Worthingway Weekly

One of the things we coach our students on from day one is the e+R=o mindset. When I first heard about and learned this "formula" or "mindset" it really did have a powerful impact on how I approached and lived out my day.

This mindset was created by the late Tim Kight (Worthington graduate) and his son, Brian (who wrote the article I linked in).

The "e" stands for events. This is anything that ever happens to you. You don't control the "e" - they just happen to you. (But you can control the "e" for other people - but that explanation is for another post) The "o" stands for outcomes. You can't control outcomes but you can influence them. What you can control - what you always have 100% control over is your "R" (thus the upper case). Your "R" will greatly influence the outcome.

We saw a real life example of this recently. Michigan played Western Michigan (huge underdog) in a game this past weekend. Michigan had one last play and launched a Hail Mary pass which was not completed and no time was left on the clock. However, the referees called for one more second left - thus giving Michigan another play. This time, they completed the Hail Mary pass and won the game.

To me, the game is irrelevant. Who won and who loss is not the important part. It is HOW the Western Michigan Responded to the event that I love to focus on. I watched this clip live and was completely humbled and impressed with his response.

In middle school, your child will make a mistake. Guaranteed. In fact, they have probably made many mistakes already this school year. We want them to make mistakes (within reason, of course) during this formative time. And when that happens, our goal is to help coach them through and help them to be able to Respond better the next time. We value and appreciate your partnership when that happens.

September 11 and 17

• Our school recognized, memorialized, and honored Patriot Day, September 11th, in a variety of ways. Students in our Connected Community's classes learned about the fallen heroes through an article and discussion. Students in our Social Studies classes participated in a virtual tour of the memorials allowing them to explore and reflect on the historical significance of the events being commemorated.
• For Constitution Day on September 17, our students will examine the modern U.S. Constitution and explore its foundations in ancient Greece, particularly the development of democracy and the ideas that influenced later forms of goverment.

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.

Fall Canteen

• Our Fall Canteen will take place on Friday, September 18 from 4:00-6:00pm.
• This is an optional event for students but in order to attend, students must purchase a ticket before the date of the event.
• See the message in our PTA section below for more information, including a link to purchase a ticket.
• Our front office staff will not take cash, so your ticket must be purchased online prior to the event.

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.

Stay In The Game

• Awareness and commitment to improving attendance is important for all families.
• Absences can be sneaky and build up quietly. Missing even two days a month can put students significantly behind. Being on time for class, engaging the entire day and missing as few days as possible sets students up for success.

• Mrs. Irwin is very attentive to the students, especially my daughter. She has been very kind and takes the time to help her with anything.

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.

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

Harmful Language Lesson

• On September 9th and 16th, we will facilitate a special lesson with our 6th grade students in their Social Studies classes. Our goal is to focus on harmful language and the impact it can have on people. Even if done unintentionally, the harm can have far reaching effects. The purpose of this lesson is to help students understand the history and impact of slurs, how to respond in situations in which slurs are used, and to set clear expectations that harmful language is not acceptable in our building.
• Middle school is a formative time in the development of young adults. We want to partner with you to equip them with the knowledge and skills to make positive choices and properly navigate difficult situations with others. When we have these lessons in school, we will be providing supplemental materials ahead of time for you to process some of these concepts at home. We want to make sure we're all working together and transparently to make this school a safe and supportive space for all our students.

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.

As we begin the new school year, we will be implementing our Portrait of a Learner Survey September 7th - September 18th. This tool helps us understand and measure the durable skills our community values most, skills students carry with them throughout their time in Worthington and beyond.

Why the Portrait of a Learner Survey?

Designed in-house to directly serve our district's goals, this survey provides the flexibility, control, and alignment to support our students effectively. Specifically, the survey is designed to:

• Align Directly to the Portrait of a Learner: Highlighting the specific skills and mindsets our community wants students to develop.

• Support Executive Function Skills: Connecting directly to key habits like response inhibition, flexibility, task initiation, emotional control, sustained attention, and organization.

• Provide Actionable Insights: Giving teachers, principals, and staff real-time data to support students’ growth in these critical areas.

What We’re Doing:

The survey is age-appropriate, tiered by grade level, and preceded by a short preparatory lesson to help support students and is administered via Google Forms, with results connected to the district’s Monitoring Score system. Our goal is to use the Portrait of a Learner Survey to build a clear picture of student growth, and identify areas where additional support is needed.

If you have any questions or would like to opt your student out of this spring window, please email me at tkeenan@wscloud.org.

Thank you for your continued partnership in helping us grow alongside our students.

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

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