Mrs. Melanie Hulett, high school health teacher at Jackson-Milton High School, has been around the “Blue jay nest” since her high school years and is now  a valued teacher.

Mrs. Hulett was asked why she wanted to go into teaching and she replied with a big smile on her face, “I started at Kent State for nursing and switched to education to focus on health and fitness for younger teens and finished up my college career at YSU.”  She is also the teacher for the middle school and freshman/sophomore health core. Hulett said, “Well, I just wanted to make a difference. I want kids to be educated in the health class and to make responsible choices in life.”   For the second half of the grading period is the gym teacher for the freshman and sophomore classes.

The school began a new Strength and Endurance class for the juniors and seniors that she has been teaching. When asked how she felt about teaching the same group for health and gym for the whole year instead of switching with the middle school, she gave a “thumbs up” adding, “It is rewarding and exciting to learn the different traits and skills students have.”

When asked why she chose to come back to Jackson-Milton as an alumni, Mrs.Hulett said, “I’m familiar with the community, and once a Blue Jay always a Blue Jay.” Mrs. Hulett coached for 12 years for the girls’ basketball and volleyball teams at Jackson-Milton. Sometimes coaching and teaching can be a full plate. “I’ve coached for 12 years doing multiple sports, then when my daughter was born I felt like I wasn’t being there for her as often as I wanted so I put coaching on hold to be a mom and stick to teaching,” said Mrs. Hulett.

Coaching different personalities or different groups of girls can be challenging in many ways. “I think every season was different due to having sports teams back to back, there was no off season,” Hulett said.

Students were asked their opinion of the ne Strength and Endurance course being offered at Jackson-Milton.

“I like the new strength endurance class because I like to lift and lifting is part of a critia of the new class, and what I think of her as a teacher is she has the best personality ever. She is very hard working as I am and if she has a plan in a workout or a lesson plan she sticks to it in the class and I can say for the class as a whole. I like the outcome of the work out,” said Tyler Phillips.

Also, Rachel Woodruff commented on what she thought of the class as a new student, “I like the class a lot!” she said. “If you want to better yourself to become stronger and learn how to put healthy foods in to your every day foods or to start a new diet route it can give you a good outcome. Mrs. Hulett is was very open to me being a new student to Jackson-Milton, she always helps me when I need help,” Rachel added.

Mrs. Hulett compared the new Strength and Endurance class to the class before, called Nutrition and Fitness. “There are some similarities and differences to the class course this year compared to the course last year but both courses teach students how to make positive choices and stay healthy and strong,” Hulett stated.