Hastings Public School

Hastings Public School was established in 1981. The modern style buildings are set near a rainforest reserve and feature landscaped gardens. The school is proud of its environmental credentials and educational opportunities. The leafy school grounds, the adjoining environmental learnscape and the interconnecting classrooms are notable physical aspects appreciated by students, staff and visitors. One of the highlights of school life is the opportunity to see native animals such as koalas, lizards and a variety of birds. The school has high expectations of all students. Academic, sporting and cultural achievements are proudly promoted and recognised within the school and the wider community. 'Learning, Growing, Caring' - the school motto - provides direction for staff and students in creating a safe and happy learning environment that encourages students to act independently and work cooperatively and responsibly while respecting differences. The school's values are summarised in our '7 Years - 7 Values' statement. These values are Respect, Responsibility, Initiative, Resilience, Commitment, Courage and Achievement. These values form the basis for personal development units at the start of each year. They are referred to regularly at school assemblies. Interactive whiteboards (IWBs) are in all classrooms, including the Library and learning and support teacher's room. The staff have received extensive training in the integration of the IWBs into daily teaching. As part of technology lessons, all students have been exposed to the IWB software and are proficient in using IWBs to enhance their education. Students also use our connected classroom for video conferencing. Our cultural pursuits are also a strong feature of school life. We have K-2 and 3-6 dance groups, choirs and junior and senior bands which all participate in a variety of school functions. Our public speaking program is another opportunity provided to extend and enrich the school curriculum. As part of this program we have a public speaking contest for students in years 1 to 6 and participation in the multicultural perspectives public speaking and state-wide debating competitions. Our sporting pursuits are also varied, with entry into many PSSA sporting knockouts. Some of our teams include basketball, cricket, soccer, rugby league, netball and touch football. This is in addition to the swimming, cross country and athletics carnivals, which can lead to state representation. Students in 3-6 engage in a variety of sports which can cover surfing, hockey, gymnastics, lawn bowls and swimming. K-2 students also follow a graded program which includes daily physical fitness and combined sport afternoons. Our student leadership group is the Hastings School Parliament, comprising 14 students who were elected to serve as ministers for a year. They are responsible for their portfolios and head parliament sessions which are held twice a term where all primary students participate in the decision-making process.