We’re In the News! Book Drive Update!

Well, it’s been an exciting week for the Hastings Diversity Book Drive – let’s get updated on all that’s happened….

https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/05/01/hastings-diversity-book-drive/

Orca Book Publishers heard about our book drive and has donated $200 for our librarian to use toward any of the books that they publish! https://www.orcabook.com/Home.aspx 

And local, young author Esabella Strickland, has donated a signed copy of her fantasy novel about a girl with a learning disability to our library! https://www.genzpublishing.org/product/orabella-the-oracle-1-then-and-there-here-and-where/ 

Our total funds raised so far is $1100(!!), including the donation from Orca Books. Our goal is $4000 by May 14th – that’s the end of next week! Let’s see if we can get there!
 

Ways to donate:
    1.    Visit Iron Dog Books at 2671 E Hastings St and purchase one of the librarian pre-selected books OR contribute to the in-store Hastings Book Drive account (no donation is too small!).
    2.    Contribute using the School Cash Online donation form (select Hastings PAC as the fund destination and note that it is for the book drive in the message section).
And keep those book suggestions coming, by using this form! Over 140 incredible books have been suggested so far. Wow – what a week! Let’s keep it up Hastings!

School Streets Pilot Project Video

To share the success of the Hastings School Streets Pilot Project, the City of Vancouver would like to make a short video of the project in action while highlighting Hastings students’ and parents’ perspectives. The City is looking for a few parents/students to participate in the video which will take place either this Thursday May 6th or Friday May 7th. Participation may include an interview with questions such as:  

  • What has been different about the street in front of the school?
  • Can you describe what it’s been like not having vehicles on one block in front of the school?
  • What do you like about biking, walking or rolling to school or on the school street? How do you feel?
  • What is something you liked about having one block in front of the school closed to cars?

If you are interested in participating, please contact Tracy Wilkins at Tracy.Wilkins@vancouver.ca

Save the Date! General PAC Meeting

The next Hastings PAC General meeting will be held virtually Tuesday, May 18th from 7-8:30pm. Zoom invite and agenda details will be sent closer to the date. All parents and guardians of Hastings students are welcome to attend.

Meeting minutes from our April 21st meeting can be found HERE.

The Hastings Podcast – A message on Behalf of the Grade 7 Students!

Hi! I’m Avery, grade 7 student at Hastings and co-founder of the Hastings Podcast.
I started the podcast with my friends Lillian and Nasja, also in grade 7. We wanted to both give some students at Hastings a chance to share some things about them personally and about things that go on the school. We also thought the parents would appreciate an inside look at things that are going on in Hastings right now, because of the Covid restrictions and also because of course they can’t follow us around all day. (Although I know my moms would probably love to)

So far, we have three podcasts out. The first is on slang; slang words that kids use that parents might not understand. The second was released in February and is about how the students we interviewed spent their winter breaks. (Spoiler alert: nobody went anywhere!) And the most recent one is about wether students prefer cats or dogs—a very controversial topic in elementary school!

Please check out our podcast on Teams or wherever you get your podcasts! (But actually just Teams). Click on the link below, sign into Teams, and it will take you to the episode.

Episode 1 – Slang Words
Episode 2 – Winter Break
Episode 3 – Cats & Dogs