Join the Hastings PAC (Parent Advisory Council) Executive!
We have several executive openings for the 2024/2025 school year. Joining the PAC Exec is a great way for parents to get involved in their children’s school experience and influence events, funds and community initiatives at the school. Have skills you’d like to share but don’t want to join the exec? We need you too! The PAC AGM for the 20245/2025 school year will be held September 24th, join us!
Any questions, about the available roles or the PAC, send us an email at info@hastingspac.ca.
We are extremely honoured and proud to have awarded the first bursaries to three deserving students for the 2023/24 school year at the Indigenous Achievement Celebration on June 6th! The recipients each have unique stories and plans to use the bursaries in the next phase of their lives. Winning the bursaries gave them a sense of pride and achievement.
The Hastings Anti-racism Committee (HARC) created the bursary program for Hastings Indigenous alumni to help students leave high school with support for the next stage of their lives and learning. While in school, students often have more access to support and resources. There are up to three bursaries of $1000 each per year available for eligible Hastings Elementary alumni. The bursary application is inspired by the Circle of Courage, and encourages students to reflect on Belonging, Mastery, Independence and Generosity. HARC’s goal is to give Indigenous students leaving high school every opportunity to succeed while feeling validated, supported and encouraged by their school community. It also gives current Hastings students something to look forward to applying for!
Recipients can benefit from these funds in many meaningful ways, including use towards tuition, tools, or other costs necessary to complete their chosen path. There is no requirement to use the money toward tuition or education specifically, and awarded funds may go towards supporting the recipient with, but not limited to:
Transportation to/from school/work
Food and dealing with food scarcity
Books, tools, and educational materials
Fewer hours at work and more focus on studies/apprenticeship
“After years of hard work, and in thoughtful consultation with the Indigenous Education Team, it was an honour to see this idea to full fruition. The bursary program has supported Indigenous students to reduce the financial barriers that impede access and success. This bursary has addressed a need and given an opportunity for well-deserved recognition and continued success. It was an honour to witness so much student and parent pride and celebrated achievements.” – Denise Pertelson, Hastings Indigenous Education Enhancement Worker
2. Select ‘Hastings Community Elementary PAC‘ from the ‘Fund Destination’ drop-down menu.
3. *Important*: under ‘Message to School Board’, please add the note ‘Indigenous Bursary’ to specify your donation is intended to be used for that purpose.
You will receive a tax receipt for online donations! Any funds raised will go towards guaranteeing funding for the 2024/25 school year and beyond, and impact students and their next steps in life.
Thank you for your support of this meaningful initiative!
(Left to right: Bursary recipient Chanton Hopkins, Indigenous Education Enhancement Worker Kristen Quesnelle, Bursary recipient Chris Kirton)
Hastings Elementary is celebrating Bike to School Week from June 3-7! We’re encouraging students and families to use active transportation for their trips to school all week – walking, biking, scootering, skateboarding, and using mobility aids all help reduce congestion in our school neighborhood and help students arrive at school energized and ready to learn.
Join us before school Friday May 31 at the school front doors to get some bike decor and Bike to School swag. Throughout Bike to School Week June 3-7 find us each morning to get your sticker and track our school community’s biking and scooting! Stay tuned for fun giveaways throughout the week!
What is the purpose of Hastings PAC, and how should that change in the year 2024… and beyond?
For months now, the Hastings PAC Executive — led by Member at Large Mat Brechtel – has been working on updating our Constitution (and bylaws). This has never been updated since its creation in 2006.
As you can imagine, things were a little different more than 20 years ago — times and technology have changed a lot. We want to move with the times and have a bold new vision that fits who we are now as a community.
The proposed new constitution allows for virtual meetings (something many of you have been asking for!), creates a more defined sense of what we want to accomplish as a PAC, and provides a little more structure to how we operate.
The following links provide a full sense of the proposed changes:
Please join us at our next general meeting Weds May 15 at 7 pm in the school library to vote on this very important measure. Please note: under the current constitution, you must attend in-person to vote and there is no option to attend this meeting virtually.
The Hastings Spring Fair is made possible by the generosity of our community sponsors!
The Spring Fair is the PACs biggest Fundraiser and Community event of the year. All proceeds, after expenses, go to important initiatives that help the children of Hastings Elementary school, including classroom supplies, technology, art projects, field trips and more.
Join us Friday, May 10th from 3-6pm, rain or shine, for the Hastings Community Elementary School Spring Fair. This is a community event and everyone is welcome. This event wouldn’t be possible without the support of local businesses, community sponsors, toy donations and many many volunteers. Thank you to everyone who supports the Spring Fair!
The Spring Fair is back at Hastings Elementary Friday May 10 from 3-6 pm.
🏰Bouncy castles 🃏Carnival Games 💖Glitter Tattoos 🍕Pizza, Hotdogs and Donuts 🏆Prizes 🧩Family-friendly fun
The Spring Fair is the PACs biggest Fundraiser and Community event of the year.
All proceeds, after expenses, go to important initiatives that help the children of Hastings Elementary school, including classroom supplies, technology, art projects, field trips and more.
Please get involved if you can. Below are different ways you can donate and help:
Donate your time – We need volunteers on the day , approx 40-60, to make the event run smoothly. Please email Janine at janinegiannelli@gmail.com to sign up for a 90 minute shift. Many hands make light work.
Donate a Jolly Jar – (Another fan favourite ) Help your child make a jolly jar or encourage them to attend a lunch time jolly jar making session (TBA) at school with Jolly Jar expert Meg Roe.
Sponsor or Donate Money – Maybe you own a small business and you would like to support your local community school. You can sponsor a carnival game or a bouncy castle. We have tiered sponsorship. Contact Yvonne Connors at yconnors123@gmail.com if you are interested.
Support your community – Buy tickets and donate them to others you might not otherwise would have attended the fair . Buy packs of 10 or 20 tickets and donate them. Contact yconnors123@gmail.com
Donate Toys – Do your spring cleaning and donate gently used toys, games and puzzles. NO BOOKS PLEASE. There will be a collection box at the front of school right by the office. These items are used as prizes for kids who play the carnival games.
Show off your school colours with a Hastings Elementary T-Shirt or Crew Neck Sweatshirt! T-shirts are 100% cotton available in black, green or white. Sweatshirts are 50/50 cotton/polyester blend available in black and white.
Sizes available from Youth Small to Adult XXL so the whole family can get involved! T-shirts are $15 and sweatshirts are $35. Profits go towards PAC initiatives to support Hastings Elementary School.
Order throughSchool Cash Online or email info@hastingspac.ca to place your order. Current order deadline is April 5th.
We are so pleased to announce that we have officially launched Hastings Reads 2024! Students have their goal-setting booklets, reading lists have been shared, and we’ve hosted our first grade 6/7 lunchtime mentoring session! But there is still much to do, and an event like this is most successful if we have many parent volunteers! There are many roles available at various times and commitment levels.
A wonderfully rewarding experience for all involved, this initiative would not be possible without the efforts of parent volunteers. Interested in being part of this meaningful initiative? Check out the roles below and email hastingsreadslovesbooks@gmail.com to sign up. Grab a couple of friends who might like to participate as well!
HASTINGS READS 2024 NEEDS YOU!
sponsorship outreach: starting anytime, this can be done on your own time (canvas local businesses for in-kind donations of prizes; arrange pickups and sending thank yous after event). *sponsorship letters, email copy, and thank you templates are all available
student presenter support: help with lunchtime sessions in school library to help with registration, ideas, presentation formatting and coaching); each Friday in April from 12-1pm.
author outreach: March – April (connect with authors of championed books for student messages); this can be done on your own time via email.
stage manager: during school day, at the dress rehearsal (midday on Friday, May 3rd), and on the day of the final event (afternoon of Monday, May 6th) – keep time, signal to presenters, control the lights.
party crew: late May / early June – date TBC – shop, pickup & coordinate supplies for Celebration of Literacy wrap party in gym (school-wide).
wrap up / feedback: May – beg. June (create and administer survey to students, parents and teachers post-event; communicate feedback to planning committee); can be done on own time.
