Earning Potential

Believe it or not, life isn't all about how much money you make. You want to find a career that you will love and find rewarding. But, that being said, many students want to make sure that they are selecting a college major that will lead them to a career field that can provide a secure financial future. This article highlights a recent study that was completed by Georgetown University regarding the Economic Value of College Majors. Check out the article for more information about the Top 10 majors with highest median earnings as well as the 10 majors with the lowest median earnings.

College Costs Increasing

College is expensive, but it is an investment toward your future. As expensive as college already is, many of the Ohio public colleges are currently looking at increasing the costs of attending for next year. Today's Dispatch has an article that highlights some of those increases (OSU, OU, University of Cincinnati, and Miami University are all included in the article).

Diploma Presenter

I love traditions! One of the traditions which I believe provides a great deal of meaning to the WKHS graduation ceremony is that every student is allowed to pick someone from their 12 years of education (teacher, coach, counselor, etc.) to present them with their diploma. I suspect that some students put a great deal of thought into picking who they would like to have as their diploma presenters and others quickly dash off the name of someone at the last second. No matter what, you have no idea how much that means to the person you select. Speaking for myself, this is truly one of the highest compliments I feel like I could ever receive.
This year I was touched and honored to be able to present 8 of “my” students with their diplomas. Pictured above (L to R) Back Row: Stephen Downard, Mark Bobson, Ethan Dixius, and Brian Aguirre and Front Row: Jada Earl, Wyatt Allread, Rachel Archambeau, and Michelle Colarossi. There simply are no words to explain what a huge honor this was for me! It was a thrill to be able to give a hug and offer my congratulations as I presented each student with their diploma. It was a memory I will cherish!

Stephen, Mark, Ethan, Brian, Jada, Wyatt, Rachel, and Michelle ~ thank you for allowing me to share in your graduation day! I am grateful that I had the privilege to know and work with you over the last few years. Thank you for making me smile and for letting me share in your lives! I am excited to see all that is ahead of you in the future! I hope you know how much I will miss you. Thanks again for allowing me to have the honor of presenting you with your diplomas - I will never forget it!

Lose the Training Wheels

This week when I was at school, I couldn't help but take a few moments to stop and watch the WKHS student volunteers working with kids with Down Syndrome as they learned to ride their bikes without training wheels. It was awesome to see the energy and enthusiasm you had as you cheered on and the kids in their quest to learn to ride their bike.

Today the Columbus Dispatch ran a story about the Lose the Training Wheels camp and one of my students, Jared Elliott, is even pictured in the slideshow.

Congratulations to all of the students who volunteered their time, energy and effort to help with this worthwhile cause! And, I strongly encourage more of you to consider getting involved next year - it looked like it was a fantastic week.

Summer School

There are a lot of productive ways you can spend your summer break. One option is summer school. On Friday, most of my day at school was spent reviewing the semester failures and for a lot of students, summer school is not just a good option it is essential! If you have failed a class or are trying to get ahead or you are hoping to create more room for elective courses in your schedule during the year, summer school is a great option.

I also noticed that there were a LOT of students who had told me during registration time that they planned on taking classes in summer school, but I didn’t see many of your names on the summer school list. It is very important that you let me know if your plans have changed and I need to rework your schedule. This is particularly important if you will no longer be taking a class required for graduation and I need to work it back into your schedule for next year.

If you are contemplating summer school there are a couple of pieces of information I would like you to be aware of:

1.) Sign up soon! The first session of summer school begins one week from Monday, but you should be signed up prior to that point. You register at the Worthington Education Center on Wilson Bridge Rd. Here is a link to the registration brochure.

2.) Summer school will be held at WKHS. (Some Wellness for Life – formerly called Phys Ed – courses are being offered at other locations and I believe that the WKHS Wellness courses are full.)

3.) Most classes run from 7:40am – Noon. That means that most days are like a week of school so you cannot miss a day – attendance is essential!

4.) The classes are just 3 weeks in length. The first session runs from June 20th to July 8th (with no school on July 4th). The second session runs from July 11th to July 28th.

5.) Most courses cost around $200. (Students on the free and reduced lunch program are allowed to attend for $50.)

6.) The first session of summer school correlates with the 1st session of the school year. So, if you failed a 1st semester of a course, then you would want to attend the 1st session of summer school.

7.) The second session of summer school correlates with the 2nd session of the school year. So, if you failed a 2nd semester of a course, then you would want to attend the 2nd session of summer school.

8.) There are some traditional classroom options with Worthington Summer School and also Worthington Online Summer School Credit Recovery. (Even if choosing the online option you still have to come to summer school daily and complete your work on the computers at the school.)

9.) One advantage of the online option is that students can take a semester class that they failed in a “different” session time. (This is very important to remember if you failed two classes during the same semester!) So, for example, if you failed both US History and BESS during the 2nd semester, then I would recommend that you sign up to take US History via Worthington online credit recovery during the 1st session of summer school and take BESS during the 2nd session of summer school.

10.) Students who failed one or more sections of the OGT may elect to re-take up to two sections of the OGT this summer. You must complete 10 hours of tutoring prior to taking the test though so it is important to log your hours so that you can take the test. If you are in this situation and need information about logging your hours, please contact me at school. You must also e-mail Mr. Sparks or notify the summer school office that you plan on testing and which test(s) you plan on taking so that they can order enough tests.

If you have any questions about which classes you should be taking during summer school, feel free to contact me (via phone or e-mail) before Thursday.

It's Officially Summer Break!

Congratulations! You have successfully completed another school year. I am sure that you are all breathing a sigh of relief that exams are over and that summer has finally started which means you get to sleep in tomorrow. (I am jealous!) Hopefully your exams went well and your grades for the 2nd semester will be strong.

Teachers will be in the building tomorrow working on finalizing grades and I will still be working through part of next week trying to readjust all of the schedules based upon failures and working to arrange for students to make up credits in summer school.

After next week I will still check e-mails routinely, but will not be in the school or checking voicemail messages. If you need to reach me e-mail is definitely the best option! As for the blog - I will still update it during the summer, but not as often. I am currently thinking about two updates a week, but we will see... I don't want you to get out of the habit of reading the blog, but I also don't want to bore you with mindless chatter.

Enjoy your summer!

One Day Remaining

You have just 1 day remaining in the school year! Granted, you still have 2 exams to wrap up, but the end is definitely within reach. :-)

I wanted to remind you that if you would like to see the tentative copy of your schedule for next year, you are welcome to stop by my office tomorrow and I can show you where it currently stands. I cannot provide you with a copy, nor can I guarantee that it will be exactly the same next year because changes in classes are still taking place, but it will give you a close feel for next year's schedule.

Also, I still have a lot of candy left in my candy jar and I'd really like for you to eat it all before the year ends - so when you stop by to check your schedule, don't forget to grab a piece of candy!

Good Luck on Exams

How was the first day of exams? I hope you did well and are feeling prepared for the final two days of exams. Remember, if you have studied and done the work that necessary, you have nothing to be worried about. As you know, you earn credits based on your semester grades. Most classes are graded on a scale that gives 40% to your 3rd quarter grade, 40% to your 4th quarter grade, and 20% to your final exam and that cumulative grade is your semester grade which will appear on your transcript. With exams worth so much, it is often able to help you improve grades significantly.

As a reminder, if you did not pass a class during the 1st semester or if you do not pass any of your classes this semester, it is important to consider registering for summer school! It is particularly important to consider summer school if you have failed an English class since students must pass 4 full credits in order to graduate or a Math class since the content builds and you must pass both semesters of the class before you can progress on to the next math course. (Plus, current freshmen students must earn 4 full credits of math in order to graduate.) Summer school registration is still being accepted, but availability is limited and registration is taken in the order they are received. You were given summer school brochures back in February with the course registration materials, but if you need a new copy you can pick up an extra copy in the counseling center or you can download the materials on the Worthington Website.

Congratulations Graduates!

I love graduation day! It is a celebration of all that you have accomplished - not only in high school, but really from your very first day of Kindergarten. There is such joy and excitement seeing all of you in your caps and gowns. I love to watch as you march in and try to search for your families in the stands and then, of course, watching when you receive your diplomas and are officially high school graduates. There are just so many reasons to smile!

Although I wasn't able to get a picture of each of my students, I wanted to share a few of the pictures that I was able to capture...Wyatt Allread and Brian Aguirre
Ethan Dixius, Clayton Bushey, and Jordan Eger

Eric Castoe, Katelyn Cassidy, Tori Cardiel, Victor Canchola, and Riley Campbell
Michelle Colarossi, Sammi Coen, and Brad Closson Jordan Eger and Jada Earl
Ian Drieling and Stephen Downard (with a glimpse of George Domer) in the back row and Erin Clippinger in the foreground
Aaron Bardelang and Eric Barbe Isaac Buda, Jill Brandenburg, CW Boyles, and Beathan Bowlby
Sarah Bechtel, Sarah Bebart, Sarah Bear and Jack Burian
Christine Bukovoc, Jami Brunner, Heather Boortz, Alyssa Biron, Gina Badillo, and Rachel Archambeau
Chris Duann, Ethan Dixius, Kristin Cellentani, Carmen Casillas, Christine Bukovoc and Jami BrunnerChristina Carrizales, LeeAnn Cannon, Will Bishop, and Katie Baldwin

Kristin Barrie, Kelly Barford, Aaron Bardelang, Eric Barbe, and Megan Ballantine

Cheryl Detrick, Katy Deibel, and Shelby Defibaugh
Brianna Crouch, Blake Collins and Richie Cole

I did like the blue ceilings at the ceremony!

Congratulations to the entire Class of 2011!

A Letter to "My" Seniors

To “My” Seniors-
Wow, yesterday marked the end of your high school career and you are now ALUMNI of WKHS! You have been “my” students for the last three years and I can honestly say it has been an honor and a privilege to be able to walk along this journey of high school with you.

As I stood in the room watching while you lined up in your cap and gown preparing to head into the ceremony my mind began drifting to the future. There is so much potential and possibility within your class and it will be exciting to see what you accomplish as you chase your goals.

I have many fond memories from your class. I have seen your strength as you struggled through difficult circumstances. Whether it was dealing with the death of a friend or grandparent, the serious illness of a parent, the fears of leaving high school, the divorce of your parents, the heartache of break-up’s with boyfriends/ girlfriends, the struggles with a difficult subject or frustrations with a class, moving or other major changes in living arrangements and even your own personal health challenges, you faced all of it with courage. I have witnessed your compassion as you reached out to help those around you. This caring nature was exemplified through your involvement in community outreach through the school-wide projects such as Adopt-a-Child and the canned food drive, in individual efforts through community service and volunteer outreach, in the way you supported and comforted friends who were struggling or hurting, in the way you reached out to total strangers to make sure they felt important and included, and also in your willingness to help with any project when I asked for your assistance. The talent among your class is remarkable. Your talent spans from academics to athletics and the arts as “my” students included a National Merit Finalist, National Merit Commended Scholar, AP Scholars, Students of the Month, members of the Socratic Society, athletic award winners including many who received team awards (such as for outstanding sportsmanship), or were recognized in the league, district or state for their excellence, students who will continue to compete in athletics at the collegiate level, Governor’s art award winners, incredibly talented musicians, singers, and thespians who have a gift that captures your attention and never lets you go. I have been impressed by your leadership. Whether it was your role as team captain, leading the school as a member of student council, or in the quiet ways that I watched as you lead by your actions without praise or accolades, your strengths in leadership will continue to serve you well in the future. And, I have to be honest, as a whole, your class took procrastination to an entirely new level that I never would have thought (or feared) possible.
You have made me laugh and sometimes even cry and you have touched my heart in a special way.

Congratulations! Good luck in the future. Remember that I am always here for you and that I believe in you!
Miss Abbott

Weather Headaches

Yesterday's stormy weather caused many headaches, including making me miss a grad party for a student that is very important to me. :-( The guys lacrosse game had 2 delays due to lightning. Kilbourne is down 12 - 7 with just 8:17 seconds remaining in the game. They will resume play today at 3:00pm at Dublin Coffman High School. I have heard that they will not be able to have a scoreboard, PA System, or restrooms available during the game, but that this was the best option for being able to finish up the game. I can't imagine not having a scoreboard, so it should be interesting. Good Luck Wolves in your comeback quest!

Good Luck!

Congratulations to the 2011 WKHS Guys Lacrosse Team who will be competing tonight in the State Championship game! The game is at 7:00pm at Westerville Central High School. This is Kilbourne's 4th straight year of making it to the state championship game - an impressive streak - and this year they will be taking on Hudson.
Special good luck wishes to "my" students who are on the Varisty Guys Lacrosse Team - (left to right) - Back Row: Cole Doran, Kevin Carey, Charlie Bassani, and Keeler Callahan and Front Row: Shannan Baker, Riley Brehm, Nick Bortolani and Lou Pfeifer. I am so excited for you and I hope you enjoy every moment of the State Championship game! Good luck and Go Wolves!

2011 Baccalaureate

I suspect that it is not a huge surprise to those of you who follow my blog with any level of consistency that any activity or accomplishment that “my” students are a part of is something that brings me great pride and excitement. Reaching the end of the school year and all of the graduation related festivities are among some of the most special moments for high school students and their families.

In my opinion, graduation weekend truly kicks off each year with the Baccalaureate service. Held annually at a local church, this activity is sponsored by the Activity Club and celebrates the accomplishments of the WKHS seniors, honors the impact they have left on the school and community, and wishes the seniors good luck as they move on in life toward the exciting activities and adventures ahead.

There are so many talented students and individuals who are a part of the senior class and several of them shared their gifts as a part of the service, including many of "my" students.





CW Boyles served as the emcee for the evening and offered the invocation and introduced the Keynote Speaker, Dr. Rink who was a member of the 1st graduating class at WKHS.








Chad Ellwood introduced the parent speaker, Vince Trombetti and he also shared one of his favorite quotes as a part of the evening.







Holly Klepek sang “The Chain” as a part of a trio and she was also awarded one of the Activity Club Scholarships in recognition for her vast array of community service and leadership activities over the last 4 years.












Christina Carrizales performed “Time to Say Goodbye.”

Gina Badillo and Carmen Casillas (seniors) along with Arthur Ding and Hunter Atha (juniors) were a part of the Encore and Acafellas performance of “Seasons of Love.”

The benediction included Ethan Dixius sharing one of his favorite inspirational quotes.

“Come to the Water” is the signature song for the WKHS choir groups and it is a beautiful and moving song. The choir members along with Encore and Acafellas sang it while all of the senior students stood together, with candles, in front of their family members and friends. And the evening also included a wide range of pictures from baby pictures to senior pictures and many in between.

Hopefully it was a special service for the senior students and I know that it required a great deal of planning and effort on behalf of the planning committee. Several of “my” students were involved with making this event a success including committee members CW Boyles, Ethan Dixius and Chad Ellwood. Two of the parents of my students, Anita Doran (mom to Cole) and Rosemary Pfeifer (mom to Lou) chaired the Baccalaureate planning committee for the Activity Club and Kelly Baumgardner (mom to Sean) and Amy Cameron (mom to Carly) also served on the committee.

Throughout the service I am confident in saying that I was not alone in thinking of special moments and memories with the seniors and offering up prayers of gratitude for the people you are today and the impact you will make on this world in the future! I wish all of you the best and hope that this was just the start of a wonderful and memorable weekend.

Graduation Reminders

Graduating from high school is definitely an exciting milestone and today was the last day of classes and exams for the seniors. There is one step remaining which is the graduation rehearsal. I'll be honest, it is a long and rather boring time - not at all like the excitement you will have during the actual ceremony on Saturday! The rehearsal is very important though and it will be worth it when you get to the actual commencement ceremony. One of the most important details that seniors need to remember to pass along to their parents after the rehearsal is which side of the stage you will be on at the commencement ceremony. As a general rule, assuming you are one of my students, you will be on "Stage Left" which means that if you are standing on the stage you are on the left side or, put another way, looking at the stage you will be on the right side. This is the side where you be seated as well as the side where you will go up the stairs to receive your diplomas. Trust me, your parents will not be happy if they end up being on the "wrong" side and don't have a good view of your special day.

Also, please remember that if you have not taken your cap and gown out of the plastic bag, you should definitely do this. You will need to iron it and make sure that it looks nice before the graduation ceremony.

Rehearsal starts tomorrow morning at 8:30am and you should be done at 11:30 followed by pizza to celebrate. Don't forget, if you still have textbooks, you need to get them turned in tomorrow or else you have to pay for them to be able to walk in the commencement ceremony.

Good Luck

Good Luck to the WKHS Guys Lacrosse team as they compete tonight in the State Semi-Final game! The game is in Cincinnati and I know many of you have signed up to go on the student bus. For those of you who are making the trip on your own, please drive safe! And for the rest of you who are unable to drive to Cincinnati for the game, but still want to watch, I saw on Moeller's website that they will be streaming the game live on the web at UStream.tv. Game time is 7:00pm. Good Luck Wolves!