Jennifer Walton-Fisette, Ph.D., director of Educator Preparation in the Vacca Office of Student Services, reports that The Ohio Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance recently held its annual conference where an EHHS student and two alumni were recognized.
Health and Physical Education major Olivia Jisa won the Memorial Scholarhip Award. Alumni Kent Hamilton was named Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year, and Shawn Bates received the Presential Citation award.
Olivia Jisa received the OAHPERD Memorial Scholarship Award. Jisa is in her senior year at 黑料网. She not only shows commitment to OAHPERD at the state level but also at the national level through her attendance and volunteering at the 2024 SHAPE America Conference. Additionally, she has demonstrated leadership as a Student Success Leader, mentoring first-year students to help them transition into college life. Jisa's community service includes volunteering at Cleveland鈥檚 Final Four Tourney Town event, serving as a camp counselor for Super Ninja Zone, and coaching youth hockey teams for the Kent Cyclones and Garfield Heights Bulldogs. Her commitment to youth also includes serving as a Fall Festival volunteer at West Main Elementary School in Ravenna. She has maintained academic excellence throughout her college career, consistently achieving honors on the Dean鈥檚 List and the President鈥檚 List. This scholarship acknowledges her dedication to learn and her ambition to make a lasting impact in the field of health and physical education. Her goal is to create inclusive, supportive learning environments, advocate for health education, and promote lifelong wellness among students.
Kent Hamilton was awarded the Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year Award for 2024. Hamilton has taught elementary physical education for 14 years; the last 13 with the Plain Local Schools. In 2009, he was awarded the Memorial Scholarship and in 2018, he received the Young Professional of the Year award, both from OAHPERD. Hamilton has attended and presented numerous sessions at the annual OAHPERD Conventions, Summer Institute, and SHAPE America National Conventions. He presented his Cardio Desk Drumming in Cheltenham and Gloucestershire, England, along with being featured on the BBC World News. Hamilton's philosophy of teaching physical education is to provide a safe, positive learning environment that promotes physical, mental, and social well-being. He believes that when students feel comfortable learning in physical education, they are more likely to grow and succeed. Safety (physical and emotional) is a top priority within his program. Hamilton achieves this by modeling respect and building strong relationships with students and providing them with structured routines and procedures that are incorporated into all areas of his class.
Shawn Bates received the OAHPERD Presidential Citation. Bates has taught Physical Education for the past 29 years. He teaches physical education at Longcoy Elementary and Holden Elementary in the Kent City Schools and feels that exposing his students to a variety of individual and team sports they can enjoy a lifetime has always been the focus of his program. He wants to get his students excited by at least one experience in his class that will motivate them to keep moving outside of school to stay active. In addition to the many traditional team and individual activities, Bates tries to give his students as many unique experiences as possible so they can love to move. A few of the experiences his students are exposed to during and away from school include inline skating, traverse climbing wall, recess running club, disc golf, and all kids bike. Shawn is still adding new and innovative ways to spark a love for activity and movement. Part of his philosophy is the desire to provide all students with the knowledge and ability to confidently become lifelong lovers of movement and activity. Within all of his units and lessons is the constant work of social and emotional learning.
The Ohio Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance is committed to keeping Ohioans healthy and active by providing lifelong learning, professional development, leadership, service and advocacy. To learn more, .