Category: News

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. 

The Ohio Department of Education recently released the Ohio School Report Cards for the 2022-2023 school year. We are pleased to announce that Hilliard City Schools continues to make positive gains in our goal of ensuring that every student, without exception, is Ready for Tomorrow. 

One change in this year’s report card is the inclusion of an “Overall” rating.  The Overall rating is out of 5 possible stars, in increments of .5 stars.  The Ohio Department of Education has clarified that an overall rating of at least 3 stars indicates that a district or school has met state standards. We are proud to share that Hilliard City Schools has earned 4.5 out of 5 stars, affirming our commitment to academic excellence.

We are particularly delighted to have received 5 stars in Progress and Gap Closing. Progress measures the growth made by all our students based on their past performance, reflecting our dedication to continuous improvement. The Gap Closing component evaluates our efforts in reducing educational disparities among student subgroups, emphasizing our commitment to equity and inclusivity.

In the category of Achievement, Hilliard City Schools received four stars. This component assesses student performance on state tests.  Within this component, we are also excited to share that our Performance Index Score, which is a measure of all tests taken by all students, continues to increase as well.

Hilliard City Schools received three stars in both Graduation and Early Literacy, which indicates that the district is meeting state standards. Graduation evaluates the percentage of students who graduate with a regular or honors diploma, while the Early Literacy component assesses reading improvement and proficiency levels in grades K-3. These areas will be a focal point for our continued improvement efforts.  Specific to the Early Literacy component, this year, we launched new K-12 English Language Arts Curriculums. The Wit and Wisdom program is the new resource that our professionals chose to support this new curriculum.  It is designed for our younger learners and will empower students to read challenging texts, write effectively, and speak clearly and logically. We believe these initiatives will lead to even greater gains across our district.

At Hilliard City Schools, our vision is to Embrace, Empower, and Inspire students, families, and the community through an active partnership.  While we will never be defined solely by state test scores or local report card results, we are pleased to celebrate the success of our teachers and students.  While we recognize that there is always more work to be done, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all of our parents, students, staff, and community members for their unwavering support and the work that went into this success. Together, we will continue to raise the bar for educational excellence in Hilliard for every student, without exception.

Superintendent David Stewart

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: