Confidentiality

It is very important to me that I work to earn your trust every day. During high school there are times when you may feel that there is no one there to listen and I want to remind you that I am here for you. Please remember that what you say to me is confidential between us unless you are a risk to yourself or someone else in which case I am required to report it.

If you want to meet with me - just drop by my office! That is honestly the BEST way to meet with me. You don't need to schedule an appointment in advance. I'm generally around before and after school as well as during your lunch or academic prep/ option periods for you to stop in and chat. You don't need a big reason to come down and say Hi. I am happy to see you even if you just wanted to tell me how well or how poorly you did on a test that day. If I am busy meeting with another student or parent - you can stop back down or leave a pass for me. If I don't know who you are and you have left a pass that leads me to search for you in the commons please try to help me out and let me know that "you" are the student. (I know, not always easy, but if you left a pass and I haven't tracked you down that day or the following day, chances are I can't find you in the commons - so please come back!)

Don't forget I have candy and toys in my office - so it is always worth just stopping by to say hello. :-) Nope, I am not above bribery if it means that I get to know you all better. :-)

Office Workers

Over the last couple of days I have mentioned the importance of getting involved and community service.  Last year, for the first time since I have been at Kilbourne, we had office workers help out in the counseling/ administrative offices.  Our office workers were amazing!  (Several of the students who were office workers for us last year are pictured above including 2 of "my" students - Gabrielle Dendinger who is in the center and Chandler Bridges who is on the far right.)  They helped run passes, update the bulletin board, put together packets or whatever else was needed.  Some days were busier than others and so there were days when they didn't have to do much of anything to help us other than be available.  We do have an application process to be selected as an office worker, but if you are interested, we'd love to have you!  Students with a period of academic prep or options in their schedule would be eligible to apply.  (You would no longer have prep or options if you chose to work in the office.)  You will accumulate community service hours as an office worker.  Applications are available in the front of the counseling center.  No more than 2 students will be selected for each period of the day.  Please apply soon if you are interested so that we don't miss out on the opportunity to have you involved!

Resume

Do you have a resume?  It doesn't have to be a formal resume, but it is important to compile and maintain a detailed list of:
  -  all of your activities including clubs, community groups, and sports
  -  awards received - it is helpful to know the name of the award, who it was from and the reason you were selected for the recognition
  -  community service commitments with hours and a contact name
  -  employment with hours and a contact name

Adding to and keeping this list updated throughout each year is an important step for students of every age because when you sit down to start working on your college applications they are going to ask you over and over again to list out these types of items, so having a complete list is essential.  I also hope it goes without saying that not only should the list be complete, but it should also be ACCURATE!  Do NOT make up activities, awards, or other involvement that you did not participate in and did not earn!

Seniors- don't forget, tonight at 7pm is the Senior College Information Night!  I hope to see you there!

Getting Involved

Last week I mentioned the importance of setting goals for the new year.  My hope is that you established more than just academic goals.  Being involved in sports, clubs, volunteer outreach, or other areas of interest help connect students to the school and community.  You have special gifts that only you can share and you can make a positive difference!  WKHS is very fortunate to have a wide range of opportunities available within the school setting for you to get involved.  There are 29 interscholastic sports, over 40 clubs, the school newspaper, video news team, yearbook and a wide variety of performance groups (choirs, bands, orchestra, and plays).  For underclassmen, it makes your transition to high school easier because you get to know older students and you find a place where you can belong.  For upperclassmen, being involved gives you the opportunity to demonstrate leadership and to grow in your areas of interest.

Here are some articles about getting involved that might interest you:

More Ways Community Service Opens Doors

How to Help Your Teen Volunteer

20 ways to “make a difference” in your community

Making the Most of Summer Jobs and Internships

Volunteering as a family: rewards for parents and teens

Appreciate the value extra-curriculars bring your teen

Last Day to Add Classes

A quick reminder that tomorrow (Thursday, August 23rd) is the last day to add a 1st semester or year long class to your schedule. Please make sure that you bring in the form (which you may have picked up from the counseling center or you can download from the WKHS Counselor Website) signed by your parents indicating that they support your class change request.

Welcome Back!

Welcome Back!  What a great first day of school!  I enjoyed being able to see so many of you even if it was a quick hello in passing.  I have to admit though that many times I struggle to remember names - especially when I am on the spot after the summer.  I definitely recognize faces and can often remember a lot of details about things we have talked about in the past, but coming up with the names tends to be one of my weaknesses.  Please know that I am doing the best I can and forgive me if I can't come up with your name.

Senior College Information Night

The Senior Student and Parent College Information Night will be held one week from today, on Monday, August 27th, at 7:00pm at WKHS. This is one of the most important meetings for senior students and parents to attend because there are so many college related questions that we will be able to answer.

We will be reviewing the college search and application process, the procedures for submitting your items to WKHS and to the colleges, and other information you need to know. I really hope you will make every effort to attend… and yes, this is for you and your parents because this is YOUR life, so you need to be there as you are the one responsible for completing all of the work to get accepted into college. It is beneficial for your parents to also attend because they will be a very valuable asset in helping you through this process. And, trust me, your parents will appreciate having an overview of how this entire process will play out so bring them along with you so that they can get the information all at once with you.

I know that it is not always possible for every student and family to attend, but I hope you will try. Remember, I have approximately 100 seniors, so it becomes very challenging to try to repeat the same basic information and make sure everyone understands unless we all start with the same foundation of information. This evening will answer a lot of your basic questions and then we’ll figure out the rest together as the year continues. I’m looking forward to seeing you on August 27th!

Prepare for Success

This week we will start a new school year and it is important to put yourself in the best position possible to successful.

The first step is to set your goals for the year.  What are you hoping to accomplish?  What do you need to do to reach these goals?  It is often easier to dream big and quite honestly, most of you could achieve any goal that you set your mind to, but it will take dedication and commitment.

Many of you are also out searching for new school supplies.  As you buy your folders, binders, and notebooks pause for a moment to think about what organization system tends to work best for you.  Are you a "stuffer" who just stuffs papers into whatever happens to be available?  If so, folders are probably best for you.  If you are the type of person who wants to be able to combine notes from class with notes that you take from the book, you might gravitate toward a binder with loose-leaf paper rather than a spiral notebook. Whatever system you select, make sure it is one that will work for you.

Preparing for success is probably most closely connected to having an organization system for tracking your assignments.  Perhaps you bought a planner at schedule pick up day.  It doesn't matter to me what type of an organization system you have selected, but it is essential that you pick something and commit yourself to using it.

This will be a great year!  I hope you are looking forward to getting started (even though it means that summer is over) and if you need help with setting reasonable goals or with organization, please don't hesitate to stop in and see me.

College Admissions Tests

There are two main college admissions tests – the SAT and the ACT – that enable colleges to compare students from different schools and backgrounds. Most colleges will accept scores from either test, but it is important to double check with the college admissions office to be sure they will accept the test you plan to take. One test is not better than another - take the test that is best for both you and the school to which you are applying. And yes, you may take both tests.

The Scholastic Aptitude Test I (SAT I)
When people are talking about the “SAT” they are generally speaking about the SAT I test or the SAT Reasoning Test. No matter what you choose to call it, this is a 3 hour and 45 minute long test. There is a critical reading, math, and writing component to the test. Scores for each section range on a scale of 200 – 800.

SAT Subject Tests
The SAT Subject Tests are sometimes also referred to as the SAT II Achievement Tests. They are one-hour tests in specific subjects such as English, history, mathematics, or foreign languages. Some of the more competitive schools require two or three tests for first-year placement. Be sure to check to see if these tests are required (and if so, in what areas) before you sign up to take them!

The ACT Tests
The ACT tests assess specific academic abilities in English, math, reading, and science reasoning, and writing. Scores range from 1 (low) to 36 (high) for each of the four tests and for the composite. The composite is the average of the four test scores, rounded to the nearest whole number.

Submitting Your Test Scores
When you register to take your test they will ask you which schools you would like to have notified of your scores. You automatically have 4 “free” choices of colleges to be notified of your scores. It is to your benefit to take advantage of this because the colleges will consider your highest score (and disregard your lower scores) and it will cost money to send the scores to the schools after you receive your results. Nearly all schools want the ACT/ SAT directly from the testing provider rather than from WKHS.

When should I take the test?
Students usually take it in the spring of their junior year, early in their senior year or both.

When is the next test offered?
The next testing date for the SAT is October 6th. The registration deadline is September 7th.  There is another SAT scheduled for November 3rd.  The registration deadline is October 4th.

The next testing date for the ACT is September 8th. The registration deadline is August 17th (which is tomorrow!). There is another ACT scheduled for October 27th. The registration deadline is September 21st.

Do I need to take the writing test?
Yes. For the SAT it is a standard portion of the test. With the ACT you will need to pick if you will be taking the test with or without the writing portion. At least one of the test score reports to your college should include the writing test.

How do I register, figure out costs, and find more information?
Visit the SAT and ACT websites. (I also have a link to the websites on the right side of the page.)

What is the high school code that the testing sites request?
The CEEB/ ACT Code number for Worthington Kilbourne High School is 365507.

And, last but certainly not least, do I *HAVE* to take the test again when I did OK the first time I took it?
Unfortunately this isn’t an easy answer. No, you don’t *have* to do anything. If you are confident in your score then relax and be done with the testing. If you are confident in your score, but know that you could do better… well, then I’d say relax (there is no testing pressure because you are confident in your score) and take the test again. Some of you are sitting there wishing you hadn’t read that last line… but the reality is that if you take the test and improve your score it can only help you. You can benefit in the eyes of the college if you ended up on the bubble for their admissions decision and you can benefit financially if you are applying for any scholarships that consider your test scores. If you are not confident in your scores or if you know that you can do better – then the answer is simply, yes, take it again and see if you can improve your score.

Everything's Changing...

I'm sure you have heard that nothing in life stays the same and this is certainly true around WKHS lately!  We have a new computer system called Infinite Campus which is how we will be managing all of your schedules and everything else that is a part of the school management system.  As a result your schedules will look different.  This change to a new computer system will be a great thing in the long run - right now we are definitely experiencing some growing pains though.

Many of you will notice when you pick up your schedules that there are 2 copies stapled together.  We thought the schedules were accurate and so labels were added with your computer login information and after that was done someone realized that, for whatever random reason, 8th period wasn't appearing on the print out.  Oops!  Obviously that was a problem so they printed all of the schedules again and stapled them to the copy that had the mailing label.  This has created a great deal of confusion so please understand that you follow the schedule that shows 8 periods, but you will need to know the computer access information that is on the mailing label.

Infinite Campus will also be the system that teachers utilize to post grades, so we will no longer be using e-Sembler.  You will access Infinite Campus through the Worthington District Website which is www.worthington.k12.oh.us and then you will login using the button in the top right corner of the page.

Please try to be patient with me as we only had very limited training on using Infinite Campus so this is definitely a big adjustment and so some things are taking longer than normal, but I promise that I am doing the best I can to keep on top of things.

As we start back to school it is also a bit surreal to realize that you are coming back as the next grade level.  This is an adjustment for you and also for me.  Today I was talking to a parent and I commented that I would see her son tomorrow for his schedule pick up day (thinking he'd be here with the juniors) and she reminded me that he was a senior now and had picked up his schedule already!  Oops!  :-)

It's been great to see many of you already this week and I am looking forward to seeing everyone next week when we are back in school.  Enjoy your last few days of summer - believe me, it already feels like summer was a long time ago and it is just my first week back to work!  Lol.

Schedule Pick Up Days

By now you all should have received the new school year information packets in the mail, but I wanted to make sure you were aware of this coming week's schedule pick up days! 

Tuesday, August 14th: 9th graders - 8:30 - 11:00am 
All students new to the district (regardless of grade) - 8:30 - 11:00am
12th graders - 12:30 - 3:00pm 

Thursday, August 16th: 
11th graders - 8:30 - 11:00am 
10th graders - 12:30 - 3:00pm

Don't forget, schedule pick up day is packed with lots of activities - finding your locker, getting your school picture taken, picking up your books, etc. (All non-freshmen students need to bring your ID's with you... the freshmen will have their ID cards made while at schedule pick up.) 

I know that every year there are questions about what you should do if you are not available to attend on your designated schedule pick up day.  If you cannot pick up your schedule and books on your designated day you can come to school on the other schedule pick-up day.  If you will not be able to attend either day, then you will not be able to pick up your schedule and get your books until the 1st day of school.  Please plan on coming to school early on the 1st day if you are picking up your schedule and turning in all of your forms and fees.

I'm sure it will be a few crazy days in my office, but I am looking forward to seeing you!

Interesting Articles

Ready for some more reading?  :-)  I know, we aren't back in school yet, but there are just so many good articles out there that I think you might enjoy/ appreciate/ find valuable.  All of these articles are non-college related.

4 Distraction Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

9.5 Ways to Ensure you Fail Every Time

18 Things I Wish Someone Told me When I was 18

Active Reading

8 Productivity Hacks for Getting Out of To Do List Purgatory

101 Ways to Feel Happy on a Daily Basis

7 Simple Ways to Lower your Stress in 15 Minutes or Less

How to Stop Being Angry

How to Not Let Words Hurt You

The Amazing Secret Behind All Habits

Cyberbullying: How bullies have moved from the Playground tothe Web Infographic

Responding to Criticism when it is being provided becausethe criticizer is in a bad mood

29 Ways to Beat Procrastination Once and for all

Healthy test prep: What teens can do to improve test day performance

Avoiding biggest losers

Defend against any bully in 2 simple steps

What if the secret to success is failure?

5 great questions to ask yourself after a failure

Failures teach you valuable lessons

What dental floss can teach us about time management

 I hope you find them helpful and interesting!

College Applicants and Olympian Similarities

Cara Ray from Montgomery Educational Consulting wrote this article on the 10 Things College Applicants and Olympic Athletes Have in Common.  Since I am obsessed with the Olympics when I saw her article I LOVED it and wanted to share it with you!  Even if you don't share my love for all things Olympics, I still think you will appreciate her 10 commonalities which I am quoting below:

1) You are trying to impress a group of individuals who primary job is to “judge” you.

2) You have been working hard to get to this point for many years, practicing, testing yourself, and improving along the way.

3) You are likely under a lot of pressure from your family, friends, and coaches.

4) You realize your scores matter.

5) You have been waiting four years for this.

6) You feel you have something to prove to yourself and those around you.

7) Your emotions are very much tied to the results of the outcome.

8 ) You may have had to overcome some hurdles to be where you are today.

9) You will have lots of people trying to give you advice about how to succeed or “win” this “game.”

10) You realize you can’t control how those around you perform, you can only make sure you put your best foot forward.

Check out her whole article!

An OSU Admission Change

With so many Kilbourne students applying to attend OSU each year, it is important that you are aware of a significant change they have made in their application process.  Starting with the class of 2013, OSU has switched and will now be utilizing the Common Application.  (I talked about the Common App a few posts ago.)

This may not seem like a significant change since you haven't applied before, but there is a HUGE difference in what this means for your application.  You will now be required to submit a recommendation letter from a teacher or a counselor.  Previously OSU did not look for a rec letter from their applicants, but since it is a standard component of the Common App system, it is now a requirement for all students applying.

For those seniors who had intended only to apply to OSU we had likely talked during your individual junior meeting about the fact that you wouldn't need a rec letter for your application, but this changes that.  The only exception is for students who intend to apply directly to an OSU branch.  Students who are applying to a branch campus directly will not utilize the Common App and will go through the traditional application procedure which does not require a recommendation letter.

Unfortunately, I anticipate that this change is going to significantly increase the number of recommendation letters the counselors and teachers will need to write so please remember that it is essential to complete your paperwork early and to give plenty of time for your recommendation letter to be written.

Summer Fun

Does it seem like this summer went crazy fast for you?  It is so hard to believe that it is already August and we will soon return to school.  The good news is that you do still have a few weeks left.  My niece and nephew, Carly and Colton, started back to school TODAY!

I had a wonderful summer that included a full week in Kentucky hanging out with my sister's family.  No matter what we are doing - playing games, putting together puzzles, cuddling on the couch, simply hanging out together or even cleaning their rooms, I cherish the time we are able to spend together.

In the area where my sister's family lives there is a huge musical theater community program and each year they do a different show that runs for 5 weeks.  Carly had decided that she wanted to participate and so she tried out and was selected to be in their production of Suessical the Musical.  She had a blast (as a mermaid) and I was fortunate enough to be able to attend opening night (as well as several of her practices).  It was very cute, not only did Carly have all the songs memorized, but Colton did as well and was able to sing right along throughout the show.

Aside from time with my family, most of my time has involved getting settled into my new house.  It is finally starting to feel like mine and I am realizing that home ownership also involves a lot of non-stop work that never seems to end.  :-)

I cannot wait to hear about your summers and the fun times that you had.  Enjoy the last few weeks and I will see you soon!

The Common App

The Common Application is a centralized application that students can complete for over 480 different colleges and as of today it is now updated and released for the Class of 2013 to begin working on their applications. The colleges that participate in this application method commit to treating applications received through the Common App with the same consideration as if students had applied through the institutions idividual application. This will generally mean that you have to spend less time filling out all of the basic information about yourself and can mean that you have fewer essays to write (but maybe not).

On the common app there are two essays - one short answer (150 words) about an activity and one long essay which is to answer one of the following questions:
- Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
- Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
- Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
- Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.
- A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
- Topic of your choice.

Then, the "tricky" part of it all is that many of the schools will also have supplements required which are other questions of their own that they want students to complete. Sometimes it is just simple questions that weren't covered on the common app, but would have been if you had applied through their individual application, but often times it includes short or long answer essays. Be aware and be prepared for that when completing your application. I will warn you to double check and make sure that the supplement's are for the current year as sometimes there is a bit of a lag in the current year's supplement essay questions being posted.

Not all schools use the common app - there are 17 Ohio schools which will utilize the common application this year, but as you are getting ready to start applications for the schools you are considering it is worth your time to look and see if more than one school from your list uses the common app.