm. Doors open at 6:45pm!
Please sign up using this link to the google form so that we can plan accordingly. Click above or copy and paste the link below.
*Note: We welcome you to bring your children! Please only bring children that attend Hastings. You will be together all evening and puzzling through the tasks as a team. :)
-From Hastings teachers across grades and roles
Hastings Multicultural Potluck
Date: NEXT WEEK - Wednesday, November 20
Time: 6:15-8:15pm
Location: Hastings School
The Hastings Multicultural Potluck is a fun annual event where we all get to celebrate the diverse cultural background of the Hastings community. In addition to a potluck dinner, the event will include the opportunity to visit cultural booths, watch/participate in a Parade of Many Cultures and a multicultural performance. (If you prefer to dine at home, you can still join for the rest of the event.) Festive/cultural attire is appreciated.
All types of food welcome (pizza, take-out and macaroni and cheese included) but due to allergies at Hastings, please be sure that your dish does NOT contain any nuts, nut products, nut oils, etc. or shellfish.
RSVP here with number of participants and preferred seating time (don’t worry if something changes in the last moment - you can switch times or come without an RSVP, but getting a rough idea will help us plan).
https://forms.gle/oqxzDvnPKmPSoXJ89
Volunteers needed - If you are available to assist with event set up (5-6:15pm) and/or clean-up (8:15-8:45pm) please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080C4CADAF2FAB9-multicultural
or if you would like to host a cultural booth, please write to us at potluck@hastings-pto.org.
Early Literacy Coffee with the Literacy Specialists
Date: NEXT WEEK - Friday, November 22
Time: 8:15-9:00am
Location: Hastings Library
Join the literacy specialists, Dr. Reinhart, Miss Muzyka, and Ms. Densmore, to learn about what early literacy learning looks like in Lexington Public Schools and what you can do to support your student at home.
If you have questions please email Ms. Densmore at adensmore@lexingtonma.org.
Hastings Parents' Night Out
Date: Thursday, December 5
Time: 7:30-9:30pm
Location: il Casale Lexington (1727 Mass Ave.)
Stop by to celebrate the holiday season with old Hastings friends, and make some new Hastings friends! Light appetizers will be served.
PTO Meeting with Superintendent Julie Hackett
Date: Tuesday, December 10
Time: 7-8:30pm
Location: Hastings School
Please mark your calendars for the next general meeting on Tuesday, December 10th. We will be joined by Superintendent Julie Hackett, who will speak about the Lexington Public School District and answer any questions you may have. Please look out for an opportunity to rsvp soon. Babysitting will be provided. If you have questions, please email president@hastings-pto.org.
School Committee
Redistricting Hearing:
- Monday, November 18 - Clarke Middle School Auditorium, 6pm
Upcoming Meetings:
- Tuesday, November 19 - Boston Meeting (6pm at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School - 75 Malcolm X Boulevard)
- Tuesday, December 3 (redistricting vote)
All meetings are at 7pm in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room (1625 Mass. Ave.) unless otherwise noted. Full schedule is posted on the town website.
Redistricting information & Timeline
October 1: Redistricting Announcement
Proposed Redistricting Recommendations were presented to the School Committee on October 1 for review. All of the 6 Elementary Schools and the 2 Middle Schools will be impacted by these proposed changes, and Hastings will grow from 439 students to 646 students. More information is available in the School Committee Packet and Redistricting Update Website (now with searchable maps).
October 15: Redistricting Update
The School Committee agenda packet for the October 15 regular School Committee meeting is available here. It contains updated redistricting information and FAQs both in the superintendent's report and in the redistricting section (updated slides).
October 16 and 24: School Committee Hearings
Opportunities for public comment held.
October 31: Superintendent Dr. Julie Hackett sent out this letter Redistricting Letter - Oct 31, 2019 outlining a revised timeline for LPS Redistricting.
- November 5, 2019 - The School Committee will receive an update on the Transportation Consultant's analysis of the original recommendation and an alternative minimal impact scenario.
- November 18, 2019 - The School Committee will hold an additional public hearing at Clarke Middle School Auditorium. The public hearing will begin at 6:00 p.m.
- December 3, 2019 - The School Committee will vote on the redistricting recommendation. The meeting will be held in the Selectmen's Meeting Room and will begin at 7:00 p.m.
November 5: School Committee Meeting. The agenda and materials are here. The meeting was broadcast live and will be available to watch on
LexMedia.
Please note: All questions about redistricting can be sent to president@hastings-pto.org. We will send a message to Superintendent Julie Hackett who will answer questions. There is also an online form to submit comments in addition to the hearings listed above.
School Committee Liaisons
We are still looking for additional school committee liaisons. Consider being a school committee liaison by attending or watching the School Committee meetings remotely and sharing news relevant to the Hastings community in this section of the weekly bulletin. With 3-4 parents participating the commitment would be one two-hour long meeting approximately every two months. Contact Christine at vp-planning@hastings-pto.org if you are interested!
Upcoming Month's Calendar