TWHS Weekly News & Updates January 29, 2016

TWHS Website Thomas Worthington High School Home of the Cardinals 300 W. Dublin Granville Road Worthington, Ohio 43085 TWITTER: @TWHS_Cardinals Jim Gaskill, Principal Greg Garris, Assistant Principal Allie Seiling, Assistant Principal Gene Smith, Assistant Principal Scott Dorne, Athletic Director David Quart, School Counseling Chair Mary Mechenbier, Registrar ATTENDANCE OFFICE twhsattend@wscloud.org (614) 450-6291 TWHS Weekly News & Updates January 29, 2016 Monday, February 1 Tuesday, February 2 Wednesday, February 3 Thursday, February 4 Friday, February 5 Saturday, February 6 Weekly Calendar Regular Bell Schedule; Online scheduling begins for Parent/Teacher conferences 8:00 a.m.; Curriculum Night, Auditorium 6:00 p.m. 3A/3B Bell Schedule; ATOD Assembly - TWHS parents/guardians are invited to attend the 3A assembly at 9:14 a.m. or the 3B assembly at 9:58 a.m. Please sign in to receive a visitor badge at the main entrance (Door 1) or at the West office entrance that faces the football stadium; AMC 12 Math Contest, Math Wing 3:15 p.m.; STEM Academy Information Night, Library 6:00 p.m. 3A/3B Bell Schedule ; 2016-17 Course Registration Presentation to Grades 9 11, Auditorium; Senior Class Meeting, Main Gym 9:55 a.m.; Worthington Academy Open House 7:00 p.m. Regular Bell Schedule; Registration window opens at 8:00 a.m.; ATOD Presentation open to the Worthingon School Community, WKHS 7:00 p.m. Regular Bell Schedule ACT Test Day at TWHS for preregistered participants CURRICULUM NIGHT!!!! MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1 st @ 6:00 P.M. Just a reminder to all TWHS students and parents that our annual curriculum night is on Monday evening! More information is listed in the Academic Updates section. State of the Schools Scheduled for February 24 Superintendent Dr. Trent Bowers would like to invite you to the Worthington State of the Schools. Click on the icon to the left to view his invitation to this evening event scheduled for Wednesday, February 24 at WKHS at 7:00 p.m. Wake Up TW!!!!! Need some extra motivation to get up for school in the morning? Subscribe to our daily text messages using the link below. Each weekday morning you will receive a motivational quote to start your day. remind.com/join/wakeuptw

ACADEMIC UPDATES Parent/Teacher Conferences: February 8 & 10 4:30-8:10 p.m. Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held between the hours of 4:30 8:10 p.m. on Monday, February 8 and Wednesday, February 10, 2016. Online scheduling will be open on Monday, February 1 at 8:00 a.m. Please click here for more information about online scheduling of parent/teacher conferences with your student s teachers. Curriculum Night Scheduled for Monday, February 1 6:00 p.m. All students and parents/guardians are invited to attend our Curriculum Night on February 1, 2016 beginning at 6:00 p.m. We will begin with incoming freshmen in the auditorium. Afterwards we will provide opportunities for current students and parents/guardians to learn about our advanced curriculum. Staff members will be on hand to discuss course sequencing and options in our core academic and elective programs. In addition, representatives from our small learning communities like Project Lead the Way (PLTW), Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) or our Entrepreneurship Business Academy (EBA) will be making presentations about their programs and answering questions about curriculum and possible college credit that can be earned. STEM Academy Information Night Scheduled for Tuesday, February 2 at 6:00 p.m. The STEM Academy teachers will be hosting an additional information night on Tuesday, February 2 at 6:00 p.m. in the TWHS library. STEM Academy: Pathway to Engineering Industries Many companies throughout the United States are predicting future shortages of qualified applicants to fill thousands of jobs in technical fields. Among these companies are Worthington Industries and Honda Motor Company and to help deal with these shortages these industry giants have created programs that can put students on the fast track to rewarding and high paying careers with their companies. Students and parents/guardians interested in learning how these companies have partnered with Columbus State Community College and Miami University to get students started in one of these careers with minimal expense are encouraged to stop by for this informational session. Worthington Industries and Honda Motor Company will have representatives in the library to present their programs and answers any questions. Click here for additional information about the STEM Academy. Academic Options Night Set for February 8 at 7:00 p.m. All Thomas Worthington students and guardians are invited to attend a district Academic Options night on Monday, February 8th at 7:00 p.m., at Thomas Worthington High School, in the Auditorium. Working together, counselors from both high schools will share information on College Credit Plus (CC+) and Credit Flexibility. College Credit Plus allows students the chance to attend college classes while still in high school and earn both high school and college credit. As a component of the CC+ program, Worthington has partnered with Columbus State Community College to provide college courses to be taught in our high schools. Credit Flexibility allows students to explore areas of individual strengths and passions through the development of individual course plans. This presentation is intended for students in grades 9-11, but families and students at our middle schools are welcome to attend as well.

Invitation to the Worthington Academy Open Houses on February 3 & 18 The Worthington Academy, Worthington City Schools' 9-12 Blended Learning Academy, will be hosting open houses on Wednesday, February 3 and Thursday, February 18. Click here for the flier detailing the evenings. Please contact building principal Adham Schirg at aschirg@wscloud.org with any questions. Gifted Advocate Newsletter Click on the Gifted Advocate Newsletter to access the 2016 winter edition. The newsletter can also be found under Gifted Services on the district website by clicking the Academics tab. Topics in this edition of the newsletter include various summer programs, Invention Convention, Advanced Placement exam information, upcoming Parent Transition Nights dates and other resources for parents. District Assessment 2015-16 Newsletters and Calendars Available on Website The Academic Achievement department publishes a monthly parent assessment newsletter designed to help students and parents stay informed. Click on the December 2015 Newsletter to learn more about Overview of Ohio s CURRENT Graduation Requirements for current Grade 9 and Grade 10 Students. Please refer to the article on page 2 of the newsletter for important information about students retaking an Ohio End-Of-Course Test: Under current law all students are eligible to retake any Endof-Course State Test if they would like, or need, to earn more points. Students who earned a 1 or 2 on last year s test will be contacted by their school to schedule them for retesting. Students earning a 3 or 4 should contact their school counselor if they would like to retest during the Spring (April 11-May 6) window. Click here to access the district assessment calendar. Upcoming Math Competitions for February The American Mathematics Contest 12 (AMC 12) math competition will be given free of charge on Tuesday, February 2, from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. in the library. This is a national math contest that is given across the United States and the top scores from all competitors will qualify for the second round of play. If you child is interested in taking this contest then have them contact their math teacher. Sign-up sheets should be posted in the math classrooms. We have 60 slots available for this contest. The next Ohio Math League (OML #5) will be given free of charge on Tuesday, February 16 from 3:15-3:45 p.m. All students are welcome to compete free of charge. Materials needed include a graphing calculator and a pencil or pen. Questions may be directed to Mr. Dosky in Room 227.

This is a state wide event and there are a total of 6 competitions. Each high school competes and we take the top 5 scores to represent our team score. A perfect team score would be a 30 and a perfect individual score would be a 6. Last year, we finished tied for 8 th in the state and 3 rd in our district. Dublin Jerome finished first in our district and Sycamore finished first in the state. The Ohio Council of Teachers of Math (OCTM) math competition will be given free of charge on Saturday, February 27, at the OSU campus. This is a team competition against other local high schools. We will be taking a bus down and back from OSU. We will depart from TWHS around 7:30 a.m. and return around 10:30 a.m. If your child is interested then have them contact Mr. Dosky to get the release form and sign-up sheet. We have 25 slots available for this contest. Accommodations for AP Exams If you have a student that is on a 504 plan or an IEP and will need accommodations for the AP exams in May, the last day to apply for accommodations through CollegeBoard is February 19, 2016. This only applies if your student plans to take the AP exam(s) and will need accommodations. Please contact your student's School Counselor or Intervention Specialist on how to apply. Worthington Science Day Scheduled at TWHS on February 27 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Worthington Science Day will be held at TWHS on Saturday, February 27 from 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Click here for more information about the Worthington Science Day events. Click here to purchase Science Day Apparel from Blue Marlin; online store closes on February 9. Judges and volunteers may click here to register to participate in the Worthington Science Day events. system, www.mypaymentsplus.com. Please Check Your Student s Account Balance at MyPaymentsPlus.com Parents/guardians, please check your student s current balance for any outstanding fees for current year and/or prior years. All current fees and outstanding fines and/or fees are to be paid via the online payment For questions regarding an outstanding balance, please contact: Academic/Activity: Cathy Shaw, Finance Office, at cshaw@wscloud.org or call 450-6272 Textbooks: Kathie Volpe, Central Office, at kvolpe@wscloud.org or call 450-6261 Library books: Lori Poleway at LPoleway@wscloud.org or call 450-6278 Athletic fees/uniforms: Athletic Office -Susan Heberling at sheberling@wscloud.org or call 450-6288, or -Pat Stegman at pstegman@wscloud.org or call 450-6285 MyPlaymentsPlus is pleased to announce that we will be giving away an Intel Classmate PC Convertible to one lucky family, simply for using MyPaymentsPlus! The giveaway period will run through February 14; click here for more information.

FROM THE CLASSROOM Mrs. Hitzhusen's Honors Biology students presented their science projects and practiced being science fair judges during an in-class poster session. Many will present their projects at the Worthington Science Day on February 27th. Good luck to all participants! Mrs. Quart s STEM Biology students were assigned a DNA Microarray biotechnology lab. The students were adding simulated DNA from lung cancer cells and normal lung cancer cells to a GeneChip. The students then analyzed the color change to determine which genes were present in either of the two samples. Ms. York's ELA III class geared up for their exploration of the fireside romantic poets with some s'mores and a crackling fire. Sitting on blankets with phone technology tucked away, we transported ourselves back to the time of these poets so we could read and discuss their words in an atmosphere that would make them proud. We will continue to explore the romanticism ideas and then move to transcendentalism.

Students in Math 1 practice simplifying radicals with a scavenger hunt around the room. SENIOR ANNOUNCEMENTS Senior Photo Submission Deadline for Yearbook is January 31, 2016 Parents & Guardians of Senior Students: Only 55 out of 422 seniors have submitted a senior photo. While not a requirement, that s a small fraction of our typical submissions at this point in time. If your child would prefer to see their senior photo rather than the school-issued ID photo in the 2016 yearbook, please submit a high-resolution.jpg or.png format photo to voleary@wscloud.org by the Jan. 31, 2016 deadline!!! ~The Cardinal Staff Deadline to Order Cap, Gown and Tassel is February 15 Seniors! Don t forget that the February 15th deadline to order your Cap, Gown & Tassel is fast approaching. It s not too late to place your order using one of the following methods: Representatives will be in school on Thursday, February 4 during lunch to accept order forms. Order online at www.nrpgradohio.com Mail your order form to NRP Grad Ohio 54 Lighting Lane Kent, OH 44240 Please note that the Cap, Gown & Tassel price increases to $40 after February 15. Order now to save money and ensure that your student will have the correct size gown available when orders are delivered on April 13 & 14. If you have any questions, please contact NRP Grad Ohio at service@nrpgradohio.com or (330) 631-4741. Senior Members of National Honor Society Seniors interested in completing the NHS scholarship application: Go to https://aim.applyists.net/nhs, create an account using your email address and a password. If you are prompted for a Program Key, enter NHS. You can make changes to your application until February 16, 2016. The student portion of the form will be readonly after February 16.

Complete the student portion of the application. On the recommendations tab, enter the name and email address of your NHS adviser (or guidance counselor) for the corresponding verification, recommendation, and electronic signature request. ISTS will send an automated email to that individual with instructions and a code to complete the verification, recommendation, and electronic signature. Enter the name and email address of your principal in the corresponding recommendation and electronic signature request. ISTS will send an automated email to him or her with instructions and a code to complete the recommendation and electronic signature.* Prior to February 24 confirm that both your adviser and principal have completed their portions. You can log into your account at any time to check the status of your application. *Students may choose to print a hard copy of the recommendation request and distribute it to their adviser and principal. Please do not delay in verifying that your recommendations have been submitted. The adviser and principal portions must be done by February 24. For assistance: If you experience any problems with the online process, please refer to the FAQs section of your application, or contact ISTS at 855-670-4787 or ContactUs@applyISTS.com. ALL technical issues must be forwarded to ISTS. Attention Seniors: All Outstanding Fees and Fines Must Be Cleared ASAP All final student fees/fines must be cleared in order for a senior to receive a diploma at the Commencement Ceremony, receive a final grade card by mail, and for final transcript requests to be processed. All unpaid fees and fines (which include the $65 Instructional fee, $35 Senior fee, library books, textbooks, athletic and activity participation fees, missing athletic uniforms or gear) must be settled and paid in full as soon as possible. For questions regarding an outstanding balance, please contact: Academic/Activity: Cathy Shaw, Finance Office, at cshaw@wscloud.org or call 450-6272 Textbooks: Kathie Volpe, Central Office, at kvolpe@wscloud.org or call 450-6261 Library books: Lori Poleway at LPoleway@wscloud.org or call 450-6278 Athletic fees/uniforms: Athletic Office -Susan Heberling at sheberling@wscloud.org or call 450-6288, or -Pat Stegman at pstegman@wscloud.org or call 450-6285 MyPlaymentsPlus is pleased to announce that we will be giving away an Intel Classmate PC Convertible to one lucky family, simply for using MyPaymentsPlus! The giveaway period will run through February 14; click here for more information. PARENT TEACHER STUDENT ORGANIZATION (PTSO) PTSO Meeting Dates Set for 2015-16 Please Join Us! All PTSO meetings are on Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m. in the TWHS Principal's Conference Room (Room 127). Everyone is welcome - please join us! The 2015-16 meeting schedule for the school year is: September 8, October 13, November 10, December 8, January 12, February 9, March 8, April 12 and May 10. PTSO Memberships Available Our PTSO needs your support! Please consider joining our organization and help our parent volunteers with fun activities for students and staff, supplies for teachers and scholarships for seniors at the end of each year. Click on the following link to access the membership form: PTSO Membership Form.

Join TWHS Principal Jim Gaskill for 1st Principal on the Go on February 10 at Bruegger s Bagel Shop, 8:30 9:30 a.m. The Thomas Worthington Parent Teacher Student Organization (PTSO) is proud to sponsor Principal on the Go beginning in February! Join Principal Jim Gaskill at Bruegger's Bagel Shop (southeast corner of E. South and High Streets) on Wednesday morning, February 10, 2016 from 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. for complimentary coffee and bagels and an opportunity to talk about Thomas Worthington High School. This is the first stop of several this spring for Mr. Gaskill to gather feedback from parents/guardians and community members regarding curriculum and program offerings, operations, school and community connections, and more! Please stop in and join the conversation! Hope to see you at Bruegger s on February 10 th! Go Cards! Sign Up for Kroger Community Rewards and Help Support PTSO! Shop at your favorite Kroger store and support the TWHS PTSO at the same time! Click Sign In or Create an Account to Enroll. Once you have created your account, Go to Community Rewards. Click Enroll. In the box under Find your Organization, enter Thomas to locate and select the Thomas Worthington H.S. PTSO button. Click Enroll. Thank you for your support! SCHOOL COMMUNITY CONNECTION Support of Excellence to Benefit Worthington Education Foundation Take part in the Evening in Support of Excellence to Benefit Worthington Education Foundation on January 30, 2016 at Shops at Worthington Place from 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Click here to learn more about this event and for ticket information; or click here to purchase tickets. Tickets are $30 in advance and $40 at the door. ATOD Presentation to Worthington School Community at WKHS on February 4 7:00 p.m. On Thursday, February 4th and Wednesday, February 10th, WKHS will be hosting guest speaker Adam Helbling who will address the parents and student body about the negative effects of drug use and the struggles with mental illness. Click here for the link to his website to learn more about Adam and his struggles with drug use and addiction. In addition to presenting at WKHS, he will be presenting to the students at Thomas Worthington and Linworth on February 2nd. TWHS parents/guardians are invited to attend the February 2 nd 3A assembly at 9:14 a.m. or the 3B assembly at 9:58 a.m. Please sign in to receive a visitor badge at the main entrance (Door 1) or at the West office entrance that faces the football stadium. Parent Presentation Information Student Presentation Information

Civil Rights Leader to Speak as Part of Black History Month at WKHS on February 23 7:30 p.m. Worthington Kilbourne High School is hosting Mr. Charles McLaurin. Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King in 1961, he became a voter registration organizer in Mississippi. He will be sharing about his experiences in the Civil Rights Movement and reflecting on current issues. Mr. McLaurin will be speaking to the Worthington Community on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 from 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. in the WKHS Auditorium. This is a free event to the public. TWHS Musical, Pippin, Auditorium February 26, 27 8:00 p.m. Pippin Book by Roger O. Hirson Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz Heir to the Frankish throne, the young prince Pippin is in search of the secret to true happiness and fulfillment. He seeks it in the glories of the battlefield, the temptations of the flesh and the intrigues of political power; but in the end, though, Pippin finds that happiness lies not in extraordinary endeavors, but rather in the un-extraordinary moments that happen every day. Click here for the 2015-16 Thomas Worthington High School Theatre Repertory. Empty Bowl Soup Supper The students at Thomas Worthington High School (TWHS) would like you to participate in the Empty Bowl Project. This is a yearly fundraiser and all proceeds will go to the Worthington Food Pantry (WFP). The WFP organization works to help fight hunger problems in our community. The dinner will be held on February 26, 2016 at 6:00-7:30 p.m. in the TWHS cafeteria. The musical production of Pippin will be performed by the high school theater department at 8:00 p.m. in the TWHS auditorium. Patrons for the Empty Bowl event will get a hand-made bowl, and a simple soup supper for a $10 dollar donation to the Worthington Food Pantry. The delicious soup supper will be prepared by the Food and Fitness classes at TWHS. Those who want to enjoy the supper before the theater production without receiving a bowl may donate $5 to the Children s Hunger Alliance. If you would like to purchase a bowl but you cannot attend the soup supper event on February 26, please contact Mr. Spencer in the Art department (450-6233) at TWHS. Online Application Process Available for New Volunteers in Worthington School District The Worthington City Schools District now offers an online application process for parents/guardians and community members who would like to volunteer in the school building(s). To begin the application process, click on the School Volunteer Background Checks icon above, which is also located under Quick Links from either the district website or TWHS website. Once the background screening is complete, the volunteer will receive an email indicating they are approved and will be directed to come to the Worthington Education Center to have their photo taken. Existing approved volunteers are not required to complete this process until their ID Badge expires.

Upcoming Events Include: January 30: Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB test) for pre-registered students, Library 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. January 30: Evening in Support of Excellence to Benefit Worthington Education Foundation, Shops at Worthington Place 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. January 31: Deadline to submit senior photo for Yearbook February 1: Online scheduling begins for Parent/Teacher conferences 8:00 a.m. February 1: Curriculum Night, Auditorium 6:00 p.m. February 2: 3A/3B Bell Schedule; ATOD Assembly February 2: AMC 12 Math Contest, Math Wing 3:15 p.m. February 2: STEM Academy Information Night, Library 6:00 p.m. February 3: 3A/3B Bell Schedule; 2016-17 Course Registration Presentation to Grades 9 11; Senior Class Meeting Main Gym 9:55 a.m. February 3: Worthington Academy Open House 7:00 p.m. (informal presentation begins at 7:30 p.m.) February 4: Registration window opens 8:00 a.m. February 4: NRP representatives in TWHS Commons to accept cap, gown and tassel order forms during lunch periods February 4: ATOD Presentation open to the Worthingon School Community, WKHS 7:00 p.m. February 6: ACT Test Day at TWHS for preregistered participants February 8: Parent/Teacher Conferences, 4:30-8:10 p.m. February 8: Academic Options Night, Auditorium 7:00-9:00 p.m. February 9: PTSO Meeting, Conference Room 127 6:00 p.m. February 10: Extended 2 nd Period Bell Schedule February 10: Principal on the Go with TWHS Principal, Bruegger s Bagel Shop 8:30-9:30 a.m. February 10: Parent/Teacher Conferences, 4:30-8:10 p.m. February 12: No School Teacher Collaboration/Grading Day February 12: Registration cards due & registration window closed 3:00 p.m. February 15: No School President s Day February 15: Graduation Cap and Gown Orders Due 3:00 p.m. February 16: Ohio Math League Contest, Math Wing 3:15 p.m. February 17: Orchestra Pre-Contest Concert at WKHS, 7:30 p.m. February 18: Love Vocal Concert & Desserts, Commons 6:00 p.m. February 18: Worthington Academy Open House 7:00 p.m. (informal presentation begins at 7:30 p.m.) February 20: Winter Formal Dance, Aux Gym 8:30 11:00 p.m. February 23: Civil Rights Leader to speak as part of Black History Month at WKHS on February 23 7:30 p.m. February 24: Worthington City Schools, State of the Schools WKHS Auditorium - 7:00 p.m. February 26: Empty Bowl Fundraiser Dinner, Commons 6:00-7:30 p.m. February 26-27: TWHS Musical, Pippin, Auditorium 8:00 p.m. February 27: OCTM Math Competition for TWHS students, OSU Main Campus 8:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. February 27: Worthington Science Day, TWHS 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. May 29, 2016: Graduation Ceremony at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, Battelle Grand Hall 4:00 p.m.