Author: Tanner Atha

Be Well Event Offers Parents Resources on Addiction, Mental Health

Community leaders are joining together this fall to offer a free event for parents interested in learning about spotting the signs of substance use addiction.

Be Well: Prevention, Awareness, & Recovery, will be held Sept. 20 at Hilliard Darby High School. The free event is open to adults only. The first 300 guests will receive a free meal.

The event will begin with dinner and a resource fair in the school’s cafeteria from 5 to 6 p.m. A simulated teenage bedroom, known as Can You See Me Now?, will be on display in the school’s stage area. Parents are invited to tour the interactive bedroom to learn to spot risky behavior.

A presentation to include panelists of local first responders, health and wellness experts, and school officials will follow from 6 to 8 p.m. in the performing arts center. Experts will discuss substance abuse (including vaping), mental health, recovery, and addiction prevention.

“Our hope is to educate parents,” said Norwich Township Administrator Jamie Fisher. “We feel like this event will not only support our mission of promoting a healthier way of living but provide resources to help individuals make better choices.”

“Research shows one of the best ways to reduce the chances of teens using drugs by 50 percent or more is having an adult or parent have conversations with them about alcohol and drug addiction,” said Dawn Steele, who serves as an attorney with the City of Hilliard Recovery Court.

Research also shows 50 percent of teenagers have misused a drug at least once.

“We want parents to know they should not wait,” said Hilliard Chief of Police Michael Woods. “Don’t wait to have a conversation with your teen, don’t wait to ask for help, and don’t wait before a small problem turns into an addiction.”

The program is funded by Norwich Township Opioid Settlement Funds. Other cooperating partners include the City of Hilliard Division of Police, Norwich Township Fire Department, Hilliard City Schools, and HART (Health, Awareness & Recovery Together).

No RSVP is required.

Hilliard School’s new Portrait of a Learner is made up of five competencies our community believes are paramount to helping our students achieve success. Samuel Davis is an executive business consultant and parent. Take a listen to why he believes being a Self-Advocate is so important for the next generation. 

Huge shoutout to Pamela Antos and Merry Guerrera for being presented as the inaugural winners of the National High School Ethics Bowl’s Coach of the Year Award!

These two incredible teachers clearly and consistently express and promotes the program’s core values: dialogue over disagreement, reasoning over rhetoric, and an appreciation for moral nuance wherever it exists.

They exemplify the Spirit of the Ethics Bowl and carry it through to their teaching and their endless support of their students.

Developing a new Portrait of a Learner was the first step in Hilliard City Schools’ strategic planning process. This will serve as our district’s North Star in the years to come. Here, a professor and parent shares what being a Resilient Learner, one of the five key competencies of our Portrait of a Learner, means to him.

Hilliard City Schools is excited to unveil its new Portrait of a Learner. Hear from Superintendent Dave Stewart and a few of our business partners about how our community came together to determine the skills our students need to be Ready For Tomorrow.

Check out the video below:

On behalf of the Board of Education, I would like to announce Melissa Swearingen has been selected to be the next Treasurer for the Hilliard City Schools.  The Board will vote on her contract at a special meeting on September 7, she is expected to begin in mid-October.

Mrs. Swearingen is currently the Treasurer/CFO at Delaware City School District.  Prior to this position, she was the Assistant Treasurer here in the Hilliard Schools for nine years.  She said, “I am very excited to be coming back to Hilliard City Schools!  In my time in Delaware, I have gained the knowledge and experience that allow me to come back in this capacity.  I have lived in Hilliard for 19 years, so the opportunity to serve the District in this role is something I have always hoped for.”

Board President Beth Murdoch is excited to welcome Mrs. Swearingen back to Hilliard Schools. “Her extensive experience and dedication to financial stewardship make her an excellent addition to our team. We believe her expertise will contribute significantly to our ongoing efforts in providing the best educational resources for our students.”

She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from The Ohio State University and a Master of Business Administration, Fraud Concentration, from Otterbein University.  Her licensure and accreditations include Certified Administrator of School Finance and Operations, a School Treasurer License, and she is a Certified Public Finance Officer.

As Treasurer for the Delaware City Schools, Mrs. Swearingen received the Auditor of State Award with Distinction for the past two years.  Her team has been recognized annually by the Government Finance Officers Association for their ACFR and PAFR award programs.  She is also a past president of the Ohio Association of School Business Officials and still serves on the Legislative Committee.

She is married and in their blended family they have two children who graduated from Darby High School and one student still in the Hilliard Schools.  In her free time, she enjoys reading, live music, and traveling.

David Stewart

Hilliard City Schools Superintendent