Underclassmen Graduation Requirements

In some ways, it is funny... (almost)... I remember when the current testing requirements for the juniors and seniors seemed so complicated and overwhelming for students and parents to figure out.  I have to be honest, compared to the underclassmen graduation requirements, the EOC 18 point requirement seems like a piece of cake.

But, here is the good news... it sounds confusing, but is totally manageable.

This infographic is the easiest way for me to try to help you understand the requirements.

As you look at the infographic you will notice that there are 3 sections.  

1.  The Basics are your 20 credits that I had talked about last month - those are the same as the older students.

2.  Comptency: this is the state's requirement that you demonstrate comptency in English and Math.  You will do this with your scores in the Math 1 and English 2 End of Course exams.

If you took one of those classes last year, your score was given based upon your grade in your class since COVID prevented the EOC tests from being administered.  

The comptency score is actually a "high 2" - so it will go back to your exact score, but if you earned a 3 or higher in both the English and Math then you have fulfilled the Comptency component of the graduation requirement.

3. Demonstrate Readiness: the state has established 12 seals and students must earn 2 of them to graduate.  These seals are from a range of different experiences and opportunities.  For example, one seal that the majority of our sudents should be able to earn is the Student Engagement Seal for being involved in extracurricular activities at WKHS.  Many of the other seals will be earned based on End of Course testing scores - for example, a readiness seal can be earned in Science for performing well on the Biology End of Course test.

The graduation requirements are something I pay attention to at all times, but it is also valuable for you to know and be aware and track the requirements on your own - if for no other reason than it is good practice before you get to college and have to keep track of your graduation progress completely on your own.  

Want to know more?  Check out the video that Dr. Gupta, Worthington's Director of Secondary Education, created to explain the requirements in detail.  It is available on this page: https://www.worthington.k12.oh.us/Page/4382

Interim Grades

We are now at the half way point through the 3rd quarter.  Students and parents are encouraged to check grades on Infinite Campus to get a feel for where current grades stand and consider what changes may be needed.  In the past, because grades are available on Infinite Campus, our district has not mailed home interim reports or report cards.  This year, in recognition of the fact that there have been so many changes and so many parents are feeling overwhelmed by the number of emails they receive, the school administrators decided to mail home interim reports for any students that have D's or F's in a class currently.

If you (or your son/ daughter) is struggling academically, there are some easy steps to take that can make a big difference.

1. Turn in EVERY assignment.  Even if it isn't perfect.  Even if it is only partially done.  Remember, some points are better than no points.

2. Work with your teacher to review material that you don't understand.  Ask them questions - remember, if you don't ask they assume you understand and know what to do.

3. Work with the Academic Assistants.  The Teaching and Learning Center in Room 209 is one of our greatest assets to assisting students who are struggling so please take advantage of that option.

4. Prepare in advance.  Don't wait until the last minute on homework, projects or studying for tests.  Staying organized and doing it a little at a time will pay off.

Finally, remember, your interim 3rd quarter grade is just 1/4 of the total semester grade and it is your semester grade which is what ends up on your transcript.  Please remain focused on taking care of the rest of the school year so that your semester grade will be as strong as possible.

Also, one other side note - if you need to drop a class or switch a course to pass/fail, the last day to make that change is Tuesday, March 2nd. (It is, of course, too late to add a class.)

Graduation Points - Jr/ Sr

The basic class requirements (that I talked about last month) are the same for all grade levels.  But juniors and seniors have different testing requirements than freshmen and sophomores.  Tonight, I am going to give a quick overview of the upperclassmen testing requirements.  I will address the underclassmen requirements in my next post.

All juniors and seniors must earn a certain number of graduation points to graduate.  Students will earn these points based on the End of Course exams that you have to take each year.

There are 7 tests that contribute to the total graduation points.  Every student will take tests in:
- English 1
- English 2
- Math 1
- Math 2
- Biology 
- US History
- Government

Students must earn a total of 18 points in all of these tests.  This is complicated a bit in that 4 of the points must come from English, 4 points from Math, and 6 points from the Science and Social Studies areas.  This allows the other 4 points are "floater points" and can come from any of the tests together.

Last year, because the EOC tests weren't able to be administered due to COVID, your points earned was based upon your grades in your classes.

Most juniors have taken 6 of the 7 tests - leaving just the Government test.  You can look up on Infinite Campus where you currently stand toward reaching your goal points.  Let me assure you, I am watching these points closely!  Most students don't need to worry about the points - and for those who have retaken a test, they have typically improved their scores.  So, I don't want you to stress or be anxious about these tests, but I do want you to do your best in your classes so that you are prepared for every end of course test.  

Additionally, please know that even if you are not able to reach the point goals on the End of Course assessments, there are still other options to successfully fulfill the testing requirement for graduation.  For example, students can achieve college readiness scores on the ACT or SAT exams.  Earning a certificate for specific in-demand careers and a designated score on the Work Keys test is also an option for completing this requirement.  

I don't tell you all of this to overwhelm you or to stress you out, but I just want to be sure that you are aware that there are options for graduation and we will work together to make sure that you WILL graduate!

As always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to stop in and let me know.

Good Luck at States!

Several of our swimmers have once again qualified for the State Championships!  Congratulations to Nanami Campbell, Evie DeCarlo, and Paige Delma who are "my" students that qualified.  Also joining them was a student not in my alphabet: Lauren Richner.  This group qualified in both the 200 yard Medley Relay AND the 200 yard Free Relay.  Congratulations to all 4 of you and please know we are proud of you!

As if that wasn't enough, Paige Delma also qualified in the 200 IM and Evie DeCarlo qualified in the 100 yd Freestyle!  Such an impressive accomplishment for all of you!

(Just in case anyone is wondering - there is a specific reason that I normally only recognize "my" students on my blog.  That is because I have to work hard to make sure that I do not recognize any students in a public manner like this blog who do not have approval to have their information shared.  I keep close tabs on that for my students, but do not keep track for students outside of my alphabet breakdown.  I decided to mention the off-alpha swimmer because there was just 1 student being excluded from the 2 state qualifying relay teams and that didn't seem fair and her name has been publicized a great deal on social media and the paper as being a part of this state qualifying team so I felt confident that her name was an acceptable one to mention.)

Great Job Juniors!

I just wanted to say congratulations to all of the juniors who tested today!  You did a great job.  The feedback I heard from teachers was overwhelmingly positive and so I am hoping you feel good about your testing experience.

Remember, this is just 1 test.  If it didn't go well, that's ok, you can always repeat it again!  If it went well, awesome, maybe you never have to take it again!  One test opportunity is never going to be the major "make or break" moment.  So breathe, relax, and be thankful that today is over.

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 frustrating. 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 reach out to the admissions officer who is in charge of our region.  One of the best ways that you can do this is by drafting 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.

Send them an updated copy of your transcript.  If I have already submitted your mid-year report then they have this information already.

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 a teacher recommendation letter if you didn't already send one to that college.

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 hopefully be accepted to their school.

ACT for Juniors

Juniors, by now I feel confident that you are aware that you will be taking the ACT (for free) on Tuesday morning.  Freshmen, Sophomores, and Seniors, Tuesday is an Independent Learning Day for you.

I have a few reminders for the juniors as we head into this week and some important steps you need to be sure to follow.

1. You need to complete your non-test information in MyACT.  You should have received very detailed instructions and a test booklet to assist you in completing the required information.  You have from February 20-25th to submit your information.

As a reminder, you will be going to www.myact.org to create your account or to log in to your existing account.

2. You will complete the demographic information including your high school resume of courses - please do the best you can when completing that infromation and remember that you can use your transcript from Infinite Campus to assist you.

3. You will be given the opportunity to select 4 colleges where you want your scores to be sent, free of charge.  Please take advantage of that opportunity.  And, if you are planning to take CC+ classes at CSCC next year, please put them down as 1 of your 4 intended colleges so that they get your scores.

4. Prepare for test day.  This is an official ACT so you are strictly bound to all of the restrictions and requirements set forth by ACT.  Testing will begin at 7:45am so you will want to report to your assigned rooms by 7:40am.

Be sure to bring the following items with you on Tuesday morning:

• Photo ID
• Number 2 pencils (Remember, no mechanical pencils are allowed!)
• A Calculator

And, of course, I will also remind you to make sure you get a good night's sleep and to eat breakfast before coming to school on Tuesday so that you are in the best place possible for your test.  

Mental Notes

"Just write it down!"  I feel like I have been telling students that a LOT lately.  I have shown my notebook that holds my massive ongoing To Do Lists, shared my paper calendar, revealed the notes section of my phone with a short term daily task list, and pointed out that even my phone's calendar and reminders are all set up to help me be successful.

I love the saying, "The trouble with mental notes is the ink fades so fast."  Oh my!  How true is that?!

I truly believe that you think you will remember all of the things you need to do, all of the responsibilities that you have to fulfill, all of the activities with family and friends that you WANT to do, and yet that is SO MUCH INFORMATION to try to hold in your brain at one time.  You are truly setting yourself up for failure at remembering every single detail when you're trying to hold it all in your head.

If you are a person who tries to remember everything all the time, it is time to try something different.  I promise, this is a lifelong skill that you can build that will pay off as you learn to change your mental notes into real notes and, as a result, get far more than you had imagined accomplished.

CC+ Paperwork Reminder

Are you planning on taking a College Credit Plus class next year?  Most often those include the classees taught at WKHS such as the COTC Math classes taught by Kilbourne math teachers and the CSCC courses taught by CSCC professors who come to our building, but it can also include going to college campuses to take classes during the summer or school year.

If you are going to enroll in a CC+ class, please remember that you MUST watch the 2 part video on the Counselor Website and complete the Intent to Participate form that is also available on the Counselor Website or available for hard copy pick up in the front of the counseling center.  Every student and a parent must watch the video and sign off on the form EVERY year that you plan to participate in CC+.  So, even if you took a CC+ math class this year, if you are going to take one next year too then you must watch the video and complete the Intent to Participate form.  (Please understand, this is a state requirement so we have to abide by their restrictions.)

I need the CC+ forms back ASAP (no later than Friday if at all possible) in order to leave you in the CC+ class. Again, because this is guided by the state requirements, we can't let you sign up for CC+ classes without having an Intent to Participate form for you.  So, if you don't have your form turned in this week, I will have to remove you from your desired CC+ classes until I get that form back from you and then I can add you back into the classes.

Bottom line, if you are even remotely considering taking a CC+ class next year, please watch the video and return your form to the tray in the front of the Counseling Center on Friday!  Thanks.

Registration and IB program

A huge thank you to all of the students who took time out of your snow day today to meet with me for your registration meetings!  I am thankful that we were able to get them done today!

I reviewed student submissions in Infinite Campus and there are still quite a large number of you who need to get your full requests in or who have requests submitted, but forgot to include your preferred alternates.  PLEASE, log into Infinite Campus and request your classes!

When you are considering options for your future classes, keep in mind that 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.

DACC and Worthington Academy

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.

It is important to remember 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, but not yet been accepted, 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 you will let me know and I will go back in and adjust your classes to reflect your half day or full day DACC preference.

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 to the Academy, 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.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!  I hope you are enjoying the long weekend and that you are reminded by family members and friends that you are important and that you matter.  Valentine's Day is often a holiday that is dominated by commercials encouraging people to buy special cards, jewelry, flowers or candy, but really those items are not what love is all about.  Love is about caring for the people in your life and putting their needs above your own.  Love is also about respecting one another!  February is Teen Dating Violence awareness month.  I hope that you all know and realize that you deserve to be in healthy and respectful relationships.  It is important to speak up and set healthy boundaries in your relationships and to seek help if that is not happening in your life or the lives of those you care about.  Want to learn more about teen dating violence?  Check out this website - http://www.loveisrespect.org/ - they have tons of great resources and information.

Long Weekend and Final Reg Reminder

We made it to another long weekend!  I hope you enjoy having the extra time off to relax and get refreshed in spite of the cold weather. 

Also, don't forget that today is the final day to submit your registration requests.  Please log in and do this if you haven't already taken care of that responsibility.

Have a great 3-day weekend!

Blended Classes

One of the conversations I had a decent amount today was about Blended Classes.  In the blended format, students will meet with the teacher for more traditional instruction, full class discussions, and other learning activities a few days a week.  Then on the other days of the week, students will have the flexibility to take more personal responsibility for their learning by completing online assignments, engaging in digital conversations, and meeting individually or in small groups to push their learning forward.  Please note this does NOT mean that you wn't have class or academic responsibilities and expectations each day - that will be specified and explained to you at the start of the class.  

One of the aspects with blended that we see is that students have the possibility IF THEIR GRADES ARE STRONG that they can work independently on some of the days rather than coming to class every day.  The benefit of this is that it gives you the freedom to decide where and when you get your work completed and for students who are struggling some academically, it gives you a smaller group of people to be in the classroom on some of the days to get more direct support from your teacher.

The two classes which are offered in both a traditional and blended format that students must decide which setting is a better fit for them are English 3 and Contemporary Voices.  Please note that the course numbers are the same, but the blended format sections have a different ending to the course code, so if you want to enroll in one of the blended courses next year, please be sure to use the proper course code number and letters

Registration Note Reminders

Friday is the last day to submit your class requests on Infinite Campus.  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. Use the course numbers (not names) to select your desired classes.  Students are ending up in some interesting places if picking classes based upon names.

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

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

4.  There are students who want to take a full year of a semester long 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.

5.  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.  If you need the step by step directions for how to submit your courses, you can find the online registration directions on the Counselor Website.

Note from a Recovering Perfectionist

I am not perfect.  Never have been, never will be.  Neither are you.

Perhaps that desire to try to achieve perfection isn't a struggle for you, but for those of you who always want to try a little harder, give a little more, get good grades, never let anyone down, aim to be please - you are my people... and this post is aimed for you today.

I like to think of myself as a "Recovering Perfectionist" as if I don't still fall in that trap, but sadly, some days it is less recovering and more aiming for a ridiculous standard.  Case in point, me, today, out shoveling the snow on my driveway.  I had the driveway cleared by all normal standards, but kept going back to these little spots where the blacktop was gathering white.  And yes, I will acknowledge that some of that was due to continued falling and blowing light snow, but I wanted it all off.  I wanted the driveway to be completely cleared.  Why?  Was it going to impact me or anyone coming in or out of my driveway?  No.  Was it actually important that every area of snow and ice was completely gone?  No.  Was I cold and ready to come back inside?  Yes.  So why did I keep going?

That voice in my head was telling me that more was possible and that it was a snow day so there was no excuse that I didn't have enough time to get it done right.  Ugh.

So here is what I can tell you... right this moment there are still a few spots of snow out on places of my driveway, but it was absolutely done well and even great by most standards.  When I was growing up my mom always used to say to me, "It doesn't matter if you are THE best as long as you do YOUR best."  It is a mantra that helped me often.  (And yes, I even repeated it to myself a few times out shoveling today.)

Now, I tend to take that one step further by asking myself, "Am I doing the best I can with the tools and resources I have in this moment?"  I love that question.  Because my best is going to be different depending on the moment and the circumstances.  Your best is different too!  When we haven't had enough sleep, when our stress levels are high, when time is limited, and when we don't have the skills to do more, then our best is less than when we are well rested, our stress levels are manageable, we have enough time and we are well practiced and prepared.  So doing our best will look different based upon the circumstances we are facing in that moment.

Obviously the doing YOUR best mantra and reflection question are fine for shoveling a driveway, but they play a much bigger role in getting yourself out of the desire to try to be perfect - because you're not - and that is just as it should be so try to stop being so hard on yourself and really pause to self-reflect and think about what you are doing or expecting out of yourself because my guess is it might not be very realistic or reasonable.

PS - I love snow days!  I hope you enjoyed yours too!

Teacher Course Recommendations

First off, let me remind you that tomorrow is the last day planned for 9th/10th grade meetings.  So, if you haven't already met with me, tomorrow is your day!!!  Please go to the Counselor Website and sign up for a time slot to meet with me.

During that meeting, one of the easy fixes I can do for you is make adjustments to your teacher recommendations.  If you and your parents have decided that it is not in your best interest to take a class that your teacher has recommended and you want an easier or comparable course, then that is what I can easily fix during the group or individual meetings.

If you have decided that you want a more difficult course than what was recommended by your teacher then you must complete the Course Override form (also on the Counselor website) in order for me to change that in your schedule.  Before you decide to go with a more difficult course than has been recommended, please be VERY careful in thinking through all of the possible implications of doing that because your teacher's are recommending based upon what they know about your learning AND what they know about the classes.  They want to make sure that you are being recommended for classes that will help you to be successful in the future.

We are nearly done with the course registration process for next year - make sure you get your requests submitted to be able to take the classes you want.

Earning Credit

Happy Superbowl Sunday.  Are you going to watch the game today?  What about the commercials?  It always makes me smile the day after the superbowl to hear what people are focused on talking about - the game or the commercials.

Of course, right now, in my office the number one topic we are talking about is registering for next year's classes.  One of the most common questions that has been asked of me by students who have been struggling academically is "will I be a sophomore/ junior/ senior next year?"  So, even though I have been addressing these questions individually, I thought it might help to remind everyone about how earning credits works.  

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 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 or Math) 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 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 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.

School Announcements

Just a reminder, Monday and Tuesday will be picture re-take days at WKHS.  If you missed out on your chance to have your photo taken for your ID and school pictures back in the fall, please be sure to go during your lunch to have your picture taken.

And, yesterday, the virtual Student of the Month program was shared.  Congratulations to "my" students who were honored as February students of the month: Jude Abuzeide, Kya Angle, Chloe Curry, Aerial Davis, and Courtney Earhart.  I am proud of all of you for this well-deserved recognition!

Finally, I just wanted to say congratulations to all of the seniors who were recognized and celebrated over the last week as Leaders of the Pack.  I am proud of EVERY member of the senior class for how you have overcome challenges, continued to stay involved in your learning and the ways you continue to lead our school in positive ways.

Balancing Classes

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.  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.  In fact, last week during registration appointments I even had students considering taking 8 classes by skipping their lunch period, but I think the more we talked about it this was in part because they were handling the hybrid learning really well and feeling like they had all of this time on their Independent Learning Days to get work done so they'd be able to keep up with an extra class.  But it is important to remember that next year you will be back to normal school.  With daily classes from 7:45-3:05 and new homework being assigned every day, having down time to just be in the middle of the day plus one less class giving homework, will definitely be needed.

I encourage you to think about 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 let's be sure to talk about that during your registration appointment!

PE Waiver

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 use the waiver.  If I participate in football as a sophomore and again as a junior, I could use the waiver.  If I participate in football as a sophomore and track as a junior, I could use 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 use 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.

Honors Diploma

For some students, earning an Honors Diploma is an important goal. I have to be honest, this is not a factor for the colleges because the honors diploma recognition isn't granted until you graduate so colleges are not considering it when making their admissions decisions. The requirements for the honors diploma listed below are established by the state department of education.

To receive an honors diploma you need to fulfill 7 of the following 8 criteria:
- English: 4 units
- Math: 4 units (CCSS Math 3 and another higher level course)
- Science: 4 units (including two advanced level sciences)
- Social Studies: 4 units
- Foreign Language: 3 units (including at least 2 units in each language studied)
- Fine Arts: 1 unit (during high school)
- Grade Point Average: 3.5 on a 4.0 scale
- ACT/ SAT Score (excluding scores from the writing sections): 27 ACT/ 1280 SAT

One of the areas that I have noticed as a trend of some students falling short of meeting the honors diploma requirements is in Social Studies since only 3 credits are required for graduation so students won't take the full 4th credit needed. The other area where students frequently don't meet the designated standard is with the 1 credit of Fine Art.  This is because many students rely on the fine art courses they took during middle school for their graduation requirements, but those courses do not equal high school credits.  (They count for graduation, but aren't actual credits earned.)  So students who want to have that requirement met for the honors diploma would need to complete the 1 credit of fine art during the high school years. 

Don't forget, it would still be possible to earn an honors diploma if you were missing one of these, but you will need to make sure you fulfill all of the remaining criterion.

Also, I wanted to point out that these are the requirements for the most common pathway towards the honors diploma, but there are also pathways available for students participating in the IB diploma program or in a Career Tech program at the Delaware Area Career Center and the state of Ohio also has additional pathways to honors diploma including a STEM Honors Diploma, an Arts Honors Diploma, and a Social Science & Civic Engagement Honors Diploma.  You can check them all out here.  Please be aware though that it is still just one Honors Diploma so as long as you earn it one of the ways then you have earned the sticker on your diploma designating it as an Honors Diploma.