BlendEd 9-12
Columbus Online Academy, Columbus City Schools
May 31, 2022
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Teacher Deb Rheyne's Students share reflections
Shout-Outs
Shout-out from Ka'Ron
Shout-out from Lisa Ciminillo
Shout-Out From Jolene
McChesney's Students of The Month
Jayden Hollis
Nathan Keys
KaRon Pace
Jolene Starner
Jose Vazquez
These students have gone "above and beyond" in my class and have proven to be conscientious, kind, and helpful. Each student will receive a gift card.
Shout-Out From Josiah
Shout-Out from Christian Manago
A Thank You From Tayshawn
Shout-Out From Takara
Jaiana Smith's Motivation
Marvelous May 11 Mixer
The stations available were: Apex, Spanish, counselor, English, internship hours, math, gaming, science, social studies, and art. Staff added four ice breakers between stations because students requested more time to get to know one another. Principal Christian Angel purchased pizza and drinks for lunch, and students received a lot of snacks and other treats in the gift bags that were awarded throughout the day.
This event was possible due to donations from parents, grandparents, and staff members who provided food, drinks, art supplies, and gift cards.
Filling Gift Bags
Cleaning Up Takes Time
Drawing Time
Photo Booth
Getting work done
Math takes concentration
Career Zone helps over 500 students reach self-sufficiency goals
The Career Zone (A.M.P. Program) is a program under Lead The Way Learning Academy. It started with seven young people in 2006. There are currently 500 youth within this program divided up and assigned to a coach. There are eight coaches, and each coach has about forty to fifty students on their caseload.
The Founder & Executive Director is Jackie Kemp. The Director of Operations is Anthony Murphy, and one of the A.M.P. Coaches is Chad Tennant. Kemp, Murphy, and Tennant provided information about the program through a Zoom interview on April 7, 2022.
Jackie Kemp was born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut. She joined the Army right out of high school. Her immediate family consists of two children and two grandchildren. She obtained her master's degree from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and her undergraduate degree from Voorhees College in Denmark, South Carolina.
Chad Tennant was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. He graduated from Walnut Ridge High School and then The Ohio State University.
The Career Zone program is for young adults to make sure they're self-sufficient, whether for a degree, trade or if they want to go into the military. It gives the youth opportunities to further their path and prepares them for their future with individualized resources that fit their goals. It provides career and education exposure to unfamiliar areas. This program aims to provide essential activities to help youth transition from high school to the next chapter of their lives, whether a career, schooling, or certification.
When asked, "Why did you choose to start this program?" Tennant said, "I love working with kids. I believe that it did help with my father being a retired educator, so I always view that profession as a very honorable profession. I started at The Ohio State University and worked at two non-profit organizations before joining this program. What made me want to work here was an organization that supports Black youth.
This program helps the Franklin County youth, and with me being one as well, I knew a lot of these kids would benefit from these services. I love to see the youth who start not knowing what they want to do in life soak up all of the information that we give to them like a sponge, and then they can decide what they want to do when they receive a lot of our services and have been exposed to the things that we offer. I wish this program had been around when I was younger because I had no idea what I wanted to do until I was twenty-six years old."
Kemp added, "After my mother's passing, my grandmother took care of my siblings and me. We were very poor, so we grew up in an environment where people didn't believe in us. I was one of those students who was just checked off, my grades weren't the best, and I was mischievous. Right out of high school, I joined the Army, and that was the first time I had anyone have a positive expectation of me, and I did well.
I started volunteering when my daughter was in kindergarten until her first year in college. I was that parent who would always volunteer and do leadership training, be a guest speaker, and grade papers; whatever they needed, I was there. I then became a volunteer for the I Know I Can Program. A colleague offered me a contract. That one contract allowed me to see the need for volunteers in the community. This contract opened up a new phase of my life, and I believe this is my purpose."
This program offers a variety of things, including A.C.T. prep, tutoring, credentials, leadership classes, college visits, worksite visits/job shadowing, guest speakers, college readiness, career readiness, paid work experience opportunities, help to develop a career portfolio, incentives for grades, and interview prep.
When asked, "Where do you hope this program will be in the next five years?" Kemp said, "In the next five years, we hope to be serving thousands of young people in Columbus, Ohio, and help them transition from high school into whatever career they are interested in. Our goal is to write grants and have funding from various foundations."
This program is funded by the Franklin County Department of Job & Family Services. Individuals must go through an application process to join the program. However, students must meet a few requirements in this process, including providing a form of I.D., being a Franklin County resident, being in school (preferably a junior or senior), and qualifying based on parental income. This program is located in Grove Port High School during the school day, and they are working on getting into more schools.
When asked, "What are some success stories? Kemp said, "A young lady with a disability, from my previous program, graduated from high school, and then attended Wright State. She came out working within the social work field. She furthered her education by obtaining her master's degree from the University of Georgia State University. She moved back to Ohio and did a T.E.D. Talk, and started her own business. She went back to Georgia and just recently published her first book. We are still in contact. We want to continually support and promote young people that start in our program."
Tennant then added, "I'm big on checking in with my mentee about grades and seeing if they need any extra help weekly. I've been a mentor for this program for about a year and a few months, so I'm still relatively new. Still, I believe every story has a successful ending. I remember I had this one young lady who was unresponsive to my weekly check-ins. Still, I continued to contact her until a response was received. It was about the second quarter into school, so I asked her how her grades were looking."
Tennant said, "She told me that she wasn't currently in school due to her inability to register for classes because of Covid 19, so there was a bit of confusion. I then got all of the forms needed and talked with the administration, and we were able to enroll her for the rest of the school year. Her grades fell a bit short, but when she started summer school, we had an incentive given to her each week she attended and a graduation incentive for when she graduated. With that incentive money and the money she had saved prior, she could then buy a car which was a goal on her list. She graduated that summer and is now working full-time. Our next step is to get her into beauty school."
When asked, "What are some challenges?" Tennant said, "Within the line of social work, there will always be challenges due to various changes, but our biggest challenge was Covid-19, which was a strange period not just for us but for everybody. With social work, you always have to be willing to adapt and learn how to deal with unplanned situations."
Kemp added, "Another challenge we face is not having enough time with a young person. Their communication may not be the best. Our goal is to build that connection with each youth individually to help them when needed; whether that is now or in the future, we want them to be comfortable enough to reach out and ask for help."
Murphy stated, "This program serves 500 youth from many different backgrounds, so the challenge is finding a way to adjust the program to fit everyone. We rely on the feedback from the youth on what type of programming they want to see and how they want it to be delivered, which is another challenge of getting to youth to give us feedback on how we can better this program."
When asked about their message for high school students, Murphy said, "You are in a position to do anything you want. This is your time to explore; you may not get it right the first time, but this is the time to get out there to gain experience and figure out who you are and what makes you tick. At the A.M.P. program, we help you with that. This is when you can start visiting colleges or careers and figure out who you are and what you can be. The possibilities are endless."
For more information, visit their website: Home | LTWLA (leadthewaylearningacademy.org)
BlendED Readers Share Favorite Books
A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee (Arielle Parris)
Better than the Movies by Lynn Painter (Aisha Ahmed)
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah - the audiobook in particular (Kathy McQuate)
Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey (Tayshawn Pace)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney (Christian Manago, Emmanuel Lias)
Dork Diaries by Rachel Russell (Ya’Mailah Thomas)
Drama or Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier (Shania Hicks, Alaina Easley)
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon (Miracle Williams, Kristiyonna Manago )
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson (Janiyah Dailey)
Forged by Fire by Sharon M. Draper (Shania Hicks)
Grenade by Alan Gratz (Brendan DeBoard)
Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling (Ka’Ron Pace)
It by Stephen King (Samara Garrett)
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (Shaina Hicks)
Maximum Ride by James Patterson (Hannah Williams)
Othello by William Shakespeare (Raymond Hatcher)
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (Kathy McQuate)
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay (Michelle Jeffries)
Scythe by Neal Shusterman (Lucie Miller)
Showboat: The Life of Kobe Bryant by Roland Lazenby (Charlene McChesney)
Smile by Raina Telgemeier (Ja’Mya Busby-James)
Sorry Not Sorry DREAMS, MISTAKES, AND GROWING UP By Naya Rivera (Olivia Bradshaw)
The Art of War by Sun Tzu (Donnie Palmer)
The Color Purple by Alice Walker (Michaelyn Ferguson)
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (Rhy’Aire Hines, Jamilla Mbacke)
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (Alex While)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Raymond Ramey)
The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco (Akia Scruggs)
The Obsession by Jesse Q. Sutanto (Jaelynn Gusa)
The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi (Jasiah Mackey)
The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer (Alexa Piña)
When I Was the Greatest or any book by Jason Reynolds (Kathy McQuate)
Wonder by R.J. Palacio (Jonathan Cobb, Jean Daniels)
Bits & Bytes
Keoni McNeil
By Dre'Aira Lindsay
Grade: 12th
Awards Won: Academic awards
Family: I have a large family
Hobbies: I enjoy drawing, reading, games, music, and skating.
Favorites: All kinds of music, bao, and my favorite color is brown
What jobs do you have (paid or volunteer, such as caring for siblings)? How do you feel about your job(s)?: None right now
Goals: My short term goal is to start working out again, and my long term goal is to stay at a job
Reason why you joined BlendED: It’s easier for me, and I only have two classesKyia Ray
By Dre'Aira Lindsay
Grade: 9th
Awards Won: I won the math relay.
Family: I'm the middle child
Hobbies: Dancing and hanging out with friends
Favorites: My favorite color is blue, and my favorite sport is dance
What jobs do you have (paid or volunteer, such as caring for siblings)? How do you feel about your job(s)?: I work at McDonald’s
Goals: My goal is to keep dancing and to get good grades
Reason why you joined BlendED: I joined to help me find a better balance with my scheduleJayana Fitch
By Dre'Aira Lindsay
Grade: 9th
Family: I have 5 siblings, and I am one of the youngest.
Hobbies: Sometimes, basketball
Favorites: The color purple, Gospel music, and R&B music
What jobs do you have (paid or volunteer, such as caring for siblings)? How do you feel about your job(s)?: I clean my cousins' house sometimes, but I don’t really like cleaning.
Goals: To graduate college and be successful
Reason why you joined BlendED: I wasn’t ready to go back to school during Covid 19Jean Daniels
Grade: 9th
Family: I have a large family
Hobbies: I enjoy drawing
Favorites: My favorite colors are green and black.
Goals: My goals are to be healthy and wealthy.Jalen Wade
Grade: 9th
Awards Won: When I was twelve, I received a medal for basketball.
Family: I have a large family, two brothers, and I live with my mom and grandma.
Hobbies: Basketball and gaming.
Favorites: Basketball, Spaghetti, the color pink, and rap
What jobs do you have (paid or volunteer, such as caring for siblings)? How do you feel about your job(s)?: I play basketball a lot to train cause I don't have a father who helps me like other kids, so I try to be the best I can to show other kids you don't need a father figure to be great and achieve.
Goals: My long-term goal is to make it to the NBA, and my short-term goal is to hit level 40 on NBA 2K22.
Reason why you joined BlendED: My mom thought it would be better for me to do it online.Editor Victoria Norwood
Victoria Norwood is a junior who has served as the editor of the school newsletter for BlendED 9-12. When asked why she joined the staff, she said, “Originally, I didn’t want to join until Ms. McQuate mentioned internship hours, and that is why I decided to participate.”
Norwood said that a benefit of being on the newsletter staff is that she can learn more about the staff and students within BlendED. Norwood said, “In classes, not many students unmute themselves or say much in that chat, so it helped me get to know other people in the program.” She continued, “Learning Associated Press style was interesting. I didn’t know anything about that writing format, so it was nice to learn about the different styles and uses.”
When asked about the challenges of working on a school paper, Norwood said, “It’s sometimes difficult to reach out to students and staff members and get them to provide content for the paper through interviews, photos, or surveys. I also didn’t feel confident in my writing skills at the beginning of the year, so I was hesitant to join, but I have developed my skills from working on editing the issues of the paper.”
Next year, Norwood plans to attend College Credit Plus classes that will allow her to earn dual credit for high school and college during her senior year. She added, “I’m still figuring out all of the logistics.”
When asked why students should join the newsletter, Norwood said, “Newsletter will give you the chance to be creative, work on your writing skills, and help you build relationships with other students and staff members.”
Journalist Dre'Aira Lindsay
By Victoria Norwood
Dre'Aira Lindsay joined the newsletter staff to strengthen her writing skills and showcase her creativity. Lindsay said, "I felt it would be a great opportunity to put myself out there while strengthening my skills. I am glad I joined because I am a better writer and discovered that I am a good poet."
When asked what she liked about the newsletter, Lindsay said, "Other than writing stories, I enjoy working with the staff. Everyone works together wonderfully. We are the dream team."
When asked about the most challenging part of the newsletter, Lindsay said, "finding the balance between schoolwork, things outside of school, and finding the time to work on stories, but this team is very understanding, and we all still manage to get each issue done in time."
As for her plans after BlendED, Lindsay said, "I've always been interested in science from a young age. I recently found a new interest in cooking, so why not take both things you enjoy and put them to good use? I decided that I wanted to go to school and get a degree in Food Science & Technology. I plan to work at a big food production company and further my education to obtain a Ph.D. I feel this career will always be in demand because we will always need food as a society, and I will network my way to the top to ensure our food chain is secure." She is working toward her education goals by attending Otterbein University next year through their "seniors to sophomores" program.
Lindsay said that students should join the newsletter because there is a lot of freedom to write about specific topics. Lindsay added, "You also learn all of the different writing styles. If you are looking for something to strengthen your resume, I recommend joining. It gives you experience in journalism and allows you to meet new people. It is a great skill to have under your belt."
Senior Spotlight
Ka'Ron Pace
Name: Ka'Ron Pace
Home school: South High School
Plans: I plan to take a year off and work, then further my education by going to a trade school to earn a certificate.
Best memory: My best memory will always be completing school at 16 and graduating early.
Biggest challenge: My biggest challenge was losing my grandma and trying to stay on track while grieving.
Goals: My goals are to become comfortable with life and have my own business in multiple states.
Biggest motivator/supporter: My biggest motivators/supporters are my mom, dad, and siblings.
Job: I currently work at White Castle.
Education plans: I do plan on attending school. My plan right now is Columbus State Community College.
Advice: My advice is to try. Try as hard as you can and remember nobody has control of your destiny but you. Make the best out of it for you and only you because you will never truly be happy doing something just because someone else has a vision for you.
Future: 10 years from now, I see myself as a business owner. I want to have my own clothing line or gaming school, teaching the younger generation how to create games and play them.
Awards/Honors: I was inducted into the National Honor Society and have maintained a 3.9 GPA.
Other thoughts: Setting goals and dreams is realistic, achieving them is realistic, but doing it for someone else is a nightmare. Live your best life as we are never promised tomorrow.
Mahala Morris
Name: Mahala Morris
Home school: Briggs High School
Plans: I plan to go to Columbus State for Political Science and then transfer over to OSU to finish my degree. I hope to become something along the lines of a diplomat or a news anchor (:. I also plan on getting my first apartment and a car at the end of summer! I'm very excited.
Best memory: Thinking back on it, probably my 10th-grade year when I decided to try and join the student gov team and had to suck up to all my teachers so they would sign the paper, I poured my heart and soul into all of the jokes I made to make them like me and even got some signatures from teachers I barely knew. It was amazing, and I made it in the end!!
Biggest challenge: Being online is a bit hard because you don't have as many personal relationships with others as you would compared to going in person, and it's a little harder to understand and get help when you need it, but I always made sure to work through it and do my absolute best.
Goals: I hope to find a job in social work, such as a diplomat or a news anchor.
Biggest motivator/supporter:
My parents have been an amazing support system for me and have done nothing but encourage me as much as possible.
Job: Hopefully! I plan to work part-time with my dad at Papa John's and become a camp counselor for a big part of my summer to save money.
Education plans: Columbus State!
Advice: Don't take any of this for granted. When they tell you these four years will go by so fast, it's very true. Even I didn't believe that entering my freshman year, and now I'm 18, about to graduate, and it feels like no time has gone by. I still feel like a kid, the same kid walking in late on my first day of high school, the one who still doesn't know anything at all, the one who is still learning something new every day, but I know I can do this no matter how scared I am and I know you all can too when your time comes. Take your time, never rush anything, and have fun with it. You're all gonna do so amazing and become such great people, and I'm very excited for each and every one of you.
Future: Hopefully in a stable, happy home with children of my own, a job I enjoy, and an amazing family. Also, as far away from Ohio as possible BAHA.
Other thoughts: Thanks for dealing with me, lol. The picture includes my late cat Jerry and me. May he rest in PEACE, TY.
Milgra Allen
Name: Milgra Allen
Home school: Linden McKinley STEM AcademyPlans: Open my own construction company
Best memory: Playing basketball and volleyball
Biggest challenge: Getting information for my FAFSA
Goals: To be a successful business owner
Biggest motivator/supporter: My biggest motivator/ supporter is my sister Jamila
Job: I work at Raising Canes and am working on houses.
Advice: My advice for underclassmen is never to wait until the last minute to get stuff done. Before or on time is the best time to turn your assignments in.
Future: I see myself married with one kid in a nice house with the love of my life and being very much successful.
Awards: I received an award from volleyball
Alexa Pina Guerrero
Name: Alexa Pina Guerrero
Home school: East High SchoolPlans: Going to college or making my business
Best memory: First day of school as a freshman
Biggest challenge: Being pregnant my senior year
Goals: Make my own business
Biggest motivator/supporter: My mother was my biggest supporter
Advice: Just keep going to school
Future: Having my own house and traveling with my son
Kelly Holbrook
Kelly Holbrook is an IT field technician. She travels around the city to different locations and meets people with technical difficulties. Before her current job, Holbrook worked for 15 years in executive management for the Kohl's Department store.
In the early 90s, Holbrook met the Dallas Cowboy football players Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, and Emmitt Smith in the locker rooms. Her cousin is also Pat Borders, a baseball player who played for the Toronto Blue Jays and was the MVP of the world series in 1992. As a kid, she also played baseball and basketball. Holbrook said, “I love playing sports for fun outside a team. I was always athletic.”
In 2002, Holbrook graduated from Pickerington High School. She then went to IT school at My Computer Career in her 30s and received ten different certifications. Besides working, Holbrook values family time with her wife and kids.
Kathy McQuate
Kathy McQuate teaches English for grades 11 and 12 at BlendED and is the school's publications advisor. When asked how she ended up in her current job, McQuate said she heard about the position through BlendED's principal, Christian Angel, who had also worked at Linden. McQuate said, "I loved working with Ms. Angel at Linden, and I knew she was an amazing leader, so I took a chance at the job before I even understood what I would be teaching (or how)."
McQuate's work history started when she was nine years old and got her first paper route. Before teaching, she had several jobs, including being a hotel desk clerk, waitress, cook at a restaurant, lifeguard, tutor, credit correspondent, factory worker, and substitute teacher.
When asked, "What are some fun facts about yourself?" McQuate said, "I voluntarily completed a fifth year of high school because I was a high school exchange student in India after graduating in the states. The Rotary Club sponsored me, and it was such a life-changing experience that I will be forever grateful to the families that I lived with (the wonderful Kukillaya and Gopalakrishnan families) and the club that sponsored me."
When asked, "What sports or activities were you involved in?" she said, "I have participated in sports my whole life. I enjoy participating in them more than watching them, but I am not very competitive. I just like being active. My favorite sports are swimming and running, but I cannot run more than a few steps now. Lol"
McQuate attended Bowling Green State University for a bachelor's degree in communications education. She earned an intervention specialist (mild/moderate) master's degree from Ashland University. She also earned her K-12 reading endorsement from Ashland University and recently earned a K-12 technology endorsement from The Ohio State University.
McQuate mentioned, "I have searched for decades for a job that fits my interests and skills and still brings me so much joy that I forget I'm working. I think I finally found my dream job at BlendED 9-12. Also, I would like to add that I would never be able to spend so much time doing this job that I love if it weren't for my very supportive family."
Charlene McChesney
Charlene McChesney is a social studies teacher at BlendED. She has been teaching for over forty years. She has wanted to be a teacher ever since the fourth grade. She was then inspired by her teacher and later became one. Before working at BlendED, when she was younger, she used to work at a rubber glove factory where her job was to blow up gloves to see if they had holes in them.
When asked, "Why did you join BlendED?" she said, "I applied and thought, why not? This sounds like a good adventure. And the best thing about it is the staff and the students. I discovered it is quite possible to build relationships with students teaching online."
In the past, she has written the curriculum for the district in both social studies and English. She has also had the privilege of being selected to write the curriculum for the State of Ohio.
McChesney currently has a second job working at a retirement home. She said, "Twenty-two years ago, I applied for the job. I got it. They showed me around, and this one gentleman reminded me of my dad. And I started crying. The man that was interviewing me asked what was wrong. I told him how the one gentleman reminded me of my dad and how I missed him. After telling him, he hired me."
She became a teacher and taught at a school in Cleveland. Then she met her husband and had three sons but eventually raised them as a single mother. Her sons went off to college and now have good jobs, and now she is a grandmother to many grandkids.
McChesney went to Kent State University and received her bachelor's in history and English. She then earned her master's degree from Ashland University in reading language arts. She said, "One time, I had no money, but I had the best college experience. During the winter of my senior year, I realized I had holes in the bottom of my shoes, but I never felt sorry for myself because I loved school. I remember putting cardboard on the bottom of my shoes just in case it rained, and that's how badly I wanted to be a teacher."
When asked about fun facts she was willing to share, McChesney said she met an actor, Clint Eastwood, and babysat his kids back in the day.
McChesney said she would like BlendED students to remember that "nobody should ever tell you that you can't do something. People told me I couldn't go to college because I didn't have enough money. Or when I was a single mom, they told me I didn't have enough to buy a house, but I did.
Always remember to look at the glass as half full."
One of McChesney's favorite quotes is by Forest E. Witcraft: “A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove… but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.”
Snack Box by Dre'Aira
Summer School Experience
By Michelle Jeffries
Join the BlendED High School Google Classroom
Please update your address, phone number, and email in Infinite Campus Portal
Internship Hours
BlendED 9-12 is a Student-Run Newsletter
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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