The Saxon cross country teams hosted the I-8 Conference meet this week at Historic Charlton Park. The girls’ team climbed the standings, finishing fourth overall, while the boys secured fifth place.

Varsity competitors for the girls were Caroline, Emerson, Chloe, Maddie, Ayssa, Lily and Alexa. Caroline finished first overall with a time of 19:17.

On the boys’ side, the team was led by Tanner, Caleb, Parker, Alex, Eli, Carter, and Spencer.

A special shoutout goes to Billy, who stood out as the only Saxon to record a season best time at the meet; congratulations, Billy!

The teams are back in action tomorrow at the Portage Invite. Go Saxons! (Photos by Kim DeCamp)

Saxon Volleyball is proud to team up with The Side-Out Foundation this October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month! This includes hosting a Pink Out Game on October 8! Help the team reach their goal of $1,500!

Ways to donate ⬇️
💻 Donate directly through the fundraising page: https://giving.side-out.org/campaigns/22049
💵 Donate in person during the match
👚 Purchase a Pink Out T-shirt prior to the match!

This morning at Hastings High School, before first hour, a backpack containing a folding knife in its original packaging was discovered on school premises. There was no imminent threat to students or staff. Our staff acted swiftly and followed established safety protocols to address the situation.

The student associated with the backpack has been sent home pending a thorough investigation by HHS administration and the Hastings Police Department. We are committed to ensuring a safe and supportive environment for all students and staff.

We extend our gratitude to our staff for their prompt and professional response. We will continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of our school community.

Principal Heide will be providing Sloppy Joes for dinner for the HHS staff on October 15 for Conference Night. The PTO is looking for donations of things to add to complete the meal.

Visit this link to sign up for a variety of items - https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0449ACAB23A5FE3-58808659-hhsmeal#/

As we await finalization of the state budget, we want to provide clarity for our families regarding school breakfast and lunch. Following recent action by our Board of Education, we are pleased to share that, regardless of state-level decisions, our district will continue to provide free breakfast and lunch for all students through December 2025.

Further information about meal program plans beyond that date will be communicated as it becomes available.

We value the importance of ensuring every student has access to these nutritious meals, and we are grateful for the opportunity to continue offering this support to our school community.

The smell of pancakes filled the air at Baum Stadium this morning as seniors gathered for the Senior Sunrise, celebrating the start of their final year at Hastings Area Schools. The event also kicked off the TeamFi fundraiser to support the senior party. Wishing all seniors a wonderful year ahead ... it goes by quickly!

This morning, the Barry County United Way & Volunteer Center launched its annual fundraising campaign and kicked off the 2025 Day of Caring.

Today and Saturday, hundreds of volunteers will be hard at work on projects that make a difference all across Barry County.

Some of our high school students rolled up their sleeves at the YMCA of Barry County, lending their energy and teamwork to trail cleaning projects. This spirit of service is exactly what the Day of Caring is all about, which is neighbors coming together to strengthen our community.

Thank you to everyone who is pitching in to make Barry County a better place to live, work, and play!

We will be doing one more high school yearbook pick-up Wednesday, Sept. 10 at 3 to 4 p.m. in the commons across from the gym. If you are not able to pick up during that time, please contact hsyearbook@hassk12.org with an alternative date for you to pick up your book after school.

Earlier today, Hastings High School was evacuated after smoke was detected in a portion of the building that houses the science classrooms. Out of an abundance of caution, students and staff exited the school while a local fire crew investigated.

Fire crew members and HASS maintenance staff determined that a bird's nest built on a generator briefly caught fire causing smoke to enter the building through vents.

The incident did not result in any injuries and once the building was cleared by fire officials, school operations resumed.

We are grateful to the Hastings Fire Department for their prompt response and assistance and also to school staff for quickly and calmly putting into action the safety procedures we have in place.

Have a great long weekend!

Ty Wenger, sales consultant from GreenMark Equipment (John Deere – Hastings), visited Mrs. Mayack’s ag business classes today to share his journey and insights into the world of equipment sales.

He spoke with students about the skills, education, and experiences that led him to a successful career in sales consulting. To top it off, he arrived in a big green tractor, giving students a hands-on look at the equipment he works with every day.

Thank you, Ty, for taking the time to chat with our future ag professionals!

Let's see a sea of white at Bob White Stadium tonight. Good luck, Saxons!

Saxons from across the decades came together on Saturday for the 2025 Hastings High School Alumni Banquet. Alumni enjoyed an evening of fellowship and dinner while hearing from Superintendent Dr. Nick Damico, this year’s Alumnus of the Year, Tammy Pennington (Class of 1977), the 2025 Class Responder, JoDee Gaskill (Class of 2025) and others.

The evening also celebrated the recipients of the Dana Burgess Scholarships: Rachel King, Alan Li, Hayley Rasey, and Preston Meese.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to the dedicated organizers whose hard work keeps this cherished tradition alive year after year.

Congratulations to Caroline, who beat her own school record to set a new benchmark. She finished the Under the Lights Invite at South Christian in 18:25.9. We have a feeling this won’t be the last time we see her do it over the next two seasons!

Saxon family, please welcome Ryan Cousins to our district! Over the next couple of weeks, we will be highlighting some of the new faces that will be instructing our students this year.

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