On Sat., March 16, the robotics team, Team 2338: Gear it Forward, won the Engineering Inspiration Award at the Central Illinois Regional competition. This award qualified the team to participate in the Robotics World Championship in Houston, TX.
The World Championship, which takes place between April 17 and April 20, will feature some of the most skilled and accomplished teams across the globe.
On Feb. 2, 2024, OH Varsity Cheer took the mat at the IHSA state competition in Bloomington, IL, at Illinois State University, rounding out their successful competitive season.
Following the end of their sideline season, OH varsity competitive cheer competed against some of the top schools in the area. After an impressive season and a second place finish at the sectional competition, the team advanced to state for the second year in a row.
“I think people underestimate how small the chances are for us to get here, essentially you have three minutes, it’s not an hour-long baseball game, it’s not a two-and-a-half-hour long football game. We get three minutes, and you get one shot,” said Varsity Cheer Coach Margaret Hill. “It shows how dedicated these kids are because they only get so many [[limited]] opportunities.”
Not only did the competing team have the support of their parents and coaches, but they also welcomed a group of JV cheerleaders who left school on a “fan bus” to watch their team compete.
On Wednesday, Jan. 31, at 1:46 p.m., administrators emailed OH families to inform them that a fight broke out during the fifth-to-sixth period transition, and one of the students pulled out a knife.
“The situation was under control quickly as students were separated[[,]] and our School Resource Officer immediately responded. There was no disruption to the school schedule as it was dissolved rapidly,” the email explained. “Police and school officials are taking this situation very seriously, conducting thorough investigations.”
This past year, OH athletics has worked with the district to upgrade the outdoor track and tennis courts. With minimal updates on the progress, OH principal Chris Grays sent out an email to panther families updating them on the track’s readiness for the spring season.
On Dec. 3, 2023, OH band director Kevin Schoenbach received the best present of all: an email notifying him he was one of 25 semifinalists for the Grammy Music Awards. Then, Dec. 12, 2023, at 9:59 a.m., the Grammy website published the national 2024 Music Educator Award finalists, listing him as one of ten finalists.