Meet the Teacher Night

Tomorrow night, (Wednesday) WKHS will host our annual Meet the Teacher night for parents/ guardians. This event is sponsored by our PTO.

This is a night when your parents can come through school, follow your schedule, and meet all of your teachers. Meet the Teacher part of the evening will be over by 9pm. Each class will be 10 minutes in length and yes, your parents will have the same 5 minute passing time that you have during the day. (Hopefully they won't get lost and be late or else they could end up with lots of tardies!) :-)

Here is the schedule for the evening:

Welcome & Introduction in Main Gym by Principal, Aric Thomas: 6:45pm

1st period - 7:00 - 7:10

2nd period - 7:15 - 7:25

3rd period - 7:30 - 7:40

4th period - 7:45 - 7:55

5th period - 8:00 - 8:10

6th period - 8:15 - 8:25

7th period - 8:30 - 8:40

8th period - 8:45 - 8:55

Please make sure you give your parents a screenshot copy of your schedule or at least write down the room numbers for all of your classes so they know where they are heading for the evening!  Of course, parents, if your son/ daughter forget to give you a copy of their schedule, you can also print it off off on Infinite Campus.  We will not have schedules available to hand out so this is a really important step for families to make the most of Meet the Teacher Night!

Please make sure your parents know about this evening because I know many of them will want to attend and they usually like putting a face with a name so that if you are talking about a test in Mr. ____'s class or an assignment for Mrs. ____'s class they will be able to keep it straight.

Senior College Presentation

Seniors, the questions about your college applications are coming into me fast and furious... and I love it! I love that so many of you are on top of things with your applications and are trying to figure out what to do. But, with there being so many of you, it is really important that you all start with the same foundational knowledge. As a result, I cannot stress how important the Senior College Information Presentation is to get everyone on the same page with next steps in your application process.

This presentation will take place this Thursday, August 21st, at 7pm. We will be hosting it via zoom so that we can also record the presentation for anyone who cannot attend live. (I hope you and your parents will try to attend live though because I genuinely think there is a lot of value of participating in the session together.)

There are so many questions about applying to college like: "How do I request to have my transcript sent to my colleges? How do I make a positive impression with admissions reps? What is the difference between a recommendation form and a recommendation letter and how do I make sure the right one is included with my application? What is the difference between Early Action and Early Decision and which should I use when applying? Am I applying to enough or too many colleges?" During this presentation we will aim to address all of these questions and so many more!

This presentation is an important evening for all seniors applying to college and their families. Seniors are encouraged to attend with a parent/ guardian.

We emailed out the zoom link to all senior student and parent emails this afternoon and will send another email reminder out on Thursday. I hope you will plan to join us for this session!

Common App 101 Workshop Reminder

Seniors, just a quick reminder that tomorrow at 1:30pm is our first Common App 101 Workshop.  Please be sure to bring your laptop or chromebook with you because you will be working on your actual Common App application during the time together.  We will be holding this work session in Room 201 and look forward to seeing you tomorrow!

Senior Recognition Night

In just about 2 hours we will hold the Senior Recognition Night which kicks off the festivities of honoring seniors.  This week as we have been working to prepare for this awards ceremony I keep thinking about how impressive you are and all that you have accomplished. From impressive scholarships earned to the awards and recognitions you have received it is exciting to be able to honor you all.

Your class has contributed in positive and meaningful ways at WKHS.  And the reality is, even for those who weren't invited to attend tonight, each of you has made a positive difference at Kilbourne.  Whether it has been in the classroom, with a club, a sport, or simply being a friend to someone on a bad day, you help make Kilbourne such a special place.

Can't wait to start celebrating the Class of 2025 this evening!

Tomorrow's Bell Schedule

We will be having a Pep Rally at school tomorrow afternoon ahead of prom this weekend.  I wanted to make sure that you knew what the bell schedule will be for tomorrow.

1st Period- 8:40-9:19

2nd Period- 9:24-10:12

3rd Period- 10:17-10:56

4th Period- 11:01-11:40

5th Period- 11:45-12:24

6th Period- 12:29-1:08

Pep Rally- 1:12-1:52

7th Period- 1:57- 2:36

8th Period- 2:41-3:20

The Pep Rally will be a fun celebration to boost the connection and school spirit within the building.

And, on a separate note, congratulations to all of the seniors who have finalized their plans and are now breathing a sigh of relief to have a decision made. I am proud of you and loved seeing so many of you sporting your future college gear at school today!

Free Healthcare Opportunities

There are certain healthcare related steps that all students must complete in order to comply with school requirements.

Probably most familiar to students and families is the sports physical.  Any student hoping to participate in band or a sport, must have a current, updated sports physical on file every year.  There are free sports physicals being offered by Grace Clinics on July 28th in Hilliard and on August 2nd in Delaware. You should text 740-816-7022 to schedule an appointment.

Additionally, the state requires all students to have an updated meningococcal vaccine by August of their senior year.  The requirement is that one dose of the Meningococcal (MenACWY) vaccine must be given on or after the age of 16.  Proof of vaccination is due prior to senior year by the State of Ohio.  In order to help students fulfill this requirement, a Free Vaccine Clinic will be held at WKHS this Friday, April 25th from 8:30am-12:30pm.  This is a free opportunity for students from the Columbus Public Health Department to get this requirement completed during a school day.  Parents do not need to be present, but a consent form is required.  Consent forms can be picked up from Nurse Julie in the health office at school. I hope you will take advantage of this free opportunity!

In addition to the Meningococcal vaccine, they will also be offering Influenza, Tdap, and HPV vaccines for free to students who want/ need them.

Any questions about the free vaccine clinic or the meningococcal vaccine requirement can be directed to WKHS Nurse Julie at jgarner@wscloud.org.

Senior Survivors Panel

Juniors, just a quick reminder that tomorrow morning (Thursday, April 17th) we will have a panel of "Senior Survivors" to share as a part of the Junior Seminar. The seniors will share their insights, perspectives, and feedback on what worked well for them related to college applications and senior year as well as their struggles and challenges and what lessons they learned the hard way. I believe it is always so helpful to learn from your peers especially when it comes to college applications with how rapidly changing the college applications are from even just a few years ago. I hope that you will join us tomorrow morning in Room 201 from 8:15-8:35am for this presentation.

Pathways & Possibilities Day

Tomorrow is Kilbourne's "Pathways and Possibilities" Day and I am so excited for it! During lunch periods all students will have the opportunity to interact with dozens of career professionals to learn about alternative pathways or possibilities for your future. 

We have intentionally targeted inviting job representatives that do not typically require a 4-year degree in order to work in the profession. You might wonder why. Well, there is so much time and attention spent in helping students look at 4-year colleges that we want to make sure that ALL students are getting support even if continuing on to a traditional college isn't in their plan. But it is more than that. There are a lot of jobs that you can get a certificate or other credentialling and be able to begin working where you will make more money than you would in just the typical high school diploma jobs.

My niece, Carly, is a perfect example of this option. Carly is a senior at the University of Kentucky. During the summer between her freshman and sophomore years of college she got 2 certificates - one in phlebotomy (drawing people's blood) and one to be a nursing tech. Then, from her sophomore through senior years of college she has worked part time at the UK Medical Center making far more money (and requiring way less hours of her) than she would have earned if she worked at a restaurant or store. Even more importantly, this clinical experience helped Carly have an even more impressive application when she was applying to med school. Let's be honest, did she want to be a phlebotomist or nursing tech for the rest of her life? No. Are those great career paths for some people? Absolutely! But it still was an important part of Carly's journey and has opened up more great opportunities for her in the future.

My hope is that EVERY student will take a few minutes out of your lunch periods to walk through the tables which will be set up in the commons and hallways to talk with the different career professionals. You never know about the various jobs that might peak your interest. Perhaps you will find something that will be a great pathway for your future or there might be jobs that can give you better paying possibilities. At the very least, please take a moment as you walk past our guests to say Thank you to them for giving their time to come and share with all of us!

Lunch & Learn: Coping Skills

The WKHS Counselors will be hosting our next Lunch and Learn Series for parents this Friday, March 7th.  This session will provide information about Coping Skills.

As a reminder, the lunch and learns are brief presentations on a particular topic over zoom during lunch time so that parents/ guardians can join and listen in from home or work while eating their lunch.  The goal is that the presentation will take about 15 minutes and then that will give about 15 minutes for any other questions that families might have that we could address as a whole group.  We are excited about this opportunity to leverage technology and to meet families where they are so that you can get the most up to date information that we can share with you.

The session will begin at noon on Friday, March 7th.  The zoom link will be emailed to all parents and we will also post the link on the Counselor Website on Friday morning.

We know that supporting your son or daughter to deal with the stressors of high school can be overwhelming at times, so I hope you will make plans to join us online over zoom so we can help review useful, timely coping skills that you and your child can put to use immediately.

Anastasia

This year's musical is Anastasia and the students and staff involved have been working SO unbelievably hard to prepare for the show! There will be 3 performances of the show - Friday night at 7:30pm, Saturday at 2:00pm and Saturday night at 7:30pm. You will not want to miss out on the chance to see the incredible talent and dedication of our WKHS students in action. Tickets cost $12 and you can register on the Worthington Hometown Ticketing website.

A huge good luck to "my" students who are involved in the production on stage including: Ethan Bevington, Jamey Chimbidis, Tori Camacho, John Alley, Anna Blake, Eric Collier, Jessica Atilano-Munoz, Sophia Bixler, and Cassady Campbell.  

The production of the show requires the dedicated work of the crew behind the scenes which also several of "my" students including: Adam Al Khayro, Charlotte Andon, and Milo Buerk.

And, of course, a performance is not a musical without music and so I also want to recognize the following students who are involved as a part of the pit orchestra: John Battle and Mason Cottle.

I know that many of you were able to watch the teaser part of the show's opening today during 8th period and, like me, are excited to see the whole show.  Good luck to everyone involved - you will do great!

Winter Formal

High school dances are one of the more memorable experiences that students tend to remember far beyond the time that they are in high school. Tonight is the Winter Formal. Student council members have been working hard to make sure that students will have a fun event tonight. If you are going to the dance, enjoy getting all dressed up, taking pictures, eating yummy food, and celebrating being a teenager at the dance with your friends. I hope it is a memorable evening and I can't wait to see your pictures and hear all about it next week!

Parent/ Teacher Conferences

I wanted to make sure that all parents know that Parent/ Teacher conferences are coming up soon and the online system for parents to sign up for a time to meet with teachers opened this morning.  Conferences will be held on Thursday, February 6th from 5:00pm - 8:40pm and Tuesday, February 11th from 4:00pm – 7:30pm.  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:

•    Go to http://ptcfast.com/schools/Worthington_Kilbourne_High_School This will take you to the conference scheduler.
•     Click on the teacher you would like to meet with for a conference.
•     Sign up by entering your child’s last name, first name, your name and your e-mail address and then click Submit.
•     The next screen will direct you to check your e-mail inbox for a message with the subject “Select Date/ Team for Teacher Conference Now.”
•     Open the e-mail and click on the link to select a conference time.  If you do not receive an e-mail, please check your junk/ spam folder.  Please note, you MUST follow the link in the email in order to complete the sign-up process.
•     The link will take you to a Time Picker.  Available time slots will appear on this page.  If there are no available appointments that suit your schedule, please e-mail the teacher directly to set up an alternate meeting time.
•     After submitting your time slot, you will be prompted to finish, schedule another appointment for the same student or register another student.  Once you have completed your reservations, you will receive an e-mail confirming the date and time of your conferences and a link by which you can make changes to your date or time if you need to do so.

College Credit Plus Information Night

In addition to the wide range of traditional high school courses we have available at WKHS, there are other academic options available to our students.

The College Credit Plus (CC+) program is an opportunity for high school students to take college courses while still enrolled in high school. Students have the option of completing courses on a college campus, online, or at WKHS.  College classes at WKHS include both classes that are taught by WKHS teachers who are eligible to serve as adjunct faculty at colleges and classes where CSCC instructors are coming to Kilbourne to teach our students.

Classes that we anticipate being taught at WKHS (dependent on enough students enrolling in them) include: Pre-Calculus, Calculus 1, English Composition 1, English Composition 2, Intro to Psychology, Intro to Sociology, Intro to American Government, and Ethics.

There are a lot of details involved in participating in the CC+ program and students must complete and submit the paperwork before April 1st to indicate their intent to participate in the CC+ program in the following school year.  CC+ is also available for students to take classes during the summer in addition to during the school year.

In order to explain all of the details of the program and to provide you with the forms necessary, ALL students and parents interested in participating in this program must plan to attend the Academic Options night which will be held 2 weeks from tonight on Wednesday, January 22nd at 7:00pm in the WKHS auditorium.  This will be a joint meeting for all of the students and parents in Worthington.  Every college in a 30 mile radius was invited to participate in the meeting.  

One thing that is important for students and parents to realize is that we are now back to the post-COVID requirements for CC+ and so this is a state requirement that you must participate in an information session.  As a result, please see me if you are unable to attend this meeting so we can explore other options for sessions being provided at local colleges which you can attend if you can't make it to the Worthington meeting.  Let me stress this again - this is a mandatory meeting for any students who want to participate in CC+ next year!

Credit Flexibility is another program we will highlight during the Academic Options night.  Credit flexibility allows students to earn credit based on a demonstration of subject area competency, instead of, or in combination with, completing hours of classroom instruction. Students are able to customize aspects of their learning around their interests and needs. It encourages student self-direction and motivates learners to develop new skills and fulfill their potential. Examples of credit flexibility opportunities include, but are not limited to, independent study, online learning, and demonstration of course proficiency.

If you have any interest in learning more about College Credit Plus and Credit Flexibility, please plan to join us January 22nd!

Executive Functioning Lunch & Learn

On Friday, November 15th, we will host the next session of our Lunch & Learn series for parents.  The topic for Friday's zoom conversation is Executive Functioning.  Executive Functioning refers to the skills that we use to manage every day tasks.  For example, this includes organization, planning, focus, and juggling multiple tasks.  These can be challenging tasks for us as adults, but can be a significant struggle for students.

The Lunch and Learn series is set up so that we focus on one particular topic of interest and share information for about 15-20 minutes and then give 10-15 minutes to answer questions that you may have related to that topic.  The goal is that in just 30 minutes, parents will walk away more aware of the topic at hand and how it impacts their kids.  

The Lunch & Learn session will run from 12 to 12:30pm over zoom so that parents can grab their lunch to eat while tuning in to learn about the topic of the month.  The zoom link will be posted to the Counselor Website on Friday morning and will be emailed to all WKHS parents/ guardians.

I hope to see you on zoom on Friday, November 15th at noon for the Executive Functioning Lunch & Learn!

College App Completion Workshop

It may seem scary how fast time flies and that college application deadlines are rapidly approaching.  I don't want you to be haunted by your applications!  Even though it may be getting dark outside, on Wednesday, October 16th, from 5:00 - 6:30pm, the counselors will be in the Commons to assist you.  The most important trick is to bring your information with you.  Sometimes the essays may seem spooky and common app can be ghastly, but do not be afraid - the counselors are here to help!  No costumes are required, but we will have some treats.  You don't want to boo hoo because you miss it.  :-)

Students are in very different places in their application process.  A few of you still haven't started and so this will be a great opportunity for you to get started with your applications with our support and assistance.  Most of you have started, but are struggling to get finished and so if you need help finalizing your essays or just finding the time to be able to work through your application and get it finished, this is the perfect opportunity to complete your applications.

While I understand that coming back to school or not leaving after practice isn't very appealing, the reality is that it will make a difference.  By spending an hour and a half on focused application work, I am confident you will find the progress you make on your applications worth the sacrifice.  So, unless you have finished 100% of your applications, I hope you will join me and the rest of the counselors in the Commons on Wednesday the 16th to work on finishing them!

Parent/ Teacher Conferences

Parents, if you are interested in arranging to meet with one of your son or daughter’s teachers during conferences, the online system will open tomorrow morning for you to register for a meeting slot.  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.  

Conferences will be held on Monday, October 14th from 4:00 - 7:30pm and on Wednesday, October 15^th from 5:00 - 8:40pm.  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.  

Please follow the steps below to register for a parent/ teacher conference:

- Follow this link to take you to the conference scheduler:  http://ptcfast.com/schools/Worthington_Kilbourne_High_School 

-  Click on the teacher you would like to meet with for a conference.

-  Sign up by entering your child's last name, first name, your name and your e-mail address and then click Submit.

-  The next screen will direct you to check your e-mail inbox for a message with the subject "Select Date/ Team for Teacher Conference Now."

-  Open the e-mail and click on the link to select a conference time.  If you do not receive an e-mail, please check your junk/ spam folder.  Please note, you MUST follow the link in the e-mail in order to complete the sign-up process.

-  The link will take you to a Time Picker.  Available time slots will appear on this page.  If there are no available appointments that suit your schedule, please e-mail the teacher directly to set up an alternate meeting time.

-  After submitting your time slot, you will be prompted to finish, schedule another appointment for the same student or register another student.  Once you have completed your reservations, you will receive an e-mail confirming the date and time of your conferences and a link by which you can make changes to your date or time if you need to do so.

If you have any problems using the online conference registration system, please contact Sharon DeSantis at WKHS.  She can be reached by e-mail at sdesantis@wscloud.org or by phone at 614-450-6400.

Also, as a reminder, we have the Junior Planning for College night on Wednesday evening of conferences starting at 7pm so junior parents who want to meet with teachers for conferences and then come to the college information meeting can do it all in 1 night.  We hope that will help make attendance easier on families!

Planning for College Night

Save the date!  In 2 weeks, on Wednesday, October 16th the WKHS Counseling department will be hosting a Student and Parent College Planning Information Night. Historically, this presentation has received some of the best feedback out of all of the information nights we host. The students and parents who attended this meeting in the past have expressed how much this helped them get started and move forward with the college search process and developed a better understanding of what to expect along the way.  The meeting is primarily targeted at juniors, but sophomores and freshmen are welcome to attend if interested. The meeting will take place at 7:00pm in the Auditorium. 

I hope you will plan to attend! And yes, I want you to bring your parents to this meeting and no, I don't want you to just send your parents instead... this is YOUR future and you are responsible for deciding what direction you will take.

Teens and Cell Phones

For parents, figuring out how to navigate cell phone use with your teens is an ongoing challenge that is common among many families.  During this month's Lunch and Learn, the WKHS Counselors will share information about the data on teens and cell phone use as well as discuss strategies that teens and parents alike can use to try to minimize some of the negative impacts from cell phone use.

We hope that parents will join us on Zoom this Friday, October 4th from 12-12:30 for the conversation on Teens and Cell Phones.

As always, the link to the zoom presentation will be posted on the Counselor website and emailed home to families on Friday morning ahead of the session.  We hope that all parents/ guardians will grab your lunch and join us for this conversation.

Homecoming Week

First, before I jump into the week ahead, I just want to say thanks for your patience last week.  I was out sick and have been struggling to get caught up and so my blog had to be set aside for the week.  But I'm (finally) feeling better and just in time because this is a BIG week ahead!

One of the traditions that the student council coordinates are spirit week themes for the entire week leading up to the homecoming football game on Friday night and the dance on Saturday.  This is a great way that students can support Kilbourne and show your school spirit.

Monday - PJ Day (because you didn't really want to get dressed up in real clothes on a Monday, right?)

Tuesday - Thrift Store Mis-Match day

Wednesday - Pink Out

Thursday - Jersey day (wear your favorite sports team's jerseys)

Friday - Beach/ Hawaiian 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:

- A canned food drive on Tuesday during lunch periods.  The donated food is part of the Battle of Hard Road with Dublin Scioto (who WKHS plays on Friday) to compete for which school can donate the most food for the food pantry.

- Friday during lunch periods we will have a Suicide Prevention day activity where you will be invited to acknowledge those people in your lives who are positive connections for you.  Why?  Because knowing that we are never as alone as we sometimes feel is important to remembering that we all matter in this world and are needed here every day!

- Friday afternoon will feature a Pep Rally in the football stadium.  In order to allow for the whole school to participate in the afternoon pep rally, we will have a modified bell schedule for Friday.

- Battle of Hard Road football game (Kilbourne vs Scioto) with additional canned food collection happening on each side of the field.

- 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.

College Rep Visits at WKHS

Every year college admissions representatives travel across the country to meet with students and to talk about the opportunities available at their campus.  It always surprises me that more students are not flocking to these chances to meet with the admissions representatives.  Because even though you are technically there to learn about what they have to say about their school, perhaps even more importantly, you are expressing your interest and desire to attend their college! The admissions representatives who are traveling to the schools keep track of who they see. Many colleges can go back and tell you exactly how many times a student has come to tour campus, contacted the admissions office, or had an official interaction with a representative of the school. You never really know what can make a difference when it comes to admissions or getting a scholarship from a school, so if you are able to attend a meeting with a representative, it can only help you.  And, as if that isn't enough, at many colleges the regional representatives who make the visits are also the ones reading your applications and making admissions decision recommendations.  You have the chance to make a positive impression on them when they are at Kilbourne.  My hope, above all, is that the impression they leave WKHS with is that when you apply they don't look back and think, "hmm, they weren't even interested enough to come and meet with me when I was at their school."

College reps will start their visits at Kilbourne next week.  We have a list of the upcoming college visits posted in the Upcoming Events calendar on the Counselor website so that you can see which schools are coming to WKHS.  There are about 50 schools already scheduled and, as of this morning, only 14 students registered to meet with the reps. If there are schools that you'd like to meet with, please be sure to sign up on the google sheet within the event calendar and then write down the dates and times so that you don't forget to come to the Counseling Center.  When you get there, a secretary will introduce you to the admissions representative and after your meeting with them is over the secretary will give you a pass to return back to class.

Juniors and Seniors have unlimited opportunities to attend these sessions. Please be reasonable though. If a visit is scheduled during a time when you have class, you should get your teacher’s approval in advance of attending the information session. You are responsible for all missed work and teachers are not supposed to excuse you from tests, quizzes, or labs. 

Freshmen and Sophomores are also invited to attend the sessions with the college representatives, but are limited to participating in the visits during your lunch or Academic Prep periods. 

These are great opportunities to talk directly with the college admissions representatives so please take advantage of their visits!  While meeting with a representative cannot replace the actual experience of walking on campus, seeing the people, and experiencing the classes, it can be a very important piece of your information gathering process.