In today’s world, getting students ready for a balanced digital lifestyle is essential to success at work as well as in life. Students need to learn how to interact socially, personally, and educationally in both face-to-face and online environments. With all of the new opportunities (and challenges) that are possible through digital learning spaces, social media, and online interaction, students should master these skills through the lens of health and digital wellness.

We recognize February as Digital Wellness Month.  We want to hear from our parents and community, what aspects of digital wellness do you feel are important for us to focus on.  What would you like to see taught more in school, and what more do you as an adult want to learn about.

Please take just a few minutes to participate in our ThoughtExchange so we can hear from you.  Then be sure to star, or rate, other comments so we know which are the biggest hot button concerns in our schools.

Several times a year Superintendent John Marschhausen schedules time to have coffee with our community. These are informal times to grab a cup of coffee and chat with the superintendent.  Mr. Mark Abate, President of the Board of Education, will be joining Dr. Marschhausen this time around. The two will be hosting Listening Leaders at various locations in Hilliard.  The two are committed to listening to you, our community.  As we gather information and listen to understand, we can better plan for future goals and programs.  Please make plans to join us at one of these for a casual conversation.

January 29 from 9-10 am at Coffee Connections

January 30 from 8-9:30 at Panera Mill Run

January 31 from 10-11 at the Hilliard Library

This year Alton Darby Elementary started a “Guys with Ties” program. The program is open to all boys in 3rd grade. Club members meet with their advisors, Jason Alexander and Community Liaison Devin Jordan from Beyond the Game, once a month during their lunch/recess period. The “Guys with Ties” program encourages students to “look good, feel good, do good.” Each meeting covers various topics such as dining etiquette, showing respect to the elderly/females, community service, the importance of saying thank you, handshakes, and more. There are also guest speakers from the community. As a member of this club, the young men are encouraged to wear a shirt and tie to each meeting. This is a unique opportunity to watch the young men grow into leaders in our community.

As part of our Next X initiative, our district is committed to cultivating healthy connections between our students and staff. One of our curriculum goals is to create content at a pace that mirrors students’ academic abilities along with their interests.

In this video we will see how the bond built between teachers and their student created a unique opportunity for this student to succeed, even when challenges came up.  To prepare each student to be Ready for Tomorrow means creating connections that allow the student to acquire foundational skills, including critical thinking, communication, and creativity.

The Next X Initiative is a strategic vision to guide our journey from 2020 to 2030. Over the course of this year, we will share our stories. We will hear from our students and staff about the things we are doing to accomplish the many goals of Next X.

We are proud to announce that the Healthy Business Council of Ohio has recognized the Hilliard City School District as one of 111 Ohio employers for healthy worksite practices.

The Healthy Worksite Award recognizes Ohio employers who demonstrate a commitment to employee wellness through comprehensive worksite health promotion and wellness programs. Applicants are scored on the extent their wellness programs facilitate and encourage employee health, enhance productivity and ensure a healthy work environment.

The Healthy Worksite Award Co-Chair Annie Laurie Cadmus stated, “Worksites who are recognized this year should be especially proud of their accomplishments knowing they have provided their employees with nationally competitive and well-rounded programming that supports healthy lifestyles.”

Kindergarten registration has begun for the 2020-2021 school year. If your child will be five years of age on or before September 30, 2020, he/she is eligible to start kindergarten during the 2020-2021 school year. (more…)

As we head into the winter break, our students’ mental health remains a top concern. We want to be sure our students and families know there is help available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

One tool is the Safe Schools Hotline.  This is a free and confidential option for our students to report threats of violence, illegal activity, or any activity they think can harm students or staff in our schools.  There is a toll-free number students can call or number they can text or a web page where they can report their concerns and talk to a trained mental health counselor.

800-4-1-VOICE ext. 359

800-418-6423 ext. 359

Text TIPS to 66746

On the Web: www.safeschoolhelpline.com

There is also a Hope Icon on secondary student iPads.  This web page contains tools and information about student well-being.

Safety is one of the highest concerns.  Student well-being is a significant component of keeping all students safe.

The Hilliard and Dublin City Schools are joining forces again this year to shine a spotlight on student mental health with “Be Well: A Parent University Event” on February 29, 2020.

Leading up to the main event we will host a round of book talks on The Gift of Failure, by Jessica Lahey.  Registration is now open, please pick a date and sign up now!

You can watch this short video from the district superintendents for more details.

As part of our Next X initiative, our district is committed to cultivating healthy mental well-being and social-emotional skills to prepare students and staff to interpret and respond to situations with intentional behavior, empathy, and resilience.  One of our goals is to partner with social, medical, and mental health services to promote collaboration with schools, families, and communities.

In this video, you will hear from students and staff about one of those partnerships, Challenge Day.  This is a daylong program we host in each of our high schools.  It is a day that goes beyond traditional anti-bullying efforts.  It builds empathy and inspires a school-wide movement of compassion and positive change. We address some common issues seen in most schools, including gossip, rumors, negative judgments, teasing, harassment, isolation, intolerance, racism, sexism, violence, suicide, hopelessness, and hidden pressures to create an image, achieve or live up to the expectations of others.

The Next X Initiative is a strategic vision to guide our journey from 2020 to 2030. Over the course of this year, we will share our stories.  We will hear from our students and staff about the things we are doing to accomplish the many goals of Next X.

We want to thank Dot’s Tots for providing the funding for Challenge Day.  Ashley and Andrew Warnock created this local charity to provide support to families providing foster care, children with debilitating disease or illness, scholarships for seniors and so much more.  We are grateful to this organization for providing this opportunity to our community.

One of our greatest priorities is ensuring that all our students arrive safely at school each and every day. This year we are introducing a new, more efficient student absence reporting system called School Messenger. This new system will reduce the time it takes to verify student attendance, make it easy for you to report your child’s absence and easy for staff to respond to unexplained student absences.

With School Messenger, you are asked to report your child’s absence in advance using any of these three convenient methods:

1. Using your mobile device, download and install the SchoolMessenger app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The first time you use the app, select Sign Up to create your account. Select Attendance then Report an Absence.
2. Use the School Messenger website, https://go.schoolmessenger.com. The first time you use the website, select Sign Up to create your account. Select Attendance then Report an Absence.
3. Call the toll-free number 844-413-8801 to report an absence using the automated phone system.

These options are available 24 hours/day, 7 days a week. Future absences can be reported at any time.

If you forget to report an absence, you will receive an automated notification. The automated notification system will attempt to contact parents at multiple contact points until a reason is submitted for the absence. We will be using the contact information in Home Access, so it is vital your information is correct. If our system is unable to reach the designated contacts, the office staff will follow up.

If you report your child’s absence in advance using the School Messenger mobile app, website, or toll-free number you will NOT receive these notifications.

Starting on December 3, 2019, please report absences in advance using School Messenger instead of sending notes or calling/emailing the school. We will also start sending notifications to let you know if your student is absent when you haven’t reported the absence in advance.

All of our schools are now using this system. If you have children attending other schools, you can now report them all absent using the same method.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we implement this new system.

Learn more about School Messenger Attendance