Oops, I made a mistake!

I am clearly in "holiday" mode and made a mistake with my last blog post.  I indicated that the Financial Aid night would be on the wrong evening.  Sorry!

Financial Aid night will be hosted at 7:00pm on Tuesday, January 5th in the WKHS Auditorium.  

I appreciate your understanding and please adjust your calendar so that you have the right date saved on your calendar.

On a separate note, please be safe tomorrow night as you welcome in the New Year!

Financial Aid Night

To help you with the college financial aid process we will have a Financial Aid Meeting for parents at 7:00pm on January 5th in the WKHS Auditorium.  We are fortunate enough to have Faith Phillips, a financial aid director for OSU Newark and COTC, sharing her expertise with our parents and students.  She always has useful insight and is able to present it in engaging ways that will help you in completing your financial aid application.  Save the date and we will look forward to seeing you as we return to school!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!  I wanted to wish all of my students and parents the very best this Christmas.  It is a blessing to work with you all year.  I am enjoying the holiday in Kentucky and the joy of my niece and nephews is contagious.  My sincere hope is that you will have the same excitement and love in your life as I am feeling with the kids today.  Have a wonderful holiday!

Winter Break

I wish you the best during the holidays and hope that you enjoy time relaxing with your family.  If you are travelling, please stay safe. Also, in case you haven't figured it out already, I wanted to let you know that I will not be blogging as consistently over break as this is a vacation for me too. :-) 

I'll be looking forward to hearing all about your holiday fun after we get back to school. Again, have a great break!

Test Anxiety

How was the first day of exams? Were you feeling anxious? Test Anxiety can be common for students - especially with exams since they have such a significant influence on your semester grades. The best strategy to prevent test anxiety is being prepared. It is much more likely that you will be anxious and struggle with feeling overwhelmed if you have not adequately studied and prepared for the test. Unfortunately, for some students, you can be well-prepared, but still struggle with anxiety.

There are a wide range of strategies you can use to help deal with anxiety:

- Research has indicated that spending several minutes before a test to write about your feelings will help decrease test anxiety and improve test scores. The University of Chicago researchers “believe worrying competes for computing power in the brain’s ‘working,’ or short-term memory.”

- Practice putting yourself in testing situations when studying. The more you get used to the experience and feelings of testing the less anxious you will feel when in the actual test.

- Just before the test, avoid talking about the test material with your friends. Chances are fixating on the test material and talking about it with your friends right before the test will only make you more anxious.

- Approach the test with a positive attitude. Don’t go into the test expecting the worst to happen. You can remind yourself that you have studied and know the material.

- Avoid distractions so that you can focus on the test and not on what other students are doing. Do not compare yourself with others and how they are doing on the test.

- Take a deep breath, relax, and do the best you can.

I should also mention that smart testing strategies like getting a good night of sleep, eating breakfast, having all of your required materials (pen, pencil, calculator, scratch paper, etc), getting regular exercise, and giving yourself plenty of time to get to your test on time will also benefit you as a whole and in testing situations.

Good luck in the next two days of exams!

Good Luck on Exams

I just wanted to wish all of you good luck on your exams tomorrow (and the rest of the week.) Good luck with your last minute studying, get a good night's sleep and then tomorrow, relax, eat a good breakfast, take a deep breath and do your best on each exam!  

Remember, you don't have to be THE best, as long as you do YOUR best!

As always, I will be anxious to hear how things go for you on your exams - so stop in and say hi to share an update (and, of course, you can pick up a piece of candy or visit with Lexi too.) :-)

Senior Reminders

Seniors, don't forget - Tuesday, December 15th is a key deadline for you!

That is the priority deadline to order your Cap and Gown.  After Tuesday you will have additional fees for shipping related to delivery of your cap and gown.  To order your cap and gown online please visit National Recognition Products website at http://nrpgradohio.com/3227-worthington-kilbourne/   This is also where you would order graduation announcements if you are interested.

The 15th is also your deadline to request your transcript to be sent to any college with a deadline before we are back at school in January.  (So if you have a December 31st deadline or a January 1st deadline or a January 3rd deadline please be sure to request your transcript by Tuesday so that I can get my components completed prior to break.)

Please be sure to meet these deadlines.  See me if you have any questions!

Tomorrow's Schedule

I have to admit, the weather being so warm has made it hard to believe that it is December.  But today, watching all of you out in the commons wrapping presents and seeing the impact of your unbelievable generosity, certainly got me into the holiday spirit.  To build on that enthusiasm, tomorrow will be the annual holiday assembly.  It has to be earlier than normal because of exams, but it will be a great way to celebrate the end of the first semester.  Below is the bell schedule for your reference as it is definitely different than normal.

Here is the breakdown for the day:

Period 1 - 7:45 - 8:30

Period 2 - 8:35 - 9:20

Period 3 - 9:25 - 10:55  (Students will be divided to spend 1/2 of the time in class and 1/2 in the assembly)

Period 4 - 11:00 - 11:45

Period 5 - 11:50 - 12:35

Period 6 - 12:40 - 1:25

Period 7 - 1:30 - 2:15

Period 8 - 2:20 - 3:05

College Admissions Interviews

Some colleges offer the opportunity for prospective students to participate in an interview with an admissions counselor or an alumni representative as a component of the application process. If you are looking at a school which requires an interview – don’t panic!

It is important to relax and be yourself. This is your opportunity to shine. Display your personality and allow your interests and passions to be expressed.

In addition to answering their questions, don’t be afraid to ask any questions you have about the school. Be sure to complete some research ahead of time so that you are not asking questions you easily could have found by visiting their website.

If there is anything about yourself that you want to be sure that the admissions representatives understand – unique circumstances, experiences, or special traits that they might not ask about don’t hesitate to offer up this information. This is your one chance to actually discuss these areas with a real person. By bringing up these topics, it may spur them to ask additional questions that you will be able to answer.  We have information related to the interviews including sample questions available on the WKHS Counselor website.  If you want to talk more before your interview, don't hesitate to stop by and see me.

And, hopefully it goes without saying, but remember that first impressions are important – so be polite, smile, dress appropriately and arrive on time for your interview!

Test Score Submission

The college admissions tests (ACT and SAT) are one of the basic components that most colleges consider when evaluating an application. While any scores that we have appear on your transcript, the vast majority of the colleges want to receive the score results directly from the testing agency. You receive the option to send your scores to 4 colleges for free and there is an additional charge for any extra schools you want to send your results to after those initial four.

You can log in to the ACT and SAT websites to review the locations where you selected to send your scores to make sure that every college you are considering has received a copy of your scores. This is an important step as you are completing the application process. So, in addition to making sure that you have completed your application form, written your essay, secured your recommendation letters, and submitted your transcripts, please make sure that you have sent your test scores to each of the colleges where you are applying.

Don't forget, not every college will require these tests so it is not the end of the world if you are not a strong test taker. Visit http://www.fairtest.org/ for a list of the over 800 colleges that do not require admissions tests as a component to evaluate the applicant.

Exam Schedule

Exams play a significant role in your final grade for the semester of each course (and remember, because we grant credits based on the semester this is really important to you!) Most of your classes will follow the structure that your 1st quarter grades are worth 40% of your final semester grade, the 2nd quarter grade that you are currently wrapping up now will make up another 40% and then your exam grade is worth 20% of your final semester grade.

20% is a really big deal...Think about it, if you had a 57% the first quarter and end up with a 60% this quarter then you can still pass the class as long as you earn a 66% or higher on the exam. On the other side, if you are trying to make sure that you earn an A in a course and you had a 95% first quarter and an 88% this quarter than you need to earn an 85% or higher on the exam to reach your goal.

Clearly, exams are an important part of your grade, but more importantly, they provide you the opportunity to practice a more realistic glimpse of what testing will be like in college and helps you to showcase your semester's worth of knowledge.

Below is the schedule for the semester exams:

Day One - Tuesday, December 15th:

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

Day Two - Wednesday, December 16th:
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

Day Three - Thursday, December 17th:
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: Make-Up Exams

A couple of questions that tend to come up at exam time...

Yes, you are REQUIRED and EXPECTED to be in all of your classes during an exam. (Even if you don't have an actual exam, the teachers are going to be working with you on projects, papers, or other learning related to their course.)

No, you do NOT need to be in school during your scheduled lunch period or during your Options or Prep periods. (Which means, for example, that if you have 3rd period prep and 4th period lunch that you do not have to come to school at all on the 17th.)

Hope that helps clarify and happy studying! :-)

Students of the Month

Yesterday just over 20 students were honored as December's Students of the Month! Students can only earn this recognition once during their high school career.  A special congratulations to "my" students who were honored as Students of the Month!  Left to Right: Molly Kate Cline, Kyra Baker, Carson Dougherty, McKenzie Cravens, Anna Chen, and not pictured Leah Coen and Amy Du.  

I am proud of you! Thank you for representing the best of Worthington Kilbourne High School.

Letter of Intent

Congratulations to Connor Alley and Alex Cash who each have committed to play lacrosse next year.  Connor will be at Alma College in Michigan and Alex will be at Robert Morris University in Pennsylvania.  Yesterday after school Connor and Alex participated in a signing ceremony with two of their fellow lacrosse teammates who have also made the commitment to play in college. Connor and Alex were joined by their parents for this recognition and were surrounded by other supporters including many of their teammates and friends. Congratulations Connor and Alex! We are so proud of you both!

Coping Skills Toolbox

How are you holding up?  Are you feeling tired, stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, worried or frustrated?  This time of year often brings a range of stress-related feelings.  The holidays can be stressful.  Exams can be stressful.  High school life can be stressful.  The counselors are here to help!

Obviously, if you are struggling, I want to talk to you.  I want to problem-solve with you and help develop a plan for managing the feelings and experiences you are going through.

Tomorrow, Friday, December 4th during lunch periods all of the counselors will be hosting the second counselor lunch chat of the year and we will be working with students on developing coping skills toolboxes.  This will include identifying strategies you can use to help manage stress-related feelings and personalizing plans that can help you if you are feeling overwhelmed.  I hope you will bring your lunch into Room 120 and join us for the lunch-chat and start developing your own personal coping skills toolbox!

Merit Based Aid vs. Need Based Aid

Paying for College is expensive! There is no question that higher education costs add up quickly and it can be confusing to try to figure out what all of the different terms related to financial aid really mean - especially when the economy is struggling. This is just a brief overview to give you an idea of what you might see/ hear when you are looking at your options.

There are two broad categories of financial aid – Merit Based aid and Need Based aid.

Merit Based aid is what you think of when you think “Scholarships.” These are usually awarded to students based on academic achievements, leadership, athletics, special talents such as art or music, volunteerism, or other personal qualities that set you apart. These scholarships do not consider financial need. A significant portion of all merit-based aid comes directly from the college/ university. Some schools may require additional scholarship applications, essays, interviews, and many colleges will have earlier deadlines to be considered for their scholarships. It can be helpful to know that a lot of times the smaller, private colleges will have more money available for scholarships in order to help make attending their school competitive with the lower costs of the public colleges. Please also remember that there are scholarship offerings listed in PrepHQ. It is important to keep an eye out for unique scholarships that might apply to your personal situation. Last year I had a student who was able to qualify for an Italian heritage scholarship. Perhaps one of your grandparents won a purple heart or maybe you have time to write an essay for one of the other scholarship competitions… no matter what the situation, if you find a scholarship that you meet the criteria for go ahead and apply – you might be pleasantly surprised at the result and if you don’t, the answer is definitely a “no.”

Need Based aid is what you will sometimes hear people refer to as “Financial Aid” even though both Merit Based and Need Based aid technically fall under that one category. There are a variety of different Need Based aid programs. Grants are considered gift assistance – they give you money and you do not have to pay it back. Loans which can come from a wide variety of sources – the federal government, the college, and private banks is money that you are required to pay back. Work Study programs are on campus job opportunities that the government helps find that allows you to earn money for college through working on campus. The big difference between Merit Based and Need Based aid is that Need Based aid is that the type and amount of Need Based aid you will receive depends upon the amount of financial need you have.

And, yes, just to add to the confusion – there are some scholarships that will consider financial need as a criterion. They are still awarding the scholarship based upon some specific aspect of who you are it is just allowing them to narrow down the potential applicant pool.

One last important reminder - NEVER pay to be considered for a scholarship! That is a scam. Don't waste your money!

If you have any questions you can always call the financial aid offices of the schools where you are applying as they are true experts in the field. I am also happy to try to help in any way that I can.

Cram and Cocoa

Today started the "Cram and Cocoa" sessions during lunch periods and it will continue over the next two days.  This study strategy session is being provided by the Link Leaders and is a great opportunity for students to get a jump start on effectively preparing for exams. 

As I mentioned earlier this week, you now have just 9 days of classes to not only learn and master everything you are currently covering in class, but also to go back and study to refresh the material you have covered since August when we returned to school.

These "Cram and Cocoa" sessions have helped students feel successful heading into exams.  The feedback I heard from all of my students who participated over the last few years was that it was incredibly helpful.  I sincerely hope you will take advantage of their willingness to help you prepare!

Also, on a separate note, don't forget that tonight at 7pm in the WKHS Library is the Career Exploration and 2-year College Information Night.  This presentation is open to students and parents from all grades!

Collegiate Athletics

Competing in sports during high school is such a huge part of many student's lives.  The hours of time that you dedicate to practice, the effort you put forth during games, and the friendships you have made through your involvement all combine together to make this one of the more significant areas of these four years.  It can be hard to imagine life without your sport, but the statistics are not great - most high school athletes do not continue on to compete at the collegiate level.  You can always find a different level of involvement, but if you are someone whose goal is to play at the college level, these articles may be helpful for you.

Getting recruited to play college sports in the digitalage.  Part 1: Pregame

Getting recruited to play college sports in the digitalage.  Part 2

Getting recruited to play college sports in the digitalage.  Part 3

Want to play college sports? Be proactive

How student athletes get full ride scholarships

Free time is at a premium for student athletes

Also, don't forget, just before Thanksgiving I wrote a blog post about NCAA and NAIA eligibility requirements for students who want to play sports in college - your grades MUST be at or above the minimum standards so take care of your academics to help open up the option of athletics for the future.

The Countdown

The countdown is on... we have just 11 days of school left before semester exams. I *know* some (or maybe all) of you don't want to hear this, but it is REALLY important that you start studying now for exams. 

With exams taking place before winter break, it is important that you take a critical look at where you stand in each of your classes and what you need to do to fully prepare for exams.  If your grades are not where they should be at this point in time, please make use of the resources available to you - the academic assistants in room 209 and, most importantly, your teachers. I am also here to help you with studying strategies and tips if needed. For many students, your final grade for the semester will come down to how you finish out this quarter and how well you do on semester exams. Please don't neglect this opportunity to make the most of the remaining time as a chance to start reviewing for exams!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lexi and I wanted to take a moment and wish each of you and your families a Happy Thanksgiving!

Enjoy spending time with your family, eating turkey, watching the parade, watching football, and taking a nap... or whatever your own traditions include.  :-)

Have a safe and wonderful rest of your break... and if you are working on college apps all weekend - good luck, I hope you are productive!

Have a great break

I hope you have a wonderful 5 days off and that wherever your travels take you that you will have fun and be safe!

Also, one last reminder that if you will be on any college campuses during break, please take a picture for me for the "Oh the Places You'll Go" board.

Academics & College Sports

Many students who participate in high school sports have an interest in continuing their athletic participation at the collegiate level.  The reality is that only a small number of student athletes are able to compete at the varsity level in college.  However, most colleges offer a variety of ways that students can meet their athletic goals, including club and intramural options.

Students planning to participate at the varsity level in college, will be looking at NCAA or NAIA colleges.  Athletic scholarships can be offered to students attending NCAA Division I or Division II colleges and NAIA colleges.  NCAA Division III colleges do not offer athletic scholarships for participation.

If you are hoping to be a recruited athlete, it is important to be aware of the restrictions on when athletes can be contacted by coaches as well as when it is acceptable for you to reach out to college coaches.  Additionally, the emphasis on academics is critical and so the NCAA and the NAIA both require student athletes to register to determine their academic/ athletic eligibility.

The website for NCAA Eligibility is: www.eligibilitycenter.org

The website for NAIA Eligibility is: http://www.playnaia.org/

NAIA Requirements:

•           Must meet 2 out of 3 requirements in addition to graduating from high school

o   Minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale

o   Minimum test score of 18 composite score on the ACT or 860 on the SAT (excluding writing section) – They do not superscore

o   Graduation in the top 50% of your high school class

•           You must submit test scores directly from the testing agencies.  Their number is 9876.
•           Students must submit a transcript after graduation.  Only 1 transcript is needed and should be sent after graduation unless you qualify for an “Early Decision.”  To be eligible for an early decision students must have the minimum test scores and have earned at least a 3.0 GPA after junior year or at least a 2.5 GPA after first semester of senior year.  If you will qualify for an early decision, you may send your transcript early and you will receive an eligibility determination before you graduate from high school.
•           Registration fee: $70

NCAA Requirements:

•           The NCAA requirements are a bit more complex because there are different requirements depending upon which division a student hopes to play in during college.
•           Additionally, the requirements for students in the Class of 2014 and 2015 will be different than for those in the Class of 2016 and beyond.  Please look carefully at what your requirements will be depending on your year of graduation and your anticipated division of play.  (Division 3 does not require eligibility approval for participation.)
•           ACT scores used to determine eligibility are the sum of the individual scores (English, math, reading and science – not composite) and the SAT is the sum of the critical reading and math sections.  Writing scores are not used.  They do superscore (taking highest scores from each area added together rather than just using the highest from 1 testing date.)
•           You must submit test scores directly from the testing agencies.  Their number is 9999.
•           One of the key components to understand with NCAA requirements is that they compute your Core GPA instead of looking at your Kilbourne GPA.  Core GPA is made up of just your core classes – English, Math, Science, Social Studies and Foreign Language classes.  Please double check the list of NCAA approved courses on the NCAA website as not all Kilbourne classes in the core areas are NCAA approved.
•           Registration fee: $70
•           They will require that you submit your transcript after your junior year and again after you graduate from high school.
•           Online classes (such as credit recovery) cannot count for core classes.

Attached is the NCAA Eligibility Center Quick Reference Guide.  

Attached is the worksheet you can use to calculate your core GPA.  

                Division 1:

o   16 core classes

§  4 English

§  3 Math

§  2 Science

§  1 additional credit in either English, Math or Science

§  2 Social Studies

§  4 Additional years of Core Classes (English, Math, Science, Social Studies, or Foreign Language)

o   10 of the 16 core classes must be completed prior to the start of the senior year and 7 of these 10 must be in English, Math and Science.

o   The 10 classes completed before the start of senior year are locked in for GPA calculation of core GPA.

o   Minimum GPA and minimum test scores based upon sliding scale

§  Lowest GPA is 2.3 to fully qualify

§  Students with a 2.0 GPA may qualify for an academic redshirt

Division 2:

o   16 core classes

§  3 English

§  2 Math

§  2 Science

§  3 additional credit in either English, Math or Science

§  2 Social Studies

§  4 Additional years of Core Classes (English, Math, Science, Social Studies, or Foreign Language)

o   Minimum GPA is 2.0

o   Minimum test scores is ACT sum score of 68 or SAT sum score of 820.

If you have questions about college athletic participation, please feel free to see me, your coaches, or Mr. Todd in the athletic office.

An Early Thanksgiving

I have so much to be thankful for not only on Thanksgiving, but every day.  This weekend my family celebrated an early traditional Thanksgiving with my grandmother.  My grandma is 92 years old and is not up for participating in our Thanksgiving plans this year so we enjoyed taking the time to gather together and express our gratitude for our family and all of the blessings in our lives in a smaller fashion.  It is nice to be able to focus on how thankful I am not just one day, but over multiple days.  I hope you know that all of you are part of what I am grateful for and that I am thankful that you are in my life!  I hope you will be take a few moments today to reflect on the things you are thankful for too!

Delaware Area Career Center

Today was a field trip to the Delaware Area Career Center. As a reminder, don't forget that even if attending the career center, WKHS students are always WKHS students. With most programs you will have the option of attending the career center for full days (where you would take your lab coursework which counts as elective credits and your academic courses all at the career center) or for half days (where you only take the lab coursework at the career center and then return to WKHS for the other half of the day for your academic classes). You will graduate from Worthington Kilbourne and continue to participate on our athletic teams - even if you decide that you want to attend the career center for the full day. I strongly encourage you to check out the programs because the hands on opportunities to learn something new while also gaining your required elective credits can be a very appealing option! If you didn't have the chance to participate in today's field trip there is a second look day trip on December 10th. Any students interested in making this visit should stop by the WKHS Counseling & Career Center to pick up a permission slip from the secretaries. Permission slips must be submitted in advance in order to make arrangements for your visit.

Good luck to the Wolves tonight!

4 Year Colleges... Really?!?

How long will it take you to make it through college? Most people will quickly think to themselves "4 years" because most WKHS students are looking at 4-year colleges (even if they start at a 2-year college).

Unfortunately, that is not always the reality. While a college is a 4-year school, for many students it is not always realistic that their students will, in fact, graduate in 4-years. You may wonder why this matters now, but it is very important for you to look at the 4-year graduation rates when you are considering colleges for your future because the longer it takes you to graduate from high school, the more you will be taking on in costs for college as well as the longer it will take you to graduate and get out into the working world or to move on to grad school.

You can usually find the 4-year graduation rates on college websites, but it isn't always easily accessible. This is a link to a US Department of Education website called College Navigator where you can search for schools and then by looking at the retention/ graduation rate area you will be able to see the statistics for each school in an easily accessible way.

Each school's 4-year graduation rates should not be your sole factor in making a decision, but it is another piece of the puzzle to help you. You should use the information to help you ask more questions about why their graduation rates are so low. Is it because it is too difficult to schedule classes when you need, is it because the costs are too expensive, is it because students change majors too many times so they end up with a lot of classes that do not help them toward their major, etc.

Happy Searching as you look for the school that is the best fit for you and your future.

College Admissions Decisions

College admissions decisions are already starting to come in for some students. Every senior looks forward to receiving their college acceptance letters. It is an exciting time and reassures that there is more ahead. Depending upon the schools where you are applying, it is possible that you will hear back quickly or you may be waiting until sometime in late March to find out if you have been accepted. I do ask that as you begin receiving your acceptance or, sadly, even rejection letters, to please keep me informed about the decisions. For the vast majority of the colleges, the only way I know about your admissions decision is if you share the information with me.

Remember, the only way to receive an acceptance letter is to actually APPLY to the college! (Just a friendly little reminder for those of you who are struggling to get your applications finished.)  :-)

Digital Footprint & College Admissions

As a school community there has been a significant amount of time and emphasis encouraging students to be smart about your digital footprint - the information that you are posting and sharing through various social media outlets.  As a component of that we have often mentioned that the internet and social media can impact your college admissions or scholarship offerings.  Below are a few articles that speak to this:

Do colleges look at prospective students’ social media?

Colleges shift to using ‘big data’ – including social media– in admissions decisions

How Social Media can Ruin Your Application

College admissions: Social Media Tune Up

Colleges are spying on applicants by quietly tracking them across the internet  

  (Please note that this article is not specific to social media, but rather how colleges are looking at your level of interest in their school based upon internet related data.)

No matter what grade you are in, this is the perfect time to pause and critically look at your digital footprint and consider what it is saying about you and the impression you are giving to future college admissions officers, scholarship committee members, and potential employers.  Please make smart choices about what you post online!

Holiday Help

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Except that for many people, it is not really the most wonderful time of year and can, in fact, be one of the most difficult times of year.  The holiday season often presents a challenging combination of high expectations, family drama, and school pressure with semester exams - all of which can result in unbelievably high levels of stress.  This is even more prevalent if you and your family are struggling to make ends meet this holiday season.  

My top recommendation for everyone is to try to keep a sense of perspective on what is reality.  It becomes very easy to get caught in the mindset that the holiday is supposed to be this picture-perfect celebration.  Yet, that is seldom the reality.  When watching TV it is nearly impossible to escape seeing commercials and holiday movies that depict images of snow gently falling, families coming together with smiles and excitement, food overflowing on the tables, loved ones unwrapping the perfect gifts, sleigh rides through parks decorated with holiday lights, and communities gathered together singing carols.  I enjoy the sentiments that the movies are trying to depict, but if we begin thinking that this is what life is really like then we are bound to be disappointed.  For example, in my family we have wonderful holidays, but we have never gone on sleigh rides or participated in community caroling and, if I am being completely honest, the wonderful moments are also mixed with stressful times of trying to get everything ready or missing those who are unable to be there for the holiday.  If I were to compare my real holidays with that perfect image seen on TV I would inevitably be disappointed.  

So, what can you do to help with the holidays?

Don't expect the holidays to be perfect. They NEVER are.

Focus on what you have, not what you don't. Ignore the commercials where the husband surprises his wife with a brand new luxury car or a diamond ring. This only leaves you wondering, "What about me?" Remind yourself that it's not the stuff that makes the holidays important.

The holidays can bring back memories of loved ones that have passed away. Give yourself permission to grieve, and deal with the loss in your own way. If you want to cry, go ahead. If you want to remember your loved one in a special way, do it - light a candle, put together a scrapbook, decorate the grave stone with flowers, or whatever else you find comforting.

Feel whatever you are feeling.  Sometimes people talk about “holiday blues” or feeling depressed by the holiday stress and others might feel excited, generous or disappointed.  Try not to over-analyze how you are feeling and just experience it – acknowledge it and try to live in the moment no matter the feeling.

Holidays can bring a great deal of joy and holiday spirit and I hope you will embrace that when possible.  This is most evident each year as I watch our school come together to help families in need with the “Adopt a Child” campaign.  It is heart-warming to see our student body unite together to help other students and families.  Knowing that you are helping to brighten the holiday for families experiencing financial and emotional stress is one of the greatest gifts you can give and helping others is often the best way to help make you feel better too.

However, for some students it is hard to focus on trying to brighten the holiday for other families when you are worrying about what you will have for Thanksgiving dinner or how you will eat during winter break.  I hope I can suggest some resources that you (or maybe a friend of yours) could use.  Below is a short list of places where you may be able to get help.

- One of the local churches, Worthington Presbyterian Church, is providing WKHS with all of the food for Thanksgiving meals so that we can distribute them to families in need.  If you need help with a Thanksgiving meal, please contact me ASAP so that I can try to arrange for a meal for you.

-  Community Cares Backpack Program:

     A group of dedicated, compassionate and incredibly thoughtful Worthington mom's do a variety of things to help our school community through the Activity Club.  One of those programs is to provide backpacks of food that students can take home with them over the weekend to add a little extra to their family's food supplies.  Every other week, we receive several backpacks that we can distribute.  If this resource is something that would be helpful for you, please let me know so that I can add you onto the list for future backpacks.  Please note that while this is provided by WKHS mom's, it is still confidential - they provide the backpacks to us and we distribute the bags to our students in need.

- Worthington Resource Pantry: www.worthingtonresourcepantry.org   614-985-1766

     Located at 6700 Huntley Rd., Columbus, OH 43229, the Worthington Resource Pantry provides families in our community with food and other resources of support.  Their hours are Mondays 10 - 2, Wednesdays 3 - 7, and the 3rd & 4th Saturdays of the month from 10 - 12.  

-  Dublin Food Pantry: www.dublinfoodpantry.org

     If you live in the 43016 zip code you could also utilize the Dublin Food Pantry.

-  Faith Mission: 

     If you are in need of a free meal, please join Faith Mission at the Community Kitchen (245 N. Grant Ave.) during the following times. Breakfast: Men – 6:30 – 7:15 (8:30 – 9:30 on weekends and holidays) Women and families – 7:30 – 8:15   Lunch: Women and families – 11:30 – 12:15 Men – 12:30 – 1:30   Dinner: Women and families – 5:30 – 6:15 Men – 6:45 – 7:45  See more at: http://faithmissionofohio.org/do-you-need-help/#sthash.hXbIieez.dpuf

-  Kroger Community Pantry:

     The Kroger Community Pantry is run in partnership with Mid-Ohio Food Bank.  The Kroger Community Pantry is located at 3960 Brookham Dr., Grove City.  Current hours are on Tuesdays from 12 – 5pm, Wednesdays from 4 – 7pm, Fridays from 9 – 2pm, and Saturdays from 9 – 1pm.  Please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to posted closing time.  Also, because the pantry relies on volunteers to remain open, the pantry may close earlier than posted times.  Please call 614-317-9487 before you arrive to hear any changes to the schedule.

-  Hands On Central Ohio: http://handsoncentralohio.org/get-help    By phone: 211

     Hands on Central Ohio is an organization dedicated to connecting those in need with resources.  While their Thanksgiving baskets have already been allotted, they do have a list of places that are providing prepared Thanksgiving meals for those who need them: http://www.211centralohio.org/MatchList.aspx?k;;0;;N;0;229912;Thanksgiving%20Meals~;Thanksgiving%20Meals;Partial;265234

      And they will schedule holiday baskets for those in need, so if you would like to request one, please call 614-341-2282 on December 9, 10th, or 11th.  More information is available at www.handsoncentralohio.org

-  Regular Monthly Meals:

     You may already know this because we have this resource is available year-round and is featured on the WKHS Counselor website, but several local churches provide meals to anyone in the community needing assistance.  This page highlights where and when these meals are available to families in need. 

I am fully aware that all needs are not just related to food.  Here are a few resources if you have additional needs.

-  Charity Newsies   http://www.charitynewsies.com/getting-help/

     Charity Newsies is an organization that provides clothing to students in need.  A parent/ legal guardian needs to arrange for the clothing to be provided, but they can provide a complete set of clothing needs for each student that qualifies and needs it.

-  Salvation Army:  Food and Toys

     Perhaps you have seen the red kettles that appear each year - these donations are used to help provide food and gifts for families in need.  Information about their Christmas assistance program is available here: http://co.salvationarmy.org/CentralOhio/christmas-assistance

     Registration for assistance will take place this coming week (Week of November 16th) and the week after Thanksgiving (Week of November 30th, excluding December 1st).  Specific details about times and locations as well as required documentation are available on the Salvation Army's website.  Once families have registered for food and toy assistance, you will then go to the Ohio State Fairgrounds on December 16, 17 or 18th to receive your toys and holiday meal.  If you have questions, you can contact them at 614-221-6561 ext. 600.

-  2 Hands:  Specific Needs

     This online resource helps connect Ohio families in need with those who are willing and able to help.  Families indicate their specific needs on the website and then others volunteer to help meet those needs.  Information about this resource is available at: http://www.2hands.org/online-christmas-help/in-ohio.php

-  Single Parents Alliance of America

     I heard that this organization also had resources to help support individuals who qualify, but I will be honest, I am not sure what those resources include.  It is worth looking into though if you are a single parent to see if it might be of help.  http://www.spaoa.org/splash/?gclid=CPTnge_tg8kCFQktaQodF9sNpA

As always, please stop by and talk if you are having problems this holiday season. If you need food, clothing or just want to talk about some struggles you are having, my door is open for you. I hope you are able to relax and enjoy this holiday season.