Changes at Hastings Middle School

We are getting very excited about the upcoming school year at Hastings Middle School. We are welcoming a new Assistant Principal, Scott Addyman. Scott is a Hastings resident and has been the Student Success Coach at Pinecrest Elementary. He can’t wait to work with our HMS students and staff and will bring an innovative mindset to his new position. Scott has affected so many of his students at Pinecrest in building solid relationships, solidifying student growth in academics, and leveraging technology. He believes technology is not just a means to an end; it has become an integral part of our lives. Integrating technology into our classrooms and curriculum prepares our students to navigate the digital landscape with confidence and adaptability. Welcome to HMS Scott! We will share more about Scott in our HMS communications.

We are seeing a lot of changes around our building. All of the trees in front of our school were cut down. Unfortunately, these were ash trees infected with Emerald ash borer. We will get new trees and a sprinkler system in front in the near future.

Another big change inside the building is the switch/flip of the main administrative offices and counseling offices. The counseling offices will now be across the hall and connected with the nurse’s office. In addition, our intercom system was installed so visitors can communicate with our welcome center.

We are also updating our media center and replacing the carpeting in the auditorium. We are excited about the updates to our learning environment at HMS. Thank you for the continued community support!

QR code to song example

Color Theory Meets Music Theory

This year Music met Art for the 7th graders in Kendra Berg’s classes at Hastings Middle School. Through a new Hastings technology called Specdrums, students were able to learn color theory with Ms. Berg and interact with paintings they made to create an original music piece through special Specdrum rings that paired with the classroom’s ipads. Ms. Berg said, “It’s so cool to hear all the songs that kids came up with. Some sounded like they should be theme songs to tv shows. They were awesome!” Students could make loops, beats, and original sounds to create the right song to match the tone of their painting. QR codes were then attached to their paintings for a digital art show that all middle school students could view.

Virtual Field Trips in our Elementary Halls

Students got to put their tech skills to the test this Spring as they made a virtual slideshow of a National Park of their choosing. They spent time researching and putting together a series of slides to show all they had learned about their park. Their teacher Josie Stephan shared, “They recorded the info, planned a script using a storyboard, and then created an iMovie using pictures from their park! I felt like it gave kids a new voice in their writing and motivated them to become experts. I feel like it allowed every kid to be successful in their writing! ”They also had a chance to share it with their classmates using QR codes. Students could use their iPads to scan the QR codes and let their classmates take virtual tours of each other’s National Parks. Their class map was displayed in the hallway for other classes and school visitors to enjoy.

QR Code of Example Movie

Escape Rooms Go Digital

You may have gone to an escape room where your goal was to solve all the riddles before the time ran out to beat the clock and win, but some lucky students at McAuliffe had the Escape Room come to them. This past school year, students had the chance to review concepts through digital escape rooms. Their teacher, Katie McBride, said, “They love it, and it’s challenging.” Puzzles were posted in their class on Seesaw, and they worked to see if they could escape all the puzzles before time ran out. It’s a great way for students to think about things from new and different perspectives to achieve a goal.