January at Oxford High School

Oxford High School is proud to announce Mr. John Hill as our 2017-2018 Teacher of the year!

Many people across the state know John Hill outside of OCS for his incredible musical talent.  He is an experienced and skilled performing musician.  However, what makes him so unique is not his skill, knowledge or experience.  It's his capacity to create meaningful relationships with our students and get the very most out of their ability. “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care”  ― Theodore Roosevelt

Mr. Hill is actively engaged in building a positive school culture at OHS. His classroom environment pours outside of his room and into our school.  Whether his students are performing before school, during lunches or at staff meetings - you can see the genuine joy on their faces.  Mr. Hill creates these opportunities so our entire student body has a chance to see our student's talent outside of our PAC.  This helps build a friendly, fun, and productive environment. You can't help but feel better when around Mr. Hill and his students.

On Saturday, January 20th, five OHS students – Selina Langfeldt, Kaylie Seeling, Trent Evans, Carla Zawadzki, and Tyler Dulinski – participated in the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association District 3 Honors Band. These outstanding students were nominated and chosen based on their playing abilities to represent OHS along with 75 other students from the thumb area of Michigan. They spent the day rehearsing and gave a stellar performance that evening under the direction of Professor Wes King, the Director of Bands at Sienna Heights University in Adrian, MI. (photo attached) You can check out more in this Oxford Leader's article.  

From January 25th - January 27th, OHS students Hayden Franke (senior oboe) and Tyler Dulinski (junior trombone) participated in the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association 2018 All-State Festival. Hayden and Tyler performed along with 100 other students from all over the state of Michigan with the All-State Band under the direction of Dr. Scott Boerma, Director of Bands at Western Michigan University. Hayden and Tyler, along with other OHS students Luke Sittard (senior jazz guitar), Zacariah Smith (senior string bass), and Nadia Smith (junior viola), were among the students selected for the All-State ensembles from over 4000 students that auditioned across the state. This is one of the highest honors a high school musician can receive in the state of Michigan. Of special note, both Hayden and Zac were principal (first chair) players for the respective sections, allowing them to both solo and lead the other students in those sections. Congratulations to all of our OHS musicians!

Our DECA members are working to increase financial literacy among students.  Check out this article in the Oxford Leader, which highlights our students' program and classroom visits.

As IB learners, we are Inquirers.  Sophomore MYP students showcase their Personal Inquiry projects to parents and community members. The MYP personal project is a student-centred practical exploration where students consolidate their learning throughout the programme. This long-term project is designed as an independent learning experience of approximately 25 hours. The personal project formally assesses students’ ATL skills for self-management, research, communication, critical and creative thinking, and collaboration.

To learn more about our student MYP Personal Projects, check out Schooling Around Episode 66 with John Oetjens. This episode also features MYP Coordinator, Molly Darnell and a discussion with two of our outstanding International students.

Our Boys Swim & Dive team has remained undefeated through the month of January.   Check out this article in the Oxford Leader. "Of the 32 boys on the team this season, 18 are returning athletes who, according to Head Coach Jackie Rank, should help lead the team to the top of the white division."  Please wish them luck at the Oakland County Championships on February 2nd and 3rd.

Congratulations to our Boy's and Girl's Bowling team for winning the Oakland County Championship on January 14th for a second year in a row!   Read more about it here on our Athletic webpage.

Our winter Athletic Teams are in full swing and have been performing exceptionally well.  Our athletic programs are an extension of our classrooms and serve an important role in our learning community.  Not only do they improve our student's physical and mental health, they give them a safe and supportive environment.  These opportunities help teach our students commitment, self discipline and many other character traits.  They also cultivate a healthy social life and instill skills that will help them beyond High School. 

• Check out our dedicated Competitive Cheer Team, which may be the hardest working program on our campus. 
• Our Boys Wrestling Team, who won the Oakland County Championship in December, are ranked in the top 10 in the State!
• Our Girls Ski Team and Boys Ski teams are currently 4-0 and seem to have grown and improved each week of the season.
• Our Boys Basketball continues to showcase exciting and competitive games, while our Girls Basketball team has shown their grit and hustle every night on the court.
• Our Boys Hockey Team,  OA United, had a big win this month over Royal Oak Shrine: 8-0.

Our Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) competed at Oakland University on January 13th for our Regional Competition.  We had student winners in Sports Medicine, Vet Science, Clinical Nursing, Clinical Specialty and Dental!  We also had 47 students qualify for the State competition in March, led by Ms. Lie!   Check them out on Twitter. 

As IB Learners we are Knowledgeable and Reflective.  While students took the day off on January 15th, Martin Luther King's Birthday, our staff dug into a full day of Professional Development.  Topics included curriculum planning, data activities and new MTSS (multi tiered system of supports).  Our professional development is always hands on and led by staff.  During this PD, Carolyn Cregar, Erynn Pauli, Amy Lewan, Andrew Bausack, Ashley Finkley, Kurt Nuss, Molly Darnell and Meredith Julius, helped facilitate staff activities and learning. 

On Friday, January 26th, our Arts Conservatory students and Dance Team lit up the PAC stage in a series of amazing performances!  Led by Mrs. Brewer and Ms. Koivunen, you will find few programs across the state that match what our students deliver.  We also had the privileged of working with Oakland University’s dance company leading up to and during this evenings performances. OU has been very impressed with the growth of our students over the course of the year, and the growth of our program in the last few years. 

As IB Learners we are Caring.  On January 30th, our National Honors Society students held a Blood drive in our small gym. Over 100 students participated and donated approximately a pint of blood each.  Did you know: Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. Approximately 36,000 units of red blood cells are needed every day in the U.S.  Events like our annual blood drive help our students develop empathy, compassion and respect.  Our NHS students have a commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.

This month, students from Mrs. Lengemann’s Web Design I class earned Microsoft Technology Associate Certification in the computer languages of CSS and HTML.  Certifications are made possible through the partnership of the State of Michigan & Microsoft.  It offers the ability to earn industry recognized certifications at no cost to the student!  Microsoft Certifications are also great resume builders!  Congrats to Tommy, Vivian, Ben, & Bennett.  Click here for more information on Certifications!

On January 19th and 22nd, OHS administration held a parent and student 'Internet Dangers' assembly.  Investigative Computer Crimes Unit Detective, John Elges, joined us to present helpful information to our parents and students.  The purpose was to inform our community of the ramifications students may experience through the inappropriate use of their cell phones. Our main goal at OHS is always to keep a positive learning environment where our students feel safe, comfortable and supported.  How our students digitally communicate with one another impacts their social and emotional state.   

The I’m 3rd Student Volunteer group traveled to the Baldwin Center on Monday, Jan. 22nd to mentor elementary and middle school students who attend an after school program.  Oxford students used iPads and creativity to teach the youngsters listening skills, built arts and crafts together, helped with homework, served dinner and departed after receiving numerous hugs and well wishes.  The volunteer group has developed a solid and meaningful relationship with the Baldwin center and would like to visit more frequently.  If you’re interested in driving or being a part of positive change in neighboring communities, please contact Joe Amabile at the High School. 

The Spanish Club is preparing to highlight some of our Hispanic students in February for a discussion about school life in different parts of the Spanish speaking world.  Students will learn about the school schedule and different extracurricular activities in Mexico and Puerto Rico. The Club's aim is to provide an increased awareness about various cultures from around the world. They hope to participate in different activities to build respect and tolerance for other cultures and lifestyles.

Our Student Newspaper staff launched a new website in October: www.Ohsnews.org.  Our dedicated team of 18 writers, five of whom pull double-duty as editors, and one dedicated website manager - are working hard to report the news in an unbiased, fair and balanced way.  Please check them out!

Our OHS News Broadcasting has also made some outstanding updates to their daily news show.  You can subscribe to their YouTube Channel and even set alerts to receive their news each day.

Communication & Information

Parents who are better informed are more likely to be engaged and supportive of their child and our learning community.  Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the following pages within and in addition to our OHS Homepage.

Mr. Wolf’s Top 6

1. If you don’t already receive our weekly emails from OHS Administration, please click on SchoolMessenger and subscribe to receive helpful weekly info and updates.
2. Our Parents & Students webpage is a great resource for parents to access student grades & attendance (PowerSchool), teacher websites (Haiku) and other school resources.
3. Please visit our OHS School Calendar to view upcoming events.
4. OHS News Broadcasting YouTube Channel is where you can find all daily announcements.  Subscribing and/or viewing on a regular basis will help keep you informed and updated.
5. Our Counseling webpage has a number of resources for you and your student, including our curriculum, career resources, transcripts and services.
6. Make sure you are also visiting our Athletic Website for athletic event dates, games and information.  We are currently working on a redesigned website that we hope you will love using.

• Check out our Twitter page @oxford_hs to see day-to-day highlights of our wonderful learning community!
• Our student Newspaper staff has launched a new website: www.Ohsnews.org with a dedicated team of 18 writers working hard to report the news in an unbiased, fair and balanced way. 
• OCS Facebook is another way to see day-to-day highlights district-wide.
• Wildcat Review Newsletters are created each quarter to highlight all of the outstanding work and accomplishments throughout Oxford Community Schools.

Thanks for your support and help in keeping Oxford an amazing Community!

Steve Wolf 

Principal – Oxford High School


@stevenwolfedu