BlendED 9-12
Columbus Online Academy, Columbus City Schools
March 30, 2022
Featured Students
Zephyel Khuelenne
Zephyel Khuelenne attended BlendED during the first semester. He likes listening to music, boxing, and martial arts. Khuelenne also enjoys coding, singing, mental and academic training, playing games, making games, and learning new things. Khuelenne comes from a large family of five.
When asked, "What jobs do you have?" he said, "I have to help take at least some load off my dad's back because he's single parenting, so I discipline, mentor, and keep things in order while my dad has to work and tend to business, or when he simply just needs a break for his own health." Khuelenne also works at Panera Bread.
He has won many awards, including honor roll and the completion of the All THAT- Teens Hopeful About Tomorrow program. The program is a non-profit organization that mentors high-school teens by helping improve their academic achievement, social skills, and relationships with others. Their goal is to create long-term and trusting relationships with teens while helping them transition into the world outside their neighborhoods.
When asked, "Why are you taking BlendED?" Kuelenne said, "So I can have a very flexible schedule to work, have studies outside of school, and focus on building my pentomath-based career. Currently, I'm learning coding to make games again, write music, illustrate and create books/stories, and soon moving onto re-selling and investing whenever I can."
Ya'Mailah Thomas
Ya’Mailah Thomas is a freshman at BlendED. There are a couple of reasons why Thomas joined the BlendED program. She said, “I am a type 1 diabetic, and I can’t risk bringing Covid 19 to my family.” She comes from a small family consisting of her mom, dad, four siblings, and grandmother. Thomas has set many goals for herself; one of those includes graduating from High School with grades ranging from A’s to B’s. In the future, she plans on becoming a Neonatal Doctor.
On average, Thomas gets about six hours of sleep. She enjoys the schedule she has set for herself and uses her time to make daily lists to keep track. Joining Zoom is difficult for Thomas due to lack of time, but she makes sure she attends Zoom when she can. A typical day for Thomas would be to wake up, get ready for the day, head to her aunt's house to work on schoolwork, attend karate, go home, get a goodnight snack, and then go to bed around ten. Ideally, she would like to attend Zoom more.
When asked if she has won any awards, Thomas said, “I won a swimming award.” She enjoys listening to Rihanna, Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, and Cardi B. Her favorite carry-out places are Popeyes, Wendy’s, and Taco Bell. She also claims that her secret talent is singing. Thomas would advise students who take online classes to turn in work even if it is late.
Samara Garrett
Samara Garrett is a sophomore at BlendED. She enjoys playing games, doing hair, and doing nails. Garrett also likes old R&B rap, the color purple, wrestling, and hockey. Garrett is taking BlendED because she feels she is doing better online than in-person.
Currently, Garrett has a job working at Scene 75. A long-term goal she has is to get a 3.0 GPA, and a short-term goal is to have more patience. A typical day for Garrett is to wake up, do some school work, take a nap, do more school work and eat. An ideal day for her is to hang out with friends.
Three words that Garrett described herself as were observant, homebody, and nice. A secret talent she has is doing the splits.
When asked if she had an interesting story that happened in her life, she said, "One time I was dancing on Musically, and I fell and hit my chin on the counter, causing my teeth to slice my tongue right in half. I didn't get stitches because I didn't go to the ER that night, but I had a lisp for like a month."
News
All BlendED classes will be asynchronous Friday, April 8 due to testing
BlendED Testing Takes Place at Walnut Ridge High School
Jeffries said, "I would like to thank all of the students who attended the ACT and the ELA Ohio State Test. It was great to see you all in person. All of the teachers were impressed with how seriously you took these tests and the amount of concentration we witnessed as you worked through them." Teacher Marcus Edwards said, "It was really fun to talk with the lunch bunch about life and not just science. I am looking forward to getting to know them better and seeing them progress towards graduation."
Testing Coordinator Michelle Jeffries Celebrates with Students
Staff Members Donate Snacks
National African American Read-In
On Feb. 28, 30 BlendED students and staff members participated in the National African American Read-In. According to the National Council of Teachers of English, the NAARI “was established in 1990 by the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English to make literacy a significant part of Black History Month.” The books read throughout the day from 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. were:
"A Long Way Gone" by Ishmael Beah
"Born A Crime" by Trevor Noah
"Mixed Me" by Taye Diggs
"Stamped" by Jason Reynolds
"The Day You Begin" by Jacqueline Woodson
"Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston
"The Proudest Blue" by Ibtihaj Muhammad and S.K. Ali
"The Rose that Grew from Concrete" by Tupac Shakur
"With the Fire On High" by Elizabeth Acevedo
Students read books as a group and individually. Student Brakell Bridell (pictured) attended both the book reading and the movie. Bridell said, "It was a easy way to earn service hours." The average student read for 40 minutes, and the average discussion time was 30 minutes per student. To culminate the event, seven individuals attended the evening movie, "Hidden Figures." Senior London Brooks said, “I loved how everyone was there as a BlendEd community. Everyone was polite and courteous and even though I am a senior I hope you guys continue that activity in the following years!”
Poetry By BlendED Students
By Arielle Parris
Wilted rose whispers
Enjoying the light
Before disappearing
Surrounding, tangled
Distribution of lights and
Darks as I looked up
At the ominous sky
Rose soon flourishes
Sun unveils itself
What’s this feeling?
I was happy after all.By Erika Olmedo
Through The Facade
There is a hidden
Darkness. From it
Emerges a red sky.
You become blind,
As you start to unfold.
The aroma begins to
Wilt your essence.
As the meteors fall,
The sand wraps itself
Around your legs.
You begin to submerge.
By Kayleigh Dodge
Life is complicated
There will always be problems
Stress is a distraction
From what's really important
Don’t wait for better things
Count your blessings
Learn to be happy right now
Otherwise, you might run out of time
Shout Out To Kayleigh!
Featured Staff Members
Danielle Mungin
Danielle Mungin is a transition coordinator for BlendED. Her job is dedicated to working alongside students and their families to provide: career exploration, career and technical training, internship opportunities, and post-secondary education opportunities.
When asked, "How did you end up at BlendED" Mungin said, "After taking a new job at Walnut Ridge and South as a transition coordinator, I noticed the difficulty associated with teachers from different buildings working to support BlendED. I reached out to my boss and a team of coordinators and agreed to work with BlendED."
Before joining BlendED, Mungin used to work as an intervention specialist (teachers who work with students who have individualized education plans) and was the department chair of special education at Linden.
Mungin attended Central State for two years. She started college as a science major to become a forensic scientist. After two years, Mungin decided that her passion was teaching. Then, she transferred to Capital University to earn her bachelor's degree. Next, she obtained her master's degree from Capella University in curriculum and instruction.
When asked, "What sports or activities have you been involved in the past?" she said, "I played softball for 12 years. I was a member of the national honor society. I also took part in BankOne Academy." Mungin also has seven-year-old twin boys.
Alexander While
Alexander While is a high school math teacher at BlendED. When asked what he enjoyed about BlendED, he said, "I enjoyed the remote teaching experience. I have been trying blended models of teaching in the classroom, and BlendED is the best opportunity I've seen to continue doing those while further developing my teaching practice." Prior to joining BlendED, While has worked many jobs, including a STEM teacher at Linden-McKinley, a teaching assistant, a math tutor at The Ohio State University, a junior programmer, and a cook at KFC.
In high school, While ran track and field and was named captain of his cross country team. He missed qualifying for state in cross country during his senior year by two places. He was also in the marching band and has learned to play five instruments: the trombone, the baritone, the tuba, the guitar, and the drumset. While has built three computers and was an Eagle Scout. He graduated from Austintown-Fitch High School, then got his Bachelors of Science in mathematics and his Masters of Education at The Ohio State University.
Julia Maggard
Julia Maggard is our school counselor at BlendED. When asked, "How did you end up at BlendED?" Maggard said, "I was a high school counselor with Ohio Connections Academy and was recruited by Columbus City Schools to work with the new virtual learning program- BlendED. I have always advocated for alternatives in public education that better meet the needs of current students, and I am so proud to be a part of this program and this team."
Before joining BlendED, Maggard used to work at DSW(Designer Shoe Warehouse) for 2.5 years. She also said, "When I finished undergrad, I worked in community mental health as a case manager and substance abuse counselor on an IDDT/ACT team. IDDT is Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment, which means people who have co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders; ACT is Assertive Community Treatment, which is a community-based initiative to help people with severe and persistent mental illnesses remain in the community and reduce hospitalizations."
Maggard attended Ohio Wesleyan University for a Bachelor's in Psychology and Walden University for a Masters of Science in School Counseling. Now she is currently a licensed school counselor. In grad school, she was a member of three honors societies: Chi Sigma Iota (Counseling Honors Society), National Society of Leadership and Success, and Golden Key (a distinction given to the top performers in a graduating class).
She has also swam from a very young age up till college and has competed on her college swim team.
Maggard has traveled to multiple countries around the world, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Bahamas. She said, "I went to Australia and New Zealand with a student ambassador program called People to People when I was a sophomore in high school." People to People is a program that enhances international understanding and friendship through educational, cultural, and humanitarian activities involving the exchange of ideas and experiences between people of diverse cultures.
When asked what else she wanted to tell her BlendED family, Maggard said, "I'm a mommy! My 6-year-old son Logan is my favorite person on Earth. Logan is extra special because he has special needs; he was diagnosed with mixed receptive-expressive language disorder at three and currently attends kindergarten with the help of an IEP. I've learned so much about the world through his eyes, and he's constantly teaching me about patience, kindness, joy, and love."
Awards and Honors
Angel Receives Impact Award
Zoo(m)perstars are rewarded
The following students are eligible for a $10 Amazon gift card for their Zoom attendance. BlendED teachers have examined the data and noticed a positive correlation between Zoom attendance and high grades. The students below should send an email to teacher Kathy McQuate at kmcquate8783@columbus.k12.oh.us to receive their gift card.
Testing Kudos
Way to go!
Shout Outs to Jeffries, Ciminillo, and the BlendED Staff
Teacher Anita Lindsay said, "I would like to send a shout out to JazzyJeff for planning and coordinating the testing of our students, Ms. Ciminillo for meeting at the library and other locations with JazzyJeff to test students who could not make it to Walnut Ridge, and the BlendED 9-12 staff who assisted with testing and brought snacks!"
Shout out to Chanel Smith
Announcements
BlendED Mixer offers prizes, lunch, and time with teachers
Monday, Apr 11, 2022, 07:30 AM
4841 East Livingston Avenue, Columbus, OH 43227, USA
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Join the BlendED High School Google Classroom
Art Club Meets Tuesdays at 3:45
Please update your address, phone number, and email in Infinite Campus Portal
Internship Hours
BlendED 9-12 is a Student-Run Newsletter
Looking for another issue? Click below.
Staff: L. Brooks, D. Lindsay, H. Williams
Editor V. Norwood Advisers: K. McQuate and A. Lindsay
Email: kmcquate@columbus.k12.oh.us
Website: https://www.ccsoh.us/domain/4199
Location: 4841 E Livingston Ave, Columbus, OH 43227, USA
Phone: (614) 365-8472