Find a career you love

Choosing what you would like to do for the rest of your life can be pretty overwhelming for most students. The idea that, as a high school student, you are expected to decide what career you will enjoy doing every day can seem scary. One of my students described his view of the future as endless 40 hour work weeks and while there is certainly some truth to this statement, the goal is that you will find a career you love. When you enjoy your job and find it fulfilling and rewarding, then every day will give you something meaningful.

It is fun to dream about your future and I hope you will ultimately find a job that is as meaningful to you as my job as a high school counselor is to me!

Don't hesitate to chase after whatever dreams you have for your future.  And, know that you are capable of making your dreams a reality.  While the jobs you might have during high school or the first jobs you have after graduating from high school aren't always your dream positions, working provides many valuable life skills.  Don't forget that juniors and seniors are invited to attend the Worthington Schools virtual job fair tomorrow morning in the library from 8:30-10am.  Who knows, it just may spark an interest for you and careers for the future.

Time flies

Time flies... and this year it's zooming.  :-)  Ok, cheesy, I know, but seriously, doesn't this year seem to be passing by unbelievably fast?  Seniors have just 14 days of class remaining and underclassmen have 20 days before summer break.

Obviously that means every moment counts if you are not doing well in your classes and you are trying to pull off a passing grade for the semester.  It is essential that you spend the remaining weeks taking care of your classes so that you do not jeopardize your future.

The truth is that this last month of the school year is essential for many WKHS students.

For seniors, I realize that there is a rampant case of senioritis running through the school, but I must remind you that next year most of you will be heading to college. You have already received your acceptance letters and decided where you will be attending school next year so it seems like your grades this last semester don't really matter... except they do! You must submit a final transcript to your college. If you go back and read the acceptance letters the colleges sent to you, you will notice the fine print points out that they can turn you down if you don't maintain the level of grades that they expect from you and your past performance. Historically, schools have turned away hundreds of students and I can't even imagine how hard it was for a student to believe they knew where they would be attending to suddenly find out that they couldn't go there any more because they blew off school during their final semester.  The other comment I hear from seniors often is that school doesn't matter now, but that next year, in college, when it matters they will turn it around and try. Well, while I would love to believe you (and I hope you are right), the reality is that it isn't always that easy. Bad habits are hard to break. Next year there won't be anyone bugging you about turning in homework or reminding you that a paper or project is due next week. They won't accept late papers. Most teachers won't check attendance and they don't really care if you want to throw your money away by not attending class. It is your introduction to the real world. At WKHS if you show up late to class and get a tardy or two you end up with a detention. In the real world, if you show up late for work you get fired. At WKHS if you can't manage to turn in a paper or project on time teachers take points off and it might hurt your grade, but in the real world the devastation of not following through and meeting the expectations of your boss are much more serious. I know, you think I am just nagging and I promise that I am not trying to lecture you, but I am worried. The last few weeks of high school need to be a time to practice developing some good habits. For many of you, you have taken a long enough break at the beginning of this quarter. Spend time studying. Work on your organization skills. Practice taking better notes. All of those things will help you in college and in the future.

For the underclassmen... it is far too early for you to be claiming senioritis (although I heard that from quite a few students recently). The classes you are taking now will impact your grades and grade point average. Having a higher grade point average doesn't guarantee you admission to the school of your dreams, but it does provide you with more options. For most of your classes - you need it to meet graduation requirements. (Even your elective classes as you need five credits of electives to graduate.) It always surprises me when students give up at this point in the year. I don't understand it. If I was faced with the option of working really hard for the last few weeks of school or taking the class for an entire semester (or year) again over the summer or next year there is no question that I would apply myself now. That is what so many of you need to do. Hopefully you realize there is a way you can still pass, but you must commit yourself now and not let a single point slip by without trying to earn it.  Every point matters! Talk to your teachers, get input from them on what you need to do differently in order to turn things around in your classes. Please, don't wait until it is too late. If you have already realized that there is no way to pass the class and your teacher agrees that there is no hope, please come and see me so that we can talk about what your plan is to make up the class. Are you going to take it during the summer? Are you going to take it next year? If you are taking it next year does that bump out any of your other classes because you are now missing the requirements? There is a great deal to consider. If you aren't going to be able to pass one class, please work hard to make sure that you pass all of the others. As soon as you realize that one class is a lost cause it doesn't mean that all of the others are gone too. Try to use your time wisely and put more effort into the ones that still have hope. Feel free to stop in and talk to me if you need help developing a plan on how to focus your energy and effort to passing your classes.

Believe me, I do understand that it is hard to focus right now. And yes, I admit that I don't always want to get up and come to school when there are other things that sound more appealing for the day. But we only have one today and the decisions we make today have a much bigger influence than we can imagine. Make the most of today!

Cap and Gown

Seniors, exactly 1 month from now we will all be gathering together in order to watch as you graduate from high school.  And, did you hear the news that was just released tonight?!?  Your graduation will be able to continue as planned at the Schottenstein Center on OSU's campus.  I am so excited about that because it will allow each student the chance to have 4 tickets for graduation.  (Yes, I know that some of you would have liked to have more tickets, but the Schott definitely will fit more than we could have safely had in the WKHS stadium and they will also be live-streaming the event for your extended family to be able to watch.)  This is such a wonderful time and I suspect that the excitement will truly start picking up this week when you get to pick up your cap and gown.

On Thursday and Friday of this week during lunch periods, representatives from Buckeye Scholastic, will be in the Commons to distribute caps and gowns, as well as announcements and any other materials you ordered.

Don't miss out on picking up your cap and gown later this week!

National Decision Day

Seniors, by now you are hopefully well aware of the fact that Saturday, May 1st is national college decision day.  As you are aware, through the college application process each college has their own timeline and often have different application deadlines, financial aid deadlines, and announce their admission decisions at different times, but May 1st is a universal deadline among all colleges requiring students to declare their decision.  Please remember that this not only means that you have informed the college of your choice that you intend to attend their college, but it also typically includes submitting a deposit.  As you reach the final days of your decision making window, if you need to talk out your choice with someone, please feel free to stop in and talk to me.  You can, of course, also use my books and the resources that I have in my office to help guide your decision making.

Also, as you finalize your future decisions, don't forget to share your plans to the WKHS Class of 2021 Instagram account.  Some in the senior class are compiling future plans to post on the WKHS Class of 2021 instagram page.  If you are on IG, please DM them with your name, a picture of yourself, your college (or other) future plans, and you can even include your major/ minor and any athletic or academic commitments.  They are then creating it into an IG post.  We are excited that these photos will also be shared with us to be able to feature so we want to be sure that all of the seniors are included!  If you are not on Instagram, you can still submit your information through their email account: wkhsclassof2021@gmail.com so that you can be included.

Gap Year

Have you heard of Gap Years? Without question, the majority of WKHS students move straight from high school to college, but this is not always the best option for every student. In the past few years I have had several students who elected to take a gap year which is a year off between high school and college. The one point that I would like to make though is that a gap year is not just hanging out at home, living in your parents basement, playing video games for a year. Students pursue lots of different options during gap years and colleges recognize that gap years can be a valuable opportunity for students to gain perspective, personal insight, and re-energize their love of learning before beginning their college careers.

Sometimes students elect to take a gap year if they haven't been accepted to a college where they feel like they will be happy to attend. In these instances students may decide to take a gap year and hope that their experiences during their gap year will enhance their applications for the following year when they apply the following year.

Other times, and perhaps even more frequently for Kilbourne students, is that students will still complete their applications during their senior year and then defer their acceptances for a year. If you are interested in pursuing a gap year opportunity, talk to your college admissions office to confirm if they will defer your enrollment date by a year (or a semester if you are taking a shorter time off between high school and college).

Here is an article about gap years:

Advantages of taking a gap year

Prom

Tonight is prom night for WKHS juniors and seniors. This is an exciting and memorable night for students and I hope you have a great evening. Let's be honest, I also hope that it is a safe evening! You want prom to be memorable because it was a positive experience...

Hopefully you are looking forward to a fun night at both prom and at After-Hours. 

One last reminder about safety - please remember to talk with your parents before you leave tonight about what you will do if you end up in an unexpected situation and need help. Have a good time - be smart and please be safe!

Worthington Job Fair

Juniors and Seniors, are you looking for full or part-time employment?  In addition to those of you who might be seeking summer job opportunities, I know that there are several students who are hoping to work before starting college because of the need to save money or they only plan to attend school part time so that they can work and earn money while going to school.  There are many competitive employers in the central Ohio area who are interested in meeting those soon-to-be graduates from Worthington to see if you might be a good fit for working at their organization.

On Friday, April 30th from 8:30-10am there will be a virtual Job Fair for Worthington juniors and seniors.

Students are expected to have a resume, dress professionally and be ready to interview with potential future employers.  There will also be the opportunity to complete job applications on the spot.

A few of the employers who we anticipate being present at the Job Fair include: Worthington Industries, Kenneth's Hair Salon and Spa, Cardinal Health, Ace Hardware, Cintas, Columbus Zoo & Zoombezi Bay, Giant Eagle, Hilton Polaris, TJ X Companies, Safelite, Spectrum, Panera, Lowe's, Bob Evans, and UPS.

Juniors and seniors will be welcomed to the WKHS Library a week from tomorrow to participate in this awesome virtual experience!  If you have questions, please see me.

Suicide Prevention

There are times when we can feel overwhelmed, lonely, stressed, sad and hopeless.  All of these emotions are normal to experience, but when they happen to come all at the same time it can be very challenging and leave people feeling lost and desperate.

Perhaps you or someone you know have had times with that type of darkness and possibly even experienced suicidal thoughts.  It is important to know that there is ALWAYS help available!  Reaching out for support is a critical step in helping to give yourself the hope that you will not always feel the way you might be feeling right now.

If you are having suicidal thoughts while at school, I hope you will come to tell me or share that information with another adult that you trust.  If you are away from school, I hope that you will reach out to your parents or some other adult who your trust.  But I know that sometimes the people closest to us can miss the level of pain we are experiencing and so I'd like to remind you that you can always call a suicide hotline and there will be someone on the other end ready and willing to talk to you who can help brainstorm next steps.  As you can see in the graphic, the national suicide hotline is 1-800-273-TALK or 1-800-273-8255.
Additionally, over the last few years, in recognition of how much our society has grown to depend on text messaging as a means of communication, there is also a crisis text line where you can reach out for help and support.  To contact the crisis text line you would send a message to 741741.  You can send them any message to get the conversation started.  And I know that it can be hard to even know where to start so remember, you can always reach out even with just one word such as "4hope" (which helps connect you to someone in Ohio) or even "help or hello" and before you know it you will be communicating via text with someone else who understands what you are experiencing and is ready and able to help you.

The most important reminder I would like to leave you with is that YOU MATTER!  You are not alone - there is always someone who would like to have the opportunity to talk with you and to help you.  If you are having thoughts of suicide, PLEASE, reach out for help today!

Senior Information Questionnaire

Tomorrow, all seniors will receive an information link for the Senior Information Questionnaire that we need for you to complete and submit prior to May 4th.

Every year, the graduating high school seniors have the option of picking a teacher, coach, administrator, counselor, secretary, or other Worthington staff member who has played a significant role in their lives to give them their diploma.  This is one of my favorite traditions at Kilbourne!  It is a way to make the graduation ceremony much more personal and memorable and we are hoping that it will be possible that we will be able to allow this option for seniors this year.  You will select your 1st choice and 2nd choice diploma presenters on the form.

The form also allows you to request where you want us to send your final transcript.  When you head off to college or enlist in the military, they will all want a copy of your final transcript to confirm that you did officially graduate.  The information you submit on the form is what will enable us to make sure we send your transcript to the appropriate location.

We are busy working on preparing for the senior recognition and commencement ceremonies and we need additional information from you in order to put together the programs!  As you complete the senior questionnaire you will be asked to list what scholarships you received and are accepting and how much they were worth.

And finally, the form also allows for you to share some thoughts about your reflections related to high school because we value the insight and perspectives that our seniors share each year.

These forms are due back ASAP, but no later than May 4th.  

If you have updates/ changes after you have submitted your form - such as you received an additional scholarship, please email that new scholarship information to Mrs. Focht at afocht@wscloud.org.  We will try our best to include your updated scholarships in the program, but it is possible that information received after May 4th may not be able to be included if the program has already been printed.

If you can't locate the email, please visit the Counselor website for a link to the survey.

Common App Essays

A reminder to all juniors who are planning to apply to 4 year colleges next year... tomorrow morning at 10am the counselors will be hosting a Workshop on Brainstorming Your College Essay Topic.  I strongly encourage you to join us on zoom to get a jump start on your application!  (Zoom link will be posted on the Counselor website in the morning.)

Additionally, the Common Application has announced that their essay question prompts for next year and there is one new prompt.  In case you don't know, Common Application is an application website that many colleges use allowing students to fill out one application that can then be submitted to various colleges and is one of the primary methods that students will utilize when applying to college. 

Juniors, you can take a look at these prompts and start brainstorming what your answers might be for each question.  After you list your thoughts for each question, look at which response best allows you to tell the story of who you are and will be the best introduction of you to the admissions committee.  Then it is time to start drafting and editing and drafting some more.  :-)  

Students who utilize the common app will be asked to select and answer one question in 250-650 words.  (Please don't worry about word count on your first draft - it is always MUCH easier to cut words than it is to try to add more in later.)

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

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

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

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

4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that made you happy or thankful in a surprising way.  How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

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

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

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

Testing Reminders

This week is a key week of End of Course tests and, as you have heard, we will be on a VERY different bell schedule.  For those students who will be testing in the mornings this week, I wanted to give you a few friendly reminders as you prepare to think about the tests.

Don’t stress yourself out over the tests.  Yes, there is a lot of focus on testing, but your test results are simply one snapshot of your abilities and do not define you.  Try to remember that it is not the end of the world if your results aren’t where you would want them to be and so simply go into the testing experience with a positive outlook and do the best that you can without stressing yourself out over it.

Get a good night’s sleep each night prior to the test.  So many of you function in an exhausted state of being and that can be particularly challenging when you are trying to focus so intently and move through material quickly.  This will not be news to you, but being tired makes it difficult to concentrate, it makes it easy to be distracted by other things (including the thought of how tired you are), and it leads many to feeling frustrated and overwhelmed.  Please, try to sleep – you need and deserve it.

Eat something on the morning of the tests.  I always feel like this is such a stupid, cliché thing to say to people prior to tests, but do you know how often I am meeting with students and can hear their stomachs growling?  This cannot be an ideal situation for testing.  So, even if you don’t want to focus on the fact that the food will help your brain and body have the nutrition it needs to perform at it’s optimal level, then at least look at it from the perspective that you won’t have to listen to your stomach growling for the hours of testing.

Academically, in spite of this crazy year, you are prepared for the tests and so I sincerely hope they will go well for you!  If you are stressed over it all, please stop by and see me.

Wait Listed

Yesterday I talked about college rejections.  And that is a tough topic... but, I have to be honest that being wait listed is just as difficult.  

Being offered a wait list slot tends to create anxiety and uncertainty for students because the top school on their list didn't fully accept or reject them - they put them on their Waiting List.  Being wait listed often feels like being in an emotional limbo.  Every year I end up talking to students about their feelings regarding this life in limbo and I understand how difficult it can be as I'm not always the most patient person either.

I need to be brutally honest (even though I know you don't really want to hear this...) and say that there is not a lot that you can do to improve the chance of coming off the wait list and being accepted to the college. You need to make plans and start getting your mind set on attending one of the other schools who accepted you.  This includes submitting your deposit to attend, figuring out housing, and everything else related to attending college at the other school from your list.  The reason this is critical is that offers of admission to students currently on the waiting list are typically not extended until after the May 1st decision deadline.  You don't want to hold out hope for a wait list option to come through and then not end up having a position for you at one of your other colleges.

If, in time, you find out that you have the opportunity to attend the school that had previously put you on their wait list, then you can re-evaluate and decide if you still want to attend. The reality is that very few students actually end up being selected off the wait list for acceptance. (Once again, this is why it is so important to tell colleges as soon as possible when you know that you will not be attending in the future so that they can make plans to potentially accept other students off their wait list.)  And yes, I also have to acknowledge that we don't know how COVID will impact how many students may or may not be moved off the wait list, but I do know that colleges have said their waiting lists are larger than in past years which means that it is still going to be a long shot to get accepted off of the waiting lists.

In the mean time, if you decide that you want to remain on a college's waiting list, be sure to follow their directions (usually mailing back a post-card indicating your desire or completing information on their admissions portal) and then you can also consider sending them a letter updating them about any new achievements, awards, or other information that you have accomplished since your application to their college so that might be able to take that into consideration when making their waiting list decisions.  (Some colleges will look at additional information as a part of the wait list evaluations and others do not.  If your colleges have specifically stated that they do not want anything extra submitted, then by all means, do NOT send anything else - you absolutely need to follow their directions!)

As always, if you have questions about the waiting list process, please feel free to stop in and see me!

Rejected

It feels like every day I receive another email from a college sharing updates on how competitive their classes are this year.  Statements like, "we had 6% more students apply than in the past for the same number of slots" or "we had a dramatic increase in applicants" are feeling common with each email I open.  I don't have any magical answers for why one student gets accepted and another seemingly comparable student does not.  And it makes me sad to think that there are students who are receiving notifications that you have not been accepted who would, unquestionably, be highly successful at each of these colleges.  But, sadly, that is part of the college admissions "game."  

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

Try to remind yourself that not everyone will be accepted and that it is not a reflection of your potential for lifelong success.  If you are dealing with the frustration and disappointment of not being accepted, remember that it is ok to be sad just please be sure to reach out and talk about how you are feeling with your family members and/ or with me!  I don't want anyone to ever believe that this one college decision is a reflection of your value because there are plenty of other great schools that will be thrilled to have you as a member of their incoming class.  Eventually, after you have had the time to process through your disappointment, you will then be able to refocus on making the most of the opportunities available to you.  Believe in yourself and know that the college where you ultimately attend will be lucky to have you as a member of their class of 2025!

I have been trying to grab some quotes and reflections that I thought might be able to help those of you who are dealing with rejections... 

Let's start off with an important reframing:

"I was rejected!" Always remember this: if you are not admitted to a college or university, the school is denying your application for admission, not rejecting you as a person. Never forget that.  

Here are two great blog posts from college admissions offices about being denied

What does being denied mean

It’s going to be okay

 

Here are two excerpts I had pulled out of articles that I thought were good reality check reminders:

“A college admission decision does not define you—it is not a judgement of your character, abilities, or a predictor of future success.

Let’s add on to that: a college in and of itself will not define you either. So, if you feel stuck, fixated on daydreaming about how great life will be at this one college if you could just get admitted… rethink that perspective. Don’t give any one school that kind of weight—put that power back in yourself. You’ll explore new opportunities, invest in your own personal development, challenge yourself, and create new relationships in the coming years. That’s not dependent on one college—that’s all you.

The truth is, you will be great no matter where you go, as long as you take that excitement with you, and really show up wherever you end up this fall.

My hope is that you can take the pressure off of any given admission decision in the coming months, and can get excited for the bigger picture. Trust us, it works out.”

 

“All of the Ivies, MIT, Stanford—we only serve about 1% of the nation” in terms of college enrollment, said Stanford’s Shaw. “The other 99% are served extraordinarily well by a huge and broad and beautiful array of opportunities."

So please, try to remember, that not getting accepted to a college is a disappointment, but there are AMAZING opportunities ahead for you and the college where you attend will be the fortunate one to have you contributing positively on their campuses in the fall.  

Different Bell Schedules

We have some very different bell schedules coming up in the near future.

Tomorrow kicks off the adjusted format for just 1 day when we will have an additional 20 minutes during your 3rd period classes for a conversation related to healthy teen dating and relationships.  There will also be only 5 minutes between classes instead of the 7 minutes you have been using for this school year.  Here is a link to tomorrow's bell schedule.  

And then, the following week, April 19-23rd, we will be on a late start bell schedule due to End of Course Assessments.  These are the tests that students must take depending on the classes you are enrolled in - meaning that students currently taking English 2, Math 1, Math 2, Biology, US History, or Government will have specific dates to come in first thing in the morning like normal to test.  No classes will begin until 12:10 each day throughout the week.  This is so that the students testing are able to focus on the tests without distractions and so that no one has to worry about missing classes while testing takes place.  Here is a link to the bell schedule for next week.  It's important to note that there will be 2 separate bus runs during the week.  So if you ride a bus and don't have to test, you will be able to pick up your bus exactly 3 hours after your normal pick up time.  You will also only have 4 of your class periods on Monday through Thursday.  Friday you will go to all 8 of your classes just for a shorter time frame.

The good news - you have already proven that you are able to make adjustments... even if they are stressful.  Testing wasn't our idea.  In fact Worthington specifically voiced the district's opposition to requiring you all to take these End of Course tests after such a challenging year, but the state said they were still needed and so you all need these scores to help towards graduation requirements and so we will adjust again and it will all be ok.  Remember, if you have questions about the schedules, feel free to come see me.

And, on a separate note - today was Lexi's 6th birthday!  Thanks to everyone who came in and spoiled her with some extra attention today.

College Essay Brainstorming Workshop

For most students, writing your college essay is one of the most stressful aspects of the college application process.  In order to try to help better prepare juniors the counselors will be hosting a brief workshop about selecting a topic for writing your college essay.

The Essay Brainstorming Workshop will take place on Tuesday, April 20th at 10:00am.

We are excited to be able to offer this workshop during the late-start time when younger students will be taking their End of Course exams so that you won't have to miss any classes.  This workshop is just for junior students (and not parents) as it is the student's essay and your voice is what admissions officers want to hear!  This session is optional and is ideal for those students who will be applying to a 4-year college.  (Those who will be starting at a 2 year program like Columbus State will not have to write an essay so you will not need the information covered in this session.)

So that we can distribute materials to students in advance, we ask that you please RSVP using this link:  https://forms.gle/oUhVbB3AaRKfUUft7

Believe me, the essays are such a critical part of the application process that this won't be the only time I talk about them on my blog, but it is also a fun and creative opportunity to introduce yourself to the admissions officers and so it is worth the time you will put into making it a great essay.  I hope you will give up a little bit of your sleeping in time and join us for the workshop.  Plus, since we will be hosting the workshop over zoom, you don't even have to come into the building early.  We will have the zoom link posted on the Counselor website and we will email it to the wscloud email addresses for all registered participants.

April Students of the Month

Even though the Student of the Month ceremonies continue to be held virtually, we are still able to take the time to pause and recognize the contributions of many Kilbourne students each month.  On Friday, WKHS honored the April Students of the Month through a video ceremony.

Student of the Month is a recognition that can only be earned once during a student's time in high school.  This award is given as a way to acknowledge the impact of a student in the classroom or school community.

6 of "my" students were among those honored this week.  Congratulations to: Dilara Alpay, Ijeoma Anaraodo, Julie Barrie, Noah Berman, Gannon Byrne, and Samari DeaVault.  I am proud of each of you and thankful for the ways that you help to make Kilbourne a better place!

Musical - Ranked

I wanted to pause and say GOOD LUCK to all of the students who are involved in this year's musical, Ranked.  I know they have been working really hard and that it will be different participating in a production that will be streamed, but I am excited to watch it.

For all of you who are interested, there will be 2 performances - 1 will be streamed on Friday night and 1 on Saturday night.  

In particular, I want to give a special shout out to "my" students who are among those involved with this year's production including cast members Kya Angle, Ella Blanton, and Gavin Crozier.  And it is not possible to produce a musical without the involvement of a strong crew behind the scenes and two of my students, Rachel Barker and Alyssa Berger are a huge part of this year's crew.

Best of luck to all of you!

Summer School

Did you fail a class during 1st semester?  Are you wanting to try to get ahead in one of your course requirements?  If you answered yes to either of these questions then I strongly encourage you to register NOW for summer school.

Worthington offers summer school opportunities each year with a wide range of opportunities to try to meet your academic goals.  If you failed a class and will be taking it for credit recovery your summer school class will even be free of charge.  This year, summer school will be housed at TWHS and transportation will be available for students who need it.  Most classes will run from June 3rd - June 28th.  There are a limited number of get-ahead courses that are also offered through Worthington summer school and information about those classes and the costs associated with those courses are on the website.  For all Worthington Summer School Credit Recovery related information and to register online, please visit the district website at:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BjSsBG9uHV8xmDEMiBgvCYo4N2kuYG5O-SCGWtfl9qk/edit 

We always get questions about taking online courses or classes in other districts and as long as it is an accredited school this is completely fine.  So, for example, if your parents are divorced and you go to spend the summer with a parent who lives in another state you can take your summer school class at the school near your other parent and then transfer the credit back to us.  Or for those students who plan on traveling a great deal over the summer, taking an online course might be more in line with your needs.  Again, in Worthington we try to be very flexible in helping all students to meet their academic goals so as long as the school you are taking classes from is an accredited school, we will transfer those credits to Worthington.

Students and parents often ask me which online schools they can use and again, if it is accredited it is fine.  I would say that the school we have probably had the most students utilize in the past has been TRECA due to the cost effectiveness of their credits.  But again, that can change from year to year and so I encourage you to search for the schools and programs that will best meet your individual needs.  I do know that as of today TRECA summer school registration has opened so if you were planning to take a TRECA summer school class, please be sure to get signed up for that soon too.  Their website is: https://treca.org/programs/summer-school 

Please, especially if you have failed a class during the 1st semester, get signed up for summer school so that you can stay on track for graduation with your class!

CC+ Application Reminder

Are you planning to take a CC+ class next year?  I know that I received all of your Intent to Participate forms already, but I wanted to make sure that you are taking care of the next step... APPLYING!

Completing the Intent to Participate form is just the first of many steps.  You need to make sure you have applied to the college(s) connected to the classes you will be taking.  Below is a reminder of which college partners with WKHS for which classes and the link to their websites so that you can easily apply.

If you are taking a math class, you need to apply to COTC which is Central Ohio Technical College.  

If you are taking the English, Psychology, Sociology, Government, or Ethics classes, then you need to apply to CSCC.

If you were already taking CC+ classes from that college this year, then you do not need to apply again.  You will still need to make sure that you do the consent forms, but those deadlines are later.

If you have any questions, please let me know!

Financial Aid Offers

It can often be challenging for students and families to figure out how to read, understand and compare financial aid award letters from various colleges.  This is because so many colleges have different ways of calculating and reporting different financial obligations.  

One of the most frequent components you'll see is tuition/ fees.  If you will be living on campus there are room/ board costs.  And then also, Cost of Attendance, which is what colleges actually use as the starting point of all of the costs associated with attending their college.  For example, this typically includes books, travel, incidentals and other necessities like laundry costs.  Your Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) is another term you might find on your financial aid award letter and this is the amount that the FAFSA indicates that your family can afford to pay.  Sadly, the EFC doesn't typically align with what students and families actually think they can pay... not to mention that many colleges will still leave the families needing to pay even more than their EFC.  See, it's confusing and can be overwhelming, right?

Because making decisions related to college that you will actually be able to afford in the future is essential, there are lots of resources available online focused on understanding the award letters and making comparsions between the packages offered from various schools.  I am going to link to a few below and I hope you will find them helpful.  If you have any questions, please feel free to stop and see me and we can try to figure it out or you can always call the financial aid office at the college for clarification.


Award Letter Comparison Tool

FastWeb Reference Guide for Comparing Offers

How to Decipher a Financial Aid Letter

Busy Week Ahead

Welcome back!  I hope you had a wonderful and relaxing spring break!  I can't wait to hear about it and catch up with all of you.  This will be a busy week ahead as we all readjust to being back at school again and those early mornings in the push through to the end of the year.

A few quick reminders...

Worthington Schools has partnered with Nationwide Children's Hospital to host a Student Vaccination Clinic in Worthington for any interested high school students who are 16 years old or older.  This will take place this Wednesday and Thursday at TWHS and students will be shuttled to TWHS and back from Kilbourne.  Parents should have received information to sign students up for this opportunity, but if you misplaced the communication or have any questions the best people to contact would be Mr. Thomas (Principal), Mrs. Sharon DeSantis (Mr. Thomas' secretary), or Nurse Julie Garner.  I love that Worthington was able to do this for our students because it is taking us one step closer to normalcy in our future.

While we are looking forward to normal, there are so many opportunities that have transitioned and become virtual experiences but are still awesome chances for students and families to enjoy.  For example, this weekend on Friday and Saturday night, the WKHS Theater department musical will be streaming.  Check out the district website to get information on how you can purchase a streaming pass so that you won't miss out on seeing the production that the students have been working so hard to perfect.

For seniors, this will also be the week that the remaining admissions decisions finally get released.  I know this has been a long, stressful wait.  Good luck as you receive those final decisions.  And for all of the other seniors, this week starts off the official countdown to making your final college decision.  I can't wait to hear what you are thinking and how your schools are comparing.  Also, remember that most of the local scholarships whose deadlines haven't already passed have a deadline coming up this week.  Don't miss out on your chance to try to earn free money for college.

I will be out of the building for at least tomorrow morning to help at a few of our other schools in the district, but I can't wait to catch up once we are all back in the building again together.  I have missed you!