End of 3rd Quarter

Tomorrow is the end of the 3rd quarter.  As we head into the 4th quarter, some students inevitably find it hard to focus on school when they simply want to go outside and enjoy the sunshine. I understand that and I want you to enjoy each day, but I do hope that you are keeping in mind how your actions today will influence you tomorrow and in the future.  Take some time now to reflect personally and academically on where you are, where you want to be and what you need to do to achieve your goals.

There is no secret to success!  It is hard work, doing what you need to do to push yourself to improve and always giving your personal best even when you don't feel like it. For many of you this might mean that you need to take some time to get organized and prepare for the end of year push.  (HINT: if your bookbag looks like this you DEFINITELY need to work on a new organization strategy!)  For others it may mean that you need to challenge yourself to maintain your focus as distractions continue to come your way.  And yet others may need to find new study strategies that will help you to demonstrate your knowledge.  No matter what strategies you may need to focus on my biggest hope is that you will find a system that works and use it.  Looking at what you have been doing and being willing to try something different to result in a different outcome is the best initial step you can take.  As always, if you need help with getting organized, determining strategies to focus through distractions or for new study strategies, I hope you will come to see me!  

Enjoy your long weekend!

Common App Essays

The Common Application has announced that their essay question prompts for next year will remain the same.  In case you don't know, Common Application is an application website that many colleges use allowing students to fill out one application that can then be submitted to various colleges and is one of the primary methods that students will utilize when applying to college. 

Juniors, you can take a look at these prompts and start brainstorming what your answers might be for each question.  After you list your thoughts for each question, look at which response best allows you to tell the story of who you are and will be the best introduction of you to the admissions committee.  Then it is time to start drafting and editing and drafting some more.  :-)  

Students who utilize the common app will be asked to select and answer one question in 250-650 words.  (Please don't worry about word count on your first draft - it is always MUCH easier to cut words than it is to try to add more in later.)

Below are the common app essay questions to help you get started: 

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback or failure.  How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea.  What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that made you happy or thankful in a surprising way.  How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and new understanding of yourself or others.

6.  Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time.  Why does it captivate you?  What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7.  Share an essay on any topic of your choice.  It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Also, we have confirmed that on April 20th we will host an Essay Brainstorming Workshop to help you prepare for writing your essays.  More details about this will come closer to the event.

Academic Honors Ceremony

Tomorrow morning we will honor 339 students who are receiving recognition for Academic Honors.  As a component of the award ceremony, students will be presented with silver and bronze keys in recognition of their achievements in academic excellence.

Bronze keys are awarded to Sophomore students with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher at the end of 3 full semesters. 37 of "my" students are being presented with bronze keys.

Silver keys are awarded to Junior students with at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA at the end of 5 full semesters. 36 of "my" students will receive silver keys.

And then the Gold keys will be awarded at the Senior Recongition Ceremony in May to the Senior students who have earned a cumulative GPA of a 3.5 or higher at the end of 7 full semesters. 

Congratulations to each of you for your academic commitment and achievements!  I can't wait to see you and celebrate you tomorrow morning.

Academic Assistants

At WKHS we are incredibly fortunate to have 4 teachers in the core areas of English, Math, Science and Social Studies working in the Teaching & Learning Center (Room 209) to assist students.

Those of you who use this room reguarly may have already heard that Ms. Terpenning is no longer working as the Science Academic Assistant because she is doing her student teaching towards becoming a Special Education teacher.  The good news is that she is still at WKHS for her student teaching so we haven't lost her completely.  But, starting tomorrow there will be a new staff member joining as the Science Academic Assistant - Ms. Tompkins.  The next time you are in 209, please welcome her to Kilbourne!

And, I will also use this as my chance to remind you to take advantage of working with Ms. Elliott (English), Mrs. Haurani (Math), and Mr. Wood (Social Studies) because they can make a huge difference in your success as a student if you work with them to help you.

Remember, this is a more structured environment where you can find a quiet place to study and get your work done. Students can drop by before school, during lunch, prep or options to get extra help on assignments or for assistance in studying for upcoming tests.  If you just need the dedicated, quiet space to study without the distractions of phones or friends, you can just sit at any of the open tables.  If you need help in a particular subject, you can sit at the table with the Academic Assistant for that subject area.

And, as if this wasn't enough, the academic assistant's are also outstanding resources for helping students to get organized, to stay on top of assignments and to assist you in making plans for completing projects in a timely manner.  They are an unbelievable asset to the students at WKHS and you are missing out if you are not taking advantage of their free help!  I consistently see the significant difference in grades for those students who are working with teachers and academic assistants to get caught up vs those who try to manage it on their own.

Socratic Society

Yesterday morning, 28 Kilbourne students were inducted into the Socratic Society. Students are selected for the Socratic Society based upon their display of the Socratic Core Virtues - scholarship, lifelong learning, compassion, integrity, and personal effort. Students are only eligible to receive this award once throughout their entire high school career. 

10 of "my" students were among those honored. They are (alphabetically): Summer Abuzeide, Sabeen Ahmed, Labiba Alam, Gwendolyn Armstrong, Julie Barrie, Owen Cotterman, Natalie Cox, Grace Darner, Amaree Douglas, and Audrey Emami.  Congratulations to each of you! I am proud of you!

Anger

When people are feeling angry at school, it's not uncommon for them to work their way to the counseling center.  Sometimes they can tell me why they are feeling angry and sometimes they don't even have words for it.  The reality is, everyone has reason to be angry at times, but, especially for those who live in anger a lot, it is an emotion that isn't always comfortable to express.  I believe there are likely many factors that contribute to this.

All human beings get angry.  As Theodore Rubin said, "Feeling angry is a universal human phenomenon.  It is as basic as feeling hungry, lonely, loving or tired.  The capacity to feel angry and to respond in some way to that feeling is in us from birth."   Think about it, a newborn baby cries and screams and gets red with rage.  He does so usually in response to some increase in bodily tension of discomfort or frustration.  The baby expresses his/ her anger and hopefully the needs get met.

Some of us have learned that anger is an unattractive and unacceptable emotion; we are convinced that if we expressed it, people would punish us with disapproval.  We pay a big price on the days we repress our anger.  It builds up within us until we eventually release it - and often when that happens it isn't in productive or healthy ways.  We may lash out at people not even remotely involved.  Internalized anger can make us emotionally and physically ill - it can cause headaches, insomnia, and ulcers.  Repressed anger touches just about everything - our relationships, our performance, and our ability to enjoy and appreciate the good things in our lives.

Sometimes anger can overwhelm us.  Some of us roll up the windows and scream in our cars.  Some of us wait until no one is around and scream into our pillows.  Some of us just scream.  Most of us have thought we were crazy at those times.  We're not.  We are just alive and responding to the stress and anger that is present in our lives.  The reality is that anger is an emotion of power.  How we respond to and channel our anger can propel us forward or backward.  Anger will not just go away - it must be released.

"When you clench your first, no one can put anything in your hand, nor can your hand pick up anything." - Alex Haley

It is unlikely that our clenched fist will spontaneously relax and open.  We may first have to notice that it is clenced before we can gradually begin to loosen it.

What I think is most interesting about anger is that it is an emotion that if you carry it around over a long period of time, it doesn't allow you to fully live.  This is because anger is the emotion that we tend to show and let others see, while the feelings that are just below the surface that we are trying to hide from ourselves and others are often at the root of our anger.  There are many different feelings which this could include such as:

• Lonely
• Sad
• Vulnerable
• Overwhelmed
• Exhausted
• Stressed
• Hurt
• Attacked
• Disgusted
• Disrespected
• Scared
• Rejected
• Shocked
• Uncomfortable
• Unloved
• Worried
• Unsure
• Confused
• Disappointed
• Jealous
• Anxious
• Insecure
• Guilty
• Hurt
• Grieving
• Helpless
• Offended
• Regretful
• Shame
• Envious
• Pressure
• Tricked
• Annoyed
• Fearful
• Trapped
• Nervous
• Depressed
• Frustrated
• Embarrassed
• Tired
• Abandoned
• Inadequate
• Ignored
• Panic
• Unwanted
• Resentment

Look at that list - most of the feelings are hidden and show up as anger, but to get the anger to go away it is necessary to chip away at the emotions underneath that are supporting the anger.  Unfortunately, sometimes it feels easier to stay angry than it is to deal with the emotions that are underneath our anger. 

So how do we manage the feelings of anger when they are present?  We work to release the anger in safe and healthy ways.  Below are a few examples of strategies you can use to help release feelings of anger.

• Talk about it.  I hope you will feel safe and comfortable to come and talk to me about the times you are feeling angry - especially if you live your life always feeling angry.
• Identify the feelings beneath your anger and explore them
• Get the feelings out, but don't take it out on another person or yourself
• Breathe deeply, count to 10
• Artwork to express yourself
• Journal
• Be honest and open with yourself and trusted adults in your support system
• Channel it into a positive action to help others
• Know that it is ok to be angry as long as you are not hurting yourself or anyone else

The more you understand your anger the more you can make changes that allow for the release and healing.  Have the courage to explore your anger because the more you allow the feelings to surface the more of yourself you will find.

Senior Pictures

Senior photos are a vital part of the yearbook each year.  Many seniors will have professional pictures taken to help capture their personality or interests.  But perhaps your family hasn't done so or isn't able to arrange for senior pictures.  That is ok.  The Yearbook staff wants to be sure that all seniors have the opportunity to have a senior photo included in this year's yearbook.  The deadline for all senior photos to be submitted to Mr. Cecutti (tcecutti@wscloud.org) for the yearbook is March 31st.  That is a firm deadline so you only have this month to be sure that your picture is submitted to be included.  For those who might not have a picture to include, you can reach out to Mr. Cecutti to request for a photographer from the yearbook staff to take your picture on the grounds of Kilbourne so that you have a picture you are happy with to be included in the yearbook.  Again, time is of the essence, so if you need a picture, please reach out to Mr. Cecutti asap, and if you already have your picture, please be sure that it gets submitted in time to be included in this year's yearbook!