Hastings Middle School Family Flier
February 25, 2024
Student Attendance Update
We are seeing an increase in students being picked up from school due to illness without seeing Nurse Fleege first. Unfortunately, students are texting their parent(s) during the day to come pick them up. Moving forward, if a student is signed out due to illness and they have not been evaluated by the school nurse (Nurse Fleege or substitute), their absence will be unexcused.
If your child calls/texts/emails you and says that they are ill and want to be picked up, please remind them that they are not to use their personal device during the school day and that they must go see the nurse. Again, we are unable to excuse a student absence due to illness if they have not been seen by our nurse.
Ski Club Information
If you missed the Ski Club meeting, please view the slides here. This will answer many questions and give you an idea of what ski club is all about. After viewing, if you still have questions please email Lauren Piunno (lpiunno@uaschools.org)
Registration is quick, so please do this right away. Registration closes on October 17th. To register please use this link.
Yearbook Photos Needed
As the fall sports season winds down, we want to capture the memories in our yearbook! If you have any pictures from the fall sports season, please email them to our yearbook advisor Allison Tomlin (atomlin@uaschools.org). Thank you!
Retake & Absentee Picture Day - New Date
Retake and Absentee Picture Day has been rescheduled for Tuesday, October 22 for any student that was absent on the first day's photography event as well as anyone requesting a retake picture. If a student would like a retake of their photo, they simply bring back their original package and hand it to the photographer when they get their photo taken. HR Imaging will reprint the same package for them using that new image.
Sometimes a student may not have a physical package to return if they ordered a digital download or if parents have viewed the first image online and were unhappy with the photo. These students will be photographed if they present themselves for a picture.
Lockers
Is your child still struggling opening their locker? Here are a few quick tutorials on how to open a locker.
7th Grade Vision Screenings
In accordance with Ohio Revised Code 3313.673, students in 7th grade will have vision screenings conducted at school. The nurse will begin these screenings in the month of October. Parents will be contacted only if your student does not pass, or if there are any vision concerns shared at this time by the student.
If you would like to opt your student out of this screening or have any questions, please contact our nurse by September 30 at: hastingshealthclinic@uaschools.org
Pittsburgh Trip
Thursday, October 17th:
- Students need to be at Hastings by 6:00am.
- They will need to have a brown bag lunch and an overnight bag.
Friday, October 18th:
- We will arrive back at Hastings at 5:30pm.
🚨Before the trip:
- Permission slips are required to attend the trip, so make sure those have been turned into Mrs. Joseph or Mrs. Schroeder.
- Students need to have meals picked at the Hard Rock, please remind your child to do this if they have not done so already.
Contact Mrs. Schroeder (tschroeder@uaschools.org) or Mrs. Joseph (bjoseph@uaschools.org) with questions.
Signs of Suicide
As part of our commitment to supporting the well-being of our students, Upper Arlington Schools is collaborating with Nationwide Children’s Hospital Center for Suicide Prevention and Research to provide the Signs of Suicide (SOS) program for students in grades 8 and 10. The goal of the SOS program is to prevent and reduce suicidal behavior by expanding the safety net for students experiencing mental and emotional distress.
Your child will have the opportunity to participate in a Signs of Suicide in-school presentation and training that will be led by middle school staff on December 16 and 17 at Hastings Middle School.
Students will be trained to recognize warning signs of suicide in a friend as well as an appropriate response. The training uses a video to help guide classroom discussions.
Students will also have the opportunity to take an electronic screening to assess for depression and suicide risk. The responses to the screening will be reviewed by counselors. If further assessment is recommended, parents/guardians will be contacted.
During the program, school counselors and mental health professionals as well as mental health professionals from Nationwide Children’s Hospital will be available if any student needs support.
Parents and guardians can preview the SOS program here.
A nationally known suicide prevention program, SOS meets the Ohio Department of Education’s criteria for House Bill 123, the Safety and Violence Education (SAVE) Students Act. The SOS program reduces the stigma of depression and lets students and adults know that they are capable of helping students in need of support. There is clear evidence that using a prevention program like SOS lowers the risk of a child making a suicide attempt and does not put the idea in a child’s mind.
The SOS program recognizes the importance of school staff, parents, and students receiving education on mental health and suicide prevention. Staff at the middle and high school receive training on mental health and suicide prevention, in connection with the SOS program. SOS Signs of Suicide for Parents is available for your review as well as Resources for Suicide Prevention - The Kids Mental Health Foundation.
If you have any questions about the SOS program, please feel free to contact Cathy Ely, Director of Well-being, Prevention and Intervention at cely@uaschools.org. If you do NOT wish for your child to participate in the SOS Prevention Program, please complete this Signs of Suicide Presentation Opt-out Request by Monday, November 4, 2024.
Warm regards,
Penny Stires
Principal
Hastings Middle School
Dates: May 16, 2025 - May 19, 2025
Trip Code: HMS2514
🚨The deadline to register is Friday, October 18th!!🚨
Questions? Cathy Johnson (cjohnson@uaschools.org) or Evie Lay (elay@uaschools.org)
HMS Book Talk
The Counselors are excited to announce this year's first book talk, featuring The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt.
Thank you parents for your input on preferred time!
Due to feedback, our Book Talk will officially take place on Tuesday, November 19, 2024 from 6:00-7:30 pm.
This event will be held in person @ Hastings Middle School, in the media center, and our Mental Health Specialist, Alma Lovins, MSW, MA, LSW, will be joining us.
While we highly encourage you to read the book, please don’t feel any pressure if you cannot. You’ll still gain valuable insights from the discussions during the book talk.
Can't wait to see you there!
Zen Den
We're thrilled to announce that the School Counselors received a grant from UA+Ed at the end of 2023 to create a regulation room for our students at Hastings Middle School for the 2024-25 school year and beyond. To learn more information about all the wonderful things UA+Ed does to support our schools, please visit their website: https://www.uaeducationfoundation.com/
This is a Tier 1 support we’re offering to all students, and we’re super excited about it!
Regulation and sensory rooms are becoming popular nationwide as safe spaces for students to take breaks, relax, and reduce stress throughout the day. In the Zen Den, students are allowed 5-10 minute breaks, and have access to research-backed interventions such as grounding fidgets, mindfulness activities, mandala coloring, music, and more, helping them return to class feeling refreshed and ready to learn.
The Zen Den is located in one of the rooms in the media center and will be supervised during open hours by one of the three School Counselors at various points in the day.
If you have any questions about the Zen Den, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your grade-level counselor.
Helpful Links
Transportation Questions: schoolbusquestions@uaschools.org or call 614-487-6477
Upper Arlington Schools Lunch Information link: https://www.uaschools.org/NutritionalServices.aspx
PowerSchool Parent Portal: https://ps-uar.metasolutions.net/public/home.html
If you need assistance logging into PowerSchool, you may reach out to: familytechhelp@uaschools.org
Student Fees/SPS EZpay: https://www.spsezpay.com/upperarlington/login.aspx
Screenagers showing and panel discussion
On Tuesday, October 15 will be the community showing of Screenagers from 6:30-8:00 PM in the UAHS Performing Arts Center. This free event will be followed by a panel discussion that includes local experts in the areas of children’s mental health, safety, district device management, and administrative and student perspectives.
