Hastings Happenings - November 2, 2023

November 2, 2023

Halloween at Hastings: A Playfully Spooky Day of Creative Expression & Connection

It was a spooktacular day throughout the district on Halloween with students taking the opportunity for creative expression, engaging happily with one another in their classrooms, at lunch, in the hallways and outdoors. Faculty and staff were not to be left out of the fun, incorporating Halloween-themed activities into their lessons for the day and wearing group-themed costumes. A morning parade at Hillside Elementary School, led by Principal Amy Cazes and Assistant Principal Michael LaRocco (and their lookalikes), allowed children to show off their costumes. Families gathered on the sidelines to watch the parade and snap photos.

From Nintendo's Super Mario and Dr. Seuss's Thing 1 and Thing 2, to a banana and even a clothes dryer, it was a memorable day overflowing with creativity and lots of laughs.

Pilobolus Brings the Power of Dance to Hillside

Recently, thanks to a generous grant from the Hastings PTSA and SEPTA, acclaimed theater dance organization Pilobolus came to Hillside Elementary School to perform for students. Pilobolus tells stories with the human form to show diverse communities, brands, and organizations how to maximize group creativity, solve problems, create surprise, and generate joy through the power of nonverbal communication.

The show, called Rules @ Play, was equal parts lively and interactive, and was organized as a result of a long-time partnership with Amanda Kupillas, owner of a dance studio located here in Hastings and Co-President of SEPTA. For many years, Kupillas has worked to bring the magic of dance and performance art to the district's youngest learners.

“Throughout life, we all encounter rules, and sometimes we view them negatively,” Kupillas said. “Rules @ Play explored how rules can provide opportunities to solve problems and overcome challenges. They can spark creativity, and in our case, give us the tools to dance!”

Through movement and discussion on and off the stage, Pilobolus dancers showed students the benefit of playing by the rules.

“Oftentimes, companies send students or their second company to do these types of shows,” said Kupillas. “That is great, but in this instance, students had the unique opportunity to interact with dancers who are in the company year-round.”

Laughter and excitement filled the room, making for a successful day of learning, engagement, and of course, dance.

Click here for a fact sheet about Pilobolus.

Special thanks to Hillside's custodial crew and Principal Amy Cazes for help executing the setup for the show.

Librarian Arianna Grassia Selected to Attend New York Library Association (NYLA) Conference

As a result of her work developing a new Media Literacy course for Farragut middle schoolers, Hastings librarian Arianna Grassia has been selected to host a session on Preparing Students for a Complex Media Landscape at the New York Library Association (NYLA) Conference in Saratoga Springs this week.

Grassia’s Media Literacy course, which was added as an elective last year, teaches students ways to take what they’re reading, watching and listening to, and evaluate it with critical eyes and ears.

“My hope is that my presentation will inspire librarians from around the State to begin shaping Media Literacy courses of their own,” Grassia said. “I believe this curriculum is an ideal fit and continues the librarian tradition of teaching students to navigate a complex landscape of information.”

Click here for the conference website to learn more.

Harvest Moon Ball Fundraiser - This Saturday, 11/4

The Harvest Moon Ball, Hastings' Music Program's signature fundraiser, will take place this Saturday, November 4, and is an event that everyone in the school community can enjoy.

The evening includes performances from the high school and middle school jazz bands, eats and treats, raffle prizes and more—all made possible by parent volunteers.

To help make the Harvest Moon Ball a success, sign up here to volunteer.

SEPTA Hosts Panels to Prepare Students & Their Families for the College Process

SEPTA recently completed a series of two panels aimed to prepare students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plan (which comes from Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act) and their families for college. A 504 plan is geared toward ensuring a student has equitable access to a learning environment. An IEP focuses on educational benefits, and often includes direct services such as speech therapy.

The panels, organized for students in need of specialized instruction, consisted of members of Hastings' Special Education Department—Erin Dolan, Jo Ann Weinig, Jeanette Kocur, Nina Segal, and Laura Sullivan—and representatives from St. Thomas Aquinas College, Landmark College, and Guttman Community College. Part one was held in the Blue Lecture Room, and part two was virtual. Both evenings gave parents a safe space to ask questions and provided them with important guidance on the college process.

“I think I speak for others in the department when I say that all the praise goes to our expert panelists. This could not have been done without them,” said Assistant Director of Special Education Tesfa Stewart. “Both nights were a huge success!”

To view a recording of part two of the college panel, click here.

Discovery Kitchen Kicks Off at Hillside

On Halloween, Nicole Leote, Dietician from Chartwells Dining Services, and Jessica Torres, Dining Services Director, hosted the first Discovery Kitchen event of the school year. Extending beyond academics, Discovery Kitchen engages students at Hillside Elementary School with fresh recipes, culinary demonstrations and tastings, and fun and informative nutrition education.

Stay tuned for more in next week's Hastings Happenings. In the meantime, click here for Food & Nutrition News.

The Hastings Education Foundation (HEF) Brings Back Movie Night at Hillside

The Hastings Education Foundation's (HEF) Movie Night is back for the first time since 2019.

For this year's event, which will be held in the Hillside Multipurpose Room on Friday, November 17, at 6:00 p.m. (doors open 5:30 p.m.), all Hillside students will have the opportunity to vote for the movie that they'd like to be shown.

Voting will take place during the school day on Monday, November 6, the day before Election Day. The Student Council will tally the votes and announce the winner in the Hillside announcements on November 14.

Below are the movie choices (drumroll, please!):