Leading the Way - January 8, 2026

Leading Moments From Across the District

Leading Others Starts with being able to Lead Yourself!

This past Monday, several of our middle and high school staff engaged in a powerful district professional learning workshop centered on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The experience invited educators to reflect deeply on their own leadership, mindset, and personal growth while strengthening their ability to lead with intention and purpose.

Through meaningful dialogue and shared learning, staff made clear connections between the habits they cultivate personally and the example they set each day for colleagues and, most importantly, for students.

As role models and leaders of others, this work reinforced the understanding that when adults commit to continuous growth, they create learning environments that inspire students to take ownership, build character, and develop the leadership skills needed for success in school and beyond.

Bridging Business & Engineering: A Brave’s Journey Back to Inspire the Next Generation

During a busy finals and midterm week, Class of 2025 alum Charlotte Condorodis returned to campus to share her college journey and experiences in The Ohio State University’s Integrated Business & Engineering (IBE) Honors Program.

Charlotte provided an inside look at how this innovative, interdisciplinary program intentionally bridges engineering and business, preparing students to think critically, collaborate across disciplines, and lead at the intersection of technology and innovation. She spoke authentically about the impact IBE has had on her academic growth, skill development, and future career readiness, offering valuable perspective to fellow Braves exploring similar pathways.

Her willingness to come back and give back exemplified the power of alumni connection and the importance of learning directly from those who have walked the path before.

From Data to Dialogue: Bridging Gen Z Insights with Classroom Practice

A huge thank you to Audrey Treasure from the Workforce Innovation Center at the Cincinnati Chamber for spending time with our high school staff to share their recent research on Gen Z in the workforce. It was incredibly impactful to move beyond anecdotes and dive into the concrete data and insights gathered from their recent focus groups. As educators, seeing the evidence-based trends that mirror what we observe daily in our classrooms provided a powerful "bridge" between the academic environment and the professional world. Hearing the specific conversations that regional employers are currently having about meeting the needs of this generation is a game-changer as we continue to refine how we prepare our students for their future careers.

This productive professional learning opportunity was made even better by the generous support of our local community. A special shout-out and a huge thank you to Taglio and A Tavola for donating a delicious spread of pizza and salad for our staff to enjoy during the session.

We are so fortunate to have community partners who are invested in our educators and the success of our students. Thank you again, Audrey, for your expertise and for providing us with the data-driven roadmap to better support the next generation of leaders!

Lastly, a HUGE shout out to IHExperienceships Coordinator, Mrs. Lauren Richardson for making this connection during our Greater Cincinnati Business Advisory Council meeting and being so inspired she knew she had to have Audrey talk to our staff!

Exploring the Field of Education

Right before Winter Break, our IH Experienceships program was on full display as a few of our high school students took meaningful steps toward exploring potential career paths in the field of education through hands-on, real-world experiences.

Brady jumped right in by actively supporting learning in Mr. Froehlich’s classroom, so much so that hearing students refer to him as “Mr. Mitchell” perfectly captured the impact of authentic immersion.

Addy continued her thoughtful exploration of education by shadowing in a 3rd grade classroom with Mrs. Slusher, building on previous experiences across multiple grade levels and moving closer to clarifying her future path in early or middle childhood education.

Megan also embraced the opportunity to “live a day in the life of a teacher,” gaining behind-the-scenes insight into the profession while working alongside Mrs. Kanzeg in a 5th grade classroom.

These experiences highlight the true purpose of IH Experienceships: empowering students to make informed decisions about their futures by testing interests, building confidence, and learning through doing.

Jeff Damadeo, Director of K-12 Leadership & Career Development

Jeff.Damadeo@ihsd.us

Twitter: @indianhillEC

My #IHPromise - to work tirelessly for our students, providing them with the most exceptional educational opportunities & experiences to help ensure that they develop into outstanding academic students and future ready individuals!