Superintendent Kaya Hunt used the Jan. 12 Canal Winchester School Board meeting to highlight district classroom projects, staff recognitions and community partnerships.

Hunt congratulated new and reelected board members and introduced six "knock your socks off" award recipients for January 2026, naming staff across buildings and describing why each was recognized for going above and beyond. She said the awards recognize work such as covering additional duties during maternity leave and providing crisis intervention and student support.

Hunt and a district presenter described curriculum and enrichment activities across grade levels: kindergarten through second graders focused on the character trait of accountability with reflective practices and educational consequences; second-grade students conducted a pumpkin life-cycle experiment; third graders completed a project-based gingerbread-house unit that emphasized budgeting, roles and collaboration; fourth graders began a study of the novel Because of Winn-Dixie; and the district's Tech Quest club will run a two-week robotics and coding unit. At the middle-school level, seventh-grade social-studies students are creating tiled patterns and tessellations as part of an exploration of Islamic empires and the role of art in history.

Hunt noted district and community milestones, including the grand opening of the new Canal Winchester library branch on Jan. 10 and an upcoming Pathways to Success night at Canal Winchester High School on Jan. 28, which will offer course, career-path and military-option sessions for families and students. "We're grateful for our partnership with the library," Hunt said, and she thanked board president Talley for a congratulatory statement given at the library event.

The superintendent closed by urging families to attend Pathways night and by thanking staff and volunteers for their contributions to student learning and events across the district.