Senior College Information Night

The Senior College Information Night will be held one week from today, on Thursday, September 3rd, at 7:00pm at WKHS in the auditorium. This is one of the most valuable meetings for senior students and parents to attend because there are so many college related questions that we will be able to answer.

We will be reviewing the college application process, the procedures for submitting your items to WKHS and to the colleges, and other information you need to know. We hope you will make every effort to attend! We strongly encourage both the seniors and their parents to attend this night.  Why?  Because the seniors are the ones who are actually applying to college and you need to know the steps and details involved specific to WKHS.  We think it is ideal for parents to also attend so they can help support you in your application and they don't ask you tons of questions that you will learn on this evening.

We know it is not always possible for every senior student and family to attend, but we hope you will try. Remember, with so many seniors, it can be really challenging if we are not all starting with the same foundation of information. This evening will answer all of your basic questions and then we’ll figure out the rest together as the year continues. We're looking forward to seeing you on September 3rd!

Meeting with School Counselors

Students, if you want to meet with us - just drop by our offices! That is honestly the BEST way to meet with us. You don't need to schedule an appointment in advance. We're generally around before and after school as well as during your lunch or academic prep/ options periods for you to stop in and chat.

You don't need a big reason to come down and say Hi. We are happy to see you even if you just wanted to tell us how well or how poorly you did on a test that day. If we are busy meeting with another student or parent - you can stop back down, leave a pass for us, send us an email to let your counselor know you want to see her. If we haven't tracked you down that day or the following day, chances are the pass we sent for you didn't make it to you or we can't find you in the commons - so please come back!

During high school there are times when you may wonder if there is anyone who cares and is willing to listen to what you are going through and we want to remind you that we are here for you.

Parents, out of respect for your time and our schedules of trying to prioritize and maximize meeting with students during the school day, we do ask that if you would like to meet with us that you reach out via email or phone so we can set up a time to meet in advance rather than just having parents attempt to drop by like students are doing. Thanks for understanding.

Meet the Teacher Night

On Wednesday evening, 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 WKHS Auditorium 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 or pull it up 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!

One of the benefits for parents about this evening is that it will allow you to put a face with a name so that if when your kids are talking about a test in Mr. ____'s class or an assignment for Mrs. ____'s class parents will be better able to keep it straight.

Confidentiality

Having safe adults that you can talk to and trust is an important aspect of navigating life as a high schooler. In addition to your parents and teachers, as counselors we hope to work to be able to earn your trust so we can also be one of those safe people in your life.

It is important to know that there are limits to confidentiality. Some of those limits are long-standing, consistent aspects. If you are at risk to yourself or someone else, we must report it. If someone is harming you (abuse or neglect), we must report it.

What is new in limits to confidentiality are some of the new Ohio laws that we must follow. If you share information with us related to gender - such as wanting to use a different name or pronouns, then we must share that information with your parents.

Another new requirement within the Ohio law is that we must notify your parents if you have had a "substantial change" academically, physically, or emotionally. 

Knowing that your trust is important, we want to make sure you understand that these new laws and requirements are in place. All of it is with the goal of helping to make sure you have as many positive, supportive adults in your life as possible. So if you have any questions about confidentiality, please don't hesitate to ask!

Get Involved

Being involved in sports, clubs, volunteer outreach, or other areas of interest help connect students to the school and community. You have special gifts that only you can share and you can make a positive difference!  

WKHS is very fortunate to have a wide range of opportunities available within the school setting for you to get involved. There are 29 interscholastic sports, over 40 clubs, the school newspaper, video news team, yearbook and a wide variety of performance groups (choirs, bands, orchestra, and theater). While there is obviously no shortage of established groups that you can get involved with, if you have other passions that you want to focus on, don't forget that you can also help establish a new club. As long as you can find a faculty member who is willing to help you with club oversight, Mr. Todd and Ms. Masi in the athletic office can assist you with the paperwork needed to establish a new club or organization.

For underclassmen, getting involved makes your transition to high school easier because you get to know older students and you find a place where you can belong. For upperclassmen, being involved gives you the opportunity to demonstrate leadership and to grow in your areas of interest. (And no, for the record, I don't think you should just get involved because it will look good on your college applications... you should be participating because it is meaningful and important to you, but yes, being involved is a plus for college applications too.)

As we kick off the new year, perhaps getting involved can be one of your goals for the year. You will be able to contribute and find a sense of belonging all at the same time.

Last Day to Add Classes

Monday (August 24th) is the last day for students to add a year-long or first-semester class to their schedule. This is an important deadline to pay attention to for all students. You have 6 weeks to drop a class without it appearing on your transcript, but you can only drop a class if you will still have above the minimum required number of courses. If you have any questions about your particular situation and if you would or would not be able to add or drop a class, please stop in and see your counselor during your lunch or off period.

Lexi

Do you know who was REALLY excited for school to start again?  Lexi!

For those new to WKHS (either incoming freshmen or students who have moved to Worthington), Lexi is short for Lexington. She is a Miniature Goldendoodle (which means that she is a mix between a Golden Retriever and a Miniature Poodle.) Lexi weighs 23 pounds and she is hypoallergenic which means she should not be a problem for students with allergies.

Lexi is a therapy dog and she LOVES coming to school to spend time with students and staff. Her only goal is to love and be loved and she has definitely missed the love and attention from everyone throughout the summer. So, in case you need a reason to stop by the counseling center to say Hi, remember that Lexi will be there and, like us, she will be thrilled to see you.