Worthingway Weekly

Last Thursday and Friday, our Robotics Club traveled to Mansfield for the National Robotics Challenge!

Our Robotics Club is led by Mr. Matt Rings. The club has 25 members who met every Wednesday morning (8:15-9:00) from October through April. Students were put into groups of two or three and selected a challenge that they wanted to work on for the season. The different challenge options are: Robot Maze, Mini-Sumo, and Sumo.

Robot Maze: build and program your robot to solve a maze

Mini-Sumo: build a robot that weighs less than 1.5kg to push your opponent out of the ring

Sumo: build a robot that weighs less than 15lbs to push your opponent out of the ring

The teams learned a great deal over the course of the year and performed well. Our Sumo team finished second! Our Mini-Sumo team finished in the Top 8 (out of 26). Two of our Maze teams were in consideration for the Honda Innovation Award for improvements they made from their first attempt to last attempt.

Maze teams recognized for innovation: Henry Burgener/Mustafa Kabba & Suzy Wilson/Anya Tang

Mini-Sumo in Top 8: Oliver Blevins & Connor Hormann

Sumo 2nd Place: James Skilliter, Gabe Mowry, Sam Knight

Students who are interested in participating next year can stop by and talk with Mr. Rings and see some of the robots, or send me an email at mrings@wscloud.org. We will also hold an information session early next school year with more details.

This Week

• This week we saw...
• ..our students finished State Testing by completing Science OST/MAP on Tuesday
• ..our staff is working tremendously hard behind the scenes to finish the year strong by continuing to provide strong instruction as well as fun activities for the students
• ..our staff and students honored and celebrated our awesome Office Staff (Paula Lee, Amanda DeBernardi, and Jodi Hill) during Administrative Professionals Day!
• ..our staff and students hosted a 5th grade visit (Wilson Hill this week, Estates and Park next week)

8th Grade Activity Day

• We’re excited to share our plans for our upcoming 8th Grade Activity Day on May 1st! This will be a fun, engaging day for students to celebrate the end of the year together. Students will start their day in assist for attendance and instructions.
• Morning session: Carnival Way Day! Students will play Carnival style games to win raffle tickets to enter to win different prizes!
• Lunch: Chef Sam will be offering a chicken tender bar for any students wanting to purchase lunch that day. (return to assist following lunch)
• Afternoon Session: Students will walk with their assist over to Mirolo Park for outdoor activities in the afternoon. PTA will provide Dilly Bars. They will walk back and be dismissed from school at normal time.
• You should receive an email from your student's assist teacher between now and Tuesday with additional information!

Student Absence Reporting

• Infinite Campus Parent has a new feature! Now you can notify your child’s school of a student absence or appointment right through the Infinite Campus Parent app - it’s quick, secure, and available 24/7.
• Instructions for accessing your Infinite Campus Parent account can be found at our Family FAQ page.

• To Emily Schlaegel: Mrs. Schlaegel's level of responsibility put on the students for assignments and the level of organization achieved in the classroom is appreciated.

If you would like to recognize a staff member, please use this link.

Dr. Bowers Blog Post

• We were featured a recent blog post by Dr. Bowers. If you missed it, check it out here.

Medications at School:

• Students in grade 6-12 are permitted to carry and self-administer over-the-counter medications at school, only if a form has been completed and signed by their parent/guardian, and has been turned in to our School Nurse, Joyce Casey. You may find this form here. Students are never permitted to share these medications with others at school. Parent/guardians are also able to elect for the over-the-counter medicine to remain in the health office, and dosages are administered and recorded by Mrs. Casey.
• Prescription medications (with the exception of epipens and albuterol inhalers) are not allowed to be carried by students, and must remain in the health office. All medications, prescription and over-the-counter, must come to our school buildings in their original containers so they can be properly identified.
• Please take extra care to make sure your student is only bringing medications to school that have appropriate forms filed with the health office. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Casey at 614-450-4300 or jcasey@wscloud.org.

Worthington Connects: 5K Fundraiser

• Worthington Connects is a local non-profit dedicated to creating meaningful connections one step at a time by supporting Worthington City Schools students and families year-round.
• The holiday season is our largest give back period. From essential household needs and grocery gift cards to full family gift sponsorships, we strive to ensure every neighbor can celebrate with joy. This year, thanks to your incredible generosity, we sponsored over 100 families!
• Come join us in our biggest fundraiser of the year, our 3rd Annual Christmas in July 5K! Register today!
• Worthington Connects Christmas in July 5K Registration

Teen Dating and Healthy Relationships

• Teen dating and healthy friendships are both topics that are important for many teenagers. Here 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. Please feel free to review them ahead of time if you wish. 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.
• WWAY Teen Dating & Healthy Relationships (8th grade)
• WWAY Teen Dating Hotline Scenarios (8th grade)
• WWAY Teen Dating & Healthy Relationships (7th grade)

DACC Summer Camp

• Attention families of rising 7th-9th graders! The Delaware Area Career Center is hosting its annual Summer Camp on June 2-4. DACC will offer nine camps this year, covering a wide variety of subjects and career fields. Each camp will be hands-on, engaging and fast-paced — allowing local middle school students to "try on a career" and learn new skills over a three-day span. They will get to learn from and alongside industry professionals and current DACC students, all while making new friends who have similar interests. It is a great way to kick off your summer and begin to experience the magic of career-technical education in your own community!
• Registration will open Wednesday, March 4th at 6 a.m. Visit DACC's website for more information on this year's camp offerings and DACC Summer Camp in general!

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.

Bell Schedule

• Click here for our bell schedule

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: Schoology
• What is Schoology?

Infinite Campus

• Infinite Campus is where you can access your students' grades, attendance, etc.
• Parent Guide: Infinite Campus

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.

Best Resource!!!

• Click here for a comprehensive document that will help you with Schoology and Infinite Campus and Securly Home.

Worthingway Middle School PTA to Host Healthy Minds Event for Families

Dear Worthingway Families,

Our kids are growing up in a world that asks a lot of them. And as parents, we don’t always get a roadmap for how to support their mental and emotional well-being. This night is designed to help change that.

We are so excited to invite you to a special evening focused on something that impacts every family - mental health and emotional well-being.

On Tuesday, April 28th, the Worthingway PTA will be hosting a Healthy Minds Family Night, designed to bring our community together for an open, supportive conversation around how we can better support our kids - and each other.

This won’t be a lecture or something you just sit through. It’s an interactive, welcoming space where parents and caregivers can learn, reflect, and walk away with practical tools you can actually use in everyday life.

We are especially excited to welcome Preston Moore, a passionate advocate for mental wellness who has spent over 20 years helping schools and organizations create healthier, more supportive environments. Preston’s work focuses on reducing stigma, strengthening relationships, and making conversations around mental health feel more normal and accessible for everyone. His approach is real, relatable, and impactful, and we’re so grateful to have him with us.

In addition, representatives from Worthingway Middle School will be there to support the conversation and help answer questions specific to our school community.

Every family who attends will receive a Healthy Minds toolkit, provided through the National PTA, filled with resources and ideas to help you support your child’s emotional well-being and navigate important conversations at home. To better serve our diverse community, resources will also be available in Spanish, Tagalog, Somali, and Mandarin.

To make the evening as easy as possible for families, dinner will be provided for free. We kindly ask that all attendees register in advance so we can plan accordingly and accommodate any dietary needs or preferences.

Please register here: https://forms.gle/2kJdcYTQYRcd5kNm6

Event Details

Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2026

Time: 6:00–8:30 PM

Location: Worthingway Middle School Library

Who: Parents, caregivers, students, and school community members

This is such a meaningful opportunity for us to come together as a community, learn from one another, and continue building a supportive environment for our kids.

We truly hope you’ll join us.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Warmly,

Jenn Johnson

PTA President, Worthingway Middle School

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
• WORTHINGWAY SPRING SPORTS SCHEDULES

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.
• You may notice one or two cars in the bus loop at the beginning and end of the day. These vehicles have special permission to be here for their students' transportation needs.

• District Calendar for 2025-26

Tuesday, April 28

• PTA Event

Friday, May 1

• Field Trips

Thursday, May 21

• Last Day of School
• Clap Out for 8th Grade

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

Mrs. Abby Jinks, assistant principal (ajinks@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. 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

Intro to Field Hockey Clinic – Help Us Grow the Game! Now is the time to invite friends, neighbors, and classmates!

Sunday, May 3 6:15–7:15 PM Thomas Worthington HS Practice Turf

This clinic is perfect for beginners — no experience or equipment needed, just come and have fun! Bring a friend and help us continue to grow the program. Register Here

FREE Coach & Parent Education Opportunity We are excited to offer a FREE Field Hockey Education Session — a great opportunity to learn the game and build confidence if you’ve ever thought about helping out.

Saturday, May 9 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Worthington Education Center

There is no obligation to volunteer, but we would love to grow our support system this season. Even a small amount of help makes a big difference! Please RSVP - Education if you’re interested