Athletic Eligibility

As you are finalizing your selection of courses online, please be sure that you double check and make sure you are taking enough classes to be eligible to participate in athletics and other co-curricular activities. (Remember, any school sponsored activity that involves competition requires you to be eligible. So this includes band, choir groups, Mock Trial, In the Know, Dance Team, etc.)

It is recommended that all freshman, sophomore, and junior students should plan to take at least 6 classes each semester. All seniors that are on track for meeting their graduation requirements can decrease the total number of courses each semester due to the demands of other requirements such as college and scholarship applications, but should still plan to take at least 5 classes each semester.

In order to be eligible you must PASS at least 5 of the half credit courses each quarter. If you are signing up to take a Wellness for Life (Phys Ed) course, you need to remember that these classes are only worth .25 credits so they do not count in the courses needed for co-curricular eligibility.

If you have questions about eligibility, please stop in the athletic office or see me for additional clarification.

Honors Diploma

For some students, earning an Honors Diploma is an important goal. I have to be honest, this isn't a factor for the colleges because the honors diploma recognition isn't granted until you graduate so colleges are not considering it when making their admissions decisions. The requirements for the honors diploma listed below are established by the state department of education.

To receive an honors diploma you need to fulfill 7 of the following 8 criteria:

- English: 4 units
- Math: 4 units (including Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 or equivalent and another higher level course or a four-year sequence of courses that contain equivalent content - obviously the names of these courses will be changing with the common core implementation)
- Science: 4 units (including Physics and Chemistry)
- Social Studies: 4 units
- Foreign Language: 3 units (including at least 2 units in each language studied)
- Fine Arts: 1 unit
- Grade Point Average: 3.5 on a 4.0 scale
- ACT/ SAT Score (excluding scores from the writing sections): 27 ACT/ 1210 SAT

One of the areas that I have noticed a trend of some students falling short of meeting the honors diploma requirements is in the science area. This is because some students have decided to take a different AP Science course instead of taking physics. The other area where students frequently don't meet the designated standard is with the 4 credits of Social Studies since only 3 credits are required. Don't forget, it would still be possible to earn an honors diploma if you were missing one of these, but you will need to make sure you fulfill all of the remaining criterion.

Finding Balance

Hopefully you are ready to register for your classes (or have already done so) online. When you are considering which classes you want to take it is really important to try to find a balance. You want to challenge yourself with courses that will push you and help prepare you for the future. At the same time you want to remember that this is high school and you need to be realistic about your expectations of yourself. There is a balance that should be sought - between too many "easy" classes and too many "hard" classes. You know yourself best and what you can handle. So while it may be an honor to have every teacher recommend you for AP classes it doesn't mean that it would be the ideal situation to load your schedule with all AP classes. You have to keep in mind the rest of your commitments - what sports, clubs, music groups, part-time jobs, and volunteer commitments do you have?  There needs to be time for you to relax and breathe, to spend time with your family and friends and, perhaps most importantly, still get a good night's sleep each night.  If you are struggling to find that balance, please talk to your parents about the classes you are considering and stop down to see me so that we can discuss it too.

Reminders

A few different reminders for you tonight…

Please remember that tomorrow is the last day to drop a class without having it appear on your final transcript.  Tomorrow is also the last day to change a class from traditional grading to the pass/ fail grading option.  You need your parent’s signature on both of these forms so hopefully you took them home with you to get your parent’s approval if these were changes you planned on making – just make sure you turn the forms in to one of the secretaries tomorrow before the end of the day so that I can make the changes.

The online registration window is now open.  This means that you can log onto Infinite Campus and select the courses that you plan on taking next school year.  All students must complete their online registration this week (by the end of the day on Friday, March 1^st).  Juniors, please remember that you need to complete your online registration prior to our individual meetings – which for many of you will begin tomorrow!

With Infinite Campus the online registration system has some different aspects that are confusing some students and parents.  Hopefully I can help clarify a few points. 

The first thing to remember is that when selecting year-long courses, you will need to select the course number (example: American History – 2007) with both S1 and S2 at the end.  So, in this example if you were trying to register to take the full year of American History next year, you would select 2007S1 and 2007S2.  S1 and S2 stands for Semester 1 and Semester 2.  This is also important for students who might have failed a class that you will need to make up next year.  You can select just the semester of the course which you failed to repeat.

Another confusing aspect is that the program refers to the total number of units that you are taking.  Units are equal to quarters.  So, if you are taking a semester long class, it is worth 2 units.  If you are taking a year long class, it is worth 4 units.  You will want to make sure that when you are finished selecting your classes, you have at least 20 (for to be seniors) or 24 (for everyone else) units selected.

After you have selected your first choice classes, you will need to submit three alternative classes.  Please be sure that you select these courses in the order of your preference.

The entire registration process will save automatically.

You need to make sure you get your teacher recommendations on the recommendation form (they will initial) and to have your parents sign the form.  You will turn these forms in when you meet with me on your designated days.  If you have already lost your form, please stop by the counseling center and ask one of the secretaries to give you a new copy.

If you have lost your directions for how to register for your classes:

Please visit the Worthington Schools website at www.worthington.k12.oh.us and then login to Infinite Campus using your ID and Password.  Click on “Course Registration 13-14 Worthington Kilbourne” from the selection bar on the left side.  You then click on “Course Search” and you can search by the course name or the course number.  Once you have identified the class that you want, you can click on the course to read a description of the class at the bottom.  Then, after reviewing the information to make sure this is the class you are interested in taking, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “request this course.”  The course will now appear under “requested courses on the left side of the screen.  Repeat this process for all additional courses you want to select.  If you make a mistake and decide to delete a course from your requests, select the course name under “requested courses” or “alternate courses” and a “drop this request” box will appear which you can then click and it will delete the course from your request list.  After you have completed selecting all of the courses you would like to take as well as your alternate courses, please review the requested courses list and click on “print request summary” to print a copy of your requests.

Although I'm not available at all tomorrow due to junior meetings, please let me know (you can leave me a detailed note on one of the passes outside of my office or send me an e-mail or stop to see me on Wednesday) if you are having any problems.

Planning Ahead

I am confident in saying that all of you enjoyed the "snow" day on Friday due to the ice!  As we head back to school tomorrow it will probably be a bit of a shock to have a full 5-day week.  :-)  Since this is registration time, I wanted to give you a heads up about a few days in the weeks ahead that I will not be available. If you have questions or would like to touch base about anything, I wanted to make sure you were aware of when I won't be available ahead of time so that you can plan accordingly.

This week I am not available at all on Tuesday, February 26th or Friday, March 1st. Next week I will not be available at all on Tuesday, March 5th or Wednesday, March 6th. On Monday, March 4th, Thursday, March 7th and Friday, March 8th my availability will be sporadic depending on the period. During each of these days I will be meeting individually with students regarding their course selections for next year and, for the juniors, also discussing plans for life after high school.

If you stop by on one of these dates, leave me a detailed note and I will try to follow up with you again as soon as possible, just understand it isn't going to be possible for me to have a response back as quickly as normal.

Also, don't forget that the online registration is now open, so log in and complete your course registration!

Physical Education Waiver

The number 1 registration related question I have been receiving has been students seeking clarification about the PE waiver.  Hopefully I can help explain it to all of you here, but if you have more questions, please don't hesitate to let me know. 

The PE waiver is just what it sounds like - it provides the opportunity for students to waive having PE as a required class for graduation.  This option is available to students participating in high school athletics including cheerleading and marching band.  (For ease of explaining and writing this, when I refer to sports or athletics throughout this post, please know that it also includes marching band.)  All students must still earn the full 20 credits to graduate from high school, this waiver would simply mean that what has typically been required (1/2 credit of Physical Education) would not need to be included in the 20 credits earned.

The option to utilize a PE waiver is open to any current 9th or 10th grade student (as well as all future, incoming Kilbourne students).  The waiver option is NOT available to any current 11th grade students because athletic participation during your senior year will not count.

In order to utilize the waiver, students must successfully complete two full seasons of athletics.  This can be 2 different sports in one year, it could be 1 sport over two years, or even 1 sport one year and another sport the other year.  So, for example, if I participate in both football and basketball in the same year, I could apply for the waiver.  If I participate in football as a sophomore and again as a junior, I could apply for the waiver.  If I participate in football as a sophomore and track as a junior, I could apply for the waiver.

The waiver option will go into effect as of August, so any sports completed prior to the start of next school year do not count toward the two sports needed to meet the waiver requirement.  This is very important for current sophomores to pay attention to because unless you are going to participate in 2 sports during your junior year, then the waiver is not an option for you.  As mentioned previously, senior year athletic participation does not count toward the waiver.  So, essentially, as of August 2013, every student begins with "0" sports and then will have to fully participate in 2 seasons to be able to apply for the waiver.

In order to have your sport counted as one which can be used for the waiver, it must be an approved high school sport.  This means that your club sport participation, like club soccer or club volleyball, is not included in the waiver eligibility.  Also, bowling, dance team, and the competition cheer team are all club teams and not high school sponsored athletics and so they are not eligible for the waiver option.  Additionally, team managers and statisticians cannot count their involvement as a season toward the waiver.

Students must complete a "full season" in order to have the sport count which is considered from the first practice through the last event or banquet.  If a student is "cut" from a team, quits, or has an athletic/ activity code violation which requires them to forfeit 50% or more of the season, then that season would not be able to be used to meet the two-season requirement.  If you were to get hurt, the injury will not eliminate the option of having the season count if the principal, coach and athletic director concede that the student actively participated and made contributions in spite of the injury.

Many students asked if it could be a partial waiver because they had already completed one of the PE required courses and would only have 1 season of sport eligibility and the answer is no, there is no ability to mix and match.  If you have already completed a PE course, you can still utilize the waiver to eliminate PE as a required course, but you must complete 2 seasons of sports in order to apply for the waiver.  The bottom line is that 0 seasons of sports = needs PE/ doesn't meet the waiver eligibility requirement, 1 season of sport = needs PE/ doesn't meet the waiver eligibility requirement, and 2 seasons of sports = meets the waiver eligibility requirement and can apply for the waiver (therefore doesn't need PE classes).

Please know that this is a brand new option (approved by the Board of Education last week) and so some of the exact details such as when you will fill out and submit the waiver form has yet to be finalized.  As that becomes clear, I will keep you posted.

Registration Timeline

As you heard during today's homeroom, all students currently in grades 9, 10, or 11 will use the online registration system to select the classes you would like to take next year.

Over the next few days your teachers should continue reviewing the different classes offered within their departments as well as talking with you individually about the courses they would recommend for you to take next year. Please be sure to carry your registration materials with you so that you can get your teacher signatures on the course recommendation form and can make any notes about other classes of interest. If you'd like to hear more in depth information directly from the teachers who teach particular courses, please set up a time to talk to the teacher. Let me know if you need help finding a teacher during one of their off-periods.

After you have determined which courses you would like to take, please talk it over with your parents and then log in and register. (The online registration system will open Monday after you have received your teacher recommendations.) You will register when you log into infinite campus with your username and password.  If you have any problems using the online registration system, please stop in and let me know so that I can try to fix it.

Remember, your year long classes will require you to register for the course number with S1 and S2.  You must select both to sign up for the full year of the class.

Don't forget to save your signed course recommendation forms! You *MUST* turn those in during your meeting with me.  Freshmen will meet with me during Science classes on March 6th or 7th depending on your class, Sophomores will meet with me during US History classes on March 5th, and Juniors will meet with me during your individually scheduled appointments. Juniors will receive individual appointment slips. Please don't lose your appointment slips since they are your only reminder and your pass if you need to leave class. Don't forget that your classes need to be submitted online before our meeting! (Don't worry, we can still make changes if necessary.)

One Step at a Time

Relax.  Take a deep breath.  Do not panic.

Tonight was the 8th grade registration night and the curriculum night for all 8th - 11th grade students/ parents.  The nervousness about the registration process and course selections was very evident during the night.  Please understand, we will help you through and it will work out fine.

There are a lot of changes ahead.  There is, quite honestly, a lot that we are still awaiting clarification and finalization on.  I may not know all the answers to your questions, but if you can be patient, we will figure it out together.

We will learn a great deal more in the days ahead.  As we go through tomorrow's registration homeroom, please start identifying your questions and then either during homeroom, during lunches (I'll be hanging out in the commons to try to help answer questions), or in a 1:1 appointment later, we will find the answers together.

Also, over the next week or so I will be updating the blog with various registration related topics that I think might be helpful for you.

Credit Flexibility & Curriculum Night

Tomorrow night is registration night for 8th graders and their parents as well as curriculum night for all students.  During curriculum night students and parents from all grades have the opportunity to learn more in-depth information about the various courses and class sequences available at WKHS.  For example, you can hear about the new common core changes, the IB classes, the Project Lead the Way program, and any specific classes of interest.  

Additionally, starting at 7:30pm, we will be sharing information about the options available to students through credit flexibility.  The State of Ohio passed legislation that enables students to earn credit based on a demonstration of subject area competency, instead of or in combination with completing hours of classroom instruction. Students will be 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.

I hope that all students and parents interested in learning more about credit flexibility will join us tomorrow evening.  We will be in one of the classrooms upstairs and the room will be marked to help you find it.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I wanted to take a quick moment to wish you Happy Valentine's Day.  Since I'm not there to be able to give you my best in person, please know that you're important to me and I hope you have a wonderful day.  Also, for those of you who will be traveling over the long weekend, please be safe and have a great time!

Sick

This week has not gone at all how I had hoped or planned.  I have been sick since Saturday and unfortunately just can't shake it.  The good news is that I have a long weekend to try to get healthy again, but I am sorry that I won't be at school yet again tomorrow.

Thanks for understanding and being patient.  I will see you on Tuesday.

Where do you sit?

Are you looking for strategies to help you retain more information in your classes? Being able to recall the information covered by your teacher in class is essential in helping students excel in classes. One aspect you may not be aware of is that where you sit in class has a significant impact on your retention rates. Multiple research studies have shown that if you sit in the front row you have better retention rate than those who sit in the back rows. Additionally, the closer to the center you sit the better your retention rates. So, if you have the choice of a seat in a class, try to select the front row and middle of the room (assuming that is where your teacher stands as you want to be seated close to the speaker). If you cannot be front and center, then your second choice should still be the front row just out from the center. Your next choices from that point would be to continue sitting in the center seats as close to the front as possible, but definitely in the middle. The places to avoid would be the back rows on the outside edges as retention rates in those areas are significantly decreased. In many ways I suspect this probably seems obvious to you as when you are sitting in the front and center, right in front of your teacher, you are less likely to be working on assignments for other classes or to get distracted and doodle or daydream. Even if your teachers assign your seats, if you have trouble paying attention and want to improve your retention rates, consider asking your teacher to move you to a seat that will maximize your retention rates. Also, when you are picking your seat, don’t forget to try to pick a seat that will limit additional distractions because it is near your friends.

Common Core Changes Coming

Academically there are lots of changes coming to the classes being offered next year.  Many states across the country, including Ohio, will be moving to a common core curriculum.  Basically what this means is that the basic core classes (English, Math, Science and Social Studies) will have a common curriculum.  The classes will be assessed through end-of-course exams similar to semester and final exams except that the assessments will be the same across the state.  I know that to some people, you just wonder, what does this mean to me.  And the reality is that in some ways this is still a work in progress as we are learning more and more about the changes with every passing day.

One of the biggest changes you will notice right away is that many of the core classes will have new names.  Some of the names will be simplified and be more consistent with classes across the country which will help colleges understand what classes you took.  For example, PESS and BESS will now be called Physical Science and Biology.  English 1 will now be called CCSS English 1 which stands for Common Core State Standards English 1.  American Studies will now be called CCSS English 3.

The most drastic changes will be in the area of math.  The math classes will be moving from the Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 sequencing of the past to an integrated math model.  As a result, students will now be taking CCSS Math 1, CCSS Math 2, etc.  The math teachers feel confident that this transition will be beneficial for student’s math development and your understanding of the material being taught.  I suspect that this will take us all a little while to get used to, but we will take it one step at a time and figure it out.  For older students, you will finish out the math sequence that you have already started, but younger students will likely transition to the integrated math model.

As we make this transition to common core, you will hear more and more about the different approaches to some of the classes being taught.  If you want to mark your calendar, on Tuesday, February 19^th at 7:30pm will be curriculum night and you and your parents can come to learn more about common core as well as all of the elective classes available for you.

Also, don’t forget, tomorrow night are parent/ teacher conferences and at 7:00pm the counselors will be presenting an informational meeting with a representative from Columbus State Community College regarding PSEO (Post Secondary Enrollment Options) – chance to take free college classes next year while still in high school.  You can read more about PSEO from a blog post from a few days ago.

February Socratic Society

Last Friday a group of students were inducted into the Socratic Society.  A recognition that can only be earned once during their high school career, the Socratic Society recognizes students for outstanding commitment to one or more of the Socratic principles - lifelong learning, integrity, compassion, scholarship and personal effort.

I was particularly impressed by "my" students who were honored as a part of this ceremony.  Pictured left to right - (Front): Michelle Ding, Isabel Bensusan, Alexa Dauphin, Elizabeth Borchers, Rebecca Dutko, Emily Dodd, (Back): LeeAnn Castle, Ryan Adolph, Naomi Barker, Gavin Elifritz, and Kayla Boudreault.  Not pictured: Sarah Carroll.

Congratulations to every individual recognized and thank you for the impressive ways you live your lives!

College Admission Tests

Juniors, you should plan on signing up to take a college admission test this spring.  You can take either the ACT or the SAT (or both).  Most students will take at least one of the tests this spring and then will repeat the test this semester or in the fall.

Please be aware that tomorrow (Friday) is the regular registration deadline for the March SAT.

Here are the upcoming test dates and the regular registration deadlines:

- March 9 SAT: Register by February 8th

- April 13 ACT: Register by March 8th

- May 4 SAT: Register by April 5th

- June 1 SAT: Register by May 2nd

- June 8 ACT: Register by May 3rd

To register for the tests, please visit their websites.

ACT: www.act.org

SAT: www.collegeboard.com

PSEO Meeting

The Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program is an opportunity for high school students to take college courses while still enrolled in high school. There are two alternatives for the PSEO program.

Option A is when students take courses at any college of their choice and pay for the courses on their own (often at a discounted rate) and are able to earn the credit for college credit only.

Option B is available in Central Ohio at Columbus State Community College, the Ohio State University, and Franklin University and is paid for by the school district. Students who participate in this option earn both high school and college credit.

There are a lot of details involved in participating in the PSEO program and it is not meant to replace or substitute for coursework available at the high school, but rather to enhance the educational opportunities available. Students must complete the paperwork by March 30th to indicate their intent to participate in the PSEO program in the following 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 should attend the PSEO Information night on Monday, February 11th at 7:00pm in the WKHS auditorium.

Also, don't forget that Parent/ Teacher Conferences will be held tomorrow (Thursday) night and next Monday night.  Please make appointments with any teachers that you want to meet with!

College Goal Sunday

Yesterday many of us watched spent Super Bowl Sunday watching football (or commercials).  I wanted to make that all seniors and their parents are aware of an event next Sunday that is known as College Goal Sunday.

Completing the FAFSA forms can be intimidating for some students and their families. You should NEVER need to pay to have someone you complete these forms and free help is available if you are unsure of what to do. 

College Goal Sunday is a free workshop where you will have expert help from Ohio college financial aid representatives to complete and submit your FAFSA forms.  College Goal Sunday is held across the nation on Sunday, February 10th.  Ohio College Goal Sunday will feature a range of workshops all across the state. Sign in starts at 1:30 and the workshop begins at 2:00. There are four locations in Franklin County - Central Crossing High School, Columbus State Main Campus, DeVry University, and Ohio Dominican University. It is also being held in Delaware County at the Columbus State Delaware Campus. You will be working on the computers and completing the actual online FAFSA forms during these workshops. It is necessary to register in advance. The list of materials you should bring with you include: Your IRS 1040 tax return and W-2’s, your parent’s IRS 1040 tax return and W-2’s, your social security card and driver’s license, and any other benefit and income information.

If you are uncertain about how to fill out your FAFSA forms, I hope you will take advantage of this free help.  Remember, your financial aid deadlines are quickly approaching!

Impressive Students

On Friday I had the chance to watch a few of our impressive students put their talents on display.

During the day on Friday, the WKHS Mock Trial Team competed in the district competition.  I had never had the opportunity to see a Mock Trial Competition before, but it was amazing!  The kids involved were so poised and it was evident that they had put forth extraordinary time and effort in learning as much as they could to prepare for the day.  7 of the 15 Kilbourne students who were on this year's mock trial team were "my" students.

Congratulations to (L to R): Micah Vincent, Danielle Ding, Amelia Boudinot, Michelle Ding, Manda Cash, Hannah Vincent, and Alex Cash.  You all did an outstanding job!  A special recognition to Hannah Vincent who was awarded the Outstanding Attorney award.  (I wish I could have seen your group compete too!)

Then, on Friday night I attended the Talent Show and was blown away by the gifts of our students.  "My" students who showcased their talents during the show included: Michael Dillow, Robert Del Tedesco, Bailey Andrews, Maggie Barrie, Brittany Ayers, Addy Boyles, Emily Cantrell, and Lauren Hedges.  I give you all a ton of credit for having the courage and confidence to perform in front of a packed house.  Additionally, I have to say, I was incredibly impressed with the supportive atmosphere that was created by all of the students in the audience!

Don't forget that you have a late start day tomorrow.  Enjoy sleeping in!  :-)