Planning for the “Major Move” in 2020!
Twenty-twenty will be a major time of transition within the Hudson City Schools as we prepare to open the new Middle School and relocate every grade level, except for Kindergarten, 2, and 9-12, into a new facility or temporary home while East Woods and McDowell are being renovated. “We know that people respond to change in their own way – some thrive on the excitement of new relationships and new opportunities while others grieve the loss of familiar, and of course, there are endless possibilities and emotions in between,” says Superintendent Phil Herman. “When it comes to our district facility plan as it moves forward, we will hold hands, support one another, and step forward into growth together.”
Our new team structure: Administrative assignments for next year

Many parents may be wondering how our administrative teams will be structured to best support students and their families, support teachers and staff, and set one another up for success. The focus is on stability and consistency during the 2020-21 school year.
Midwest Installation Group, our move team, demonstrates how teachers will pack.
They are also conducting walkthroughs at each building to assess building needs.
Facilities Update

Natatorium Opens! Swimmers and Divers have an amazing year!

For many months our swimmers, divers, and the HEAT Swim Program moved their practices and competitions to other local pools while the Ada Cooper Miller Natatorium, constructed in 1979, was renovated. With only a few weeks remaining in the swim season, our student-athletes have returned triumphantly to their home at the Nat! The newly renovated $3.2 million facility is beautiful but most importantly has a new operating pump and filter system, as well as, all new HVAC, lighting, and a new 160 seat bleacher section. The renovation is part of the District’s Master Facility Plan. For more information about the Swim and Dive team, visit the Athletic website .

Thanks to Nick Zaklanovich and Allyn Marzulla, for producing the Natatorium Open House video, including speakers, and special interviews as a public access program for HCTV.


New Middle School


This video was taken by parent Kabir Bahatia in December 2020. Since that time there has been much additional progress to the interior construction . However, it gives a glimpse of what is taking place inside and shows the defined spaces within the building! The Middle School is on schedule to open in August 2020.

Ellsworth Hill Addition

The addition to Ellsworth Hill is well on its way to completion and is expected to be ready for occupancy in April 2020!

Lights, Camera, Action! Purell Peace of Mind
In October of 2019, the Hudson City School District partnered with GOJO Industries, Inc. to provide access to a video film crew that would produce a commercial about Purell products in schools. It’s not the first time a video crew has filmed in Hudson Schools, but it was the largest production crew the District has welcomed to our campus. With a truck load of equipment and a film crew of 12-15 people, including a makeup artist, our students and staff became the actors for a documentary-style commercial about Purell products.

As a user of many of the Purell products, our District was a top choice for location. Special parental permissions were obtained for student participants, and our staff and buildings went to work to make way for the production. It was a great opportunity for students to see just what it takes to make a professional commercial! In addition to the activity-buzz at Ellsworth and the High School, Chris Kelling, Hudson’s District Facilities Supervisor, accepted the lead role. He is extremely knowledgeable about the cleaning processes in our district, and with the assurance that he could be himself with just a little makeup, he stepped into the role with ease. In addition, our Ellsworth students were curious and excited to be a part of the videotaping, and advanced arrangements were made for High School Drama and Graphics Production students to participate in the experience.

The commercial went live this month! We are very proud of Chris, our students and our staff for making this a fun and memorable experience! In addition to working with our students, the District also received free Purell dispensers, and soap, which is saving our custodial program thousands of dollars this year. We hope you enjoy the video!
East Woods Earns Purple Star Designation
East Woods Elementary is the second school in the Hudson City School District to earn the honor of being designated as a Purple Star school by the Ohio Department of Education. The high school received the designation two years ago. Each school must apply separately and renew their applications every two years. Jeff Morris, Assistant Principal, is leading the process at East Woods. They are developing programs for military-connected families, such as forming a lunchtime support group for students who are children of active duty parents. In addition, the school must have a liaison between military-connected students and their families. The liaison informs teachers of the military-connected students in their classrooms and the special considerations military families and students should receive. According to a recent article in the Hub-Times , about 35,000 Ohio students, including the children of active duty, reserve, and Ohio National Guard families, have one or more parents serving in the military.
Hudson ACE Hardware Supports Students with Special Needs since 1998!
For twenty-two years, Hudson ACE Hardware has partnered with the Hudson City School District providing a non-paid volunteer job site for students with special needs to gain work skills in their community. On average three to four students per year take advantage of this opportunity. “I cannot say enough how positive and nurturing this environment has been for my students ,” says Erin Quinn, Intervention Specialist and Co-advisor to Project Support at Hudson High School.

In 2018, Store Manager Dale Marvin determined yet again another way to support students with special needs by offering customized “Explorer” brand Yeti products for sale and donating 50% of the profits to help offset the cost of Project Support, a high school club that sponsors social activities for students with special needs and their typical peers.

We value our unique partnership with the dedicated staff at ACE Hardware for their caring, kindness, and commitment in the support of our students! This is yet another example of Hudson Schools and a Hudson business working together to help better the lives of children!
VR Technology, Immersive Cure, and Service Learning
Last year, Kristin Dages, Media Coordinator, and high school media specialist, Andrew Robitaille, wrote a GAR Educator Initiative Grant application "Creating transformative learning experiences and social connections through immersive technology." “Our goal was to use virtual reality (VR) equipment to educate students about VR production through service learning opportunities,” says Robitaille. “We teamed up with Bill Myers, the CEO of New Territory studio in Akron, to provide technical training on VR applications. Using the grant we purchased several Oculus Quest VR headsets. I have used these headsets to bring VR experiences to science and special education classes at HHS. I recently teamed up with Marty Bach to collaborate with his Service Learning class at HHS. One of his students, Corey Schulman, volunteers at the Altercare assisted living facility in Stow. I trained him on how to use the VR gear, and I put him in touch with Jessica Benson, the CEO of Immersive Cure .”

Immersive Cure was founded in 2018 by Benson, an advocate of virtual reality being used in healthcare to address the isolation, depression, anxiety, stress, pain, and fear experienced by the elderly, terminally-ill, and veterans in hospice, palliative care, veteran’s facilities, in-patient units, or at home.

Robitaille shared the following email from Corey about a recent experience he had at Altercare.
Hi Mr. Robitaille,

I met with Jessica today at Altercare to discuss our plans on bringing VR headsets to the residents at Altercare. She brought all of her gear to show me and also showed me some of her captures in local areas, and in Washington D.C. of veteran's memorials. My plan is to ask the residents at Altercare about locations that they would like to visit in NE Ohio if they had the opportunity to do so. I will then capture 3-4 minute videos of requested places by the residents. Unfortunately, I don't think it'll be possible for the residents to be able to stand with the device on, so we're just accommodating those that are in wheelchairs or in beds. 

She (Jessica) was very nice and friendly, and we actually tested the VR headset on a nonverbal resident. Even though he was a little hesitant at first, he tried the VR headset. Jessica had a video ready that was suited for veterans like himself. We could tell that he was enjoying the experience since he was nodding his head that he wanted to continue to view the video. In the end, Jessica asked him a few questions to which he didn't respond, but when she asked him about what branch of the military he served, he responded by saying he was in the Marines. We were all surprised and shaken that virtual reality prompted him to say his first words at Altercare. The social worker was actually crying. She's been there for over a year and hasn't heard him say anything. It was really a surreal experience.

Thanks for making this possible!
Corey Schulman
District Welcomes Teachers and Deputy Principal from Saudi Arabia, Turkey
The College of Education, Health and Human Services at Kent State secured a grant to support 29 Saudi Arabian teachers for intensive ESL and a “Building Leadership for Change Through School Immersion (BLCSI)” program starting in July 2019 and continuing through June 2020. According to Beth Killeen, middle school language arts teacher, "the goal of the program from the Saudi perspective is to transform the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of Saudi education professionals in order to fulfill their nation’s educational goals for 2030. Hudson teachers will be contributing to improving their educational system while empowering educational leaders who will positively impact their home country and, while in our schools, enrich the multicultural perspectives of our students, teachers, and communities. Program participants arrived last July to settle in, find housing, buy/rent cars, enroll their children in schools, and become acquainted with life in America. Their whole family is involved in this experience."
 
This past Fall semester, program participants started their orientation and academic program requirements by taking ESL courses at the university to refine their communication skills. They are now in the second half of the program to observe American classrooms during a school immersion experience. We have ten local school districts hosting our Saudi scholars in classrooms K-12. The Saudis also attend a graduate level seminar on campus to understand the context of American schools and to plan for their projects they will take back home. 
 
When our Saudi teachers return home, they will be bringing the best practices and new innovations in education to their home communities and schools. We are confident that they will also leave a lasting intercultural impact on our partner school districts, teachers and students. 
Pictured with Superintendent Phil Herman are Middle School teachers and administration from
Saudi Arabia, Zaid, Naif, Mona, and Sultanah. Also shown: Assistant Superintendent Doreen Osmun,
Human Resources Director, Lisa Hunt and Treasurer Phil Butto.
Hudson High School Hosts Fulbright Scholars
Hudson High School is currently hosting international members of the Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement (Fulbright TEA) Program from Kent State University. While at HHS teachers will focus on American Education style, student-centered instruction, and media literacy and technology. The teachers will also be working closely with their hosts to present a cultural lesson relating to their home culture and the classroom curriculum, and co-teaching lessons with their host teachers.
District Spelling Bee Finalists
On Saturday, February 8th, the Summit County Spelling Bee took place at the
Akron-Summit County Public Library in downtown Akron.

We are excited to announce that Hudson Middle School has 4 students advancing to the Regional Spelling Bee in March! 

Congratulations to Madeline Currall, Carrie Hegedish, Riya Hegde and Erica Liu. Out of 34 spellers, these 4 students took 4 of 7 spots on Saturday morning.
Athletics Update
Catch up on Explorer athletics by visiting the Athletics website. Go Explorers!
The Hudson City School District uses an electronic flyer distribution tool called “Peachjar.”  View  school-approved
e-flyers for community events or school-related activities happening outside of the classroom.