Character & Resilience Team

Wildcat Wellness Night

Thursday, February 5th, 2026

Join us for the 5th annual community night at Hillcrest Middle School. This event is open to students, staff, and community members! We will have vendors and businesses sharing how they contribute to various aspects of wellness (physical, mental, emotional, and/or social). Food trucks and breakout sessions will also be part of the event.

If you are interested in having a booth or leading a breakout session, please contact Kaia Sawyer-DeForest (kdeforest@greenville.k12.sc.us).

Our Vision

At Hillcrest Middle School, we are dedicated to caring for, committing to, and connecting our students and adults through Character & Resilience Education. By integrating Character & Resilience Education into schoolwide practices and instruction, we will foster a compassionate, inclusive, safe environment where students create positive peer and adult relationships, are encouraged and empowered to learn, and become healthy, empathetic members of our Hillcrest community.

Team Members

This group of stakeholders meets once a month to collaborate and discuss how we can support students, staff, and HMS community members through Character & Resilience Education.

Teachers

TJ Foster- 6th Grade

Gunner Abernathy- 7th Grade

Rosetta Johnson- 7th Grade

Amanda Soltys- 8th Grade

Jordan Finlay- PE Coach

Janine Hadley- Related Arts

Monti Galloway-Smith- Special Education

Support Staff

Kaia Sawyer-DeForest - School Counselor

Kim Groome- School Counselor

Lillian Johnson- School Counselor

Bessie Skenteris- School Counselor

Donald Peake- Administrator

Kelly Bensley- Administrator

Lauren Bosak- Media Specialist

Kat Meyers- Mental Health Counselor

Community Members

Martine Helou- Community Member

Bobby Nusspickel- Parent/PTA Representative

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