Scheduling "Fun"

On Friday the WKHS administration officially "locked" the master schedule into place and handed it over to the counselors. What this means is that they have determined what time of day and in which room each class will meet during the school day to try to fit the schedule with the most student requests possible. They ran all of your requests through the computer to obtain as high of a match rate as possible.

And now, the "fun" part starts. Unfortunately, everyone's schedule requests do not work exactly like we had hoped. As counselors we are now going through each schedule that didn't match by hand to try to figure out if there is a solution and what possible options we can use to make a schedule fit together. I spent a large part of the weekend pouring over schedules and still have a long ways to go. Needless to say I have a lot of work to do and will likely have to continue calling down some of you to talk about back up choices based upon the conflicts in your schedule. This is never easy and I know it is disappointing when you don't get all of the classes that you wanted, so I promise that I am doing the best I can to make everything work together.

There are many changes to the schedule and your course requests due to upcoming cuts. For example, all Family & Consumer Science (FCS) classes have been eliminated. This means that if you had requested Healthy Cuisines, it has been cut out of your course requests as it will not be offered next year at WKHS. There have also been cuts related to Art (all Craft courses have been eliminated) and French (French 4 and AP French will now only be offered at TWHS) and many other areas have decreased sections available for the classes which can increase the possibility that two classes will only be offered at the same time (for example, I know that this happened with Orchestra & AP Spanish). Clearly, this isn't easy and we are doing the best we can to adjust to the changes as they come our way.

In the past there was a general expectation that all students in grades 9, 10, and 11 would take at least 6 courses each semester and that seniors would maintain at least 5 classes each semester. There is no formal written policy which requires this, so all students are STRONGLY encouraged to take at least 5 classes each semester plus the 2 PE classes. This would mean that if a student took the minimum recommended courses that he/ she would graduate from high school with 20.5 credits. If you are considering a 4-year college, we STRONGLY encourage you to take MORE than the 5 course minimum. The goal of working with recommendations as opposed to requirements is that we do not want to force students into courses that he/she hates and would therefore perform poorly in because of this lack of interest. We would rather you utilize your extra time in meaningful ways such as community service, clubs or organizations of interest, athletics, or a part-time job - all of which will add meaning to your college application. Plus, students that are sitting in classes that they do not want to be taking are preventing other students from taking the same class that is of significant interest to them.

I also know that as I continue calling down students to talk about their conflicts everyone else wants to stop by and find out where their classes fall during the day and I am BEGGING you to wait until exam week before we start looking at your classes. And to answer some of the questions that I hear every year at this time, no, I am sorry you can not have a copy of your schedule and no, it is not set in stone, so even though it might look perfect to you now, I can't guarantee that it will be exactly the same next year when we start up again. Thanks for your patience!

Happy Memorial Day!

I love the quote that "America is only the land of the free because it is the home of the brave." I cannot imagine the courage and conviction it requires for men and women to make the decision to serve in our nation's military. I am incredibly grateful that there are people who are willing to dedicate their lives to protect our country. On Memorial Day, I hope you will join me in thinking not only of those who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and for the families they left behind, but also for all who have proudly served to make us the home of the brave. God Bless America and all who have made the choice to serve!

Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow for a 4-day week and the last week of regular classes!

Final Exams are Rapidly Approaching

This week (Wednesday and Thursday) the seniors will complete their final exams. Seniors will be on a regular bell schedule along with the rest of the school, so your teachers may be splitting lengthy exams over two days.

For underclassmen, you have just 4 days of class remaining before your final exams. As with semester exams, these exams will be done in blocks. The final exam schedule is below for your reference.

I know that the stress of having 20% of your grade in one test combined with the anticipation with finally being done with another school year can seem overwhelming. Remember, the time you spend studying now will determine how well you do on your exam, so please take the time to study!

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

Tuesday:
7:45 - 9:45 1st period exam
10:00 - 12:00 6th period exam
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch
1:05 - 3:05 7th period exam

Wednesday:
7:45 - 9:45 3rd period exam
10:00 - 12:00 4th period exam
12:00 - 1:00 NO Lunch Provided!
1:05 - 3:05 Exam Make Up Period

Senior Details

For seniors everything is winding down... well, actually, everything but graduation parties. :-) That circuit has definitely started in full swing this weekend.

At this point in time you are hopefully finishing up your school projects and are prepared for your final exams and any other remaining academic requirements since you only have 3 days left. I wanted to make sure that you had taken care of some of the other last minute details...

* Finish strong: If you are not doing well in your classes, please make sure you do everything that you need to do to pass your classes with the highest grades possible. Above all, please make sure that you pass all of your classes that are requirements for graduation!

* Final Transcript: When you graduate from WKHS and move on to college the college will want a copy of your final transcript showing your 2nd semester grades and the fact that you did graduate. As is always the case we cannot release your records without your express written permission. So, it is essential that you complete one of the yellow transcript release forms and turn it in with $2.00 to one of the secretaries in the counseling center so that we can mail your transcript to your college.

* Fees/ Fines: Some students still have outstanding fees and fines that you owe to the school. It may be a very small fee for an overdue library book or it could be a much larger fee for a lost textbook, but either way, please make sure that all of your debt is paid before this week so that you will be able to participate in the commencement ceremony.

* Textbook/ Library Book Returns: You will need to turn in all of your textbooks as well as any library books that you still have. The book room will be open for you to return your textbooks after you have finished with your exams and are done with your books.

* Scholarship Thank You's: If you received a scholarship, don't forget the importance of writing a thank you note to the individual, group or organization who is providing you with the scholarship. This article provides good information and suggestions as you write your scholarship thank you.

* Stop by and see me: Selfishly, I would like to also add this to your list as I would love to have a few more minutes with you while you are still in high school. And, for those of you who still haven't given me a senior picture, I will remind you again that I would love to have one! :-)

Enjoy the long weekend and try not to eat too much as you move from grad party to grad party. :-)

Finish Strong

I don't know about you, but it is still hard for me to believe that this school year is nearly over. Time is running out and it is very important that you finish strong! In most classes your 3rd quarter grade counts for 40%, your 4th quarter grade counts for 40% and your final exam counts for 20%. Clearly your exams can make a huge difference in your final grade for a course. In addition to completing all of the work assigned for your classes in the school days remaining (4 for seniors and 8 for everyone else), it is also time to be studying for your exams.

For the seniors, a quick, but important reminder... you MUST pass your graduation requirements in order to graduate and to participate in the commencement ceremony! We counted today and there are 39 seniors that are currently failing Senior Comp or Advanced Comp! :-( This does not make me happy. (Fortunately the 39 kids are not all my students.) These senior English classes are just 2 of the many courses required for graduation so please, make sure you do not decide that you are done a week ahead of schedule when every point still matters.

Senior Recognition Night

Tonight was the Senior Recognition Night - a time when graduating seniors are honored for the contributions and awards received over the last four years of high school. A very impressive group of 206 students were honored tonight.
With 48 of "my" students being recognized tonight there was no way that I could try to get the entire group together for a picture, but I was able to grab this group of 9 students for a picture during the post-ceremony reception. (Left to Right) Back Row: Richie Cole, Chris Duann, and Ethan Dixius Middle Row: Wyatt Allread, Eric Barbe and George Domer Front Row: Heather Boortz, Carmen Casillas and Brian Aguirre

Congratulations to everyone honored tonight! I am proud of you and was grateful to be able to participate in your evening of well-deserved recognition!

Josh Buda

It is with such deep sadness that I share the news that Josh Buda died yesterday. Josh graduated from Worthington Kilbourne High School in the class of 2009. Josh’s death has left a hole in the hearts and lives of his family and friends. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone who is grieving for Josh.

Josh’s family will receive friends on Friday, May 27th from 12:00 until the mass of Christian burial at 2:00pm at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, 10700 Liberty Rd., Powell.

Here is a link to Josh’s complete obituary.

I would like to remind all of my students that you are important to me, that I care about you and want only the best for you. Remember that there are always people (like me) who are ready and willing to lend a hand so if you need someone to talk to, please know I'm here to listen.