Hastings Kennedy Elementary celebrates a successful school year and looks ahead to 2026-27
as students and staff settle into summer break.
Kennedy Elementary School is taking time to reflect on another successful year.
Kennedy Principal Kyle Latch says the school community worked together to make significant strides both academically and socially.
“The staff and the kids and families worked really hard together this year, and we appreciate everything that we’ve been able to partner through, so it’s been a great year, and a great year to celebrate. Just a week or so ago.”
Latch says one of the biggest accomplishments came from a year-long effort to strengthen school-wide expectations, routines, and consistency throughout the building.
“Staff definitely worked really hard at that, and students really responded in a positive way that helped us throughout the school year of re-norming some things, and we had a success with that, with expectations and our routines and just common routines throughout the building.”
Academically, Kennedy continued building on its new reading curriculum during its second year of implementation. Latch says students and teachers became more comfortable with the program, allowing classes to go deeper into instruction and skill development.
The school also launched a new elementary science curriculum while introducing a STEM specialist position focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Latch says the addition brought new opportunities for hands-on learning.
“The great addition, we had a person that came with experience prior to Hastings. She came in with that background, and we were able to kind of run pretty fast with some of those new curriculum materials and new offerings to our kids and just a lot of excitement, even towards the last couple weeks of school.”
One example came during the final weeks of school, when fourth-grade students tested paper airplane designs using launch pads and applied scientific thinking to improve their results.
The STEM focus also extended beyond the classroom through Kennedy’s annual STEM night, which featured community partners, local businesses, and student-led activities. Latch says strong community partnerships continue to enhance student learning experiences.
“Lot of great partnerships, one in particular, like with MnDOT. We have a parent who works for MnDOT, and they’ve been a great partner. The parent has come in quite a bit with certain grade levels to go deeper. And then our Cindy Benson at the high school with the chemistry clubs, they’ve come for years on our STEM night to just give our high school students an opportunity to showcase some different activities with our elementary kids, and that’s always fun for both sides of that equation.”
As another group of fourth-grade students prepares to transition to Hastings Middle School, Latch encouraged students to continue being positive influences as they move forward.
“I had a message for fourth graders and fourth-grade families, and it was just, we appreciated their hard work the last five years, and in the last year or two, in particular, that group of kids have really tried to step up to really be role models as best they can throughout the year, and I’ve said that to them. I appreciate that. We’ve had some hiccups at times, and we’ve had to go down and talk with them. The teachers did, for sure, too. But they really have kind of embraced and tried to do… We keep telling them you want to do the right thing, even when adults might not always be right there, because it’s just be the best influence you can have on each other and be a positive difference maker, and so I would say continuing to do that in the middle school, they have four years up there, and there’s a lot of growth that’s going to be done academically and socially, and friendships, and so being trying to be that friend to other people in their grade level is a big thing and a lot of growth. Like I said, the next couple of years, and we wish them well, and we know that they’re going to work hard and contribute really well to Hastings Middle School and get ready for their high school years.”
Looking ahead, Kennedy Elementary will align its efforts with Hastings Public Schools’ updated strategic plan while continuing to refine recently implemented curriculum programs. Latch says staff members are excited about opportunities to collaborate and improve student outcomes.
“We are going to be having a kind of a renewed focus with an updated strategic plan as a district, and so we’ll be engaging in that work in the coming weeks, and towards the end of summer, creating a plan around some key areas within our core commitments, we’re calling them. And within that is just a renewed focus, like I mentioned just a few minutes ago, a lot of new curriculum the last year or two with our reading big overhaul there, and then our science was first-year this year, and so we kind of have a plan, because we’ve tried that out this year, and so 26/27 school year, really going deeper when we have time to connect with staff to go deeper on what are we seeing in the day to day results on the kid experience, so then we can say what adjustments can we make. Definitely staff strive to do that, but when we have new curriculum, sometimes it can be what are we teaching and when are we teaching, kind of is the overall focus, because we have to make sense of that new curriculum. Now that we have some of that settling in, because we’ve been teaching it for a year or two, I think we can go deeper into what do we notice from the kids that’s working and when it might not be working, what are some adjustments we can make to maybe catch some of the things earlier is a desire for staff, and I would say that for me as the leader as well. How can we find that time and orchestrate that as a building and as a grade level? And that’s something we’re working on as a district. I’m excited about that for the year ahead.”
Kennedy Elementary also celebrated a successful community service effort this year through a partnership with the American Heart Association; Kennedy students and families raised more than $9,200 while promoting heart health awareness. Principal Latch says the effort is another example of the generosity and support that continues to define the Hastings community.
“We did a partnership this year with the American Heart Association, and we did a campaign of collecting some donations, and so this year the Kennedy students raised $9,200 and promoted that heart health awareness at the same time, and it’s just a great example to how this community in many ways will step up to the plate and say here’s how we can support other people in need, and it’s just always appreciated, the community support.”
Principal Kyle Latch says he’s grateful for the support of students, families, the Kennedy PTA staff members, and the Hastings community as Kennedy Elementary prepares for another year of learning.