Registration can be completed online Vaccine Clinic Registration or consent forms can be picked up from Nurse Julie in the Health Office, completed and returned to school for students to participate.
This is the perfect time for current 11th graders to receive the Meningococcal vaccine which is a requirement for starting senior year.
If you have any questions, please stop by the health office and ask Nurse Julie between now and next Wednesday.
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.
Tomorrow we will start meeting with every 9th grader and I'm looking forward to a busy, but meaningful day!
I also wanted to make sure that all parents know that Parent/ Teacher conferences are coming up next week and the online system for parents to sign up for a time to meet with teachers opened this morning. Conferences will be held on Monday, February 9th from 4:00pm - 7:30pm and Wednesday, February 11th from 5:00pm – 8:30pm. Each conference will be scheduled in 15 minute time blocks. Conferences allow parents the chance to learn about your student’s classroom performance from the teachers, it allows the opportunity for you to ask questions and they provide an opportunity to build a dialogue with the teachers regarding any thoughts and concerns you might have.
Conferences will be scheduled as people sign up for them, so if you want to make sure you have times that work well for you, I strongly encourage you to register right away.
Please follow the steps below to register for a parent/ teacher conference:
The WEF has generously funded our grant application to start creating a Stress Management And Resiliency Training - "SMART" Lab. This new space in the counseling center will be a place where students can work to build the skills to help manage their feelings and emotions. Having new opportunities to practice regulating emotions is an opportunity we are really excited about having at Kilbourne.
Our goal is to start getting the SMART Lab set up early in 2026 so that all students can have the chance to start using it during the 2nd semester. More information about this new space will be forthcoming as we get it launched.
.png)
Although the construction is done, there are still some elements that are going to need to be finished over the weeks ahead (like getting doors for some of the counselor offices). But it is exciting that we are one step closer. They should begin moving furniture into our new spaces soon and then over the following few days we will move all of the other stuff out of the current counseling center and administrative areas and into the new spaces. We will have control over the timing of some aspects and just working to be flexible on other parts. But, I can tell you that the construction people would ideally like for us to be completely out of our current (old) space no later than Sunday because next Monday morning they want to begin demolition of our space to make way for the new library!
So why does that matter to you? Well, if you need something from me this week, you may need to be flexible about where to go to find me. If my computer is still in my old office, I will likely continue working out of that space. But once all of the technology stuff (computer and phone) are moved to the new space then that will be where you will find me... and honestly, because it has all been under construction I don't really even know how to tell you to find me there. So I anticipate we will post signs and you can always ask a secretary or other staff member and we will all figure it out together.
Remember, every step of construction progress is one step closer to construction being totally completed and that is GREAT news!
Monday - PJ Day (because you didn't really want to get dressed up in real clothes on a Monday, right?)
Tuesday - Adam Sandler Day
Wednesday - Pink Out Day
Thursday - Jersey/ College Day
Friday - USA Day
It is important to remember that your attire for all of these days is still required to abide by the requirements of the student dress code.
In addition to the spirit themed dress, this week will also feature:
- Friday afternoon will feature a Pep Rally. In order to allow for the whole school to participate in the afternoon pep rally, we will have a modified bell schedule for Friday.
- Friday night is, of course, the football game and will include the introduction of the Homecoming Court at 6:40pm.
- Dance out in the Stadium on Saturday night.
Clearly, it will be a BUSY and Fun-Filled week ahead. I hope you will make the most of embracing the energy and excitement of the high school festivities.
Thursday was scary.
It is scary to think that something bad could happen in our school. There is so much in our world that is negative, beyond our control, and overwhelming to even think about. And then, on Thursday, we were all forced to react to the possibility that the scariness of the rest of the world was happening at Kilbourne - a place we all love, feel safe in, and where we are surrounded by friends and classmates.
First and foremost, I want to acknowledge that those feelings of fear you were feeling during the lockdown were (and are) valid and real.
I wish none of us had to know a world where scary, unpredictable things can happen. And yet we do. And so that is why we have drills, so that we can practice and think about what it would look like if a real crisis took place. Because I suspect that many of you, like me, weren't really thinking a lot at first - you were just moving and doing the things you have practiced during lockdown drills.
There is no doubt that everything didn't go as planned or expected. There isn't anything good in that except that we are now learning from it. At school we spend a lot of time encouraging students to fail forward, to try hard in your classes and when it all goes wrong, to figure out where things fell apart and work to correct that for the future. I promise, the WKHS administration are working hard to get the various people involved with aspects of the system that didn't work properly to make corrections and get it right so that you will feel even more safe and reassured that should something ever happen at WKHS the systems designed to help keep you protected will work.
You all know that there wasn't actually a crisis that caused the lockdown. But there could have been. And that is yet another reason why it is always so important to speak up if you see something that doesn't look or feel right. You don't want anything bad happening at your school or to you or your friends. We have to look out for one another, support one another, notice if something isn't right and work to fix it.
If you are still feeling stressed and uneasy about last Thursday's lockdown, I want to remind you that my door is open to you and I am here to talk about those feelings with you. I am so thankful that this wasn't a true crisis and that we are able to process all of this together now with that knowledge.
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.
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.
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.)
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!
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!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
Posts
All Comments
