Category: News

The Ohio String Teachers Association (OSTA) Board of Directors has selected Sara Given, Orchestra Director at Hilliard Heritage Middle School, as the 2025–26 OSTA School Teacher of the Year.

Ms. Given will be formally recognized during an awards ceremony on Thursday, January 29, at the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) Conference at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Ms. Given teaches both middle and high school orchestra within Hilliard City Schools and brings a wealth of experience to the district. Prior to joining Hilliard, she taught in the New Albany-Plain Local and Centerville City Schools and served as a Master Teacher for The Ohio State University String Project.

She holds a Master’s Degree in String Music Education, with an emphasis in String Pedagogy, from The Ohio State University, and earned her undergraduate degree in Instrumental Music Education from Ohio University.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Ms. Given is a frequent guest conductor and clinician, presenting clinics for organizations such as the National Association for Music Education, the American String Teachers Association, the Ohio Music Educators Association, and the Midwest String Teachers Workshop. Her writing has been published in The Triad Journal for Music Education and Strings Magazine.

During the summer months, Ms. Given serves on the Junior Orchestras conducting staff at the prestigious Interlochen Center for the Arts.

Beyond music education, Ms. Given is also a freelance writer and published humorist. Her satirical book, Parenting Is Easy, is available through Workman Publishing.

Hilliard City Schools congratulates Ms. Given on this well-deserved honor and thanks her for her outstanding contributions to music education and student learning.

Step 1 – Log into SchooLinks

Step 2 – on the left side, click on “finances”

Step 3- Click on “Scholarship Match”

Step 4 – Students will need to fill out an “eligibility chart” only takes a couple minutes

Step 5 – Click on “District Posted” in top right

Step 6 – Complete the applications

Hilliard City School District will begin Kindergarten Registration on January 12, 2026 for the 2026-27 school year.  Due to a recent change in Ohio law, school districts must now use a uniform age-eligibility cutoff for kindergarten enrollment. As a result, our registration guidelines have been updated to reflect this new requirement. If your child will be five years of age on or before August 19, 2026, the first day of school for the 2026–2027 school year, they are eligible to start kindergarten that year. This replaces the previous September 30 cutoff.

Parents can access the registration website (on or after January 12, 2026) to complete online registration. Once you have completed the registration process and provided all required documentation, you will be given access to schedule your child’s kindergarten screening appointment for August.  Please don’t delay.  The District uses registration numbers in the spring to determine how many kindergarten classes will be offered at each building. Please make sure that your child is enrolled as soon as possible to secure a spot at the building assigned to your address.

Contact the Hilliard City Schools Welcome Center at (614) 921-7096 with questions.  For more information, please visit Hilliard City School District.

At the November 24th Board of Education meeting, members viewed preliminary virtual tours of the new Beacon Elementary and our other upcoming elementary buildings. These early renderings offer a first look at the learning spaces taking shape for our students. This work is made possible by the community’s support of Issue 39 and represents a key milestone in Phase 1 of the MFP. We’re excited to share this glimpse into the progress ahead.

Hilliard City Schools recently celebrated an inspiring display of student learning at the 7th Grade Design Thinking Showcase and Gallery Walk, held at the HUB. Over the past several weeks, students engaged in a meaningful project centered on empathy, accessibility, and understanding the diverse experiences of individuals with disabilities.

As part of the design thinking process, each student selected a specific disability, such as blindness, dyslexia, autism, cerebral palsy, or ADHD, and conducted research to better understand the daily challenges faced by those who live with it. Using that knowledge, students created prototypes, designed interactive activities, and built awareness-focused presentations to help others experience the world from a new perspective.

During the showcase, families, teachers, and peers were invited to walk through a gallery of student-designed stations. Students guided visitors through hands-on experiences, shared their research and insights, and presented slideshows that demonstrated their learning journey. The event highlighted not only their academic growth, but also their compassion, creativity, and problem-solving skills.

We are incredibly proud of our 7th graders for their dedication and for creating an event that truly embodied empathy in action.