Hastings High School

We’re back! To kick off the school year, the high school student council shared encouraging messages across the district, filling sidewalks with positive chalk notes yesterday to welcome students on their first day.

The Class of 2029 was in the house today, on the eve of the first day of school. This year’s Link Crew helped welcome incoming freshmen with a variety of icebreaker games and loads of information on what they can expect in the upcoming school year. Enjoy your high school careers—the years will fly by!

Tomorrow is the first day of the 2025–26 school year! We’re excited to welcome our students back into our buildings and kick off another year of learning and growth.

The year will go by quickly — be sure to keep track of important dates with our school calendar. We’ll see you tomorrow!

School picture days are spread throughout the next couple of months. Make sure you have your student ready to say “Cheese!”

- Hastings High School - August 18
- Hastings Middle School - August 28
- Star Elementary - September 2
- Southeastern Elementary - September 9
- Northeastern Elementary - October 2
- Central Elementary - October 7

Our teachers had an incredible professional development experience this morning, thanks to a powerful session led by Jake Daggett.

With years of experience teaching elementary students and now serving as a Foundational Literacy Director in Milwaukee, Jake brought a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. As a global literacy consultant and prominent voice on social media, Jake shared impactful insights that left our team energized and motivated.

Thank you, Jake, for sharing your passion and expertise with us!

Welcome back, teachers and staff! We kicked off the year with a district-wide assembly at the Hastings Performing Arts Center, then headed back to our buildings to prepare for the year ahead. We can’t wait to welcome our students back soon.

Band camp isn’t all work and no play. This morning, they wrapped up the session with a rousing game of tug-of-war. Band is definitely not for the faint of heart!

It's back-to-school for our office personnel. All school offices are now open from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and available to assist you.

School’s just around the corner! Students return on August 18, and preschoolers start September 2.

To help everyone get ready, we’re hosting open house events at each school on Wednesday, August 13. It’s a great chance for students to meet staff, tour the building, and get the inside scoop on what to expect this year.

Check out the schedule below and make plans to stop in.

There’s a lot of activity happening at Hastings High School right now! Construction crews are hard at work on several major projects that will significantly transform parts of the building. Along the south side, older windows are being replaced with new, energy-efficient ones. Meanwhile, the big news is the full renovation of the athletic lobby and both the boys’ and girls’ locker rooms. These upgrades will enhance the experience for students, staff, and visitors alike. Progress is moving along quickly, and we can’t wait to show you the finished results. Stay tuned!

Tears, jubilation, hugs…even some silly string and popsicles. Students throughout the district celebrated their last day of school in all kinds of ways. We want to thank all the students, teachers, parents, and staff who made this school year such a success. Now go enjoy your summer. You’ve earned it!

On Saturday, Bella and Olivia Friddle represented the Saxons at the track state finals! Huge congratulations to Bella for placing 5th in high jump with an impressive 5'3" jump, earning All-State honors for the second year in a row! 🏅🙌 Bella also qualified and competed in long jump, while Olivia qualified and competed in shot put. Great work to both athletes for making it to State and competing at such a high level!

Enjoy the sounds of the Saxons band program in a truly unique setting. Our annual Concert in the Hayfield is TODAY, May 29, 2025. It features both the Thornapple Jazz Orchestra and our own 8th- through 11th-grade band. We're trading the HPAC for a wide open hayfield for this one. We'll have ice cream, concessions and a silent auction, so make sure you bring some cash and a lawn chair! 📍 2709 N. Charlton Park Rd. Hastings, MI 49058

Just like their senior classmates last week, the underclassmen of Hastings High School gathered at the HPAC last night for a special evening of recognition. The event highlighted outstanding academic achievement, with department awards handed out to students who have gone above and beyond in their coursework this year. The stage was filled with proud and hardworking students!

Our marching band had the honor of performing in the Memorial Day Parade, with a stop at the Veterans Memorial by Tyden Park. Megan Ramey and Owen Boge gave a moving rendition of “Taps,” following a rifle salute by the Honor Guard from the Lawrence J. Bauer American Legion Post 45. Thank you to everyone who came out to honor and remember those who served.

Today, we hope that everyone has the opportunity to pause, remember and honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. Their dedication to protecting our freedoms will never be forgotten. At Hastings Area School System, we are deeply grateful for the heroes who have served and those who continue to serve. Thank you.

Due to the forecasted cold and potentially rainy weather on Thursday, the Hastings High School graduation ceremony will be moved indoors to the school gymnasium. Please note that all other details of the event, including the 7:00 p.m. start time, will remain the same.

Our district is excited to launch a mobile app designed to keep students, parents, and community members informed and connected right from their phones. Since most families rely on mobile devices as their primary source of communication, we partnered with a developer to create a custom app just for Hastings. With the Hastings Area School System app, you can read the latest announcements, access staff contact information, view upcoming events and find important documents and resources. The app is free to download and available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play. It’s everything HASS...in your pocket. 📱 Download for Android: https://aptg.co/4JBs7B 📱 Download for iPhone: https://aptg.co/bVKmlk

The Hastings girls track and field team competed Friday at Williamston with three athletes earning spots at the state finals, and five earning All-Region honors for their outstanding performances. Hastings placed 7th overall out of 16 schools in a highly-competitive regional field. All-region honors were awarded to: - Bella Friddle – 1st in high jump, 3rd in the 200, and 8th in the 300 hurdles - Caroline Randall – 1st in the 3200 - Olivia Friddle – 2nd in shot put and 4th in discus - Ember Twiss – 5th in long jump - Zoe Watson – 6th in discus State finals qualifiers: - Caroline Randall – 3200 - Olivia Friddle – Shot put - Bella Friddle – High jump and long jump The remainder of the team will compete Tuesday in the conference championship. Best of luck to all athletes!

🎉 Our seniors made it to their final day of school!🎓 We had a lot of fun this morning with one of our favorite annual traditions: Decision Day. This is an opportunity to celebrate all the plans ahead of our seniors after they leave our halls. Thanks to generous donations, we also gave away a ton of great prizes to send them on their way in style! Whether you're off to college, trade school, straight into a job, or forging your own path, you’ll always be a Saxon!