Our beliefs about students, learning and the purpose of schools, represent the foundation upon which the Hastings Middle School program is built.
We believe:
- Students are at various levels of intellectual, emotional, social and physical development. School should be oriented toward the unique student needs and interests and should provide a flexible educational program which will assure a smooth transition between developmental levels and schools.
- Hastings Middle School strives to foster in students a positive attitude toward setting and achieving realistic goals. We seek to develop the highest possible learning potential of each student in an equitable way.
- Early adolescent students have a special developmental need to feel appreciated and accepted. To facilitate this, the schools should promote the growth of healthy self-esteem in the adolescent students they serve.
- Students need to learn how to learn. Schools need to provide opportunities for students to develop skills in problem solving, critical thinking, creative thinking and decision making.
- Students learn in different ways and at different rates. To provide for optimum learning, schools need to address the learning styles of each student.
- Students learn best from those who show a genuine concern for their welfare and are positive role models. Schools should provide a safe, caring, and positive learning environment where students have the opportunity to build caring relationships with the adults in the school building
- Students need opportunities to become well-rounded individuals and to develop positive attitudes toward life-long wellness. To foster this, schools should provide a variety of curricular, co-curricular, clubs and other learning experiences.
- Students need to become informed, responsible citizens in an ordered and democratic society. Schools, parents, and community members must provide opportunities for students to make decisions about their behavior and to be held accountable for their actions.
- Students, parents, and staff must work together to achieve their goals. Students learn from each other as well as from adults. Schools should provide cooperative learning experiences for students and must foster collaboration between teachers, parents, and community members to assure the success of the provided learning experiences.
Goals for Success
You are very special to us and we want you to be successful and learn all that you possibly can during the years you spend at the Hastings Middle School. Your success and happiness are very important to your future educational growth. We have identified five goals for your school behavior that will help everyone achieve the desired success that we want all of our students to have at the Hastings Middle School.
Goal One: We expect you to try your hardest and do your best each day.
Examples are being on time, being prepared, and completing all assignments when they are due. We have a saying at the Hastings Middle School, “We don’t expect you to be the best, but we do expect you to do your best.”
Goal Two: We expect you to help others and yourself to learn.
There are many ways to help learning. Working silently on an assignment is an example of helping everyone’s learning. Following directions is also helping to learn. If you are not sure whether to do something, ask yourself, “If I do this, will I interfere with my learning or anyone elses?” If the answer is yes, don’t do it!
Goal Three: We expect all students to manage themselves.
All through life you must decide how you will act. Therefore, we expect you to do what is right whether anyone is watching you or not. This is called “managing yourself.” Walking, not running in the halls when your teacher is busy with someone else is also managing yourself. It is not always easy, especially if someone else is not managing themselves properly. It is important to remember that you are in charge of yourself and you can do what is right!
Goal Four:We expect you to treat others with kindness and respect.
There are many ways to be kind and respectful. Helping one of your peers with work they do not understand, following school rules because their purpose is to protect people, and saying or doing something to help your classmates feel better when they are unhappy or left out. Ask yourself, “Did I smile or have a kind word for someone today?”
Goal Five: We expect you to take care of property.
Examples are caring for the proper cleanliness of our school, equipment and personal property of classmates and staff.