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.

The Care Closet is actually a set of file drawers located in the Counseling Center.  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 see me and I can 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.

Workshop on Brainstorming Your Essay Topic

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

The Essay Brainstorming Workshop Session will take place on Tuesday, April 9th from 10:00am - 11:30am.

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

So that we can plan for how many students to expect, we ask that you please RSVP using this link: 
https://forms.gle/zopnY1FrYxmsmDx26

Believe me, the essays are such a critical part of the application process that this won't be the only time I talk about them on my blog, but it is also a fun and creative opportunity to introduce yourself to the admissions officers and so it is worth the time you will put into making it a great essay.  I hope you will give up a little bit of your sleeping in time and join us for the workshop!

Caps & Gowns and More

Seniors, did you pick up your Cap & Gown today?  Doesn't it make it seem real?  I find it hard to believe that we are less than 2 months to graduation.  If you didn't get your cap and gown today, they will also be in the commons tomorrow during lunch periods for you to pick yours up.  Also, one of my biggest suggestions is to take your cap and gown out of it's packaging to allow the wrinkles to start falling out.  It will make it at least a little easier when you go to iron it closer to graduation time.

Also, seniors, by now I am truly hoping that you took care of your senior pictures for the yearbook.  Mr. Cecutti needs those from you right away.  If you haven't taken care of this, please talk to him or email him at tcecutti@wscloud.org. 

I also saw the message go out that your baby pictures are needed for baccalaureate.  Trust me, this is one of the best highlights at the Baccalaureate ceremony and you send those photos to Mrs. Mullen.

There is so much excitement ahead for seniors, but make sure you take care of all of these details so that you can enjoy the time even more.

CC+ Deadline Reminder

All students looking to earn free college credit in classes next year MUST turn in the College Credit Plus intent to participate form by Monday, April 1st!  This is a firm deadline established by the State of Ohio and we cannot extend it so please make sure you get your form turned in to us!  

Just as a reminder, this includes college classes on the college campus, online college classes, college classes taught by college instructors at WKHS (English, Psychology, Government, Sociology, Ethics, Classical Mythology, or Intro to Philosophy), and the regular WKHS classes taught by the WKHS teachers which can get you college credit for the exact same class you may have already signed up to take (Pre-Calculus, Honors Pre-Calculus, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, Intro to Programming Logic and Intro to Business).  If you have any questions about College Credit Plus - stop and see me or watch the video on the counselor website.  (www.wkhscounselors.com).  The intent to participate forms and video sign-off forms are also available on the counselor website.

What do you want?

What do you want?  Sometimes the answer to that question is dependent on if you are thinking about short-term answers vs. long-term goals.  For example, this weekend you might have wanted to hang out with friends, relax and watch the March Madness basketball games.  But then another longer term goal might have been that you want to be proactive and work ahead on your big school project so that you aren't super stressed about it at the last minute.

So, perhaps a better question really comes down to "What do you want now?" and "What do you want MOST?"  Discipline is choosing to do the things now that will lead you to the goals aligned with what you want most.

But being disciplined is hard at times.  It is easier to procrastinate, to push off the thoughts of what isn't immediate, and to do something that you feel you "deserve."  And, let me clarify, I believe that it is unbelievably important that you have balance in your life!  So I am not saying you should be living a life only for the future goals and not for the present moment.  I am definitely NOT saying that.  But sometimes we get trapped in this cycle of live in the moment without any care of the future and then panic when the future is now and we have things that must be done.

School examples like I mentioned above are often the easiest to consider, but the reality is this type of a choice is something you will be faced with for the rest of your life.  And, many of the decisions you are making now will impact you far into the future.  At the very least, your decisions matter because you are developing a consistent practice of how you will manage your choices.  If you consistently make the decision to focus on your goal and where you want to be in the future - those small steps, made with consistency, will result in big gains.  For example, if I want to run a marathon and I can't run down the block, then I would need to start by taking small steps toward my goals each day.  I don't need to suddenly try to run 5 miles - it would be a frustrating failure and I'd think I could never reach my goal.  But if I would walk today, then maybe tomorrow I can walk again, but also run down one block, and then gradually, with time, patience, consistency, and an unwillingness to give up on what I want most I will eventually be able to reach my goal.

If you are finding yourself stuck in cycles where you are struggling to figure out how to make choices that focus on What you Want Most - stop by and see me.  Let's talk about it and see if we can try to come up with a plan that will help you reach your goals in a reasonable manner that will still allow you to have fun, live in the moment, but without neglecting what you want most.

Worthington Job Fair

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

On Friday, April 5th from 9:30 - 11:30am at the Worthington Education Center there will be a Job Fair for Worthington juniors and seniors.  A bus will be provided for those who want/ need to take it.

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

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

There is a permission form that is required to participate in the Job Fair and it is due back to the Counseling Center by this Friday.  So please stop by the Counseling Center as soon as possible to pick up the permission slip to go to the Job Fair on the 5th!  If you have questions, please see me.

Local Scholarships

Let's face it, college is expensive and (sadly) money doesn't fall from the sky. Many students are trying to investigate options for financing their college education. One great opportunity to help with some of your college costs are local scholarships. These scholarships are great because you are only competing against other WKHS students (for most of them) and, at most, against other students from the general area. These scholarships are all listed on the WKHS Counselor website and I strongly encourage you to take the time to check out all of the scholarships available and read them carefully to determine which ones you might be a good candidate for and therefore want to apply to try to receive.  There are a range of different due dates for the scholarships, but a large number of them are due by April 12th.  Please remember that time flies and most of the scholarships have requirements such as essays or recommendation letters so it is important not to procrastinate and to get your applications completed on time.