Life Goes On

Are you enjoying your spring break?  We are officially at the half-way point of break and while I feel like it has gone fast, Lexi is BEYOND ready to get back to school.  (Truthfully, I am too as I miss seeing all of you as well, but I do love sleeping in!)  :-)

The nice thing about how our break fell this year is that all of the seniors who are awaiting admissions decisions from the highly competitive colleges are able to learn of their decisions away from the constant glare and attention of your peers.  The bad thing about it is that you are left on your own to try to come to terms with what this really means for you.  Every day I have been receiving emails from various colleges sharing updates on when they will be releasing their decisions and how competitive their classes are this year.  Statements like, "we had 6% more students apply than in the past for the same number of slots" are feeling common with each email I open.  I don't have any magical answers for why one student gets accepted and another seemingly comparable student does not.  And it makes me sad to think that there are students who are receiving notifications that you have not been accepted who would, unquestionably, be highly successful at each of these colleges.  But, sadly, that is part of the college admissions "game."  

And, yes, I know that when it is your dream college, none of it feels like a game, but I really want for you to try to think of it more in that regard because even the college may know that you would have been a great candidate with a lot to offer to their college, but it is all a part of the process.  I can tell you that I did not have a single student apply to colleges where I could not see you being successful.  And I believe, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that if you were to be accepted and attend that college that you would have been successful there!  BUT, I also believe that no matter where you attend college that you WILL be a success!  It is NOT the college that would make you successful, but rather it is your work ethic, your drive, your intelligence, your commitment, and the contributions you will make on whatever campus is lucky enough to have you joining their college which will make all the difference.

Try to remind yourself that not everyone will be accepted and that it is not a reflection of your potential for lifelong success.  Don't believe me?  I just did a google search to look for a few articles to showcase some successful people who were also rejected to their top choice colleges.  I am confident you will recognize many of their names.

7 famous people who were rejected by their dream colleges

Before they were titans, moguls, and newsmakers, these people were… rejected

15 celebrities who didn’t get into their dream colleges

If you are dealing with the frustration and disappointment of not being accepted, remember that it is ok to be sad just please be sure to reach out and talk about how you are feeling with your family members and/ or with me!  I don't want anyone to ever believe that this one college decision is a reflection of your value because there are plenty of other great schools that will be thrilled to have you as a member of their incoming class.  Eventually, after you have had the time to process through your disappointment, you will then be able to refocus on making the most of the opportunities available to you.  Believe in yourself and know that the college where you ultimately attend will be lucky to have you as a member of their class of 2022!

Spring Break

Hooray! Although the weather from this week certainly didn't make it seem like spring, we made it and are now officially on Spring Break! 

I hope that you have a wonderful and relaxing break. Good luck to all of the individuals, groups, and teams that will travel this week.  Don't forget, if you end up on a college campus, please take a picture for the "Oh the Places You'll Go" display. 

I will also be pausing on blogging over break so I wanted to say please have a great week and stay safe!

Let's Talk Careers

More than likely, when you start thinking about potential careers for the future, you will probably not have a lightbulb moment when suddenly walk away knowing exactly what you will major on and what your future career will be for the rest of your life. Quite honestly, it isn't that simple. Few people are in the exact jobs they imagined for themselves when they were in high school. Don't believe me, ask around - check with your parents, your teachers and other adults you know and trust.

And yes, it even applies to me! When I was graduating from high school I was 100% sure that I would be pursuing a future as a PT/ATC which means a Physical Therapist who is also a Certified Athletic Trainer. By the time I started college that was still my goal, but I was already starting to question having physical therapy as a part of my future as I found out that it would not be possible to complete the physical therapy program at the same time as the athletic training program.  I loved athletic training and would never have dreamed (at the time) of giving it up so I changed my major to education and continued with the athletic training.  My major was health education, my minor was psychology and my internship was athletic training. Up until the spring of my senior year of college and the start of my student teaching I was still certain that my future would be athletic training. I completed my graduate school applications, went on my interviews and was weighing my options when (during spring break) I realized I didn't really want this to be my entire future. (I know... parents everywhere are thinking "Do not do what she did!" and believe me my own mom had the same thought... actually, I believe her response was something more along the lines of, "If you would have listened to me a long time ago...") I did still go ahead and earn my athletic training certification, something that I was intensely proud of accomplishing even though I never used it in my working career. I loved teaching and working with students so I bailed on all of my previous plans and decided to search for a job in education. As most schools want health teachers who can also teach phys ed (totally NOT me since I lack all eye-hand coordination), finding a job was not easy. I ended up finding a job that I absolutely loved working for a non-profit health organization called Lifeline of Ohio which is an organization that deals with organ and tissue donation. I was there for 7 years and while there my job morphed and changed and my time with students decreased and my time with other special projects increased. I missed working with students and decided to return for my master's degree in school counseling. I left Lifeline of Ohio and worked for a year at Grove City High School as a counselor before being hired at WKHS. And, while working at WKHS I also went back to school again to obtain my community counseling license to go along with my school license (although I will point out that I have NO intention of leaving WKHS as I love it here)!  The point of that whole drawn out story is to show you that there is no way in a million years I could have ever imagined or predicted the way my life would have turned out or the career that I would pursue, but I cannot imagine being happier or more fulfilled in any job.

So, although I am hopeful that each of you will begin thinking about possible career ideas for your future, I do not want you to feel the pressure that this is when you should expect to determine what you will be for the rest of your life.

Common App Essays

The Common Application is a website that many colleges use allowing students to fill out one application that can then be submitted to various colleges.  The Common Application has announced their essay question prompts for next year's applicants.  So, juniors, take a look at these prompts and start brainstorming what your answers might be for each question.  After you list your thoughts for each question, look at which response tells the best story of who you are and will be the best introduction of you to the admissions committee.  Then it is time to start drafting and editing and drafting some more.  :-)  Students who utilize the common app will be asked to select and answer one question in 250-650 words.  (Please don't worry about word count on your first draft - it is always MUCH easier to cut words than it is to try to add more in later.)

Below are the common app essay questions to help you get started: 

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback or failure.  How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea.  What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and new understanding of yourself or others.

6.  Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time.  Why does it captivate you?  What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7.  Share an essay on any topic of your choice.  It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Managing College Mail

It is hard to find many high school juniors who have taken the PSAT, Pre-ACT, ACT or SAT that haven't started receiving mail from colleges. At first, when students start receiving letters from colleges there can be a rush of excitement to learn about different colleges. Lots of students will pour over the different brochures, booklets, or information packets sent from various colleges. In time though, most students get frustrated and overwhelmed by just how much mail comes from all of the different colleges. This is a perfect reminder that colleges are a business and so they are marketing themselves to all potential candidates. When you get the mail from the colleges take a few minutes and look it over - remember, they are not saying you will be accepted, but it can help give you an idea about the characteristics and features of that college so that you can compare them with what you are looking for in a college.  Go ahead and keep any mailings that look particularly appealing to you, but don't worry about throwing the rest away.

Local Scholarships

Let's face it, college is expensive and (sadly) money doesn't fall from the sky. Many students are trying to investigate options for financing their college education. One great opportunity to help with some of your college costs are local scholarships. These scholarships are great because you are only competing against other WKHS students (for most of them) and, at most, against other students from the general area. These scholarships are all listed on the WKHS Counselor website and I strongly encourage you to take the time to check out all of the scholarships available and read them carefully to determine which ones you might be a good candidate for and therefore want to apply to try to receive.  Please remember that time flies and most of the scholarships have requirements such as essays or recommendation letters plus with spring break added into the middle of your application period, it is important not to procrastinate and to get your applications completed on time.

Senior Parent Idea

This is actually a post for parents instead of for students...

I read an article a few years ago that I felt had a great suggestion for senior parents.  The article gave the idea for parents whose son/ daughter is awaiting admissions decisions from competitive schools to write their child a letter and give it to him/ her BEFORE the decisions arrive reminding your child that your pride and love for them is not dependent upon getting accepted to a particular college.  Wow!  I love this idea!!!

I think back over each year of working with students and parents who were disappointed by not getting accepted to a college of their choice and so often the students feel that people are just saying things such as they are proud of you as just a way to make them feel better (even though I know that this is not really the case.)  So, I strongly encourage all parents of seniors that are awaiting an admissions decision from a highly competitive college to consider taking a moment or two to sit down and write a letter to your son or daughter and give it to him or her ahead of their admissions decisions being announced.  They may not tell you, but I am confident it will make a difference to them.

3rd Quarter Grades & GPA Calculator

As you know, this week started the 4th quarter.  All of your teachers have now updated and posted your 3rd quarter grades on Infinite Campus.  Students and parents both should take time today to check online to see your 3rd quarter grades. 

Many students are also trying to guesstimate what they need to do in order to raise their grade point average.  Remember, the quarter grades are not included in the calculations for your cumulative GPA - that is only based upon your semester grades.  However, this GPA Calculator will allow you to calculate what grades you would need to earn in order to achieve your desired GPA.  Please note that you will need to include your current cumulative GPA and total number of credits earned at this point.  You can find that information on Infinite Campus.

Also, I hope you have a fun and safe St. Patrick's Day!

Worthington Related Scam Warning

We were recently alerted to a scam that was attempted on a TWHS family and I wanted to share it with all of you to be sure that none of you fall victim to it!

Here is what we know about the call and what they stated...

They said they were affiliated with an ACT/ SAT testing prep group and that ____ (student's name) had signed up for Testing Prep materials through their guidance counselor back in December.  They were on a waiting list for the materials.  The materials were free of charge, as long as they were returned when (student) was done with them.  To send them the testing materials they wanted the parent to provide their credit card number to hold a deposit of $216.32. 

The call had come in from 614-295-2029.

Luckily, the TWHS parent said no that they wouldn't give their credit card number over the phone, but would check with the student's counselor and get back to them.  Upon hearing this the caller hung up the phone.  When the parent tried to call back, no one answered.

I don't know anything more than this, but I wanted to make sure you knew as soon as I knew.  Please always be cautious and, of course, also know that I will keep you informed through my blog of anything like this that happens.  I am so grateful that the TWHS parent alerted us of this concern!

College Credit Plus Reminder

All students looking to earn free college credit in classes next year MUST turn in the College Credit Plus intent to participate form by April 1st!  This is a firm deadline established by the State of Ohio and we cannot extend it.  But, as you are aware, we will be on spring break on April 1st which means you have just 1 week left to be able to get your form turned in to us!  

Just as a reminder, this includes college classes on the college campus, online college classes, college classes taught by CSCC instructors at WKHS (English, Psychology, Government, Sociology, African American History, Physical Geology, Ethics, Classical Mythology, or Art History), and the COTC or Sinclair classes taught by the WKHS teachers which can get you college credit for the exact same class you may have already signed up to take (Pre-Calculus, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, Intro to Programming Logic, Intro to Business and Engineering Design).  If you have any questions about College Credit Plus - stop and see me or watch the video on the counselor website.  (www.wkhscounselors.com).  The intent to participate forms and video sign-off forms are also available on the counselor website.

Also, for those of you who are planning to participate in CC+ next year, once you have submitted your Intent to Participate form, will still have some additional steps to complete.  You need to apply to the college that is offering your anticipated course and you need to follow any of their other requirements that they maintain including their placement tests.

Spring Break College Visits

With just a week and a half of school left before spring break, many of you have already started focusing on what all you are hoping to do over break.  No matter what grade you are in and what your plans you have already established for spring break, I'd like to encourage you to consider adding in at least one (if not more) college visits to your agenda.

For seniors, many colleges are in session during our break and so this is an ideal time to be able to visit the campuses of your top choices.  Being able to compare your college choices and to make sure that you are finding the school which will be your best fit before you the May 1st decision deadline is a helpful choice.  You can also consider making an overnight visit at the colleges for a different opportunity that you have probably not had a chance to do thus far.

For freshmen through juniors, making college visits is a beneficial opportunity to start identifying what aspects you like most and least in a college.  You will have the chance to actually walk around on a campus and imagine yourself being there in the future.  People watch, explore opportunities, investigate academics, and engage with the admissions staff to help guide you in your future college application plans.  If you are planning to be in town, there are lots of local colleges that you can visit easily.  If you will be traveling over break, you can still make college visits wherever you find yourself during break.  Chances are good that there are colleges near or along your destination and even if it is not a school that you are considering for the future, it still gives you the chance to get another view of colleges... and this can be incredibly valuable in determining what it is you want or don't want in a school.

AP Test Registration

If you are currently enrolled in an AP course, the deadline to sign up to take the end of course AP exam is next Monday, March 19th.  Taking the AP exam (and doing well) is how students have the opportunity to earn college credit for the classes you completed in high school.  Please remember that the colleges are responsible for establishing their own policies about what scores are required to be able to earn credits at their school.  The fee for each AP exam is $100 and must be submitted online by March 19th.  If you have lost your AP registration information, you can find it on the Worthington website at www.worthington.k12.oh.us and then you will find it in the Gifted Services area.

College admissions decisions coming soon

The next few weeks will be big as students finally receive the college admissions decisions that you have waited months to receive. Most of the schools that have yet to announce their decisions will be releasing them over the next couple of days to weeks. This can be a very stressful time for students. Try to take a deep breath and relax – you have done the best job to put yourself in the best situation possible with your applications. If you are stressing out awaiting the news, feel free to stop in and see me so we can talk about it.

Getting the decision can be hard enough, but often the more difficult aspect is being asked, “Did you get accepted?” by well-meaning friends. Trust me on this one, if they were accepted, the students would be telling everyone – you won’t need to ask. If they don’t offer up the news sharing if they were accepted or not, then be sensitive to the fact that more than likely they did not get accepted and don’t ask about it as it puts them on the spot to share disappointing news.

I also want to remind the seniors that we try to keep track of all of the college admissions decisions as that helps us understand current trends in admissions. I would really appreciate it if you'd stop by and update me as you receive your college admission decisions.

Good luck!  I hope you get the acceptances you are anxiously awaiting.

4th Quarter starts tomorrow - finish strong!

Tomorrow begins the 4th quarter.  Each year, in the spring, some students find it hard to focus on school when they simply want to go outside and enjoy the sunshine. I understand that, but if this is an issue for you, it is important to remember that as we run full speed into spring the beautiful weather is only just getting started. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I don't want you to enjoy each day, but I do hope that you are keeping in mind how your actions today will influence you tomorrow and in the future.  Take some time now to reflect personally and academically on where you are, where you want to be and what you need to do to achieve your goals.

There is no secret to success!  It is hard work, doing what you need to do to push yourself to improve and always giving your personal best even when you don't feel like it. For many of you this might mean that you need to take some time to get organized and prepare for the end of year push.  (HINT: if your bookbag looks like this you DEFINITELY need to work on a new organization strategy!)  For others it may mean that you need to challenge yourself to maintain your focus as distractions continue to come your way.  And yet others may need to find new study strategies that will help you to demonstrate your knowledge.  No matter what strategies you may need to focus on my biggest hope is that you will find a system that works and use it.  Looking at what you have been doing and being willing to try something different to result in a different outcome is the best initial step you can take.  As always, if you need help with getting organized, determining strategies to focus through distractions or for new study strategies, I hope you will come to see me!

Congratulations

Kuric Buell, a sophomore at WKHS, competed this weekend in the State Wrestling Competition. He is the ONLY Kilbourne student to make it to the state competition from WKHS this year! Obviously this is quite an accomplishment and we are all proud of Kuric for his impressive achievement. 

Congratulations Kuric and we are proud of you!

End of 3rd Quarter

Hooray!  We made it to the end of the 3rd quarter.  We are now 3/4 of the way through the school year which, at least for me, seems unbelievably hard to believe.  I feel like the year was just getting started and the reality is that you are now in the final stretch.  Enjoy the long weekend - you deserve it as I know these last few weeks have felt very stressful for so many of you.

Diploma Presenter

It is always a clear sign that the year is coming to a close when seniors are given the forms to select who they want to present them with their diploma at graduation.  This is one of my favorite traditions at Kilbourne!  In case you aren't familiar with it, each high school senior has the option of picking a teacher, coach, administrator, counselor, secretary, or other Worthington staff member who has played a significant part of your life to give them their diploma.  It is a way to make the graduation ceremony much more personal and memorable.  Seniors received their diploma presenter request forms and have until April 4th to submit their requests.  Please be sure to submit your form to the co-curricular office so that your preferred presenter can be invited to participate at graduation.

Scholarships

As you are working on considering and comparing your different financial aid offers it is only natural that your thoughts will turn to the overwhelming costs associated with attending college. Right about now, many seniors are so relieved to finally be done with their college applications that it can be hard to get motivated to complete scholarship applications. Several years ago I remember one student who complained all the way through his scholarship application and he ended up getting it done and submitted within hours of the deadline. As it turned out, he ended up receiving the scholarship and it was a significant scholarship (although, for the record, I believe that any scholarship received is significant as it is money that you do not have to pay on your own). Looking back, this student shared that he couldn't imagine earning that amount of money for just a couple of hours of work to complete the scholarship application.

I tell you this story to try to remind you that while I understand it can be hard to stay motivated to complete scholarship applications when only one or perhaps a handful of students will receive the scholarship award, it will be worth it if you receive a scholarship.  In fact, when I was talking to junior students and parents and we talked about scholarship applications - I encouraged them to do the math.  If you spend 5 hours working on 10 different scholarship applications and end up getting just 1 scholarship worth $500 that would mean you had earned $100/hour of scholarship work.  That is definitely worth it!

I also need to clarify that most money does end up coming directly from your colleges, but there are so many other places to look for scholarships and you should consider all of the options to try to help make your college experience even a little more affordable. For example, do your parent's employers offer scholarships for dependent children? What about your place of worship? If you volunteer for an organization, do they offer scholarships for their student volunteers? There are also countless scholarship search websites where you can complete personalized searches for other qualities and characteristics that would be ideal for you. If you want to see some of these sites, please check out the WKHS Counselors website at http://www.wkhscounselors.com/.

Parents "NOT" to do on College Visits

With the long weekend coming up and spring break just a short time later, these are great opportunities for students to make college visits.  I wanted to help remind you that Students should be the drivers on all college visits!  Students should be the ones responsible for setting up their visits and should take the lead during the actual visit, but it goes beyond that - there are things that parents need to be careful to avoid doing.

One of the counselors on the National Association of College Admissions Counselors listserve which I follow compiled the following great list of things parents SHOULD NOT do while on college visits or interviews.  This is a list of things that actual college admissions representatives have seen and heard happening at their colleges.  I hope you enjoy reading it, but the reality is, I also hope that you and/ or your parents do NOT do any of these things!

1. Don’t use the royal “we.”

Off the top of my head, my personal favorite no-no is when parents say “We want to attend your university next year” or other similar comments. (I’m particularly fond of this one when the parent is accompanied by a student whose body language indicates that s/he has zero interest in attending my university the next year.) Unless the parent is also submitting an application for himself/herself, all pronouns should indicate that the individual student is the one applying and hoping to attend. Ideally, I really believe the student should be the one asking the questions and initiating the conversations as well, although I do understand that more introverted students often find this to be challenging. But that “we” pronoun is a pretty clear indicator that the student isn’t really the one running the search!

Dead giveaways:
“We are very excited about your school”
“We don’t know what kind of major we are interested in yet”
“We would like to know…”

The one item I recommend for parents to avoid is using the phrase “WE got admitted,” WE took the SAT’s,” WE have a 3.5 GPA, etc. There are appropriate times when the student is solely responsible and appropriate times when the family is included.

2. Don’t take calls or use your Blackberries, IPODs, etc.

Don’t take a phone call during an information session and/or campus tour.

Turn off the cell phones! For one hour, disconnect.

Don’t sit in an information session and do business on your Blackberry.

DO NOT answer your cell and proceed to have a discussion while ON the tour, during an Open House presentation by the college president, or IN AN ADMISSIONS OFFICERS OFFICE during the interview!!!

3. Don’t speak for your student. 

Do not sign in for your student in the Admissions Office. The student should do it.

Parents should let their kids be themselves – I remember one parent that I met with in my office who spent most of the time telling her child to sit-up, speak up, “Tell Mr. XXXXX about your science project.” “Give Mr. XXXXX your transcript.” Parents should remember that, while they do need to gather some information, ownership of the process should belong to their children…therefore the impetus for asking questions and the responsibility for being themselves should fall on the students.

Do not speak entirely for the student (at registration tables, reception desks, Q/Amoments, etc.) while the child stands mutely aside.

Decide for the student what things to see/do/inquire about—the student should be determining all activities

I’ve heard a parent in an information session ask if his son could double major in electrical engineering and neurobiology. (Give me a break, the kid was 17!)

4. Don’t embarrass your child publicly

It’s also annoying to have a parent preface her question with the advanced curriculum choices her child has already completed at a prestigious prep school. Parents playing up the privileges they have bought for their children sound the most obnoxious and lacking in self-awareness in my opinion.

“Don’t ask about mental health facilities for kids with emotional difficulties during the college tour.” I have a parent who did this in front of their clinically depressed kid on the tour.

Consistently the parental question that brings the greatest cringe from the child and the most mush-mouthing from the tour guide has to do with coed bathrooms. What no one has the courage to say directly to Mom (never Dad, also consistently) is, Get over it! Somehow it all works out and life goes on.

Do not dominate an information session with a slew of questions; most admissions officers would be happy to answer very specific questions from a family outside of the session time. Plus, it tends to embarrass the kid.

Do NOT tell the admission counselor how much brighter/higher achieving/moretalented/etc. the student’s older siblings were! I continue to be amazed at how many parents do this. It is awful to sit and watch a student shrink in his/her chair right before my eyes!

Don’t go on and on about the student’s (real or imagined) strengths and accomplishments.

Don't launch into a diatribe that includes listing every achievement the student has made in his/her life history (not only does this take up time unnecessarily, but it usually mortifies the student)

DO NOT come to the visit or even schedule a visit with a list of demands. It’s okay to request to see a coach, faculty member, etc…most schools will do their best to accommodate, but please understand that faculty and coaches are typically busy- teaching and coaching and may not be available (or even allowed-NCAA regulations) when you are on campus.

Do NOT burst into tears and moan `Oh where did my baby go?’ during the tour.

5. Don’t monopolize the conversation/tour/discussion session

I would encourage parents to not monopolize the tour guide with specific questions only pertinent to their child’s situation. Being interested in and asking a few questions is great, but if they take over a group tour with questions that are specific to only their child, the whole tour will take forever. Those kinds of questions should be asked of a counselor at a later date.

Don't dominate discussions by waxing reminiscent about their good-old college days…and go on-and-on despite dirty looks from other parents/prospective students/their own children.

Do not do all the talking. Although we know that parents are invested in the child’s future…it’s their child’s future.

Do NOT tell stories of how you went streaking if you have gained lots of weight; it brings forth lots of unfortunate word pictures.

6. Don’t ruin the interview. 

Do not go into the interview with your student to the Admissions Counselor/ Officer.

Do not go into an interview with the coach, unless you are invited in, or unless you just plan to listen. This is your student’s time to find out about the program, by asking appropriate questions, not yours. Some coaches now think that if they have an overbearing parent during the process, they are thinking “Maybe I don’t want this parent around for the next four years,” even if they were initially interested in recruiting the student.

Do not assume that they’ll be part of an on-campus interview. Every school is different.

Don’t break out the scrapbook of everything junior has done since birth (yes, we see these when working in admissions).

Parents should not sit in on the interview and discuss another sibling who is at an “overlap” college.

7. Don’t whine, complain or be negative in public. 

“Whine” is the operative word…concern about cost is perfectly appropriate and (understandably) common.

Do not ask if new campus construction will significantly improve the aesthetic value of the campus landscape because you cannot stand to drive onto the campus for the next four years as it currently stands.

Don’t say anything negative during the Tour or the Info Session. Wait until you’re in the car. Personally, I don’t think parents should say much of anything about a college visit. I think they should keep their opinions to themselves and let the student form an opinion. If they speak negatively about a school, a student might dig their heels and in say they are interested in the college, even if they initially were not interested.

Don’t complain publicly. A parent at a recent event complained about many things in public forums—most of them either unfounded rumor or things our institution has absolutely no control over—and it not only made the entire event more negative, but it made us start to develop a very negative impression of her daughter!

Do not complain about the lack of 5 star hotels in the region.

Do not challenge the admissions representative about the number of students going to medical school and law school by calling him a liar and clearly misinformed.

8. Don’t broker your student. 

If the student is a legacy or has a family member (however distant) that has donated lots of money to the college, please do not harp on this to any university official. Parents who mention such things make it sound like, “you’d better admit my kid” kind of thing. The student can mention his/her legacy status only in the course of a conversation, or if asked outright, but not as an opener. Just know that the college will certainly know their legacy status once he/she applies.

9. Don’t allow your child to embarrass him/herself 

Remind your child about appropriate behavior and dress when on campus. Remember that the tour and discussion session are important pieces of the process and ones where behaviors can distinguish oneself, positively and negatively.

Don’t allow your progeny to curl up in mom or dad’s lap and fall asleep smack-dab in the middle of an information session. No matter how boring the speaker may be, this is a definite no-no. (Yes, this happened to me).

Remind him/her to take off your sunglasses when inside talking with Admission Officers, students, faculty, etc.

I’ve had one young lady answer her cell (keep in mind she was interviewing as a last ditch effort to be admitted) and proceed to talk to her boyfriend- her mom- who was also in the office with us just continued the conversation with me as though nothing was wrong!

10. Don’t plan to do the application process for your child. Don’t tell the Admissions Office that you are doing the application process for your child. 

I had one mother talk about how great the essay she wrote was!

Fill out the application for their son or daughter on the spot.

Don’t turn in your own letter of recommendation.

I know that when I first read through this list I laughed and shook my head, but I have also had way too many times when I have seen some of these happening even at WKHS.

We Can All Help Make an Impact

I have been trying to decide what I wanted to say and how I could respond in any kind of a logical and meaningful way to the fear and reactions so many of our students have been facing as a result of the school shootings in our nation.  And here it is, several weeks after the Florida shooting and I still don't have any healing words.

But, I do think it is important that all of us recognize that even when we feel overwhelmed, scared or powerless, we are NOT alone and we DO have steps that we can take to help one another and we CAN make an impact.

This video by the Sandy Hook Promise is a bit chilling... but it is short and I hope you will watch it before we continue the conversation.

Here is the link.

What did you think?  I found it unsettling.  It is true though... we often see things up front and wonder if we should say something, if we should get involved, if we should trust our gut instinct, but then after the fact, it becomes easy to look back and think, "Oh yeah, I saw that" or "I knew this."  Unfortunately, as the video tried to explain, talking about it after the fact can be too late.  So, I think most of all, for me, this video served as a reminder that we ALL have a responsibility to try to help those around us who may be hurting, scared or contemplating violence and to help keep our school safe.

So, here are the two most important reminders...

- If you hear someone making a threat or someone writing a threat, report it to an adult. (See something or hear something then SAY something!)
- Remember that any one warning sign may not mean that something is wrong, but if it doesn't feel right, then it is always better to reach out to an adult to try to make sure that they receive the support they need/ deserve.

What are warning signs of people at risk of hurting themselves or others?  These are just a few that people may observe:
- Fascination or obsession with firearms and/ or mass shootings
- Difficulty controlling anger or regulating emotions may appear as over-reactions or aggressive behavior for seemingly minor reasons
- Sudden change in academic performance, withdrawing from family or friends, and/or disinterest in areas that they used to enjoy
- Victims of bullying or feeling picked on or persecuted by others
- Isolation or social withdrawal
- Access to firearms
- Making threats of violence
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Previous suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, or self-harm
- Major changes in eating or sleeping habits
- Dramatic changes in physical appearance
- Giving away possessions
- Severe destruction of property
- Access/ use and prevalence of drugs and alcohol/ substance abuse

Again, because it bears repeating... if it doesn't seem right, say something!  80% of school shooters told someone of their violent plans prior to the event.  70% of people who complete suicide told someone of their plans or gave some type of warning or indication.

March Socratic Society

Yesterday 45 Kilbourne students were inducted into the Socratic Society. Students are selected for the Socratic Society based upon their display of the Socratic Core Virtues - scholarship, lifelong learning, compassion, integrity, and personal effort. Students are only eligible to receive this award once throughout their entire high school career. 13 of "my" students were among those honored. They are (alphabetically): Jack Begley, Chase Brown, Ava Burson, Abigail Cardimen, Brayden Carter, Joey Castle, Andrew Chidester, Song Chong, John Dobrea, Maddie Domecq, Maxim Estevez-Curtis, Alex Ehlers and Nevaeh Spencer.  Congratulations to each of you! I am proud of you!  

What made yesterday's ceremony even more special to me was that they had one of my student's, Kaleigh Brophy, demonstrate her Irish Step Dance performance.  Kaleigh recently competed internationally in Ireland and so it was exciting to be able to see her perform at WKHS and to showcase what she spends so much of her time doing.  Additionally, the keynote speaker for the event was David Campbell.  David graduated from Kilbourne in 2003 (before my time at WKHS), but he has 2 younger brothers, Andrew and Will.  The only one I was lucky enough to work with was Will, but I was always so impressed by the entire Campbell family and so I loved being able to say hi to David, to hear his words of wisdom and encouragement, and to spend a few minutes catching up on how he and his family are doing.  Never doubt that even after you have graduated when you come back to visit many years later it will be something that your teachers and other staff will always appreciate and remember.

Senior Pictures

Seniors, hopefully by now you have all submitted your senior picture to the yearbook staff so that they have it for the yearbook.  If you haven't turned it in yet, please make sure you get it to Mrs. Mullen as soon as possible.  If you need someone from the yearbook staff to take a picture for you, Mrs. Mullen can also help you arrange that so please don't worry if you don't have the ability to pay for senior pictures.

I love having pictures of my seniors!  I know lots of you don't always print copies of your senior pictures, but if you do, please know that nothing would make me happier than having a copy of your picture!  So, if you are a senior student or parent reading this, I hope you will consider giving me one of your pictures. (PLEASE!!)

Military Education Night & Reminders

One week from tonight, on Thursday, March 8th at 6:00pm Worthington schools will be hosting a Military Education Night at TWHS.  This is a great opportunity for any WKHS students who might be considering the options available to them in the future connected to the military.  The presentation will begin in the TWHS auditorium as all of the branches of the military will spend a few minutes sharing information about the opportunities available in their area of service and then after the brief presentations, students and parents will have the opportunity to meet at the individual booths of each military representative in the lobby area.

I also wanted to remind you that, in addition to being the Military Education Night, next Thursday is also the final day of the 3rd quarter and therefore it is also the date that all students intending to participate in athletics during the spring must make sure they are passing at least 5 classes.  This is really important because I know that sports are a key component in many of your lives and you have to be eligible in order to be able compete.

If you have any questions about the Military Education Night or finishing the 3rd quarter strong for academics and for eligibility, don't hesitate to let me know.