Worthington Kilbourne Weekly News

Dear Kilbourne Family,

I was reflecting about the components that make a school great. I am certainly biased when it comes to WKHS, but when I apply the four things that stand out to me, we meet the mark in many ways. The students are exceptional in everything they do. From saying, "Hello" in the morning when walking to class to putting in the time and effort in their studies, our students are consistent, committed, and caring.

The four things I believe a school community needs to be highly successful are:

1. Top-notch classroom instruction from talented and reflective teachers
2. Excellent educational opportunities; things like 6th grade camp, summer art camp, Statehouse field trips, Delaware Area Career Center, etc.
3. Superior involvement in co-curricular and extracurricular activities
4. Trusting and caring relationships with families

When I think about our school community, I know these exist. Our teachers are committed to the purposeful and skilled delivery of content, we provide an array of opportunities in and outside of the classroom, we preach a commitment to get involved, and we have YOU and your family supporting our students, teachers, and school.

Thank you for choosing Worthington, we don't take it for granted.

Best,

Aric Thomas, Principal

athomas@wscloud.org / 614-450-6400 / X: @AricThomas1 / IG: @wkhswolves

Tuesday, April 22: Government Ohio State Test, students notified by email, regular bell schedule

Wednesday, April 23: PACK Period during 2nd, special bell schedule

Thursday, April 24: Mandatory graduation form and commencement guidelines via email

Wednesday, April 30: PACK Period during 2nd, special bell schedule

Saturday, May 3: Junior/Senior Prom at Kemba Live!, 8-11:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 3: After Prom at Bowlero (formerly Sawmill Lanes), 11:00 p.m.-1:30 a.m.

Thursday, May 8: Senior Recognition Night, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday/Wednesday, May 13 & 14: Senior Exams during regular classes

Friday, May 16: Graduation Rehearsal at WKHS, 12:30-3:00 p.m.

Friday, May 16: Baccalaureate, Worthington Christian Church, 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, May 18: Commencement, Greater Columbus Convention Center, 4:00 p.m.

May 20-22: Final Exams (special schedule)

Come spend a night in the city of stars! This year’s prom will take place at Kemba Live! on Saturday, May 3rd from 8-11 p.m. (405 Neil Ave, Columbus, OH 43215).

Any student that arrives at the door after 9:30 p.m. will be denied entry into the dance. There is no re-entry once a student leaves.

PARKING INFORMATION: Please note that you will need to pay for parking downtown. Information about parking around Kemba can be found HERE. The Broadbelt Lot and the McConnell Garage are closest to the venue.

Dance tickets can be purchased HERE or you can purchase tickets with cash the night of the dance. Early Bird Tickets are on sale now for $37. Starting on April 27 up through the night of the dance, tickets will be $40. Students may also purchase tickets at the door using cash for $40. You may also use the QR code included in this piece.

WKHS students are permitted to bring ONE guest who does not attend WKHS. If you wish to bring a guest, you MUST complete this GUEST DANCE FORM and return it to the WKHS Administrative office by Thursday, May 1 at 3:30 p.m. Copies of this form can also be found in the Student Services and Athletics offices.

After Prom will be held at Bowlero Columbus, 4825 Sawmill Road, Columbus 43235 from 11:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. All juniors and seniors are welcome to this free event -- you don't have to attend prom to come. Each WKHS junior and senior must register individually for the event. Please register a guest ONLY if they do NOT attend WKHS, or if they are not a junior or senior. Only 1 guest per student.

The deadline to register is Friday, May 2 at 5:00 p.m. Register for After Prom by clicking HERE.

If you are registered for Prom After Hours, please plan to stay for the event. If you leave, you will not be allowed back in.

After Prom is sponsored by the WKHS Activity Club.

You don't have to be 18 yet to register to vote! Go here to register now. As long as you will be 18 years old by election day and a U.S. Citizen, you'll be able to vote, but only if you are registered first. So take the initiative today and register!

For those of you going off to college in the fall, no worries! You can request an absentee ballot to mail in your vote for election day! Find more information here and during a presentation the week of April 21 during your English class. Any questions? Email students Will Mathews or Leah Gonzalez.

Congratulations to the Kilbourne In the Know team for a successful season. The team finished with a 7-3 record in the Northeast In-the-Know League and competed in several tournaments, qualifying for a state competition in Bellefontaine.

Will Alderman was in the top 20 scorers (of over 200) in the state tournament, and was selected as an "All Star" in the Northeast In-the-Know League.

The team wishes our senior team members Maybrie Domecq, Evie Exline, Callie Faler, and Danya Mansour all the best in their future endeavors.

Rounding out the team this year were Juniors Abby Day, Sinnai Scott, and Lassya Vaasal; Sophomores Spencer Forsee, and Ben Keyes; Freshmen Will Alderman, Russell Poling, Sammie Paben, and Micah Young.

Anyone interested in participating in In the Know next school year should reach out to Laura Haverkamp (WKHS Social Studies).

State Law requires school districts to deliver annual lessons for Ohio’s 6-12 students on Suicide Awareness and Prevention, Safety Training and Violence, and Social Inclusion. The law is referred to as the Safety and Violence Education Students Act or the SAVE Students Act.

In order to meet the requirements of the law, we will deliver three separate lessons during PACK periods in April (23rd & 30th). While the legislation requires Ohio schools to teach these topics, given the sensitive nature of the topic, families do have the right to opt their student out of receiving the instruction. Should you prefer your child to be excused, please contact your student’s school principal or counselor. Students not participating in the lesson will be provided an alternate location in the school for supervised school activities.

The SAVE Students Act requires schools to use state-approved curriculum. Worthington Schools will utilize materials from the Sandy Hook Promise Program which includes the Start With Hello and Say Something: Suicide Prevention Program. If you have additional questions regarding the requirements of the law or instructional materials, please contact Principal Aric Thomas at AThomas@wscloud.org.

At this time of year there is quite a collection of eyeglasses in Student Services! Stop by Ms. Power's desk to claim your glasses.

ATTENTION SENIORS - Need money for College or Trade school? If so, be sure to check out the $50,000-plus in scholarships available.

Simply visit the WKHS COUNSELORS WEBSITE and be sure to check it regularly, as additional scholarships are added daily.

Columbus Public Health is partnering with WKHS to hold a free vaccine clinic open to all students on Friday, April 25 from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Completed consent forms must be returned to the health office by April 8 for students to receive vaccines during school hours, or sign up with the QR code. Parents do not need to be present. Consent forms are available to be picked up in the WKHS Health Office and Student Services. Or utilize this link for E-Consent Form completion: Vaccine Clinic Registration

Attention JUNIORS and students age 16 and older - one dose of the Meningococcal (A,C,W,Y) given on or after age of 16 is required for school. Proof of vaccination is due prior to 12th grade by the State of Ohio. Please take advantage of this convenient, free vaccine clinic to get the vaccine required to meet the State of Ohio requirement.

Vaccines offered to all students include:

• Meningococcal
• Influenza
• Tdap
• HPV (human papillomavirus)

Please reach out to Nurse Julie if you have any questions. Email: jgarner@wscloud.org

For additional free clinic opportunities please visit: Columbus Public Health Immunization Clinic or call 614-645-8180

For step-by-step instructions on how parents can access Infinite Campus to check grades, attendance and behavior messages, please CLICK HERE.

BACCALAUREATE: Save the date! Friday, May 16 at 7:00 p.m.

WKHS Baccalaureate 2025

Friday, May 16, 7:00 pm

Worthington Christian Church

8145 N. High Street, Columbus 43235

This optional inspirational evening, sponsored by the WKHS Activity Club, celebrates the senior class by featuring performances and artwork by the students along with a keynote speaker and chosen parent speaker. Guests will also enjoy a "Then and Now" slide show of baby pictures and current senior portraits. Will you be able to guess who is who?

While the event is scheduled in a church, it is a nondenominational evening for our seniors and their families. There will be a reception following the program. All family and friends are welcome.

The Senior Newsletter was sent out to all seniors and parents via email in March. It has been updated this week.

CLICK HERE to go straight to everything you'll want to know about Commencement and the days leading up to it.

The 2024-25 yearbook is on sale now! Buy now for $70 before the price increases! Use THIS LINK to make your purchase and have a keepsake for generations to come. Prices will increase throughout the school year.

If you have any questions about purchasing the WOLF BOOK, please feel free to reach out to our yearbook advisor, Mr. Balogh, bbalogh@wscloud.org.

Celebrate your 2025 graduate by ordering a graduation yard banner online. Orders will be available for pickup on Wednesday, May 7, at the rear loading dock of WKHS, between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Work permits are now conveniently processed at WKHS to make it easier for families to access and complete the necessary paperwork. Please see Ms. Power in Student Services to pick up a permit application and to submit your paperwork once it is filled out. The student must come in person with proof of age, in order to sign the final permit.

School pictures and pictures for student IDs were taken by HR Imaging during Schedule Pick-Up days, and on Makeup and Retake Days. If you did not have your picture taken by HR Imaging, stop by the Counseling Center and ask them to take your picture. IDs are used to check into the office when arriving after the school day begins. Student IDs also are required to enter all home athletic events for free.

We are now providing digital IDs for students! The image can be saved to a mobile device for use throughout the school year. Students should scan this QR code to retrieve their ID image. They will need to use their last name and their student ID number to access their Digital ID (your ID number is available through Infinite Campus.) Images can be sent via email or text.

These IDs are needed when students enter the building during the school day if they arrive after the start time (8:40 a.m.). A student uses their ID to check in at the attendance office. They also need their school ID to attend extracurricular activities such as school dances and to enter any home athletic events.

The 2024-25 WKHS Student Code of Conduct and Co-Curricular Program handbook is available for viewing on our school website. Please CLICK HERE to access the comprehensive handbook that covers all Worthington City Schools high school programs, policies and guidelines for students and parents, updated for 2024-2025.

Ohio Law (ORC 3313.671) requires all 12th grade students receive two (2) doses of the Meningococcal vaccine. The second dose must be received after the student's 16th birthday. Please provide an updated immunization record showing that this state requirement has been met. See the following clinic information to receive a vaccine. Reach out to Nurse Julie if you have any questions. jgarner@wscloud.org

Columbus Public Health Immunization Clinic Information

Franklin County Public Health Immunization Clinic Information

Students may not order food from delivery services such as DoorDash. This is against District policy and expressly prohibited in the WKHS Student Handbook, on page 21. Please remind your student that they are not allowed to order food to be delivered to the school, and may not leave the building to meet delivery drivers outside. We appreciate your support of our security measures.

Fall Color Guard clinics start April 21-23 from 6-9:00 p.m., with auditions on April 24 from 6-9:00 p.m.

Questions can be addressed to wk.guard@gmail.com.

On Thursday, April 24th, the WKHS Men’s Volleyball Team is hosting their second annual Spike Out Cancer event! Spike Out Cancer is a partnership with the American Cancer Society that encourages volleyball teams of all levels to join the fight against cancer. The funds raised through Spike Out Cancer will directly support the American Cancer Society’s life-saving mission. As a community, Worthington has been greatly affected by cancer, and it is time to take action and come together as a community to fight this disease. At their home game that night, the Men's Volleyball Team will be collecting donations, doing a 50/50 raffle, raffling off a Spikeball game and hosting a bake sale. Please save the date and join the effort to Spike Out Cancer!

The winter athletic season is over and we are proud to highlight our successful student-athletes. Be sure to check out all of our post-season award winners from the season: CLICK HERE.

Have a student athlete? Please read the athletic eligibility guidelines for BOTH OHSAA and Worthington Schools listed below. These apply for all Athletics and Marching Band along with the performance and competition activities noted on our list of Clubs and Activities.

Students must be working towards earning 2.5 credits in the preceding grading period in order to be eligible for participation.

• At the conclusion of the quarter and semester, students must be passing 2.5 credits with a 60% or higher.
• PE courses (Strength Training, Yoga, Wellness for Life, and Flex and Tone) do not count towards athletic eligibility.
• College Credit Plus, online courses, and DACC enrollment are all great opportunities but they come with responsibility. Make sure your student still meets the minimum credit requirement.
• If you are enrolled in an online Treca course, you must demonstrate that you are 50% completed with the course, and passing by the end of the 1st or 3rd quarters. You must then complete the course by the end of the 2nd and 4th quarters, which is the end of the fall and spring semester.

Please see your School Counselor, Principals, or Athletic Directors with questions.

Stadium seats with back support allow you to cheer on your favorite Worthington Kilbourne team and prevent backache and discomfort. Click here to view the flyer with ordering details. Contact Bob Janosy at bobjanosy@gmail.com to arrange for delivery.

Students in grades 6 through 12 will be admitted free to athletic events for the 2024-25 school year with a current student ID. Click here to read our ticket policies to attend athletic events this school year.

From Jeff Todd, Athletic Director:

Game Expectations for Worthington Kilbourne High School Events:

• Worthington Students in grades 6 - 12 will be admitted FREE to regular season events with a school ID (tip: take a picture of your ID with your phone so you always have it!)

• Footballs, soccer balls, etc. are not permitted to be brought into the game

• Students will be expected to sit in the stands during the game. No gathering in other areas of the stadium. Please sit in the student section

• No face paint or full face masks permitted to be worn

• No food or drink is permitted to be brought into the stadium

• Do not bring bags into the stadium of any type

• Re-entry is not permitted without purchasing ticket

• Cheer for our team. Cheers directed towards our opponent, their fans, officials, etc. are not acceptable

• Please clean up your area at the student tailgate. Nobody likes a mess or paint on their cars! Let an administrator know if you need more trash cans/bags

• A reminder that games are all ‘school events’ and all rules regarding appropriate behavior apply even though it is after school hours