"Say Cheese!"

With spring break nearly here, I wanted to remind everyone that if you are going to be out on college campuses - for formal tours, to visit friends or simply on vacation - please Take A Picture! The picture can be of you anywhere on campus... a pretty area, a building where you might spend a lot of time in the future, or (as most of the pictures on my "Oh the Places You'll Go" wall show) in front of a college sign. Enjoy your visit, make a few notes about what you think of each school, and when we are back in school I will look forward to seeing your picture and hearing about your visits!

Countdown to Spring Break

Just 2 more days of school before Spring Break begins! Have you been counting down? I know that it has seemed like some students have been counting down since we returned from winter break. :-) It is almost here. Of course, that also means that the end of the 3rd quarter is also upon us. This has been a tough quarter for a large number of you and so I encourage you to enjoy your break and refocus for the 4th quarter. While we still have 2 days left, I wanted to give you a heads up that I will not be accessible for nearly all of the day on Thursday. I will be in the building, but attending a district meeting that runs from 8am - 2pm. If you need anything before break, please try to find time to stop in and see me tomorrow. And, I also wanted to make sure you remember that tomorrow you have a late-start day with school beginning at 9:10am. (Enjoy sleeping in, but remember that this is a 9:10 start time like most of the late start days, but different than the OGT late-start time from a few weeks ago!)

Waiting for April 1st

The stress and agony of waiting for April 1st and the final release of college decisions is brutal. Many of my students are breathing a sigh of relief and others are more nervous than ever as each decision is released. In a strange way, it makes me happy to know that this is a common pattern taking place all over the country. Perhaps the knowledge that you are not alone in your wait will help make the wait feel a little less lonely. Below are the latest student posts from The Choice, a New York Times blog.

Math puts a Decision from M.I.T. in Context

Courted in California, but Dreaming of New York

Without Warning, Ambivalence Takes Hold

Willy Wonka and the Admissions Process

A Letter from UNC and the Agonozing Wait to Open It

Go State!

I hope you had a nice weekend. Did you spend any time watching basketball? It has certainly been a crazy tournament with a lot of very close and exciting games. As many of you know, I am a huge sports fan, but particularly love watching sports where I know someone competing. (That is part of the reason I enjoy watching all of you compete in various sports at WKHS!) My dad retired from coaching basketball at Canton McKinley after they won back-to-back state championship titles in Division 1. Several of his players continued their athletic careers playing basketball at the collegiate level and they are now college seniors. One of these young men is Raymar Morgan who is a starter at Michigan State and will be making his second straight appearance in a Final Four Tournament. I couldn't be happier or more excited for Raymar! As one of the only seniors, it has to be such a thrill to know that he is ending his collegiate career in such an impressive way. Raymar's strong play in today's game included the game-winning free throw. He also earned 10th place in MSU history for career high scoring. And he is one of just five players in MSU history to have over 1,500 points and over 700 rebounds. It has been quite a ride and I have enjoyed watching him play. In case you couldn't figure it out, I will be cheering for MSU next weekend! :-)

PSEO Reminder

Just a quick reminder about the PSEO (Post-Secondary Enrollment Options) program... The PSEO program allows students the opportunity to take college classes for free while still in high school. If you are interested in participating in the PSEO program next year, all of your completed forms must be submitted to the WKHS Counseling center by Tuesday, March 30th. There are two forms that I must have by Tuesday - one is the checklist form and the other is the form where you make your best guess about courses that you hope to take in college next year.

Life Goes On

These final weeks as students anxiously await April 1st to learn if they have or have not been accepted to the college(s) of their dreams are extremely stressful. It is rewarding and a weight off when the news is good and you find that the school you were hoping to be able to attend also wants you as a student at their college. But when the news isn't what you had hoped and you find out that you were rejected, it can be disappointing and frustrating. Unfortunately, the reality is that everyone will not be accepted to every single school. You may have been a great candidate and have so much to offer to the college, but it is all a part of the process.

I acknowledge that it is sad when you are rejected and find out that your "dream school" is no longer an option and I am here to listen. I would also like to remind you that life does go on and there are plenty of other great schools that will be thrilled to have you as a member of their incoming class. Yesterday's Wall Street Journal features an article that highlights some famous people who all have in common the fact that they were rejected by their "dream" school. After allowing themselves time to process through their disappointment, they refocused on making the most of the opportunities available to them at their other college choices and, as a result, today they are all successful. I don't have any magical answers for why one student gets accepted and another seemingly comparable student does not, but I do know that you can and will be successful in the future. Believe in yourself and know that the college where you complete your undergraduate degree will be lucky to have you as a member of the class of 2014!

"Senior Survivors"

Last night was the Junior Student and Parent College Information Night. A highlight of the evening was a panel presentation by senior students who have survived their senior year and are nearing the end of their high school career and a parent panel of senior parents to talk about their experiences in navigating the adventures of senior year. I was INCREDIBLY impressed with both the student and parent panels. The participants did an outstanding job giving honest viewpoints about the upcoming year for the juniors and their parents.

A very special thank you to (left to right) Taylor Luke, Christine miller, Thomas Green, Tim Gebert, and Roy Greim for their participation on the "Senior Survivor" panel. These students represented a variety of different college choices - different sizes of schools in different areas of the country. More importantly though, they represented WKHS in a poised and helpful manner. In addition to the student panel were the parent panel participants - Jay Ellis (dad of Emma), Cheryl Sparks (mom of Nathan) and Juli Bogatay (mom of Haley). The parents had drastically different experiences with regards to how their children handled the college application process and therefore had a lot of insight that they were able to share during the panel. Thank you to the parents for sharing your knowledge and insight!

I was also excited to see so many of "my" juniors in the audience along with your parents. Remember that I am always here to help you in any way that I can.

One last final thanks to Roy, Mrs. Bogatay, and Mr. Ellis. I appreciate your help more than you will ever really know!

Gender Neutral Housing

When you picture yourself at college and living in your dorm, who do you imagine in the room next door? There are some dorms which remain single gender and many which are co-ed, usually featuring different genders on different floors or dividing up genders by hallways. One of the more recent trends in campus housing is called Gender Neutral Housing - also known as Mixed Gender Dorms. In this set up, rooms of guys and girls are intermixed throughout the dorm. You can read more about this trend in this story by the LA Times.

Junior Reminder

A reminder to all of the Junior students and your parents... this Tuesday evening, March 23rd is the Junior Student/ Parent college meeting night at 7:30pm in the WKHS auditorium. This night is designed to help prepare you for your senior year and all that you should expect over the coming months. We will include highlights of current trends in college admissions, information about college admissions tests, details on making college visits, exploring careers, and more. We will also feature a panel of "Senior Survivors" - senior students and parents who have successfully navigated (and survived) the college search and application process. I sincerely hope that it will be a useful and informative evening. Please plan to attend!

The Countdown to Admissions Decisions

The New York Times has a blog that deals with college admissions and they have recently started a new series of articles that are written by six current seniors who are awaiting their college admissions decisions. For those Kilbourne students still waiting to hear if you have been accepted or rejected from the schools to which you applied, I am confident that the insight shared by these students will seem very familiar.

Here are the first posts from each student:

Awash in Nervous Anticipation

A Missed Deadline Provides a Costly Lesson

Inspired By His Mother to Push Forward

A Yes from Yale, but Waiting to Hear from Others

With the Lure of Generous Aid, Oklahoma State Beckons

Sleep Deprived and Fighting a Terrible Case of Senioritis

Also, I wanted to remind all of the current Juniors that next Tuesday, March 23rd at 7:30pm is the Junior Student/ Parent meeting. Just as the seniors featured in these blogs have provided insight into their experiences, we will have a panel of “Senior Survivors” to share their insight with attendees at the meeting. I hope to see you there!

Respect, Gratitude, and Admiration

Josh Burton is one of my former students. After graduating from WKHS last year, he completed his first quarter at OSU before starting to chase one of his lifetime goals of becoming a Marine. Leaving in the middle of December, he spent 13 weeks at boot camp. It is an understatement to say that I have the utmost level of respect for Josh and his ability to not only endure the intensive training they go through, but to thrive. Last Friday, Josh graduated from boot camp. He was a squad leader which means he had set himself apart from the other recruits and was acknowledged for his leadership and the way he handled himself. Josh was joined at graduation in celebrating his accomplishment of earning the title of Marine by his family (including another one of “my” students, his sister, Molly) and his girlfriend (also one of “my” former students, Haley). Josh is now home on his 10-day leave before continuing with his specialty training in North Carolina and I have been fortunate enough to be able to spend a little bit of time with him. I have such admiration for what he has accomplished and I am so proud of him! Seeing him was wonderful and I was so happy to be able to give him a hug and tell him in person how proud I am of him. More impressive though was seeing him in uniform… when he walked into our offices it literally took my breath away. He was standing so tall and proud and he looked so mature and responsible. He was Josh, but even better. It is a special person who chooses to join the military – especially with the state of the world today – and Josh has that courage and dedication. I am grateful for Josh and for every man and woman who helps to keep our nation safe.

Josh, once again, congratulations, thank you, and know that I am proud of you!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I hope you had an enjoyable St. Patrick's Day!

We have made it through the half-way point of OGT week! Sophomores, just two more days, so keep up the good work! (Hopefully the luck of the Irish was with you as you have been testing this week.) The rest of you, continue to enjoy the extra time sleeping in for the remainder of the week.

College Visit Search

This article is written by a mom regarding her experience taking her daughter to start looking at colleges. On the road again, looking for the perfect fit points out the importance of trying to figure out what you are really looking for in a school and what is most important to you when selecting a college.

A few of the points that I like from this mom's reflections include the fact that she encouraged her daughter to look at schools that were outside of her first instinct of what she thought she would enjoy for her future. Let me clarify that point, in no way am I saying that you should go to a college for the future where you will not be happy and do not see yourself fitting in, but I have realized that a lot of students don't really know what it is that they do or do not like about a campus. Looking at all different types of schools - large, small, urban, rural, etc. - will help you figure out exactly what you do and do not like. This will also help you refine and narrow your search to find other schools that will best fit your interests. The other point that I liked was the fact that the mom and daughter used this as a time to connect and enjoy being together. The reality is that high school flies past and you will be moving out of your parents home and starting college before long. Making positive memories together and enjoying the time you are spending while looking at schools is important. Yes, I understand that this process can be stressful, but it can also be fun. Try to approach the college search and your college visits with a positive attitude and cut your parents a break if they are driving you crazy about it all. Remember, they are trying to help, they are stressed about this too and, most importantly, they want what is best for you.

Picking a College

For seniors, the countdown to final decision time for picking the college of your dreams is rapidly approaching. For juniors, you are beginning your search and trying to determine which schools you can imagine in your future.

There are so many resources available to review and consider to aid you in making your decision. Campus visits, reviewing the college websites, PrepHQ, and meetings with admissions representatives when they visit Kilbourne are all great strategies for learning more about the college and finding the school that is the best match for you. I want to remind you that there are also a wealth of information and resources available in my office that you are welcome to come in and read to help you in making your choice. There are books that give perspectives of different colleges based upon the responses current college students have provided in surveys about school, others that rank selectivity of schools based upon majors, and others that provide insight about the schools from expert researchers. I know that this process can be stressful and overwhelming, but hopefully you are also finding it fun and exciting. As always, let me know how I can help you sort out your options.

Test Anxiety

It’s normal to feel a little bit nervous before and during a test. However, it is important to learn how to deal with those anxieties so that they do not overwhelm you. Below are a few key strategies for managing test anxiety. If this is something that you struggle with, please stop in and see me so that we can discuss additional ways to help manage your test anxieties.

- Study. Being prepared is the single most effective way to help manage test anxiety. If you are confident that you know the material and have put forth your best effort to be prepared for the test, then you can relax and do the best you can. There are lots of study strategies available that can help students and I have a variety of ideas – if you are interested, stop by and see me and we can talk about different techniques you can try to implement for various classes. Learn from past quizzes and tests. Ask the teacher for suggestions on how to best prepare for the upcoming test. Don’t cram – that only adds to the stress and pressure of trying to “squeeze” everything in.

- Stay Positive. Being confident and entering the test with a positive attitude will help you to achieve success. There are lots of strategies people use to help maintain a positive outlook – visualization (imaging yourself doing well on the test) and positive self-talk (we all talk to ourselves so instead of thinking that you are going to fail the test replace that self-talk with positive comments such as “I am prepared” or “this test will allow me to show how much I have learned”). Sometimes it is important to stay away from other people who tend to express their negative outlooks and opinions going into a test… those people who will just stress you out more with their panic about the test.

- Take care of yourself. I *know* that you hate hearing things like this (and yes, I acknowledge that at times this can be a hypocritical statement for me to make), but it is important to take care of yourself. Get plenty of sleep so that you are well rested and mentally alert for the test. Eat a healthy meal (breakfast/ lunch) because you don’t want to be sitting in class focusing on food or listening to your stomach growl and you also don’t want to be coming down off a sugar or caffeine high and be dragging the rest of the testing period. Allowing yourself time to exercise is also important as it is a physical release of stress and can reinvigorate you for studying as you prepare for the test.

- Be a “smart” test taker. Don’t panic! Read the directions carefully. Take a deep breath to relax. Answer the questions to the best of your ability and if you don’t know an answer, skip the question to return to it later and continue on to other questions that you are more confident in answering. Budget your time, but don’t rush to be the first finished – this is not a race. Stay focused. (Focus on answering the question – don’t allow yourself to get off track and worry about your grade or how others are doing – just continue to refocus on answering the next question.) If you start to become overwhelmed with anxiety during the test, take a few slow deep breaths, relax your muscles and remember that you are in control of dealing with these feelings so just take it one step at a time.

- Reflect. After you are finished, give yourself a short break from thinking about the test, but also don’t forget to consider what worked well and what could have gone better and then make changes accordingly for the future. If you were able to manage your anxiety effectively then you can continue practicing these skills for future tests. If some of the strategies were not effective, then you can try to adjust and adopt new strategies to help manage the anxiety.

Remember, it is also important to keep the test in perspective. It is actually quite rare that a single test will make or break you. (And yes, this includes the OGT/ SAT/ ACT tests because you can always repeat these tests again in the future.) Good luck on your next test!

OGT Week

This coming week the Sophomores will be taking the Ohio Graduation Tests (OGT's). Each day will feature a different test -Monday is Reading, Tuesday is Math, Wednesday is Writing, Thursday is Science, and Friday is Social Studies.

I cannot stress the importance of EVERY sophomore student attending school all five days to complete the tests. If you are too sick to make it to school you will have to take the test during the following week which is not as ideal of a testing environment.

Freshman, Juniors, and Seniors are probably looking forward to OGT week because they have the special added treat of a few extra hours of sleep. :-)

The busses are running twice next week in order to make sure that the Sophomores are able to arrive at school in time for their tests and also for everyone else to come to school after the extra time sleeping in each morning. Classes for the week will only be 35 minutes long so the week should go past pretty quickly for you.

For your information below is the daily bell schedule for this coming week:

OGT Tests: 7:45 - 9:35

1st Period: 9:50 - 10:25

2nd Period: 10:30 - 11:05

3rd Period: 11:10 - 11:45

4th Period: 11:50 - 12:25

5th Period: 12:30 - 1:05

6th Period: 1:10 - 1:45

7th Period: 1:50 - 2:25

8th Period: 2:30 - 3:05

Good luck on the OGT's!

Registering for PrepHQ

I have talked about the importance of registering on PrepHQ with every single one of my students and yet when I look at the registration numbers there are still a significant number of students you have not registered. So, I figured it might be helpful if I walked you through the registration process step by step.

When you get to the PrepHQ page (use the link on the right side of this page) you will look at the grey box on the left side of the page. The first aspect you will notice is that it asks for your username and password. That is NOT the area you need in order to register. The username and password section is what you will use to access the system AFTER you have registered.

In order to register, click on the area in the grey box, below the username and password section where it says, "Click Here to Register." It will then pull up a new page that asks for your Last Name and your Student ID number. Your student ID is on your ID card, on your schedule, etc. (If you do not have your student ID number, stop in and see me and I will look it up.)

After you have entered your Last Name and Student ID number you will be asked a series of questions to help personalize the site even more for you.

I hope that helps clear up any problems you are having. If you have already registered and forgot your username and password to access the site, please stop in and see me. I can look up your username and can reset your password for you. Don't forget that you need to share your username and password with your parents so that they can access the site as well!

Volunteers

Volunteers make a significant impact - not only are the people that you help impacted, but the people who reach out to help someone else are also changed for the better. There is not just one choice about what you can pursue as a volunteer project. Community service opportunities are as different as each individual who decides they want to help make a difference in the world around them. The sky is the limit and I encourage you to find something that inspires you.

As the weather starts to get warmer and we begin looking toward the summer, I thought it might help you if I mentioned a few volunteer opportunities that are available. We recently received a 12 page packet of upcoming volunteer opportunities through the Columbus Department of Recreation and Parks. If you are interested, please stop by to see me and I can give you a copy. The Ohio State University Medical Center also allows high school students to volunteer during the summer. (They only utilize college students as volunteers during the school year, but are willing to work with high school students in the summertime.) They only accept applications for volunteers between March 1st and April 30th. Volunteers must be at least 16 years old. If you are interested in applying, visit their website for an application and additional information.

In case you need a "reason" to push yourself to get involved through volunteering, please remember that many scholarships consider community service experience. It is not the number of hours you contribute, but rather the meaning and passion that inspire you to contribute in positive ways.

March Students of the Month

Thursday morning was the latest ceremony to honor the students who were selected as March Students of the Month. Students are nominated as students of the month by Kilbourne faculty and staff for their academic achievement, good citizenship, and/or service to the school or community. Students can only earn this recognition once in their high school career. Five of "my" students were among those honored this month. Congratulations to (left to right): Tyler Boggs, Nick Bortolani, Joey Jacob, Austin Dickey, and Rachel Archambeau. I'm proud of you!

Summer School

Information about summer school was distributed in homerooms along with the rest of your registration materials. Feedback from the summer school directors has been that classes such as Phys Ed and Speech are filling up quickly. If you are planning on taking one of these classes during summer school, please be sure that you apply right away so that you don’t end up closed out of the class.

If you failed a class during the 1st semester, you need to discuss signing up for summer school with your parents. The success rates for students who take summer school is very strong because you are only asked to focus on one subject at a time and it is a more relaxed environment. Remember, if you did not earn credit for a semester of a required class, you must retake the class in order to graduate.

This year summer school will be held at Worthington Kilbourne High School and most courses cost around $200. (Students on the free and reduced lunch program are allowed to attend for $50.)

If you have lost your summer school registration brochure, please stop in the Counseling Center and pick one up from the center island area in the middle of the Counseling Center.

Junior Student & Parent Night

Save the Date! On Tuesday, March 23rd at 7:30pm in the auditorium, we will be hosting a junior student and parent night to help get you started in the college search and selection process. In the past, this meeting has received the most positive feedback of all of the evening programs that we offer. I hope that all of "my" juniors plan to attend and bring your parents along with you! Information that will be covered during the program include current trends in college admissions, what to look for in a college, making college visits, what to expect when applying to college, and the opportunity to have your questions answered.

Local Scholarships

All of the seniors should have received (or will soon receive as they were mailed Tuesday) a yellow information packet in the mail highlighting the local scholarship opportunities. These are a great opportunity for students to earn some additional financial help for college. And, with the scholarships being local, it means that there would be less people applying for the scholarships (compared to national scholarships) which gives you a better chance of receiving one of the scholarships.

Please take the time to carefully read through the criteria for the scholarships to see which ones would be appropriate for you to apply for and then start working. After you have determined the scholarships that you would like to apply for, please stop in the counseling center and pick up the actual scholarship application from the tables in the main area of the counseling center.

The deadline for all completed applications is the end of the school day on April 13th and no late applications can be accepted. I cannot stress enough the importance of planning ahead and starting to work on these scholarships now!

Also, please pay attention to see if the applications require a written recommendation letter and ask your teacher(s) for a letter as soon as possible - especially if they have not already written a rec letter that they can use for the scholarships.

Also, don't forget that a complete list of all the other scholarships that we are aware of are featured on PrepHQ in the scholarship area.

One other reminder - tomorrow night is the PSEO information night where you will have the opportunity to learn about the option of taking free college classes while still in high school.

Different Bell Schedule

There are a variety of events each year at Kilbourne which contribute to the school spirit and overall morale of the building... one of these special events is the student-staff basketball game which will be held tomorrow afternoon. The students who won the intramural basketball game last night will compete against the staff team. Evidently (I found out today) the staff wins this game each year... rigged?!? :-) This year's student team is hoping to carry their winning ways through the game tomorrow. Hopefully it will be fun!

For those of you who have late start, please be sure that you plan ahead to arrive to your classes on time. Here is the schedule for tomorrow:

1st Period: 7:45 - 8:29

2nd Period: 8:34 - 9:18

3rd Period: 9:23 - 10:07

Announcements: 10:07 - 10:10

4th Period: 10:15 - 10:59

5th Period: 11:04 - 11:48

6th Period: 11:53 - 12:37

7th Period: 12:42 - 1:26

8th Period: 1:31 - 2:15

Basketball Game: 2:25 - 3:05

Intramural Basketball

Tonight the final two intramural basketball teams competed in the intramural championship game. The Broncos faced the Volunteers to see who could claim the title and face the staff in the student-staff basketball game during the school assembly on Wednesday afternoon. I was proud to watch as seven of "my" students participated in the game. The Volunteers (seriously, just typing that name makes me think of Rocky Top and therefore makes me want to cry because I do NOT like that song!) included team members: Ryan Armstrong, Aaron Bardelang, Brian Baseler, Weston Bridges, and Chris Brooks. The Broncos included Will Campbell and John Jacob. It was a close game through half-time, but the Broncos controlled the second half and came away with a solid victory. Congratulations to all of you!