Tonight, prior to our Board of Education meeting, we had the privilege of recognizing Teresa Heide, Stephen Crozier, Ed Domke, and Nancy Medeiros, who will all be retiring at the end of this school year.

We are deeply grateful for their years of faithful service, dedication, and commitment to our district and community. Their impact will be felt for years to come, and we wish each of them all the best in this next chapter.

🏆 REGIONAL CHAMPIONS 🏆
On Friday, the Saxons track team competed at the Regional Tournament in Williamston and the girls team made history by bringing home the Regional Championship! This marks the first regional title for the girls program in 49 years!

Some outstanding performances from the meet included:

⭐ Bella Friddle - First in high jump, long jump and 100 meters; Second in 200 meters.
⭐ Olivia Friddle - First in shot put and discus; Second in pole vault.
⭐ Caroline Randall - First in 1600 and 3200 meters; Fourth in 800 meters.
⭐ Naomi Cook - Seventh in 800 meters.
⭐ London Hammond - Seventh in pole vault
⭐ Chloe Pirtle, Emerson Leary, Malena Tomaszewska and Zikarra Warner - Sixth in 4x800 relay
⭐ Riley Furrow, London Hammond, Malena Tomaszewska and Lilly Randall - Eighth in 4x200 relay.

A special congratulations to Bella, Olivia, and Caroline for qualifying for the State Meet in their respective events!

Leadership, service, and a positive attitude are just a few of the qualities our Young Citizenship Award recipients have demonstrated over the last month. Congratulations to the students honored by the Hastings Kiwanis Club for their outstanding leadership during the month of April!

Third graders from across our district had the opportunity to attend Ag Awareness Day at the Barry County Fairgrounds. Agricultural professionals and businesses provided presentations, while some of our high school FFA members brought animals and helped guide students through each station. It was a great opportunity for students to learn about the many facets of an industry that is so important to our county!

Hastings Central Elementary celebrated yesterday students who earned a golden ticket for conquering state testing with a sweet ice cream treat! Superintendent Damico even joined in as the muscle behind the ice cream scooping, while volunteers added the toppings. A delicious way to celebrate hard work and success!

Fifth graders are in the house at Hastings Middle School this morning, checking out their new digs for next year! Thanks to the staff and students for being so kind and accommodating to our future middle schoolers!

It’s time for another incredible art display at the Hastings Performing Arts Center!
The show features work by both high school and middle school artists. We welcome families and community members to stop by and see the talented and creative artworks.

Dates the lobby will be open for viewing:

May 14 - HS Choir Concert and Awards - 7:00 PM
May 15 - Expressions Dance Centre - Evening
May 16 - Expressions Dance Centre - All Day
May 18 - District Retirement Reception - 6:00 PM
May 18 - Board of Ed Meeting - 7:00 PM
May 20 - Senior Honors - 7:00 PM
May 27 - Underclassman Honors - 7:00 PM

Five Hastings High School seniors were recognized by the Barry County Chamber & Economic Development Alliance on Friday, May 8, at KCC's Fehsenfeld Center.

Austin Abson, Ricardo Contreras, Madilyn Dinger, Isaac Lambert, and Landon Yepez successfully completed the Kellogg Advanced Manufacturing and Assembly Program during the Spring 2026 semester.

Through this Industrial Arts dual enrollment course, students had the opportunity to earn up to nine college credits.

Program content included workplace success skills, professional writing, lockout/tagout procedures, time management, workplace and tool safety, an advanced manufacturing simulation, and OSHA 10 industry certification.

Each student was presented with an Employability Endorsement Certification by Barry County Chamber of Commerce President Jennifer Heinzman.

Congratulations to these soon-to-be graduates as they take the next step toward successful careers in the workforce!

Another Saxon has signed to compete at the next level. Congrats, Esther! Good luck at Davenport next year!

After decades of dedicated service, leadership and commitment to our students, our high school principal Teresa Heide announced she will be retiring at the end of the school year.

Mrs. Heide leaves behind a legacy of excellence, kindness, and unwavering support that will be felt for generations to come.

Please join us in thanking her for her service and wishing her all the best in this exciting new chapter. She will join our district's other retirees on May 18 for a reception and celebration!

The track record boards were updated last week, an annual tradition that celebrates and preserves the legacy of the greatest athletes in HHS history.

Caroline Randall has earned her place among them, sitting at the summit of the all-time top 14 with her impressive 17:49.6 achieved at the State Finals at Michigan International Speedway.

The school's All-State record board was also updated to reflect Caroline’s outstanding fourth-place finish at the state meet.
Congratulations, Caroline!

If you catch the smell of something delicious around our elementary schools over the next week, it’s just Mr. Moore and his team grilling up amazing 🌭meals🌭 for our spring cookouts!

Central Elementary kicked things off today, enjoying a wonderful meal and special time together with parents and families. We’re grateful for the staff and volunteers who make these events so memorable for our students and community!

Hastings High School's TV production class brought in some promising young talent for their recent broadcasts.

Students from Southeastern Elementary did GREAT on yesterday's broadcast and students from Star Elementary are up today!

Thank you to the high schoolers for taking the time to work with our young students.

Some 📸's from prom! Thank you for everyone's hard work to make it a magical night!

Shhhhhhh… you didn’t hear this from us.

If you’ve noticed the spinny flowers “planted” outside of the Middle School, they appeared there thanks to a very special May Day mission. Mrs. Hoke’s kindergarten class from Central Elementary carried on the tradition of sneaking over to spread a little joy and wish everyone a happy May Day!

The weather may still be a little chilly, but hopefully the extra pops of color brighten a few days!

On National School Principals' Day, we want to take a second to honor our district's six principals and a bonus rockstar of an assistant principal.

These are leaders who show up every day with patience, encouragement, and dedication for their students and staff. Thank you for all the time, care, and heart you put into making your schools better places to learn and grow.

Our high schoolers are heading into the final month of school with some energy. At Thursday afternoon’s assembly, Saxon spring sports teams were introduced, nominees for the Senior Academy Awards were announced, and students took part in a number of games with a very spirited audience watching on.

This spring marked the end of a months-long project in Advanced Agriculture that is always a student favorite!

Since September, students have managed and overseen every phase of the lambing process, from preparation to post-lambing care. They even had to weather a very frigid winter. Their hard work and dedication paid off as they finished with 14 lambs from 9 ewes! Three lambs will remain in our ag barn, while the others were sold to cover program costs.

The Hastings Ag Program would like to extend a huge thank you to Bill Johnson for his continued support with ewes and rams, Matt Potter for demonstrating proper shearing techniques, and BC Veterinary Service for providing veterinary care throughout the process. We are incredibly grateful for the community support that helps make these hands-on learning experiences possible! 💙🐑

This afternoon, friends and family gathered to honor Dez Mathis, who will be taking her soccer talents to Saginaw Valley State University next year. We're proud of you, Dez!

The GFWC Hastings Women’s Club welcomed our senior girls for the annual Senior Tea today, a tradition that generations of Saxon ladies likely remember.

This meaningful event brings together women of all ages to share wisdom, encouragement, and inspiration, reminding our Saxon seniors that they are supported as they step into the next chapter of their lives.

A special congratulations to Charlotte Drake, who was honored with a scholarship from the club.

Thank you to the Hastings Women’s Club for your warm hospitality and for continuing this great tradition!