Goodbye Seniors

Today marked the final day of high school for seniors.  If you haven’t seen the Senior “Waving” video on social media, I’d encourage you to check it out.  Just over 75% of “my” seniors participated and I cannot even begin to tell you how happy it made my heart to see each of them smiling and waving!

Since I didn’t get to say goodbye to my seniors as they left the building for the final time today, I hope you will allow me to use this blog as a way to share a few of my thoughts with my seniors.

The spring always brings a mix of emotions for seniors as you prepare to close one chapter of your life and begin the next.  This spring has been more challenging than ever as your world was turned upside down by the global pandemic.  I know you are grieving the lost time of being together, enjoying your routines, and being able to say goodbye and transition out of Kilbourne in the way you had imagined.  You and your parents both are sharing in the sadness and disappointment that this is definitely NOT the way you had planned or imagined high school would end. 

I have had a lot of time to think about you as individuals and as a whole class.  And here is what stands out to me the most… you have proven that you are flexible, adaptable and resilient!  Those three skills are essential to living a successful life and you have found ways to cultivate all 3 over the last two months. 

Like most of you, I wish we could have had one more day at Kilbourne together.   Looking back, I wish I would have realized that when you were walking out on March 13^th that this needed to be my good-bye moment.  But that is how life works so much of the time… we realize things were important when it is too late and the opportunities have passed us by.  This reminds me that I should not take ANY of these moments for granted because we never know what tomorrow holds.  So even though this is not the final day of high school experience you had imagined, I hope, that as you reflect back on your years in Worthington, that you will treasure ALL of the memories (positive and not-so-positive) you created – including the less than ideal stay-at-home moments. 

Ever since you entered your first classroom as a Kindergartener, you have worked hard to get to today and you deserve to be proud of your accomplishment!  I hope you will remember that it’s not the classrooms, the hallways, the gym, the commons, or the stadium which defined your memories or your experiences.  They were just the places where you were able to learn, grow, contribute, lead, share, perform and compete.  The friendships, teachers, sports, performances, and yes, even pandemics that gave you added time with your family – those are your memories and experiences and those will be with you forever.

You have brightened my life over the last 4 years and now it’s time for you to go and share your light with the world.   As you leave Kilbourne to attend college, begin basic training, or start your career, I hope you know that I will be cheering you on every step of the way!  Congratulations Class of 2020!  I’m proud of you and wish you the very best in the future!

AP Exams

This week kicks off AP exams... but it will be different than ever before!  With the coronavirus, all students taking AP tests this year will test at home with just a short, 45 minute, exam.  All tests will be free response questions (not multiple choice).  Even though it is different, the reality is, you are prepared for this and you will do great!

Over the next 2 weeks, students will test based upon when their exam is scheduled.  I am confident your teachers have been communicating this information, but if you need it, here is the updated exam schedule.  You will test at 12, 2, or 4 depending on when your designated exam is offered... which I think will also work to your advantage since most of you are easily able to be awake and functioning by noon.

Good luck and I can't wait to hear how it went after you have finished!

It's the little things

This past week was Teacher Appreciation Week and even though I am not a teacher, I benefitted from so many acts of kindness this week.  But I have to say, it was the little things that meant the most to me!

- I had a student send me an email just to say hi and that he was thinking of me during teacher appreciation week.  (Seriously, that was really sweet!)

- I had a few students who have been having a difficult time emotionally reach out and share what is happening for them in their lives.  This is a big deal to me - yes, it is my job, but it takes such courage for a student to do that - especially when we aren't face to face in the building together.  And I genuinely appreciated that we were able to be present with each other during these tough days.

- I had colleagues share about successes of students who have been struggling academically and persevered to achieve their goals in classes.

- I got to see the smiling faces of some of my students in the "WKHS Thank You Teachers" video... oh, how I miss seeing you all!

- I got to share in the excitement of some of the seniors who are looking forward to the in-person, drive-through graduation experience that was announced this week.

- I have continued to receive email messages with update on how you are spending your time during this stay at home experience.  (I have been working on sending each of you an individual email to check in and I have sent one to all of my seniors, juniors, and sophomores and am 2/3 of the way through my freshmen... freshmen, sorry, don't give up on me if you haven't heard from me yet an email will be coming soon.)  I love hearing about all the fun, boring, or crazy things you have been doing while stuck at home!

- I got to see some of the seniors waving video clips and they made me smile and laugh.  I loved them!  I can't wait to see all of them.  And, by the way, if you are a senior (or the parent of a senior) and you haven't done the waving video yet PLEASE do it NOW!!!  Send it to Mrs. Backhurst - I want all of my seniors included in the video!  It is something I will be able to keep and have as a precious memory of you and your class.

So, even though it may have been teacher appreciation week, I want you to know that I appreciate you!  I can say with 100% certainty that you, my students, matter to me!  You brighten my life and I am so thankful that I have the honor of working with you.  I miss you far more than you can imagine and I love every opportunity that I have to see you, hear from you, or talk to you!  Thank you for touching my life in such a big way.  I hope to see you soon!

Summer School

Summer school is going to look different this year.  With everything happening with the Coronavirus, the academic options this summer are going to be a little bit different.

For starters, if you are in a class this semester that you do not earn a "P" grade in and you end up with an "I" (Incomplete) then you will spend part of your summer working on those classes to be able to finish the course requirements to pass the class. This plan will be something you, your parents and your teacher will develop.  I can't stress enough how much you want to get to the "P" grade so that you don't have this hanging over your head to continue working on regularly throughout the summer.

However, if you are doing well in all of your classes with remote learning and you are managing this format of education well, then summer school may be an ideal option for you to make up credit for any classes you had failed during the first semester.  You need to register NOW for summer school!

Worthington offers summer school opportunities each year with a wide range of opportunities to try to meet your academic goals.  If you failed a class during 1st semester or in a past year and will be taking it for credit recovery your summer school class will be free of charge.  Due to the Coronavirus, all summer school classes will be completed remotely.  Students will be expected to log on 2 hours a day (either 10-12 or 1-3) and work on their work with the remote support of the summer school teachers.  Summer school will run from June 1st to July 17th.  For all Worthington Summer School Credit Recovery related information and to register online, please visit the district website at:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BjSsBG9uHV8xmDEMiBgvCYo4N2kuYG5O-SCGWtfl9qk/edit

There are also a limited number of seats available for get-ahead courses in Blended Math 1 and Blended Math 2 that are also offered through Worthington summer school and information about those classes and the costs associated with those courses are on the website.  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oKSGQiq5rkAqONxFhU_4ojHUrkPS3seLFMvoz5I8ly8/edit

We always get questions about taking online courses or classes in other districts and as long as it is an accredited school this is completely fine.  So, for example, if your parents are divorced and you go to spend the summer with a parent who lives in another state you can take your summer school class at the school near your other parent and then transfer the credit back to us.  Or for those students who hope to be able to resume traveling over the summer, taking an online course might be more in line with your needs.  Again, in Worthington we try to be very flexible in helping all students to meet their academic goals so as long as the school you are taking classes from is an accredited school, we will transfer those credits to Worthington.

Students and parents often ask me which online schools they can use and again, if it is accredited it is fine.  I would say that the school we have probably had the most students utilize in the past has been TRECA due to the cost effectiveness of their credits.  But again, that can change from year to year and so I encourage you to search for the schools and programs that will best meet your individual needs.  TRECA summer school registration has opened so if you were planning to take a TRECA summer school class, please be sure to get signed up for that soon too.  Their website is: https://treca.org/programs/summer-school

Please, if you have failed a class during the 1st semester, get signed up for summer school so that you can stay on track for graduation with your class!  Deadline to enroll is Friday!

CC+ Updates

I made a conscious decision to cut back on how frequently I am posting blog updates.  I have had so many students tell me that they are overwhelmed by all the emails they have to keep up with and I feel the same way with all of the random messages I am getting from people.  Plus, I typically blog about the questions that kids are walking into my office asking me about and... well, that isn't happening now. 

However, today I have a large number of emails in my inbox related to questions about CC+ and so we need to touch base about some of that briefly.

COTC Next Year:
- If you have signed up for a Math CC+ class, then you should have received an email from Mrs. Gratz or Mrs. Mann to tell you that you need to fill out the COTC registration card.  There are instructrions that come with the card. 
- When you are filling out the form, refer to the instructions.  But, the question most kids are asking is what term, and the answer is 20AU.
- Be sure to mark the box that says you authorize us to release your transcript - that is a requirement to be able to enroll in a CC+ class with COTC.
- You will also have to list which class you will be taking.  If you are taking PreCalculus, please list Math 150.  If you are taking the Calc AB version, please list Math 200.  If you are taking the Calc BC version, please list Math 200 and Math 210.  You can check the add box, list your course name, and leave the rest of the chart blank.
- Copies of both the card and the instructions are on the Counselor Website on the front page in the CC+ section.


College Credit Plus Transcripts:
If you are a senior who needs to send your CC+ transcripts on to the college that you will be attending in the fall, please be sure to follow the directions and use the links on the Counselor Website to request your transcript.  You will likely be asked if you want to hold the transcript until grades are posted and your answer to that is YES!


CSCC Next Year:
- If you are taking classes to be taught by a CSCC professor (Comp, Psych, Soc, Gov, Ethics), then you will need to make sure you have completed the CSCC Registration consent form and that it lists your Cougar ID number.
- Your cougar ID number would have been emailed back to you 48-72 hours after you applied to CSCC. 
- This form needs to be returned to Mrs. Mann (emann@wscloud.org) or to Mrs. Gratz (agratz@wscloud.org) either by scanning and sending it to them or taking a photo of the form and emailing the picture to them.

Then, if you are planning on taking classes ON CAMPUS at CSCC next fall, I also have important updates to share with you!  CSCC has elected to change their in-person course format (this does NOT impact the classes taught at WKHS) to be shorter 8-week sessions.  Most students on their campus will take fewer classes at a time and the classes will be finished in 8 weeks instead of 16 weeks.  This could be a significant challenge for high school students who were just planning on taking 1 class on campus during the semester... because now you will be doing the same amount of work in half the time.  So, if you were one of my students looking at taking CSCC classes on campus, you need to check your CSCC email and talk about your options and plans with your parents to make sure you will be able to handle the intensity and rigor of that double-paced class.  Feel free to reach out to me or the the CSCC Academic Advisors on campus if you have questions about this option.

Making Your College Decision

May 1st is this Friday... which means this is a big week for students who are making their final college decision.  Yes, it is true that there are many colleges who have extended this deadline, but with so many still holding steady with May 1st as their deadline to commit to attend that college, it is imperitive that students and families double check to make sure you don't miss a deadline.  In other words, whatever your first deadline is for declaring your decision, that essentially, by default, becomes your deadline for all of the colleges.

If you are on the wait list at a college, please understand that in that situation, you will still commit to one of your other colleges and then if you are fortunate enough to be selected to move off the wait list you can decide if you will be changing your mind and switching to the school where you had been waitlisted.  But you do not want to wait and hope that you will be pulled off the wait list and not commit to any school unless you are intending to take a gap year between high school and college.

The reality is that the coronavirus is having an impact on students and where they are choosing to go to college.  You may be struggling with what you thought you had your mind set on and are now revisiting that decision in light of these changing times.  If that you is you, I know this is stressful, but you will get through it!

Some of the factors I have heard from students/ parents related to their college choice and covid-19 include:

• Changes in finances.  Family finances may be in a very different spot today than they were 6 months ago.  This may impact what you and your family are able to pay for college.  You can reach out to the financial aid office of your college and ask for them to reconsider your situation and see if an override and the possibility of additional aid is an option.  But, sadly, you are not the only family in this situation so that may/ may not be possible.
• Distance matters.  Many students are re-thinking how far away from home they are comfortable being with stressful times like this.  Students who had been planning to move far away are now considering that a flight away from home may not be something they are as comfortable with any more.  
• Transfer options.  Some students due to finances or fears of moving into dorms in the fall have indicated that they are now considering taking the transfer route and starting at Columbus State so that they can take classes cheaper and can also attend as a commuter student vs having to live in a dorm.

Here is the reality.  We don't really know what the future will hold.  Truthfully, we never have.  We just always took for granted that things would keep going in the ways it always has and so this has thrown all of us for a loop.  If you are weighing your options for those reasons or for others, that is completely understandable.  It is important to have frank, honest conversations as a family about what your plans are and how it will work for your specific circumstances.

If you have a college that is sticking to the May 1st deadline and you truly need more time to make your final decision, you can ask them if there would be an option to extend the deadline for you to make that choice, but understand that their answer may be no.  Remember, if you want to talk it through with me, I am still here and am happy to listen!

Plans...

I wanted to write this last night... but honestly, I was struggling with the news that we aren’t able to return to school for the end of the year the way I had hoped and planned.  I know that it's necessary and important for the health and well-being of each of you and for our community. I am thankful that we still get to engage electronically and that socially distant doesn’t mean completely cut off. And I am hopeful that new memories are being built and priorities are being realigned as families are spending more time together.  But even though I can think all of that and I truly believe all of that, I’m still just really sad. And I know that I am sad because of how fortunate I am... I am so lucky that I have a job I love so much that I desperately miss being there and seeing you all each day.

But, here’s my challenge... this isn’t about me. I mean, yes, of course it is because it’s impacting me too, but the main reason my heart is hurting so bad is for all of YOU!  For all you are missing, for all you’re sad about, for all the disappointments you’re experiencing, for the fears you are facing, for the uncertainty you are struggling to manage, for the anger and hurt you are encountering, and for whatever it is that YOU feel today.  We are all walking the same path but we experience it in very different ways.  In fact, today I have talked to several students who had already gone through the feelings I have been struggling with over the last 24 hours because they had already come to the conclusion that we wouldn’t get to return to the building and, as a result, they had already grieved that loss.  But, no matter where you are with your feelings, I firmly believe that we have to lean into our own feelings and emotions – even if they are difficult or heavy. We have to give ourselves the space and permission, and muster up the courage to fully feel whatever it is we are feeling. When you can name it and be present with it, then you can also heal from it.

And now, here I am... and still I have no perfect words for you. I will say that I began to gain some perspective in that I truly believe that while this is heartbreaking and sad, it is something we can and will get through. There are real problems- big, life changing, can never adjust, adapt, and overcome kinds of problems in our world today. And this is not one of them. We will still connect - it will just be remotely instead of in person. We will still honor our seniors and the difference they have made over the last four years. And we will somehow come through this changed, but stronger and more resilient. And wow, what a gift that will be from this pandemic.  And no, that new perspective didn’t fully take away my sadness, but I find it valuable to allow the emotions and feelings of both to sit side by side.  It isn’t either/ or – it is and.  Please know it is ok to be sad and to know that it will be ok. 

One of my personal self care strategies is trying to find the right picture quote for different situations.  The one that stuck out to me yesterday was, “Your purpose didn’t change, your plan did.”  And obviously that applies to me in that I believe my job is a huge part of my attempt to fulfill my purpose in life. But as I was reflecting on that concept it also made me think of how this applies to all of you too. You go to school to learn. You still attend school, but your plan of how that would look and feel has changed. You interact with friends and family members to celebrate how important they are in your life. And yet your plans of physically being together and hanging out have changed. And, for the seniors, of course you graduate to celebrate the accomplishments of 13 years of education, to recognize how much you have learned and grown, and to acknowledge the excitement of the future which is before you. But the plan for how the end of your senior year would look has been shifted. But the rest of that stuff… the purpose parts... those are the areas that matter!  And no matter how awry our plans go and how overwhelming and sad we may personally find it that our “plan” for 4th quarter of 2020 didn’t go the way we wanted, I know that good is still here too because it is within each of you!

So please, let me remind you... you still have a purpose!!! You matter to me, you matter to our school, you matter to our community. You are not alone. There are people, like me, who are still in your corner, caring and believing in you... and we will always be no more than a call, text or email away!