Worthingway Weekly

Our overall focus as a school is Culture and Learning. Although they are intertwined, we believe you need to start with Culture first. We do this through intentional relationship building.

As we have shared in previous newsletters, during the first three days we introduced The Cardinal Way to our school community. We embed Be Kind, Work Hard, and Own It in all that we do throughout the year - both inside and outside the classrooms.

We hold high learning expectations for ourselves and all students. As a staff, we have a strong focus on the work in our Collaborative Teams. Teachers collaborate with their colleagues in the same content area and grade level while focusing on four main questions:

1. What do we want students to learn?

2. How will we know if they have learned it?

3. What will we do when they don't learn it?

4. What will we do when they do learn it?

These questions guide our Collaborative Teams in the work they do together to support all learners. It is truly a pleasure to watch our staff not just work hard, but work intentional and collaboratively.

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If you need to pick up early, we will have staff members at our front doors ready to help you.

Stay In The Game

• Hey families! We want you to know something—your student's attendance matters more than you think. When they show up every day, they are an attendance HERO! Here Everyday Ready On time! Middle school is a time where students discover who they are, what they like, and what they're good at. Every single day they show up, they’re learning new skills, building stronger friendships, and creating habits that will carry them into high school and beyond.

• When a student misses class, it’s easy to feel like they're falling behind or out of the loop. But when they’re here, they’re part of the energy, the teamwork, the fun. Whether it’s in the classroom, on the stage, or on the court, their presence makes a difference—for the student and for everyone around them. Help your student be an Attendance HERO!
  

• Ms. Taylor Smith, the bus driver on September 10th for girls volleyball, was upbeat, joyful, kind, and celebrated with the team to and from the game.
• Ms. Cready is an amazing educator who consistently goes above and beyond for Worthingway students! We are so appreciative of her knowledge and expertise.
• Mrs. Bateman leaves positive and impactful impression in teaching safety and responsibility. She connects with the kids in her classroom and puts them at ease. My son comes home everyday with an story of adventure or excitement in Mrs. Batemans class. Thank you for helping the 6th graders feel comfortable and engaged in school!

Recognize a Staff Member with a Cardinal Compliment

• Has a teacher, counselor, or staff member made a positive impact on your child? We want to hear about it! Take a moment to fill out our form to recognize a Worthingway staff member who has gone above and beyond. Your kind words mean a lot and help us celebrate the amazing work happening every day in our school community.

Dear Parent/Guardian of 7th Grade Child:

The adolescent years are marked by a roller-coaster of emotions - difficult for students, their parents, and educators. It is easy to misread depression as normal adolescent turmoil; however, depression (among the most common of mental illnesses) appears to be occurring at a much earlier age. Depression - which is treatable - is a leading risk factor for suicide. In addition, self-injury has become a growing problem among youth.

To proactively address these issues, Worthington School District is offering depression awareness and suicide prevention training as part of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Signs of Suicide (SOS) Prevention Program to all of our 7th grade students. The program aims to increase help to students seeking support for themselves or a friend. SOS is listed on Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices. In a randomized control study, the SOS High School Program showed a reduction in self-reported suicide attempts by 40% (BMC Public Health, July 2007). You can learn more about Worthington’s SOS program here: Worthington SOS Program Overview.

Our goals in participating in this program are:

● To help our students understand that depression is a treatable illness;

● To explain that suicide is a preventable tragedy that often occurs as a result of untreated depression;

● To provide students with education about how they might be able to identify serious depression and potential suicidality in themselves or a friend;

● To impress upon youth that they can help themselves or a friend by taking the simple step of talking to a responsible adult about their concerns; and,

● To help students know whom in the school they can turn to for help, if they need it.

Worthingway Middle School will be providing the SOS training to all 7th grade students on October 7th and 8th.

If you do NOT wish for your child to participate in the SOS Program, please complete this opt-out form and submit it to the school counselor by Wednesday, September 30th.

Cerita Todd

Worthingway Middle School Counselor

Email: ctodd@wscloud.org

Phone number: (614) 450-4308

Fax number: (614) 785-0474

Sixth Grade Camp Information

• If you missed our Camp Information Meeting on Monday evening, you can access the slideshow by clicking here.

• 6th Grade Camp is about a month away! We hope your child joins us for this experience to build community with their peers, gain independence, and experience the great outdoors.

  Important things to note:

  1) In order to go, all students must have an up to date Infinite Campus Data Review submitted.

  2) Camp Forms are due 9/4/26. Here is the link to fill them out online: https://admin.gazeboevents.com/forms/FC31E966-AEF8-4D80-B946-EBBEC0A0E34C

  3) All information regarding camp can be found in this packet:

  4) Want to pack early? Here is the packing video

Parent Pick-Up

• For the safety of everyone, please follow these instructions if you use our car pick-up lane after school:
• Put your phone away and pay attention
• Pull all the way forward as far up as you can and as close to the curb as possible
• After picking up your students, carefully pull away while watching for other cars and students
• Additional information can be found in the Pick-Up/Drop Off section below.

Your Child’s Library Account

• Did you know families can access their child’s library account? You may view books currently checked out, see due dates, and keep track of your child’s reading materials—all in one place. Click HERE to learn more.

Title Information

• Title I, Part A (Title I) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESEA), provides financial assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards. Our school receives Title IA funding.
• Parents/families of students in our building have a right to know about teacher qualifications and state-mandated assessments. All teachers providing Title I interventions are properly licensed for their positions, and anyone can search licensure information on any educator at https://core.ode.state.oh.us/Core4/ODE.CORE.Lic.Profile.Public.UI/ . In addition to being linked here, these documents are available on the Title IA page of our school website.

Bell Schedule

• Click here for our bell schedules

Parent Resources

• Schoology:
• Schoology is our LMS (Learning Management System). Basically that means it is the "website" that our teachers use to house and communicate learning goals, assignments, and even some assessments.
• Parent Guide
• Infinite Campus:
• Infinite Campus is how you can access your students' grades, attendance, etc
• Parent Guide
• Securly Home: You can download the Securly app to keep your student safe while using their school issued chromebook at home. Click here to learn more.
• Click here for a comprehensive document that will help you with Schoology and Infinite Campus and Securly Home.

Infinite Campus Parent Portal

• If you have questions or are unable to complete the steps and need technical support, please complete this google form.

Dear Worthingway Families,

Happy Friday! We have a few exciting things to share with you this week so let's dive right in!

FALL CANTEEN TICKET SALES ARE LIVE!
Mark your calendars and grab your tickets - Fall Canteen is almost here!
Friday, September 18th ~ 4:00–6:00 PM ~ Worthingway Middle School

Get ready for one of Worthingway's most fun events of the year!

The Fall Canteen is an after-school celebration filled with music, games, and time for students to hang out with friends.

Here is what your student can look forward to:

Video game tournaments, Games and activities, Inflatables, Photo booths, Dodgeball tournament, And so much more!

Food Trucks
Food trucks will be on-site with a variety of items available for purchase. Students who would like to purchase food from the trucks should bring extra cash!

Concessions
Each ticket includes one $1 snack from the concession stand. Additional snacks will also be available for purchase including chips, candy, soda, Gatorade, and water. Prices range from $1–$3, so please send your student with a little cash if they'd like to grab extras! Small bills are SUPER helpful!

Tickets - $5 each
Tickets are virtual - no physical ticket will be issued. A few important things to know when purchasing:
• Please add each student to your cart individually so we can organize the attendee list by grade
• Teachers will receive a list of participating students, which allows students to stay after school for the event
• Students without a ticket must leave the building at 4:00 PM
• Online ticket sales close at 9:00 PM on Thursday, September 17th
• Same-day ticket sales must be approved by Mr. Keenan or Mrs. Novak

Grab your tickets here: https://worthingway.givebacks.com/shop/items/284029d3e06a2b

Pick-Up
Students must be picked up from Worthingway between 5:45–6:00 PM.

We cannot wait to celebrate with our Cardinals and make it an incredible afternoon!

See you there!

CANTEEN VOLUNTEERS - WE STILL NEED YOU!
We still have a few volunteer slots available for Fall Canteen and we would love your help!
Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084EAFAC2FA1FCC43-65722399-canteen#/

HAVE YOU RENEWED YOUR PTA MEMBERSHIP?
Quick reminder - PTA membership renews every year! If you were a member last year, thank you so much - but you will need to sign up again for the 2026–2027 school year to keep your membership active.
Not sure if it's worth it? Here is what PTA membership gets you:
A vote on how PTA funds are used - including our budget, events, and programs
A seat at the table at our monthly meetings where decisions are made
The ability to share your ideas and opinions on what happens at Worthingway
The knowledge that your $7.00 goes directly toward supporting our students and teachers

Membership is just $7.00 for the entire school year and it makes a real difference. Every member counts - and every voice matters!
Join or renew HERE!

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM!
We have a brand new Instagram page and we would love for you to follow along! Click HERE to find us and stay connected to everything the PTA has in store this year!
And don't forget - you can also join our Facebook group by searching "Worthingway PTA" and clicking join!

LOOKING FOR MORE WAYS TO SUPPORT OUR WORTHINGWAY TEAM?

Enroll in Kroger Community Rewards - costs you nothing! Enter name (Worthingway Middle School PTA) or NPO number (RF924) under Community Rewards in your Kroger account.

MAke a donation to the PTA - Make a Donation HERE

Your donation directly funds the programs, events, and initiatives that make Worthingway such a special place to learn and grow. From student recognition to teacher appreciation to community events - it all happens because of YOU!

Sign Up as a Cards Helper - no obligation, just sign up and we'll reach out when opportunities arise! Sign up HERE

Shop Spirit Wear - 10% of sales come back to us! Shop HERE

Volunteer at the Concession Stand - easy, fun, and a great experience for you and your student! Sign up HERE

As always, thank you for being part of the most wonderful school community. We could not do any of this without your support, your energy, and your willingness to show up for Worthingway!

Warmly,
Jennifer Johnson
Worthingway PTA President
worthingwaypta@gmail.com

• 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

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 9:03. 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.
• No cars should be in our bus loop before or after school. Thank you

District Calendar for 2026-27

Friday, September 18

• Fall Canteen (4-6pm)

October 7-9

• 6th grade camp

October 12

• Family Conferences

October 14

• Family Conferences

October 15

• Last Day of Quarter 1

October 16

• No School

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

Mrs. Kami Novak, assistant principal (knovak@wscloud.org)

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

Ms. Lara Ruffing, mental health specialist (lruffing@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. Shawna Barrett, 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

Dear families,

We’re thrilled to announce our upcoming trip to Italy & Greece in Summer 2027, and your student is invited! This life-changing experience will help students build confidence, independence, and global perspective.

We’re holding a one-time informational meeting to share everything you need to know—and spots on this trip are limited:

Find meeting info and RSVP here: https://rsvp.eftours.com/4beu4nj

Why attend?
- Learn how to save $150 with early enrollment.
- Get first access to limited spots.
- Learn about what we’ll see and do, academic opportunities, trip cost, and more.

In the meantime, please visit EF’s website to get answers to common parent questions. EF Tours is our trusted travel partner, and they have 60 years of experience helping students explore the world safely and affordably.

I hope to see you there and look forward to sharing how this trip can be a powerful and unforgettable chapter in your child’s life!

Looking forward to traveling with your child,

Jenny Adesso

Math Teacher

Worthingway Middle School

St. Vincent de Paul offers a free clothing room at St. Michael Church, 5750 North High Street, Worthington, 43085. As shoppers enter the church driveway it is on the right-hand side prior to the parking lot. Shoppers will need to go down the outside stairs to gain entrance to the room. There will be a sign out on days the room is open. The room is stocked with gently used seasonal clothing for all ages. In addition, we provide a new set of underwear and socks for each family member. All we need would be identification for each family member that is being shopped for and which school is referring them. The Clothing room is open the first and third Wednesdays of each month from 9:00 – 10:00 (last shopper signed in). And again, on the first and third Saturday of each month from 10:00 – 11:00 (last shopper signed in). Families may visit the clothing room every three months.