The Superintendent’s Corner by Dana Addis

As we move out of our national holiday of Thanksgiving, I want to make sure, on behalf of our school district, you know just how thankful we are for each and every one of you.  

School districts quite often demonstrate thanks during moments of need; however, I have spent much time this school year reflecting on your support and what it means to our students. There is a strong connection between this city, its residents, our families and the school district, and that connection leads to the ultimate benefit of student opportunities.  

As I write this, we are embarking on our first-ever Emerging Technologies Conference at Hudson High School, where our students will interact with NASA on the Two Worlds of Innovation, with Case Western on Network Science and Complex Diseases, and with the University of Akron on AI in Action. Representatives from Kent State University, The Ohio State University and Miami University will also work closely with our high school students on their future technology opportunities. 

I am also thankful for the often-publicized Helping Hands project, where our Hudson Middle School Service Learning students build hands for students in other countries who need them. This year’s batch is being delivered to Tanzania.  

Our staff, in the most creative ways, prepares our students on crucial foundational learning concepts that lead to strong scores on the state report card, Advanced Placement tests, and National Merit Scholars program. We have H2B2, Service Learning and New Dimensions. Every spring, we watch our students participate in the Bloodhound Project. We are listening and watching our performing arts students, whether it is winning Dazzle Awards, performing on stage and earning OMEA awards, or winning Governor’s Art Awards.  

Our Explorer Athletics has won the Suburban League All-Sports trophy for six consecutive years. Whether it is academic, the arts or athletics, your support is leading our students to wonderful but challenging opportunities to find what they are looking for in a school district.   We can do this, in part, because of your continued financial, emotional and meaningful support of our Hudson City Schools. On behalf of our board of education, our nearly 700 employees, and most importantly, our 4,700 students, I want to make sure you know we are thankful for you.