Worth The Journey

As a now-fourth-year teacher, club advisor, and coach at Worthington Kilbourne HS, Blake unpacks for us why getting involved in the school community actually charged him up to be the best new teacher he could be......and, why Chic-Fil-A has the best fries of any fast food stop.

It's Fall, y'all! McCord Middle School Assistant Principal Kurt Hess tells us about the time he (almost) wrestled a bear, where the best pizza in Youngstown is, & why you always want Principal Michael Kuri in your starting lineup!

A Worthington Schools graduate, our Director of Secondary Education Emilie Greenwald tells us how a career in education brought her full-circle back home.

Our Director of Elementary Education, Rob Messenheimer, walks us through how a Turf Grass Science degree led to a hole-in-one career in elementary education!

Maggie Torlone returns to the podcast to reflect on her first year of teaching at Brookside Elementary. She talks about the ups-and-downs of her school year. Maggie discusses how students and co-workers helped her journey. Find out what Maggie has learned and hear about her excitement for year number two!And during the rapid fire questions, Jeff gives Maggie a chance to change her favorite cereal answer from her first visit… will she?

Superintendent Dr. Trent Bowers joins us as we reflect on an incredible year in Worthington Schools & look ahead to a bright future.

First-year Principal Todd Keenan shares a new twist for your next March Madness bracket, why 4:39a is the best time to get out of bed, and how he and his staff at Worthingway Middle School show love for kids & each other through actions.Join us as we share Todd's nutritionally-balanced family dinner of fried chicken fingers and birthday cake as we get to know our former TWHS team member!

For our first time featuring one of our incredible Worthington Schools students on the podcast, join us as we get to know Toby Hamel, our Thomas Worthington High School student body president!

What introduction could be written for our own global celebrity of the Grounds Department?! Join us as Rusty talks wrestling, getting (out of) detentions, and where to find the most ornery critters on Worthington Schools properties!

WKHS Nurse Julie Garner takes us through a day in the life of a school nurse, discusses her Worthington roots, and leaves Jeff questioning whether his cereal rubric is...BROKEN?!

It was a long journey to get here, but Jeff Fluellen may have finally found perfect employment. The Thomas Worthington High School security monitor is known as Flu in the hallways of the school where he's a friend and mentor to students. Flu talks about growing up in Worthington & finding his way back to the high school. Hear why he says he has found, "the best job I ever had."

This episode highlights a brand-new teacher in Worthington Schools, Maggie Torlone, as she reflects on her preparation for a great school year.

Jeff and Angie kick off this year's podcast season with School Board President Nikki Hudson. They discuss the difficult, beautiful work of being in education. Nikki shares stories from her journey as a student, parent and school board member. Find out more about Worthington Schools' mission and vision for our students. You'll also hear if Nikki sneaks candy into the movie theater during this week's rapid fire questions. #ItsWorthIt #WeLoveWorthingtonSchools

Angie and Jeff reflect on an inspiring first season of Worth The Journey and discuss what's next for the dynamic duo! ***Stay tuned until the very end for a special recap highlighting some of the stand-out moments from Season 1!***

Worthington Kilbourne Counselor Brianna Abbott joins this episode of the podcast to talk about health mindsets with Angie & Jeff.Brianna began her career as an athletic trainer before getting her Masters in school counseling. You may be surprised at why she says the two occupations are not that different. Hear why Brianna feels like Worthington students are changing the world every day. In fact, find out what technological breakthrough they helped her with in 2008.Now is the time to grab some mushroom Jets Pizza and Graeter’s black raspberry chip ice cream and learn about developing a health mindset!

Worthington School District Chef Sam Miller sits down with Jeff & Angie this week on the Worth The Journey pod. You'll hear how Chef Sam came from the corporate culinary world to the schools. Learn what it takes to build a healthy menu for an entire school district. What is the strategy and what are the challenges for feeding more than 10,000 students across Worthington? Find out how student taste tests play a roll in making menu changes from elementary to high school. He'll tell you why he doesn't like the term "school lunch" and you may find out what new menu items may be coming to Worthington. It's all about Healthy Eating (or mostly about healthy eating) on this Worth The Journey pod.

This week on Worth The Journey, Angie & Jeff talk to Worthingway Middle School principal Nathan Kellenberger. Nathan has spent 13 leading Worthingway Middle School. In the podcast, Nathan will talk about the importance of building and maintaining relationships with students, staff and parents. Find out how his experience in the military influences his life as a principal. Grab a pizza from Villanova, put on some Rolling Stones and sit back to hear from Nathan on Worth The Journey!

Linworth ELA teacher and walkabout coordinator Jennifer Kubina joins the Worth The Journey podcast as part of our school traditions series. Jennifer Kubina was moved from a Worthington middle school to the Linworth Experiential Program after her third year on the job. Now, she’s stayed 20 years and wouldn’t go anywhere else! Kubina talks with Angie and Jeff about the Linworth program and why teaching through experience has been a tradition in the district. Find out how the program is different from a traditional high school. Kubina works with students as they plan their walkabout, which is a journey that sends them out into the world to live and work for several months of their senior year. Some students travel down the street while others travel across the world – but all of them have memories that will last a lifetime. You will hear about some of the incredible journeys that current seniors are on now. Grab some bagels and a bowl of black raspberry chip ice cream to get ready for this Worth The Journey podcast.

Rick Armstrong was a middle school Wellness Teacher who was happy at KMS. When he was forced to move to Granby Elementary, he was upset at first, but the change has been WORTH IT. Rick joins Jeff and Angie to discuss his journey into education as part of our school traditions series. You'll find out how the Gator Bike Park became the Gator Bike Park and hear stories about the Warrior Run, Senior Tea and Wellness Man! So go to the garage and find your first bike, break out some Van Halen and get ready to debate vanilla ice cream in the latest episode of Worth The Journey.

In part one of our look at school traditions, Principal Greg Garris from Kilbourne Middle School joins Angie & Jeff to talk about middle school traditions and his journey through Worthington Schools. From starting when he was a kid at Slate Hill Elementary to leading KMS, Greg will take you through his journey. You will find out what song he sang in his interview that landed him a job as a Thomas Worthington High School math teacher. Greg talks about traditions including dodgeball tournaments, Taylor Tuesday and canteens, and what all of these traditions bring to the school community. Warm up your throwing arm and make sure the dish washer is loaded and listen to Worth The Journey with Greg Garris.  

Enjoy Part 2 of this special Worth The Journey podcast with Worthington Schools Superintendent Trent Bowers. In this episode, Angie and Jeff get to find out what drives Trent as a person and a Superintendent. Trent talks about how his family got into mountain climbing and how that relates to work and life. Along the way, we hear a story about riding with inmates on a bus, find out why he left and returned to Worthington, and Trent unveils why he may have a future career as an author. Dig out that Jim Tressel sweater vest and turn up a John Michael Montgomery song for this Worth The Journey podcast.

(EPISODE PART 1 of 2) The leader of the Worthington School District sits down with Jeff and Angie to kick off season 2 of the Worth The Journey podcast. In the first part of this special podcast, we take a walk down memory lane with Superintendent Dr. Trent Bowers. Trent will discuss some of the people that shaped his journey. Find out who helped lead him into education and administration. Trent will also reveal how a closet in the Worthington Hills Elementary gymnasium helped shape who he is today. You'll also learn more about why BE KIND TO KIDS is Trent's first expectation for staff members. Enjoy Part 1 of the Trent Bowers podcast and come back for Part 2 soon!

For 53 years, Carl Fisher has been making a difference in the lives of students across Ohio. Carl started as a counselor and athletic director in northern Ohio. After retiring from that position and moving to central Ohio, he has served as a permanent guest teacher in Worthington Schools for 14 years. Carl explains what drives him to serve students and talks about the changes he's seen in education over the last 50 years. For teachers, Carl tells us some of the secrets to having a successful day subbing, whether it's in kindergarten or high school (and why the classroom teacher plays an important role). Grab some black raspberry chip ice cream, layer up with three jackets, put on Carl's favorite Christmas movie and hear about why it's important to do the right thing and enjoy doing it!

In the final part of the Worth The Journey "First-Year Reflections Series," Angie and Jeff welcome Worthington Kilbourne High School English teacher Todd Cecutti. In the episode, Todd explains how his unusual journey into education helps shape him as a teacher and provides opportunities to connect with students. Todd spent time rock climbing, playing in a band, and umpiring before he was a teacher. Now, he's making a difference in the lives of students in and out of the classroom. Todd also shares some job interview tips for future educators or anyone trying to make a great first impression. Put on your Spice Girls tour t-shirt, grab some bakery cookies and listen to the latest Worth The Journey podcast!

In Part 2 of the Worth The Journey series "First-Year Reflections", Angie and Jeff talk with McCord Middle School 6th grade teacher Abby Smullen. Abby is a life-long Worthington resident who is now teaching in the middle school building that she attended as a student! Find out how a math test almost derailed her dream of getting into education. Abby talks about the staff members that helped her pass the test, and she shares how co-workers are still answering her questions (and why that's important). Hear why Abby recreated her classroom in the middle of her first year. You'll also learn about her organizational tips which can help new and veteran teachers. So empty the dishwasher, lace up your knee-high converse boots and find out why Don't Stop Believing is probably the perfect karaoke song for Abby! #ItsWorthIt #WeLoveWorthingtonSchools

In the first part of our new teacher series, Colonial Hills Elementary wellness teacher Mel Merringer tells Jeff and Angie that while her job is hard work, it's never hard to come to work. The teacher in her second year in Worthington shares about the moment she knew she had made a connection with her students. Find out what it was like being adopted into a family with 10 siblings and how those relationships influenced her then and now. Mel, Jeff and Angie also talk about changes in physical education classes over the years, and they confess to the units that they failed in school. Mel gives incredible tips for new teachers, veteran teachers or anyone who works with kids. WARNING: Projectile vomiting conversation ahead!

Tim Kight is a 1971 graduate of Worthington High School and owner of Focus 3 consulting. Tim started in the district as a student at Colonial Hills Elementary and went on to become a star hurdler in high school before going to THE Ohio State University and then, UCLA. His influence has since gone national with his teachings on the "R" factor, which tells us that an Event plus our Response to that event equals the Outcome (E+R=O). Find out more about how growing up in Worthington influenced Tim's life, how UCLA's John Wooden helped shape him as well, and how owning your 20 Square Feet is impacting our district now. Listen to find out more about Tim, including the movie he quotes the most, why he doesn't cook, and (like all of our guests) his favorite cereal.

In the latest Worth The Journey podcast, Angie and Jeff talk to Facilities Manager Tim Gehring who is the longest current serving administrator in the Worthington School District. Tim has served for 38 years in Worthington and that means A LOT of trips to get coffee. Tim tells you why collaboration is key in Worthington.

Greg Witt is the longest current serving certified staff member in Worthington Schools. He's one of three staff members who have earned rocking chairs because of their seniority, and he's the second staff member to featured on our Rocking Chair Heroes series. Stay tuned to hear Greg's "curious incident" confession, and find out how he has thrived as a teacher over a number of years in several elementary schools.

In Part 1 of our Rocking Chair Heroes series, Angie and Jeff sit down with Teresa Morris to find out if, after 43 years of driving a bus for Worthington Schools, she has any great stories to share about transporting a young Dr. Trent Bowers and his Scooby Doo lunchbox. Rocking Chair Heroes is a three-part series where we are exploring our three most seasoned staff members and why they believe that a combined 120+ years in Worthington Schools has been Worth The Journey.

Assistant Superintendent Angie Adrean and HR Director Jeff Maddox discuss the life-altering pains of eating your cereal before it has absorbed the milk, not seeing your favorite artists live in concert before they're gone, and whether the Wilson Hill Elementary White Tigers should change their mascot *back* to the Wolverines so Jeff can keep wearing his favorite sweatshirt.