It’s May. We are less than three weeks away from graduation and the close of another school year at OCHS. I just realized last night, there are only two Fridays left with students on campus. Many people feel motivated by marking off days, but personally, I’m not one for countdowns, because I get so focused on the dwindling days on the calendar and forget to enjoy the moment. And moments are what we have left. In just three weeks we will close this chapter and prepare for a new one. New brings its own set of challenges and changes. Our seniors will not be back with us next year and even the returning students will be older, different, and hopefully a year smarter. Some of the familiar faces we see at faculty meetings will have moved on to other opportunities or shifted roles here in the district while new faces bring a new energy to the campus . When anticipating a change, we can get frustrated and impatient with the snail’s pace of time. We can look forward to the more relaxed pace summer brings and still enjoy the moments we have in May 2024.
In the next three weeks, we have multiple opportunities to celebrate the successes of 2023-24. Enjoy the festivities of Teacher Appreciation Week (May 6-10) and School Nurse Appreciation Day (May 8). If you can, plan to attend the NHS induction ceremony, FFA banquet, or band concert next week. Culinary and FFA are cooking BBQ. We have a sports banquet, attendance reward trip, and academic awards ceremony too. Please don’t miss Color Wars and the talent show. Then there are senior celebrations and graduation followed by our first end-of-year convocation hosted by Mrs. Evers. We are blessed to have so many successes from our staff and students to cheer about.
Celebrate the day to day as well. Find creative ways to reflect and enjoy final moments in your classroom. Much of our high-stakes testing is done, so take advantage of the freedom of schedule to engage your students in some “fun” learning. Have them write letters to someone who has helped them this year or a letter to their past self to show how much they have grown and learned. Play games, solve puzzles, research conspiracy theories, make scrapbooks of the year’s memories or a playlist representing their lives. Teach them about your favorite hobbies or activities. For the really brave, hold end-of-year conferences or interviews with your students. Ask them for feedback about your class. Debate the possibilities of if there was going to be a soundtrack playing for the ending credits of the 2023-24 school year what would it be? (Think “Don’t You Forget About Me” from Simple Minds at the end of The Breakfast Club).Here’s a chance to finish the semester in a way that reminds our kids they are more than grades and test scores and there are all kinds of ways to learn. Our students are counting the days as well, why not make their last days in your class memorable. I’d love to hear your ideas and experiences.
Upcoming Opportunities for Celebration
NHS Inductions May 6 in the Library 5:30 pm
FFA Banquet May 7 in the Cafeteria 5:30 pm
Spring Band Concert May 9 in the HS Gym 6:00 pm
Athletic Banquet May 13 in the Cafeteria 6:00 pm
Senior Class School Board Fellowship May 14 in the HS Gym 6:00
Academic Awards Assembly May 16 in the HS Gym
Senior Walk May 20 (all campuses) 8:00 am
HS Graduation May 23 at Mobberly Baptist Church, Longview at 7:00 om
“If you are having a bad day, don’t waste your time complaining because 80% of the people do not care that you are having a bad day and the other 20% are glad you are having a bad day.”
– Robert Flewelling
One of our more colorful and active faculty members is our focus today. Mr. Robert Flewelling is finishing his third year teaching Ag and acting as faculty advisor to the local FFA chapter at OCHS. While the shop is his main classroom, you will often see him in other areas of campus carrying out some of his “unofficial duties” such as front-door-greeter, cafeteria-announcement-maker, and honorary assistant basketball coach/bus driver. Robert was influenced to work in education because of the impact his own high school Ag teacher had upon his life in the hopes he can encourage and influence the students in his own classes the same way. His goals led him to study Ag Education at Tarleton State University. He measures his success in the classroom by his ability to encourage his kids to pursue their own successful careers. A long time sports fan (especially baseball and Nascar) he wants his students to understand “life is merely a game with ever-changing rules. At some point you have to quit arguing with the umpire and run the bases.” (I may have to make that a poster for my wall!) Like many, he values those moments when the joy of accomplishment lights up a student's face when they accomplish a good weld or learn a new skill. Mostly, he wants students to learn the value of a strong work ethic and that nothing is gained without effort, like President Eisenhower said, “Farming might look easy when your plow is a pencil and you’re a thousand miles from a corn field.”
Robert married his wife and co-teacher M’Lynn, whom he considers his greatest asset and “the most beautiful girl in the world” after meeting her at Tarleton. Their journey together started after college graduation and they are enjoying married life and caring for their “dogter” Honey. The youngest of three children in his family, he has a bevy of nieces and nephews to enjoy. Besides his wife and family, Robert loves smoking meat, Mexican food, and his classic 80s model Ford Truck. In his free time, you can find him communing with his cows or going on crazy adventures with his wife. He loves visiting the mountains or areas with colder temperatures than his hometown East Texas, and wishes for the power to teleport there. After a long and productive career in education, Robert hopes to earn the job of the neighborhood’s grumpy old man with nothing better to do that sit on his porch and yell (lovingly) at the neighborhood children who dare to set foot on his lawn. Mr. Flew is a great asset to the faculty of OCHS and the Ag department. Step out to the shop or sit down for a lunch visit. You will walk away happier than before you started.
Upcoming Events
- Friday, May 3: Baseball Playoffs vs. Cumby at Winnsboro
- Monday, May 6: Post-testing in the Library
- Monday, May 6: NHS Induction Ceremony 5:30 pm
- Tuesday, May 7: College Shirt Day
- Tuesday, May 7: TSI Testing Math for Sophomores
- Tuesday, May 7: FFA Banquet
- Wednesday, May 8: Post-testing in the Library
- Wednesday, May 8: Letter Jacket Sizing
- Wednesday, May 8: Athletic Physicals for grades 6, 8, 10 at Spring Hill High School
- Wednesday, May 8: Staff B12 and Lipo Shots/Student Vaccination Clinic
- Thursday, May 9: TSI Testing Math for Juniors
- Thursday, May 9: Spring Band Concert in the OCHS Gym
- Friday, May 9: Meningitis Shot Clinic for Jrs/Srs
- Friday, May 10: Culinary/FFA Meal -- BBQ
- Friday, May 10: Post-testing in the Library
- Sunday, May 12: Mother's Day (Call Your Mama)
- Monday, May 13: Athletic Banquet
- Tuesday, May 14: UIL State Speech and Debate Meet in Austin
- Tuesday May 14: Senior Class'School Board Get-Together in HS Gym
- Wednesday, May 15 Attendance Reward Trip Medieval Times
- Thursday, May 16: Awards Assembly in HS Gym
- Friday, May 17: Color Wars and Talent Show