Winter Highlights at Oxford High School

A Memorable Winter at OHS!

What makes OHS an outstanding school is both the number and quality of opportunities our students are provided.  The purpose of this blog is to highlight and share the amazing things that take place at Oxford High School.  Our mission is to provide an education that challenges all students to achieve their maximum potential.  We strive to help our students become the best version of themselves.  Our amazing students inspire our staff and give us purpose to work hard to help them succeed.  Our students also give us pride and joy when they excel at everything they do.  This is why we aim to celebrate our success and accomplishments. 

Relationships First.  Learning is about making connections - both cognitively and socially.  Without a connection, learning lacks meaning.  We know that personal connections facilitate learning, and that's why we value the relationships we build with each other in our learning community.

Oxford High School celebrated our Winterfest Pep Assembly and Dance this February.  Student's gathered on Friday, February 15th, to honor our Student court, pictured below, and celebrate our clubs and athletic teams.  Check out our Winterfest Assembly Video, created by our TV News students.

On Friday, February 22nd, OHS held our annual Special Olympics PAWS Game vs Lake Orion High School.  You've never heard our Ian Smith Gymnasium louder than during this annual competition!  

Please congratulate our 2018-2019 Oxford High School Teacher of the Year winner, Mrs. Nicole Barnett!

On Saturday, March 2, 2019, Oxford High School hosted its fourth annual TEDxOHS event—where juniors and seniors presented their “ideas worth spreading” before an intimate audience in the Performing Arts Center.  This year’s theme was Today Defines Tomorrow, and speakers centered their talks around the notion that what we do today carries into the future.  The event was organized by senior Bella Lowe, who got by with a little help from her friends.  OHS student presenters included Juniors Katelyn DiGasbarro, John Keller, Maddie Cutler, and Halla Swindle as well as seniors Beth Devlin, Keara O’Mara, and Allison Zardus.

Amanda Bausack's students are pictured below utilizing Restorative Circles following training from Restorative Practice Coordinator, Pam Fine.  The purpose is to maintain and strengthen the relationship and learning environment in class. 

Picture below, OHS Mentor students facilitate a Bully Busters lesson at Oxford Middle School during Advisory class.  This class is led by Katie Goetz and a select group of students who aim at improving School Culture.  Our Bully Buster's program is led by Pam Fine, as part of our District OLWEUS Bullying Prevention Program.

As IB Learders we are Principled. We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.

In January, OHS Sophomores capped off their Personal Inquiry Projects by holding a presentation event in our Performing Arts Center.  The MYP personal project is a student-centered practical exploration in which students consolidate their learning throughout the MYP programme. This long-term project is designed as an independent learning experience which assesses students’ ATL skills for self-management, research, communication, critical and creative thinking, and collaboration.

As IB Learners we are Communicators.  We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways.  We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.

Our World Language students organized a 'Letters to Santa" activity this December. Each World Language was represented and participated. The letters were taken to Macy's where our students donated a dollar to Make a Wish Foundation for each letter written.  Many students  asked to write more than one letter. As a result, our students raised approximately $600!  

Exciting things have been happening in American Sign Language classes this Winter!

This included work on interpreting children’s books in preparation to read at Clear Lake Elementary next month.  Our ASL Club also signed National anthem at February's PAWS game. 

This Thanksgiving, our Spanish students in Mrs. Jakubik's class reflected on what they're thankful for.

As IB Learners we are Caring.  We show empathy, compassion and respect.  We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.

Senior David Lawrie helped our Leadership students get OHS into the Holiday spirit by decorating the hallways during our last week of school in December.  On his own time and dime - David has dressed up as Santa during each of his four years at OHS.  David enjoyins spreading the Holiday spirit around our building, as he hands out gifts to each of our staff members and gives treats for many to enjoy.  

OHS Choir joined Superintendent Tim Throne for a photo during the Oxford Soup and Sweet stroll in downtown Oxford.  OCS administration volunteered their time, with the help of Karen Bissett and Food Service's tasty treats!

As IB Learners we are Thinkers.  We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems.  We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decision. 

Mrs. Bausack's AP Statistics students used a hypothesis test to see if they can really tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi. 42 out of the 63 students who participated could tell if their two cups were the same pop or different pops. Therefore, with 95% confidence, we concluded that there was statistical evidence to support that AP Statistics students could tell the difference between the two pops.

On November 7th, OHS held our semester CTE Advisory meeting, led by CTE Coordinator, Lisa Butts. This event is held as an opportunity for our community and business partners to see our programs, updates and efforts to prepare our students for potential career and technical fields.  After breakfast and an introduction, our various CTE programs and courses broke out into their classrooms to meet with our CTE teachers for a brief presentation and Q & A's. 

Oxford High School students attending MiCareer Quest in Novi on November 28th.  During this event, students rotate through quadrants highlighting four high-demand industries: Advanced Manufacturing, Construction, Health Sciences and Information Technology.  Students engage with professionals and participate in activities that showcase various high-growth occupations, opening their eyes to opportunities for possible future careers. 

Additionally, representatives from educational institutions help students make the connection between training, education and careers.

From March 8th -10th, Oxford DECA students competed in the annual State Career Development Conference in Detroit. DECA is an organization that prepares emerging leaders in marketing, hospitality, finance, management, and entrepreneurship in colleges and high schools around the globe. At this conference, students were graded on their extensive papers and 15 minute presentations regarding their findings in research and community-based projects. A total of 60 students competed against the best business-students in the state. Of the 60 students who competed, 44 were given the state finalist honor and 23 were deemed “state champions” - moving onto the International Career Development Conference in Orlando, Florida. These students, then, will compete against 20,000+ students to win awards for their work. These awards can result in scholarship opportunities and provide a real-world networking experience. Oxford DECA prepares the future business professionals of tomorrow. 

Oxford High School HOSA - Health Occupation Students of America students dominating the Regional Competition on Saturday, December 15th at Rochester High School! We had a well represented 104 students compete this year, with 74 students qualify for states, and 20 students earning medals for top 3 in their event. Oxford gave it 100% as there were 974 total students competing!

Oakland University's School of Health Sciences faculty and students taught Oxford High School seniors about Exercise Science, Medical Lab Science, Environmental Health & Safety, and Radiological Technology. 

Please check out the Business Professionals of America (BPA) promotional video that earned Clayton Willis, Bruce Darrin and Dane Von Allmen our First Place at Regionals! BPA Promotional Video 

Oxford High School had 7 BPA students advance to the state competition in Grand Rapids, as well as 19 BPA student make the trip to the Regional Leadership Conference competition.  Here are the the state and regional  results:

STATE COMPETITION

Fundamentals of Web Design - 1st 

Thomas Giberson

Video Production Team - 3rd

Clayton Willis

Bryce Darrin

Dane Von Allmen

Small Business Management Team - 5th 

Noah Shable

Chloe Allen

REGIONAL COMPETITION

Small Business Management Team - 1st 

Noah Shable

Chloe Allen

Video Production Team - 1st

Clayton Willis

Bryce Darrin

Dane Von Allmen

Fundamentals of Web Design - 2nd

Thomas Giberson

Graphic Design and Promotion - 5th

Mattie Johnson

Broadcast News - 3rd 

Ryan Upton

Trey Townsend

Dylan Rebtoy

Joesph Miller

It's scholarship season in our Counseling Department!   Pictures below, our talented administrative assistant, Kendrea Shenfeld, has created a scholarship wall to track our student's progress at applying for Financial Aid and Scholarships.  We are encouraging students to visit our counseling office and scholarship page for the possibility of receiving an award for College.

On December 11th, Oxford Community Schools held a luncheon for our Rotary Club of Oxford in our PAC lobby.  This event serves as an opportunity to thank our local residents for their support and trust in OCS.  Karen Bissett and our Food Services created some delicious lunch entrees, beverages and deserts.  Our custodial staff, transportation staff and students from all areas of our building took time to show their respect by volunteering.  This was a district-wide effort and one that we are excited to hold! 

This year's Many Moods of Christmas concerts, featuring the Oxford High School Choir, and Chorus Director, Mr. Card, were again outstanding!  With a sell out crowd for each of the five performances at OMS, our students once again demonstrated their reputation for excellence on a national and international level.  The atmosphere and quality of performance they delivered each night was truly special.  

Oxford's Choir spent a week touring Ireland this month and sharing their voices. Enjoy a brief snippet of their beautiful sound at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland, as they sing the Irish Blessing. 

In November, our Dance Conservatory advanced level students participated in the Oakland Dance Festival. Our Dance Conservatory is led by Mrs. Stavropoulos and Mrs. Brewer.  The Oakland Dance Festival is an event were all the mid-west colleges with dance programs come to teach classes to high school level students. They also have an adjudication process were dancers must be voted on (by college professors) to make it through 3 different rounds.  The advanced company were ranked 1st out of 70 different groups by college professors. They were also asked to perform in the college showcase as one of 3 high schools dance groups. This is our second year in a row to receive this honor.  

Thirteen of Dance Conservatory students were also selected to participate in a choreography showdown at Madonna University on March 20th. The showcase is a competition between high school dance programs in Michigan. We were 1 of 5 schools to be selected to participate this year. 

The Oxford high School Orchestras performed in the MSBOA District 3 Festival on Saturday, March 2nd, 2019. The Concert Orchestra received an overall “Excellent” rating (division 2), and the Symphony Orchestra received an overall “Superior” rating (division 1). Students prepared for this performance in less than 20 rehearsals (due to snow days) and were still able to achieve high ratings! Additionally, in January 2019, senior Nadia Smith was selected to perform as a violist with the Michigan All-State High School Orchestra at the Michigan Music Conference in Grand Rapids. Nadia was selected to be a member of this ensemble out of over 2,000 applicants from all over the state of Michigan. She joins a select group of elite musicians to perform in this ensemble, including her brother (an OHS student as well), Zachariah Smith!

On January 26th, 2019, OHS hosted its first ever Model United Nations conference - OxMUN19.  This was the first event hosted by our school's team and the first event ever held in Northern Oakland County.  75 students from various high schools visited OHS for the day to discuss important global issues such as international access to the internet, regulation of artificial intelligence, and alternative energy sources.  OxMUN19 was designed, organized, and executed by senior Brady Wyniemko with the help of seniors Alyssa Schefke, Will Guthrie, and Seth Grove.  This event also served as Brady's senior CAS project for the completion of his IB diploma.  In addition, three Oxford alumni joined us as staff members to celebrate the great achievement. On March 17th, Oxford Model UN traveled to MSU for a competetion where they earned the only team award  “The Spirit of Sparta”. This is a congeniality award that acknowledges our students as those who best embodied what it means to be a well-rounded UN delegate and a good sport.  

The Oxford Model UN team's next event will be a collegiate level conference held at Michigan State University the weekend of March 15th.  Fourteen students will be attending the conference and they will be representing the countries of India, Botswana, Costa Rica, and Bolivia.

OHS Power-lifting Club had another great year. It is a short season but successful one. We had 4 new freshman added to the team. We also had two state qualifiers- Jordyn Beebe and Alycia Rice. Jordyn finished in the top 10 in the state lifting a total of 545 lbs.  

Class of 2020 Sophomore's received a "Have to Choose" presentation from Judge Julie Nicholson, in March in our Performing Arts Center. She spoke with students about the impact of their decisions for the future and the power of choice.  

As IB Leaners, we strive to be Caring. We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us. In return, this also helps us connect with others and build a positive school climate.

OHS held our annual Charity Week and Teacher Rumble this winter, beginning March 10th.  The goal is to raise money for various local organizations our students select.  This year Oxford High School students and staff raised over $7,000! School-wide fund raising activities included:

• Power-Tough Volleyball
• Rabble Basket Tickets- on sale during lunch
• Parking Permit Rabble Tickets
• Candy Jar Guessing Game
• Teacher/Admin Dye or Shave Hair goal
• Turn Down the Music Hat & Jean Day
• Chores for Charity
• Coin Stalls

Our hard working Senior Parent group held our annual Silent Auction on February 15th to help raise money for our Senior All Night Party this May.  OCS community was welcomed to our cafeteria where they could enjoy a spaghetti dinner for just $5 a person or $20 per family.  Guests could also buy raffle tickets for gift baskets and auction different items donated by OHS parents.  All proceeds benefit the 2019 Senior All Night Party.

I'm 3rd Volunteer Group, led by MYP Coordinator and Math Coach, Joe Amabile, spent time at Soup Kitchen this December The I’m 3rd student recently volunteered at Grace Centers of Hope in Pontiac, Michigan.   

They also visited Grace Centers and the Flint Food Bank in November.  Grace Centers is a unique program that aids homeless men, women, and children by providing a warm bed, cooked meals, job training, and education.  Oxford student volunteers have done a great job preparing and serving meals at Grace Centers for over 5 years now.   If interested in future volunteer events, please contact the Club's new lead - Mrs. Jakubik.  

NHS and Leadership teamed up this November to collect cans for FISH Oxford/Orion.  Our winning class celebrated their victory with a free breakfast! 

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post and Auxiliary 334 stopped by Counseling today to present four OHS students with Medals and Cash Awards.  These students had entered the VFW Annual Voice of Democracy Essay Contest with this year’s theme being “Why My Vote Matters”.  The following students were awarded with a medal and a cash award between $150 and $50 depending on what place they took.

1st Place:              Katie Perry (11th Grade)

2nd Place:             Amanda Holcomb (12th Grade)

3rd Place:              Lindsey Palmer (12th Grade)

4th Place:              Kathryn Daily      (11th Grade)

OHS FIRST Robotics Team 2137 – TORC competed at the Bellville District event in Belleville, MI on March 9th.  Our Business Outreach and Awards Team and Marketing and Media team had the opportunity to compete at this event for the Chairman's Award. This award honors the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the mission of FIRST. The concept of the Chairman’s Award enables FIRST to recognize teams for their exemplary efforts in spreading the FIRST message. In order to be eligible for this award we have to submit an executive summary, long essay, video, and a presentation which 3 students present to a panel of judges the first day of the competition. Their hard work and effort was shown when it was announced that Team TORC won the Chairman's Award at the end of the competition! Please check out our Robotics Team Chairman's video: T.O.R.C. - TEAM 2137 2019 Chairman's Video

Mr. Basley's Auto Tech 1 students held their annual Brake Competition this February.  Students competing with each other for the fastest times in the complete disassembly and reassembly of a drum brake unit.  The fastest teams were treated to tool prizes, supplied by local businesses such at Steve's Automotive.  Timer’s included former students, staff and even Superintendent, Tim Throne, who donated his time to help out with the competition.  

As IB Learners - We are open-minded.  We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience

On March 6th, Oakland Schools Consultant, Dr. Jay Marks, visited OHS again further engage on our journey in Cultural Competency.  This teacher Professional Development work has been supported by our Student Diversity Club, GSA Club, Mrs. Prater and Mrs. Fine.  

OHS Social Justice Club collected toiletries donations for Turning Point Macomb, a domestic abuse and sexual violence shelter. Led by Mrs. Prater, Our students meet each week to help promote the principles of social justice, environmental justice and the respect for everyone.  Through their work, they discuss and learn about critical local and global social justice issues, like poverty, hunger, racial segregation, urban violence, women's rights and other forms of inequality and injustice.

OHS Leadership students hosted the 2019 MASC Regional Leadership Conference for hundreds of area Leadership students. The Wildcats used the Wizard of Oz theme to demonstrate to the conference attendees how to search for necessary leadership traits that may be missing such as empathy, creativity, attentiveness and an outgoing nature in order to succeed in bettering their school and community.

On March 18th, Freshman students received a Cyber Safety presentation, OK2SAY, in our Performing Arts Center.  Michigan's student safety program and the Michigan Cyber Safety Initiative helps organize free school visits that features content tailored specifically for our students. Oxford Community School is proud to support the Michigan CSI/OK2SAY program tokeep our students informed and empowered them to help keep our school safe.

With Senior Graduation Commencements only two months away (May 23rd), Mr. Nuss met with Seniors on March 20th to share information and preparing students for the big day!

OXFORD ATHLETICS

Stay connected and updated by bookmarking our Oxford Athletics Website.  You'll find scores, calendars, rosters and updated post game highlights.

Here is a recap of highlights from our Winter Athletic Programs - perhaps our most successful Winter Athletic season on record!  Please click on the team link to see more highlights, articles and great photos of our student-athletes.

Girls Basketball

• Overall Record: OAA White 11-3, Overall 15-6

Girls Bowling

• Megan Armbruster - Individual State Champion!
• 5th place at  team State Championships
• OAA Red Division Champions
• D1 Region 2 Regional Champions

Competitive Cheer

• OAA white league champions
• District qualifier - op 4, 
• Regional qualifiers 
• School record high score of 747.2

OAA awards: 

• Brenna Maurer 
• Skylar Enyart 
• Cassie darling
• Allexa Nieves
• Gabby Salas 
• Addie Matz
• Annie cobble
• Allison Zardus

All district team: 

1st team: 

• Brenna Maurer 
• Allexa Nieves

2nd team: 

• Allison Zardus 
• Gabi Stublensky

Honorable mention:

• Gabby Salas
• Kylie Childers 

All Regional team, Honorable mention: 

• Gabby Salas 

Ski

• Mackenzie Nichols (OHS Senior) -  21st place overall Girls Varsity Giant Slalom and 20th place overall Girls Varsity Slalom
• Jack Ford (HHS Junior) - 6th place overall Boys Varsity Giant Slalom and 9th place overall Boys Varsity Slalom
• Connor Ford (HHS Junior) - 4th place overall Boys Varsity Giant Slalom and 17th place overall Boys Varsity Slalom
• Leyton Reister (HHS Senior) - 56th place overall Boys Varsity Giant Slalom and 73rd place overall Boys Varsity Slalom

Boys Basketball  

• OAA Blue Championship
• District Championship
• Overall Record: 23-2 School Record

Hockey

• Jake Billis - two goals vs. Walled Lake Central Waterford United at District Playoffs.

Boys Swim

Five school records over the course of the season: 200 Medley Relay (Beatty, Datsko, Wolf, Pollard), the 200 Individual Medley (Wolf), the 500 Freestyle (Wolf), the 100 Breaststroke (Datsko), and the 400 Freestyle Relay (Beatty, Pollard, Datsko, Wolf).

Post-Season: Jake Boris, Evan Covert, and Michael Funke qualified for the Regional Diving Championships. Zach Beatty and Carson Wolf qualified for the Division I State Meet. Zach Beatty finished 22nd in the 500 Freestyle and Carson Wolf took 20th in the 500, breaking a 7-year-old school record. Carson Wolf came in 15th place in the State in the 200 Individual Medley.

• Fourth in OAA White 
• Regular Season Record: 9-1
• Zach Beatty - league champ and All-league in the 200 freestyle. 
• League champs and All-league in the 400 freestyle relay - Zach Beatty, Carter Pollard, Ben Datsko, and Carson Wolf.
• Carson Wolf - All-league in the 200 Individual Medley.  15th place in the 200 IM at Division I State Championship Meet. School record holder - 200 IM and 500 Free. 
• School record 200 Medley Relay and 400 Free Relay.

Academic All-State: 

• JJ Bagans
• Paul DeAngelis
• Ethan Matteson
• Lochlan Palmrose.

Wrestling

Three All-State individual wrestlers

• Austin Schlicht
• Trent Myre
• Darren McLoed

State qualifier:

• Jack Thompson

Boys Bowling

• 2nd place at team State Championships!
• OAA Red Division Champions
• D1 Region 2 Regional Champions
• D1 State Finalist. 

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 check out OHS Parent News and click 'follow OHS Administration' 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. Naviance is a college, post secondary and career readiness tool that helps students, parents and schools align strengths and interests to post high school goals,  connecting learning to life.
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.

Our Student Newspaper is led by a dedicated team of 17 writers, five of whom pull double-duty as editors, and one dedicated website manager.  They work hard to report the news in an unbiased, fair and balanced way.  Please check them out!

Our OHS News Broadcasting does an outstanding job delivering OHS news to our students and staff.  You can subscribe to their YouTube Channel and even set alerts to receive their news each day.

• Check out our Twitter page @oxford_hs to see day-to-day highlights of our wonderful learning community!
• 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