Arts in Action

Last Friday afternoon I was able to enjoy an event that is unique to Worthington Kilbourne High School.  Where else in Central Ohio is a day devoted entirely to the arts, creativity, student expression, and FUN?

Arts in Action is an event that takes place every year in the late spring.   The 1150 students of Worthington Kilbourne are given a forum to display their works of art. This can take the shape of paintings, photography, sculptures, singing, and instrumental or vocal performance.

One of the main events of this day is the highly competitive “Throw Down”, where potters race to create a clay pot on potters’ wheels. Each match is a head to head match and the tournament is single elimination. Five points are awarded and the winner is the person who wins at least three points. One point is awarded for the first potter to center his clay. The other four points are awarded after the match is over, 10 minutes later. Another point is awarded for the tallest pot, and one point for the thinnest walls. If a potter has won these three points, it is known as a technical knockout and the other two points are not awarded (as there are only 2 points left, the other potter cannot win). If however a technical knockout does not happen, a panel of three judges (two students and a teacher or administrator chosen at the start of the 10 minute period) will vote on which pot they think is better based on artistic merits and creativity. The potter who gets at least two votes from the panel wins two points. Often, the final match is judged by three former champions (sometimes current students, sometimes alumni).  This year’s winner was Ajha Williams!  She was the number one seed in the tournament and from my untrained eye it looked like she dominated the event.

Throughout the day students interacted with one another, they created art with their principal, and they displayed their unique talents in sometimes unique ways.  I watched students freestyle rap in the gym and then watched Worthington Kilbourne Deans, Tom Souder and Adham Schirg, throw chocolate pie in each other’s face to raise money for charity.  I watched a few students ride a mechanical bull and a few others paint landscapes.  The day is truly eclectic.

We expect student achievement in Worthington.  We also expect to produce students who are creative, who collaborate with one another, and who can express themselves with positive communication.  Arts in Action helps students with these skills and it’s just  a whole lot of fun.  I appreciate that we have a staff at Worthington Kilbourne High School that is willing to go above and beyond, and to tolerate some controlled chaos, in order to create rich, unique, positive experiences for kids.

Leadership for a Lifetime

Each year Leadership Worthington recognizes leadership in the Worthington community through the organization’s Leadership for a Lifetime Awards Program. Because the quality of leadership makes a significant difference in every organization, Leadership Worthington feels it is important to recognize outstanding leadership and service in its community and to provide leadership role models for others.

This year one of the recipients of the Leadership for a Lifetime Award is our own  (Worthington Schools) Jennifer Wene.  In my current role I am blessed to have the opportunity to work closely with Jennifer.  She is a professional educator who is passionate about helping all students see success.  She has an incredibly high capacity for work, and for her entire career she has harnessed that capacity for work to help Worthington. 

Retired Worthington school counselor and community leader Kathy Moore explains Jennifer’s impact best:

“Jennifer Wene is the ultimate leader. Examples of her leadership expertise are almost too numerous to mention. She began to take on leadership responsibilities in the Worthington School District in the 1980’s when she was hired as the Director of Special Education. During her tenure as special ed director, she won the respect and admiration of her colleagues and her constituency. Jennifer, always one to begin with the end in mind, had a clear vision for the special education program in Worthington. Quite simply, she wanted to maximize the potential of Worthington’s special needs students. She hired and supported others who had the same vision, and the Worthington special education team became a force to be reckoned with, a group that was relentless in its quest to meet the special needs of these students. 

In the late 80”s, Jennifer became a member of the charter class of Leadership Worthington. Already a visionary leader, Jennifer’s skills were honed even further through the LW program.

Then during the 1990‐91 school year, Jennifer became the principal Slate Hill Elementary, a brand new school in the northeast quadrant of the district. The opening of Slate Hill was an incredible leadership challenge. There was no sense of community there. Some families were even angry that their children had to transfer to this new place. So Jennifer rolled up her sleeves, hired a staff that wanted to join hands with her to create a dream school, and the Slate Hill journey began. It became clear to educators that Jennifer’s expectations would be very high. If you did not want to work hard and work as a team player, then Slate Hill would not be for you. So a special staff came on board, teachers who trusted Jennifer to research best practices in education, teach them to us, and encourage and support us in our journey to create an amazing school. As a result, Slate Hill went from a school riddled with challenges in 1991 to a National Blue Ribbon School Award Winner in 1998. So much of this remarkable Slate Hill story is about Jennifer’s amazing leadership capabilities.

Then in 2003, the Worthington Schools Administrative Team, recognizing Jennifer’s exemplary leadership skills and educational expertise, invited her to join them as part of the Central Office Team. Leaving Slate Hill was one of her life’s great challenges, but she knew that the time had come to serve the district as a whole. After an emotional goodbye assembly, she left the Slate to become Director of Teaching and Learning for the Worthington Schools. Although her Slate Hill staff grieved over her loss for years, we knew that she was a gift to teachers in all buildings in this new position. So, slowly, we made peace with letting her go.

In this new position and others, she’s impacted countless lives through her visionary leadership, strong communication skills, tireless work ethic, educational expertise, and passion for the children and families of the Worthington Schools. She has helped so many discover their potential.”

Congratulations Jennifer!  Thanks for spending a career working tirelessly to help the kids of Worthington!

On Memorial Day you will see Jennifer and other Leadership of a Lifetime Award recipients in the annual Worthington Memorial Day parade.  Good seats will go fast.  I’ll be putting my chairs in front of Graeter’s.  Come join us to cheer Jennifer on!

Student Expectations

In their book “Leaving to Learn” Elliot Washor and Charles Mojkowski do an outstanding job of capturing what students would like from their schools, and what steps schools should take in 2013 to engage all students in learning. They state that, “We hear often of the “high expectations” schools must have of and for their students, yet we seldom hear of the expectations students have of their schools. Students’ expectations constitute the new “rules of engagement” in the relationship that young people want with their schools. Their expectations, framed as questions, are:

Relationships: Do my teachers and others who might serve as my teachers know about me and my interests and talents?

Relevance: Do I find what the school is teaching relevant to my interests?

Authenticity: Is the learning and work I do regarded as significant outside school by my communities of practice and by experts, family, and employers?

Application: Do I have opportunities to apply what I am learning in real world settings and contexts?

Choice: Do I have real choices about what, when, and how I will learn and demonstrate my competence?

Challenge: Do I feel appropriately challenged in my learning and work?

Play: Do I have opportunities to explore—and to make mistakes and learn from them—without being branded as a failure?

Practice: Do I have opportunities to engage in deep and sustained practice of those skills I need to learn?

Time: Do I have sufficient time to learn at my own pace?

Timing: Can I pursue my learning out of the standard sequence?

These are reasonable expectations, and they make clear that without meeting student expectations there can be extraordinarily high levels of student disengagement and that dropping out may be the ultimate consequence of that disengagement.”

In Worthington our goal is for these questions to be answered in positive ways for each and every student. Our teachers are working hard to build meaningful relationships with all students.  They are creating assignments that are relevent, challenging and incorporate authentic tasks.  In Worthington we still value fun and work to create co-curricular opportunities that students enjoy.

Student’s should have expectations for their schools and for their learning.  We’re working daily to change our practice to meet our students where they are.  We’re not there yet in every area, but we’re making progress.

We’ve Identified our SuperHuman!

We’ve Identified our SuperHuman!  On Monday May 6th the Worthington Board of Education voted to hire Mr. Matt Keller as the new principal at Wilson Hill Elementary.  Over the past few weeks I have written several posts about our search for a Wilson Hill Elementary Principal.  In “Looking for Superman or Wonder Woman” I outlined what the staff, parents and administration were looking for in a principal.  In “Listen to the Kids” I wrote about the student’s perspective.

At the end of a long process (25 candidates were interviewed face-to-face by either myself or our Human Resources Director, Randy Banks.  5 candidates were interviewed by a team of parents, teachers and administrators, and 2 candidates were interviewed by our Superintendent Dr. Thomas Tucker.) one candidate emerged as the person who we felt possessed the greatest ability to grow into all of the qualities that we desire.

Mr. Keller is currently the principal at Woodward Elementary School in Delaware, Ohio.  Previously Mr. Keller was an Assistant Principal at Willis Intermediate School in Delaware, and before that an Assistant Elementary Principal in St. Mary’s, Ohio.  Matt comes to Worthington with 8 years of school administration experience.

Over the course of multiple interviews with Worthington administrators and Wilson Hill parents and teachers, it became clear that Mr. Keller has a passion for helping all students learn and grow.  He is high energy, relationship driven, and focused on helping Wilson Hill create a positive, student friendly learning environment.  I’ve known Matt professionally for the past 12 years.  He is as genuine as they come, and he possesses a very high threshold for work.  He fits from a CORE values standpoint and will work hard to learn the rest.

But…contrary to what I might profess about someone we hire: Matt is human.  He will make mistakes.  He will not be able to do everything that everyone wants him to.  We (staff, students, parents and community members) will need to support him to help Wilson Hill succeed.  We have very high hopes for Matt, and we believe he’ll be great… but no one person can do all things.  It takes a team of committed individuals for real success to occur.  Wilson Hill has that team, and Matt should be able to add to the team.  But, he’s really not Superhuman.  He’s just a guy committed to doing the best job possible.  And, that’s all we ask.

Mr. Keller and his wife are the proud parents of two young children.  He will complete his contract with Delaware in June and begin his transition to Wilson Hill this summer.  We are excited to welcome Mr. Keller and his family to the Worthington team!

GussStrong

NBC4i.com recently ran this Story about Thomas Worthington High School Baseball and their coach Stephen Gussler.  The 2013 TWHS baseball team is one of the best teams in Division 1 baseball.  They returned 8 seniors from a very successful 2012 campaign and even after a recent slump the latest Columbus Dispatch poll has them ranked 11th in Division 1.  They have a real opportunity to make a run at a state title.

What makes this noteworthy is the person coaching the team.  Stephen Gussler has been the TWHS baseball coach for the last 16 years.  In his early 40′s he is battling cancer and 16 months ago he was given 9 to 12 months to live.  In an effort to support coach Gussler and his young family, staff, students and community members created GussStrong shirts, wristbands, etc.

Stephen is a true educator.  In the midst of Teacher Appreciation Week nationwide, Stephen exhibits everything that is good about education.  He is a relationship builder, focused on building great young men and women first, and on athletics second.  In the midst of battling for his life, he is focusing first on others.  His young family, his students at TWHS, and his players.  Listening to Stephen talk he often speaks about how grateful he is and about how making the most out of everyday is so important.  He refers to watching his own children grow up as his selfish desires.  He is a person who is selfless and puts others first.

Stephen’s actions encompasses true servant leadership.  The desire and ability to put others first and to help others achieve success.  Great teachers are servant leaders.  They work tirelessly, not for their own reward, but to help others achieve.  We have many, many of these teachers in Worthington.  I’m blessed that my own kids have teachers like this and I hope you feel likewise about those teaching your children.

Last week Coach Gussler didn’t get the news he was hoping to get after his scan. As a result, the TWHS staff is putting together another order of GussStrong T-shirts. The color has yet to be decided. If you are interested in ordering a shirt please contact SLuzader@worthington.k12.oh.us with quantity and sizes. Checks should be made payable to TWHS. The shirts cost $15.00 and proceeds will be donated to the Gussler Family Trust Fund.

The Cardinals are on the path towards a State Championship Run.  Worthington should show-up to support this endeavor and everyone should be wearing a GussStrong shirt.  Pass the word!

If you’d like to follow the Thomas Worthington Baseball Team this Facebook page is the best way to do it.

Safety and Security Committee Update

In the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy in Connecticut, Worthington Schools determined that a team was needed to assess Safety and Security in the district.  Over the past five months we have taken a deliberate approach in an effort to make the most appropriate changes to our school environment.

The members of the Safety and Security committee who have met regularly are: Dr. Thomas Tucker, Jeff McCuen, Julie Keegan, Angie Adrean, Bob Cunningham, Vicki Gnezda, Tim Gehring, Mark Hill, George Joseph, Dr. Tamu Lucero, Jeff Maddox, Dr. Jim McElligott, Pete Scully, Pam Sturiano, and myself.

The committee was brought together to discuss:

1. District and School Safety Plans
2. Student Mental Health
3. Safe and Secure facilities

Prior to the committees work, conversations with various stakeholders took place to gather insight, feelings, and concerns.  Dr. Tucker and Jeff Maddox met with a parent representative from each building to discuss what is in place from a building and district level and to hear from the parents what their concerns were in regards to safety and security.  Directors met with their principals to review the individual building Crisis Plans and to review facility concerns.  In addition, Dr. Tucker and Jeff Maddox made a presentation to the Worthington Rotary, to gather feedback from a community perspective.

Finally, an outside security company, Brawnstone Security, was brought in to review all 19 school buildings, the Transportation building, and the Worthington Education Center.  Over a two day period, representatives from Brawnstone Security met individually with each building principal, asked specific questions in regard to their facility, and walked each building taking notes and pictures.  The focus of the assessment was to review and make recommendations for the following areas:

1. Outside Perimeter
2. Inside of Facilities
3. Training of Staff

The Safety and Security committee reviewed the individual facility reports and discussed the feedback from the various stakeholders.  The Safety and Security committee agreed to a “Phase-in” approach, with Phase I being facility improvements for the upcoming 2013-2014 school and Phase II being improvements that were tabled for further discussion.

On Monday May 6, Tim Gehring, Director of Facility Management and Jeff Maddox, Director of Innovation and School Support updated the board of education on the work of the Safety and Security committee and the recommendations from the committee on facility improvements.

The following recommendations from the Safety and Security committee were based on discussions, presentations, feedback, independent evaluation and the desire to improve the security of our facilities:

Phase I  

• Elementary/Middle School – Security camera and buzzer system at the main entrance, main entrance glass windows and doors addressed with a protective film, 911 panic button in main office, digital walkie-talkies with a dedicated channel to the Worthington Police department, and training for the staff.
• High Schools – Due to the complexity of the high schools an architect will be commissioned to provide us 4-5 options to create a forced entry into an office, main entrance glass windows and doors addressed with a protective film, 911 panic button in main office, digital walkie-talkies with a dedicated channel to the Worthington Police department, and training for the staff.

Phase II

• Elementary/Middle School – Forced entries into the main office.
• High School – SROs and internal surveillance cameras.

The training of the staff will be critical to the success of the recommendations.  Tim Gehring and Jeff Maddox will meet with individual principals and secretaries to discuss the placement of the new equipment, protocol on how someone gets “buzzed” in, use of the new walkie-talkies, and panic buttons.

In addition to the facility improvements, Worthington Schools has been working in partnership with North Community Counseling (NCC) to increase our mental health services for the students.  A proposal has been sent and preliminarily approved by ADAMH which would provide increased funding for NCC and ultimately the Worthington Schools.  Once officially approved, we will work to determine how to best connect the new resources to the students.

Time-Line

Our district will be using a design-build construction delivery method now available for use by school districts under House Bill 153, Ohio Construction Reform Laws.  This model of procurement for services includes a Request for Qualification and Request for Proposal process which is used to “short list” qualified contractors in the selection of a contractor.  Qualified contractors will present their proposal and be interviewed.  The contractors’ proposals will be ranked based on a weighted performance criterion.  A contractor will be selected based on the value of their proposal, creative installation methods and ability to accelerate the proposed schedule.  The selection method will allow us to move forward prior to the completion of the design to save time, obtain a guaranteed maximum price to complete the project, provide a single prime contractor responsible for installation and the completion of design.

This project is anticipated to be completed prior to the start of the 2013-2014 school year.

Cost Breakdown

Preliminary cost is estimated to be $23,000 for each building.   The basis of design includes the installation of four electronic door access locks, one camera located at a primary entrance, and intercom with buzzer.  This estimate may vary during design based on the need for additional camera and intercom locations for handicap doors not placed at main entrances.  Panic button estimates will be determined based on the availability of existing dialers to be determined during design.

Our Number One Priority

Safety is our number one priority.  In Worthington we believe that keeping our students safe by making enhancements in each of our three main areas is critical. We need to deepen our staff training in implementing our safety plans, we need to redouble our efforts, and potentially our resources, in providing mental health services to students and we need to make the necessary changes to our school facilities. All three areas have significant importance and all three areas will see improvements.  We are not naive enough to believe that any one thing will lead to complete safety and security in our schools.  Our belief is that by addressing the physical facilities, increasing our mental health resources, and training staff, safety and security will be increased.

The Talent Show

I spent last Friday night at the Evening Street Elementary Talent Show.  Two of my daughters had signed up to participate in the talent show and thus our evening plans were set.  My daughters were both going to play the piano for their talent.  Some students sing, others dance, there was a dramatic reading, two young ladies played their violins, the performances are very eclectic and they span many different ability levels.

PTA parent volunteer, and accomplished professional musician, Rob Mottice organizes and produces the show (that’s Rob’s back in the picture above).  As part of his responsibilities he has each student try out for the show.  The try-outs have little to do with actual ability but much more to do with screening acts for appropriateness, showing commitment, and troubleshooting issues.  Thus, at Evening Street if you want to perform, you’ll get to perform.

My own daughters have what I would call “middle of the road, normal, elementary school talent.”  Meaning, they take one piano lesson a week and they practice the required amount.  Not much more, and not much less.  Unfortunately for them, their dear ole dad can’t read music, carry a note or even pretend to understand music, and thus we did not pass down great musical or performance genetics.  And, at Evening Street, some of the students who will perform are like serious child prodigy’s.  A few students played and sang original songs on the piano or on their guitar.  Amazing!

So, earlier last week I was having a passing conversation with Board of Education member, Jennifer Best.  In that conversation I was expressing my frustration as a parent that my daughters had signed up to perform on Friday night, but that they were not putting in the necessary work to practice, and therefore I was convinced they would embarrass themselves horribly.  (Obviously, the embarrassment would be a natural consequence, but as a parent it’s never easy to determine when to allow natural consequences and when to push so that they can be avoided.)  Having been a Worthington parent Jennifer understood, but decided not to wade into my internal debate.  What she did do, blew me away…..

Instead of worrying about piano practice, Jennifer proceeded to get a twinkle in her eye and describe to me in precise detail the night she and her sister sang in the 6th grade talent show as students at Evening Street.  Over 30 years has passed since that evening and Jennifer could describe where they stood, what they sang, and she even remembered the words to the song.  It was awesome.  An event that passes in just a few short hours to me as an adult had left a lifetime memory for Jennifer.  We didn’t discuss it, but I surmise that one of the reasons that Jennifer donates thousands of hours of her time as a school board member is to insure that Worthington students today have experiences like she herself was able to have.

I appreciate the fact that volunteers like Rob make the talent show happen.  I’m certain that 30 plus years from now someone will be telling the story of the song they sang in the talent show.  That someone will have grown up and may be a community leader like Jennifer.  School is about all sorts of lessons.  Talent show’s provide lessons on performance, courage and confidence.  In my house I was attempting for the show to provide lessons on practice, determination and the pay-off for hard work.

In the end there was no embarrassment for my girls on Friday night, although I don’t expect any calls from American Idol.  In 30 years no one may know what American Idol is/was.  But they may remember their performance in the elementary talent show.  Good stuff!

Everyday Hero: Part Two

On Monday I published a blog about a middle school student at Kilbourne Middle School who choked on a mint during OAA testing.  Kilbourne Middle School teacher Ed Repko noticed the student choking and performed the Heimlich Maneuver on the student dislodging the mint.  Since that story was published I have learned a few other pieces to the story that I wanted to add.

In my blog Monday I wrote that “After calling for the school nurse to check on the student, without any fanfare or seeking of recognition, Mr. Repko went back to proctoring the exam so the 8th grade students would have no disruption to their testing window.” A student who was in the class with Mr. Repko reported a slightly different version of this story.  He reported that upon successfully dislodging the mint from the choking student and upon learning the student was O.K., Mr Repko raised both hands above his head and danced around the classroom like he had just won a prize fight. (I did not confirm the students view with Mr. Repko for accuracy.)

If it’s accurate:  I loved that!  To be a successful middle school teacher you need to be able to appreciate middle school students (only a select few can actually appreciate middle school).  You need to have a serious side, and you need to have a fun side.  When interviewing a potential candidate for the principal of Wilson Hill Elementary on Monday night, the candidate was discussing with our interview team the importance of students enjoying the school experience and frankly, the importance of teachers and staff enjoying themselves as well.  With great passion he blurted out “who doesn’t like FUN!?”  I thought that captured the students version of Ed’s response, and I believe this response helped his middle school students process the seriousness of what happened without letting it overwhelm them.

Likewise, through an email sent to my wife the seriousness of this event was brought home to me.  I learned of this event when Mr. Scully (the Kilbourne Middle School principal) sent me a text on Friday evening.  My immediate thoughts were first, “I’m glad the student was O.K.” and second, “makes sense, if someone is going to choke on a mint it would be a middle school boy.  If there is trouble, they find it.”  Upon greater reflection over the weekend I felt that the incident rose to a level that I thought I should write about it.

But, last night my wife received an email from the mom of the student who was choking.  I had never asked who the student was and I didn’t realize I knew the family.  The mom described the incident from her parental point of view.  She told of her son getting dizzy from being unable to breath, and she expressed deep gratitude for the alertness and actions of Mr. Repko.  She believes Ed saved her son’s life.

Reading the words of the mom helped me really understand the gravity of the event.  I can’t read them without getting choked up.  The more I learn about this event the prouder I am that Ed Repko is a Worthington teacher.  A great teacher can make the very serious fun.    A great teacher may not earn great  financial rewards but will always earn the gratitude of grateful parents.  A great teacher is able to strike the right balance between high expectations, high rigor, and building strong personal relationships with students.  When this happens students learn and teachers are in tune with their class.  In tune enough to notice a student is choking and take action.

*Of the over 500 people that read my first Everyday Hero blog post, no one was yet able to produce a picture of Ed.  I’m still looking for one the add to these posts.  I’m considering a prize for the person who can email me the best picture….

Everyday Hero

Last week our students in grades 3 – 8 were engaged heavily in the taking of their Ohio Achievement Assessments.  The Ohio Reading and Mathematics Achievement Assessments are annual tests that measure how well students have learned the reading and math concepts taught in grades 3–8. The Ohio Science Assessments are annual tests provided to students in grades 5 and 8.  Often these tests are referred to as “high stakes” tests because the results of these tests are used to measure, student, teacher, school and school district performance.

Often during these exams our students will suck on mints.  It is rumored that mints help you when taking a test by causing your senses to be heightened and thus keeping your brain alert.  The research on this practice is fuzzy, but most of our folks chalk it up to the “if it helps one student, or if a student thinks it helps….it can’t hurt.”

At Kilbourne Middle School last week, that premise was challenged.  During the 8th grade Science Achievement Assessment a KMS student began to choke on a mint.  Kilbourne Middle School Math/Science teacher Mr. Ed Repko was proctoring the exam and while circulating around the classroom Ed noticed the student was choking.  Alertly and without panic, Ed stood the student up and performed a textbook Heimlich maneuver on the student.  The maneuver dislodged the mint and allowed the student to breath.  After calling for the school nurse to check on the student, without any fanfare or seeking of recognition, Mr. Repko went back to proctoring the exam so the 8th grade students would have no disruption to their testing window.

The student was checked over by the school nurse and by a doctor (to make certain there was no internal damage).  Although a bit shaken up, the student elected to return to school to finish the school day.  Luckily he had completed his Science OAA before the incident occurred.

In Worthington all school employees are trained on the Heimlich maneuver using a digital trainer called Public School Works.  Our school nurses also spend time working with staff to make certain they are comfortable performing the maneuver should they need to.  This is not the first time someone has choked in a Worthington school and not the first time the Heimlich has been performed.  However, let’s not downplay the event.  Ed potentially saved the life of a student and did so in such a calm and collected way that his OAA testing continued.

Worthington has great, great teachers.  They are called upon to help all students achieve the Ohio standards, to build positive relationships with students, to effectively supervise and manage student behavior, and sometimes to perform an act of safety that will save a student’s life.  Last week Ed Repko did just that.

If you’d like to tell Ed how much we appreciate his service you can email him at erepko@worthington.k12.oh.us.  He’ll downplay his role.  I won’t.  I’m thankful last week that Ed was the teacher in the classroom.  He’s a difference maker!

p.s.  I searched and searched the internet for a picture of Ed to include in this blog.  He apparently has wiped his identity clear from Google.  If you have a picture of Ed I could add to this post, please send it my way.

Oh the places you’ll go…

Recently I have read several articles and commentaries about the value of a liberal arts education at the post secondary level. See this Bloomberg article for reference.  There are lots of valid reasons for these debates and many reforms necessary that may help our college systems.  However, whether it is post secondary education, or K-12 education, I don’t believe anyone can debate the importance of a broad-based education that creates citizens who have the ability to think, write, analyze, problem-solve, show resolve (grit), and create.  These are 21st century skills that are critical for future employability.

I have a friend from the Worthington High School class of 1991 who serves as a case in point.  I met Joe Boyd somewhere around our middle school years when his family moved to Worthington and we began to attend church together.  I still remember seeing Joe for the first time, standing in his royal blue Kentucky basketball shirt.  We remained friends throughout high school and when we went to college we went our separate ways. Our relationship now consists of a yearly email exchange on our shared birthday and being Facebook friends.

However, Joe is a fascinating study.  After high school Joe went to college to become a preacher.  He eventually migrated to Las Vegas and helped create a church that has grown past 10,000 members.  In his early 30′s he decided to become an actor and moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting.  Today he is doing both:  preaching and acting.  Joe is a teaching pastor at Vineyard Community Church in Cincinnati.  (I often download his sermons from iTunes and listen to them on my morning runs.) But, Joe is also the President of a company he founded Rebel Pilgrim Productions and Tuesday they released the trailer for their new movie which will be released in September called “A Strange Brand of Happy.”  Furthermore he’s the author of an allegorical fantasy “Between Two Kingdoms.” (He also makes me wonder, what I’ve been doing with my life….)

Here’s the thing.  The Joe I remember from high school was a shy kid.  He didn’t act in any of Bronwynn Hopton’s plays and he didn’t win any awards in AP Lit.  He was a normal guy who enjoyed history with Mr. Ellwood and played better basketball than one would think he was capable of.  But, obviously, Joe learned the skills needed for 2013.  He is creative, he’s entrepreneurial, and he has stayed the course when things have not been easy (I know his book took many years to write, and who makes movies….?)

You never know where our students will go after leaving the halls of Worthington.  Our job is to prepare them for a future that neither they, nor we, can yet imagine.  Our teachers are working hard to infuse creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication into every one of their lessons.  Our students will need these skills, and some, like Joe, will go forth and prosper in ways not even their closest friends could imagine.

*  A Strange Brand of Happy is going to be available locally at the RAVE  Polaris 18 on Sept 13,14, 15.  You can purchase tickets at http://seatzy.com/main/citydetail/a-strange-brand-of-happy/59  Invite your neighbors, your friends, and even random strangers you meet at the Farmers Market this summer.  Worthington graduates go on to do all sorts of cool things.  Let’s support Joe’s work.