News from Upper Arlington Schools

Dear staff, families and community members,

This year, I encourage you to make a resolution that will have a lasting impact — getting involved in our schools. Whether you are a parent, a student, a staff member or a community member, your engagement is essential to shaping the future of our district.

In the months ahead, we have several opportunities to work together to support the incredible learning experiences happening in our classrooms every day. I encourage you to attend our upcoming facilities master planning meetings and Coffee & Conversation events to share your thoughts as we move forward. With our new strategic plan, we look forward to offering more opportunities for you to feel a strong connection to our schools.

In this e-newsletter, you can find updates on the following topics:

• Previewing the draft options at the next community engagement session in the facilities master planning process on February 18 and 19

• The district’s new Excellence & Innovation 2030 Strategic Plan

• Kindergarten registration and parent information nights for the upcoming Class of 2038

• The impact of new learning opportunities on students at the UA Hub

• The Board of Education meetings in January

• Recognition of sound financial practices with the Auditor of State Award

• The upcoming Upper Arlington High School musical - The Sound of Music

• The 2025 Human Connections Festival on the evening of February 26

• The next Coffee & Conversation opportunity in February

• Spring break food support through Tri-Village Packers

• Nominations for the Upper Arlington Civic Association’s Golden Apple Awards

Thank you for being a vital part of our school community. Let’s make 2025 a year of collaboration, connection and commitment to our students and their success.

Sincerely,

Robert Hunt, Ph.D.
Superintendent, Upper Arlington Schools

Your voice matters in facilities master planning! Since the fall, hundreds of students, staff members, parents/guardians and community members have lent their voices to phase two of the facilities master planning process for the aging middle schools and Burbank Early Childhood School.

“Our school facilities are a cornerstone of the Upper Arlington community, and we are so grateful for those who have come alongside us so far in this process to help shape the future of our schools,” said Superintendent Robert Hunt, Ph.D. “If you haven’t gotten involved in the process, we need to hear from you. Your perspective is critical as we determine the best path forward for our schools.”

The initial draft planning options for all three buildings will be shared with the community for feedback in February at the next round of community engagement sessions. Mark your calendars to join us!

• February 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the Upper Arlington High School Amelita Mirolo Black Box Theater, 1625 Zollinger Road

• February 19 at 9:00 a.m. at the Graf Center, 2020 Builders Place

At their January regular business meeting, the Board of Education approved the Excellence & Innovation 2030 Strategic Plan — a forward-thinking roadmap for Upper Arlington Schools that is designed to further our commitment to challenge and support every student, every step of the way.

Informed by more than 9,000 touchpoints with stakeholders and developed through extensive collaboration with staff, students and community members, this strategic plan centers on three key priorities: Engaged Learning, Culture & Climate, and Connections. Wrapped around the entire plan is an unwavering focus on Excellence and Innovation.

“The Excellence & Innovation 2030 Strategic Plan reaffirms our district’s commitment to providing an exceptional education for every student,” Superintendent Robert Hunt, Ph.D. writes in his latest Superintendent Notes column. “It also positions us to embrace new challenges and opportunities with confidence and purpose.”

“It ended up being one of the best decisions I ever made.”

“It opens up a lot of possibilities for jobs and careers and just sets me up.”

“You can actually see kids spread their wings here.”

This fall, Upper Arlington Schools opened the doors for a UA Hub, housed in the former district office at 1950 North Mallway Drive, thanks to state grant funding to support new and innovative programming for students. Four programs — College Jumpstart, the UC Early IT Pathway, the UA Online Academy and the UA Brige Program — now fall under the UA Hub umbrella, giving students options and opportunities to personalize their educational experience.

“I think always the most exciting is Arlington’s continued evolution, looking at what our kids need, what do our kids want, what does our community want, what do families want for their kids, and being responsive to that,” said Director of Secondary Education Kristin Robbins, Ed.D. “And I think the Hub is a perfect example of that.”

Upper Arlington Schools is excited to welcome the newest Golden Bears from the Class of 2038 next fall! The 2025-2026 kindergarten registration window will open on Tuesday, February 18, 2025. Upper Arlington Schools is proud to offer an all-day kindergarten program to the families of Upper Arlington — which supports the district’s mission to challenge and support every student, every step of the way, from day one of their educational journey.

You can find information about the registration process and the upcoming kindergarten information nights at our elementary schools on our website.

Being good stewards of taxpayer dollars is a core responsibility for the Upper Arlington school district, and wisely managing our resources is central to that commitment. Each year, the district undergoes a thorough, third-party financial review conducted by the State of Ohio Auditor’s Office. Treasurer/CFO Andrew Geistfeld shares in his latest Treasurer’s Notes column that Upper Arlington Schools has again earned a clean audit opinion and the Auditor of State Award for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. This achievement reflects the district’s ongoing dedication to sound financial practices and commitment to the community.

Join Upper Arlington High School for one of the most beloved musicals of all time, The Sound of Music, performed at UAHS for the first time since 1968. In this classic story filled with familiar tunes and characters, an exuberant young governess brings music and joy back to a broken family, only to face danger as Austria falls to the Third Reich at the end of the 1930s.

Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. February 13-15, plus a matinee performance at 2:30 p.m. on February 16. Tickets are available at www.uavocalmusic.org. Contact uavocalmusic@uaschools.org for questions regarding ticket sales or to purchase accessible seating or sign language interpreter seating. Please note that this production of Sound of Music is a pre-paid reserved event sponsored by the vocal music boosters and is not an included event for the Golden Bear Activity Card.

Upper Arlington High School students invite you to be part of the 2025 Human Connections Festival on the evening of February 26. This multi-generational school and community celebration features a student-created interactive gallery space designed to celebrate culture, explore diverse lived experiences, learn from new perspectives and build relationships.

Students will be designing and hosting tables independently, with a student group or with the support of a staff member or community member who share a vision for connection and cultural celebration. These options will allow student groups from UAHS and our elementary and middle schools to join the celebration.

Families and community members are invited to experience the Human Connections Festival and walk the gallery space from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on February 26 at Upper Arlington High School, 1625 Zollinger Road. The festival will also be open only to UAHS students and staff during the school day. We hope you will join us as we elevate student voices and stories in a celebration of belonging!

• Thursday, February 13 from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. in the upper level meeting room at Giant Eagle Market District, 3061 Kingsdale Center — This session will include an update on student well-being.

Once again, Upper Arlington Schools is partnering with the Tri-Village Packers to support their Spring Break 2025 food distribution program. The Tri-Village Packers will distribute food and grocery items to families with UA students for the days out of school (March 15 - 24). The food will be provided at no cost to district families experiencing food insecurity who would benefit from additional food. To sign up for this round of food distribution, please complete this form by February 27, 2025. The school district will keep identifying information you provide in the form confidential.

The Upper Arlington Civic Association’s annual Golden Apple Award nominations for 2025 are here! This prestigious award can go to any faculty or staff in Upper Arlington’s schools. The winner of the Golden Apple at each school is decided by you — any parent, student, colleague or community member can make a nomination. Visit www.UACA.org to fill out a nomination form by February 28 at 11:59 p.m.