Worthingway Weekly

It is an exciting but busy time of the school year. As you will see in this newsletter, our grade levels have planned field trips for the students in May. These are good opportunities for our staff and students to further develop positive relationships with each other and create lasting memories.

We are also excited about our upcoming Culture Day on May 2. Over the past several months, a group of our students and staff have been working tirelessly planning and preparing for this day. The goal is for our students to learn about and appreciate each others' culture and how it influences who they are and who they are becoming.

Spring sports are in full swing and the warmer weather will make it even more enjoyable to watch and support our student-athletes on the field, diamond, and track.

We have one more day of state testing (Science on April 22). Students have demonstrated focus and perseverance on our previous days of state testing.

Check out our new "Staff Spotlight" section of the newsletter below!

Finally, our staff is committed to designing instruction that will continue to grow and challenge our learners for the duration of the school year. Even with these exciting and valuable out of the classroom opportunities planned for our students, we will continue to get every ounce of learning in that we can before the summer break.

State Testing

• Tuesday, April 22 - Science (8th grade OST; 6th and 7th grade MAP)
• Students should come to school on time and with their chromebooks charged. We will start the day with the testing and have our academic classes after.
  

School Culture Day (from Mrs. Newcomb)

• Culture Day is two weeks away! We are still looking for a few parent volunteers to spend part of the day with us helping to serve free food samples to our students. Time slots are 10:15 to 11:35, 12:35-1:55, and 1:45 to 3:10. Email Ms. Newcomb at knewcomb@wscloud.org if you have questions or would like to volunteer and be part of what promises to be an amazing day.

8th Grade Meeting

• There will be a meeting with the high school Athletic Director at 1:50pm on May 13 in our gym for 8th grade students who plan on participating in a fall sport or competing in marching band at TWHS in the fall. Students should bring their school IDs to this meeting. There will be an announcement dismissing the students from class to attend this meeting. There will be a recording for students to watch if they are unable to attend on this date.
• After this meeting, the TWHS football coach will meet briefly with the student-athletes who plan on playing football next year.

Worthingway Cross Country Fundraiser

• We are looking for parents who can help staff the concession stand on Saturday, May 10th during the Worthington Invitational. This is Worthington's home Track Invitational that will take place at TWHS. 100% of the proceeds from the day will go towards benefitting our cross country program. Sign Up Here for a time slot or two if you are able (Student athletes may sign up to help as runners). If you are unable to dedicate your time, please consider donating items listed for our sale. All donations need to be turned into KMS by Thursday, May 8, 2025. Thank you for your support!

Healthy Relationships Lesson

• Teen dating and healthy friendships are both topics that are important for many teenagers. At Worthingway, we want to make sure that we are helping students make positive choices as they are navigating both of these types of relationships. Mrs. Todd, our school counselor, will be rolling out Teen Dating Violence and Healthy Friendships presentations later this month within our 7th and 8th grade social studies classes. Our goals are to help students identify positive characteristics of a romantic relationship and friendship as well as know what is unhealthy. We also want students to be able to pinpoint who is a trusted adult and how they can receive help if they are in a difficult situation. Please feel free to review the presentation materials ahead of time so that you may have an open conversation with your student at home. Materials are linked below. If you would like for your student to be opted out of this lesson, please email Mrs. Todd at ctodd@wscloud.org and she will find an alternate location for your student during their lesson day.
• 7th grade lesson
• 8th grade lesson
• 8th grade scenarios

LINWORTH EXPERIENTIAL

• Applications are due Friday, April 25.
• You can apply here.
• You can schedule a half-day visit to Linworth with Mrs. Todd in the office or here.

7th Grade Field Trip

• Our seventh grade students will be going to the Columbus Zoo on Tuesday, May 6. The cost is $6 and payment is due on April 25 via MyPayments Plus. Any questions can be directed to Dana Fellows at dfellows@wscloud.org
• If you are interested in chaperoning the trip, please complete this form.
• If you want a packed lunch from our Worthingway cafeteria, complete this form.

Mr. Kevin Swabb

What grade and subjects do you teach?

• 7th grade Science

When did you start teaching?

• 1988...ouch

What is your favorite part about Worthingway?

• I love the people. This includes both students and staff. Our people are amazing!

What is your favorite part about teaching?

• So many things! I love taking a topic and having total creative license to present it in my classroom in a way that will be effective for students. I love our staff. I love the consistency of the schedule. I love teaching science! I love seeing the growth of a middle school student from sixth grade to eighth grade.
  

What are your hobbies?

• I enjoy being active. Hiking, biking and kayaking are my main active sports. This year I started to lift weights and that has been interesting. Laura and I love to go camping and we often travel for extended periods of time in the summer. I enjoy reading and staying current in the news. I enjoy learning new things and fixing things that are broken. I love to take something that seems to be completely useless and make it useful again.
  

What are you most proud of?

• I am most proud of the relationship that I have with my wife.
  

What is the most adventurous thing you have ever done?

• This is a super difficult question. We end up making a lot of phone calls to our children that goes something like," if you don't hear back from us by 9 PM tonight, here is the emergency number to call." I'm hesitant to say what we've done, because I don't want to feel like bragging. We've climbed a lot of mountains, biked to the top of a lot of mountains and kayaking some very beautiful waters. So much of the time we feel like I can't believe we're doing this.
  

What type of music do you listen to?

• All types of music! Country, bluegrass, 80s rock, Folk… You name it will listen to it. Live music is the best! We make a point to go see a concert in every town that we visit.
  

What is your favorite corny joke?

• I don't have one joke in particular, but I love to laugh. The photograph below is from spring break in Arizona. We biked over a mountain pass to get to this restaurant. We were in Chiracahua National Monument and biked over to a town called Portal. Amazing food and amazing day.
  

State of the Schools!!

• Worthington is an awesome school district. This spring, our district released videos as a part of our (virtual) State of the Schools. These videos are great examples of the big things that are going on across our district every single day.
• Please take a moment to check out the different videos here. If you watch closely, you will see Worthingway represented a few times in the Student News Programs video.

The Monthly Chirp

• Please check out our school newspaper! It is completely written by students led by Mrs. Kelly Rowoldt.

Infinite Campus Portal Change

• Starting Jan 3, 2025, the old www.worthington-portal.org site will no longer be accessible. The vendor who owns and supports the system our portal site is built on is no longer supporting it.

• The items from the old portal are now available from your Infinite Campus portal in the “More” section in “Parent Access Links”. Here is a guide to help you navigate this change: Parent Access Link.

• We also recommend updating any browser bookmarks you may have.

Color Guard – Be a Part of Worthington School’s Largest Activity!

The color guard is a great way to meet new friends, travel, perform, and improve physical and mental well-being! Members perform with and are part of the Thomas Worthington Marching Band, one of the highest-acclaimed band programs in Ohio. Performers are visually expressive with dance and flags.

Clinics – Learn the basic skills and meet new friends!

April 24, 6:30-8pm – Worthingway Middle School Library

April 28, 6:30-8pm – Worthingway Middle School Library

May 1, 6:30-8pm – Worthingway Middle School Library

DACC Summer Camps

This year's DACC Summer Camp will run June 3-5 on our main campus, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day. It will be open to rising 7th-9th graders from the following districts: Big Walnut, Buckeye Valley, Delaware city, Olentangy, Worthington and Westerville. It will cost $40 per camper. We are excited to offer 11 camps this year, spanning all areas of our building. You can view our full list of camps here. We're excited about this list of camps because we believe it offers something for everyone — learners with all kinds of interests and passions!

These camps are fantastic opportunities for local middle school students to learn new skills, make new friends and begin to experience the magic of career-technical education in their own community. For many students, it is also an impactful week of early career exploration, as they will get to learn from and alongside industry professionals and current DACC students.

Registration for this year's Summer Camp will open Tuesday, March 4th, at 6 a.m. Each camp will have its own registration link, located next to the camp title found on this Summer Camp landing page. We will advise interested families to bookmark that link and mark that date and time on their calendar, as these camps have filled up quickly in years past.

Worthington Connects

Worthington Connects is a community-driven organization dedicated to supporting local families in need year-round. We partner closely with schools to identify families who could benefit from assistance and rely on generous donations from the community to make our efforts possible. Every contribution helps us provide meaningful support to those in need.

If you would like to donate or get involved, please visit https://www.worthingtonconnects.org Families seeking assistance are encouraged to reach out to their school counselors, who work with us to connect resources to those who need them most. Together, we can make a lasting impact in our Worthington community!

Direct donation: https://www.worthingtonconnects.org/giving-page-3

*Our next PTA meeting will take place on May 5, 2025 at 7 pm in the Worthingway library.

Spring Concessions Volunteer Sign-Up

• Please click here to sign up to help facilitate concessions!

SIGN UP for Multiple Ways to Volunteer for the PTA

• https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084EAFAC2FA1FCC43-54712135-ptavolunteer
  

Restaurant Fundraiser

• Our next restaurant fundraiser will be at Martiny's BBQ on May 3. More information coming soon!

2025-26 Worthingway PTA Board Nominees

• If you are a member of the Worthingway PTA, please join us on Monday, May 5 to vote for the new Worthingway PTA Board for the 2025-26 school year.
• Current nominees include:
• President - Jennifer Johnson
• Vice President - Amy Greene
• Treasurer - Chris Gast
• Secretary - Morgan Irick
• If you are interested in running for one of the above positions, nominees can be added from the floor at the election meeting.

Worthingway PTA Committees

• We are forming Concession Stand and Hospitality committees beginning next school year. Please provide your information using the link below if you are interested
• Worthingway PTA Volunteer Interest Sign Up
  

More ways to support the WWay PTA:

• Make a donation or become a PTA member

• https://worthingway.givebacks.com/store?limit=21&live=true

• Purchase Worthington Spirit Wear

• https://1stplacespiritwear.com/schools/OH/Worthington/Worthingway%20Middle%20School

• Sign up to volunteer when needed

• https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1THmJusxdLDYsb_ATq-cA2RRfz_u3YoNvN67oAigUfIM/edit?usp=sharing

• Support Restaurant Nights and our Annual Butter Braids Fundraising

• Designate your Kroger rewards

• Visit bit.ly/WwayKroger , log in to your Kroger account, and select the organization “RF924“ (which is Worthingway Middle School PTA)

Please look for more information at our website (https://worthingwaypta.my.canva.site/) or the "Worthingway PTA" Facebook page!

2024-2025 Worthingway PTA Meetings

• May 5 at 7 pm in the WWay library

• All student-athletes must be registered in Final Forms in order to receive athletic communications and participate in any athletic tryouts, open gyms/fields, and practices.
• Worthington students in grades 6-12 who provide their student ID will be admitted free into any home Worthington athletic contest.
• You may use this link to purchase tickets for athletic events through Hometown Ticketing.
• Check out our athletic website for more information
• Team schedules can be found here

Worthingway Cross Country Fundraiser

• We are looking for parents who can help staff the concession stand on Saturday, May 10th during the Worthington Invitational. This is Worthington's home Track Invitational that will take place at TWHS. 100% of the proceeds from the day will go towards benefitting our cross country program. Sign Up Here for a time slot or two if you are able (Student athletes may sign up to help as runners). If you are unable to dedicate your time, please consider donating items listed for our sale. All donations need to be turned into KMS by Thursday, May 8, 2025. Thank you for your support!
  

TWHS Girls Golf Summer Camp

• https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeuiqwp5PoOa2BN-BtLIUm218mrB7LjCeO_zKt2BORcxFMq7w/viewform

TWHS Marching Band Spring Training

• 6:15-8:15pm on April 14, 16, 21, 28, and 30 at TWHS Auxiliary Gym
• Meet new friends, learn the foundational marching technique, and get a sneak peek into what it's like to be a part of Worthington School's largest activity! Check out Spring Training!
• Meet at TWHS in the Aux Gym. Students should bring their instruments and a LARGE WATER BOTTLE.
• Students should wear:

• loose-fitting athletic clothing (shorts, t-shirt)
• athletic-styled shoes (running, cross-training)
• socks
• Please avoid:
• flip-flops, sandals, boots, heels, or bare feet

Students that are dropped off or picked up by car will enter via our main office entrance (Rieber Street). Buses will drop off and and pick up at our 6th grade entrance (Guyer Street side). Important notes:

• Student Safety is our top priority. Please be mindful of our walkers and bike riders (we have bike racks on our bus drop off side). If you exit on the Guyer Street side, please yield to crossing students AND incoming buses.
• Doors open at 8:50 for student drop off. Students will be instructed to remain in the cafeteria or gym until 9:02. Classes begin at 9:10 and end at 3:50.
• We ask families to pull all the way forward to the end of our main lot at pick up time. Cars that stop at the front doors can create backups that extend onto Rieber St.
• There should be no cars in the bus drop off lanes during both drop off and pick up.

District Calendar for the 2024-25 school year

April 16, 17

• Ohio State Testing: Math

April 18

• No School

April 22

• Ohio State Testing and MAP: Science

May 2

• Culture Day

Mr. Todd Keenan, principal (tkeenan@wscloud.org)

Mrs. Abby Jinks, assistant principal (ajinks@wscloud.org)

Mrs. Cerita Todd, counselor (ctodd@wscloud.org)

Mr. Nick Wiedenhoft, athletic director (nwiedenhoft@wscloud.org)

Mrs. Paula Lee, administrative assistant (plee@wscloud.org)

Ms. Amanda DeBernardi, administrative assistant (adebernardi@wscloud.org)

Mrs. Jodi Hill, attendance and testing (wayattend@wscloud.org or click here)

Mrs. Joyce Casey, school nurse (jcasey@wscloud.org)

Location: 6625 Guyer Street, Worthington, OH

Phone: 614-450-4300

School Website