Oops, I made a mistake!

I am clearly in "holiday" mode and made a mistake with my last blog post.  I indicated that the Financial Aid night would be on the wrong evening.  Sorry!

Financial Aid night will be hosted at 7:00pm on Tuesday, January 5th in the WKHS Auditorium.  

I appreciate your understanding and please adjust your calendar so that you have the right date saved on your calendar.

On a separate note, please be safe tomorrow night as you welcome in the New Year!

Financial Aid Night

To help you with the college financial aid process we will have a Financial Aid Meeting for parents at 7:00pm on January 5th in the WKHS Auditorium.  We are fortunate enough to have Faith Phillips, a financial aid director for OSU Newark and COTC, sharing her expertise with our parents and students.  She always has useful insight and is able to present it in engaging ways that will help you in completing your financial aid application.  Save the date and we will look forward to seeing you as we return to school!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!  I wanted to wish all of my students and parents the very best this Christmas.  It is a blessing to work with you all year.  I am enjoying the holiday in Kentucky and the joy of my niece and nephews is contagious.  My sincere hope is that you will have the same excitement and love in your life as I am feeling with the kids today.  Have a wonderful holiday!

Winter Break

I wish you the best during the holidays and hope that you enjoy time relaxing with your family.  If you are travelling, please stay safe. Also, in case you haven't figured it out already, I wanted to let you know that I will not be blogging as consistently over break as this is a vacation for me too. :-) 

I'll be looking forward to hearing all about your holiday fun after we get back to school. Again, have a great break!

Test Anxiety

How was the first day of exams? Were you feeling anxious? Test Anxiety can be common for students - especially with exams since they have such a significant influence on your semester grades. The best strategy to prevent test anxiety is being prepared. It is much more likely that you will be anxious and struggle with feeling overwhelmed if you have not adequately studied and prepared for the test. Unfortunately, for some students, you can be well-prepared, but still struggle with anxiety.

There are a wide range of strategies you can use to help deal with anxiety:

- Research has indicated that spending several minutes before a test to write about your feelings will help decrease test anxiety and improve test scores. The University of Chicago researchers “believe worrying competes for computing power in the brain’s ‘working,’ or short-term memory.”

- Practice putting yourself in testing situations when studying. The more you get used to the experience and feelings of testing the less anxious you will feel when in the actual test.

- Just before the test, avoid talking about the test material with your friends. Chances are fixating on the test material and talking about it with your friends right before the test will only make you more anxious.

- Approach the test with a positive attitude. Don’t go into the test expecting the worst to happen. You can remind yourself that you have studied and know the material.

- Avoid distractions so that you can focus on the test and not on what other students are doing. Do not compare yourself with others and how they are doing on the test.

- Take a deep breath, relax, and do the best you can.

I should also mention that smart testing strategies like getting a good night of sleep, eating breakfast, having all of your required materials (pen, pencil, calculator, scratch paper, etc), getting regular exercise, and giving yourself plenty of time to get to your test on time will also benefit you as a whole and in testing situations.

Good luck in the next two days of exams!

Good Luck on Exams

I just wanted to wish all of you good luck on your exams tomorrow (and the rest of the week.) Good luck with your last minute studying, get a good night's sleep and then tomorrow, relax, eat a good breakfast, take a deep breath and do your best on each exam!  

Remember, you don't have to be THE best, as long as you do YOUR best!

As always, I will be anxious to hear how things go for you on your exams - so stop in and say hi to share an update (and, of course, you can pick up a piece of candy or visit with Lexi too.) :-)

Senior Reminders

Seniors, don't forget - Tuesday, December 15th is a key deadline for you!

That is the priority deadline to order your Cap and Gown.  After Tuesday you will have additional fees for shipping related to delivery of your cap and gown.  To order your cap and gown online please visit National Recognition Products website at http://nrpgradohio.com/3227-worthington-kilbourne/   This is also where you would order graduation announcements if you are interested.

The 15th is also your deadline to request your transcript to be sent to any college with a deadline before we are back at school in January.  (So if you have a December 31st deadline or a January 1st deadline or a January 3rd deadline please be sure to request your transcript by Tuesday so that I can get my components completed prior to break.)

Please be sure to meet these deadlines.  See me if you have any questions!

Tomorrow's Schedule

I have to admit, the weather being so warm has made it hard to believe that it is December.  But today, watching all of you out in the commons wrapping presents and seeing the impact of your unbelievable generosity, certainly got me into the holiday spirit.  To build on that enthusiasm, tomorrow will be the annual holiday assembly.  It has to be earlier than normal because of exams, but it will be a great way to celebrate the end of the first semester.  Below is the bell schedule for your reference as it is definitely different than normal.

Here is the breakdown for the day:

Period 1 - 7:45 - 8:30

Period 2 - 8:35 - 9:20

Period 3 - 9:25 - 10:55  (Students will be divided to spend 1/2 of the time in class and 1/2 in the assembly)

Period 4 - 11:00 - 11:45

Period 5 - 11:50 - 12:35

Period 6 - 12:40 - 1:25

Period 7 - 1:30 - 2:15

Period 8 - 2:20 - 3:05

College Admissions Interviews

Some colleges offer the opportunity for prospective students to participate in an interview with an admissions counselor or an alumni representative as a component of the application process. If you are looking at a school which requires an interview – don’t panic!

It is important to relax and be yourself. This is your opportunity to shine. Display your personality and allow your interests and passions to be expressed.

In addition to answering their questions, don’t be afraid to ask any questions you have about the school. Be sure to complete some research ahead of time so that you are not asking questions you easily could have found by visiting their website.

If there is anything about yourself that you want to be sure that the admissions representatives understand – unique circumstances, experiences, or special traits that they might not ask about don’t hesitate to offer up this information. This is your one chance to actually discuss these areas with a real person. By bringing up these topics, it may spur them to ask additional questions that you will be able to answer.  We have information related to the interviews including sample questions available on the WKHS Counselor website.  If you want to talk more before your interview, don't hesitate to stop by and see me.

And, hopefully it goes without saying, but remember that first impressions are important – so be polite, smile, dress appropriately and arrive on time for your interview!

Test Score Submission

The college admissions tests (ACT and SAT) are one of the basic components that most colleges consider when evaluating an application. While any scores that we have appear on your transcript, the vast majority of the colleges want to receive the score results directly from the testing agency. You receive the option to send your scores to 4 colleges for free and there is an additional charge for any extra schools you want to send your results to after those initial four.

You can log in to the ACT and SAT websites to review the locations where you selected to send your scores to make sure that every college you are considering has received a copy of your scores. This is an important step as you are completing the application process. So, in addition to making sure that you have completed your application form, written your essay, secured your recommendation letters, and submitted your transcripts, please make sure that you have sent your test scores to each of the colleges where you are applying.

Don't forget, not every college will require these tests so it is not the end of the world if you are not a strong test taker. Visit http://www.fairtest.org/ for a list of the over 800 colleges that do not require admissions tests as a component to evaluate the applicant.

Exam Schedule

Exams play a significant role in your final grade for the semester of each course (and remember, because we grant credits based on the semester this is really important to you!) Most of your classes will follow the structure that your 1st quarter grades are worth 40% of your final semester grade, the 2nd quarter grade that you are currently wrapping up now will make up another 40% and then your exam grade is worth 20% of your final semester grade.

20% is a really big deal...Think about it, if you had a 57% the first quarter and end up with a 60% this quarter then you can still pass the class as long as you earn a 66% or higher on the exam. On the other side, if you are trying to make sure that you earn an A in a course and you had a 95% first quarter and an 88% this quarter than you need to earn an 85% or higher on the exam to reach your goal.

Clearly, exams are an important part of your grade, but more importantly, they provide you the opportunity to practice a more realistic glimpse of what testing will be like in college and helps you to showcase your semester's worth of knowledge.

Below is the schedule for the semester exams:

Day One - Tuesday, December 15th:

7:45 - 9:45: 2nd period exam
10:00 - 12:00: 5th period exam
12:00 - 1:00: Lunch
1:05 - 3:05: 8th period exam

Day Two - Wednesday, December 16th:
7:45 - 9:45: 1st period exam

10:00 - 12:00: 6th period exam

12:00 - 1:00: Lunch

1:05 - 3:05: 7th period exam

Day Three - Thursday, December 17th:
7:45 - 9:45: 3rd period exam

10:00 - 12:00: 4th period exam

12:00 - 1:00: NO Lunch Provided!

1:05 - 3:05: Make-Up Exams

A couple of questions that tend to come up at exam time...

Yes, you are REQUIRED and EXPECTED to be in all of your classes during an exam. (Even if you don't have an actual exam, the teachers are going to be working with you on projects, papers, or other learning related to their course.)

No, you do NOT need to be in school during your scheduled lunch period or during your Options or Prep periods. (Which means, for example, that if you have 3rd period prep and 4th period lunch that you do not have to come to school at all on the 17th.)

Hope that helps clarify and happy studying! :-)

Students of the Month

Yesterday just over 20 students were honored as December's Students of the Month! Students can only earn this recognition once during their high school career.  A special congratulations to "my" students who were honored as Students of the Month!  Left to Right: Molly Kate Cline, Kyra Baker, Carson Dougherty, McKenzie Cravens, Anna Chen, and not pictured Leah Coen and Amy Du.  

I am proud of you! Thank you for representing the best of Worthington Kilbourne High School.

Letter of Intent

Congratulations to Connor Alley and Alex Cash who each have committed to play lacrosse next year.  Connor will be at Alma College in Michigan and Alex will be at Robert Morris University in Pennsylvania.  Yesterday after school Connor and Alex participated in a signing ceremony with two of their fellow lacrosse teammates who have also made the commitment to play in college. Connor and Alex were joined by their parents for this recognition and were surrounded by other supporters including many of their teammates and friends. Congratulations Connor and Alex! We are so proud of you both!

Coping Skills Toolbox

How are you holding up?  Are you feeling tired, stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, worried or frustrated?  This time of year often brings a range of stress-related feelings.  The holidays can be stressful.  Exams can be stressful.  High school life can be stressful.  The counselors are here to help!

Obviously, if you are struggling, I want to talk to you.  I want to problem-solve with you and help develop a plan for managing the feelings and experiences you are going through.

Tomorrow, Friday, December 4th during lunch periods all of the counselors will be hosting the second counselor lunch chat of the year and we will be working with students on developing coping skills toolboxes.  This will include identifying strategies you can use to help manage stress-related feelings and personalizing plans that can help you if you are feeling overwhelmed.  I hope you will bring your lunch into Room 120 and join us for the lunch-chat and start developing your own personal coping skills toolbox!

Merit Based Aid vs. Need Based Aid

Paying for College is expensive! There is no question that higher education costs add up quickly and it can be confusing to try to figure out what all of the different terms related to financial aid really mean - especially when the economy is struggling. This is just a brief overview to give you an idea of what you might see/ hear when you are looking at your options.

There are two broad categories of financial aid – Merit Based aid and Need Based aid.

Merit Based aid is what you think of when you think “Scholarships.” These are usually awarded to students based on academic achievements, leadership, athletics, special talents such as art or music, volunteerism, or other personal qualities that set you apart. These scholarships do not consider financial need. A significant portion of all merit-based aid comes directly from the college/ university. Some schools may require additional scholarship applications, essays, interviews, and many colleges will have earlier deadlines to be considered for their scholarships. It can be helpful to know that a lot of times the smaller, private colleges will have more money available for scholarships in order to help make attending their school competitive with the lower costs of the public colleges. Please also remember that there are scholarship offerings listed in PrepHQ. It is important to keep an eye out for unique scholarships that might apply to your personal situation. Last year I had a student who was able to qualify for an Italian heritage scholarship. Perhaps one of your grandparents won a purple heart or maybe you have time to write an essay for one of the other scholarship competitions… no matter what the situation, if you find a scholarship that you meet the criteria for go ahead and apply – you might be pleasantly surprised at the result and if you don’t, the answer is definitely a “no.”

Need Based aid is what you will sometimes hear people refer to as “Financial Aid” even though both Merit Based and Need Based aid technically fall under that one category. There are a variety of different Need Based aid programs. Grants are considered gift assistance – they give you money and you do not have to pay it back. Loans which can come from a wide variety of sources – the federal government, the college, and private banks is money that you are required to pay back. Work Study programs are on campus job opportunities that the government helps find that allows you to earn money for college through working on campus. The big difference between Merit Based and Need Based aid is that Need Based aid is that the type and amount of Need Based aid you will receive depends upon the amount of financial need you have.

And, yes, just to add to the confusion – there are some scholarships that will consider financial need as a criterion. They are still awarding the scholarship based upon some specific aspect of who you are it is just allowing them to narrow down the potential applicant pool.

One last important reminder - NEVER pay to be considered for a scholarship! That is a scam. Don't waste your money!

If you have any questions you can always call the financial aid offices of the schools where you are applying as they are true experts in the field. I am also happy to try to help in any way that I can.

Cram and Cocoa

Today started the "Cram and Cocoa" sessions during lunch periods and it will continue over the next two days.  This study strategy session is being provided by the Link Leaders and is a great opportunity for students to get a jump start on effectively preparing for exams. 

As I mentioned earlier this week, you now have just 9 days of classes to not only learn and master everything you are currently covering in class, but also to go back and study to refresh the material you have covered since August when we returned to school.

These "Cram and Cocoa" sessions have helped students feel successful heading into exams.  The feedback I heard from all of my students who participated over the last few years was that it was incredibly helpful.  I sincerely hope you will take advantage of their willingness to help you prepare!

Also, on a separate note, don't forget that tonight at 7pm in the WKHS Library is the Career Exploration and 2-year College Information Night.  This presentation is open to students and parents from all grades!