Graduation Details

I have been working a lot on helping get everything ready for graduation tomorrow night at the Schottenstein Center and I am so excited for the graduating seniors!  After a quick trip to the Schott today we were able to get some additional details that I believe will be really helpful to senior students and parents.  I just posted them all on the counselor website so that people who don't get my blog will have access to them... so I'm going to copy it all directly here as well.

Parking map for the Schottenstein Center.  This map shows the area in blue if you have a handicap placard and green where most families will park.  Please remember that in the envelope students received at graduation rehearsal on Friday there is a red parking ticket.  You can use that for 1 car to park for free.  If you have more than 1 car, you will need to plan to pay $5 to park.

Entrance map.  Graduates will enter the building separate from families.  Seniors will be coming into the building from a door on the long-side of the building that is in between the Northeast Rotunda and the Team Shop where the bronze Brutus the Buckeye statue is located.  You can look for an OSU staff member at that entrance to allow you in the building at 6pm.  (Door is to the left of the Brutus Statue on the side of the building that you will be walking towards from the parking lot (North side).  All families have their tickets electronically and you will use the e-ticket to enter the building.  Families will enter through one of the 4 rotundas and your ticket specifies exactly which rotunda you will be allowed to enter through so double check before waiting in the line.

Parent guide to graduation at the Schott.  The Schottenstein Center has VERY specific guidelines and requirements for students and families.  Some things won't be a surprise - they want masks worn at all times, but others are more specifically detailed such as no purses or bags.  (Wristlets no larger than 5x8x1 are acceptable.)  You will want to read through the full details of all of their guidelines and expectations just to be sure you know what to do and expect.

The other big suggestion I have for you is to make plans for where to meet outside after the ceremony is over.  Seniors will exit directly outside... and that is a great place for lots of pictures with family/ friends, but you'll want to have a vicinity to try to find one another easier.  

It's going to be an exciting day...

Mrs. Gratz

I consider myself incredibly fortunate to work in the Counseling Department with colleagues who are not only incredible, commited professionals, but also friends.  Mrs. Gratz is one of the other school counselors and she has decided that she will be retiring at the end of the school year.  I am happy for her even though I am going to miss her very much.  I know that all of her current and past students feel the same way.  There is no doubt that Mrs. Gratz and her husband will be able to enjoy lots of long bicycle rides and traveling - activities that she loves.  And there is no question that her impact will continue on in the lives of all of those she has touched.  But it will be a huge transition for her personally and professionally just as it will be for the rest of our department.  So, for the handful of students/ parents who are not "mine" and still follow my blog, if you have Mrs. Gratz as your school counselor, I hope you will take time over the next week to send her an email or drop her a card to thank her for the incredible career she has had caring for students and families.  And, if you are one of my students/ families, know that you have benefited from Mrs. Gratz too because she has made me a better person and a better counselor during her time at WKHS.  So if you happen to see her in the halls or at graduation, please don't hesitate to congratulate her and wish her well in her retirement.

Summer Assignments

Are you planning to take Honors, AP or IB classes for next year?  If so, I want to remind you that many of those classes will have summer assignments.  AP/ IB teachers along with a few Honors level teachers have been working hard to prepare meaningful learning opportunities to help you get a jump start for their classes during the summer months.  Please pay close attention to the announcements each day because there will be meetings before/ after school for students to meet with the teachers for next year, to learn about the summer requirements and expectations, and to understand what you will need to do if you have questions or need support. 

It is also important that all students are aware that there is a drop deadline of July 15th for all Honors, AP and IB courses.  Prior to July 15th students can drop the classes without penalty.  After July 15th the summer assignments are still required and the grades for the summer work will be transferred into the new class that you will transferring into for next year instead of your intended class.  So, it is important not only that you know what you will need to do, but also to start working on the assignments - at least enough to make sure you feel confident that you are going to enjoy the course - so that you will know by July 15th if you feel you are going to need to change out of that class.

Goodbye Seniors

Today was the last day for the seniors in the Class of 2021.  I always feel like time goes too fast and that I am not ready to say goodbye to those who are graduating.  But I feel like this year it is striking me as more difficult than normal... I have been feeling way more emotional about saying goodbye to the seniors since last Friday and keep finding myself choking back emotion over the simplest of interactions.  Maybe that is because this year has been so different and I feel like we should get a do-over to be able to have more time together.  Maybe it is because I am out of practice after not getting to say goodbye during the school days to last year's seniors and so my mind has forgotten how difficult this can be.  But, if you want to know what I think the real story is, it is that I care a great deal about all of you and even though I am genuinely happy and excited for you as you leave WKHS behind and head off to all of the wonderful new adventures ahead of you, I am also sad because I will miss you.  I will miss talking to you, hearing about your lives, and watching you achieve your goals.  

You have proven yourselves to be a class who can overcome challenges, adapt to difficulties that adults have struggled to incorporate, and to practice compassion for one another.  And yes, of course, all of those characteristics apply to how you have reacted to COVID times, that isn't actually what I am talking about.  I am thinking about those challenges you have faced whether they were academic difficulties and your willingness to keep trying or the personal struggles such as dealing with bad breakups and big disappointments that fell short of your hopes.  I am thinking of those who have faced loss and grief that you didn't allow to derail you as well as those who have demonstrated strong resiliency to bounce back and shift focus such as when an injury sidelines you and cuts your season short.  And I am thinking about the compassion I saw in you as you helped one another understand school work that was challenging, the compassion to listen and encourage a friend who was having a bad day, and the empathy to care for those you know and those you didn't like through all of your efforts for the Adopt a Child campaign each year.

So yes, of course I am going to miss the seniors in the Class of 2021... how could I not when I think about what a powerful difference you have made not only to Kilbourne and the Worthington community, but also in my life.  Thank you for who you are and remember, I am always here and in your corner.

And seniors, one last reminder that although you are done with school, you are still required to be at WKHS on Friday morning at 10am for the Graduation Rehearsal.

Best Friend Test

Sometimes it can be hard to take a look at yourself and think about where you are in life, the choices you make and how it all measures up compared to the standards and expectations you have for yourself.  It can become very easy for people to get caught in one of the extremes... 

On one extreme is a defensiveness of "I am great and never make a mistake so don't criticize me" and on the other extreme is a victim mindset of "nothing I ever do, say, think, or believe is good enough."

Quite honestly, we are living life in the gray.  Very rarely in life are things 100% perfect and good and, fortunately, usually things are not 100% horrible either.  But living life in the gray can be uncomfortable and uneasy because we tend to judge ourselves harshly and unfairly.  

So I'd like to encourage you to "best friend test it."  What I mean by that is, would you say the same things to your best friend that you are saying to yourself?  Chances are pretty high that you wouldn't say the same things outloud to your best friend that you are saying silently to yourself.  So please pause, check yourself, and realize that you are not all good or all bad, but who you are and what you do matters so treat yourself and others around you with kindness because we are all still a work in progress!

Organize for the Future

Another school year is winding down (but it is not over so you still need to apply yourself fully). It is a strange ending to the year with the district deciding not to have exams.  But that doesn't mean you don't need to go through your school materials and organize your information for your future.  Do you know what you want or need to save for the future? And yes, I am talking about more than just digging out of your room just in case your parents decide to convert your room into a guest bedroom after you go to college... :-)

Keeping your notes organized and any study guides, equation summary sheets, as well as old tests and quizzes in a way that will allow you to pull upon that information in the future is very important. I can tell you that from my experience in college, if I had not saved my notes from calculus in high school then there is no way that I would have passed that class in college! Your notes can often be the most useful resource (assuming you take good notes each day) because you are re-writing the main topics in your own words and organizing the information in a manner that makes sense to you. Old study guides, tests and quizzes are all very useful when trying to study for an upcoming exam or for reviewing past content in the next year's class.

Also, a key componet of this organization and saving process for seniors is being sure that you copy everything off of your wscloud Google Drive so that you still have that information for the future!  Over the last few years I inevitably hear from former students who forgot to copy their materials and then are disappointed when it is lost forever because the drives are wiped at the end of June for seniors that have graduated.  Because this has been such a challenge in the past, the district has distributed information about using Google Takeout as a way that graduating seniors can be sure that your information can be moved and secured for your use in the future.  And, for what it is worth, if you happen to know that you will be moving away from Worthington after this school year, you should also copy and save your Google Drive information and resources in the same manner.

So, take a little time now to prepare for your future high school and college years when you might want or need this information by getting organized today.

Impressive Students

I love the fact that WKHS students have such varied talents and abilities.  Each of you have your own personal gifts and your willingness to share them with the school and community benefits all of us.  I consider myself fortunate to have the chance to get to know you and learn about so many of those gifts, but it is also exciting when your talents are on display for everyone to see.  

Arts in Action is one of those days when the varied artistic talents of our students are celebrated.  

Many of my students had art work on display and I loved seeing it all!  In addition to the chance to see your creations, some of my students donated part of their time during Arts in Action to actively work on their art projects so that people could see it coming to life.  A huge thank you and congratulations to: Emma Blanton, Olivia Barrie, Morgan Beals, Kinsley Capuano, Lauren Bair, Luke Compton, Sophia Exline, Julian Bernal, and Gwen Cardimen who volunteered to be art ambassadors during the day, to Avery Burns who helped demonstrate the recycling impacts, and to Brady Cloyd and Stella Bixler who were a part of the musicians who performed.  I am in awe of your talents!  

(Pictured on this page are Julian Bernal, Justin Allen, and Emma Blanton plus artwork by Olivia Barrie, Emily Cline, Lauren Bair, Zach Bailey and Morgan Beals.)

And then, in addition to Arts in Action, this past week Abby English signed her Letter of Intent to play soccer at Capital University next year.  This is an awesome accomplishment and a reflection of years of hard work, energy and effort.  Congratulations Abby!

Senior Wisdom

Seniors, 3 days left... it's getting real and starting to hit people how quickly this year is winding down.  I have had a chance to glance through some of the senior survey question insight and I really appreciate all of the feedback and impressions you have shared with us as a staff.  I am going to challenge you to share some of your key words of wisdom with the underclass students as well...

Over the next few weeks I suspect you will spend some time reflecting back on your high school career.  As you do, please consider passing along some of your words of wisdom.  You have created a positive impression and, as a result, many of the younger students look up to and admire you.  I'm sure you can remember some of the older students who made an impression on your life and this is your opportunity to pass along the gift of your wisdom to those who will continue in high school.  Let the younger students know what you are glad you did, what you wish you would have done differently, and any other suggestions and tips you'd given them to help them to be successful and make the most of their high school years.  As you share your insights, you may never fully realize the difference that you have made, but you can be sure that your legacy will continue to make a positive impact in the years ahead.

And, to the 9th-11th grade students, don't miss this opportunity to ask seniors for their insights and the awarenesses that they have now.  Chances are they have learned many of their most key lessons through overcoming challenges - if you can learn from their experiences you will be far better off in the long run.

CC+ Transcripts

A reminder to all students who took College Credit Plus classes and will be moving on to a different college in the fall, you will need to request your transcripts directly from Columbus State and/or Central Ohio Technical College (COTC) in order for your new college to be able to evaluate your transcript and award you credits for completed classes.

You will be able to request for your transcripts to be sent electronically.

Please visit the appropriate college website to make the request:

Columbus State: https://www.cscc.edu/services/registrar/transcript-request.shtml

COTC: http://www.cotc.edu/Admissions/Pages/Forms-for-Students.aspx (And then click on "COTC Transcript Request")

Senior Dates

 Seniors, you have a few big dates ahead...

- Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 12th at 10am: Window opens to order your 4 tickets for graduation

- Thursday, May 13th: Senior Tea at most Worthington Elementary Schools

- Friday, May 14th at Noon: Deadline to RSVP to Mrs. McDaniel about if you will be attending Senior Recognition Ceremony

- Monday, May 17th at 10pm: Window closes for ordering graduation tickets

- Tuesday, May 18th: LAST DAY OF HIGH SCHOOL!

- Also Tuesday, May 18th: Senior Recognition ceremony for invited seniors during 7th and 8th periods

- Thursday, May 20th: Senior Recognition ceremony video released for parents and other family members to watch online

- Friday, May 21st at 10am: Graduation Rehearsal at WKHS

- Also Friday, May 21st at 7pm: Baccalaureate at Worthington Christian Church - please note if you haven't already reserved your tickets, they have a waiting list to be able to try to attend.

- Tuesday, May 25th at 7pm: GRADUATION!!!

Enjoy every moment of the days we have left and don't forget to stop and see me before you are officially done too.

Next Year's Schedule

Mr. Peterson and the rest of the WKHS administration has been working on the master schedule for next year.  They have determined where each class will be held during the school day to meet the most student requests possible. This includes running your requests through the computer to try to match as many of the requests as possible between what you had asked for and what is possible in the computers.  As of this morning, they have officially "locked" the master schedule into place. 

Unfortunately, now that the schedule is locked it becomes crazy for the counselors as we go through each of the schedules that didn't match and try to figure out if there is a solution and what possible options we can use to make a schedule fit together. We will spend hours pouring over schedules and will have to call down some of you to talk about back up choices based upon the conflicts in your schedule. This is never easy and I know it is disappointing when you don't get all of the classes that you wanted, so I promise that I am doing the best I can to make everything work together.

So, if in the coming days, you get an email or a remind message from me to come see me during your lunch, off period or between periods, I am asking you to please make every effort to come at the day and time I am calling for you so that we can look at your schedule together.  (And that specific timing is when I think I should be able to fit you in without making you wait for long.)  You don't want me to be the one to make those tough choices for you so we really do need to meet and look at the options together.

Inevitably, when everyone hears that the schedule is locked, students will be curious about the schedule and what their classes will look like for next year.  I am more than happy to talk about this with you, but not until all of the conflicts are resolved.  So, I ask you to please be patient with me and wait until the last three days of school to try to come and get a sneak peek at what your schedule will hopefully be for next year.  (Full disclosure though, all schedules are 100% up for revision and changes based on whatever has to happen with the master schedule as the summer progresses.)

What will you exchange?

If you have followed my blog for any length of time you may have heard me mention that I like receiving Daily Discipline email messages from Brian Kight.  Tonight I have been thinking a lot about one of his past messages.  It took me a while to go back and find it. (I thought it was more recent, but it was actually a message he had distributed almost a year ago - which shows how much it resonated with me.)  I will copy the whole message below.

Let's make a deal!

All valuable longer-term objectives require a shorter-term exchange.  I like to think of it as a trade-off, not a sacrifice.  I'm exchanging this now for that later because it's more valuable to me.

Sometimes it's a sacrifice, I guess, but that's just a more severe word.  It sounds ominous and one-sided.  Plus I think exchange is more accurate and less emotionally intimidating than sacrifice.

The exchange can be your money, time, resources, relationships, comfort, fun, security, or anything else, in return for longer-term value that means something important to you.

All you have to do is identify the trade-off.  This now for that later.  Name your exchange.  Be honest with yourself.

Good reframing concept to stick with, don't you think?  Perhaps you're wondering why this has been running through my head so often lately and in part it is because of students who are needing to push hard in these last few weeks of the school year to finish strong.  Or you don't.  It is obviously your choice.  My preference, of course, is that you would buckle down and focus now and exchange the time with friends or scrolling on social media for school work in the short term so that in the long term you can have your summer break completely to yourself and you don't have to do summer school.  But the concept applies in all different life aspects as Kight identifies.  Maybe I am going to push myself out of my comfort zone because the outcome of what I am hoping to achieve will be just beyond where I am readily willing to go - a worthy exchange.

I don't know what you might need to exchange in your life right now.  But perhaps this concept is one that, like me, you can tuck away in the back of your head to rely on when you're trying to figure out if you really should go for that training run or hit snooze again or binge watch another episode.  You have control over the exchanges you make.  So make each one worthwhile.

Congratulations

Yesterday we were able to (virtually) honor the May Socratic Society inductees.  Students are selected for the Socratic Society based upon their display of the Socratic Core Virtues - scholarship, lifelong learning, compassion, integrity, and personal effort. Students are only eligible to receive this award once throughout their entire high school career. 13 of "my" students were among those honored. They are (alphabetically): Mitchell Abahazie, Yasmeen Amesh, Alexis Amlin, Ugochi Anaraodo, Lauren Bair, Brendan Beck, JJ Calip, Cooper Cavicchia, Ashley Chappell, Brady Cloyd, Isaac Cooper, Chloe Curry and Eva Diol.  Congratulations to each of you! 

And then I also want to say a huge congratulations to Connor Burke who was awarded the Senior Bowler of the Year award for the Ohio Central, East and Southeast District.  Congratulations Connor! 

I am proud of you all!

CC+ Reminders

All of my students who have signed up for CC+ classes have submitted your Intent to Participate forms so you have fulfilled that requirement by the state of Ohio, but I need to remind you that you have some additional steps you still need to complete.  

1. You need to APPLY to COTC and/or CSCC.  I wrote a post last month here with reminders on completing this step with links.

2. If you are taking classes through CSCC, you need to complete the Registration Consent Form - this is the form that authorizes us to sign you up for your CSCC classes.  One of the key components that is required in this form is your Cougar ID number.  You will be emailed your Cougar ID number about 3 business days after you apply to CSCC... so watch for your return emails and then be sure to save your Cougar ID number somewhere safe because you will need it in the future and add it to the registration consent form and return it to me at school.  You can leave your Registration Consent form in the tray in the front of the counseling center and we will be able to take care of it from there.

3. Watch for emails from the college and/or Mrs. Gratz and Mrs. Mann.  They are the two counselors taking the lead on additional CC+ steps.  So, as has been the case with some of my students, if you inadvertently do something wrong on your application or if  you need to complete additional testing to qualify to take an intended class either the college or one of the WKHS counselors will reach out to you with additional steps to complete.

I have emailed the step-by-step directions and registration consent form to all of my students participating in CC+ next year so you can check your old emails from me to find it or you can also find links to download the information on the WKHS Counselor Website.

Teacher Recommendation Letters

Juniors, remember when we talked in our junior meetings about the fact that I'd remind you when it was time to start asking teachers about possibly writing a recommendation letter on your behalf?  Now is the time.  :-)

Recommendation letters are a time consuming process requiring a great deal of thought and time. Juniors, as you finalize the list of schools where you will be applying next fall, it is important to determine if you are going to need a recommendation letter from a teacher (or two). Many of the Ohio schools - Ohio State University, OU, BGSU, Kent State, etc. do not require teacher recommendations.  Because rec letters are a time consuming process, if the colleges where you are applying do not require recommendations, then do not waste your teacher's time by requesting letters that won't be needed or used!

If you are applying to schools that need teacher recommendation letters, it is very helpful and beneficial to the teachers if you can give them as much time as possible to write your recommendation letters. That means, if you know now that you are going to be applying to a school which needs a teacher rec letter, then I would like for you to ask the teachers this spring allowing them to have the entire summer to write your letter. (These next few days are a great time to ask!)  After you ask your teacher(s), you will want to provide them with information that can help them as they write your letter. We have several handouts in the counseling and career center and on the WKHS Counselor website that you can use for this purpose. 

And yes juniors, this is also a reminder that you need to be working now toward finalizing a list of where you plan on applying to college because, as the seniors can definitely tell you - it goes by fast!

Teacher Appreciation Week

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week.  It is a time for us to celebrate the impact that great educators have in all of our lives.  At WKHS we are blessed with so many incredible educators.  There is no shortage of teachers who go above and beyond to help students.  I have seen teachers responding to student emails and texts late into the evening and over the weekend.  You have teachers who are willing to give up their free time to help make sure you understand the material being covered in class.  And Kilbourne teachers write countless numbers of recommendation letters for students every year.  Giving up their free time, making themselves available to respond when needed, and helping you to achieve your future life goals might not be necessary aspects of being a good teacher, but it is that heart and dedication to students that is within every good teacher and is what sets so many of our teachers apart.  

When was the last time you thanked your teachers?  I know that they get paid to do their jobs, but just like you love to have positive encouragement, remember that your teachers are human and they also love to know that others notice their extra help and effort.  If you were a student who needed a teacher recommendation letter and you haven't written them a note of appreciation, perhaps this week is a great week to do so.  Or simply make an extra effort this week to "catch a teacher" going above and beyond for you or for a classmate and thank him/ her for what you saw them do.  We have so many incredible teachers that I believe you will be successful in finding something to thank one of them for this week.

And, while I am not a teacher, I had the benefit last week of being invited to attend the Boys Volleyball Teacher Appreciation night.  Kieran, thank YOU for making my day by inviting me to be able to take part in the evening!  It meant more than you know.

Mental Wellness Calendar

May is National Mental Health Awareness month.  It is a time when we are all reminded to pause and reflect on our own mental health and what steps we are taking to help enhance and supplement our mental wellness.  There are so many times when we *KNOW* what helps us to feel better in and for ourselves... and yet, at the same time, it can be difficult to prioritize our own mental wellness.

In order to help all students dedicate some time each day to support their mental wellness, the WKHS Counselors have created a May Mental Wellness Calendar to challenge all of our students to take care of YOU!  The calendar can be found at this link and on the WKHS Counselor website - www.wkhscounselors.com.

If you are ready to take the mental wellness calendar challenge a step further, I encourage you to make a list of the things that tend to HELP your mental well being as well as a list of things that HURT your mental well being.  (And yes, sometimes it depends on degree and so some items could appear on both the Helping and Hurting list.)  For example, here are a few of the items that might appear on my list:

Helpful: Snuggling with Lexi (yes, she is a therapy dog at school, but she is good for me too), Getting a good night's sleep, Chocolate, Exercising, Stretching, Talking to friends, Spending time with my family, Reading

Not Helpful/ Hurtful: Sleeping too much, Running late/ rushing, Not being able to keep track of all the things I need to do, Lexi barking/ not listening to me, Having to make big decisions, Not having control over situations that I feel like I should be able to help control

AP and IB Exams

Over the next few weeks many WKHS students will be putting the knowledge learned over the course of the school year in their classes to the test with the Advanced Placement and IB Exams. The tests will be held at WKHS and so we won't have bells ringing for classes in order to make sure that those testing won't be interrupted.  

I know that many of you have been spending an extraordinary amount of time studying to prepare for the exams. Good Luck!  You will do great!  Stop by sometime and let me know how you felt after the tests.  

I also know that there are many students who had registered to take the AP tests and have since decided that you don't feel comfortable or ready to take the tests.  That is an ok option this year because CollegeBoard has made exceptions for COVID and so your money for the test will be fully refunded.  If you have decided that you do not want to take one of your AP tests, you need to email Mrs. Palmer at spalmer@wscloud.org and she will be able to help facilitate your test cancellation.

During the last week I have had tons of questions about where all AP scores appear and so if that is a factor in your decision making process, please let me put your mind at ease that while you can self-report your AP scores to colleges in your application, those scores do not appear on your transcript.  Ultimately, you also only send your AP scores to the final college that you select to attend and not to every school where you apply for admission.  So, if you take the test and don't do as well as you had anticipated, you don't have to worry that it would negatively impact your application.  And, on the other hand, if you decide not to test becaues you don't feel prepared the college won't see that you didn't take the AP test for a class that you had been enrolled in over the year.

It's Decision Day

It's National Decision Day!  Congratulations to all of the seniors who have now finalized their plans for next year and which college they will be attending in the future.  I know that there is always such a big element of relief for those who had been struggling to decide between schools.  Now you can finally just be excited without the weight and stress of deciding.  I am excited for you and the bright futures you have in front of you!

Don't forget, now that you have made your decision, your mandatory senior information questionnaire is due back no later than Tuesday (May 4th).