Ms Deborah Pelkey is a 3rd Grade Teacher. She has been at Hastings for 21 years!

Let's find out about some of Ms Pelkey's favorites...

Favorite part of being a 3rd Grade teacher - Talking with the kids :)

Favorite food -  Hard boiled eggs

Favorite drink -  Coffee

Favorite candy - Black licorice    

Favorite book - Blueberries for Sal

Thank you Ms Pelkey, it really is nice to meet you!  

Mr De'Shawn Washington is a 3rd Grade Teacher. This is his second year at Hastings.

Let's find out about some of Mr Washington's favorites...

Favorite part of being a 3rd Grade teacher - Building community with students that drives joyful learning

Favorite food -  Egg empanadas

Favorite drink -  Homemade berry blitz (features strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)    

Favorite candy - Butterfingers    

Favorite book - Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson

Mr Washington, can you share a fun fact about yourself?  Yes! I am currently in school for my masters degree to be a better teacher!    

Thank you Mr Washington, it really is nice to meet you!  

Event: 9th ANNUAL HASTINGS SCIENCE FAIR

Important Dates

• Registration Deadline: Thursday, January 27, 2022
• Final Project Poster/Google Slideshow Submission Due: Friday, February 4, 2022
• LIVE Virtual Event: Friday, February 11, 2022 6-8:00pm

Registration for the VIRTUAL HASTINGS SCIENCE FAIR is now open! Click this link to sign up: 2022 Hastings Science Fair Registration Form

The Science Fair is a fun opportunity for students to design and perform a science experiment and then share it with other students at Hastings. Student participants will decide on the subject matter of the experiment, perform the experiments at home, and then create a virtual display or slideshow using Google Slides explaining their work and results. For more information about the interactive virtual format for 2022, visit http://hastings-pto.org/ sciencefair/ 

If you have any questions or concerns, please connect with Lauren, Emily, or Andrea at sciencefair@hastings-pto.org.

Date: Thursday, January, 20, 2022

Time: 9:15 - 9:45am

Virtual Event - https://meet.google.com/wqp- tswb-eat 

First Grade Families: Please join some of the Lexington Literacy Specialists to listen, learn, and explore fun ways to support your first grade readers.

Flyer for 1st Grade Event

Reminder - To enter the school as a volunteer (in a classroom, the library, cafeteria, etc) you must have a current CORI and Vaccination form on file. More information here: http:// hastings-pto.org/getinvolved/

We NEED help with the new lunch routine. Volunteers are helping to sanitize the tables and reminding students of the new rules that they must eat and then put their masks back on before they socialize at lunch. We do not have enough volunteers for the next two weeks.

Whenever you can volunteer would be so appreciated - weekly, biweekly, monthly. Volunteer sign up here. Please email greenteam@hastings-pto.org with any questions.

The Hastings Literacy Library is looking for volunteers!

If you are interested in helping with labeling projects in January please email Anne Garcia-Meitin at garciameitin@lexingtonma.org.

The Maria Hastings PTO is an important part of our school community and we need your help for the 2021-2022 school year! This year, like last spring, many events were reimagined (Online Science Fair! "We are Hastings!"). There is some uncertainty around this year, but we know we have amazing parents who will organize great events for our students! 

Top Priority Positions - Volunteers Needed!

• Multicultural Night Co-Chairs
• Talent Show Co-Chair

The following additional positions are open:

• Arts Created Together (ACT) Coordinator
• STAR Student Newspaper

If you are interested in learning more about any of these opportunities please reach out to Christine at vp-planning@hastings-pto.org. 

Please see this link to view details on the latest Community Events (updated each week). 

Community Events are also emailed out to the Hastings Families Google Group approximately twice a week. All members of the Hastings Community are welcome to post to the group.

Hastings STEM Club is a group of high schoolers working to provide opportunities for your kids to expand their knowledge and explore their passions in science and engineering! We've been doing this club for the past three years, providing weekly projects and doing experiments from balloon cars to insulating bottles.

We just wrapped up a great fall 2021 season and we want to invite you all back for the Winter 2022 Season!

Under our current COVID-19 restrictions, we will continue to operate the club remotely, and students will complete experiments on their own time! Parents are encouraged to work with their kids, so it can be another fun thing to do at home!

Each week, your child will receive instruction (via Google Classroom) and supplies to conduct exciting scientific experiments from home. STEM Club members will prepare supplies for parents via small packages, ensuring a minimum-contact distribution with Saturday pickups from Hastings. To ensure the club has the ability to purchase supplies for experiments, we have a recommended $5 materials fee paid through venmo/paypal. Materials will be picked up at Hastings on Saturdays according to this calendar. Attached here is a full document of the pick-up process. 

If you're interested, please fill out this form:https://forms.gle/ B43Y17B1ySCjgFEg9

Contact hastingsstemclub@gmail.com if you have any questions! We hope to share our love of science and connect with your children this winter!

Don't forget to collect, label and register sample and return to school each WEDNESDAY.

If you have NOT yet provided consent for testing for your child, please do so by clicking the link here.

Notes from Nurse Falco:

• If you need a test kit, please fill out this form. (Our test kit supply is low. Please check at home and in your child's backpack to see how many kits you have before completing the form.)
• Your child should not participate in pooled testing if they have tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 90 days.
• If you realize on Tuesday that your child does not have a test kit for the next day's testing, please send an email to me and your child's teacher so we can get one to them. We cannot test students in the Health Office on Wednesday mornings.

Additional date added: January 13. Sign up in advance using this link, and please be aware that we are unable to accommodate walk-ins. For more information please visit: COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Information.