Peyton Allen - Staff Reporter
OH filled with PRIDE for staff who make a difference
Each month, dedicated staff are awarded for going above and beyond in monthly PRIDE nominations, an SD308 program honoring teachers and staff for their spectacular contributions to the community. Every month, employees from around the district are nominated for their outstanding contributions and characteristics. According to the district website, this PRIDE program stands for Proudly Recognizing Individuals Demonstrating Excellence. In Nov., five OH staff members earned the award: English teacher Adam Jensen, Multilingual English teacher Iram Herrera, Career & Technical Education teacher Kristen Anderson, World Languages teacher Keith Strnad, and OH Building Engineer Timothy Lysne, and they all showed amazing gratitude in their departments. “I had zero expectations for [[the award]]" said Herrera. "I kind of just tried to do my job through my abilities, so it was definitely a weird moment when it happened.” Herrera was nominated for making his students feel connected and supported.
Giving thanks: Panthers share gratitude through various Thanksgiving celebrations
With Thanksgiving around the corner, OH’s community is more than ready to feast on their favorite holiday traditions. “[[Thanksgiving is]] about spending time with others and just being with one another,” said OH junior Mia Gasper. Throughout the building and in the community, students and staff participate in local Thanksgiving celebrations. Whether that be student-led events, food drives, or debating the best dish, everyone is trying their best to get involved in this fall season of gratitude.
From classroom to career: Insights from Student Services’ second run at Career Week
In hopes of inspiring students, OH's Student Services Department hosted a week-long exploration of career opportunities in Illinois through presentations and guest speakers this past Sept. “This is the second year in a row that we've done a Career Week," said OH Counselor David Mattes. "There have been some state requirements that have been in the making, which we thought a Career Week would help to satisfy." The state requirements in the making are the PaCE framework, which, according to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission includes "types of experiences and information a student should have in order to make the most informed decisions about college and career planning."
’25-26 Homecoming court announced: The tradition continues
The announcement of Homecoming Court nominees through the OH speakers during the 2nd period on Friday marked the official start of Homecoming Week. Students got excited when they heard familiar names through the speakers, and the nominees proudly make their way to the OH main office. Every year, there are 10 members of the court, all of whom are seniors. This year, the Homecoming King nomination winners are: Kobe Jones, Chase Berkenson, Kam Jenkins, Anthony Mullen, and Michael Holmstrom. Homecoming Queen nomination winners are: Mia Medina, Ashley Cook, Gia Smith, Ali Bauman, and Morgan Pawlisz. These nominees are chosen by who received the most votes via an online form. “I posted on my Snapchat story, like, mostly every day, just telling people to vote,” said Cook.
More than just a sport: The rise of girls’ flag football
The OH flag football team is celebrating a lot of firsts this fall: first season, first goals, and first win. For Coach Abigail Jambor, this is a sweet start to what was a long process. Jambor explains how desperate she was for it to become a sport because Oswego is one of the last schools in the community to do so. Although many schools are now implementing Flag Football as a sport, it is still not a nationwide initiative. Oswego was a new era because the process to get a sport verified is very extensive.