All School Meeting is a weekly gathering of the entire Maria Hastings School student body and staff. Parents are always welcome to attend. All School Meeting was instituted when Maria Hastings School reopened in 1994 as part of an effort to build community in a new school with students who had been redistricted from three different elementary schools. It has grown to become an important part of the fabric of our school community. A parent survey in 1999 cited All School Meeting as playing a major role in maintaining the strong sense of community that is a major strength of our school.

An observer of All School Meeting might suggest that it is a wonderful time to see the children and staff enjoying each other's accomplishments. But All School Meeting is even more than this. The primary purpose of All School Meeting is to maintain a sense of community in the school. Children, staff, and parents develop a feeling of connectedness to the rest of the school. All School Meeting also provides a forum for celebrating learning in the school. A third benefit of All School Meeting is that children learn how to be a respectful audience - listening and demonstrating appreciation in appropriate ways. Finally, All School Meeting provides opportunities for all students to build self confidence and public speaking skills.

Classes enter the gym and take assigned seats, sitting in three sides of a rectangle facing our school mural, completed in 1995. A member of the staff or invited guest plays music as classes enter and all are encouraged to listen to the music as they enter and sit.

Three fifth graders serve as "hosts" for All School Meeting. They are in charge, giving the signal for quiet and introducing and thanking the various people who present or contribute to All School Meeting. Following an opening greeting, the pledge of allegiance, and a patriotic song, the community settles in for a series of "sharings." Students may sign up on their own for sharing. They audition with the principal during lunch or recess. Typical sharings might include: reciting a poem, reading some riddles, sharing an aspect of a culture or holiday, or playing an instrument. Some students have created "All School Challenges" - problems or activities that are open to the whole school to work on during the following week. Teachers and specialists also arrange sharing by small groups or whole classes. These typically focus on projects or work being done in the classroom.

Comments from the principal are a regular feature near the end of All School Meeting. This time is used to recognize people in the school community and to welcome new students and staff or say good-bye to people who are leaving. It also is a time to raise issues and remind students about expectations, such as hallway behavior or recess. Role plays called "Community Capers" are used to highlight these issues and model solutions. All School Meeting concludes each week with community singing - led by music teacher Constance Cook.

2001 - 2002 School Year

March 1, 2002: Class Sharings

September 7, 2001: First All School Meeting of the Year

2000 - 2001 School Year

November 17, 2000: Casey at the Bat

October 27, 2000: Halloween's Coming!

September 29, 2000: A Pizza the Size of the Sun

September 8, 2000: First All School Meeting of the Year

1999 - 2000 School Year

June 16, 2000: Third Grade History Project

March 31, 2000: Author/Illustrator Ed Young visits Hastings School

March 24, 2000: Remembering Charles Schultz

St. Patrick's Day - March 17, 2000: Miss Lockwood's trip to China

March 10, 2000: Lexington High School Percussion Ensemble