Senior Details

For seniors, everything is winding down.  You have just 6 days of high school remaining!

* Finish strong: If you are not doing well in your classes, please make sure you do everything that you need to do to pass your classes with the highest grades possible. Above all, please make sure that you pass all of your classes that are requirements for graduation!  If you are struggling I need for you to talk to your teachers and to me asap.

* Final Transcript: When you graduate from WKHS and move on to college the college will want a copy of your final transcript showing your 2nd semester grades and the fact that you did graduate. As is always the case we cannot release your records without your express written permission. We are covering the fee for this for you, but you need to make sure that the information you turned in on the mandatory graduation/ final transcript form is accurate.  If you are one of my students who has changed their mind (and I know this has happened for a few), please make sure that you update our form regarding the college who should be receiving a copy of your transcript.

* Fees/ Fines: Some students still have outstanding fees and fines that you owe to the school. It may be a very small fee for an overdue library book or it could be a much larger fee for a lost textbook, but either way, please make sure that all of your debt is paid in the next week so that you will be able to participate in the commencement ceremony.

* Textbook/ Library Book Returns: You will need to turn in all of your textbooks as well as any library books that you still have. The book room will be open for you to return your textbooks after you have finished with your exams and are done with your books.

* Submit your Commencement Agreement: If you have not turned in your commencement agreement form, you need to make sure that you get that turned in.  It requires both your signature and the signature of your parent.  Completed forms should be turned in to the co-curricular office.

* Make sure you turned in everything else: In addition to paying your fees and submitting your commencement agreement, please double check to make sure you have submitted the other items that will help make your senior year memories special.  There are a few of you who haven't submitted your diploma presenter request forms yet and many who haven't turned in their senior pictures for the yearbook or your baby pictures for the baccalaureate celebration.  Do these things right away so that you are not left out!

* Scholarship Thank You's: If you received a scholarship, don't forget the importance of writing a thank you note to the individual, group or organization who is providing you with the scholarship.

* Stop by and see me: Selfishly, I would like to also add this to your list as I would love to have a few more minutes with you while you are still in high school. And, I haven't received many senior pictures this year, so please know that I would still love to have one! :-)

AP/ IB Classes Summer Assignments

A few days ago I mentioned the fact that students are currently taking AP and IB tests.  Even more students are planning AP and IB classes for next year and so I wanted to remind you that many of those classes will have summer assignments.  AP/ IB teachers have been working hard to prepare meaningful learning opportunities to help you get a jump start during the summer months.  Please pay close attention to the announcements each day because there will be meetings before/ after school for students to meet with the teachers for next year, to learn about the summer requirements and expectations, and to understand what you will need to do if you have questions or need support. 

It is also important that all students are aware that there is a drop deadline of June 15th for all AP and IB courses.  Prior to June 15th students can drop the classes without penalty.  After June 15th the summer assignments are still required and the grades for the summer work will be transferred into the new class that you will transferring into for next year instead of your intended class.  So, it is important not only that you know what you will need to do, but also to start working on the assignments - at least enough to make sure you feel confident that you are going to enjoy the course - so that you will know by June 15th if you feel you are going to need to change out of that class.

Teacher Appreciation Week

This week is national Teacher Appreciation Week!  WKHS is blessed to have a staff of incredible teachers who are committed to their student's success - not only in the classroom, but also in life.  I can think of so many examples of teachers going the extra mile to help students.  They are often found: spending time before or after school reviewing material with students, cheering on kids at concerts and games, responding to e-mails and text messages on evenings and weekends to clarify questions, developing exciting and engaging learning experiences, writing beautiful recommendation letters, listening to a student who needs to talk after a bad day, and countless other examples that make an impact in ways big and small.

Looking back at my own life I remain grateful for the teachers I had - for what they taught me, the care that they showed, and the impact they had on my life.  I remember those who gave us challenging assignments that pushed me and still impact how I look at life today.  I remember the teachers who believed in me and helped me to develop the confidence to chase after my dreams.  I'll be honest - I don't remember all of my teachers.  But I suspect that there are other students who fondly remember those teachers who I can barely recall.  I think that is the beauty of education - hopefully every student has at least 1 teacher who they feel believes in and cares about them and a teacher who holds them accountable and pushes them to learn and grow.

As someone who now works in education I can tell you that, at least for me, there are days when I wonder if anything I do or say is making a difference.  And then I am given the gift of encouragement and gratitude - often in the most unexpected of ways - by a student (current or past) or a parent.  Just in the last few weeks I have had so many of these amazing moments of kindness.  Several former students have reached out to ask me to meet for lunch or dinner.  I talked to a former student who is now a coach and I was complimenting him on how much I loved watching him coach even though I can still vividly remember him being the one out on the field like his athletes are today.  And then during our conversation he expressed appreciation for what I did for him back in high school - which, to be honest, was not much - but he knew that he was cared about and that he still knew that today made me so happy.  I received an invitation to go to the wedding of a student who graduated 10 years ago.  I have been given the opportunity to present diplomas to an incredible group of graduating seniors.  A current student thanked me for helping to make a difference in his life, another expressed gratitude for writing a rec letter for him, and still others have given me pictures so that I can proudly hang them in my office.  Parents have sent encouraging messages, delivered sweet treats and the PTO is even doing something for the staff all week.  I share all of this because that encouragement means the world to me and is something I will never forget!  

I suspect that you all have some teacher that has made a difference in your life.  I don't know which Kilbourne (or even elementary or middle school) teachers stand out to you most as being the ones who challenge you to be YOUR best every day, but I hope you will consider taking time this week to say thanks to at least one of the teachers at Kilbourne who has made a positive impact on your life.  You never know - maybe your kind words to them will be exactly the encouragement they needed today and will also stay with them for years to come. 

AP and IB Exams

Over the next two weeks many WKHS students will be taking Advanced Placement and IB Exams. The AP and IB exams are held on designated days and will be in designated locations throughout WKHS.  I know that many of you have been spending an extraordinary amount of time studying to prepare for the exams. Good Luck!  You will do great!  Remember, you have spent the whole year learning all of the content that you need to know in order to take the tests to hopefully earn the college credit. Stop by sometime and let me know how you felt after the tests.

Prom

Tonight is prom night for WKHS juniors and seniors. This is an exciting and memorable night for students and I hope you have a great evening. Let's be honest, I also hope that it is a safe evening! You want prom to be memorable because it was a positive experience... 

Hopefully you have finalized all of your plans and are looking forward to a great night both at prom and at After-Hours. I am looking forward to being a chaperone at prom again this year because I love seeing "my" students dressed up and enjoying themselves. It should be fun!  Please be sure to stop by and say hi to me so that I get to see you in your tuxes and dresses.

One last reminder about safety - please remember that just because it is prom night that does NOT give you the excuse to make choices that you know are not wise.  Take the time to talk with your parents before you leave tonight about what you will do if you end up in an unexpected situation and need help. If, for any reason, you need help tonight while at prom - you know that you can find me. Have a good time - and please, be smart and stay safe!

Spring Cleaning

Another school year is winding down (but it is not over so you still need to apply yourself fully) and the spring weather and upcoming exams are two likely reasons that you may decide to do some "spring cleaning" of your school materials. As you go through your bookbags and homework/ study areas there are a few things to keep in mind. Does your system work for you? Are you able to find everything you want and need without having to search? Do you spend more time organizing and looking for the piece of paper that you know has the answer than you do actually completing the project or assignment? Do you know what you want or need to save for the future? And yes, I am talking about more than just digging out of your room just in case your parents decide to convert your room into a guest bedroom after you go to college... :-)

Keeping your notes organized and any study guides, equation summary sheets, as well as old tests and quizzes in a way that will allow you to pull upon that information in the future is very important. I can tell you that from my experience in college, if I had not saved my notes from calculus in high school then there is no way that I would have passed that class in college! Your notes can often be the most useful resource (assuming you take good notes each day) because you are re-writing the main topics in your own words and organizing the information in a manner that makes sense to you. Old study guides, tests and quizzes are all very useful when trying to study for an upcoming exam.

So, take a little time now to prepare for your upcoming final exams and (for the seniors) for college when you might want or need this information by getting organized today. If you need help with talking about some better strategies for organizing your materials, feel free to stop in and we can talk about some different ideas to see if one of them sounds like it could work for you.

College Credit Plus Reminders

Hopefully everyone who will be taking a College Credit Plus (CC+) course next year attended the meeting yesterday, but if you missed it, please be sure that you have applied to your intended college(s), submitted qualifying test scores, and completed your course registration form(s).  There is information on the Counselor Website with links to all of the forms.  Please visit www.wkhscounselors.com to see the reminder of the steps you are supposed to complete for each college and which classes are being offered through which college.

Applications are due to both CSCC and COTC by this Friday, May 4th.  Registration consent forms are due back by next Friday, May 11th.

The one aspect which tends to confuse many students is submitting your qualifying test scores to place you into a class.

If you are taking classes through COTC you will need English and Math scores.  You can use ACT or SAT scores or they will be at WKHS on May 17th for you to test during your lunch period.  If you are unable to test on the 17th you can go to any COTC testing location in order to test.

If you are taking classes through CSCC you must submit qualifying English and Reading scores.  You can either submit ACT or SAT scores or you need to take the placement tests.  Here is the summary of what you will need to know/ scores you will need to achieve for CSCC:

- If you were already taking CSCC classes last year then you have met the qualifying scores and do not need to do anything else.

- If you took the ACT and earned an 18 on the English section and a 22 on the Reading section then you have met the benchmark standards required.  Submit the scores from ACT's website to CSCC.

- If you took the SAT and earned a 490 on the Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing section then you have met the benchmark standards required.  Submit your scores from SAT's website to CSCC.

- If you have not taken the ACT or SAT yet or do not have the qualifying scores, then you will need to take the Placement Tests at Columbus State.

You can take the test at any of the CSCC testing branches. (Delaware, Dublin, Westerville, or Downtown)

You will need to take the reading and writing placement tests.  This usually takes about 2 hours to complete (approximately 1 hour per test).

You will need to achieve the CSCC designated scores in order to reach the level required to take the CC+ classes.  You will need to earn a Reading Test score of 80 and a Writing Test score of 5.

Please note that you will need to have your Cougar ID number in order to test.  I strongly suggest that you visit the CSCC website (search testing on their site and it will take you to the right page) to review the information about what to expect on the placement tests so that you do as well as possible on your first attempt. It is possible to retake the placement test once if needed. 

The deadline to submit scores and/or complete your placement testing is suggested by May 23rd, but students have until July 1st to meet the CSCC requirements and submit scores directly to CSCC.

With so many students taking CC+ classes, I cannot stress enough how critical it is that you take care of these testing requirements so that you are able to take your intended classes next year!  If you have testing questions, please check the college testing pages and if you still aren't sure, feel free to let me know.