At the start of the 2025–26 school year, a staff member for the Worthington public schools told employees at the district’s annual convocation that the district must pair an inclusive culture with consistently high academic and behavioral standards. The speaker said both high school auditoriums are under construction this year, so staff could not meet together in one place.

The message framed the tone for the year: the district should ensure every student feels “seen, valued, connected, and fully supported” while also expecting students to meet high standards. That dual emphasis, the staff member said, is intentional and central to the district’s mission.

The speaker opened with a personal anecdote about a conversation on a flight home from Colorado after climbing Mount Yale and Huron Peak. The passenger they met had attended Worthington Kilbourne High School, and the ensuing conversation led the speaker to recall teachers and administrators who made them feel that they belonged. The anecdote was used to illustrate how small acts of welcome and high expectations worked together to support student growth.

The staff member identified several school staff by last name when describing the supportive environment: Mr. Jordan (a social studies teacher), Mr. Nally (an assistant principal), Ms. Adrienne (the school principal at the time referenced), and Mr. Zelch (a math teacher). The speaker said those adults combined warmth and high expectations in ways that helped students persist and improve.

Direct quotes used in the address included the phrases “You matter. Your learning matters” and “Everybody, always,” both attributed in the transcript to the staff member. The speaker repeatedly contrasted culture and standards, saying culture describes “how it feels to be part of Worthington,” while standards are “what we aspire to” and provide “clarity when the path feels uncertain.”

No formal policy changes, motions, or district actions were announced during the remarks. The address was presented as a rhetorical and motivational framing for staff work in the upcoming year rather than as a source of new directives or budget decisions.

The speech also acknowledged practical disruptions: both Thomas Worthington High School and Worthington Kilbourne High School auditoriums are undergoing “significant construction,” a reason given for not holding a combined convocation. Beyond that operational detail, the speaker discussed culture and standards as the two primary priorities for staff time and energy.

The convocation remarks emphasized how staff should balance encouragement and accountability: hold students to high expectations without shaming them; correct without embarrassing; and “call students up, not out,” in the speaker’s words. The address closed with a short sendoff to staff to begin the year.

Because the transcript supplies no personal name for the speaker, the article attributes quoted material and paraphrase only to a district staff member as recorded in the meeting transcript.