Welcome to
week #3 of our HCSD Middle Level Team Spotlight Series! This week we have the
great opportunity to turn our attention to the powerhouse team at Hillard
Station 6th Grade Building; Mr. Kevin Buchman and Mr. Jacob Grantier!
Hilliard Station Cougars
Mr. Kevin Buchman
Mr. Buchman
is entering his 27th year in education. He started teaching in the fall of 1989
in Perry Local Schools as a fifth grade teacher. Mr. Buchman piloted Perry's
inclusion classroom starting in 1993. Upon the school becoming departmentalized
he began to focus on LA, SS and SC.
After 17 years of fifth grade, Mr. Buchman became a 6th grade teacher
where he taught SS and SC. Two years later Mr. Buchman became an Administrative
Intern at Perry Middle School. The
following year, he was hired by Hilliard as an assistant principal at Weaver
Middle School. Since coming to Hilliard,
he has been an assistant principal, coordinator of curriculum and instruction
K-12 and a principal.
Mr. Buchman
earned his undergraduate degree from Heidelberg University and then moved on to
Kent State where he earned his Master’s Degree. When asked "why" he
become an administrator, Mr. Buchman stated that he "wanted to not only
enhance a child's educational experience, but all stake-holders
experience. I love helping people grow
personally and professionally". Mr. Buchman's motto is: "Life is what
you make it, always has been, always will be". Mr. Buchman hopes to create
a school-wide program this year where Station focuses on the needs of the
"whole child" through a new Advisor/Advisee Program within the
confines of a positive learning environment.
Outside of
school Mr. Buchman enjoys spending time with his family. He comes from a family
of educators and administrators at the public and collegiate level. His daughter, Natalie, is a freshman at Dublin
Coffman HS and his son, Nathan, is a sixth grade at Sells MS. He also enjoys
being at the lake, gardening, cooking and DYI projects. Mr. Buchman is a
college sports fan and enjoys cheering for OSU and Duke while eating chicken
wings!
Mr. Jacob Grantier
Mr. Grantier is in his first year as part of the leadership team at
Hilliard Station and his seventh year as an educator all within the Hilliard
City School District. When Mr. Grantier entered college he intended to go to medical
school after completing his undergraduate degree. However, as both of his parents
were lifelong educators (his mother was an English teacher and his dad was a
history teacher, principal, and superintendent) and after serving in a number
of roles that involved teaching others (lifeguarding, teaching assistant,
service trip to Africa) and his realization that medicine was not for him, he enrolled
in a graduate program and licensure program in education. He spent three years
in the classroom teaching online science, chemistry, and biology at Darby High
School and then served as the district's secondary instructional coach for
science through which he worked to influence best practices and professional
development. His deep work as lead to his passion of promoting mastery
learning, standards-referenced grading practices, instructional design, and
high-quality assessment opportunities.
Mr. Grantier
attend University of Rochester where earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in
Microbiology and Immunology. He the earned his Masters of Science from the
University of Rochester in Adolescent Science
Education. Mr. Grantier then attend Miami University and earned his M.Ed. in
School Leadership.
When asked his “why” for becoming an administrator
Mr. Grantier stated: “I want to
positively impact the experiences of all students, teachers, and parents,
promote the benefits of public education, work to improve how we do business by
aligning practice to education research and theory, and be the source of
contagious positive energy that can motivate others to lifelong learning and
the desire to be civically-minded members of an altruistic global society”. Mr.
Grantier hopes to be a source of positive contagious energy at Station and
model for our teachers and students that you can't take a day off.
Outside of
school Mr. Grantier enjoys spending time with his family. He and his wife, Cara
met at the University of Rochester. They have been married and have lived in
Columbus since 2010. They have a dog, Lola, and enjoy spending time downtown
and traveling. Cara just finished her Masters of Science in Nursing at THE Ohio
State University and will start work at the James Cancer Hospital in September.
She also teachers Pure Barre part time in Dublin. They currently live in
Powell.
Mr. Grantier
also enjoys reading (mostly nonfiction, but my favorite books are To Kill a Mockingbird
and anything by Charles Dickens), working out (running and cycling), music
(playing the piano and performing with the Columbus Symphony Chorus) spending
time outside and with friends, and traveling. Mr. Grantier appreciates the
opportunities to have conversations with colleagues that push my thinking and
make me think and work deeply to grow my understandings.
Mr. Grantier
loves to cheer on his favorite collegiate and professional teams which include:
THE Ohio State University, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants!
