Teacher Recommendations

One aspect of the registration process that can sometimes cause confusion for students related to selecting their classes is how to deal with teacher recommendations.

During classes last week, your teachers reviewed the different classes offered within their departments and they also talked with you individually about the courses they would recommend for you to take next year.  Some of the core and foreign language teachers are directly submitting their recommendations for what class they would suggest for you to take directly into Infinite Campus.

If you don't agree with what a teacher has recommended, you are not locked into that course.  For example, we know that there are some students who will be recommended for lots of honors or AP classes and not want to take all of them.  This is completely appropriate and acceptable... in fact, I would say that I absolutely WANT you to prioritize and schedule a balanced load that meets your interests and goals for the future.  (And your teachers and administrators want that for you too!)

The first place that we suggest you start is by talking with your teacher about their recommendation and the course that you would prefer to take.  Since your teachers know your learning style and approach they will have important and valuable information for you and your parents to take into consideration when selecting classes.  I encourage you to carefully take their recommendations into consideration - especially if they are suggesting you take an "easier" course than the one you were previously considering.

However, we also know that some students may not feel comfortable telling a teacher that they want to take a different class than the one the teacher was recommending.  I am anticipating that this could be the case if a teacher is suggesting their elective or core course and you wanted a different one and don't want to hurt the teachers feelings.  I get it, but I will also remind you that the teachers are not trying to pressure you into anything!  This is YOUR future and YOU are the one who will be in the class and doing the work next year!  So, know that I am more than happy and willing to talk to you about what courses you would like to change and make adjustments for you.  If you and your parents have decided that it is not in your best interest to take a class that your teacher has recommended and you want an easier or comparable course, then that is what I can easily fix during our individual meeting.

If you have decided that you want a more difficult course than what was recommended by your teacher then you must complete the Course Override form (also on the Counselor website) in order for me to change that in your schedule.  Before you decide to go with a more difficult course than has been recommended, please be VERY careful in thinking through all of the possible implications of doing that because your teacher's are recommending based upon what they know about your learning AND what they know about the classes.  They want to make sure that you are being recommended for classes that will help you to be successful in the future.  It would never be my recommendation that you take on a class that is more difficult than what your teachers are suggesting for you.

Time Commitments & Balance

Hopefully you are ready to request your classes online (and thanks to all those who have already done so) .  Don't forget, you need to submit your online registration by this coming Friday (February 3rd) and, if you are a junior scheduled to meet with me this week, please be sure to complete your registration before our meeting. 

When you are considering which classes you want to take it is really important to try to find a balance. You want to challenge yourself with courses that will push you and help prepare you for the future. At the same time you want to remember that it is high school and you need to be reasonable about your expectations for yourself. There is a balance that should be sought - between too many "easy" classes and too many "hard" classes. You know yourself best and what you can handle so while it may feel good to have every teacher recommend you for honors, AP, or IB classes it doesn't mean that it would be the ideal situation to load your schedule with 7 advanced classes. In the past I have even had students stop by proclaiming a plan to take 8 classes by skipping their lunch period.  I get it, there are a lot of incredible classes available at WKHS, but overloading your day and burning yourself out does nothing for your love of learning or your ability to successfully complete your classes.  I cannot stress enough how much I want you to think about the rest of your commitments.  

What sports, clubs, music groups, part-time jobs, and volunteer commitments do you have?  When will you have time to relax and breathe, spend time with your family and friends and, perhaps most importantly, still get a good night's sleep each night?

I completely understand that this can be hard to figure out the balance because you aren't at next year yet to be able to imagine what your days will feel like, but the Kilbourne staff created a Time Commitment Planning Calendar which can help you gain insight into what your intended plan will really look like.  You can find copies on the Kilbourne Counselor website - www.wkhscounselors.com - or there are hard copies available in the counseling center.  A student helped by completing a sample calendar so that you can see what a completed one looks like and that is also on the Kilbourne Counselor website.  I strongly encourage you to consider 2 of your busiest weeks and fill out the calendar so that you can have a realistic perspective for what the classes you are considering would provide a good balance for you - being both rigorous (particularly in any area of passion) and reasonable.

If you are struggling to find that balance, please talk to your parents about the classes you are considering and stop down to see me so that we can discuss it too.

New Classes

One of the exciting aspects at registration time each year is learning about what new classes will be offered for students in the coming school year.  There are 4 new to WKHS classes for next year!

The first class is a huge change that we talked about during the registration presentation and it is the introduction of Quantitative Reasoning as a math course.  Quantitative Reasoning is another class that is equivalent to Algebra 2 and Math 3.  So after completing Math 2, students will have the choice of pursuing either Math 3 or Quantitative Reasoning.  Quantitative Reasoning is designed by the state to be a course that combines math, critical thinking, and real world problem solving.  The guiding principle for WKHS students in making the decision about which class you'd want to take would come back to the question of where do you ultimately want to end up math wise.  If you want to end up in Calculus or PreCalculus, then sticking with Math 3 is what we would recommend.  If you're thinking about potential majors for college that do not need Calculus, then you can try out the new Quantititive Reasoning class.  The state has sample lessons posted on their website as a part of the new course curriculum that I thought were really interesting such as "Are double stuffed Oreo's really double stuffed?" and "Is it better to drive farther for cheaper gas or get the more expensive gas that is nearby?"

The three other new classes are all from the Family & Consumer Science department.

Independent Living - This class is all about practical life skills.  One of the huge pluses of this course is that it also will meet your financial literacy requirements.

Foods for Fitness - This is another eating/ cooking class to go along with Global Cuisines which has been wildly popular this year.  So if you want another class to eat and think about nutrition topics, we now have another choice available to you.

Fashion & Interior Design - Want to think more about sewing, decorating and design of yourself and your environment?  This class could be what you're looking for!

It is always exciting to know that your teachers are working hard to find and develop classes that will be applicable to your life and your future.  All 4 of these classes do just that!

How Many Classes are Needed?

The online registration system is now open to students!  Log in this weekend with your parents and make your course selections so that you can check that off your to-do list.

"How many classes should I take?" It is a common question that students are asking and, in all honesty, the answer depends.

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

It is important though to remember that 5 classes is the minimum required in order to be considered a Full Time student.  Being full time is critical for a wide range of reasons - insurance, child support, good driver discounts, etc.  So you will definitely not want to be looking at less than 5 classes in any semester!

If students are behind on earning their credits, then it may be necessary to plan on taking more classes during a semester or the year.  In order to progress forward with your class, all freshman students must earn at least 5.0 credits to be classified as a sophomore. All sophomore students must earn at least 10.0 credits to be classified as a junior. And, to be classified as a senior, students must earn at least 15.0 credits. 

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

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

If you have questions about eligibility, please stop in the co-curricular office or to see me for additional clarification.

AP and IB Classes

Last night I talked about College Credit Plus (CC+) classes and the special steps that students must complete if you want to sign up for those options.  However, that is NOT the only path for students to be able to take challenging classes while in high school and earn college credit for them!

Students also have the opportunity to earn college credit through AP and IB courses.  I wanted to spend a few minutes giving you highlights related to these options so that you are aware as you are scheduling your classes.

One of the top factors colleges consider when evaluating applicants is the strength of the academic schedule students take on during high school.  (And, of course, that they do well in those classes.)  One of the options that students can consider for selecting a rigorous academic schedule that also has the benefit of providing students with a global perspective and integrated learning to make connections across courses, is the International Baccalaureate (IB) program.

Students who are interested in completing the full IB diploma program will have specific IB courses to take along with completing the IB exams, an extended essay, and a community action service project along with a Theory of Knowledge course.  Even if students are not sure that they want to take on the full diploma program, you can still participate in IB courses!  You can take just a handful of classes (or even just 1) if that is what appeals to you.  For example, students interested in Psychology or History might elect to take just the IB Psychology course or just the IB History course.  And Kilbourne has it's own IB partial program that you can explore if you fall somewhere in the middle.

As an IB World School, our students have the opportunity to participate in a rigorous group of classes to push themselves to learn and grow.  Students that are in the IB program are among the first to talk about how much they have enjoyed the program.  If you have questions about IB I definitely encourage you to talk with students in the IB program or to Ms. Goodwin who is the IB program coordinator.  And, of course, you can always talk to me too.

Advanced Placement (AP) classes are offered in a wide range of subject areas from core subjects like English and Science to the arts such as AP Studio Art and AP Music Theory.  These classes are designed to fulfill the college course content and the teachers are following the curriculum requirements to prepare students for the AP exam at the end of the year.  Students must pay to take the AP exam and, depending on how you do on it, you can earn college credit for the class.

Each college gets to set their own policy for what AP or IB classes they will give students college credit for completing and what the qualifying score must be in order to earn that credit.  You can usually find this information on the college website as well as on the CollegeBoard website for AP exams.

College Credit Plus

In addition to registration starting, the College Credit Plus (CC+) information for next year has also been released for students in Worthington this week.  CC+ is an opportunity for high school students to be able to earn college credits free of charge.  The state helps to facilitate the costs of this program so they have established very specific requirements for students to complete in order to participate.  One of those requirements is that students have to attend a mandatory meeting every year - even if you have taken CC+ classes in the past.  Fortunately, this meeting requirement is still able to be fulfilled by watching a 2 part video series that is posted on the WKHS Counselor website.

With CC+ classes, there are some classes that will have WKHS teachers teaching the classes all year just like normal, but you get college credit for it.  This includes the PreCalculus and Calculus courses taught by Kilbourne's math teachers.

There are also classes taught by CSCC instructors who will come to Kilbourne and teach their courses.  These courses are different from traditional WKHS classes in that they will be taught 2 days a week for 2 periods a day.  The extra time available on the other 3 days can either be filled with another CC+ class or as time for you to work on studying and completing the work for your college class.  Below is a list of the classes that are going to be offered (depending on level of interest) and when they will run:

First Semester:
- English Composition 1: M/W
- Psychology: T/R
- Ethics: date to be determined based on other requests for students so that students can take all of their desired CC+ classes without conflict (typically T/R)

Second Semester:
- English Composition 2: M/W
- Sociology: T/R
- Government: T/R

If you are currently in AP Lang, when you take the AP Test at the end of the year, if you earn a 3 or higher then you will have earned the equivalency of the English Composition 1 class.  This would make you eligible to go straight to Comp 2.

One of the keys to understand about the CC+ classes is that this is guaranteed college credit IF you pass the class.  (So, unlike AP classes, no test to take on one specific day to try to earn the college credit.)  The credit is guaranteed for every public college in the state of Ohio.  Private colleges and out-of-state colleges all have the option of accepting or rejecting the credit just like they do with AP courses.

If you need me to help you map out how this would look for the classes you are considering, we can do this during your individual meeting or you can stop and see me to discuss the choices.  This is a great, free opportunity and with the cost of college being so expensive, every free class can help so I don't want you to miss out on the chance.  If you are even remotely considering CC+ classes next year, please be sure to watch the videos with your parents, apply to the college(s), and complete and return the intent to participate packet to the Counseling Center!

Graduation Requirements

Understanding the graduation requirements can feel daunting for students and parents because there are so many components involved.  With registration starting, having an idea of what you need to complete is essential to selecting your classes, so I wanted to take a moment and give a quick overview of the requirements to graduate. 

Basic Academic Requirements:

• 4 credits of English
• 4 credits of Math
• 3 credits of Science
• 3 credits of Social Studies
• 1/2 credit of PE (or additional elective credit if earning the PE Waiver)
• 1/2 credit of Health
• 5 credits of Electives (anything other than the classes listed above count as electives
• 1 full year worth of Fine Art completed between grades 7-12
• Financial Literacy requirement (can be met through Personal Financial Management, Economics & Financial Literacy, IB History, and, for the current sophomores through seniors IB Business and Financial Algebra)

Demonstrate Comptency in English and Math:

• For most students this will be done by earning comptency scores of 684 or higher on the English 2 and Math 1 state End of Course tests.  Students can repeat these tests as needed.
• There are a range of other options for how comptency can be demonstrated, but testing is the clearest path.  If you need other options, I will be working with you to identify what pathway would work and be a viable option for you in the future.

Show Readiness by earning 2 Seals:

• There are 12 seals (9 state seals and 3 local seals) that students can try to earn.  
• All students must earn 2 seals and one of those two seals must be a state seal
• If you visit the counselor website and look at the graduation requirements page there is a link to information about all of the seals.  As you click on each seal you will be able to see the specific information about what is required to try to earn that seal.

Today during 2nd period you should have received a summary sheet that shows your graduation status.  If you have lost it or if your parents want to see a copy, you can always review your progress by accessing the Worthington Portal and going to My Accounts and clicking on "Student Graduation Status."  

Registration Kick-off

Tomorrow kicks off the process for registering for classes for next school year.  You will be on a very different bell schedule.  

Here is tomorrow's bell schedule:

1st period- 8:40 - 9:20
2nd period- 9:25 - 10:50**
3rd period- 10:55 - 11:35
4th period- 11:40 - 12:20
5th period- 12:25 - 1:05
6th period- 1:10 - 1:50
7th period- 1:55 - 2:35
8th period- 2:40 - 3:20

** As you can see - 2nd period is very long and that is because we will be holding class assemblies for the current freshmen, sophomore and junior students to pass along information about course registration and important information you need to know to successfully select your classes.

I recognize that it feels too early to be making decisions about what you're going to take next year when students are still settling into the new semester, but the time it takes to be able to take your requests and then build a master schedule that will meet your needs is very complex.

One of the most common reactions for students (and parents) as soon as they hear that it is registration time is to panic.  So please, right now, before you even receive your registration information, pause, take a deep breath and relax!  Thinking about the future can feel overwhelming, but I promise that I will help you through it.  This is a very hectic time of year for me dealing with far more than registration, but I want to reassure you that I am aware of the anxiety and we will get through it together.

So, let me give you a quick glimpse of what these next few weeks will include.  Tomorrow will be the meeting where you’ll get the details of what you need to do to register for your classes.  You will submit your course selections online through Infinite Campus starting on Friday.  The deadline to submit your requests is Friday, February 3rd.  I will meet with every student individually to review your requests.  We will still be able to make adjustments to your requests at that time so if you are uncertain about something, go ahead and make your best guess on what you are thinking and then we will talk about it when we meet together.

Here are some of the key dates you’ll need to know about:

-          Wednesday, January 25th: Registration materials distributed 

-          Wednesday, January 25^th: Curriculum Night at 7:20pm – you and your parents can come to talk with the teachers and learn more about the different options available to you; 

-          Between February 2nd and February 16th: Individual meetings with juniors and parents as scheduled 

-          Friday, February 3rd: Deadline to submit online course requests

-          Monday, February 6th and Tuesday, February 7th: Individual meetings with all freshmen students during Science classes

-          Wednesday, February 8th and Thursday, February 9th: Individual meetings with all sophomore students during English classes

-          Friday, February 24^th: My deadline to be able to make any adjustments in the online system

Over the next few days, during classes, your teachers will be reviewing the different classes offered within their departments as well as talking with you individually about the courses they would recommend for you to take next year.  As you talk about the classes and what your teacher recommends they may enter that information into IC for you so that you don't have to worry about signing up for those classes as they will already be on the list for you.  

You will have a course selection sheet to help guide you in the different options available and you can use that sheet to make notes about your thoughts on what interests you and then you can highlight to help select your classes that you will then enter online.  If you would like to hear more in depth information directly from the teachers who teach particular courses, please set up a time to talk to the teacher or come to meet with them during Curriculum Night.  (Let me know if you need help finding a teacher during one of their off periods.)  Don't forget that your teacher in the same department will also be able to share a lot of insight with you about the classes options within their department even if they aren't the one who teaches it.

After you have determined which courses you would like to take, please talk it over with your parents and then login and register on Infinite Campus.  The online window for students will open this Friday (January 27th at 4pm.)  When you submit your course requests on Infinite Campus they will be saved automatically.  You will need to be sure to submit 3 alternates.  I will only use those to replace classes if your first choice selections are absolutely not possible.  

Freshmen and sophomores will be meeting with me individually during your Science or English classes.  Juniors, you will have individual meeting times.  Your parents have received an invitation to set up our time to meet in case they wanted to join us in the meeting and for those who haven't signed up, I will be sending junior students an email for you to select your own meeting time during an off period that works best for you. Please be aware that some of the appointment slots I have available for juniors will be before the online registration window closes, but you must submit your requests online before our meeting!

Also, just in case you lose any of your forms, we will have extra copies posted, along with the video from tomorrow’s presentation and the Course Planning Handbook all available for students and parents to access on the Kilbourne Counselor website – www.wkhscounselors.com – and as of tomorrow we will have it on the home page for your convenience.

Once again, I am here to help you, but I do beg for you to try to be patient with me as having more than 365 students makes it hard to get to everyone all at the same time.

Failures

I keep having students talking about themselves as being failures.  And I have to tell you, that is not correct.  Failure is an Event, not a Person.  So often we get this concept messed up in our minds.  We tend to think that we are a failure when we fall short of a goal or dream that we had set for ourselves.  But here is the reality... 

We are not a failure when we don’t achieve a goal.  We are human.  

Having the mindset that we are going to be able to move forward, try new things, learn and grow without failing is not how life works.  Instead, a realistic expectation for ourselves, would be to learn from the mistakes we make and work to identify new ways to approach challenges.  So, please, if you find yourself falling into the mental trap of believing that you are a failure, try to remind yourself that failures are events and are NOT who you are as a person!

Otterbein Financial Aid

Paying for college is expensive.  We have talked about that a lot - which is why it is important to seek out all funding opportunities such as applying to scholarships and applying for financial aid.

Otterbein University recently made a huge announcement that they are the first university in Ohio to meet the full cost of tuition without the use of loans for the state's lowest income students.  This is typically for families making less than $30,000 per year.  They also have a tuition coverage program that does include loans for those families making less than $60,000 a year.

It is a amazing when a college is able to help make tuition affordable or free for families so that students can take every opportunity to attend even when finances initially might make it seem as if a private college education was out of reach.  It's an important reminder that you shouldn't just look at the sticker prices of a college when trying to decide where you will apply.

On a totally different note, how much do you wish today's snow had been on a school day?!?  :-)  I know... me too.  Hopefully we will get a snow day some time this year!  Fingers crossed.

Cap & Gown

Seniors, you have another important deadline coming up in less than 2 weeks!

You need to order your cap and gown!  WKHS works with Buckeye Scholastic for the cap and gowns as well as announcements if you are interested in those.  You can order your cap and gown directly off of their website which is: https://buckeyescholastic.com/worthingtonkilbourne/  All students should order their cap and gown by January 31st.  You must wear a cap and gown in order to participate in the commencement ceremony.

Graduation is just 4 months away and it will be here before you know it!  :-)

Junior Students & Parents

Juniors, we are rapidly approaching the point when you will be selecting your senior year classes.  Each year as we begin the process for registering for next year's classes, I offer up the opportunity to meet for a 30 minute time block with every junior student and his/ her parents, (if your parents are interested in joining us). 

I have a multiple blocks of time set aside for these individual junior meetings:

• Thursday, February 2nd (8am-8pm)
• Friday, February 3rd (9-3:30)
• Tuesday, February 7th (3:30-8pm)
• Thursday, February 9th (3:30-9pm)
• Wednesday, February 15th (8am-8pm)
• Thursday, February 16th (8am-4pm)

They will be hectic days with back-to-back meetings, but I love the chance to meet with you and your parents to talk about the classes you have selected for your senior year and what your plans are for life after high school. I sent an e-mail out to your parents earlier this week, so talk it over with them and pick out a date and time that will work well with your schedule so that we can set up a meeting time. 

Dealing with Deferrals

Decision Deferred... When you receive your college admissions decision and you read that your application has been defered it can often create a lot of questions.  A deferral is not a "yes" and it is not a "no." It is what a college will do when they need more time to make a decision on your application which means that your wait for a final decision continues.  The college knows that you would be successful on their campus, but they're not sure if they will have room based upon all of the other applicants and their institutional goals so they need more time, and often more information, to help them make the final decision.  Most colleges who offer deferals will tell you what additional data/ information they are interested in receiving to help them make their decision. The most common piece of data they will look for are senior year grades at the semester time.

So, what should you do if you are deferred?
One of the first steps should be to stop in and see me so that we can talk about the college decision and develop a game-plan for your next steps.

The other critical step is to closely read the information that the college has shared along with their deferral about what additional information and material they would like to help them as they make their final decisions.

If a college didn't provide any guidance and I were trying to simplify the process, then I would next suggest that you call the admisisons office and talk directly with the admissions officer who is in charge of our region. Talk to him/ her about where you stand and what they would like for you to do to be a more "ideal" candidate.

Draft a letter with any updates and information that you can share with the admissions staff. In particular, let them know that of any new experiences that you have had or recent accomplishments that they weren't previously aware of when you first applied. Updating them on your new activities and accomplishments is important because it is your effort to help give the college a reason to select you and add your application to the "accepted" pile. 

Send them an updated copy of your transcript. (I have uploaded mid-year transcripts to Common App for the colleges that indicated a need for them previously.)

If you re-took your ACT or SAT exams and haven't forwarded your most recent scores to the college, request for the scores to be sent directly to the college of your choice.

Consider other outreach efforts to communicate your strengths with the admissions office such as an additional teacher recommendation letter.

Although no one likes to be deferred, remember that this is not the end of the world and there is still plenty of time to communicate your strengths to the admissions committee so that you will hopefully be accepted to their school.

Career Exploration

Sometimes students will talk about being stressed, overwhelmed or worried when thinking about the future and trying to decide what they want to be when they grow up.  I get it, but I have to admit – this kind of makes me sad.  I think that the process of exploring potential careers for your future should be fun and exciting.  It should provide you with the chance to learn more about yourself – what you like, what you don’t like, what you are interested in learning more about, and how you can contribute to make the world a better place in big or small ways.

Yes, I realize that this all sounds like pressure and that is not what I intend.  Let me be clear – I am not asking you to decide today what you will do for the rest of your life.  I’m just hoping that you take a big deep breath, relax and do some career exploration.  Even a little bit now while you are in high school can help give you insights into possible fields to investigate... plus, in just over a week we are going to start registering for next year's classes and so maybe you will want to select an elective to help you explore a career area even more.

YouScience is our gold standard in career exploration.  If you have about an hour to hour and a half that you're willing to use in looking at your own strengths and how it relates to careers, this is the option to use.  You will need to come see me and I can give you a link to access YouScience.  But, we also have shorter options that are also good and interesting at giving you a snapshot of ideas about possible career fields.

Some students have done a Myers Briggs personality test and the codes of your personality can be connected with potential career fields.  If you have never taken a Myers Briggs type test, today is the day!  This website provides a free version of the test.  It takes 12 minutes to complete… what are you waiting for?  In case it entices you to complete the test, the results will not only tell you about potential career paths you might like it will also highlight some of your strengths and weaknesses, styles of interactions and needs with others, and work habits.  Plus, once you have your Myers Briggs code type (it will be 4 letters) you can do a Google search to find information about top careers for your personality type and that will result in much more detailed, specific career related information.  (I also have a summary with more information about careers by personality type so bring in your 4 digit code and I can give you the career summary that aligns with it.)

If a personality test seems too abstract for a career interest inventory, then I also have another free career test that you might like.  This is a quick 56 question test where you indicate how much or how little you are interested in various areas.  It isn’t the “prettiest” site, but the information is good – when you get to the results page just scroll down below the video to see what it indicates as being your results.

After you have done either or both of these tests I hope that you will save or print your results and bring them in so that we can talk about them and what you think based upon your own interests for your future and if you agree or disagree with the results.  And yes, it is ok to disagree… a quick simple test online cannot replace your own thoughts, feelings, interests, and insights!

Students of the Month

Congratulations to the 22 students who were honored Friday morning as Students of the Month. Kilbourne students can only be selected to receive this recognition once in their high school career.

A special congratulations to "my" students who were honored. This includes (alphabetically): Ella Baird, Tommy Bussard, Hailey Chafin, Owen Chilcoat, Fany Cruz Gonzalez, Kaleigh Demeter and Cassio Dos Santos.  I'm proud of you all!

Earning HS Credit

This week a large part of my time was trying to explain to students about how you earn credits in high school.  It is a valuable reminder for everyone.

High school is different than elementary and middle school.  In middle school, you take classes and each year you move on to the next grade and take all the classes for that grade.  In high school, you must earn credits for specified classes and the way you earn credit is by passing each semester of the class. 

So, for example, all students must earn 4 credits of English to graduate.  When you pass both semesters of English 1 during your freshman year, you move on to English 2 during your sophomore year.  If, unfortunately, you failed one of the semesters of English 1 then you are going to have to make that particular semester up before you can progress on to English 2.  Students who failed a semester will be able to make up the course either by repeating the class in summer school, repeating the class through credit recovery or repeating the class by retaking it during your sophomore year.  The bottom line is that you must REPEAT the class in some format.

Some classes (like English, Math & Foreign Language) have pre-requisites that students must meet in order to move on to the next level.  Other classes, like Science and Social Studies, do not have pre-requisites to move on to the next level so we will potentially allow you to move from Physical Science to Biology or from World History to US History without first repeating the freshman year class.  Don’t misunderstand though, you will still have to repeat the class at some point, but if you are not making it up during summer school, then you will likely be taking a freshman year class during your junior year.

In order to earn sophomore status, students must have earned at least 5 credits.  To become a junior you will need 10 credits.  To be classified as a senior, you must have earned at least 15 credits.

If you have any questions about where you stand with the credits you have earned or what still remains, please don’t hesitate to stop by and see me.

DACC Application Reminder

I wanted to remind all sophomore and junior students who are interested in the Delaware Area Career Center that the priority application deadline is THIS FRIDAY!  The application is online and available for you to complete now: https://www.delawareareacc.org/o/dacchs/page/high-school-admissions

Remember, this is a competitive process to be accepted, but one of the best steps you can do for yourself is to apply by Friday so that you get the optimal level of consideration for one of their spots.

If you have any questions about DACC and their application, feel free to stop and see me!

Report Cards & Mid-Year Transcripts

I feel relatively confident that most students know how to access infinite campus to check your grades, but parents may not be looking at progress as consistently.  In part this may be because they are allowing you to take responsibility for your own learning and watching as you develop independence while still in high school and part of it is that your parents are busy and infinite campus can be “out of sight, out of mind”. 

Parents, with the first semester now over, I strongly encourage you to log in to Infinite Campus and see your son or daughter’s first semester grades.  We do not mail report cards home, so this is the only way to be able to access the report cards.

If parents do not know their username and password, please go to www.worthington.k12.oh.us and click on the "Portal Login" buttin in the "Find it Fast" area.  You will then see a "Parent Account Recovery" option just below the login button.  The next screen will ask for the login information and it provides an option to enter your e-mail address if you do not know your username and password.  Please note that your email address must match the one the district has in your student’s profile.  Once you submit your e-mail address, computer services will soon e-mail you with your username and password.

The online report-cards allow parents and students to assess the student's progress on an ongoing basis.  As we begin the second semester this is a great opportunity for parents to ask themselves questions related to your kids grades.  Are your son/ daughter's grades what you had expected?  Are you pleased?  Does your son or daughter need more structure or support to help them develop new skills for studying or preparing for classes? If your student is struggling to be successful one of my top suggestions is to talk to your student and to the teachers!  Teachers have a good perspective on where kids stand in their class.  They can help clarify on concepts that students are missing, areas for improvement, and they can provide concrete suggestions for how your son/ daughter can make changes to find success in their classes.

I will be reviewing all of your grades for the semester and completing credit checks for all of my students so that I can be sure you are staying on track.  It is still beneficial for you and your parents to keep track of your progress as well.

Additionally, for current seniors, now that you are half way through the year, many colleges will want to get mid-year reports of your transcript.  For all of the colleges on Common App, I will upload your updated transcript automatically this week.  If you applied through a different means other than the Common App website and your colleges want mid-year reports then you will need to request for your updated transcript being sent to the specific colleges using the online transcript request form on the Counselor Website.

Unsettled

A week ago tonight Damar Hamlin, an NFL player for the Buffalo Bills, suffered a cardiac arrest during the Monday Night Football game against the Bengals.  Thankfully, he received exceptional care on the field and after and is doing amazingly well for how scary it all started a week ago.  His cardiac arrest and the response since then has stood out to me for many reasons.

I have had lots of conversations about what it felt like to sit and watch the dynamics playing out on television.  As his teammates stood as a protective guard around Damar and the medical personnel working desperately to save him, the heaviness and intensity of the emotions they were feeling were obvious.  As the night went on and the reporters, NFL commentators and sports analysts talked about what had unfolded, the emotions were always just below the surface.  There was fear.  There was uncertainty.  There was (guarded) hope.  There was a desire to know more.  And there was a deep desperation across the country to DO SOMETHING!

The situation with Damar Hamlin replicated on a large scale what takes place when something bad happens in the world around us.  We often feel helpless, but we want to help.  We want answers to try to understand something that doesn't make sense.  We are overwhelmed or scared or sad and we want to connect with others who are feeling that way too.  In short, we want to do something.  Something that can give us some sense of control to how unsettled we might feel.  Something to say that this matters.  Something to say we see the person or people hurting and to show that they are not alone.

This was evident over the past week in huge ways across the country and in the NFL.  Immediately after he collapsed on the field, people were constantly refreshing their news feeds looking for updates and praying for good news.  Millions of dollars were donated to the charitable foundation Damar Hamlin had established. NFL teams, players and fans changed their profile pictures to show support for Damar.  People posted messages, held candlelight vigils, and prayed outside the Cincinnati hospital where he was fighting for his life.  And during NFL games across the country today there were so many hats, shirts and signs celebrating Damar on every NFL field.  

Now that he is doing so well, I can say with relief that I love the sense of unity and love this tragic situation has sparked.  It was a refreshing coming together by so many people all supporting this athlete and his recovery.  Obviously, I wish he never had to face this situation, but it was powerful to witness the reactions that he sparked.

I know that a lot of you go through things that are major, life-altering situations in your own life.  And while it won't draw the attention of the whole country, I do hope you look around you and see that your friends, family, and community are around you with a desire to do something too.  Sometimes it can be hard to allow people to step in and help, but remember, it is important because you need it and they need to give it.  And if you see someone in your life struggling with something and you find that unsettled stirring where you just want to do something - keep showing up in whatever ways feel right for you because it does matter!

Parent Lunch & Learn

The WKHS Counselors will be hosting our next Lunch and Learn Series for parents this Friday, January 13th.  This session will provide information on Understanding the Graduation Requirements.

As a reminder, the lunch and learns are brief presentations on a particular topic over zoom during lunch time so that parents/ guardians can join and listen in from home or work while eating their lunch.  The goal is that the presentation will take about 15 minutes and then that will give about 15 minutes for any other questions that families might have that we could address as a whole group.  We are excited about this opportunity to leverage technology and to meet families where they are so that you can get the most up to date information that we can share with you.

The session will begin at noon on Friday, January 13th.  The zoom link will be emailed to all parents and we will also post it on the Counselor Website on Friday morning.

We know that the new graduation requirements are VERY confusing, so I hope you will make plans to join us online over zoom so we can help introduce you to the updated standares and help you learn about the educational requirements, competency requirements, and readiness requirements your son/ daughter must meet in order to graduate.

Tomorrow's Schedule

Did today feel tiring to you?  Perhaps it is just me being old, but wow, I am exhausted after our first day back.  I hope you had a good day though.

Tomorrow we are welcoming back a small group of alumni to share with students and so we will be on a different bell schedule.  The alumni presentation will take place in the auditorium during a 2A/ 2B schedule.  This schedule is below for your reference.

1st period: 8:40-9:20

2nd period and assembly: 9:25 - 10:50

3rd period: 10:55 - 11:35

4th period: 11:40 - 12:20

5th period: 12:25 - 1:05

6th period: 1:10 - 1:50

7th period: 1:55 - 2:35

8th period: 2:40 - 3:20

Are you ready?

Wow!  2 weeks... it flew by in a flash for me.  I hope you had a great and restful break.  Tomorrow morning we are back to school!  I hope you are ready.  (Let's be honest, I am not much for mornings so I hope I am ready too, but I can guarantee Lexi is definitely ready to be back with all of you again!)

A few reminders...

1. If you have semester long classes, your schedule may be different than it was 1st semester with a different lunch period and/ or a different prep period.  Be sure to double check your schedule on Infinite Campus so that you are heading to the right locations tomorrow.

2. If you are in a CSCC CC+ class, you do NOT have class tomorrow morning.  Your CC+ classes with CSCC will not being until January 17th.  (Also, for those of you who are enrolled in the CC+ Gov class, CSCC does have a professor so there are no concerns about that class format any longer.)

3.  Grades are officially due at noon on Friday so I will know after that where everyone ended in your classes for the semester, but if you know that you have failed a class after the first semester, let's meet and talk about it.  We need to figure out if you need a schedule change for this semester and what the plan will be to make up the credit if it is a required class.

I'm excited to see all of you and to hear about your breaks so don't hesitate to stop by and fill me in during your lunch or off periods.