Oceanside High School Weekly Update

Dear Oceanside Families,

As we approach the Thanksgiving fall break, I want to take a moment to express how deeply thankful I am for each of you. We are incredibly fortunate to be part of a vibrant Oceanside community where kindness, support, and a shared commitment to growth are at the heart of everything we do. It is because of the people we know—our colleagues, our friends, our mentors—that we can achieve great things together.

This is a time to reflect on all the blessings we have, from the strength of our community to the opportunities before us. I encourage you to take this break to rest, recharge, and enjoy the company of loved ones. Whether you're spending the time in relaxation or reflection, remember to take care of yourselves, and come back ready to finish the term strong.

Wishing you all a safe, peaceful, and rejuvenating break. We'll see you back soon, ready to continue the journey with renewed energy and enthusiasm!

Warm regards,

Dr. Skyler M. Garrahy

Principal OHS

@skylergarrahy

Whether you need a quick application review or are waiting until the last minute to begin your application, we are here to help!

Application support is available:

• ALL DAY on Friday, 11/22 in GEAR UP & the College & Career Center.
• Monday of Thanksgiving Break (11/25) IN PERSON in GEAR UP, hosted by TRIO & GEAR UP
• Tuesday, 11/26 & Wednesday, 11/27 of Thanksgiving Break VIRTUALLY. Email baguilar@csusm.edu to schedule an appointment
• Monday, December 2nd (DEADLINE DAY!) 8:00 am - 3:30 pm in the College & Career Center, 8:00 am - 7:00 pm in GEAR UP

Nine OHS students recently participated in a forest management competition, The Forestry Challenge, in the San Bernardino National Forest, where they developed technical and academic skills to address real forest management issues. After three days of intense work, one of the teams placed 3rd in the regional competition, earning a spot in the Championship round in April. This marks their third consecutive year advancing to the finals, where students will compete against top schools from across California. Go Pirates!

Look for the ‘Pirate Players’ Theatre Program’s upcoming production of Much Ado About Nothing. More information coming soon!

Your support is crucial in helping our program to achieve its goals. This fundraiser will help raise money for equipment, Competition teams, travel expenses, and so much more. Please share our fundraiser with your friends via email and social media. We appreciate your help and couldn't do it without you!

Cross Country

It was a perfect day for a near perfect performance for Oceanside's Malia Guillen and Alexis Torres at the Avocado League Cross Country Championships at Kit Carson Park Saturday morning.

With temperatures around 60 degrees and clear skies, the 3.05 rolling hills course provides a fair challenge for runners seeking all-league honors. The top 10 finishers earn first-team honors and 11 through 20 make the second team.

In all, the Pirates had six runners make the All-Avocado League teams with Guillen and Torres leading the way.

Guillen, a junior, surged to the front at the beginning of the race and never looked back, going wire-to-wire with a personal best time of 18:54, making her the Avo runner of the year. Caleigha Kelly ran down three girls in the final 800 meters and held them off for 10th place (21:17) to make the first team. Addison Ashby (22:15), who ran JV all last season, and Maya Hernandez (22:03), a freshman, both had tremendous races to make the Avo second team.

Torres executed the perfect plan, improving his personal best time by 53 seconds (17:02) to take third place and make all-league first team. The senior sat in 10th place after the first mile, allowing the leaders to do the majority of the work up front. Then, the senior worked his way to the top three and matched the surges to make the podium. Joshua Silva waited patiently and came in 19th place (18:15).

Guillen takes third in CIF Finals

Early in the CIF Division 2 cross country, Malia Guillen had a decision to make on Saturday morning.

The junior, who was battling a chest cold, ran her slowest first mile of the season and trailed a group of six entering the midway point of the 2.96-mile race at Morley Field in San Diego. Guillen pushed through and found herself in a battle with two runners from Scripps Ranch and another from Mt. Carmel with about a mile to go. In the end, Guillen outlasted the other three runners to nab third place and advance to the State Cross Country meet on Nov. 30 in Woodward Park in Clovis. Guillen set a personal best time of 18:37.6, more than 2:30 faster than her best time on the Morley Field course. Her time bested the school record on that course by 51 seconds.

Guillen's teammates Carleigh Kelly (20:27), Kori Perry (20:41), Addison Ashby (21:28), Maya Hernandez (21:39) and Aubrie Johnson (22:11) all set personal best for a 6th place team finish.

Boys Basketball

Boys basketball Wins Opener

The Oceanside boys basketball team won its season-opening 50-44 win over High Tech High Mesa on Saturday.

Ethan Fernandez led the Pirates with 18 points, while Jaelin Watts and Matix Agee added 11 points apiece.

We are in urgent need of parents to step into Board Positions for next year. Please contact us if you are interested. PTSO is volunteer run and needs new parents to step in as others "graduate". Our organization fills a lot of gaps in our community to support clubs, CTE pathways, students and our amazing teachers and staff.

For those new to OHS, PTSO includes Parents, Teachers and Students to support the school community. Some of our goals are to promote parent interaction, support the faculty and staff and promote student achievement. Each year is a bit different so we welcome your ideas on ways we can support the school. The donations we receive and the funds we raise go toward staff appreciation events, teacher and club grants, student events, and more. We work closely with our principal Mrs.Garrahy, the administrators and counseling team to be responsive to current needs. All members have a vote in how our funds are used and we have a few openings for leadership positions if you want to give some time.

If you would like to join us or renew your membership for the year, please fill out the form here: OHS PTSO Form . If you are interested in volunteering or serving on the board, please indicate that on the form.

Whether you participate in meetings or not, you can support our efforts with a tax-deductible donation. Please go here: PTSO Donation Page (Paypal or CC) or use our new venmo @osideptso. And please join us for our restaurant nights throughout the year.

We typically meet monthly on the first Wednesday of the month at 6pm. Stay connected with us by joining our Facebook group @Oceanside High School PTSO Parents for Pirates or following us on Instagram @piratesptso. We also encourage you to choose Oceanside High School PTSO as your designated charity in your AmazonSmile account. https://smile.amazon.com/ch/77-0684642

Please direct any questions to ohsptsomembership@gmail.com.

The nonprofit Oceanside High School Foundation was originally founded in 1986. Left inactive after the Oceanside High School 90th reunion, this vital organization was re-established in 2005 to organize the school’s centennial celebration. Today, the Oceanside High School Foundation continues to serve the students, staff and alumni of OHS. Working on behalf of Oceanside High School, the Foundation helps provide funds for student programs, scholarships, faculty grant awards, campus improvement projects, the annual All-Class Reunion, Hall of Fame and other activities helping to lessen the disparity between student’s needs and state/district funding. We also serve as a liaison and database for alumni and their respective classes.

OHS Foundation Website