Picture Day

I know that there were many students who were unable to have their photo taken during the schedule pick up nights. If the lines were too long or you were unable to attend on schedule pick up nights, it is still important that you get your picture taken. Not only are the pictures used for the yearbook and in Infinite Campus, but they are also used on your ID's which will allow you to access the WKHS sporting events for free.

Picture Make-ups for those of you who weren't able to have your picture taken yet for this school year will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, August 19th during all lunch periods. They will be taking these pictures in the Golf Simulator Room which is the old nurse's/ health office in the Art/ Tech hallway. There will be signs posted to help direct you to the right location. 

If you haven't yet had your picture taken, please be sure to make time during your lunch period to go and get this step marked off of your to-do list.

Construction Continues

Do you know that time period after you start cleaning your room when everything somehow seems to be messier than before you started? I like to think about the construction at WKHS as being a lot like that. Right now, we are in a bit of limbo. I know, you have been being flexible and adjusting to rotating classrooms being open/ closed for over a year now, but the end is coming... just not quite yet.

As you may be aware, the location of the Library at WKHS and where the Counseling/ Administrative areas are will be flipping. They have asked us to box up all of our stuff out of the counseling center so that we would be ready to move, but the space in the new area isn't done yet. And so we are currently still going to be in our old offices, but they won't look the same. And, quite honestly, it doesn't feel the same when everything is pretty sterile and there are stacks of boxes everywhere. But this is temporary. 

So please know that the Counseling Center space won't look or feel normal, but it is still a safe space for you to come, talk, share, vent, and celebrate. And then later this fall when we move into the new space, you'll be among the first who get to check it out and help to make the new space feel comfortable and welcoming.

I appreciate your flexibility as we navigate this transition. It will be awesome after it is done... we just have to be patient until we get there. And if the surroundings feel stressful and overwhelming to you, just let me know and we can always take a walk and talk elsewhere in the building.

Phones Off. Friends On.

By now I am sure that you have all heard about the new laws in Ohio and therefore rules in Worthington that we will be following for this school year related to cell phones... basically, you aren't allowed to be using phones at all during the school day.

I know that at first this will likely create some anxiety among students and possibly even parents. Change is hard. The phones have become an extension of ourselves and the data about the number of times that we tap our phone to make sure we haven't missed any alerts even though we haven't received notifications is confirmation enough about how addicted we are to our phones. 

As we make this transition, know that it is normal to feel skeptical or uneasy about how this will work. There may be legitimate concerns like how can I reach my parent/ child in the day if it is an emergency, but in cases of emergency we will be able to help support you in the offices and with the landline phones. If you really need to reach your parent (or they really need to reach you) we will help to facilitate that communication. There is no question that part of the uneasy feeling comes from the times of discomfort when we aren't really feeling like we are connected to people around us and so jumping on our phones allows us to escape the present moment... but remember, EVERYONE around you will be feeling the same way and seeking connections from others around them too.

What about lunch time or in the hallways? Yep, no cell phones there too. And that is where I actually think the concepts of "Phones Off. Friends On." is going to pay off the most. You want to know what is happening with your friends, awesome, come to school and be present with them. You want to de-stress and power off your brain, great, let's focus on developing some new and different strategies that don't require you to be on your phone... which will help you now and for the rest of your life. There is no doubt that everyone will immediately be more approachable in the commons when people aren't just looking down at their phones. So who knows, maybe you're going to find a new forever friend that you never would have had the chance to meet and get to know if it wasn't for this new rule. 

Be Here Now is one of my favorite reminders... to be present with the people I am around at any given moment in time. To savor in the moments, the memories, the simplicity of life - no matter how boring or exciting. Because the people around me (and you) all deserve to have our time and attention just like you deserve to have that from those around you. And I am sure you have had times where you felt like someone was only halfway paying attention to you because they were also on their phone at the same time. Without phones, the effort to be present and "Be here now" will be a little bit easier and for that reason, I am confident that the district's call for "Phones Off. Friends On." will prove to be true. 

Remember, if you are feeling stressed about this change, I am here to listen and give you a safe place to share those fears and frustrations. Change is hard, but you will get through this adjustment. (In case it helps, remember that it is actually kind of like going back to middle school rules because you weren't allowed to use your phones there either and you survived that and MS years are way harder than HS years.)

Schedule Pick Up

Is anyone else feeling a little overwhelmed by the fact that school starts next week? Somehow I suspect it isn't just me! I'd imagine it will start to feel real that summer is coming to a close when you come to pick up your schedules this week.

Due to the ongoing construction at WKHS, schedule pick up will look a little bit different than past years in that it will all take place on the 2nd floor and it will be held during the evening so that we aren't in the way of the construction workers.

The process is paperless again this year which means that your emergency medical information, health forms, and athletic forms need to be updated online BEFORE coming through the schedule pick up lines.  Those forms will all be on the Worthington Schools website (not counselor website).

Students and families are invited to come pick up your schedules, get your school pictures taken, and navigate all of the other stations (such as textbook pick up, vision & hearing screening, etc) on Wednesday, August 6th and Thursday, August 7th from 5-7:30pm.

When possible, they would ideally like for 9th and 11th graders to come on the 6th and 10th and 12th graders to come on the 7th, but if your schedule prohibts you from attending on your preferred date, please know that you can come on either evening.

Sorry, I can't email out copies ahead of time. And I know that every year there are questions about what you should do if you are not available to attend on your designated schedule pick up time. If you will not be able to attend either of the designated days/ times, then you will not be able to pick up your your books or get your student ID made until the 1st day of school, but schedules will be available online starting Monday, August 11th or you're welcome to come to school on either Monday the 11th or Tuesday, August 12th from 1:00 - 3:00pm.  (No morning pick up's on those dates though because we are all in mandatory meetings both mornings.)

Each year schedule pick up days are two of the craziest days for me, but I am looking forward to seeing you!

Kilbourne Kindness Closet

The Kilbourne Kindness Closet is a place where current WKHS students, parents and family members can get free Kilbourne spirit wear to show your school pride and feel like a connected part of our community. 

We count on donations from Kilbourne students, staff and families to keep the Kilbourne Kindness Closet stocked with clothes. As you do spring/ summer cleaning and find clothes that no longer fits you or doesn't apply to you any more, please know that we would love to have those donations for other families. Additionally, seniors, you are just about a week away from being alumni of WKHS. As you get ready to purge your high school gear that you no longer want/ need, please be sure to drop it off at Kilbourne for future wolves to wear.

We appreciate the community's support in making this project a reality!

Mandatory Senior Graduation Form

Today, all seniors received an information link for the Senior Information Questionnaire that we need for you to complete and submit prior to May 2nd.

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.  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 2nd.  

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 2nd may not be able to be included if the program.

This week's schedule

We have a busy, unique week ahead.  Sophomores are going to be testing all week.  Freshmen and juniors will likely have some days of testing and some days of sleeping in and seniors get to enjoy the mornings off for the week.

Ohio State End of Course Tests:

This week we will have late starts for the Ohio State required End of Course tests.  We will be on a modified bell schedule where you have classes from 12:25-3:20.  On Monday, Wednesday and Friday you will go to your 1st through 4th period classes.  On Tuesday and Thursday you will go to 5th through 8th period classes.

On Monday and Tuesday, students will take the English 2 End of Course test which contains 2 parts.  Part 1 will be completed on Monday and Part 2 will be taken on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, students will take the Biology End of Course test.

On Thursday, students will take the US History or the Math tests.

On Friday, students will take both sections of the Math 1 or the Math 2 End of Course tests.

Here is a link to find the bell schedule for the week.  Good luck to everyone who will be testing!  And please, remember to bring your fully charged chromebook with you to school for testing!

If you are not testing, remember that buses will run 90 minutes later than normal. You will have some down time before lunch and then lunch will be offered from 11:30-12:20 for all students.

College Essay Workshop:

On Thursday, we will be hosting the essay brainstorming workshop from 10-11:30am in Room 201 for juniors who are planning to apply to a 4-year college in the future.  Please be sure to sign up if you plan to attend.  The link has been included on the email that was sent to you and it is also on the Counselor Website and you can sign up there - www.wkhscounselors.com. I hope to see all juniors for this workshop!

Caps & Gowns

The reality of high school coming to a close for seniors often starts to set in when caps and gowns are distributed and for the Class of 2025, that started today and will continue tomorrow during lunch periods.  I always love seeing the looks in my seniors eyes when they walk away from the tables carrying their cap and gown package.  This is such an exciting time in your lives and you have worked hard over the last 13 years to get to this point.  Don't forget to keep pushing academically, but also know that it's ok to pause as you pick up your cap and gown and realize that this is part of what your efforts have been for - to reach this milestone in your life!  I'm proud of you and excited for you.  

Also, one other hint from years of seeing seniors pick up their caps and gowns - when you get home, take the gown out of the bag and hang it up!  There will be TONS of creases in your gown and you'll still have to iron/ steam it to try to get them all out, but giving gravity a chance to help is always a plus as well.

Lunch & Learn for Parents

Every year we have questions from students and parents about the Honors Diploma and what is involved for students who are trying to earn this designation on their diploma at graduation.  On Friday, April 4th at noon, the WKHS Counselors will be hosting the next session in our Lunch & Learn Series to talk all about the Honors Diploma.  

This brief, 30-minute session, will take place over zoom so that parents can grab their lunch, hop on the session, learn about the Honors Diploma, and continue on with your day.  The zoom link will be emailed to all parents Friday morning and it will also be posted on the Counselor website.  I hope to see you online this week to learn all about the Honors Diploma!

Senior Pictures

It's a "Senior Sunday" which means it's a good time to remind all seniors... the deadline to submit your Senior Picture for the yearbook is this Friday, March 21st.  All seniors are invited to turn in a preferred photo to Mr. Balogh at this link to have your picture included in the yearbook.  For students who do not submit a photo before the deadline, the school pictures by HR Imaging that you had taken in August will typically be used for the yearbook.  If you have any questions, please stop and see or email Mr. Balogh.

Construction Update

Just a quick reminder that the construction progress is continuing and so starting tomorrow students will have new classrooms! Be sure to check your schedule in Infinite Campus to see your updated room numbers. All Academic Preps have returned to classrooms so that no one will need to be in the auditorium for that purpose. This is the last phase of construction upstairs! Please remember that this means new sections of the second floor will be closed off and students won't be allowed to enter or use those areas while other areas are now open. Please follow the posted signs as you navigate between classes.

Care Closet

WKHS is fortunate that we have a group of dedicated, compassionate moms who make up a group called the Activity Club.  This group of parents are focused on finding positive ways to give back to the Worthington community so that we are all stronger together. 

One of the projects that they spearhead for Kilbourne students and families is the "Care Closet."  In this designated area they have stocked a wide range of personal care items that individuals may want/ need but not have the extra money to keep on hand.  For example, in the Care Closet you can find shampoo, conditioner, lotion, soap, shaving cream, toothbrushes and toothpaste, deodorant and so much more!  And it is all there FREE for anyone who could benefit from a little extra help.  This can be particularly helpful to families during the holidays when money may be even tighter than normal or a family might need some basic toiletries to use as a gift.  

The Care Closet is a cabinet located in the back hallway between the Counseling Center and Administrative Offices.  Please know that we WANT you to use this resource!  That is why they provide it for our families.  So, if this is something that you know would help you, please stop and help yourself.  You can also see me if you want me to help point out where the supplies are located.  And then, in the future, you can always go to the Care Closet area and help yourself to any materials that you or your family need.  (Parents, know that you too can come in to take advantage of the Care Closet if your son or daughter won't make use of it on their own.)

Also, as an ongoing reminder, we invite all students, families and community members to contribute to the Kilbourne Kindness Closet by donating any gently used Kilbourne clothing items that you no longer need. Whether it's an old sweatshirt, a sport specific t-shirt, or any WKHS apparel that you no longer want or use, we would be grateful for your contributions.  This includes both student and parent Kilbourne clothes. We know that wearing Kilbourne clothes strengthens school spirit and builds connection among students and families.  Donations can be dropped off in the front Student Services office or in the Counseling Center.

Tomorrow's Assembly Schedule

The holiday spirit has definitely been alive and well at Kilbourne lately.  Hearing about the contributions and watching students wrapping presents and seeing the impact of your generosity was incredible!  To build on that enthusiasm, tomorrow will be the annual holiday assembly.  Because of exams, you will still have another week of school left, but it will be a great way to celebrate the end of the first semester.  

Below is the bell schedule for your reference as it is definitely different than normal.

Period 1 - 8:40 - 9:19

Period 2 - 9:24 - 10:56 (Students will be divided to spend 1/2 the time in class and 1/2 in the assembly)

Period 3 - 11:01 - 11:40 

Period 4 - 11:45 - 12:24

Period 5 - 12:29 - 1:08

Period 6 - 1:13 - 1:52

Period 7 - 1:57 - 2:36

Period 8 - 2:41 - 3:20

I am looking forward to seeing all of my students who are participating as a part of the assembly tomorrow.  I also want to send out a huge good luck to all of the Band, Orchestra, and Choir students who will be performing tonight and tomorrow in the Home for the Holidays concert.

Reminders about Tomorrow

I have lots of reminders for all of you about tomorrow (Monday, October 14th):

1. Room Changes: The new science classrooms are officially completed and opening tomorrow.  That means all of your science classes will be moved into the new rooms.  The classrooms that had been meeting on the back bridge (primarily foreign language rooms although there are a few other as well) are being moved into the new rooms that the science department had previously been housed in so that the bridge classrooms can be remodeled next.  What does that mean for students?  It means that there are a LOT of classrooms that have changed location - including some academic prep rooms.  Please be sure to look at Infinite Campus to see the exact room locations for where your classes will be meeting as of tomorrow.  All of the room assignments are up to date in IC so you can see if you have any classes changing location.

2. Hallway Closure: Going along with the room changes, your typical hallway path throughout the building may also need to adjust because the back bridge hallway will be completely closed off to students while they work on remodeling of those rooms.  So, if you are moving from a math classroom to a science classroom, you won't be able to use the back hallway and will need to walk up towards the hall closer to the commons and across to get between rooms.

3. Full Scale Evacuation Drill: Every 3 years Worthington schools and the local EMS/ Police departments all partner together to participate in a full-scale evacuation drill.  That drill will take place tomorrow during 2nd period.  You will be on a modified bell schedule with most classes being 37 minutes in length in order to give time for the evacuation drill.  Remember, we participate in drills like this because we want to make sure that ALL of us know what we would ever do if there was a crisis that required an evacuation of the building and because YOUR safety is of the utmost importance to us.  So it is always helpful to practice something so that, heaven forbid, something would ever happen at WKHS, you'd know what was being asked of you in an evacuation.

4. Parent/ Teacher Conferences: Tomorrow evening kicks off Night 1 of Parent/ Teacher conferences.  Students, if you think it would be beneficial for you and/or your parents to meet with your teacher, ask your parent to set up a conference for tomorrow or Wednesday and then you can participate in the meeting with your parent (or just send in your parent).  Parents, this is a GREAT opportunity to learn more about what your son/ daughter is doing in class, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and identify strategies that you can use to help them at home as well as sharing with the teachers any feedback about what might help them to better connect with your child.  Conferences play a vital role in the connection between the school and parents so I hope you'll take advantage of them.

5. Pre-Apprenticeship Partnership Presentation: And last but certainly not least, the counselors are hosting an information night for students and parents about the Pre-Apprenticeship programs that Worthington Schools have partnerships with so that students can learn about these hands-on learning opportunities and how they can translate into job prospects for after graduation.  This is an important evening for anyone hoping to participate in a Pre-Apprenticeship either this year or next year.  Join us at 6pm in the WKHS Auditorium.

Clearly, it will be a busy day, but it will be a great day too!

New to District

Last week we held our Welcome Breakfast to celebrate the students who have come to Kilbourne from other school districts.  As of right now, we have 91 new students.  These students will come to our school with unique experiences, perspectives, and traditions to share that will make our school even stronger.  There are students from just down the street (who might struggle deciding where they want to sit during tomorrow night's battle of Hard Rd.) and students who came from countries far away.  There are 6 primarily languages along with English spoken by our students and many more cultures and countries than that represented.

Moving to a new school is really intimidating and requires a great deal of courage.  I am so impressed by how each of these new students are making that adjustment and embracing Kilbourne.  Many of our new students are already involved in sports and looking forward to joining clubs and other activities.  And yet, I am sure that there are some new students struggling to find their place.  If you see someone around the halls of WKHS who doesn't seem to have people that they are sitting with or talking to, I hope you will make the effort to connect and say hi.  It doesn't have to be bigger than that.  Whether they are new or not, the simple reality of someone recognizing you and saying hi can make a complete difference in their day!

Don't forget, tomorrow is the suicide prevention #BecauseOfYou day during lunch periods and the school day will end with the Homecoming Pep Rally.

Pack Period

Tomorrow will be our first Pack Period of the school year.  For students new to WKHS, when you think about a Pack Period you can also think of it as something like a homeroom where announcements are shared, particular topics are addressed or discussed, or timely activities are completed.  Our Pack Periods at Kilbourne are typically held as a component of your 2nd period class.  (Sometimes specific grades will be called for an assembly during the Pack Period time to come to the auditorium for a group presentation.)

Pack Periods are held on Wednesdays approximately every other week.  The Pack Period is a time for students and staff members to forge stronger connections, share important information, and to build on student success skills for learning and for life.

One of the main items that all students will be asked to complete during tomorrow's Pack Period is your annual Counselor Connection Form.  This form is tailored with questions to allow us to get to know you a little better.  There are different questions for each grade level and I promise that we read them all!

These forms are a great way for me (and the other school counselors) to learn more about you and they also help us to capture information about you that can be helpful later when you are trying to think about college applications, brainstorming essay topics, and more.  So I do ask that during the Pack Period tomorrow that you try to give me thoughtful, genuine responses because it really does make a difference for me.

We are on a different bell schedule to give you an extra 24 minutes to be in the Pack Period.  This also  means each class is 3 minutes shorter - so your 2nd period class will begin 3 minutes earlier than normal (a really important point to be aware of if you are a student with late arrival and no class during 1st period so that you're not late to 2nd period on Pack Period days.)

Thanks again, in advance, for filling out your counselor connection form!

Picture Make Up Day

Did you miss schedule pick up days and therefore miss out on the chance to get your updated school pictures for your ID?  Good news - tomorrow, Tuesday, August 20th, will be picture Make Up day!  During your lunch period, please go to the Auditorium and have your picture taken on the stage in order to make sure that your updated photo is included in the school yearbook and that you will have it for your ID to be able to enter Worthington sporting events for free.

Back to School

Your summer is officially over and tonight is a School Night... which means many of you most likely have to try to completely flip your sleep schedule.  I know it will be hard, but please try to go to bed early tonight because the first few weeks of adjusting to being back at school full time tend to be exhausting.

As you are aware, Kilbourne is being remodeled.  Even though the construction company started working on the science classrooms last spring, those are still not quite finished, but in about another month you'll get to see those finished rooms.  There are other new classrooms that have been built, all lockers have been removed from the second floor and a new hallway has been added upstairs.  Additionally, the classrooms have all been re-numbered.  So a teacher's classroom might be in the same location as you remember, but the numbers for those rooms have changed.  (An easy example, the study hall classroom that is multi-tiered used to be Room 207, but now that is Room 201.)  These changes will take a little time getting used to and the good news, as I mentioned to some of the freshmen today when I was talking to them is that right now, everyone is in the same boat - there is no one in the school who will know exactly where they are going or how to find a particular room on the second floor.  We will all quickly adapt and adjust.  (Probably just in time for it to change because the construction will be ongoing throughout the school year and we will be flexible with moving classrooms and adapting to the various learning spaces as they open and close throughout the year.)

I am looking forward to seeing all of you tomorrow!  It will be so good to have everyone back in the building again.  Kilbourne is a great place to work, but it truly is amazing because of our students and so it will be so nice to have you all together with us again!  Lexi is definitely anxious to see all of you!  She doesn't understand where her friends went for the summer so be sure to stop by the counseling center and say hi to Lexi and me.

Get Involved

As we get ready to kick off the new school year tomorrow with the Freshmen, it is a great reminder to 9th graders and to ALL students that it is important to get involved at Kilbourne.

Being involved in sports, clubs, volunteer outreach, or other areas of interest help connect students to the school and community.  You have special gifts that only you can share and you can make a positive difference!  

WKHS is very fortunate to have a wide range of opportunities available within the school setting for you to get involved.  There are approximately 30 interscholastic sports, over 40 clubs, and a wide variety of performance groups (choirs, bands, orchestra, and theater).  While there is obviously no shortage of established groups that you can get involved with, if you have other passions that you want to focus on, don't forget that you can also help establish a new club.  As long as you can find a faculty member who is willing to help you with club oversight, Mr. Todd or Mr. Hilson in the athletic office can assist you with the paperwork needed to establish a new club or organization.

For freshmen, getting involved makes your transition to high school easier because you get to know older students and you find a place where you can belong.  In fact, it is so important for 9th graders to get connected with groups that tomorrow during your opening link day, there will be an activities fair for you to find areas of potential interest to learn about and join.  For upperclassmen, being involved gives you the opportunity to demonstrate leadership and to grow in your areas of interest.  (And no, for the record, I don't think you should just get involved because it will look good on your college applications... you should be participating because it is meaningful and important to you, but yes, being involved is a plus for college applications too.)

Mandatory Senior Questionnaire

Today, all seniors received an information link for the Senior Information Questionnaire that we need for you to complete and submit prior to May 2nd.

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.  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 2nd.  

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 2nd may not be able to be included if the program has already been printed.