Hooray!

There is so much to celebrate tonight!

You have successfully made it through another school year!  Congratulations.  I hope that your exams went well and that you are looking forward to a great summer.  I will still be updating my blog throughout the summer, but not with the same frequency as I do in the school year.

We are also celebrating the girls lacrosse team's victory.  They have advanced to the state championship game tomorrow.  The game will be at New Albany High School at 12:30pm.  So, even though it is summer, I hope that I will see all of you at the game cheering our girls lacrosse team to victory.  And to Miriam, Maggie, Addy, Grace and Abby - congratulations!  Tonight's game was great and I can't wait to watch you play tomorrow.  I hope you are able to take it all in and enjoy each moment of being in the state championship!

And, last but not least, Maggie Barrie competed in the track and field regionals.  She did awesome and qualified for states in both the 100 and 200 meter dash.  Congratulations Maggie!  Maggie will compete in states next weekend.

Definitely a great day all around!  :-)

Good Luck!

Tomorrow night the Varsity Girls Lacrosse team will compete in the State Final Four Tournament game!  This is their third year in a row that they have made it to the final four - a very impressive accomplishment.  Game time is 5:15 at New Albany High School and I hope to see many of you there supporting the lady wolves.  Good luck to the entire team, but especially to "my" students who will be competing - (L to R): Abby Eymann, Miriam Bassani, Grace Cameron, Maggie Baumgardner, and Addy Boyles!

Scheduling Madness

Last week the WKHS administration officially "locked" the master schedule into place. What this means is that they have determined where each class will be held during the school day to meet the most student requests possible. They ran through the computer all of the requests and successfully matched on over 70% of the schedules.

Unfortunately, it now becomes crazy for the counselors as we go through each of the schedules that didn't match and try to figure out if there is a solution and what possible options we can use to make a schedule fit together. I spent a large part of the week pouring over schedules and still have a long ways to go. Needless to say I have a lot of work to do and will likely have to continue calling down some of you to talk about back up choices based upon the conflicts in your schedule. This is never easy and I know it is disappointing when you don't get all of the classes that you wanted, so I promise that I am doing the best I can to make everything work together.

Exams and Summer School

How is studying for exams going? I hope you are feeling prepared. Just as a reminder, you earn credits based on the 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 very important to register for summer school! It is particularly important to consider summer school if you have failed an English or Math class since students must pass 4 full credits in order to graduate. Summer school registration is still being accepted. You were given summer school brochures back in January 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.

Happy Memorial Day

I love the quote that "America is only the land of the free because it is the home of the brave." I cannot imagine the courage and conviction it requires for men and women to make the decision to serve in our nation's military. I am incredibly grateful that there are people who are willing to dedicate their lives to protect our country. On Memorial Day, I hope you will join me in thinking not only of those who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and for the families they left behind, but also for all who have proudly served to make us the home of the brave. God Bless America and all who have made the choice to serve! 

Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow for the final 4-day week of the school year.

Congratulations Graduate!

Congratulations to the Class of 2014! Today was a beautiful day and was filled with many great moments. It was so exciting to see each student walk across the stage, receive their diploma and to celebrate their 12 years of education. It was great for me to watch as "my kids" marched out after the ceremony - now you are officially "former students" and yet I will always care about you. I was so proud and excited for Dillon Castelli (class president) and Lauren Hedges (student body president) who did a great job with their graduation speeches and for Lauren's induction into the WKHS Hall of Fame! Congratulations to both of you!

I tried to capture a picture of all of my students...

All of the class officers on stage happened to be "my" students.  (L to R): Erin Dieringer, Keegan Flaherty, Michelle Ding, Dillon Castelli, and Lauren Hedges

Here are all of my graduates with highest honors.  (L to R): Mike Coen, Erin Dieringer, Dillon Castelli, Michelle Ding, Keegan Flaherty, Sharon Chan, Alex Brothers, Robyn Du, Lydia DeWeese, Mitch Domecq, and Joey Cipicchio

(L to R): Katie Armstrong, Alex Allison, Sarah Ahrens, and Miranda Adams

(L to R): Maggie Barrie, Matt Baldwin, and Tanner Atha

(L to R):  Natalie Berg, Coty Beedy, and Josh Blake

(L to R):  David Broker, Chandler Bridges, Addy Boyles, Amelia Boudinot, and MacKenzie Bonvillain

(L to R): Manda Cash, Benton Carter, Jessica Carroll, and Marlo Byrd

(L to R): Mike Chambers, Bryn Caswell, Katie Castle, and Tori Castellano

(L to R):  Talia Damron, Sophia DaCunha, Miguel Cruz, Claire Cox, and Nara Choi

(L to R):  Gabrielle Dendinger, Anton Demenko, Haley Defibaugh, Andrew Davis, and Danny Darby

(L to R):  Claire Cox, Baylee Doyle, and Tori Eger

(L to R):  Jared Elliott, Jordan Dierksheide, and Tanner Atha

(L to R):  Mike Coen and Joey Cipicchio

(L to R):  Gavin Elifritz, Andrew Fahmy, Jared Elliott, and Lindsey Fisher

Lauren Hedges is ready with her speech

A letter to "my" seniors

Dear Seniors,

“Cap, Gown, Diploma, Stage” – it has been a mantra I have repeated often to many of you when you have battled senioritis, considered giving up, or wondered what it would feel like to finish high school.  Tomorrow is your graduation day and you will enjoy being the center of attention and celebrating your accomplishments.  I hope you will embrace every moment of this occasion and try to really reflect on what graduation represents and the excitement and pride of all you have accomplished.  Congratulations – it was all worth it!

Sometimes you will hear people say that the high school years are the best years of your life, but I do not believe that is true.  The best is ahead of you.  In the years to come you will discover your passions and your purpose.  You will learn and grow more than I can imagine and you will make a difference – in your lives, in the lives of your family and friends, in your community, in our country and in the world.  (No pressure!  J)  I cannot wait to see and hear about where life will take you.  In college you will get to choose for yourself what classes you want to take, what activities to get involved with, and what career you want to pursue.  It will no longer be because your parents said you had to do something, your teacher asked you to take on a leadership role, or your counselor assigned you to particular class.  It is exciting and I believe that the foundation you have built over the last 18 years of your life will help you to go forward with confidence knowing that you can achieve anything!

When I reflect back on your senior class, I think of how much you have already accomplished.  I think of students who have balanced an extraordinary academic course-load.  I think of the stress that some of those classes caused you.  I think of the excitement of watching you compete and perform.  I can remember being convinced that some of you were absolutely silent even though you’d tell me that teachers wouldn’t agree and then, over time, realizing that you definitely weren’t silent.  As the silence broke, I considered myself fortunate to listen to how you thought, the way you reflected on your activities, your actions and your future plans.  I watched as some of you planned from the earliest days of high school exactly which colleges you wanted to apply to while others of you simply wanted to know which college you could get into without having to write an essay.  And speaking of essays… the edits and the revisions… they were dreaded, but I must admit, I loved watching the way you came up with creative ways to express yourself.  And the college application process is certainly one that allowed me to get to know many of you better.  The good and the bad, the excitement and the disappointment, the range of emotions associated with the college process simply cannot be captured by words, but having the opportunity to walk alongside you in this journey was a privilege.

I will miss your compassion.  The way you think of others, putting your own needs aside because you care for someone else who is struggling.  I will miss your humor.  You definitely made me smile and laugh often.  I will miss your visits.  As you shared the updates on your life, the stresses of being in high school, the frustrations with your family circumstances, the annoyance that you have to do yet another project, the battles with senioritis, and the excitement of reaching a goal that once seemed like just a dream, you found a special place in my heart.  I will miss your enthusiasm.  Your class didn’t do things small – you threw your whole self into whatever project you undertook.  Most of all, I will simply miss you.

Thank you for opening up and sharing your lives with me.  You have impacted my life in a positive way and I am thankful to have known you.  I hope you leave Kilbourne knowing that you are important to me, that I care about you, and that I believe in you.   Please keep in touch in the future and remember, I will always be just a phone call or e-mail away if you need anything.

Congratulations and enjoy tomorrow – you deserve it!

With Love and Gratitude,  Miss Abbott

Baccalaureate Ceremony

Today kicked off the graduation festivities.  You practiced going across the stage, enjoyed looking at the "Stage Right" which means as you are standing on stage and looking out at the audience you are on the right side.  (Or tell your parents that as they are walking into the ceremony, they will want to find a seat on the left side so that they can have the best view of you marching in and receiving your diploma.)  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 still haven't taken your cap and gown out of the plastic bag, you should definitely do this!  You will need to iron your gown to make sure that it looks nice before the graduation ceremony.
mixture of cute and awkward school pictures in your folder, and enjoyed your first day of freedom from high school classes.  Don't forget that it is important to remind your parents which side of the stage you will sitting on during the commencement ceremony.  As a general rule, assuming you are one of my students, you will be on

Many of you also attended tonight's baccalaureate ceremony.  My heart is absolutely overflowing after baccalaureate.  I love this event each year as it truly highlights the personality and talents of each graduating class and this year was no exception.  Baccalaureate is sponsored by the Activity Club, a group of parents who are dedicated to supporting our schools and community.  They worked with a committee of students to plan tonight's event and many of the individuals involved are "my" students or parents of my students including the chairs of Baccalaureate, Dina Biglin (mom of Grayson) and Diane Souder (mom of Justin) along with the co-chair Ellen Baxter (mom of Ryan) and the student planning committee included Tanner Atha, Amelia Boudinot, Addy Boyles, Erin Dieringer, Michelle Ding, Jared Elliott, and Lauren Hedges.  Thank you all for your hard work, time and dedication in putting together such a meaningful ceremony.

During the ceremony Addy and Lauren provided the welcome and closing and their parents along with several other parents served as the parent speakers by showcasing their own version of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by creating a book about the transformation of the Kilbourne seniors.  It was funny, touching, and incredibly well done!  Because the parents had asked me for some input about the types of things we often heard from your class over the past four years, Mrs. Hedges even surprised me with my own copy of the book and artwork.  Truthfully, I was very embarrassed to be called to the stage - especially when I only have 1/4 of the seniors, but it also meant SO much to me that they thought enough of me to want to give me a copy of the book.  And it is BEAUTIFUL!  The artwork and story are awesome!  Thank you to Mrs. Hedges and Mrs. Boyles for the book.  I will cherish it and I can't thank you enough!

In addition to the speakers, there was a lot of beautiful music and award recognitions.  Bryn Caswell was honored as an Activity Club Scholarship recipient.  Addy Boyles, Mike Coen, Gabrielle Dendinger, and Lydia DeWeese were all honored for their role as student coordinators of Wolves for Cubs and they, in turn, recognized all of the seniors who served as Wolves for Cubs this year.

And last, but certainly not least, Amelia Boudinot spoke to share a beautiful tribute to Luke Bender while his pictures flashed across the screens.  Amelia also produced the senior photo slideshow which featured baby and senior pictures of a huge number of students from the senior class.  The photo slideshow was set to music which was coordinated by Tanner Atha.  It was so fun to watch the slideshow and think about how much you have all grown and changed - not only from when you were babies, but even over the course of your high school careers.

Tonight was a special night and a great kick-off to the incredible weekend ahead!  Congratulations seniors!  Try to really soak all of this in and appreciate the significance of the moments as they arise.  You have such bright futures ahead!

Final Countdown

The seniors enjoyed their last day of high school today, but for the underclassmen, the countdown is on!  Final exams begin in just a few days and another school year will conclude. 20% of your grade will come down to this one test, so it is important to study now so that you will be completely prepared for your exams. Remember, the time you put in now will determine how well you do on your exam, so please take the time to study!

For those of you needing a reminder about the exam schedule:

Wednesday:

7:45 - 9:45 2nd period exam

10:00 - 12:00 5th period exam

12:00 - 1:00 Lunch

1:05 - 3:05 8th period exam

Thursday:

7:45 - 9:45 1st period exam

10:00 - 12:00 6th period exam

12:00 - 1:00 Lunch

1:05 - 3:05 7th period exam

Friday:

7:45 - 9:45 3rd period exam

10:00 - 12:00 4th period exam

12:00 - 1:00 NO Lunch Provided!

1:05 - 3:05 Exam Make Up Period

Student Recognition

For probably the last month I have had a plan for what I was going to post on my blog each day through the start of summer.  And then life happens and I fall behind.  Normally, when it is after midnight and I am writing a post, I decide to abandon it, but I have fallen behind on so many of my posts that they are long overdue.  Today's late night post is going to cover several of the student recognitions that I would have liked to have given their own post, but time isn't going to permit.

Last month 6 of my students were recognized as Students of the Month.  They included Katie Armstrong, Benton Carter, Steven Dailey, Zack DePascale, Andreas Endreson, and Hannah Fahmy.  Each of these students was selected for this recognition for the contributions they make to the Kilbourne community in the classroom or beyond.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a picture of the group as I was not in town during the ceremony.  Congratulations on your Student of the Month recognition!

Michael Chambers officially announced his decision to play collegiate basketball next year at the University of Northwestern Ohio.  This is a dream come true for Michael as he loves basketball and has always wanted to continue his athletic career beyond high school.  I was bummed that I couldn't attend Michael's signing ceremony last month as I was out of town.

Socratic Society has been a crazy fiasco this year.  Normally, students are inducted into the Socratic Society three times during the school year - late fall, winter and spring.  With the crazy weather we had, the first two ceremonies were cancelled and rescheduled three times and, ultimately, all of the students who were inducted into the Socratic Society for the year were honored during the ceremony on May 9th.  It made for a huge number of students being honored including: Eaman Abay, RaeAnne Adams, Aytekin Alpay, Bailey Andrews, Tanner Atha, Brandon Badowi, Kyra Baker, Maggie Baumgardner, Josh Blake, Steven Borchers, Grayson Brown, Kaitlyn Bryan, Grace Cameron, Sharah Canfield, Haley Carlson, Jessica Carroll, Hannah Chambers, Sharon Chan, Sydney Chesser, Eryn Chincheck, Jayme Chincheck, Nate Church, Claire Cox, Joe Davis, Anton Demenko, Stephen Dobronski, Baylee Doyle, Jordan Eden, Courtney Fisher, Lindsey Fisher, Abby Souder, and Micah Vincent.  These students were nominated for the socratic society based upon the way they display one or more of the Socratic principles - Scholarship, Integrity, Personal Effort, Compassion, and Lifelong Learning.  Congratulations to each of you!  (There were way too many people to make getting a group picture a realistic option which was disappointing.)

In the counseling center, we couldn't survive without the help of our dedicated Office Workers!  Students who give up their prep, options, or lunch periods to help us earn community service hours for their time and we are so thankful for the joy that they bring us as they can always make us smile.  This semester 4 of my students served as office workers - a huge thank you to Veronica Dahn (left) and Danielle Chan (right) as well as Katie DiMauro and Averi Dauphin who sadly missed the picture because they weren't able to attend the thank you party.

Last night I had the opportunity to attend the Choir Concert.  They sang beautifully (as always), but they also gave out several awards and many of my students received special recognition including: Emily Dyer, Grayson Brown, Kiam Champion, Skyla Ferguson, Steven Borchers, Alex Brothers, and Macala Dietz.  Also, during Acafellas Alex Brothers and Josh Blake had great solos and then during the Kilbourne Singers performance, Bailey Andrews performed an unbelievably amazing solo that gave me chills from start to finish.  It was a great (long) night.

I love Academic Signing Day!  This is a day that is patterned after the academic signing ceremonies where the students who have received at least $4,000 in academic, leadership, art or music scholarships are invited to participate in their own signing ceremony.  This year the event was held on Monday morning and 8 of my students participated including (Left to Right): Lauren Hedges, Addy Boyles, Gabrielle Dendinger, Alex Brothers and David Broker along with Mike Coen, Manda Cash and Danny Darby who had to leave before the ceremony was over and so I didn't get to include them in my picture.  It was so special to be able to celebrate their accomplishments and recognize them for their successes.  Congratulations to each of you and best of luck at your respective colleges!

And last, but certainly not least - congratulations to all of the students who participated in Senior Project and came back to WKHS today to share their experiences with the students and staff members.  It was awesome to see all of the great opportunities that Kilbourne students had through Senior Project.  I had hoped to try to get a group picture of all of my students who participated on senior project, but today was VERY crazy and so I wasn't able to pull it off.  However, I was a staff advisor for Jordann Dierksheide during her senior project and so I was able to get her picture.  In addition to Jordann, congratulations to Katie Armstrong, Lauren Hedges, Gabrielle Dendinger, Michelle Ding, Bryn Caswell, and Lydia DeWeese.  (I think that is all of my students who did Senior Project, although it is late and I forgot my list at school so it is entirely possible I have missed several others.)

Congratulations to all of the students who have been so successful at WKHS over the last month.  You certainly deserve to be recognized!  I am proud of you!

Summer Plans

Summer is a great time to relax and unwind from the hectic schedule of homework, studying and the general day to day expectations of school. But your summer shouldn’t just be wasted away into day after day of doing “nothing.” The summer is a perfect time to explore your passions, investigate your interests and indulge in fun activities that you might not have time for during the regular school year. As we reach the last few weeks of school, I wanted to encourage you to start thinking about what you will do this summer to make sure that you have a productive summer and don’t spend the entire break being bored.

So, what are some ideas of how you can spend your summer? Consider taking a class (or two) in summer school. This is especially important if you are behind in credits and not doing well in school. (If you failed a class during the 1^st semester or if you are not passing any of your current classes this semester, you should definitely take a summer school class!)  Success rates of summer school completion are very high – in part because you are able to focus on just one subject at a time. If you are planning on taking a class in summer school it is important to sign up as soon as possible.  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.

Perhaps you are looking for ideas that do not involve more school… Summer vacation is a great time to expand your resume and pursue your passions by volunteering or working a summer job. Many students don’t know where to volunteer and the truth is the sky is the limit – anything that interests you has the potential for being a volunteer service project. Get creative in your approach! For ideas about existing needs for volunteers you can visit HandsOn Central Ohio. Speaking of resumes, during summer break, you should really spend an hour or two updating your resume. (And if you don’t have a resume, the summer is a great time to make a resume.)  There is one volunteer opportunity which will be held at WKHS during the first few weeks of summer.  It is a program called iCanBike. iCanBike (formerly called Lose the Training Wheels) will be held on June 2 - 6th at WKHS. This is a week long opportunity for campers with disabilities to learn to ride two-wheeled bikes. Students who have volunteered in the past have shared how fun and rewarding this experience has been for them as well as for the campers who are learning to ride their bikes. Students interested in volunteering must be at least 16 years old and physically able to walk/run alongside the participant as they master the skill of riding a bicycle.  Volunteers must be able to commit 75 minutes a day for the week and attend a training session.  To sign up as a volunteer go to:  https://cbusbikevol.eventbrite.com.  Any questions regarding iCanBike can be directed to Marge Barnheiser at mbarnheiser@dsaco.net

If you are starting to consider different careers, perhaps you have a family member or friends that would allow you to shadow them for a day or two on the job to see what their particular career is really like as this will help you determine if that career is truly of interest to you.

Current juniors (Soon to be Seniors) – this summer is going to be busy as you prepare for your senior year. Hopefully you are taking the time to visit colleges from your list and getting an idea of what you think about different schools. (Don’t forget to take a picture of you somewhere on campus for me!) You can also begin drafting your college application essays and preparing for the ACT and SAT exams.

Of course, there is always spending quality time reconnecting with your family, going on vacation, reading, and even attending camps or other formal activities which can be a part of the summer for many.  If you are interested in learning about some of the camp opportunities - many of which are offered on college campuses, please be sure to check out the WKHS Counselor website as we continue adding summer enrichment experiences to the site as we receive them.  There are also camp experiences available at www.enrichmentalley.com.

The bottom line is try to be productive this summer – at the very least it will give you great stories to share next fall when people ask you what you did over the summer.  And remember, the best news of all is that summer is almost here!

Spring Cleaning

Another school year is winding down, but it is not over so you still need to apply yourself fully.  With the approach of exams you may decide to do some "spring cleaning" of your school materials. As you go through your bookbags and homework/ study areas there are a few things I'd suggest you keep in mind and ask yourself. Does your system work for you? Are you able to find everything you want and need without having to search? Do you spend more time organizing and looking for the piece of paper that you know has the answer than you do actually completing the project or assignment? Do you know what you want or need to save for the future? And yes, I am talking about more than just digging out of your room just in case your parents decide to convert your room into a guest bedroom after you go to college... :-)

Keeping your notes organized and any study guides, equation summary sheets, as well as old tests and quizzes in a way that will allow you to pull upon that information in the future is very important. I can tell you that from my experience in college, if I had not saved my notes from calculus in high school then there is no way I would have passed that class in college! Your notes can often be the most useful resource (assuming you take good notes each day) because you are re-writing the main topics in your own words and organizing the information in a manner that makes sense to you. Old study guides, tests and quizzes are all very useful when trying to study for an upcoming exam.

So, take a little time now to prepare for your upcoming final exams and (for the seniors) for college when you might want or need this information by getting organized this weekend. If you need help with talking about some better strategies for organizing your materials, feel free to stop in and we can talk about some different ideas to see if one of them sounds like it could work for you.

Arts in Action and Administrators

Today was Arts in Action - a day when Kilbourne students get to spend the day having fun and enjoying the artistic talents of their peers.  I enjoyed seeing your artwork and watching as some of "my" students performed.  Below are a few of the pictures I was able to capture of some of my students from the day.

Jacob Bloom won the Pottery Throwdown Competition!

Alex Brothers performed with Acafellas.

Jon Blake performed on his own.

Anne Dargenio and Maddie Beals sang and performed together.

They were all so impressive as was the artwork I was able to see!

On a separate note, what jobs do you know that you would never want?  There are a lot of careers which I know would not be right for me...  For example, I could never be a chef.  It is stressful enough when I try to make something for myself or my family and friends let alone trying to feed tons of many people with different tastes and opinions.  I could also never be a firefighter.  I am a chicken.  It wouldn't be a good job option particularly when I don't even like the heat when I open the oven.  Ha!  And I would never want to be a school administrator.  That is probably a strange career to add into the mix, but think about it for a moment...  Ms. Adrean, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Nally and Mr. Todd have very tough, demanding jobs.  They work long hours and don't get thanked enough for everything that they do.  Our administrators are stuck in the middle between balancing the needs of our students, families, and staff along with the expectations of the district leaders.  They are consistently in demand.  Just today, I watched as Ms. Adrean was pulled in about 10 different directions at once.  She was helping students, encouraging other students as they headed into their IB test, talking to teachers, observing arts in action performances, and thanking our office workers for their help for the year.  And, no more had she stopped to try to enjoy time with the office workers than another teacher walked up to ask her for a moment of her time.  This was a quick snapshot of time, but it is reflective of a typical part of their daily jobs.  Everyone needs some of their time and attention.  They are at nearly every home sporting event and many away games as well.  They attend concerts, plays, and special events such as Mock Trial.  Administrators play a vital role in all aspects of a school's functioning.  They are creating the master schedule, planning the graduation ceremony, providing leadership and encouragement for teachers and staff to learn and grow, and supporting special events like today's Arts in Action festivities.  As an administrator, it would be demanding to try to be everything to all people and yet they handle it.

So, even though I love eating, am grateful that there are people willing to risk their lives to battle fires, and am thankful for the leadership and service of our school administrators, these definitely would not be careers for me.  :-)  I do encourage you to find time in these last few weeks of the school year to thank the administrators for everything they do to help make Kilbourne you are a place to attend. And I will use this as my opportunity to say thank you to Ms. Adrean, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Nally, and Mr. Todd!

Enjoy your weekend!

Thank You Notes

I have recently been reminded of the power that a simple thank you holds. When you think about it, a thank you note is a simple enough idea - let someone else know that you appreciate them. I don't know about you, but a lot of times I am terrible at writing thank you notes. (In fact, I have several that I need to write this weekend.) It doesn't mean that my gratitude is any less, but... and that is where everything falls apart. If I don't express my gratitude to the person who has been a positive influence in my life or who has done something nice for me or gone out of their way to help me, then how do they know how much I appreciate it? See the problem?

And I am pretty confident that many of you face the same problem. So, I want to remind you of the importance of thank you notes. They do not have to be long or flowery - simply thank the person who has helped you. This is especially important for individuals or organizations who have provided you with college scholarships.  Additionally, if you haven't thanked your teachers who wrote recommendation letters for you, perhaps now, as you finish your high school journey, is the perfect time.  Many people do not realize the time and effort it takes to write a good recommendation letter. Thank them for their help and support in your college application process. Let them know where you ended up being offered admission and where you have decided to attend and make sure that they know how much you appreciate their help along the way. It won't take you a long time, but it will certainly mean a lot to them.

Before I close this post, I want to be very clear - I am NOT talking about writing to me! I do NOT need nor am I in any way hinting, asking for, or needing you to write a thank you note to me! I just figured we could all use a reminder in the importance of writing thank you notes and expressing our gratitude for those around us.

Senior Recognition Night

Tonight was the Senior Recognition Night - a time when graduating seniors are honored for the contributions and awards they have received over the last four years of high school.  In addition, tonight also celebrated the scholarships that the seniors have been awarded.  As Dillon Castelli and Ms. Adrean mentioned, this year's senior class was offered nearly $10 million dollars in scholarships - that is incredible and speaks to the quality of students we have at WKHS.  

Tonight was such a special evening to celebrate your accomplishments.  I am proud of you and was grateful to be able to participate in your evening of well-deserved recognition!

I would have loved to try to force all of my students to gather for a group picture, but with so many of “my” students being honored tonight there was no way that I could pull that off.  Please know how proud I am of you.  And, if you have never heard the song, Compass, that Ms. Adrean referred to during her speech (and played right as the ceremony concluded) I think you should look it up.  I agree with her (and the song) - let your heart be your compass and remember that you'll never be alone.

Congratulations to everyone honored tonight!

Senior Details

For seniors everything is finally winding down...

At this point in time you are hopefully finishing up your school projects and are prepared for your final exams and any other remaining academic requirements since you only have 7 school days left. I wanted to make sure that you had taken care of some of the other last minute details...

* Finish strong: If you are not doing well in your classes, please make sure you do everything that you need to do to pass your classes with the highest grades possible. Above all, please make sure that you pass all of your classes that are requirements for graduation!

* Final Transcript: When you graduate from WKHS and move on to college the college will want a copy of your final transcript showing your 2nd semester grades and the fact that you did graduate. As is always the case we cannot release your records without your express written permission. We are covering the fee for this for you, but you need to make sure that the information you turned in on the post-secondary and final transcript form is accurate.  If you are one of my students who has changed their mind (and a few of you have done so), please make sure that you update the college who should be receiving a copy of your transcript.

* Fees/ Fines: Some students still have outstanding fees and fines that you owe to the school. It may be a very small fee for an overdue library book or it could be a much larger fee for a lost textbook, but either way, please make sure that all of your debt is paid before this week so that you will be able to participate in the commencement ceremony.

* Textbook/ Library Book Returns: You will need to turn in all of your textbooks as well as any library books that you still have. The book room will be open for you to return your textbooks after you have finished with your exams and are done with your books.

* Submit your Commencement Agreement: If you have not turned in your commencement agreement form, you need to make sure that you get that turned in!  It requires both your signature and the signature of your parent.  Completed forms should be turned in to the co-curricular office.

* Make sure you turned in everything else: In addition to paying your fees and submitting your commencement agreement, please double check to make sure you have submitted the other items that will help make your senior year memories special.  There are a few of you who haven't submitted your diploma presenter request forms yet and many who haven't turned in their senior pictures for the yearbook.  Do these things right away so that you are not left out!

* Stop by and see me: Selfishly, I would like to also add this to your list as I would love to have a few more minutes with you while you are still in high school. And, for those of you who still haven't given me a senior picture, I will remind you again that I would still love to have one! :-)

Sad.

I am at a loss.  I don't know what words I could offer up that would help ease the sadness that so many of our students and staff have been forced to experience this school year.  With yesterday's death of Jordan Kendall, our school once again pulled together.

I have heard that during times of crisis you should "look for the good."  It happens in different ways and by different people, but in the Kilbourne community, I can honestly say that the good amazes me.  The way you united to encourage, support, hug, care, or even just cry together is touching.

There are no easy ways to deal with the heartbreak of Jordan's death.  Please know that it is normal to experience many different emotions during times of grief.  We are here to support you in any way we can.

Teacher Appreciation Week

This week is national Teacher Appreciation Week!  WKHS is blessed to have a staff of incredible teachers who are committed to their student's success - not only in the classroom, but also in life.  I can think of so many examples of teachers going the extra mile to help students.  They are often found: spending time before or after school reviewing material with students, cheering on kids at concerts and games, responding to e-mails and text messages on evenings and weekends to clarify questions, developing exciting and engaging learning experiences, writing beautiful recommendation letters, listening to a student who needs to talk after a bad day, and countless other examples that make an impact in ways big and small.

There have been so many teachers in my life who have made a difference and I wish that when I was in school I would have told them how grateful I was for their role in my life.  I hope that this week you will take a moment to simply say thanks to one of the teachers at Kilbourne who has had a positive impact on your life.  You never know - maybe your kind words to them will stay with them for years to come.

GPA Calculator

Many students are trying to guesstimate what they need to do in order to raise their grade point average. This blog post includes a link to a GPA Calculator which will allow you to calculate what grades you would need to earn in order to achieve your desired GPA. (You will need to have your current GPA which you can find on your transcript in the reports area of Infinite Campus.) 

Spring College Admissions Tests

I hope that all of my junior students have registered to take at least one of the college admissions tests (ACT or SAT) this spring. If you haven't signed up for one of the tests yet, it isn't too late, but the deadlines are Friday so it is important to register now!

The remaining test dates for this spring are:

SAT - June 7, 2014

Registration Deadline: Friday, May 9th
Late Registration Deadline: May 28th
Register online at http://www.collegeboard.org/

ACT - June 14, 2014

Registration Deadline: Friday, May 9th
Late Registration Deadline: May 23rd
Register online at http://www.actstudent.org/
(Don't forget to sign up for the ACT plus Writing!)

To answer some of the more frequent questions I have had lately about the test dates:

- Yes, I know that the tests are right after exams and school ending. Sorry, I can't control that for you.

-  Yes, I know that travel plans may conflict.  If you want to schedule the test for June you can either make arrangements to leave after the test or to arrive at your destination early and sign up to take the test in whatever city you will be visiting.

- Yes, there are test dates in the fall so that you can take or repeat a test at that time.

- No, there are not any dates over the summer.

- Yes, if you need to take the SAT II (Subject Tests) it is ideal to take those tests during the June test date. Double check with your individual colleges to see if they are going to require subject tests and, if so, in which particular subjects.

If you have any other questions about the ACT or SAT visit the "Testing" page on the WKHS Counselor website, the actual ACT and SAT websites, or stop in my office and see me.

AP & IB Exams

Over the next two weeks many WKHS students will be putting the knowledge learned over the course of the school year in their classes to the test with the Advanced Placement and IB Exams. The AP tests are held at the WEC on designated days while IB exams will be held at WKHS.  I know that many of you have been spending an extraordinary amount of time studying to prepare for the exams. Good Luck!  Stop by sometime and let me know how you felt after the tests.