Category: News

Gail Tanner, Arrow Program’s Gifted Intervention Specialist, exudes creativity and imagination into her classroom every day. Gail was ecstatic when the opportunity arose for her to teach at the Arrow Program. The program is a nontraditional learning environment for highly gifted students. “Teaching in a non-traditional environment brings challenges every day, and the student’s learning is not predictable, and that brings me excitement. Watching my students solve problems in their unique way makes me want to come to work each day.”

In her classroom, Gail makes sure her students feel welcome and accepted for who they are and their uniqueness. “The world is tough enough, and kids should have a place to go that’s welcoming, happy, and accepting no matter what, and for some kids this is the only place. Teaching is hard, but if we all have each other’s backs, we can make these kids feel great and bring positivity to the building.” Gail enjoys not only her students but also loves her colleagues in the Arrow Program. “They are awesome and make coming to work enjoyable.” She found that working in such a unique program with other teachers that share her passions creates a rewarding environment in which she works.

Outside of teaching, Gail enjoys traveling, spending time with her grandson, and taking care of her animals. She can travel often due to her husband being in the horse racing business; they spend their weekends traveling to different tracks and races where she enjoys being around well-groomed horses. When she’s not traveling, she is home taking care of her animals. Her newest addition to her family’s animals is a horse she recently adopted. Although she does not ride anymore, she thought it would be fun to take on a horse as part of her pet family.

If that isn’t enough Gail volunteers as a soccer coach for her grandson’s youth soccer team. The team desperately needed a coach or else they could not play for the upcoming season, so Gail stepped up and took on the challenge. This is her second year coaching, and she loves seeing the players grow each practice.

Gail’s realistic and positive outlook on life has helped her students express their unique selves and feel more comfortable in their non-traditional learning environment.

The Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators (OAESA) annually recognizes elementary and/or middle-level schools and school leaders for their exceptional service to the students and school communities throughout Ohio.

OAESA announced that Brown Elementary School in the Hilliard City School District has been selected as a 2023 OAESA Hall of Fame School.

The Hall of Fame School Award recognizes schools that engage faculty, students, and the community to provide a quality school experience. The school staff submitted an extensive application documenting the effectiveness of their educational program in several areas. Hall of Fame Schools were selected by committees of OAESA members.

OAESA also announced that Jaclyn Prati, principal of J.W. Reason Elementary School in the Hilliard City Schools District, was selected as the 2023 Ohio Principal of the Year. 2023 marks the 39th year that the state of Ohio has selected a principal to recognize statewide.

These awards recognize schools and staff that engage faculty, students, and the community to provide a quality school experience. The district would like to thank you for all that you do!

The Ohio Department of Education announced 165 Ohio schools are receiving the Purple Star designation as members of the Purple Star Class of 2023. Hilliard Bradley High School was recognized for for being one of the schools  receiving the Purple Star Award for the class of 2023. Purple Star schools show a significant commitment to serving students and families connected to our nation’s armed forces.

“Ohio led the nation in establishing the Purple Star program, and I am proud to congratulate this next group of school communities as we recognize the Month of the Military Child,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. “We recognize the unique challenges facing military families, and Ohio’s Purple Star schools embrace these students and their families to ensure their learning needs are met, while providing support and resources so they can be successful in school.”

“Purple Star schools demonstrate the importance of students feeling supported and what it means to be part of a learning community,” said Interim Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Stephanie Siddens. “I share my deep gratitude with Ohio’s military service members and their families and congratulate this year’s Purple Star schools for providing the academic and wellness supports so these students are ready to learn, grow and achieve.”

Ohio is home to 511 active Purple Star schools that dedicate time and supports to students in military families. All awardees meet the unique wellness and academic needs of Ohio’s military-connected youth. To qualify, schools choose a school-based staff person to serve as a liaison between military families and the school. These liaisons complete professional development, identify military-connected students and facilitate supports throughout the school community for identified students and families. Purple Star schools also participate in at least one supportive activity each year. The Purple Star Class of 2023 includes schools that host monthly military kids club meetings, professional learning for all educators on the unique considerations for serving military-connected students and school wide celebrations honoring military students and families.

The district would also like to recognize Hilliard Davidson High School for being a long-time contender for this prestigious award.

Danny Collins has had an unconventional career journey. It was actually a no later followed by a yes thanks to the support of a few select people during his senior year at Davidson High School that set him on his current trajectory. 

A 2012 graduate of Hilliard City Schools, seniors at the time had the opportunity to complete a senior project. These projects were designed to help students further explore their future career aspirations. Collins’ proposal? Travel to Orlando, Florida, and receive professional-level coaching in wakeboarding. After all, he had traveled around the world competing in the sport and wanted to find out if he could make a go of it at the next level.

His idea was shot down with a resounding no. Until a few days later. He was sitting in art class when then-assistant principal Nathan Bobek popped his head in the door and asked to speak with him. Collins said he’d had limited interactions with Mr. Bobek, so was a bit nervous when he stepped into the hallway. 

“He asked me if my idea for my senior project was the real thing and why I structured it the way I did. He was a water skier, so I think he understood my dream of becoming a pro wakeboarder better than most,” he said.

The next thing Collins knew, the no he received turned into a yes, and he was off to Florida. He learned while there that becoming a professional wakeboarder was in fact not what he wanted to do with his life, but the purpose of the senior project was achieved nonetheless. Collins met two French pilots at the camp who were assigned routes that took them from Paris to the Bahamas, New York, and more. They boasted about being able to ski the Alps, scuba dive in the Bahamas, and grab a pizza in New York. A lightbulb went off – a career as a pilot would allow him to travel the world and give him enough financial security to take advantage of the adventure that awaits him at each stop.  

He returned and enrolled in the Aviation program at The Ohio State University. In addition to wakeboarding, he competed in and also had a passion for snowboarding before hurting his knee in high school. That didn’t stop him from serving as president of the Ski and Snowboard Club during his time at OSU, however. The club had between 1,200 and 1,500 members each year and they took an annual keynote trip to Colorado or somewhere similar. He said it was the best of all worlds.

“They would fly me out each summer to tour resorts. There was mountain biking and white water rafting. It was unreal,” he said. 

Today, he is a commercial pilot for American Airlines, and is doing exactly what he intended after meeting those French pilots so many years ago: exploring the world. Phoenix, Arizona, is home base, where he is a wakeboarding coach for the Arizona State University Wake Devils, which just won their third consecutive national championship. He also coaches through Wake Coaches and is a flight instructor for OSU. And he’s on a plane five days out of the week traveling to places like Key West, Florida, Augusta, Georgia, Monterrey, Mexico, and Jamaica.  

If it weren’t for teachers like Mr. Aumiller, who sponsored his senior project and helped him develop a love for, and capture his experience through the arts; Mr. Clark, an English teacher who helped Collins apply lessons to real life; and of course, Mr. Bobek, who took a chance on a kid with a dream, he just may not be where he is today. 

If you have an alumni you would like to see spotlighted, click here to send us an email!

Congratulations to these Embrace, Empower & Inspire Award winners, Cami Kowalski (Math teacher at Hilliard Bradley High School) and Dawn Blankenship & Kelley Burkhart (Enrollment Specialist at Central Office).

“Miss Kowalski continues to show me and other students that she will always be there for us and cares about everything in our lives. As an incoming freshman in 2020, I felt like I had no one to go to when I had a rough day. That was until I met her. Knowing I had her class was the main thing that got me out of bed every day. Her personality and kind spirit made it feel like something was normal. Now as a junior, I still feel welcome to go to her room during a free period to fill her in on aspects of my life. She has always been there for me and has never seemed upset when I need someone to talk to. She welcomed me with open arms into her class and I couldn’t be more grateful. I’m sure you could ask any student that has had her and there would be no negative feedback. She is such an awesome person that I look up to and I’m so happy I got to know her.”

“I work for a local nonprofit that serves New Americans and over the past year, I’ve accompanied multiple families coming from all over the world…. Ukraine, Afghanistan, Venezuela, and the Congo just to name a few. Kelley and Dawn have welcomed each family with a welcoming smile, patience, a helping hand, and a creative approach to communicating each step of the process so the children can be enrolled as quickly as possible in school. I can’t imagine how difficult it is to be in this role and these ladies do it every day with understanding, and a true heart to serve the students and their families. For many families, Kelley and Dawn are the first people they will interact with in the School system, and I can’t think of a more perfect duo to be Hilliard’s welcoming committee.”

These staff members go above and beyond the expectations of the Hilliard Way and truly make a difference in our district. If you know a staff member that goes above and beyond their way to make a difference, you can nominate them for next month’s award by clicking HERE!

On April 1st, The Hilliard Bradley Winter Guard was named the gold medalist in the Scholastic Regional A Class at the Mid East Performance Association (MEPA) Color Guard Championships, held at the Wright State University Nutter Center. Bradley placed 1st out of 12 groups in their class (the second largest class in the circuit). This is Bradley’s 2nd MEPA Championship, the first occurring in 2019.

Also, on April 1st, the first ever Jaguar Junior Color Guard competed in the Junior Flag Line class at MEPA Championships and also received the gold medal in their class. The Jaguar Junior Guard was made up of 7th and 8th graders from Memorial Middle School; they placed first out of 5 groups in their class.

Both groups are under the direction of Miss Melissa Watts (English Teacher at Bradley), with assistance from Andy Rice (Bradley Director of Bands), Cynthia Long, and Zoe Stokes.