Hastings Happenings
THANK YOU!
A HUGE thank you to our Hastings families for your generous donations to our Fall Conference Night meals! Your kindness and support helped make a busy evening a little brighter for our teachers and staff. An extra-special shoutout to our amazing PTO for organizing everything! We are beyond grateful for this incredible community! 🖤💛
Quarter 1 Grades
Grades have now been stored in PowerSchool. To view them, you will need to log into the PowerSchool Parent Portal. If you are unsure how to find them, HERE is more information.
Golden Bear of the Quarter
Each quarter, Hastings Middle School staff members nominate students who exemplify one of the characteristics of Upper Arlington’s Profile of an Engaged Learner. This recognition celebrates the many ways our students demonstrate these important qualities and contribute to making Hastings a better place for everyone. Please join us in celebrating the 65 students recognized this week for being outstanding examples of engaged learners! We are so proud of the ways they make a difference in our school community. Go Bears!
Digital Safety Presentation for Parents/Guardians
Upper Arlington Schools invites parents and guardians of students in grades K-12 to join internet safety expert Jesse Weinberger for an evening presentation on today’s digital environment and how families can support safe and responsible technology use. The presentation will build on age-appropriate digital safety presentations Weinberger will provide to students in grades 3-6, focused on digital citizenship, responsible technology use, online decision-making and personal safety.
Wednesday, November 4, 2026
6:30–7:30 p.m.
Upper Arlington High School Performing Arts Center
In accordance with the presenter’s event requirements, this session is for adults only. Children and students ages 1–20 will not be admitted to the presentation space. Audio and video recording are also prohibited.
Tri-Village Packers: Thanksgiving and Winter Break Food Distribution
Upper Arlington Schools is partnering with the Tri-Village Packers for their Thanksgiving break and winter break food distribution programs. The Tri-Village Packers will distribute grocery items for the children of families in the Upper Arlington school district for the days out of school over Thanksgiving break (November 25-29) and winter break (December 21-January 4). The food will be provided at no cost for children who would benefit from the support.
To sign up to receive food for Thanksgiving and/or winter breaks, please complete this form by the end of the day on Monday, October 26, 2026. The school district will keep the information you provide in the form confidential unless you request otherwise.
Student Trip to Europe in 2028!
Students in current grades 6-8 have an exciting opportunity to travel to Europe in 2028! Mademoiselle Newcomer (French teacher at Jones) is leading a trip to France, Switzerland and Germany! There will be an informational meeting at UA High School on Wednesday, October 21, from 6-7pm for those who are interested in getting more information about this exciting opportunity!
Use this form to RSVP: https://forms.gle/SCidsRH3jDJZR8tu9 and to become eligible for a scholarship!
Email Mademoiselle Newcomer (knewcomer@uaschools.org) with questions, but hope to see you on October 21!
Digital Safety Presentation
Keeping students safe requires preparing them not only for the situations they may encounter at school and in the community, but also for the increasingly complex digital world they navigate every day. As part of our district’s annual Safety Week, held the week of October 19, we will provide students and families with practical, age-appropriate information to support safe and responsible technology use.
To support these efforts, we are pleased to welcome Jesse Weinberger, a former software programmer, a nationally recognized internet safety expert, and the author of The Boogeyman Exists: And He’s in Your Child’s Back Pocket. She will provide age-appropriate presentations for students in grades 3-6 focused on digital citizenship, responsible technology use, online decision-making, and personal safety. Following these presentations, she will also offer an evening presentation on November 4 geared toward parents/guardians.
Date: Tuesday, October 27th
Time: 8:15 - 9:15am
Location: Hastings Auditorium
As part of the presentation, students will be invited to complete a brief anonymous survey on paper about technology use and students’ experiences in digital environments. The purpose of the survey is to provide district-level information that can help inform our ongoing digital safety education and prevention efforts. Students will not be asked to provide their names, and the survey is not intended to identify individual students. A complete copy of the survey questions can be found HERE.
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In order for your student to participate in this opportunity, you will need to complete this PERMISSION FORM. If you do not want your child to participate, we will provide an alternate, supervised learning activity at their school during the presentation time.
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8th Grade Shadowing Experience
We are excited to announce the return of 8th-Grade Shadowing Day on Friday, April 16, 2027! This mandatory experiential learning event allows all 8th-grade students to step outside the classroom and explore career paths in real-world professional settings before they transition to high school. Students will spend this official school day off campus with a host and earn instructional-hour attendance credit upon submission of a reflection form.
How Parents Can Help:
Identify a Host: Support your student in reaching out to a relative, family friend, local business owner, or community professional to serve as their workplace host.
Prepare & Plan Ahead: Review the Outreach Guide, discuss career interests with your child, and check out the Shadowing FAQ to help them prepare.
Ensure Attendance Credit: Remind your child to complete and submit the post-event reflection.
If you have questions or are interested in volunteering as a host for local students, please contact Leah Miller, Career Development and Service Learning Specialist, at lmiller@uaschools.org or 614-487-5000.
Washington DC Guardian/Parent Meeting Information
Were you unable to attend the meetings? Please check out the links below and reach out to our coordinators with any questions!
Beginning in November, Hastings PTO meetings will move to the third Thursday of each month to avoid conflicts with other PTO meetings and make it easier for families to attend.
Next meeting: Thursday, November 19 | 7 PM | Hastings Commons
There is no December meeting. All Hastings families are welcome!
Order by Monday, October 26 | Delivery Wednesday, October 28
Enjoy a night at home while supporting Hastings! Choose two bottles of wine and charcuterie for two ($85) or a larger charcuterie-only package ($75).
$25 from every order supports Hastings. Delivery is October 28 between noon and 6 PM; pickup is also available.
Holiday favorites that give back!
Our holiday fundraiser with Foertmeyer & Sons begins October 28! Shop traditional poinsettias, live greenery, scented candles, and other winter favorites while supporting the Hastings PTO.
Orders open October 28 • Delivery December 8
Watch for the ordering link when the sale opens!
Tuesday, November 3
Can you donate a dozen treats or give two hours of your time? We still need cookies, brownies, donuts, cupcakes, and gluten-free baked goods. Homemade and store-bought items are welcome! Adult volunteer shifts remain open from 9:30 AM - 5:30PM.
Package treats individually or in small portions, clearly mark gluten-free or nut-free items, and deliver them to the Hastings office by 3:30 PM on Monday, November 2. To contribute toward purchased treats, Venmo @Hastings-PTO by October 29.
Donate treats or claim a shift →
Celebrate your favorite performer—and support Hastings!
Sunshine Patch Co. and the Hastings PTO are offering pre-ordered bouquets for the Fall Production on Saturday, November 7, and Sunday, November 8. Choose from multiple sizes and pick up your flowers before the show. 10% of all sales support Hastings Middle School.
Order by Wednesday, November 4, to guarantee your bouquet. Limited quantities will also be available for purchase before each performance.
Wednesday, November 11
Help our eighth graders welcome and honor community veterans at this special Hastings tradition.
Open volunteer opportunities include:
Setup: 11:30 AM–1 PM
Cleanup: 3–3:45 PM
Photographer: 1–3:20 PM
You can also donate bottled water or contribute $10 toward supplies and gifts.
Save The Date! Tuesday, November 10 @ Kingsdale
