Leading Neighborhood Fitness Classes Gives Language Arts Teacher Work-Life Balance, Improves Job Performance

“Taking time each day to care for myself gives me work-life balance and makes me better at my job. Moving my body and getting fresh air helps me handle the stressors of everyday life and that positive energy shows up in the classroom,” said Laura Santagata, a Language Arts teacher at Memorial Middle School. 

Santagata has taught for 27 years in total, 17 of which have been with Hilliard City Schools. Prompted by her own desire to get more fit, she began working out and eating healthier about 20 years ago. Others took notice, asking if they could work out with her. This led to her becoming certified in personal training and performance nutrition. She began working one-on-one with clients but sought to make a bigger impact. That’s when she started a weekly neighborhood fitness class. 

Her early classes were held in her basement, but today, knowing the added health benefits of being in nature, they rotate between local parks, green spaces and neighbor’s backyards. The workouts vary from yoga to resistance training to cardio. Never wanting anyone to miss out on the opportunity to be active, she always comes prepared with a plan B and C for those who may be limited by an injury or ache.

The best part about leading the classes? The added sense of community. 

“We hold each other accountable. Everyone who comes ends the workout saying how happy they are they decided to show up and make exercise a priority,” she said. “When people miss class, we reach out letting them know they were missed. Having such a loving and supportive community keeps people coming back.”

Santagata resides in Dublin. Regardless of where you live, she said new people are always welcome!

We want to thank our community for dealing with the morning delay due to the dense fog in our community.  Superintendent David Stewart has a quick video message for you.  Click here to watch.

Whenever there is a delay or we need to close schools we utilize School Messenger to email, text, and call the contacts we have in Home Access.  You can customize those preferences if you’d rather not be notified all three ways.  Click here for more information.  If you know someone not receiving these emails, or the weather announcements, please tell them to be sure their information is correct in Home Access.  If they have trouble with this, they can contact their student’s school.

The Hilliard Schools will be on a 2 hour delay, Thursday, November 3, 2022 due to inclement weather.  There will be no morning preschool or SACC programs.

Staff Member Shares Passion for Green Initiatives With Students

As a kid, Chuck D’Andrea remembers Keep Akron Beautiful visiting his school and making a cleanup of the school property fun. So when he got the chance to serve on the board for Keep Hilliard Beautiful last year, it was a no-brainer. 

As an Innovation & Discovery Specialist at Brown Elementary, he’s not required to teach a set curriculum. This allows him to share his passion for the Earth and renewable resources with his students in a broader way. He’s no stranger to getting students and the district involved in green initiatives. When he worked at Crossing Elementary and advised the Student Council, he led tree-planting projects and began recycling paper before it was a district-wide initiative.

“I enjoy bridging the gap between the schools and Keep Hilliard Beautiful,” he said. 

One example of this is a project he’s currently working on alongside Coca-Cola, the Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District and Hilliard City Schools. Coca-Cola is providing old syrup barrels to Amanda Schaeffer, an art & ecology teacher at Hilliard’s Innovation Campus. Her students are painting the barrels which will then be shared with the community at an Earth Day event. The goal is to educate residents on the benefits of rain barrels. The fact that they can be an art piece for your home is a bonus! 

Keep Hilliard Beautiful is responsible for monthly cleanups and beautification projects within the boundaries of Hilliard City Schools. They recently added a garden filled with plants native to Ohio at Historical Village. D’Andrea will soon begin working with students on ecobricks, which are old bottles filled with plastic that cannot be recycled. The bricks will be used to build the base of a birdbath. 

“I love this organization because it’s one of the few volunteer opportunities that are available to all ages, and as a teacher and parent, I love providing kids with ways to think outside themselves and to help their community,” he said. 

Learn more here.

Hilliard Schools is proud of the excellence demonstrated by our alumni.  We want to share their stories and are creating a new Alumni Spotlight to highlight and recognize alumni achievements, along with the impacts they are making in their fields and communities.  These stories will be shared as a means to inspire our current students to pursue their dreams, connect alumni back to our community and serve as a point of district wide and community celebration.

If you want to be considered for an alumni spotlight, or want to recommend someone else, please email us with more details and don’t forget to attach a picture of yourself.