Principal’s Letter
View this week’s message from Hastings Principal Louise Lipsitz.
5th Annual Lexington Parent Academy- free and open to anyone
Date: Saturday, March 23, 2019
Time: 9:30 am-2:30 pm
Location: Lexington Community Center
Click here to view the workshop schedule & descriptions online. Pre-registration is recommended, but not required.
- Interpersonal Effectiveness: The Power of Validation in Parenting, Blaise Aguirre, MD and Gillian Galen,MD
- What do I say? Addressing questions and comments from young children about identity and bias, Katie O’Hare Gibson, M.Ed. and Regie O’Hare Gibson, MFA
- Parenting with Presence, Persistence, and Possibility, Katie Medlar, Program Director, Calmer Choice, Patty Weinstein, Director of School Programs, Calmer Choice, L.Forest Malatesta, Director of Community Programs, Calmer Choice
- Exploring the Complexity of Gender, Ashley Barnes-Cocke, Safe Schools trainer
- Liberating Our Youth from Violence: Looking Under the Anger, Malcolm Astley, Ed. D.
- They’re Not Crazy They’re Teenagers: Understanding the teenage brain and the impact of substance abuse. Strategies to talk with children of all ages about drugs including alcohol, nicotine, and other drugs with an emphasis on vaping prevention, Elliot Gimble, LHS Science teacher, Kristie Demirev, PE, Health and Wellness Prevention Specialist & LPS Prevention Peer Educators
- I See You and Hear You, But I Don’t Understand You: Improving Parent-Teen Communication and Relationships, Alan Fruzetti, PhD.
- Cyber safety: Teaching children to be safe, secure and responsible in the digital world, Lexington Police Dept. Detective Kristina Hankins, Julie Fenn, LPS Assistant Director of PE, Health and Wellness, Kristie Demirev, LPS PE, Health and Wellness Prevention Specialist and LPS Prevention Peer Educators
- Effects of insufficient sleep on mood and cognitive function, Gila Lindsley, PhD
- Parents as sexuality educators, Jennifer Wolfrum
For more information or questions please contact Julie Fenn at jfenn@lexingtonma.org
Volunteer at the Book Fair
Date: Monday, March 25th – Friday, March 29th, 2019
Time: See below
Location: Hastings Library and Lobby
The Book Fair is coming and we need your help to make it the success the kids (and parents) have come to know year after year.
The Book Fair will be open at the following times:
Monday 8:15am to 4:00pm
Tuesday 8:15am to 4:00pm & 6:30pm to 8:00pm (we are open during ArtsFest!)
Wednesday 8:15am to 4:00pm
Thursday 8:15am to 4:00pm
Friday 8:15am to 9:15am
Please sign up here for a one-hour shift to help the kids with browsing and purchasing books during the Book Fair.
Book Drive for Africa-Second Chance
Date: Monday, March 25th – Friday, March 29th, 2019
Time: School hours
Location: Collection boxes will be in the Hastings lobby
Thanks to YOU, we have collected enough books to create two new libraries in Malawi, and hope to create a third (likely in Kenya or Uganda)! Collection boxes will be back in the Hastings lobby Monday 3/25 – Friday 3/29 so that you can drop off books on your way to the Book Fair (to make room for your purchases!), Arts Night, or teacher conference. Please look around your home for child/adult books (up to an 8th grade reading level) that your family no longer needs, but that would be treasured gifts to those with limited to no access to books. Click below for project updates, details on the books most needed, and how to make a donation toward shipping costs. Thanks for your help!
https://www.gofundme.com/lexington-african-library-project
http://africanlibraryproject.org/book-drives/book-drives-in-action?alpdetail=1344
Arts Night
Date: Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Time: 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Locations: Hastings Gymnasium
Please join us for the 7th annual Hastings Arts Night sponsored by the Hastings PTO and Ms. Bettencourt. This is a free community event in which you can view some of the amazing artwork your children have been creating in art class this year. There will be artwork from each child on display, arts and crafts activities, a special collaborative project for all to participate in, and more. The Book Fair in the library will also be open for browsing and purchases during Arts Night.
We can’t make this happen without your help!
We need assistance on the day of the Arts Night event on Tuesday, March 26, 2019 from 3:30 pm – 8:45 pm to help everything run along smoothly.
Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050d4eafac2cab9-arts1
Spring Conference Babysitting & 5th Grade Volunteer Sign Up
Date: Wednesday, March 27th, Thursday, March 28th, Wednesday April 3rd, Thursday, April 4th
Time: 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Location: Hastings Gym
Conference babysitting will be available in the Hastings Gym from 1:00 pm-4:00 pm on all four parent-teacher conference dates. Fifth-grade students will babysit under the supervision of 5th grade parents. No advanced sign up is needed to use the babysitting, and siblings are welcome. Cost is $5 per child per ½ hour, with a family cap of $15. All proceeds help fund the end-of-year 5th grade activities.
Fifth-grade families can help by volunteering to babysit. For any questions please email the 5th grade activities team.
The Hastings Talent Show is Coming!
Date: Friday, May 3, 2019
Time: 6:30pm
Location: Hastings Gym
It’s time to start thinking about this year’s Hastings Talent Show!
Please spend some time brainstorming with your children about performance ideas. We welcome varieties such as vocal and/or instrumental acts, dances, skits, comedy, magic, and cultural performances. Be creative!
Name: Hastings Heroics
Theme: High Rise & Humble Spirit.
Online sign up here!
Sign-up deadline: April 5th
Preview Day: 4/25 12:30pm to 2:30pm (Boston students at 11:45am)
Dress Rehearsal: 5/2 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Show night: 5/3 6:30pm
Note: Limit single act to 90 seconds and 2 min for group act
Please email with any questions.
THANK YOU
Big Backyard
The second grade classrooms recently completed their winter BBY walks focused on measuring the temperature of air, water, ice, and snow. Thank you to all of the wonderful volunteers who helped make these walks a success: Sascha Lamstein, John Curtis, Jason Bressner, Venkata Mungara, Christy Hart (Waller), Juliet Williams, Mary Hart, Zeeshan Khawaja, Jeena Sandeep, Sun-Young Park, Heather Baker Nielsen, Kerri Frick, Harry Ma, Sehr Jalal, Elida Laski.
SITE COUNCIL
Massachusetts requires that every public school has a Site Council to ensure communication between parents, staff, and community. Members must be equal between staff and parents. It is an advisory group that meets approximately every month and is open to the public. Meeting minutes may be viewed at www.lexingtonma.gov. The next meeting is 4/29/19 at 7:45 in the Hastings library.If you have questions about sitting in on the next meeting or becoming involved, please email our Co-Chair, Beverly Montgomery.
School Site Council Members 2018-2019
Stacey Beutell, Parent
Lisa Contre, Gr. 4 Teacher
Jane Kalinski, Community Member
Deborah Krasnow, Special Educator
Grace Lee, Parent
Louise Lipsitz, Principal/Co-Chair
Beverly Montgomery, Parent/Co-Chair
Brenda Rich, Librarian
Kim Ryan, Parent
SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING AND UPDATES
If you’d like to stay updated on school building projects and other community updates (sports teams, club registration as well as community posts), please join the Hastings Families Google Group at http://bit.ly/HastingsFamilies.
NEXT MEETING:
Date: Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: 1625 Massachusetts Ave, Selectman’s Meeting Room
UPCOMING MONTH’S CALENDAR
| 3/21 Thursday | 8:55 – 9:30 am | All School Meeting |
| 3/23 Saturday | TBD | Family Friends: METCO Parent Sponsored Activity in Boston |
| 3/25 Monday, 3/27 Wednesday | 6:30 pm | Begin school committee meetings every M/W until town meeting ends, Cary Memorial Building, Estabrook Hall. |
| 3/25-3/29
Monday – Friday |
8:15 am-4:00 pm | Book Fair |
| 3/26 Tuesday | 6:30-8:00 pm | Arts Night |
| 3/27-3/28 Wednesday – Thursday | 12:15 pm dismissal both days | Parent-Teacher Conferences (Babysitting Available) |
| 4/3-4/4 Wednesday – Thursday | 12:15 pm dismissal both days | Parent-Teacher Conferences (Babysitting Available) |
| 4/4 Thursday | 8:55 – 9:30 am | All School Meeting |
| 4/6 Saturday | Special Family Friends Day in Boston | |
| 4/9 Tuesday | Family Math Night | |
| 4/10 Wednesday | Family Math Night | |
| 4/11 Thursday | Family Math Night | |
| 4/15- 4/19 Monday – Friday | All Day | No School – April Break |
| 4/23 Tuesday | 7:00 pm | School Committee Meeting, 1625 Massachusetts Ave, Selectman’s Meeting Room |
| 4/25 Thursday | 8:55 – 9:30 am | All School Meeting |
| 4/25 Thursday | Boston Students 11:45-12:15 Local Students:12:45-2:45 pm |
Talent Show Preview |
Bulletin submissions are due on Mondays by 12:00 pm and should be made online.
Visit the Hastings PTO website to find more information and helpful resources. And don’t forget to join us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1493554707397661/.