School Email

Have you been checking your school email accounts while we have been out of the building?  In talking with students, it seems like about half of you are doing this and half of you are still struggling with checking your school email.  I need to tell you, never before has it been so important for you to check your school email account regularly!

Chances are, as you check your email, you will quickly start to feel overwhelmed with how many email messages you are getting from teachers.  (And maybe also from me too for that matter.)  Whenever possible, try to get in the habit of dealing with the email when you open and read it vs going back to it multiple times throughout the day or losing track of emails because they fell off your radar.

The district realized that there are constraints with the current set up of the email system which could cause problems.  For example, if your teachers are emailing you a document that you might want or need to print, the way the system was set up before, you weren't able to do that from your school emails to home printers (only to school printers).  So they have temporarily changed some of your email restrictions and you can now either print to other printers or at least you can forward to your own email account and print the documents from there.

Speaking of forwarding emails, you can now forward your school emails to yourself at other email accounts or to your parents AND you can also receive emails from your family as well as your teachers.  The goal of this change was to allow students, teachers and parents to have easier communication options for everyone to be together on one message during a time when everything else seems more confusing.

I would ask that if your teachers are emailing you that you please respond back to them so they know you are alive and well.  Truly, that is our first and foremost concern with students.  We don't know if you are healthy.  We don't always know if you even have access to email.  So please, if you are able to get to your school emails, check them and respond!

So Much to be Thankful For...

I have so much to be thankful for!  My heart may be sad in this moment at the realization that I won't get to see all of you until at least after May 1st, but the reality is I am sad about this because I am so thankful to have a job that I love working with students who enhance and enrich my life every day!

Two weeks ago today I had to go into school to bring home a bunch of stuff that I knew I would need to have available to me as I worked with all of you.  Since that time I have been super strict about isolating myself at home.  In the last two weeks I interacted with NO people face to face.  (Lexi hated every single second of it!)  But all of that was because I care about my students, their families, our health-care workers, our first responders, and the men and women who work in essential front line jobs like as delivery workers and at grocery stores... and it was for my parents.  My parents aren't "old, old" but technically they are in the "Senior Citizen" at risk category and I wanted to be around them, but I didn't want to risk exposing them to the coronavirus if I had been exposed to it.  Today marked 2 weeks which is how long the CDC and other health experts recommend that individual self isolate and so tonight I was finally able to go over to my parents house for dinner.  My mom made a traditional Thanksgiving day meal (see photo of my very yummy, very full plate) which is part of the reason I am thinking about how thankful I am even in the midst of a pandemic and even in the midst of extreme disappointment of not being able to see you face-to-face for a month.

At Christmas, my sister bought me a gratitude journal where I am supposed to write 3 things I am grateful for every day.  I have to admit, it is a good way to force myself to reflect back on the day and find 3 unique things that I am grateful for and even on these hard days I have found plenty to write down. 

So I want to tell you a few...
- I am thankful for each student who sends me an email and updates me on what they have been doing.
- I am thankful for the students who, unprompted, sent me an update on their ACT scores.
- I am thankful for the students who have sent a note asking about how Lexi is doing and telling me that they miss her.
- I am thankful for former students who have found time to reach out and check in with me.
- I am thankful for students who reach out and ask questions.
- I am thankful for the Counselor Website being available as an easy place for us to post updates and Mr. Estice helping me to continue updating it even now.
- I am thankful for the Kilbourne support staff who are working from home to help contact scholarship providers for alternate means to allow students to submit their scholarship applications.
- I am thankful for the teachers who are genuinely trying to make the best of the remote learning experience.  I am especially thankful for those teachers who have contacted me saying, "I want to follow up with this student because I haven't heard from them, but I really just want to make sure they are ok and not to just ask them why they aren't doing their assignments yet."
- I am thankful to work in a district that knows that this is hard for you and for your parents and for your teachers and wants to support all of you in this time.
- I am thankful that Mrs. Humphrey has worked to secure additional chromebooks we can loan out to the students in families who had not already been able to get a loaner device.
- I am thankful to live in the United States, to be blessed with a strong healthcare system, and to have all of those amazing front line workers who are doing everything they can to help keep us safe and to allow us to return to a "normal" life again as quickly as possible.
- I am thankful for YOU!  Each student and parent who takes the time out of their day to read my blog posts.  I hope they are useful and informative to you, but I just want you to know that I value this interaction and I appreciate that you are pausing in your day to read the information I share.

There is no question that I am sad tonight.  Yes, I saw it coming.  Yes, I knew that it was possible.  But no, I still wasn't really ready to hear school buildings are closed until May 1st.  The good news though is I will choose to be thankful that even though the form of our relationship has to change, our connection does not and we can continue to email or chat any time!  If you are feeling sad tonight, I'd like to encourage you to reframe this disappointment and think instead about how much you are thankful for today and every day.  It doesn't take the sadness away, but it definitely makes it a little easier to manage.

College Changes

This is such a surreal time and it is impossible to predict what is going to happen in the days, weeks and months ahead, but colleges across the country are trying to determine how they are supposed to interact with prospective students and what they can be doing to continue to convince you that their school is YOUR future school.

There are a lot of colleges that are posting virtual tours on their websites so that students and families can try to get an idea of their campuses.  There are blogs and social media sharing from admissions officers, college representatives, specific departments, and students to help give a fuller picture of the campus environment.  However, most on campus visit opportunities including special accepted student visit days have all been cancelled.

Prior to this year, the one thing that remained absolutely consistent across every college in the country was May 1st as the College Decision Deadline.  May 1st was the date when every college expected students to submit their deposit to demonstrate their commitment to attending that college next fall.  But, as a result of the Coronavirus, this year, that deadline date has changed for some colleges.  There are multiple reasons behind the shift to a June 1st decision date for various colleges.  Some were hoping that giving students an extra month to make their final decision would hopefully allow campuses to be opened back up to visitors so that students could come and explore campus in person before the new deadline date.  Colleges also know it is possible that some families, from a financial perspective, could have difficulty gathering the money required to pay their deposit by May 1st.  And the other rationale which I think plays into this is the realization that there is so much fear and uncertainty in the world right now that people might be hesitant to make any decision about where they want to go to college - particularly if distance is a factor and the areas where COVID-19 is currently hitting hardest.  So, students might be deciding that they want to stay closer to home or they may be electing to avoid particular areas of the country that are being hit harder by the devastating effects of the virus.  As a result, some colleges are wanting to give our world  more time for the impacts of the virus to balance out before asking kids to make that final choice.

But, not every college is changing their decision deadline to June 1st and that is a BIG deal that you need to pay attention to when making your choices.  If you are debating between 2 colleges and 1 pushes their deadline to June 1st and the other does not, then you essentially have to make your decision by the earlier, May 1st deadline.  You don't have to pay the depoit at the other college until their June 1st deadline, but if you don't commit to the May 1st college by May 1st then you are most probably not going to have the option of attending that school in the fall. 

This website contains the latest compiled information about college changes and you can sort to look for information that applies to you, but I also strongly recommend that you look at your desired colleges individual websites for the most up to date and accurate information.

The other possible change that I am starting to see information about from some more colleges across the country (this is still in very early stages though) is that for current juniors, there may be more colleges who will elect to move to Test Optional for your application cycle.  This is because they know that you have at least 1 less ACT and SAT opportunity to complete the test than students in previous years.  There have always been hundreds of colleges who have been test optional in their admissions approach, but we have already received emails from schools that have historically not been test optional indicating that, at least for the kids in the high school Class of 2021, they will move to a test optional model.  Again, it is hard to predict how wide spread this trend will go, so unless you were set with the score from your February test, you will likely want to repeat the test this June/ July or in the fall.

Things in the college admissions world are changing fast.  I am doing my best to keep track of it all - at least from a big picture scale, but I also encourage you to look for specific details on the college websites that you are considering.

Update Me

You made it through your 1st week of remote learning.  How did it go?  What is working well for you?  What is a struggle for you?  Are there things you wish teachers were doing more or less of?  I want to hear about all of it!

Every week the counselors and administrators are meeting to talk about how things are going and I want to make sure I am sharing accurate information that reflects what all of you are finding through this remote learning experience.

While I definitely want to know how things are going for you academically, I actually care even more about how you are holding up emotionally through all of this.  It is very anxiety provoking and there is so much you are grieving right now.  I hope that you are finding safe and consistent places to share what this is like for YOU!

I came across this article and I suspect it will resonate with how many of you are feeling.  Parents, I encourage you to read this to better understand what your son/ daughter may be feeling and students, I hope you will read it so that you recognize you are not alone in how you feel.

I was talking recently with one of my students who said, "this break stinks!" And, of course, that is true, but here is the reality... this is NOT a break!  I think that is probably part of the problem for many of us (myself included).  We slip into the mindset that we should be able to relax, have fun, and still do our school work.  That isn't how this works... especially with all of the underlying stress that we are dealing with in our world right now.  And that discrepency between reality and expectations is setting you up for disappointment and frustration.

So, please, about all of it, take a minute and send me an email to babbott@wscloud.org and let me know how things are going for you.

Scholarship Reminder

Just a quick reminder that the deadline for most of the local scholarships is rapidly approaching! While we are out of the school building, please put forth the time, energy and effort required to work on completing all of the applications for which you may qualify.  

The deadline for most of the local scholarships has been extended until we (hopefully) get back to school on Monday, April 6th.  However, if there are local scholarships that were supposed to be submitted to a different place other than school, then those deadlines have remained the same.  We are working now to finalize what each scholarship sponsor who planned to have us collect your applications on the 6th will want us to do if we aren't able to be back in school together.  We will post that information on the website if you will need to mail all of the applications to each scholarship sponsor directly.

Be sure to review your applications and verify that you have all of the required pieces ready to be turned in by the deadline. Hopefully if you needed recommendation letters for your applications you have already requested those as it will be difficult (if not impossible) for teachers to write letters in one week for you with all the added pressure they are under right now with trying to figure out the remote learning process.  If your teacher (or I) have already written you a rec letter, then you can always ask for them to email you a copy of your letter to use with your applications.  For your transcript, as long as it is asking for unofficial copies, you can download that off of the reports section of Infinite Campus.  If you need an official copy, please request that using the Google Form just like you did for your college applications.

Additionally, there are scholarships available at the community, state, and national levels. There are many scholarship search engines that you can use as a resource to help you identify scholarships that might be a good fit. With so many different scholarships, it can feel a bit daunting, but remember, if you are able to earn one of the scholarships, your time would certainly be worth the effort.

Here are a few of the scholarship search sites that might help you (and the WKHS counselor website has LOTS more in the financial aid section):

http://www.fastweb.com/
http://www.collegenet.com/
http://www.scholarships.com/
http://www.scholarshipmonkey.com/

It is also important to remember that you should never pay for a scholarship - scholarships should be giving YOU money, not the other way around.

Sign Your Name

I was thinking about things that students could be working on during those moments when you get bored, but don't want to do school work, have refreshed your social media feeds so frequently that you just keep closing and reopening them, and you can't fathom the thought of what to do next.  Sound familiar?

One of the things I was honestly laughing at kids over was watching as students attempted to sign their name on forms.  Some of you (very few) have incredible penmanship and it made me jealous that you can write in print or cursive so perfectly.  Others (most of you) can hold your own in printing, but your ability to write anything in cursive - including your name - is a skill that is lacking.

Fortunately, much of our world (as we are finding out with this whole social distancing need) is electronic in nature, but there are still times when you will need to sign your name on forms.  (Case in point, all of your CC+ forms that students have been submitting)  At the very least, some day, when you buy a house or a car and have to get a loan for those items, you are going to need to know how to sign your name.

So, my suggestion to you is to spend some time learning how to sign your name or perfecting your signature!  I did some searching and found that this resource allows you to type your name in the box marked "Text."  Then click on "Create Worksheet."  Then scroll back up a little and you will see that your worksheet is ready for download.  Click on that arrow and it will open a handwriting sheet like when you were little and learning to write for the first time with your name written in cursive and lots of blank lines to practice.  It is a great first step of going back to the basics in learning how to sign your name.

It isn't something that will be earth-shattering to have accomplished, but it is something that can be beneficial for you in the long run and therefore, worth spending 20 minutes on today.  And I can't wait to see all of your beautiful signatures the next time we have you submit forms that require it.

Welcome to Remote Learning

Well, it was your first day of Remote Learning... how did it go???  I want to hear from you and know what is going well and what is harder for you.  Eventually I will meet (virtually) with our building administrators and they are going to ask what is working or not with remote learning and the only way I will have good insight to share is if you update me.  So please, send me a quick email as the days progress and let me know how things are going.

One of my concerns when I have thought about all of you trying to learn from home is that there are MANY of you who already struggle with getting work done effectively at home.  I can't even begin to count the number of students who use their options/ prep and lunch times to finish up work or try to hurry and get everything done because they don't want to have to worry about trying to complete the assignments at home.  For others, you get caught in the cycle of "I'll do it later" always thinking that some other moment in time will be when you feel motivated to complete your work.  This typically looks like you thinking, "I don't want to work on this during my lunch so I'll just do this tonight when I get home" and then you get home and think, "I don't want to work on this now, I'll do it in the morning before school" followed the next morning with "ugh, I don't have time to get this done now, I'll do it during lunch/ prep."  And the cycle continues.  The reality is there is no better time.  But, even if I say that and even if you KNOW that, it still is a pattern of behavior that is hard to break.

There are definite advantages/ disadvantages of learning from home.  You get to sleep in later.  (Something many of you desperately want to do.)  You get to create your own environment that meets your learning needs.  And you are in an environment that typically feels safe and supported.  But, all of those advantages can also back-fire and work against you.  It is easy for teenagers to sleep half the day away.  The environment where you might do your work may also be the same place where you typically sit to play video games.  And a place where you feel relaxed, doesn't always elicit enough push to focus and get work accomplished.

So, if you realize already that keeping up with learning remotely is going to be hard for you, what can you do?  I have lots of suggestions for you to consider...

- Come up with a plan.  What is going to be reasonable for YOU?  In addition to completing your school work, what are the other expectations for you with your family?  Are you expected to help with your little brother/ sister?  Are multiple people in your family sharing the same computer?  All of those are key reasons that you need to have a plan.  If you start with a plan then you can always modify it and adjust, but if you have no plan and no "to do list" items for the day, it is going to be really easy to reach the end of the day without accomplishing anything.

-  On social media you have likely seen "experts" spelling out ideal daily schedules for kids and teens.  While some students will absolutely want and need every minute to be spelled out for them, many of you will feel it is too strict and abandon it without ever really trying to actually follow the schedule.  So, come up with a loose enough schedule that works for you.  I know that for many of you when you sit down to do school work, 80% of the time ends up being doing something else - searching for the right music to listen to, checking social media, watching a YouTube video, getting distracted by a video game, responding to a text, taking a FaceTime call, trying to refocus on what you were supposed to be doing, and, at best, 20% of your time is actually on doing the work.  I have seen many students find success by blocking out 3 times of 30 minutes where they fully and intensely work.  Switch the phone to Do Not Disturb, turn it off, give it to a parent, set it in another room, etc. - anything so you don't absent-mindedly grab it and get caught in your old patterns.  Set an alarm for 30 minutes and during those 30 minutes go full out on your work.  Apply yourself, read, write, calculate, whatever is expected and do it intentionally for 30 minutes.  And then stop.  Be done.  Go back to doing the things you wanted to do... the things that typically distract you.  By working intensely for 30 minutes you are getting work accomplished, but it isn't so long that you will feel as if you are missing out on other activities which are definitely more fun than doing work.  And then, two other times in the day, repeat this schedule and time block.  A lot of students can do this successfully if you wake up, give yourself time to do your normal morning routine, and then when you have finished that and caught up on all that there is to know about your friends for the moment, do 30 minutes of work before you eat (probably lunch since you most likely slept in).  Do 30 more minutes after lunch some time, and 30 minutes after dinner if you like to spread it out.  As you start to implement this routine, you may need to adjust the schedule to your needs.  Are your friends more active and wanting to talk more later in the day?  If so, maybe get the 3rd work session in earlier so that you can have that time to relax and enjoy without school work hanging over your head.  YOU get to set the plan, so you get to adjust it to make it work, but try this idea for 4-5 days and see if it works for you.

- Be realistic with yourself.  You are going to need time to transition.  If you think about life as normal... you would wake up, get ready, go to school, and then do school work.  Chances are there were lots of mornings when you would wake up and think, "I don't want to go to school," but then you would get up, get ready, go to school and by the time you were at school you had made that transition and you were ready to learn.  You don't have those same signals and cues, but you can try to create some transition signals to help shift your mind and body into thinking it is time to do school work.  If you notice that you get stuck, DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT!  It means you need a change to help you transition.  Stretch, do jumping jacks, take three big deep breaths, go pet your dog or cat, or (if you have a laptop or Chromebook) move your work space somewhere different like the kitchen table.

- You are going to need to figure out a plan for how you will set up some accountability.  At school, you normally are handing in assignments face to face with your teachers and that inherently creates it's own internal reward system.  But we don't have that now... and it is hard to replicate that same feeling when submitting assignments electronically.  So try to figure out who you could have as an accountability partner... who can you be truly open and honest with that will help you stay focused and get work done?  It might be someone else at your house, but most of all it needs to be someone you will be honest with because you can be sitting at your computer in your room for hours and your parents can come in to check on you and no one will know that you were actually sitting there playing Minecraft for hours instead of doing your work.  (Again, that goes back to fully work for shorter time periods and then allow yourself the freedom and flexibility to do those things you want to do.)  So, maybe it will be one of your parents or siblings, or perhaps it is one of your friends who also wants to get some work done, but knowing that you will have to report back on your progress and how you did at following through on your plan and any pitfalls you ran into is valuable and can help keep you on track.

There is no question that this is going to be a BIG adjustment to how you learn and interact with your teachers - just like you are also having to adjust to being at home and away from your friends.  So experiment and try some new strategies and approaches.  If it works - keep doing it.  If it bombs - abandon that idea and try something else.  Most of all though, please apply yourself and get some school work done!  I believe in you!  I know you can do this.  Let me know if you need more help.

Junior ACT Scores

I heard from a few students today that your ACT scores have arrived to your homes through the mail!  We have not seen or received scores yet so I am anxious to hear how you did... send me an email and update me.

Congratulations to all of you who did well on the tests!  I know that is a huge weight off your shoulders if you now get to be done with testing.

For those of you whose score wasn't what you had hoped it would be, try not to let it get you down.  You have three more opportunities to take the ACT plus you can also switch and take the SAT as well to give you additional testing days.  A few reminders if you are going to need to retake the test, with the April ACT being cancelled, you are going to want to sign up for the June (or July) test ASAP.  I am very concerned that there will not be enough testing sites available for all of the students who will be planning to try to test in June.  You also may want to make use of this time away from the school building to work on your ACT prep skills.  Information about preparing for the ACT is on the WKHS Counselor website.

And finally, for all of you, tomorrow we start the remote learning process.  This isn't how you anticipated 4th quarter would go, but your teachers care about you and about helping you to successfully make the transition from traditional school to remote learning.  Please email them if you have questions.  They are still here to help you!  You can also reach out to me as well if there is anything I can do to be of assistance as you make the educational transition, but more importantly if you just want to talk and update me on your life and what you are doing while on lock-down at home.

Changes

Have you been on the WKHS Counselor website lately? There are SO MANY CHANGES happening so quickly and, I have to be honest, I don't want to overwhelm your inboxes with separate updates on every single one of them. But, the information is helpful related to emotional health, important if you are in an AP class and planning to take the AP exams at the end of this year, time sensitive if you are planning to take an ACT/ SAT this spring/ summer, and it is hopefully useful for all of you!  So I can't stress enough how important it is to me that you begin visiting www.wkhscounselors.com on a regular basis.  If you are checking the website, you already know of the 45 minute AP test that you will take at home and more changes that are coming as a result of this pandemic.

I was sent this article and it was written by the Vice President of Programs at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Dr. Doreen Marshall.  It really is a great way to put this in a perspective that we can understand and visualize when so much of the Coronavirus feels invisible and unknown.  Please read this article.  Go and read through the information on the home page of the Counselor website and select the links that are most applicable to you.  And, most of all, remember that I am here for you!

Supporting Your Mental Health While Navigating Change

Change when things are uncertain is hard. Change that we didn’t choose is harder. Change that has a potential impact on our mental wellness may be the most challenging of all.

The most valuable thing I’ve ever learned about how to navigate change came from a white-water rafting instructor when I was 15 years old. I couldn’t tell you what he looked like, or even who else was in the 6-person raft with me, but I never forgot the lesson, which has helped me at times when I have struggled with my own mental wellness. It went something like this:

If you are thrown out of the raft when the rapids are rough, your first instinct is going to be to stand up, try to resist the rapids, and do your best to climb back into the raft, which is moving. Don’t. Trying to stand up in rapids increases the likelihood your legs will get stuck on rocks and that you could be seriously injured. The raft is moving and slippery, and you won’t likely get back into it easily, no matter how hard you try. Better to wrap your arms around your life vest (which you are wearing) as if you are hugging it, pull your feet up in front of you, and let the rapids carry you down the river until you are in calmer waters. There you can assess the best way to get to land or to where your raft is, since it may or may not be floating down the river with you. If another rafting group is there and you are both in calmer waters, you can get in their raft. The trained guides (in kayaks) will also be looking for you.

I can’t tell you how many times, when things have been uncertain and I have felt anxious, I’ve come back to that image of floating down the river with my feet up and trusting my life vest until waters are calmer. 

We are in some uncertain times. We may wonder if the rapids ahead of us will be rougher than where we are right now, if our current rafts will be meeting us down the river, or if we will be in new rafts when things are calm. This worry may be impacting our mental health.

If you are navigating change and want to support your mental health:

1.    Reach out to who and what you know helps. Turn to the people in your life who are supportive and can listen. Talk about your anxiety, if it helps you, or talk about other things that help you regain a sense of calm. If you feel you have no one to turn to right now, know that there are people who are trained to listen and help, such as a mental health provider. Reach out to them – you don’t need to manage difficult times alone. Supportive people and those trained to help are our life vests.

2.    Do the things that you know help take care of you. Exercise, drink water, take your medication on time and as prescribed, and seek comfort in music, books, journaling, meditation, your pets, or other healthy distractions when things feel too much.

3.    Challenge negative beliefs about change.  One thing you can control is your response in the situation. Challenge your negative beliefs about how you cope with change, especially if those beliefs are rooted in the past. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed, but that doesn’t mean you won’t move forward in a positive way. One way to do this is to engage in small actions that help you gain a sense of control and calm. One thing you can control right now is your breath. Deep breathing will help you regain calm, and costs nothing. There are lots of phone apps, YouTube videos and other resources to help us all practice breathing a little more deeply right now.

4.    Go in the direction of the change. What’s happening right now is moving us all in a direction to be more mindful of how we are in the world, how we relate to one another, and how we take care of our health. Conversations are happening now that were unheard of two months ago, and perspectives are changing in a way that can be good. Remember, change often happens where progress is needed, too.

5.    It’s okay if you end up in a different raft. While you may not know what’s ahead, you can trust that there are many others (an entire world of people, in fact) who are navigating this change with you. You are not alone and there will be others to greet you as things change. Things may be different, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be well or be able to weather new challenges. 

6.    The guides are available and looking to help you. Please know that there are support services out there if you are struggling with your mental health and alone. You don’t need to navigate any of this by yourself. Text TALK to 741741 at the Crisis Text Line or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1800 273-TALK (8255). Many counselors and other helping professionals are also looking to provide telehealth services right now. Take some time to learn about resources in your community, including those that may be online.

We can all do things to help support our mental health in times of change, and in doing so, we encourage others to make their mental health a priority, no matter what is changing around them.

I'm Still Here

I'm still here to try to help you and you matter to me!

That's it.  In 1 sentence, that is what I hope you know.  My emails and news feeds have been inundated with Coronavirus news, with tips and suggestions that I can share with all of you for managing the emotional toll this is having, with updates about ACT and SAT (next tests are cancelled by the way - so if you are going to test in June, I strongly encourage you to register NOW), about AP testing (still on, but who knows - you might do it from home somehow), about college responses (sooooo much from colleges - most are closed to visitors but they still want you to consider their campus for the future is the short summary from all of them), and about everyone doing their part to stop the spread of the virus, but continue with education as usual remotely.

To me... all of that stuff is overwhelming and, again - just speaking for myself, it's missing the mark.  Because right now, I am just sad.  I'm sad for you and what this is doing to your lives.  I am sad about not getting to see you face to face.  I am sad for all of the people of our world (you included) who are scared and sick or have a loved one who is sick now or will end up getting sick.  I'm sad for everyone who is struggling emotionally with being cooped up at home.  Really, just so much sadness... and, as always, I believe strongly in leaning into the feelings and emotions, allowing myself to feel them, express them, and not fight them or pretend they aren't happening.

But here is what I also know... you matter to me and seeing you and talking with you at school each day is the best part of my job.  And so even though I don't get to see you at school, I want that connection to continue.  In fact, I need it to continue.  So when I say that I hope you will reach out if there is anything I can do to help support you, I mean it!  Or you can even email just to say hi and to tell me what you are doing while hanging out at home away from other people.  I know this is not the spring break you wanted or imagined... so tell me, what are you daydreaming about from the confines of your house?  Truly, email me and tell me anything!

We posted some info on the WKHS Counselor website and that (aside from my blog, of course) is going to be the primary go-to place for us to post general information that we think lots of you will want to know or can make use of such as accessing support, local scholarship deadlines, and emotional support resources (and a Bingo Challenge).

As of this moment, my gut instinct is that I am going to take a few days off from blogging even though the reality is that there is so much that I want to say... but all of the messages I have and all the ways I could try to say it will all come back to the same thing... I'm still here to try to help you and you matter to me!

PS - Lexi misses all of you too!

Celebrating Students

You may not be in the schools for the next 3 weeks, but you are the most important part of the schools.  And over the last month there have been so many kids who have had great achievements and recognitions that I haven't had a chance to recognize and celebrate.

Nanami Campbell, Evie DeCarlo, and Paige Delma were among the members on the WKHS Swim Team relay who qualified for the State Championships.  I am so proud of you!

Congratulations also to Connor Burke who is a member of the WKHS Bowling team and Connor qualified for Districts.  Such a great accomplishment!

The Coronavirus has, obviously, impacted everything in our school and community and that includes student celebrations that were scheduled for Friday...

The Socratic Society ceremony was postponed for 55 students and so we will formally celebrate all of them later in the school year, but I want to honor and recognize all of my student who were supposed to be inducted into the Socratic Society yesterday.  This includes: Jumana Al-Jumaili, Caleb Anderson, Connor Asbury, Katie Bartlett, Nick Baughman, Reghan Beerman, Leah Beyke, Brielle Bomsta, Lindsey Buterbaugh, Josh Carter, Trustin Chaffin, Elizabeth Douglass, Ian Elder, Chloe Emberton, and Jacob Fisher.  I know it is disappointing when you don't get recognized as planned, but I appreciate your patience as we push that off until May.

And yesterday was also the athletic signing day for two students including, Josh Carter, who was celebrated for all of his years of hard work on the football field and in the classroom.  His

commitment to school and sports has allowed Josh to follow his dreams of being able to continue his football career at Muskingum University.  It was disappointing that all of Josh's teammates, friends, and extended family members were not allowed to come together to celebrate at Josh's signing ceremony, but the pride we all have for Josh is not diminished even without being able to attend.  Congratulations Josh and keep chasing your dreams!

I don't know...

Like all of you, I had no idea how the news of the Coronavirus would impact our day today and our coming weeks.  The levels of anxiety among students has definitely been substantially higher over the last few days and so much of that is connected back to the uncertainty of not knowing what is going to happen next.

So, please, let's all pause for a second and recognize that there is significant fear of the unknowns.  Not knowing what school being closed for 3 weeks will look and feel like is strange (to say the least).  No spring sports practices or games is confusing.  Hearing high school, college, and professional sporting events cancelled is surreal.  And watching the news about this virus can be overwhelming.  I also have heard a lot of stress related questions for things that are important to you that are up ahead - what does this mean for senior project? how will this impact prom? will we still have a graduation ceremony? And sadly, I don't have an answer for any of that yet. 

There are a lot of other unknowns that are constantly in flux which impact many students.  If you had been planning college visits for spring break, chances are those colleges are closed or are limiting access to their campuses.  Every day I am receiving countless emails from admissions offices to notify us that they are no longer allowing visitors on their campuses.  This has also carried over into the cancellation of many college admitted student special visit days.  The colleges are stressing the option of students and families to make virtual campus tours, to explore their websites and social media sites, to read their student blogs, and to find ways that you can still make an educated, informed choice about their college without having to actually walk on their campus.

Another big question mark is for students preparing to take the SAT on Saturday.  As of right now, it appears that the Central Ohio testing locations are all still planning to administer the test, but throughout the day the number of testing centers being closed has jumped significantly, so you need to be reviewing this information on the CollegeBoard website.

Here is what I can suggest... and over the coming few days/ weeks I will certainly post more on here as I think of other thoughts that I'd like to share with you.

- You are going to be at home and have some bonus time that was unexpected, consider using some of that time to do something you enjoy.
- Read. 
- Use this time to do the YouScience career aptitude assessment.  If you have lost your code and need it again, or if you never requested one in the first place, stop in and see me tomorrow or send me an email and I will happily send you an access code.
- Listen to music and create new playlists - for example, come up with a playlist to help lift your spirits gradually for the days when you are sad or come up with a list for songs that can pump you up and motivate you.  Turn up the music and dance.
- Explore colleges online.  Since all of these schools are stressing the various opportunities for students to learn more about their campuses - take them up on it and check them out. 
- Study for the ACT or SAT.  Juniors, I don't know yet when we will get your ACT scores back - they said 2 to 8 weeks so it is possible scores will arrive while you are home.  Don't forget you will be able to access your scores on the ACT website so you won't even have to wait until we are in school to see them.  But, since data shows that students typically improve their scores when they take the tests more than once, I would say use this time to review and prepare for the upcoming tests.
- If you find yourself getting stressed out and anxious about the Coronavirus, please try to limit your time spent reading or watching the news.  It isn't that I don't want you to be informed or to be careful, because I do, but find out that latest just one or two times a day rather than trying to get non-stop latest news updates.
- Sleep!  So many of you are exhausted so much of the time.  Use these next few weeks to catch up on some much needed rest.
- Try out a new hobby or activity you have been considering.  Bake something, draw, color, exercise, etc.
- Spend time playing with, cuddling, or petting your animals (Lexi is going to be devastated that we won't be at school for three weeks so she thinks loving on your pets at home should be everyone's top priority.)  :-)
- Get outside.  Take a walk.  Take your dog for a walk.  Run.  Ride your bike.  Work in the yard to get ready for spring.  Watch the clouds roll by.  Go star-gazing at night.  Anything to reconnect with nature.
- Stretch.  It sounds simple, but stretching some every day for the next 3 weeks could have a big impact on your overall flexibility.
- If you are a junior who will need recommendation letters next year from me, go ahead and fill out the forms now and email them to me and I will start writing your rec letters now.
- If you are a senior, work on your scholarship applications.
- If you are planning to participate in CC+ next year, make sure you have completed your applications for admission to CSCC or COTC.  You have received an email from Mrs. Gratz and Mrs. Mann about next steps if you have turned in your Intent to Participate form.  Be sure to follow their directions carefully.
- Play a board game.  Put together a puzzle.  Spend quality time with your family.
- Journal.  Write down your thoughts, feelings, reflections, joys, sorrows, excitement, things you are thankful for, things you dream about - anything.  Put it down on paper and out of your head.
- Do your school work.  Especially for those of you who are behind in classes - make sure you are able to use this time to get caught back up to where you should be in each course.

Remember, I will still be accessible to you via email during these three weeks.  I care about you and what this experience is like for you.  If you are feeling stressed about it all, please reach out to me.  Beyond that... in case you haven't heard of it from a million people already, stay home, wash your hands, and limit how much you touch your face.  Your health and well-being as well as that of your family and those throughout our community is of the utmost importance... so please take care of you!

Managing College Mail

It is hard to find many high school students that havn't started receiving mail from colleges - especially if you have taken the Pre-ACT, PSAT, ACT, or SAT. At first it is often a rush of excitement to learn about different colleges and I know that lots of students will pour over the different brochures, booklets, or information packets. In time though most students get frustrated and overwhelmed by just how much mail comes from all of the different colleges. This is a perfect reminder that colleges are a business and they are marketing themselves as a result. When you get the mail from the colleges take a few minutes and look it over - remember, they are not saying you will be accepted, but it can help give you an idea about the characteristics and features that are most important to you in selecting the college that is best for you. Go ahead and keep any that look particularly appealing to you, but don't worry about throwing the rest away.

Empathy

I love Brene Brown.  If you haven't heard of her, she is a researcher and author and she has given a famous TED Talk that is in the top 5 most watched of all time.  But, today, I want to talk about empathy and Brene Brown has a great short video (less than 3 minutes) to help make the concept of empathy come to life.  I hope you will take a moment today and watch it.

Brene Brown on Empathy Video

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.  This is an incredibly important skill for us to develop in being able to support and build healthy relationships with our friends and loved ones. 

Here is a short video clip from the movie Inside Out that shows the importance and value of empathy and validation of feelings in action.

I appreciate every person who strives to demonstrate empathy - it is the way we successfully connect and build relationships with those around us.  You make the world better with your empathy.

College Decision Stress

The next few weeks will be significant for students and college admissions decisions. Most of the schools that have yet to announce their decisions will be releasing them before the end of the month. This can be a very stressful time for students. Try to take a deep breath and relax – you have done the best job to put yourself in the best situation possible with your applications. 

The other reminder I would like to make for all students (in all grades) who are not currently waiting to hear if you have been accepted into a particular school – getting the decision can be hard enough, but often the more difficult aspect is being asked, “Did you get accepted?” by well-meaning friends. Trust me on this one, if they were accepted, the students will be telling everyone – you won’t need to ask so don't ask. If they don’t offer up the news about if they were accepted or not, then be sensitive to the fact that more than likely they still haven't heard or they did not get accepted and don’t ask about it as it puts them on the spot to share disappointing news.

If you are stressing out awaiting the news or struggling with the response you received from the colleges, feel free to stop in and see me so we can talk about it.

Academic Requirements for College Sports

Playing sports in college is a goal for many students.  If you are hoping to be a recruited athlete, it is important to be aware of the restrictions on when athletes can be contacted by coaches as well as when it is acceptable for you to reach out to college coaches.  Additionally, the emphasis on academics is critical and so the NCAA and the NAIA both require student athletes to register to determine their academic/ athletic eligibility.

The website for NCAA Eligibility is: www.eligibilitycenter.org

The website for NAIA Eligibility is: http://www.playnaia.org/

NAIA Requirements:

Must meet 2 out of 3 requirements in addition to graduating from high school

• Minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale
• Minimum test score of 18 composite score on the ACT or 970 on the SAT (excluding writing section) – They do not superscore
• Graduation in the top 50% of your high school class

You must submit test scores directly from the testing agencies.  Their number is 9876.

Students must submit a transcript after graduation.  Only 1 transcript is needed and should be sent after graduation unless you qualify for an “Early Decision.”  To be eligible for an early decision students must have the minimum test scores and have earned at least a 3.0 GPA after junior year or at least a 2.5 GPA after first semester of senior year.  If you will qualify for an early decision, you may send your transcript early and you will receive an eligibility determination before you graduate from high school.

Registration fee: $80

NCAA Requirements:

The NCAA requirements are a bit more complex because there are different requirements depending upon which division a student hopes to play in during college.

Please look carefully at what your requirements will be depending on your anticipated division of play.  (Division 3 does not require eligibility approval for participation.)

ACT scores used to determine eligibility are the sum of the individual scores (English, math, reading and science – not composite) and the SAT is the sum of the critical reading and math sections.  Writing scores are not used.  They do superscore (taking highest scores from each area added together rather than just using the highest from 1 testing date.)

You must submit test scores directly from the testing agencies.  Their number is 9999.

One of the key components to understand with NCAA requirements is that they compute your Core GPA instead of looking at your Kilbourne GPA.  Core GPA is made up of just your core classes – English, Math, Science, Social Studies and Foreign Language classes.  Please double check the list of NCAA approved courses on the NCAA website as not all Kilbourne classes in the core areas are NCAA approved.

Registration fee: $90

They will require that you submit your transcript after your junior year and again after you graduate from high school.

Online classes (such as credit recovery) cannot count for core classes.

Attached is the worksheet you can use to calculate your core GPA.  

Division 1:

• 16 core classes
• 4 English
• 3 Math
• 2 Science
• 1 additional credit in either English, Math or Science
• 2 Social Studies
• 4 Additional years of Core Classes (English, Math, Science, Social Studies, or Foreign Language)
• 10 of the 16 core classes must be completed prior to the start of the senior year and 7 of these 10 must be in English, Math and Science.
• The 10 classes completed before the start of senior year are locked in for GPA calculation of core GPA.
• Minimum GPA and minimum test scores based upon sliding scale
• Lowest GPA is 2.3 to fully qualify
• Students with a 2.0 GPA may qualify for an academic redshirt

Division 2:

• 16 core classes
• 3 English
• 2 Math
• 2 Science
• 3 additional credit in either English, Math or Science
• 2 Social Studies
• 4 Additional years of Core Classes (English, Math, Science, Social Studies, or Foreign Language)
• Minimum GPA is 2.0
• Minimum test scores is ACT sum score of 68 or SAT sum score of 820.

If you have questions about college athletic participation, please feel free to see me, your coaches, or Mr. Todd in the athletic office.

Counselor Website

If I was going to pick out one area of particular pride for the WKHS counseling department it would have to be the Counselor website - www.wkhscounselors.com.  We have worked hard to make sure that the site has tons of information and resources as a one-stop place for students and families to go.  We talk about the website at every student/ parent night we host, during our registration meetings with students each year, but even after all of this I have no clue if you have actually gone out to the website to start exploring it.  So, that is my long-weekend plea to each of you... Please go check out the website today.  I will be honest, the website has LOTS of information.  Sometimes it surprises people when they click on one of the initial menu categories to find that this ends up leading to lots of other categories/ options.  The search feature up at the top will let you find exactly what you want with the quick search of a key word or two.  If there is ever something you are hoping to find on the website that doesn't seem to be there, please let me know so that I can add it to the list to consider adding.