Worthingway Weekly

This is the time of the year when we start hearing some feedback about homework. Although it varies from teacher to teacher, grade level to grade level, and week to week, it is likely that your student will be assigned homework at some point. One of the more common questions that a parent of a first-time middle school student may ask is "how much time should my child be spending on homework each night?"

It is a good question but does not come with a clear cut answer because every student is different and the homework assignments vary from day to day. Our strongest recommendation is that you work with your child to establish a time limit for each assignment and/or total time limit per day. Once that time is up, the student stops working. If the student does not get the homework completed in the agreed amount of time, the student should email the teacher (or communicate in class the next day) how long the student spent on the assignment. This alone will meet one of the purposes of the homework - to provide valuable feedback to the teacher. And we do not want there to be emotional homework battles between parents and students at home.

Ultimately, we want our students to practice and grow in time management skills, organizational skills, advocacy, priority and planning. This provides the opportunities for them to be able to engage and practice these important life skills.

Additionally, we want open communication lines with our teachers and families. We want to work together with you to find the best fit for your child.

Although this resource is a bit dated, it still contains some pretty helpful guidance and ideas on how to support your child.

As always, thank you for your partnership.

Family Conferences

• We have our Family Conferences scheduled for Monday, October 12 and Wednesday, October 14.
• We use an online program for parent-teacher conference sign-ups. You may choose between the two dates. Conferences are set up to meet with your student's teachers if you have questions, or concerns. Times are limited to 10 minutes, between the hours of 4:45 and 7:45. Please come prepared with specific questions and concerns, as we make every effort to stay on schedule.

• We hope to see you at Conferences. To sign up for a conference, please click here.

THANK YOU

• to our awesome PTA for organizing and facilitating the Fall Canteen
• to our families for picking up your students on time!

Student Photos

• School photos are in and will be distributed to students in Assist class on September 25 or 28.

Free & Reduced School Meals for Students

• Worthington Schools offers Free & Reduced-Price Meals for students who qualify. A new application must be submitted each school year—eligibility does not carry over from the previous year. If you haven’t yet applied for the 2026–2027 school year, we encourage you to do so as soon as possible to avoid any interruption in benefits. For more information and to access the online application, click HERE. Paper applications are also available in the school office.

Student Lunch Accounts

• Families can add money to their student's lunch account through My Payments Plus by clicking HERE. You can also use MPP to track your student's account and see much money remains on it. My Payments Plus is also used to pay other fees, like high school parking permits and AP testing fees.

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.

Stay In The Game

• Shout out to all our amazing families for helping students be Here Every day Ready On time HEROs this past week! Let’s keep that streak going. Daily attendance in middle school keeps your student connected to their friends, on track with their classes, and building habits for the future. Every day counts, and we love seeing them here! Need support getting them to school? Reach out to us anytime!

What year did you start teaching?

• 2025

What university did you graduate from?

• THE Ohio State University

What other professional experiences have you had?

• I presented at SECO with Erica Hitzhusen!

What is your favorite part of Worthingway?

• The staff! No one cares for kids better than the staff at Worthingway

What is your favorite part about your job?

• Forming meaningful relationships with students and watching them grow

What are your hobbies?

• Making/drinking coffee, fishing, golfing, spending time with family

State law requires school districts to provide annual lessons for students in grades 6–12 on Suicide Awareness and Prevention, Safety Training and Violence, and Social Inclusion. This law is known as the Safety and Violence Education (SAVE) Students Act. To meet these requirements, schools must use a state-approved curriculum. Worthington Schools will utilize materials from the Sandy Hook Promise program. Below is Worthington School’s implementation dates:

• Suicide Prevention Week (10/5-10/9): Say Something: Prevent Suicide

• Start with Hello Week (10/12-10/15): Start with Hello

• National Anti-Bullying Week (11/16-11/20): Say Something

Although Ohio law requires these lessons, we recognize the sensitive nature of the topics. Families may choose to opt their student out of participation. If you prefer for your child not to receive this instruction, please contact your student’s principal or school counselor. Students who do not participate will be provided with an alternative activity.

If you have any questions about the SAVE Act requirements or the instructional materials, please contact Mr. Keenan at tkeenan@wscloud.org.

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.

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!

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 Worthingwa
• 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

October 7-9

• 6th grade camp

October 12

• Family Conferences (4:45-7:45)

October 14

• Family Conferences (4:45-7:45)

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

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.