Happy New Year

As 2017 comes to a close, I hope you will look back with pride over your accomplishments from the past year and look forward to the future with hope and possibility. Above all, tonight, as you are celebrating the new year, please remember to stay safe and be smart!

Earning Potential

Believe it or not, life isn't all about how much money you make. You want to find a career that you will love and find rewarding. But, that being said, many students want to make sure that they are selecting a college major that will lead them to a career field that can provide a secure financial future. Georgetown University consistently does research regarding the Economic Value of College Majors. Check out their website for more information.  For example you can explore earnings by state, explore majors, and compare the earnings for various positions. What you choose to do with your life will be influenced by many factors and I do want you to be financially stable in the future so I hope that reading their research will interest you.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! I know that everyone does not celebrate Christmas, but either way, I hope that you had a wonderful day today surrounded by the people who mean the most in your life. 

I am in Kentucky with my sister's family. My niece and nephews (Carly, Colton and Brady) were so excited for Christmas. I can honestly say that their excitement is contagious and I was thrilled to be able to spend the holiday with them. 

I hope that you will be able to feel thankful for all that you have received and find joy in giving to others. I have so much to be grateful for this year - my family, friends, and the students with whom I work each day. Thanks for being a special part of my life!

I hope you had a relaxing and memorable Christmas and that you have been giving yourself a break from the daily grind and finding lots of reasons to smile.

Common Data Set

There are some people who love to get wrapped up in data... and others (like me) who are thankful that someone else can get lost in the data and then tell me what I want/ need to know. However, there are some places that even I appreciate and treasure basic data facts and college admissions data is one of those areas! 

Every college highlights their school as being ideal and the perfect fit for every student, but that is not possible.  To help make it easier to understand the information nearly all college websites have a feature called "Common Data Set" that will allow you to review their data on admissions, financial aid, and a million other things that might interest you. The easiest way to find this information is to search for common data set on each school's website. 

The reason utilizing the Common Data Set is so important is that it will allow you to compare information across colleges with a common language and factors that all schools have to provide as raw data without the fancy spin.

Gap Year

Have you heard of Gap Years? Without question, the majority of WKHS students move straight from high school to college, but this is not always the best option for every student. In the past few years I have had several students who elected to take a gap year which is a year off between high school and college. The one point that I would like to make though is that a gap year is not just hanging out at home, living in your parents basement, playing video games for a year! Students pursue lots of different options during gap years and colleges recognize that gap years can be a valuable opportunity for students to gain perspective, personal insight, and re-energize their love of learning before beginning their college careers.

Sometimes students elect to take a gap year if they haven't been accepted to a college where they feel like they will be happy to attend. In these instances students may decide to take a gap year and hope that their experiences during their gap year will enhance their applications for the following year when they apply the following year.

Other times, and perhaps even more frequently for Kilbourne students, is that students will still complete their applications during their senior year and then defer their acceptances for a year. If you are interested in pursuing a gap year opportunity, talk to your college admissions office to confirm if they will defer your enrollment date by a year (or a semester if you are taking a shorter time off between high school and college).

Enjoy Winter Break

Can you believe it?  You are DONE with the first semester.  Crazy!  I cannot believe how fast this year seems to be going.  I hope your final few exams went well and that you are ready to head into break with the chance to relax and enjoy some time with your family and friends.  Most of all, I hope that you will be safe over break!

For what it is worth, I will update the blog a few times over break just as a chance to check in, but it will not be as regular as normal as I will be trying to enjoy the time with my family as well... not to mention I have lots to do over break... shopping, wrapping gifts, writing Christmas cards, and sadly so much more, but I keep reminding myself that it is worth it.

Congratulations again on successfully completing exams and your first semester!

College Acceptances

College admissions decisions are already starting to come in for some students. Every senior looks forward to receiving their college acceptance letters. It is an exciting time and reassures that there is more ahead. Depending upon the schools where you are applying, it is possible that you will hear back quickly or you may be waiting until sometime in March to find out if you have been accepted. 

I do ask that as you begin receiving your acceptance or, sadly, even rejection letters, to please keep me informed about the decisions. For the vast majority of the colleges, the only way I know about your admissions decision is if you share the information with me.

Also, remember, the only way to receive an acceptance letter is to actually APPLY to the college! (Just a friendly little reminder for those of you who are still struggling to get your applications finished.)

Managing 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.

Don't forget - I am around (and so is Lexi) if you want try to decompress some from your feelings of anxiety.

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.) :-)

Dear Younger Me

I heard a song before church that talked about what I’d tell a younger me.  I wanted to hear/ read the Dear Younger me lyrics again so I searched for it and what I found was that there are actually a LOT of songs with messages related to what people would tell themselves if they were writing a letter to themselves in the past based on the information they know now… some I had heard before and forgotten about (like Brad Paisley’s Letter to Me song) and others I had never heard previously.  And the reality is that it is common to reflect on the lessons we have learned in our lives and what we would have told to ourselves in the past.  I know for sure that in my own life there are a lot of messages I would try to convey to myself when I was younger.  If I was writing a letter to myself in the past it would definitely include some of the following thoughts/ messages…

•       On all of the days when you wonder why things are happening, just keep looking ahead and never stop hoping to try to make a difference.
•           The death of a student will always break your heart, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth still loving students with all that you have.  And because you never know when anyone might die, always make the most of each day and each interaction with every student.
•           It’s ok to ask for help.  You cannot do it all alone!
•           Be thankful!  It is so easy to take things for granted and yet you have been blessed with so much more than you deserve.  Focus on all the little and big things that you have been lucky enough to have going well in your life today.  (Write down a list of what you are thankful for – it helps you to focus on your gratitude.)
•           Drinking more water makes a huge difference.
•           It is ok to cry when you are happy or when you are sad – emotions do not make you weak – they show the depth of your strength!
•           Getting a dog will change your life so much and the love she will bring to your life is totally worth all of the work required to train her.  She will help fill a place of loneliness you don’t even know exists in your life. (So quit making a million pro/ con lists about the benefits/ drawbacks of getting a dog and just go for it already.)
•           Be patient!  You are not very good at this and it doesn’t help you in the long run.  So breathe, try to relax, and understand that just because something isn’t happening on your timeline doesn’t mean that it is the end of the world.
•           Don’t let the paperwork requirements of the job get in the way of the time and opportunity to connect with students.  Make every effort to truly get to know them and talk to them as much as they will allow because you never know which ones need you the most.  All of them are important and you never know what their lives are like until you continue asking and checking in on them.  Paperwork can wait and you can always do that after hours and on the weekends.
•           Your family will drive you crazy sometimes, but they are your family.  Love them, just as they are.
•          When your loved ones – family or friends that are like family die, the memories they leave in your heart will never leave and finding people to be able to talk about them and share memories and stories of things they had loved will be helpful and healing. 
•           Never miss out on any chance to hug, kiss, snuggle, read books, play games or listen to the stories from your niece and nephews because soon they will be “too old” for wanting to spend time with their aunt.

The reality is that many of these messages are as applicable to me today as they would have been to me in the past. 

Perhaps you are still too young to have the feelings about what you’d want to tell yourself in the past – I’m not sure.  But I’d like to challenge you to pause for a few minutes and think about it.  What would you tell to yourself 5 or 10 years ago?  What would you tell yourself as you entered middle school?  If you are a senior preparing to enter your final semester of high school, what would you tell to yourself when you were just getting started at WKHS?  Would you tell yourself to take school more seriously?  What would you say about your note-taking and study habits?  What would you tell yourself about getting involved in high school activities?  What would you say about life, guys/ girls, your parents or siblings?  I am really interested in hearing your thoughts on this so while I will make it the question of the day soon, I’d like for you to share your reflections any time you see me!

Here are some articles that I had saved which fit the theme of “what I wish I knew” and might interest you:

Things to know before going to college: Advice from graduates

Chapel Hill freshman reflects back – part 1

Freshmen survival secrets – part 2

3 ways HS seniors can capitalize on second semester

Know how to recover from a high school sophomore slump

13 Successful leaders reveal the little things they wish they learned sooner

 I'm anxious to hear what you think you'd tell yourself in the past!

Avoiding Academic Distractions

Academic success isn't just about exams, but a lot of time and attention has been on exam preparation and that is certainly valuable.  The reality is that you have been preparing for your exams every day since the start of the semester back in August.  Studying to review the content and make sure that you are confident and prepared is important though.

One of the keys for achieving academic success is trying to pace yourself while eliminating distractions so that you can maintain your focus. There are lots of strategies that can be effective to help eliminate distractions to help you sustain focus on studying. Turning off the tv or your cell phone can be good ideas. For many students the stronger attraction and distraction is on the computer with Facebook or Twitter. 

Here are some additional articles with topics related to achieving academic success that might interest you:

5 ways to eliminate distractions when trying to study

Ready, Set, Concentrate!

Training the Brain: How to focus better and avoid distractions

14 tools to help you avoid distractions and stay focused at work

10 apps that block mobile distractions

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.

Suicide Prevention Lines

There are times when we can feel overwhelmed, lonely, stressed, sad and hopeless.  All of these emotions are normal to experience, but when they happen to come all at the same time it can be very challenging and leave people feeling lost and desperate.

Perhaps you or someone you know have had times with that type of darkness and possibly even experienced suicidal thoughts.  It is important to know that there is ALWAYS help available!  Reaching out for support is a critical step in helping to give yourself the hope that you will not always feel the way you might be feeling right now.

If you are having suicidal thoughts while at school, I hope you will come to tell me or share that information with another adult that you trust.  If you are away from school, I hope that you will reach out to your parents or some other adult who your trust.  But I know that sometimes the people closest to us can miss the level of pain we are experiencing and so I'd like to remind you that you can always call a suicide hotline and there will be someone on the other end ready and willing to talk to you who can help brainstorm next steps.  As you can see in the graphic, the national suicide hotline is 1-800-273-TALK or 1-800-273-8255.

Additionally, over the last few years, in recognition of how much our society has grown to depend on text messaging as a means of communication, there is also a crisis text line where you can reach out for help and support.  To contact the crisis text line you would send a message to 741741.  You can send them any message to get the conversation started.  And I know that it can be hard to even know where to start so remember, you can always reach out even with just one word such as "4hope" (which helps connect you to someone in Ohio) or even "help or hello" and before you know it you will be communicating via text with someone else who understands what you are experiencing and is ready and able to help you.

The most important reminder I would like to leave you with is that YOU MATTER!  You are not alone - there is always someone who would like to have the opportunity to talk with you and to help you.  If you are having thoughts of suicide, PLEASE, reach out for help today!

Tomorrow's Bell Schedule

The holiday spirit was definitely alive and well at Kilbourne today.  Watching all of you out in the commons wrapping presents and seeing the impact of your unbelievable generosity was incredible!  To build on that enthusiasm, tomorrow will be the annual holiday assembly.  Because of exams, you will still have another week of school left, 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 - 8:29

Period 2 - 8:34 - 9:18

Period 3 - 9:23 - 10:58  (Students will be divided to spend 1/2 of the time in class and 1/2 in the assembly)

Period 4 - 11:03 - 11:47

Period 5 - 11:52 - 12:36

Period 6 - 12:41 - 1:25

Period 7 - 1:30 - 2:15

Period 8 - 2:20 - 3:05

I am looking forward to seeing all of my students who are participating as a part of the assembly tomorrow and I hear they have some funny challenges planned for the assembly as well.

Pre-ACT scores and PSAT scores

PSAT and Pre-ACT Scores

Your Pre-ACT scores have arrived and the PSAT Scores will be available from College Board online on Monday! Any students who took the PSAT in October and the Pre-ACT tests in November will be able to see your scores in the next few days

The PSAT scores are only being offered electronically.  This means that you will log into your CollegeBoard account to view and download your scores.  (Which is what you will do in the future when you take your SAT as well.)

You should receive an e-mail from CollegeBoard notifying you that your scores are accessible online next Monday (December 11th).  Even if you didn't receive an e-mail from CollegeBoard you can still access your scores.

Go to the CollegeBoard website and select the PSAT test you took - 9th graders should select "PSAT 8/9" and 10th and 11th graders should select "PSAT/ NMSQT and PSAT 10" from the choices across the top.  https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/ 

Once you are on the website in the middle of the page it will have an area for getting your scores.  If you already have an account, you can sign in using your username and password.  For many of you, you may not have an account yet so you will need to create one.  Next to the "Sign In" button there is a "Sign Up" spot - select that and then create your account.

After doing that you will be able to access your scores.

One of the best parts about the PSAT is that CollegeBoard has partnered with Khan Academy to use your scores to make a personalized practice plan.  This is a fantastic option and I strongly encourage you to use it.  If you have questions about this FREE option you can visit the Khan Academy website at: https://www.khanacademy.org/sat

For what it is worth, I remember that in the past it took some students and parents multiple attempts of accessing the website to be able to see the scores - for example some said that it said no scores were available, but after refreshing a few times the scores eventually showed up.  CollegeBoard was having some technical issues due to the high demand of people trying to view their scores.  Hopefully that won't be an issue this year, but I figured I would mention it in case you run into any problems.

The Pre-ACT scores have written score reports that can be picked in the Counseling Center now.  You can pick up your score sheets during your lunch periods  or before or after school from any of the secretaries at the front of the counseling center. 

Now that you have your scores, you may be wondering what they mean.  The score sheets from both PSAT and Pre-ACT provide a wealth of information so it can take some time to digest it all, but if interested, please know that the counselor website can help give you additional information, tips and links to better understand your scores.   http://www.wkhscounselors.com/. 

Don't forget, these are just practice tests so they are giving you an indication of where you might expect to score on the ACT or SAT and you can use your results to help guide you in preparing to achieve college readiness.

I hope your scores were what you were expecting (or perhaps even better).  If you have any questions don't hesitate to stop by and see me.

Application Deadline Reminders

I know there are a lot of you who are still working on your college applications.  I wanted to remind you to please, watch your deadlines!  This past Friday was the December 1st deadline and I was sad by how many students I had contacting me or teachers (and your teachers then contacted me in a panic) on the day of the deadline asking for things at the last possible second.  If you are applying by Common App, I will answer the number one question I got last week - you can submit up until 11:59pm on the day of your deadline.  But really, you shouldn't push it until the last second.

If you are looking at a January 1st deadline you need to make sure that you have made arrangements with your teachers who will be writing your recommendation letters and provided them with all of the forms so that they can write your letter well before we leave for break. Remember, your teachers will be off enjoying their holiday break too so they won't be around to write a last-minute recommendation letter for you if you just "forgot."  And, in all sincerity, there is no such thing as a last-minute recommendation letter!  Your teachers put in a lot of time, energy and effort to write a strong letter on your behalf.  It is important to give them an adequate amount of time to successfully advocate for you as a student.  (Your goal should be to give them at least 30 days which has already passed for January deadlines...)  

Also, don't forget that you need to complete your transcript release card and invite me through Common App to submit your transcript and this should be done no later than this Friday in order to make sure I can get it taken care of before break.  Like you and your teachers, I will not be here during winter break to get a transcript for you so you must plan ahead.  

Probably the biggest challenge I have seen students struggling with over this application season is not inviting me through Common App to complete your school forms which is how I submit your transcript.  We talked about this in depth at the senior college night presentation, but in the recommendation section, you will need to select me as your counselor and submit my email address.  Please be sure that you spell my name right.  I am 100% current on all of the transcript requests I have received so far so if you log into Common App and you see that I haven't uploaded your transcript yet then you need to invite me to submit your transcript or if you think you have already done that then you need to come see me because there is a problem with your request.

If you have any questions about your upcoming deadlines or where you stand in your application process, please stop by to see me!  And can I say it again - please, do not procrastinate on your applications!  

Career Dreams

What do you want to be when you grow up? When you were little perhaps it was a professional athlete, a superhero, or a famous entertainer. Now that you are in high school, my guess is you have started re-thinking some of your potential career choices. While there is still a lot of uncertainty and will, in all likelihood, be plenty of other times when you will change career paths in the future, it is time to start figuring out what you would like to be when you grow up.

I *know* you hate it when I say this, but the reality is that you need to know yourself and follow your passions. If you love what you do and you are willing to work hard then you will be able to find success. Everyone has their own unique gifts and talents and it is imperative that you determine what career will meet your needs. This means you have to figure out what is important to you and how you can incorporate that into your life. For example, for those who love sports it can be hard to imagine life without athletics and, many times, these individuals will pick (at least initially) careers that involve sports - athletic training, sports management, sports marketing, etc. This might be the perfect combination - or maybe not. Knowing yourself and knowing what you have a passion for is important in determining what characteristics of a job will be best suited for you. In this example, the sports minded person might pick a career that involves teamwork where groups of people work closely together to reach a common goal. Or, if you decide that you are not going to meet a passion in your life through your career, then it is important that you still honor that influence in some other way - perhaps playing on an adult recreational team or coaching a youth sport team. While this example deals with sports the same concept applies to any of your interests and passions - art, music, learning.

So, while I am not asking you to abandon your dreams of fame and fortune as the professional athlete, superhero, or entertainer, I am asking you to start thinking seriously about what will make you happy, what is important to you, and how a career can help meet your needs and goals in life.  

End of Course Assessments

This week many of our sophomores, juniors and seniors will start taking End of Course assessments.  These are the tests that you need to take to help you reach your graduation goals.  The scores you earn on these assessments will contribute toward your total points so I encourage you to take your time, do your best, but don't stress over them.

As a reminder, end of course assessments are offered in English 1, English 2, Math 1, Math 2, Biology, US History and Government.  You will need to earn 4 points from English, 4 points from Math, 6 points from Science and Social Studies and 4 additional points from any of the categories.  It isn't the best to have the timing for the End of Course assessments be at the same time as your final preparations for semester exams, but remember, these tests are in alignment with the exams you are taking for the classes so in that regard it is helping you to be prepared for your semester exams.  The reality is though, these testing dates are set by the state and not by our district so we are just following through on the requirements set for us.

Good luck to all of you who are taking the End of Course assessments - don't stress - just show what you know!

December Students of the Month

Yesterday 24 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!  They included: Bethany Allen, Reghan Beerman, Braydon Biehn, Ella Brown, Lance Brown, Joey Castle, Audrey Douglass, and Sandro Mikalashvili.

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

Studying

Studying for exams can be daunting - especially because sometimes you don't know *how* to study. I frequently ask students the question – “Do you know how to study?”and, quite honestly, the most common response is "no." It really isn't a surprise though. The reality is that until high school gets hard enough that you hit the wall and it no longer comes easy to you, studying isn't something you typically have to worry about and spend a lot of time focusing on.

The challenging part of studying is that what works best for one person may not be what works best for someone else. And, even if you figure out what works best for you in one particular subject area, that still doesn't mean that this particular strategy will be most effective for a different subject.

The one lesson I have learned (from both experience and from other students) is that just reading your notes is NOT studying. You really need to be doing something in order to effectively study for exams. And yes, I am aware that for some of you and for some classes reading through your notes is sufficient, but in general as you sit there reading your notes it is common for your mind to wander. Then, as you are taking the test, you realize that all of the information you thought you knew was actually just familiar.  (So you sit there taking the test thinking, "Um, I know this, it was on the left page of my notes..." but then are left blank.)

The best news is that there are lots of different ideas and strategies that you can use to develop a study strategy that works best for you!  So, perhaps in addition to reading through your notes you could try some other ideas. If you are struggling to find strategies to try out, I encourage you to visit the WKHS Counselor website as there are lots of examples listed on the site.  I am listing a few examples below, but again, it is about finding a strategy that will work for you.

Re-write or type your notes instead of just reading them.

Try to recall as much information from memory as possible. So, think back on the class and try to remember all of the key points and pieces of information that you think you are going to have to know for the test and write them all down. Then compare that list to what you actually are responsible for knowing. What information did you forget about completely? What areas were you unable to recall enough information details? Briefly review that information and then move on to studying for another subject and then later come back and try to recall everything that you will need to know again. Were you able to do better this time? This strategy is effective because it forces you to figure out what you can recall from just your brain at a certain time - just as you will have to do on your exams.

Make flashcards and review the content.

Have someone else question you from your notes, study guide, or text book.

Another great strategy is to go through and review your old tests - paying particular attention to questions that you answered incorrectly.

Make your own practice tests. You can use homework questions, sample problems from your classroom notes, or questions from your book or tests and put them together into one test just like your teacher would do. Give yourself a day or two away from looking at it (or at least a few hours of working on a different subject) and then go back and put yourself into a similar test environment and take the test. Practice going straight through the whole test without a break, without distractions, and without stopping to look at your notes or book just as you will have to do in the actual exam. When you have completed the test, check your answers and see how you did. You can then identify areas where you need more practice and review. It may also help you identify concepts that you need to seek help from your teachers or academic assistants on to help make sure you better understand the material.

Spending time reviewing old learning targets, homework assignments and worksheets and working through the study guides your teachers provided (if they gave you one) is also an effective strategy.


Another helpful strategy is to teach someone else. Sometimes this involves teaching a fellow student who is struggling to grasp the concepts, but it can just as easily be your parents, siblings, or a grandparent. By having to explain the information you know, you are reinforcing the concepts in your own mind and seeking useful ways to help someone else to understand the information and why it matters.

Take advantage of the opportunity to seek extra help from your teachers. Some teachers offer review sessions, others will meet with students individually or in small groups to answer questions. And other teachers are willing to respond to e-mails to help clarify questions you might have. Remember, they know what is on the test (they created it!) and so they are your best resources for help, yet the work must be done by you to make certain that you truly know the concepts being covered in class.

You can also work with the Academic Assistant's in the Teaching and Learning Center (Room 209) as they have a wealth of knowledge and helpful tips for study strategies that can help you in their particular subject areas as well as studying overall.  And, last, but not least, you can also stop in and see me and I can help brainstorm ideas that you could try.

For what it is worth, think of learning to study like you think of learning to run. You already know some skills that have helped you to know how to study and to be successful - just like you already know how to run, but if you practice and really train at running, you can improve significantly and studying will work just the same. Keep working at your study strategies, practice and continue refining your technique until you find the perfect combination that works for you.

Good luck and happy studying!

Charlie Brown Christmas

I am getting ready to go and see the WKHS Theater program's production of A Charlie Brown Christmas tonight and I can't wait.  In talking with some of my students who are a part of the production, they are having a great time preparing for the play.  The WKHS theater productions are always incredibly well done and I'm confident tonight's presentation will be as well.  If you have never taken the opportunity to see one of the Kilbourne plays, I encourage you to take advantage of the performances this weekend.  They will be providing shows again tomorrow and Saturday and I believe there are still tickets available so don't miss out.

Tomorrow's Bell Schedule

In Worthington Schools there is a commitment to making sure that every student has a positive learning experience.  In order to help make sure that the district is working effectively to achieve these goals, the district is asking that every student complete a district-wide survey about school culture and climate.  This survey will be done tomorrow during your 3rd period classes.  (And if you don't have a 3rd period class they will be working to find you to complete the survey.)  So, I wanted to make sure you had tomorrow's bell schedule because we are on a VERY different schedule in order to give time for the survey.

1st Period: 7:45 - 8:32

2nd Period: 8:37 - 9:24

3rd Period: 9:29 - 10:45 (you will do the survey 3rd period)

4th Period: 10:50 - 11:37

5th Period: 11:42 - 12:29

6th Period: 12:34 - 1:21

7th Period: 1:26 - 2:13

8th Period: 2:18 - 3:05

Exam Schedule

You don't need to panic about exams, but you do need to prepare for them!  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 - Wednesday, December 13th:

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 - Thursday, December 14th:
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 - Friday, December 15th:
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 15th.)

Hope that helps clarify.

Cocoa and Cram

Over the next 3 days all freshman students will be invited to participate in "Cram and Cocoa" sessions during your lunch periods.  These study strategy sessions will be held in Room 120 which is just off the Commons area and the Counseling Center.  Cocoa and Cram is provided by the Link Leaders and serves as a great opportunity for students to get a jump start on effectively preparing for exams. 

You now have just 11 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.

The Link Leaders have been providing these "Cram and Cocoa" sessions for the last 5 years to help every student feel successful heading into exams.  The feedback I heard from all of my students who participated in the past was that it was incredibly helpful.  I sincerely hope you will take advantage of their willingness to help you prepare!

Counselor Website

I have written about the Kilbourne Counselor website before and I mention it in posts frequently, but I still feel like it deserves frequent reminders.  When we created the counselor website we wanted to provide students and parents with an easy, one-stop place, to get as many of the resources and information answers that you regularly need.  

Have you visited www.wkhscounselors.com lately?  

We work really hard to keep the website current and so it is updated on a regular basis – often daily.  The site features information about succeeding academically, college/ career pursuits, and personal/ social information resources.  So often people ask me questions and I point them to the website for the answer because it is the easiest place to find the information over waiting until you are back at school and going and finding the paper version of the forms, etc.

Take a moment and check it out and please be sure to bookmark the site so that you can refer back to it often.  And, if there is anything that you think it should include but don’t see on the site, please let me know so that we can add it.

Of course, I have to acknowledge that none of the counselors are very website savvy and so while I have literally read a "Joomla for Dummies" book to try to help create the website, none of what you see would be possible without the expertise, know-how, dedication and countless hours of time that Mr. Estice from Phoenix Middle School (and Sasha's dad) has contributed.