Hastings Area School System

Fans were treated to high-level basketball from some of the region’s most elite athletes (interpret that with as much sarcasm as you’d like) as teachers faced off against first responders in a charity basketball game benefiting Nolan’s service dog.

First responders handled business on the court with a 56–43 win, but teachers came out on top where it mattered most: donations, prevailing 368–245.

Huge thanks to everyone who gave their time, energy, and money to make this event such a success!

Journey Church, with a presence in both the Middleville and Caledonia communities, made a generous donation to Hastings High School on Thursday.

As part of their annual fundraiser, which blesses schools and other local, national and worldwide causes, they contributed $9,800 to HHS to help create a student resource closet.

Our students often have needs for basic essentials that can go unmet or are quietly covered by our office staff out of their own pockets. This incredible gift ensures that these important items will be readily available to students when they need them most.
Thank you, Journey Church, for your generosity and thoughtful support of our students.

The Saxons hit the mats Wednesday night in Pennfield for the second I-8 Competitive Cheer Jamboree!

JV turned in one of their strongest performances of the season, earning 2nd place in their division with a season-high 558.40.

Varsity brought the heat after a week of hard work, delivering some of their cleanest rounds yet and finishing on top with a commanding lead of more than 60 points over second-place Pennfield.

Next stop: Jackson Northwest next Wednesday for the league finals. Varsity is chasing history as they look to complete a clean sweep and bring home their 6th straight league championship! 💙📣

Thank you, seniors!

The Saxons took the mat Wednesday night at home for Senior Night. The boys hosted Marshall and Harper Creek. The Saxons started off with a 70–10 win over Marshall. Brayden Ward, Hunter Sutfin, Karson Gray, Isaac Lilley, Liam Renner, Logan Smith, Aden Armstrong, Quinn Schnerre, Jace Acker, Tyce Richardson, Ethan Hetrick, and Josh Roberts picked up wins against Marshall.

In the dual against Harper Creek, the Saxons narrowly lost 39–40. The Saxons move their record to 4–2 in the I-8 and 33–7 overall.

The girls improved their dual record to 10 wins and 0 losses with wins over Marshall, 66–12, and Harper Creek, 51–18.

Winning two matches were Riley Furrow, Bella Strimback, Morgan Casselman, Sara Baker, Autumn Mayak, Abby Fraser, and Alexia Owen.

Wrestlers want to thank the student body for the fantastic student section at last night's matches.

Seniors who were honored include Aden Armstrong, Reese Hammond, Isaac Lilley, Tyce Richardson, Alexia Owen, Chloe Aiken, Sara Baker, Ashlyn Bailey, and Dez Mathis.

The Southeastern Elementary 5th graders participated in Bittersweet Ski Resort's Gym Day program this week. Students started the day with a lesson from the Bittersweet staff and then spent the rest of the day perfecting their skills on the slopes!

Kids enjoyed learning a new outdoor sport. Thanks to the staff and volunteers that helped make the program successful. Also a big thanks to Hastings Education Enrichment Foundation and First Presbyterian Church for their financial support.

A huge thank you to Amergy Disposal and Velo Law for their generous donations that allowed the Hastings Middle School wrestling program to purchase a scale for the team!
Having a dedicated scale helps our athletes monitor their weight safely and consistently, making practices and competitions run much more smoothly.

We are especially excited to see the continued growth of the Middle School girls' wrestling program. In just two years, we have grown from only a few girls on the team to more than 15 wrestlers, and the momentum keeps building.

Community support like this makes a real difference for our student-athletes. Thank you!

While a warm, sunny day at the beach may still be months away, there was plenty of fun in the sun happening at Hastings High School this week. As part of WinterFest, classes participated in a beach-themed door decorating contest. Here are some of the creative designs.

Mark your calendars for preschool registration!

What a special treat for our lower elementary students, who were joined by fellow students from Delton Kellogg School District!

Members of the Grand Rapids Symphony and Grand Rapids Ballet brought a LolliPops performance to the stage at the Hastings Performing Arts Center, creating a learning experience through music and movement.

By blending The Emperor’s New Clothes and The Ugly Duckling, the performance introduced students to the magic of storytelling while also teaching them about music and the structure of an orchestra.

This opportunity was made possible by the generosity of the Douglas A. and Margaret E. DeCamp Foundation. We are grateful for partners who help our students develop a passion for the arts!

🎓 Class of 2039 (or 2040 for Young Kindergarten), your journey starts now!
Kindergarten & Young Kindergarten registration is officially OPEN, and we can’t wait to welcome our newest Saxons! 💙💛

✔️ Register online (link below)
✔️ Stop by our office
✔️ Or, join us for Registration Day this spring

Enroll online: https://www.hassk12.org/o/has/page/enrollment

Trivia buffs, it's time to put your skills to the test. Hastings High School is offering a trivia night on Feb. 3 at 6 p.m. at Venue 1230. The event, which costs $5 per person, welcomes eight-person teams.

You'll need to sign up in advance at the link below. All proceeds go to funds we're raising to get Nolan a diabetes alert dog. It will be a fun night!

Sign up - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdMvnUE3qAiddYvKs2EjtM_qfmcjsYfTtZgxmzgBksWJaqkQg/viewform

All evening events and athletic competitions are cancelled for Tuesday, January 27. The CERC will also remain closed.

Due to poor weather and driving conditions, school has been cancelled for Tuesday, January 27.

Community child care will open at 8 a.m. Decisions about athletic events and other activities will be made later today. Morning programming at the CERC is also cancelled.

Dez Mathis accomplished a huge milestone this weekend by earning her 100th career win, becoming the first female wrestler in Hastings history to reach that mark!

Along with Dez, the girls wrestling team won their sixth tournament in a row when they hosted 15 other schools at home. The Saxons scored 167.5 points. Thornapple-Kellogg was a distant second place with 127 points.

Champions in their weight classes included Nani Farell, Abby Fraser and Ashlyn Bailey. Placing second were Riley Furrow, Morgan Casselman, Dez Mathis, Sara Baker, London Hammond, Autumn Mayak and Alexia Owen.

An update on our schedule for tomorrow (January 23): The CERC will remain closed with daycare maintaining normal hours. We will make a determination on athletic events during the course of the day Friday.

All athletic competitions and CERC activities have been cancelled for this afternoon and evening due to weather.

The Ski and Snowboard Club trip that is scheduled for Friday, January 23 is cancelled due to extreme cold warnings. Students that have purchased transportation tickets for this trip will have that ticket money carried over for the next trip on January 30.

Bittersweet will honor Ski Club cards at the window if you wish to go on your own.

Winter got the best of us this week. School will be closed today, January 22. With tomorrow being a scheduled day off for students (staff professional development), we will see everyone on Monday.

Due to the existing winter weather advisory and forecasted poor weather and hazardous driving conditions, school will be closed on Monday, January 19.

Community Child Care will open at 8:00 a.m. and all morning programming at the CERC is cancelled. Decisions regarding athletic events will be made later in the day on Monday.

Thank you for your understanding, and please stay safe.