WBCH offers this space to area school superintendents for them to highlight news in their districts. This posting is from Hastings Area School System’s Superintendent Carrie Duits.

 

January is School Board Appreciation Month. During the board’s regular monthly meeting the board received certificates of appreciation, and they were honored for their hard work and dedication to the students of the Hastings Area School System.

 

Our board members include:  Jennifer Eastman, Luke Haywood, Mike Nickels, Dan Patton, Rob Pohl, Valerie Slaughter, and Louis Wierenga, Jr. If you see them at a school function or out in the community, please take a moment to let them know you appreciate their service to our students!

 

Many great things are happening for the students, staff and community of HASS. Here are a few highlights:

Students

• A new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) after-school program is starting Jan. 25 at the middle school.
• Our Varsity Girls and Boys Basketball teams had the unique opportunity/experience to play at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

 

• The board has approved the addition of  three new classes at the high school for the 2017 -18 school year:  Anatomy and Physiology II, Marketing 100, and Marketing 200

 

Staff

• We recently hired two new social workers for the elementary, with one social worker at each building. Please join me in welcoming Leah Lucas at Central and Cathy Engle at Northeastern. Leah and Cathy will join the team of Megan VanWyk at Star and Dawn Coltson at Southeastern. This amazing group will support students, families, and staff. We're very excited to have both become members of our world class staff!
• Other new staff members include:
  • Angela Hilbert, Southeastern lunch paraprofessional
  • Lindsey Meeker, CERC lifeguard
  • Jacqueline Perez, Southeastern lunch paraprofessional
  • Samantha Richardson, CERC lifeguard
  • Joshua Sensiba, 8^th grade basketball coach
  • Heather Watson, substitute bus driver
• The district is in the process of finding a full-time administrative intern for the middle school.

 

Community

• We’ve established regularly scheduled meetings with the City of Hastings to share and discuss our construction progress. An additional topic of discussion is the progress of the Safe Routes to School Grant, which will provide additional sidewalks and marked walkways for our students.
• Monday the board accepted with great appreciation donations from the community totaling $20,356!

 

• Douglas and Margaret DeCamp, $750 for the High School Choral Music Program
• Jeffrey and Danielle Storrs, $5,000 for new basketball backboards and rims at the high school
• Family Tree Medical Associates, $1,000 to purchase an ultrasound for use in high school sport rehabilitation
• Hastings Athletic Booster Club, $13,000 to support Fall and Winter Sports Programs
• Hastings Education Enrichment Foundation, $606 to defray expenses for projects, activities, trips and materials for students

Thank you to everyone who supports the students of the Hastings Area School System!