Earning Credit

This week a large part of my time was trying to explain to students about how you earn credits in high school.  It is a valuable reminder for everyone.

High school is different than elementary and middle school.  In middle school, you take classes and each year you move on to the next grade and take all the classes for that grade.  In high school, you must earn credits for specified classes and the way you earn credit is by passing each semester of the class. 

So, for example, all students must earn 4 credits of English to graduate.  When you pass both semesters of English 1 during your freshman year, you move on to English 2 during your sophomore year.  If, unfortunately, you failed one of the semesters of English 1 then you are going to have to make that particular semester up before you can progress on to English 2.  Students who failed a semester will be able to make up the course either by repeating the class in summer school, repeating the class through credit recovery or repeating the class by retaking it during your sophomore year.  The bottom line is that you must REPEAT the class in some format.

Some classes (like English) have pre-requisites that students must meet in order to move on to the next level.  Other classes, like Science and Social Studies, do not have pre-requisites to move on to the next level so we will potentially allow you to move from Physical Science to Biology or from World History to US History without first repeating the freshman year class.  Don’t misunderstand though, you will still have to repeat the class at some point, but if you are not making it up during summer school, then you will likely be taking a freshman year class during your junior year.

In order to earn sophomore status, students must have earned at least 5 credits.  To become a junior you will need 10 credits.  To be classified as a senior, you must have earned at least 15 credits.

If you have any questions about where you stand with the credits you have earned or what still remains, please don’t hesitate to stop by and see me.

Registration Notes

Tomorrow is the last day to register for your classes.  As you are entering your course selections, I wanted to give you a few reminders that I have seen as issues with other students...

1. Don't forget to include your lunches for each semester.  The course codes are on the selection sheet, but it is 9910 and 9920.

2.  If you want to have an Academic Prep period (for current freshmen) or an Options period (for current sophomores and juniors), please be sure that you select and enter that information codes for each semester.

3.  There are students who want to take a full year of a class.  The courses that allow this are indicated on your selection sheet with an "R."  You will then enter the course number without the R for one semester and the course number with the R (stands for repeatable) for the 2nd semester.

4.  There are some classes that have the option of being taught in a traditional format or to be taught in a Blended format.  If you want to take the class as a blended course, you will select the course number with a BL at the end of the number.

Please be sure to log in and register with all of your classes that you want to take.

PE Waivers

I have had a lot of students asking questions about the PE waiver provides the opportunity for students to waive having PE as a required class for graduation.  This option is available to students participating in high school athletics including cheerleading and marching band.  (For ease of explaining and writing this, when I refer to sports or athletics throughout this post, please know that it also includes marching band.)  All students must still earn the full 20 credits to graduate from high school, this waiver would simply mean that what has typically been required (1/2 credit of Physical Education) would not need to be included in the 20 credits earned.

The option to utilize a PE waiver is open to any current student (as well as all future, incoming Kilbourne students).  Please be aware that athletic participation during your senior year does not count toward the waiver.

In order to utilize the waiver, students must successfully complete two full seasons of athletics.  This can be 2 different sports in one year, it could be 1 sport over two years, or even 1 sport one year and another sport the other year.  So, for example, if I participate in both football and basketball in the same year, I could apply for the waiver.  If I participate in football as a sophomore and again as a junior, I could apply for the waiver.  If I participate in football as a sophomore and track as a junior, I could apply for the waiver.

In order to have your sport counted as one which can be used for the waiver, it must be an approved high school sport.  This means that your club sport participation, like club soccer or club volleyball, is not included in the waiver eligibility.  Also, dance team and the competition cheer team are all club teams and not high school sponsored athletics and so they are not eligible for the waiver option.  Additionally, team managers and statisticians cannot count their involvement as a season toward the waiver.

Students must complete a "full season" in order to have the sport count which is considered from the first practice through the last event or banquet.  If a student is "cut" from a team, quits, or has an athletic/ activity code violation which requires them to forfeit 50% or more of the season, then that season would not be able to be used to meet the two-season requirement.  If you were to get hurt, the injury will not eliminate the option of having the season count if the principal, coach and athletic director concede that the student actively participated and made contributions in spite of the injury.

Many students asked if it could be a partial waiver because they had already completed one of the PE required courses and would only have 1 season of sport eligibility and the answer is no, there is no ability to mix and match.  If you have already completed a PE course, you can still utilize the waiver to eliminate PE as a required course, but you must complete 2 seasons of sports in order to apply for the waiver.  The bottom line is that 0 seasons of sports = needs PE/ doesn't meet the waiver eligibility requirement, 1 season of sport = needs PE/ doesn't meet the waiver eligibility requirement, and 2 seasons of sports = meets the waiver eligibility requirement and therefore doesn't need PE classes.

The district has developed a system to track your athletic participation automatically and that happens at the end of each school year.  Even though it should catch your sports automatically, it never hurts to double check at the end of the year to make sure your waiver appears on your transcript.

How Many Classes

"How many classes should I take?" It is a common question that students are asking and, in all honesty, the answer depends.

A general rule of thumb for students planning to attend college is that all freshman, sophomore, and junior students should plan to take at least 6 classes each semester. All seniors that are on track for meeting their graduation requirements can decrease the total number of courses each semester due to the demands of other requirements such as college and scholarship applications, but should still plan to take at least 5 classes each semester.

It is important though to remember that 5 classes is the minimum required in order to be considered a Full Time student and is what is required for all WKHS students.  Don't forget - being full time is critical for a wide range of reasons - insurance, child support, good driver discounts, etc.

If students are behind on earning their credits, then it may be necessary to plan on taking more classes during a semester or the year.  (Remember, most students will graduate with more than the 20 credits required!)

Also, please be sure that you double check and make sure you are taking enough classes to be eligible to participate in athletics and other co-curricular activities. (Remember, any school sponsored activity that involves competition requires you to be eligible. So this includes band, choir groups, Mock Trial, In the Know, Dance Team, etc.)

In order to be eligible you must PASS at least 5 of the half credit courses each quarter. If you are signing up to take a Wellness for Life course, you need to remember that these classes are only worth .25 credits so they do not count in the courses needed for co-curricular eligibility.

If you have questions about eligibility, please stop in the co-curricular office or to see me for additional clarification.

College Credit Plus (CC+)

College Credit Plus (CC+) is a great opportunity for high school students to be able to earn college credits free of charge.  The state helps to facilitate the costs of this program so they have established very specific requirements for students to complete in order to participate.  One of those requirements is that students have to attend a mandatory meeting every year.  (Yes, even if you have been in a past year.)  That meeting will be held tomorrow night, Tuesday, January 28th at 7pm at TWHS.

With CC+ classes, there are some classes that will have WKHS teachers teaching the classes all year just like normal, but you get college credit for it.  This includes the PreCalculus and Calculus courses taught by Kilbourne's math teachers.

There are also some other classes that will be taught by CSCC instructors who will come to Kilbourne and teach their courses.  These courses are different from traditional WKHS classes in that they will be taught 2 days a week for 2 periods a day.  The extra time available on the other 3 days can either be filled with another CC+ class or as time for you to work on studying and completing the work for your college class.  Below is a list of the classes that are going to be offered (depending on level of interest) and when they will run:

First Semester:
- English Composition 1: M/W
- Psychology: T/R
- Ethics: date to be determined based on other requests for students so that students can take all of their desired CC+ classes without conflict

Second Semester:
- English Composition 2: M/W
- Sociology: T/R
- Government: date to be determined based on other requests.  (This year it is on T/R)

If you are currently in AP Lang, when you take the AP Test at the end of the year, if you earn a 3 or higher then you will have earned the equivalency of the English Composition 1 class.  This would make you eligible to go straight to Comp 2.

One of the keys to understand about the CC+ classes is that this is guaranteed college credit IF you pass the class.  (So, unlike AP classes, no test to take on one specific day to try to earn the college credit.)  The credit is guaranteed for every public college in the state of Ohio.  Private colleges and out-of-state colleges all have the option of accepting or rejecting the credit just like they do with AP courses.

If you need me to help you map out how this would look for the classes you are considering, please feel free to stop and see me and we can write it out.  This is a great, free opportunity and with the cost of college being so expensive, every free class can help so I don't want you to miss out on the chance.  Please, if you are even remotely considering CC+ for next year, go to the meeting at TWHS tomorrow night.  At the end of the evening you will receive an Intent to Participate form and then if you sign up for a class, please bring that form to me at your junior meeting.

Reminders and Program Opportunities

I hope you had a great weekend.  We have a busy week ahead and I wanted to give you all a few reminders about steps you need to take.

1. Register online.  The registration system is currently open and waiting for you to submit your course requests.  Don't forget, you must register by Friday.  And, if you are a junior with a 1:1 appointment with me tomorrow or Thursday, don't forget that you must have submitted your requests before our meeting.

2.  Teacher recommendations.  Please continue to seek input from your teachers about what classes they would suggest for you to take next year.  If you want to take a class that differs from what they have recommended, please start by talking to your teacher and refer back to my blog from a few days ago about the steps you can take to change the class.

3.  Cap and Gown orders.  Seniors need to order their cap and gowns for the commencement ceremony by Friday!  You will place your orders on their website.

4.  Curriculum night.  Want a chance for parents and students to hear more in depth information directly from the teachers who teach particular courses?  Curriculum night is just the answer.  This evening event will take place tomorrow night, Monday, January 27th, starting at 7:30pm.

5.  Registering for other programs.  Don't forget, in addition to all of the wonderful opportunities available to you at WKHS, as students, you also have choices for programs housed off-campus.
I have talked about the opportunities available at the Delaware Area Career Center in past posts, but wanted to remind students that if you are interested in learning more about DACC (such as the senior only, one-year, Pharmacy Tech program) to please visit their website -www.delawareareacc.org - and also take a field trip up to visit the programs in person.  They have additional second look visit days coming up in February and March.

It is important to remember though that the Delaware Area Career Center requires students to apply and even though the priority deadline has passed, they assure us that they still welcome your application.  So, if you are interested in applying to DACC, please get your application completed and submitted online ASAP.

For current juniors who are already enrolled as students at DACC, as long as you are in good standing with your program then you are automatically eligible to continue in your program next year.  So, when you register online you will select the 1/2 day or Full day option that you prefer and register only for the classes at WKHS that you plan on taking.

If you are a sophomore or junior who has applied to the career center, then when you are completing the online course registration, you will fill out the request as if you are taking a full day at WKHS.  Later, when you find out that you have been accepted to the program of your choice, then I will go back in and adjust your classes to reflect your half day or full day DACC preference.

Linworth is another incredible option for some of our WKHS students.  While most students who attend Linworth start there as freshmen, there are limited opportunities for older students to apply and attend.  If you are interested, we need to set up a time for you to visit and interview.  For current Linworth students, please register online for just the classes you will take at WKHS.  As always, you will set up your Linworth schedule at Linworth on the first day.  

Worthington Academy is another application based program available to WKHS students.  The Academy is housed on the west end of Phoenix Middle School and it provides students with the opportunity to blend their learning with a mix of teacher instructed and online courses.

Much like the DACC, students who are already attending the Academy and are in good academic standing can register for the Academy as a part of their registration process and then select only the classes you plan on taking at WKHS.  Those students who are applying for the Academy for the first time will register as if you were going to be attending classes at WKHS for the full day.  Once you are accepted, the Academy staff and I will go in and update your course requests so that you have the Academy and only the classes you plan on taking at WKHS in your schedule.

Please know that there are limited seats available at the Academy, so if you are interested in applying you want to get your application in as soon as possible.

If you have questions about the Worthington Academy, feel free to stop and see me or you can also contact the Academy Principal, Mr. Flynn, via e-mail at sflynn@wscloud.org.

New Class & IB Classes

There is 1 new class available to students for next school year and I anticipate that it will be a VERY popular course among juniors and seniors.  The class is IB Sports, Exercise, and Health Science SL.  This is a highly rigorous IB science class that will be taught by Ms. Hopkins.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) program is an option students can consider for selecting a rigorous academic schedule that also has the benefit of providing students with a global perspective and integrated learning to make connections across courses.

Students who are interested in completing the full IB diploma program will have specific IB courses to take along with completing the IB exams, an extended essay, and a community action service project along with a Theory of Knowledge course.  Even if students are not sure that they want to take on the full diploma program, you can still participate in IB courses!  You can take just a handful of classes (or even just 1) if that is what appeals to you.  For example, students interested in Psychology or History might elect to take just the IB Psychology course or just the IB History course.  And there is an IB partial program that you can explore if you fall somewhere in the middle.

As an IB World School, our students have the opportunity to participate in a rigorous group of classes to push themselves to learn and grow.  Students that are in the IB program are among the first to talk about how much they have enjoyed the program.  If you have questions about IB I definitely encourage you to talk with students in the IB program or to Mrs. Goodwin who is the IB program coordinator.  And, of course, you can always talk to me too.

Balance

Hopefully you are ready to request your classes online (and thanks to all those who have already done so) .  Don't forget, you need to submit your online registration by next Friday (January 31st) and, if you are a junior scheduled to meet with me Monday or Thursday of next week, please be sure to complete your registration before our meeting. 

I mentioned balance yesterday when I was talking about the teachers making their course recommendations.  I want to talk about balance a lot more because it can feel really good right now when teachers are recommending you for the rigorous classes, but then next year you can feel buried under the pressure of so many classes along with your outside of class commitments.

So, when you are considering which classes you want to take it is really important to try to find a balance. You want to challenge yourself with courses that will push you and help prepare you for the future. At the same time you want to remember that it is high school and you need to be reasonable about your expectations for yourself. There is a balance that should be sought - between too many "easy" classes and too many "hard" classes. You know yourself best and what you can handle so while it may feel good to have every teacher recommend you for honors, AP, or IB classes it doesn't mean that it would be the ideal situation to load your schedule with 7 advanced classes. This week I even had students stop by proclaiming a plan to take 8 classes by skipping their lunch period.  I get it, there are a lot of incredible classes available at WKHS, but overloading your day and burning yourself out does nothing for your love of learning or your ability to successfully complete your classes!  

I cannot stress enough how much I want you to think about the rest of your commitments.  What sports, clubs, music groups, part-time jobs, and volunteer commitments do you have?  When will you have time to relax and breathe, spend time with your family and friends and, perhaps most importantly, still get a good night's sleep each night?

I completely understand that this can be hard to figure out the balance because you aren't at next year yet to be able to imagine what your days will feel like, but the Kilbourne staff created a Time Commitment Planning Calendar which can help you gain insight into what your intended plan will really look like.  You can find copies on the Kilbourne Counselor website - www.wkhscounselors.com - or there are hard copies available in the counseling center.  A student helped by completing a sample calendar so that you can see what a completed one looks like and that is also on the Kilbourne Counselor website.  I strongly encourage you to consider 2 of your busiest weeks and fill out the calendar so that you can have a realistic perspective for what the classes you are considering would provide a good balance for you - being both rigorous (particularly in any area of passion) and reasonable.

If you are struggling to find that balance, please talk to your parents about the classes you are considering and stop down to see me so that we can discuss it too.

Teacher Recommendations

There is one major change to the registration process that older students are questioning and unsure of related to selecting their classes and that is how teacher recommendations are being handled.  Hopefully I can ease your mind a little bit on this new process.

During classes, your teachers will be reviewing the different classes offered within their departments as well as talking with you individually about the courses they would recommend for you to take next year.  You have a form to help guide the conversation with your teacher to assist with the recommendations, but this year, teachers are directly inputting their recommendations for what they would suggest for you to take directly into Infinite Campus.

Wait!  It's ok.  I promise.  

If you don't agree with what a teacher has recommended, you are not locked into that course.  For example, we know that there are MANY students who will be recommended for lots of honors or AP classes and not want to take all of them.  This is completely appropriate and acceptable... in fact, I would say that I absolutely WANT you to prioritize and schedule a balanced load that meets your interests and goals for the future.  (And your teachers and administrators want that for you too!)

The first place that we suggest you start is by talking with your teacher about their recommendation and the course that you would prefer to take.  Since your teachers know your learning style and approach they will have important and valuable information for you and your parents to take into consideration when selecting classes.  I encourage you to carefully take their recommendations into consideration - especially if they are suggesting you take an "easier" course than the one you were previously considering.

Teachers will be able to go back into the system to change their recommendation for you during the registration process which is why they are an easy and typically best point of contact for changes as you see them every day.

However, we also know that some students or parents may not feel comfortable telling a teacher that they want to take a different class than the one the teacher was recommending.  I am anticipating that this could be the case if a teacher is suggesting their elective or core course and you wanted a different one and didn't want to hurt the teachers feelings.  I get it, but I will also remind you that the teachers should NOT be pressuring you into anything!!!  This is YOUR future and YOU are the one who will be in the class and doing the work next year!  So, the administrators will also have access to changing the teachers recommendations and they are more than happy and willing to talk to students and parents about what courses you would like to change your selections from and to and make those adjustments for you.

I can help as well, but my help actually comes a little later when we meet.  If, for whatever reason, you and your parent have not had the chance to have the teachers or administrators adjust the teachers recommendations before the system locks, then that is when I have access and can get in and make changes and adjustments to the courses that were submitted.  Now, I will clarify, that it is really important to me that students and parents are on the same page, so if you find yourself in this category, when you print out your course request summary sheet, please have your parents write a note on the form of what they want you to change so that I have their authorization in writing and am certain that I am doing what you and your parents both want for your next year's schedule.

I suspect that for the current freshmen, this new process is not nearly as stressful as it seems to be for some of the older students.  Please, remember, I am here and can help talk through the choices you are considering even if I am not currently able to make the changes for you.  This will work out and TWHS has been registering students using this format for years without issues so I am confident it will be ok in the long run.

Graduation Requirements

When picking out your classes it is helpful to start with the end goal in mind - Graduation! It is important to be aware of the graduation requirements as you plan your course selection.  And if you can't remember what classes you have already completed, please check out your transcript on Infinite Campus - it has now been updated with your 1st semester grades!  (You can find it in the Reports section.)

Below you will find the list of the courses required in order to graduate.  (In addition to these classes, you will also have the additional state requirement component to fulfill, but let's just focus on classes for today.)  To help you keep these requirements straight, we provided you with a check sheet with today's registration packet.  One side of the sheet allows you to check off the classes you have already passed.  When I fill out this sheet I also put a dot in the places where students are currently taking classes so that I know those requirements will be met when you pass the class this semester.  And then it helps you to see what the remaining requirements are for you.  Once you know what your remaining graduation requirements are you can use the other side of the paper to plan out how you will be filling the 8 periods of your day each year.  (And for those of you who are older and don't have that many years left you can just leave the extra years blank or you can use it to experiment between different options of what you are considering.)

- 4 credits of English: the place where this can sometimes get confusing is senior year when students get to select what classes they want to take to fulfill this 4th credit requirement.  You can either take one of the year long classes (AP Literature, IB English, or Contemporary Voices) or if you are taking two electives then you will need to make sure the English elective classes that you select fall into two separate categories and that you get one which fulfills the English Reading component and one that fulfills the English Writing component.  They are marked on the course selection sheet for your reference.

- 4 credits of Math: this must include passing Math 3.  So, for some students that will be Math 1A, Math 1B, Math 2, and Math 3.  Others will fulfill the requirements by taking Math 1, Math 2, Math 3, and then their 4th credit of Math through Financial Algebra, Transitions to College Math or Pre-Calculus.

- 3 credits of Science

- 3 credits of Social Studies: this must include Government

- 1/2 credit of Health

- 1/2 credit of Physical Education: this can be met through 2 semesters of PE classes - each worth 1/4 credit or if students plan to use the PE waiver then this requirement can be substituted for 1/2 credit of any other elective.

- 5 credits of Elective: Any classes beyond those meeting the above requirements will fall into the category of meeting elective credits.  So, for example, if you take 4 credits of Science (which most of you should plan on doing) then the extra science credit will count as an elective credit.

- When planning your classes you need to be sure that you have fulfilled your other course requirements related to Fine Art and Financial Literacy.  The fine art requirement can be met between the grades of 7-12 and all students must pass 1 full year of fine art courses.  (This can include art, music, or theater.)  For the Financial Literacy requirement, students can meet this component through Personal Financial Management (a business elective course), Economics & Financial Literacy (a Social Studies elective course), Financial Algebra (a 4th year math course), or through the IB History course.

I updated all of my graduation checklists for current students over the long weekend so if you are unsure about how you filled out your sheet and want to double check it, feel free to stop and see me (or bring it to your individual meeting) and we can cross-reference the checklists.

Registering for the 2020-2021 School Year

Tomorrow kicks off the process for registering for classes for next school year.  You will be on a regular homeroom schedule.  Please note, all students in a CC+ class that meets during the homeroom time should go to your regularly scheduled CC+ class.  You can then pick up your copy of the registration materials from the Counseling Center after your CC+ class has ended.

Here is tomorrow's bell schedule:

1st period- 7:45 - 8:33
2nd period- 8:38 - 9:26
Homeroom- 9:31 - 9:47
3rd period- 9:52 - 10:40
4th period- 10:45 - 11:33
5th period- 11:38 - 12:26
6th period- 12:31 - 1:19
7th period- 1:24 - 2:12
8th period- 2:17 - 3:05

Tomorrow during homeroom where you’ll get the details of what you need to do to register for your classes.  You will submit your course selections online through Infinite Campus in the next week and a half.  The deadline to submit your requests is Friday, January 31st.  I will meet with every student individually to review your requests and, once again, we will still be able to make adjustments to your requests at that time so if you are uncertain about something, go ahead and make your best guess on what you are thinking and then we will talk about it when we meet together.

Here are some of the key dates you’ll need to know about:

-          Wednesday, January 22nd: Registration materials distributed and online registration begins

-          Monday, January 27^th: Curriculum Night at 7:30pm – you and your parents can come to talk with the teachers and learn more about the different options available to you

-          Tuesday, January 28^th: College Credit Plus (CC+) Information Night at 7:00pm at TWHS – you and your parents MUST attend this meeting if you are considering taking any college classes for free while still in high school.  Students are required to attend this meeting EVERY year that you will be participating in CC+. 

-          Between January 27th and February 10th: Individual meetings with juniors and parents as scheduled

-          Friday, January 31st: Deadline to submit online course requests

-          Monday, February 3rd: Individual meetings with all freshmen students during Science classes

-          Tuesday, February 4th: Individual meetings with all sophomore students during English classes

You will have a course selection sheet to help guide you in the different options available and you can use that sheet to make notes about your thoughts on what interests you and then you can highlight to help select your classes that you will then enter online.  If you would like to hear more in depth information directly from the teachers who teach particular courses, please set up a time to talk to the teacher or come to meet with them during Curriculum Night.  (Let me know if you need help finding a teacher during one of their off periods.)

After you have determined which courses you would like to take, please talk it over with your parents and then login and register on Infinite Campus.  When you submit your course requests on Infinite Campus they will be saved automatically.  You will need to be sure to submit 3 alternates.  I will only use those to replace classes if your first choice selections are absolutely not possible.  After you have submitted your requests online, you will print out your request summary sheet and have your parents sign it.  You MUST bring this signed form back with you to our individual meeting.

Freshmen and sophomores will be meeting with me individually during your Science or English classes.  I will be honest, there are a few periods when I have WAY too many students to meet with during your class period.  So, as a result, I will have to bump some of your meetings to an off period on the same day so that I can give everyone the individual time you deserve.  Unless you receive a pass from me indicating a different period, please anticipate that you will come during your Science or English class period.  Freshmen, you will come on Monday, February 3rd during Science classes and Sophomores, you will meet with me on Tuesday, February 4th during English classes.  Juniors, you will have individual meeting times assigned to you.  I hope to distribute passes for when your assigned time is tomorrow during homeroom.  This will be your only pass so please don’t lose your appointment slip because this will be your only reminder and your pass if you need to leave class.  Please be aware that some of your appointments will be before the online registration window closes, but you must submit your requests online before our meeting!

Also, just in case you lose any of your forms, we will have extra copies posted, along with the video from tomorrow’s presentation and the Course Planning Handbook all available for students and parents to access on the Kilbourne Counselor website – www.wkhscounselors.com – and as of tomorrow we will have it on the home page for your convenience.

A quick glance ahead...

I hope you enjoyed the long weekend because we have a busy few weeks ahead of us.  This week we will begin the registration process where you will have the chance to select the classes that you want to take for next school year.  I know that it always seems like this is way too early, but because of all of the layers and complexity involved in creating the master schedule and trying to come up with a schedule that will work for as many students as possible, the administrators need to start in January.  I can assure you that the next few weeks will have (seemingly) endless blog posts about all things registration because whatever questions students are coming to ask me are the things I try to blog about.  I do this so that any kids who have the same questions can get them answered in an easy way.  I will also remind you that all of the information related to registration including the link to the video, extra copies of the forms, etc. will all be posted out on the Counselor website as soon as the process starts Wednesday.

But, before we get going with the actual nuts and bolts related to registration, I want to remind all students and parents that it is important to try to pause and relax.  You are going to submit your requests, but I will also be meeting with EVERY student 1:1 to look at what you have selected, to discuss any questions that you have and to make sure that your choices sound like they make sense.  Please know that I can still make changes later when we meet even though the online system will be locked.

I stress this because each year, as soon as registration information is distributed, students STREAM to my office with the hope of setting up a time to meet in addition to our individual meeting.  I promise that I am more than happy to meet with you and we will work to find a time that is convenient, but it does NOT need to be before you register online because I can still go into the system and make changes to class requests throughout most of February. So please, when you get your registration information, go ahead and register with your best guess on classes that you would like to take and then when we are able to meet if changes are needed I can make them at that time.  I am here to help you, but I do beg for you to try to be patient with me as having more than 350 students makes it hard to get to everyone all at the same time.

Because of the importance of the 1:1 meetings with all students, there will be several days over the course of the next few weeks when I will not be available for walk in meetings.  I hate doing that, but I need you to understand that this is the one time a year when all of the focus is on academics in my office.  HOWEVER, if you or a friend are faced with a crisis, there are lots of adults available to help you!  Please either tell Nurse Julie, an administrator, a dean, a teacher you trust, or one of the secretaries and they will help connect you to immediate support.  I cannot stress how important that is to me because your well-being, physically, mentally and emotionally, is always our top priority.

Aside from emergencies, for planning purposes it might help you to know which days are going to be completely booked with meetings for me so that you can come on some of the other dates to chat about school, life, etc...  I will NOT be available on the following dates:
- Thursday, January 30th
- Monday, February 3rd
- Tuesday, February 4th
- Thursday, February 6th
- Monday, February 10th
There will be other days that are hit or miss based upon meetings, but you are probably used to that with my typical crazy schedule and meetings.

Looking ahead at the 2020-2021 school year is going to be fun and it all kicks off on Wednesday.

College Credit Plus (CC+) and Credit Flex

The College Credit Plus (CC+) program is an opportunity for high school students to take college courses while still enrolled in high school. Students have the option of completing courses on a college campus, online, or at WKHS.  

College classes at WKHS include both classes that are taught by WKHS teachers who are eligible to serve as adjunct faculty at colleges and classes where CSCC instructors are coming to Kilbourne to teach our students.

Classes that we anticipate being taught at WKHS (dependent on enough students enrolling in them) include: Pre-Calculus, Calculus 1, Calculus 2, Intro to Business, Intro to Programming Logic, English Composition 1, English Composition 2, Intro to Psychology, Intro to Sociology, Intro to American Government, and Ethics.

There are a lot of details involved in participating in the CC+ program and the state requires that students complete and submit the paperwork before April 1st to indicate their intent to participate in the CC+ program in the following school year.  CC+ is also available for students to take classes during the summer in addition to during the school year.

In order to explain all of the details of the program and to provide you with the forms necessary, ALL students and parents interested in participating in this program must plan to attend the Academic Options night on Tuesday, January 28th at 7:00pm in the TWHS auditorium.  This will be a joint meeting for all of the students and parents in Worthington.  (So please be sure you go to the TWHS auditorium!)  Every college in a 30 mile radius was invited to participate in the meeting.  You need to see me if you are unable to attend this meeting as it is a state requirement that you attend one and there are other options being provided at local colleges which you can attend if you can't make it to the Worthington meeting.  Let me stress this again - this is a mandatory meeting for any students who want to participate in CC+ next year - even if you participated in it this year!

Credit Flexibility is another program we will highlight during the Academic Options night.  Credit flexibility allows students to earn credit based on a demonstration of subject area competency, instead of, or in combination with, completing hours of classroom instruction. Students are able to customize aspects of their learning around their interests and needs. It encourages student self-direction and motivates learners to develop new skills and fulfill their potential. Examples of credit flexibility opportunities include, but are not limited to, independent study, online learning, and demonstration of course proficiency.

If you have any interest in learning more about College Credit Plus and Credit Flexibility, please plan to join us at TWHS on Tuesday, January 28th!

Report Cards and Mid-Year Transcripts

I feel relatively confident that most students know how to access infinite campus to check your grades, but parents may not be looking at progress as consistently.  In part this may be because they are allowing you to take responsibility for your own learning and watching as you develop independence while still in high school and part of it is that your parents are busy and infinite campus can be “out of sight, out of mind."

Parents, with the first semester now over, I strongly encourage you to log in to Infinite Campus and see your son or daughter’s first semester grades.  We do not mail report cards home, so this is the only way to be able to access the report cards.

If parents do not know their username and password, please go to www.worthington.k12.oh.us and click on the login button in the top right corner.  The next screen will ask for the login information and it provides an option to enter your e-mail address if you do not know your username and password.  Please note that your email address must match the one the district has in your student’s profile.  Once you submit your e-mail address, computer services will soon e-mail you with your username and password.

The online report-cards allow parents and students to assess the progress on an ongoing basis.  As we begin the second semester this is a great opportunity for parents to ask themselves questions related to your kids grades.  Are your son/ daughter's grades what you had expected?  Are you pleased?  Does your son or daughter need more structure or support to help them develop new skills for studying or preparing for classes? If your student is struggling to be successful, one of my top suggestions is to talk to your student and to the teachers!  Teachers have a good perspective on where kids stand in their class.  They can help clarify on concepts that students are missing, areas for improvement, and they can provide concrete suggestions for how your son/ daughter can make changes to find success in their classes.

I will be reviewing all of your grades for the semester and completing credit checks for all of my students so that I can be sure you are staying on track.  It is still beneficial for you and your parents to keep track of your progress as well.

Additionally, for current seniors, now that you are half way through the year, many colleges will want to get mid-year reports of your transcript.  For all of the colleges on Common App, I will upload your updated transcript automatically this week.  If you applied through a different means other than the Common App website and your colleges want mid-year reports then you will need to log onto the WKHS Counselor website and fill out the transcript release form to request for your updated transcript being sent to your specific colleges.

Dealing with Deferrals

One of the realities of the college admission process is that not every student will be accepted to every college. The waiting game can often be one of the more frustrating aspects. With family members and friends consistently asking, "Where are you going to college?" the uncertainty present with each "I don't know" response can be overwhelming.

Sometimes even when you hear back from the college, the answer still leaves you wondering where you stand. That is the case with a deferral. A deferral is not a "yes" and it is not a "no." It is what a college will do when they need more time to make a decision on your application.

So, what should you do if you are deferred?
One of the first steps should be to stop in and see me so that we can talk about the college decision and develop a game-plan for your next steps.

If I were trying to simplify the process, then I would suggest that you call the admisisons office and talk directly with the admissions officer who is in charge of our region. Talk to him/ her about where you stand and what they would like for you to do to be a more "ideal" candidate.

Draft a letter with any updates and information that you can share with the admissions staff. In particular, let them know that of any new experiences that you have had or recent accomplishments that they weren't previously aware of when you first applied. Updating them on your new activities and accomplishments is important because it is your effort to help give the college a reason to select you and add your application to the "accepted" pile.

I will be sending them an updated copy of your transcript if you applied through Common App, but if you applied in a different format, then I'd suggest you requesting to have one of your updated transcripts sent.

If you re-took your ACT or SAT exams and haven't forwarded your most recent scores to the college, request for the scores to be sent directly to the college of your choice.

Consider other outreach efforts to communicate your strengths with the admissions office such as an additional teacher recommendation letter.  (But only do this if they will be sharing new information in their letter that wasn't already addressed in other parts of your application.)

Although no one likes to be deferred, remember that this is not the end of the world and there is still plenty of time to communicate your strengths to the admissions committee so that you will be accepted to their school.

Grade level reminders

Seniors: There are lots of deadlines you need to be paying attention to right now.  Have you turned in your senior picture to Mr. Cecutti?  Those are due this week.  Also, if you haven't ordered your cap and gown yet, you need to do that as well.  And last, but not least, don't forget to watch your financial aid deadlines. The priority deadlines are rapidly approaching - and some have even passed.  Be sure to complete and submit your FAFSA as soon as possible! And, although I assume this goes without saying, if you still haven't applied to college, you need to do this now.

Juniors: As you know, you will be taking the ACT (for free) on February 25th.  You should be preparing for the test now - and as a reminder, if you have signed up for Dr. Sampath's free prep crash course, that is during the day tomorrow.  Additionally, we will soon be doing your registration for next year and as a component of that, I will be meeting with you and your parents.  Please be sure to remind your parents to look for an email from me about these meetings.

Sophomores: You have been through a year and a half of high school.  Before long you will be taking your End of Course (EOC) exams for this year.  It is important to realize that you will, most likely, be taking 4 of the EOC exams this year which is double what you had to do last year.  I know that they take a lot of time and can create stress, but remember, what you are doing in class today and every day is preparing you for these tests.  Please be sure to maximize your learning in class each day.  I promise, you will be glad that you focused so that you will be able to earn the points you need on the tests this year without having to worry about repeating these tests again in future years.

Freshmen: By now you understand the way high school works and what to expect on a day to day basis.  It is time to start figuring out how you can make a positive impact on the school and community.  How can you get involved?  What clubs, activities, or sports are you interested in joining?  Take actions today to explore areas that will help you in the future.

Military Options

Are you interested in learning more about the military and the different careers and opportunities that they can provide for the future?  There are a couple of great opportunities coming up for our students to participate in - both which will be hosted at TWHS. 

A Military Information Night will be held this week on Wednesday, January 15th, at 6:30pm at TWHS and all students and parents are invited to meet with the military recruiters.  The recruiters from all of the different branches who work with our schools will be there to present information about their opportunities and then to meet with you 1:1 after the presentation.

Additionally, on the morning of January 25th, students are able to take the ASVAB - a career placement test through the military.  Please understand that taking this test does NOT commit you to joining the military or making the military as your career - it is simply to give you options that could be available to you for the future.  In fact, many students will elect to take the ASVAB to help get additional career insight without planning to go into the military.  If you are interested in taking the ASVAB, please stop to see me and I will get you signed up.  This is, again, a free opportunity.

And Then What?!?

When something goes wrong, what is your typical thought process?  Do you immediately jump to conclusions?  For some people, this happens so quickly and instinctively that it is challenging to even recognize it has happened.

Let me give you an example.  I was talking with one of my students who was convinced she had done poorly on a test.  She came in upset that she had failed her test and when we then started talking about it, she expressed that she was sure this would mean she was going to fail the quarter, and the semester of the class, not be able to graduate, not have a promising future, and be dead.

I recognize that as you read that, you will probably think, "oh she was just exaggerating," but I promise you, that is how many of us think and that jumping to conclusions happens for more often than people realize.

There are so many examples of this that happen in your own life.  Maybe it isn't regarding failing a test for you.  Perhaps it is from a recent break-up.  Instead of just thinking that it is a common experience we all go through in life, people will think, they didn't like me, no one will ever like me, I'm going to be alone forever.  Or maybe it's when you get rejected from college.  Rather than just thinking that this is a disappointment, people will jump from I can't go to that collete to I won't get accepted at any college, I'm going to have a miserable life.

But here is the thing, pausing and reflecting on, "And then what" thoughts can be powerful and empowering or it can completely spiral and the difference comes down to how intentional you are with asking the question.

For the student who was worried about failing a test that I mentioned earlier, she had a good grade in the class already which meant that she was not actually in jeopardy of failing for the quarter or the semester.  But it felt that way to her.  And that fear of not being able to have a promising future and life is clearly a trigger point in her life which is why she jumps to that worst case scenario so quickly.  If, instead of spiraling, she paused and was realistic in her analysis of the impact of one bad test grade, she would have realized that she might need to study harder on a future test, but even still, she was not going to fail the class for the quarter or the semester and so she needed to be kinder to herself.

If you break up with someone, it does NOT mean that you will be alone forever - it means you are humnan.  And (hopefully) you have learned something about what it means to be in a relationship and what you are looking for in a significant other, how you want to be treated and how you need to treat others.  If you get rejected from one college it does NOT mean there isn't another college out there for you nor does it even mean that you won't be successful at that college at some point in the future as a transfer student.

So, what am I hoping you will do?  Slow down.  Really stop to try to think through the thought spirals that you are going on.  Reality check the sequence of events that you are anticipating.  (Is that really the only possible route of options that will happen as a result of the circumstance you find yourself in at this point?)  And, please know that reality checking is sometimes easier to do if you talk it out with someone so if you ever want to reality check your thought cycles with me, I would be more than happy to do that for you!

The other point to keep in mind is that "And then what" can be a helpful thought process if you have a decision to make and need to decide what choice is the best option for you. 

I hope that will be a helpful thought process sequence for you now and in the future.

January Students of the Month

Congratulations to the 18 students who were honored yesterday morning as Students of the Month. Kilbourne students can only be selected to receive this recognition once in their high school career.

A special congratulations to "my" students who were honored including: Azwad Alam, Joe Dargenio, Jamison Davis, Chloe Emberton, and Noah Estevez-Curtis.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend due to a conflicting meeting at central office, but I'm proud of you all!

College Decision Terms

As more and more students begin hearing from colleges I thought it might be helpful to review some of the most common terms you will see in response letters from colleges. Below are some of frequently used terms/ phrases for admissions decisions. If you (or your son/ daughter) receives a letter and you are uncertain what they mean, please feel free to let me know or to contact the college directly.

- Accepted: Congratulations - they are inviting you to join and be a part of their college/ university!

- Declined/ Rejected/ Not Accepted: For whatever reason the college did not feel that you would be a good fit. While it is understandably disappointing, please remember that there are lots of colleges and universities out there, so don’t give up on finding a good match.  You will still be successful at a college and you will find one that is a good fit!

- Decision Deferred: The college is not sure yet… usually they will tell you what additional data/ information they are interested in receiving to help them make their decision. The most common piece of data they will look for are senior year grades at the semester time.

- Wait List: The wait list is not a denial, but it is not an acceptance either. Colleges use wait lists as insurance to make sure that their freshman class will be the appropriate size. If enough students decide to attend, the college will not accept anyone off of their wait-list.  This is limbo-land so if you end up on a wait list, we need to talk about how this will play out for you.

The other piece of information you will notice on all college acceptance letters is that they will say something to the effect of provisional or pending which is basically the college's way of telling you that they expect for you to finish out your high school career in the same manner and fashion that you had presented yourself in your application.  Same level of courses, same caliber of grades, same activities and involvements, same discipline record, etc.