Oakwood High School Newsletter

We are excited to start the school year. We have kicked off the year with some of our first athletic events. Our fall kickoff event was a success with the scrimmage for volleyball and football. Please purchase a raffle ticket from a high school athlete. They will have them available at the game versus Momence on Friday. We will have several raffles to win cash and this is a fundraiser to support all athletic teams and clubs!

OHS has tshirts on sale for Pit Crew for students. If students would like to purchase them, they are on sale in the office for $15.

There are also Black OHS Oakwood T-Shirts for sale in the office. They are $15 or 2 for $25.

It is never too early to get ready for the next school year. If your child is due for a physical you can have it completed now and turn it in to one of the nurses. This will count for the school physical requirement for the 25/26 school year. You may also complete needed vaccines now as long as your child has reached the appropriate age. Your provider will know the appropriate age. Oakwood CUSD#76 will require day 1 compliance for the 25/26 school year. Any student not meeting the required physical and immunizations for their grade level will not be able to start school on DAY 1. Proof of appointments will NOT be accepted.

If your student is due for a sports physical please make sure to always ask for a general physical form as well. A sports physical form cannot be used for required school physicals for students entering grades PK, K, 6th, and 9th.

If you have any questions please contact one of the school nurses.

Yesterday, OHS students took a break from the keyboarding lessons to accept a "new" challenge: Type some complete sentences on a ninety-year-old typewriter with minimal mistakes.

Needless to say, they gained much appreciation for modern word processors like Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

It's never too early to start thinking about scholarships and how you are going to pay for college. I have a scholarship list on the Oakwood website. It is a Google Sheet that I update as quickly as possible when I receive information or when I see scholarships have opened. Here is the link: 2024-2025 Scholarship Information.

You can also find this on the website by going to Oakwood76.org.

Click on Schools, Oakwood High School.

Click More, OHS Guidance Counselor Information

Financial Aid (top right corner)

2024-2025 Scholarship List

September 5-College Day @ DACC

September 5-WyoTech Lunch Visit

September 9-McKendree Lunch Visit

September 11-Blackburn Visit (Breakfast/Homeroom)

September 12- Eastern Illinois University Visit (Breakfast/Homeroom)

October 2- Bradley University Visit (Breakfast/Homeroom)

The students completed a project in Business Concepts where they were to create something out of a bandana then create an ad to market it. The project challenges them to think outside the box and be creative. One student, Rycelyn Cunningham, took her project a step further and made her project come to life. She went home and made her bandana pants. The first picture is Rycelyn's marketing piece of her product and the 2nd picture is of her wearing them to school

The Spanish classes are diving into the year at full-force! Our new curriculum takes a new approach to learning a language, in which a foreign language is taught the same way a first language is taught. Students see and hear the language at a level they can understand with their prior knowledge of language. Students have enjoyed creating their own stories, interpreting narrations of videos, and listening to new songs!

This is my second year as the Oakwood High School Principal and my 5th year as an administrator. This is my 21st year in education where prior to joining administration I taught Mathematics at the middle school, high school and college level. I am a life long learner and am looking forward to starting my doctorate in Education. I'm excited for a great year. It's a great day to be a COMET!

My name is Zach Steele, Oakwood High School Athletic Director and Assistant Principal. This is my 18th year as an educator and my 2nd year as an administrator. I attended Eastern Illinois University for my Bachelors and Masters in Education & Educational Leadership. I have a wife Andrea who is also in education along with two sons, Drew (10) and George (8). I also have a Goldendoodle named Burrow. When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with family, attending my children’s sports contests, traveling, reading, and watching movies. I look forward to working with the students, staff, and community of Oakwood & Fithian. Go Comets!

I grew up in Marshall, Illinois and attended Marshall High School! I attended SIU in Carbondale and graduated in 1972 from there with a BS in Physical Education! I taught in Marshall for 3 1/2 years in Elementary PE. I moved to Fithian in 75-76 and started teaching Health at Oakwood HS! I have been here since! I love to work as a hobby! I also love to make a difference!! I have been a loyal Comet for years after relinquishing being a loyal Marshall Lion! 🤗

I graduated from the University of Phoenix with my Bachelor's and Master's in Accounting. I worked in management in the corporate world for 18 years prior to moving into education. I started as a substitute teacher in late 2019 until Covid hit. I started teaching in the fall of 2020 and have never looked back. I own an apparel printing and promotional product business that we started in 2011 called Platinum Apparel. This business along with my many years of experience allows me to teach my students hands on and real world techniques. I married my high school sweetheart and best friend in 1990 right after I graduated high school and we just celebrated 34 years of marriage. Greg and I have two daughters who are both OHS graduates. Keighlee is starting her 3rd year of teaching 5th grade Special Education at Hoopeston after graduating from ISU. Anniston is a recent U of I graduate and is currently applying for med school to one day become a Forensic Psychiatrist. She currently works at Rosecrance as an Addictions Counselor. I love spending time with my family, which has changed throughout the years now that my daughters are both grown. We love just hanging out at home, going out to eat, riding the motorcycle, and traveling. My faith is very important to me and grows stronger with each new step in life. I'm not sure where I would be without it. I truly believe God is with me everyday and has led me into teaching later in life to fulfill the purpose He has for me.

Hello. This is my 3rd year as a Resource Teacher here at OHS. I have two kids at Unity. Noah is a senior and Clare (my youngest!) is a sophomore. It has been a good start to the year. Go COMETS!

This will be my fourth year at Oakwood High School, but my sixteenth year teaching in a classroom. I love teaching and learning new and creative ways to engage my students. When I am not teaching, I like being outside: working in the yard, riding my bike, kayaking, hiking, etc. I grew up in Oakwood ,and I feel lucky to serve the community as the ninth grade Language Art's teacher.

I graduated from Welch College with a Bachelor of Science in Biology Education with a major in theology. This will be my 8th year teaching I have taught 2 years in middle school Social Studies and 5 years of science prior. I enjoy cooking, reading, and technology, including building my own computer. This is my 1st year in Oakwood. It's a great day to be a comet.

Joshua Devors - Career & technology education (CTE) teacher. I have a master's degree in automation engineering from ISU and have 14 year's experience teaching engineering & tech classes. I enjoy art, hiking, swimming, music festivals, antiques, and restoration. We have a wonderful six-year-old girl. This is my sixth year teaching at Oakwood High School. Go Big O!

My name is Josh Ehrnwald, and I am one of the new staff (Special Education teacher) here at Oakwood High School this year. I attended the University of Illinois for my undergraduate degree (in History), and later attended Eastern Illinois University for my teaching degree and graduate school. I have a cat (named Pancho), and I enjoy reading, cinema, and gaming as hobbies. Looking forward to having a great year!

I am a December 2020 graduate of the University of Illinois. My major was English, and I minored in Spanish. This is my 1st full year as a teacher, and I am very excited to be here! In my free time, I enjoy crafting, shopping, and spending time with my family.

I went to Illinois State University for my Bachelors in Math Education. This is my 19th year teaching at Oakwood High School. I am the head coach of the Oakwood/Salt Fork Soccer team and an assistant coach for the OHS Girls' Basketball team.

Hailey Meltzer - Family and Consumer Sciences I earned my Bachelors of Music Education K-12 in 2018 and started out in a very small rural school with only 125 kids in K-8. The following year, I was asked to also teach Social Studies in addition to Music, and being the history fan that I am, I had a blast! I spent 6 years in Music Education before making the leap to FACS at OHS, and I can't wait to see where the year takes us. I am currently finishing my Masters of Science in Curriculum and Instruction through WGU, with my capstone focus on social-emotional learning in middle and high schools. In the future, I plan to also earn a Masters in Educational Technology, because continuing education is important to me! Outside of school and learning, I love to travel, read, garden, and hang at home with my husband and pups.

Graduated from Blue Ridge High School in 1999 and Illinois State University in 2003. My bachelor degree is in Social Science, with six different discipline endorsements. This is my 21st year of teaching, and 19th at Oakwood High School. I have a sophomore and 6th-grader in the district, a 17-year old dachshund, been to 8 different MLB stadiums, and live and mostly die with the Illini, Bears, and Cubs.

I graduated from Eastern Illinois University for my undergraduate degree in Mathematics with a Teaching Certification. I have 9 years of teaching experience in high school mathematics. This is my sixth year at Oakwood.

I am starting my seventh year at OHS and 33rd overall. I am a graduate of EIU and am a fan of many sports.

I am an Oakwood High School and Eastern Illinois Graduate. This will be my 13th year at OHS and my 24th year in education. I teach Driver Education and Physical Education. I am the head baseball coach at the high school and grade school.

Amanda Nichols- OHS Art
I graduated from Eastern Illinois University with an undergraduate degree in Art with Teaching Certification. In May I graduated from EIU again, this time with a Master of Arts degree. This is my 8th year at Oakwood High School. In addition to teaching, I am the Art Club advisor and GSA Sponsor. You can find me spending time with my children and dogs when I am not in school. We have a Chihuahua and a family of Miniature Pinchers that we have rescued.

I graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in History/Social Science Education. I've spent the past 7 years at Oakwood High School, teaching US History, Economics, and Modern World History. Beyond teaching, I direct Oakwood's Drama Club, run Tabletop Game Club, and coach the Scholastic Bowl team. Oakwood is full of opportunity -- I'm happy to do what I can to provide that to students!

I graduated from Eastern Illinois University with my Music Education Degree. This is my first year teaching and also my first year at Oakwood! I like to bake desserts, play card games, and of course listen to music and play different instruments. I am very excited for this new school year!

I graduated from the University of Evansville with a Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing and completed my Masters in Leadership Development and teaching certification at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College. After nearly two decades working in the business world, I switched my focus to education. This is my third year teaching English and my first year at Oakwood. When I'm not in the classroom, I enjoy spending time with my three kids, catching up on my reading, and imagining that my house will miraculously clean itself.

I am Avery Sandiford the agriculture teacher and FFA advisor at OHS. I got my bachelors degree at Murray State University. This will be my 4th year at OHS. I am married to my husband Matthew and we have an 18 month old daughter Nora and are expecting our second girl in January.

I graduated from Oakwood High School in 2006. This is my 3rd year teaching and my 3rd year at Oakwood High School. I earned my associates degree from DACC while playing baseball. I continued my education and athletics while getting my bachelors degree in Business from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. I earned my Professional Educator License from Blackburn College. I enjoy spending time with my wife and two kids, coaching wrestling, and coaching baseball.

I have been teaching English for twelve years now! I have an Associate's Degree from DACC and a Bachelor's and Master's from Illinois State University. I am from Danville originally, but I have lived in Oakwood for about a decade now and I love it. You may often see me with my family at the park, the Oakwood Public Library, or on the Rail Trail.

This my 30th year in the district being a teaching assistant Born and raised in Oakwood. Married for 39 years. Two kids and four grandchildren. In my free time I like to go fishing , swimming and of course spend time with family.

I graduated from IUPUI with my Bachelor's degree in Communication Studies. I am currently working on a Master's in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership from UIUC, as well as getting my teaching license for English from UWF. I enjoy reading, writing, and watching tv with my cats. I've previously worked in Westville School District and at University of Illinois. This is my first year at Oakwood!

High School Cook. I am a graduate of Oakwood High School and Illinois State University. My Bachelor's is in Marketing. I spent 25 at OGS as a cook and am starting my second year at OHS. I will be retiring at the end of this school year. I like going to concerts, traveling and attending my grandkids activities. Go Comets!

I graduated from Danville High School. This is my first year at Oakwood. I have 5 years experience in a library setting. I am a Certified Dance Instructor at a local dance studio. I enjoy dancing, binge watching tv shows and spending time with family and friends. I am an avid Chicago Cubs and Bears fan. Go Comets!

Born in 1962 in San Antonio Texas, at the Brooks Army Hospital, Ft. Sam Houston.

Was raised in Cody Wyoming. Graduated at Cody High School and then joined the Wyoming National Guard for one year. Decided that I wanted to go full time active service. Enlisted in the Army. Went through Parachute training at Ft. Benning Georgia. After graduating jump school and becoming a Paratrooper, I was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg North Carolina. Went through U.S. Army Ranger School. My specialty was being a Forward Observer. Was responsible for calling in all indirect fire assets on enemy targets. Mortar, Artillery, and Air Strikes ( Fighter Jets ). I’d jump In behind enemy lines. I saw action in Grenada, Panama, Nicaragua. Served for ten years.

After the Military I was employed by the Massachusetts Department of Corrections. Was on the Special Reactions Team , (SRT). Was trained in hostage situations, prisoner escape and apprehension. Also high risk escort duty. During that time I went through various armorers academies. Smith&Wesson, Sturm Ruger, Glock, H&K. Was certified to work on and repair their firearms. Also have instructors certifications. Served ten years with the DOC. Took on various jobs after the DOC, while still repairing and maintaining firearms as a side job. I also maintain and work on the firearms of several local police departments within our area.

Served on the Board of Trustees within the Village of Oakwood. Also am the Commander of American Legion, Post# 610, Oakwood IL.

Am currently working as a Custodian at Oakwood High School.

Jeff Green (custodian), Troy Hogren (SRO), Zach Girton (Special Education Aide, Asst Football Coach, Asst Basketball Coach)

I graduated from Eastern Illinois University where I majored in Biology and minored in Chemistry. I have been married for 24 years and have 3 boys. I love to read any book I can get my hands on. This is my sixth year as a school secretary in the Oakwood District and my 2nd year at the high school!! Go Comets!!!

I grew up in Cissna Park and moved to Oakwood 4 years ago. I have been married for 18 years and have 4 children. I love spending time with my family and attending sporting events. This is my second year as a school secretary in the Oakwood District and first year as the Student Council Advisor. It's a Great Day to Be a Comet!!

Sarah Brown - School Nurse I graduated from DACC in 2009 with my Associates of Science in Nursing and I completed my Bachelor of Science in Nursing at WGU in 2023. I have worked in almost all specialties and in all settings including field medicine. I enjoy gardening and spending time with my family. This will be my 5th year here at Oakwood, 8th year as a school nurse, and 16th year in the nursing field.

I graduated from Olivet Nazarene University with a Bachelor's in Psychology. I am currently working on my Master's degree in School Counseling through Grand Canyon University! I have lived in Oakwood almost all of my life and am an Oakwood graduate! I have been working in the school district since 2014. I was in the front office as a secretary until 2023. I am now entering my second year as the School Counselor! I played basketball in college for Parkland and Olivet. I have been coaching high school basketball here at OHS since 2013. I am married to my high school sweetheart, and we have 3 children, Carson, Levi, and Mia. I enjoy playing most sports, watching my kid's sports, mowing, and relaxing whenever I finally get a free moment!

August 2024

August 30th - Pep Assembly

September 2024

September 2nd - No School - Labor Day

September 13th - Fat Friday

September 18th - SWAP Day

September 18th - 11:30 Dismissal

September 19th - Pep Assembly

October 2024

October 3rd - Powderpuff Game 7:00 pm

October 3rd - OHS CometFest

October 4th - Pep Assembly

October 4th - 1:40 Dismissal

October 4th - Homecoming Parade (3:30 pm) and Football Game (7:00 pm)

October 5th - Senior Night Cross Country

October 5th - Homecoming Dance

October 8th - Soccer Senior Night

October 11th - No School for Students/TI

October 14th - No School

October 18th - Fat Friday

October 18th - End of the Quarter

October 22nd - Volleyball Senior Night

October 23rd - Parent - Teacher Conferences (4:00 pm - 7:00 pm)

October 24th - Parent - Teacher Conferences (4:00 pm - 7:00 pm)

October 24th - Pep Assembly

October 25th - FootballCheer/Band/Dance Senior Night

October 25th - No School