Tag Archives: Middle School

Athletics

OHS Winter Sports Preview Season

By Tori Kitchens

As the end of January approaches, the athletes who play winter sports are gearing up for post season play. 

Girls’ Basketball

The girls’ basketball program finished their season 14-7 going an impressive 5-0 in district play. “This is definitely one of the better seasons we have had in several years playing basketball,” senior point guard Kate Pickens noted. Pickens admits that there are some games the team should have won, however, the team has done a remarkable job playing as one. “When we play together ‘as a hand and not five fingers,’ as Coach Ringdahl likes to say, there is no telling what we can accomplish.”

Leading the team in both points and assists, Pickens intends to make the most of her final playoff run. “As long as we put our best foot forward and give it our best shot, I will be more than happy with the results of my last season,” Pickens acknowledged, “but if we have the opportunity to keep winning, I absolutely want to take advantage of it.” 

The Lady Eagles are going into the post season off a senior night win at home against Eastside 32-27. The team begin their run with a bye and will play the winner of Countryside Christian and Redeemer Christian on Wednesday.

Boys’ Basketball

Oak Hall’s boys’ basketball team has had a very successful season. Finishing their regular season with one of the highest win percentages in program history, the team went 14-4 and 6-0 in district play. They have two more regular season games against Lafayette and Dixie County before beginning their post season run next week. “It truly means a lot to play together with my boys in the big moments and I just hope we can build up the chemistry to push us through this post season,” junior guard Ryan McKinney stated.

The records they broke and the successes they reached in the regular season has given the eagles a first-round bye in the post season. “I truly believe that we can make it far this year as this is the most united and connected team we’ve had in a while,” McKinney affirmed. 

The team is expected to make a great run this post season. “I’m expecting us to at least make it to the district championship for sure,” McKinney continued, “but if we end up winning, which I think we are capable of, then I believe we can make a solid run at states this year if we compete at our full potential.”

Girls’ Soccer

After a difficult regular season, the girls’ soccer team enters the post season with nothing but positivity. “It’s been a challenging season, but we have grown a lot as a team and have persevered through a lot,” senior midfield Zahra Sims described. 

The Lady Eagles opened their post season on Thursday, defeating St. Francis at Lafayette 4-1. “I think that that was one of the best games that we’ve played,” Sims added. “We had great communication, and it shows how far attitude and effort can go.” 

The team will travel back to Lafayette on Monday to compete against the Lady Hornets in their home stadium. “I am looking forward to finishing out the season on a good note and leaving OHS soccer with a positive legacy,” Sims stated.

Boys’ Soccer

At the start of their season, the boys’ soccer program welcomed OHS faculty member Andy Westfall as their head coach. “While I always want a winning season and want to build a better program, my daily goals are more about effective training sessions,” Coach Westfall noted. The eagles’ training strong practices paid off as the team started off 6-0 and finished their regular season 9-4. 

The boys will start their playoff run Tuesday against Lafayette. The eagles played the Hornets twice during the regular season and game up just short both times. Regardless, the team intends to make a significant showing this post season. “I think we are in a good place on all accounts, and I am proud of the effort the players have put in so far to put us in a good position to make it through District play,” Coach Westfall contended.

Traditional Competitive Cheerleading

For the first time in its 5-year history, the Competitive Cheerleading squad is competing in the Extra Large Non-Tumbling division. With 22 girls on the floor, most being rookies, the team has had to work even harder to fine tune and perfect their routine. 

The eagles made an impressive showing at their regional competition at West Nassau in Callahan on January 14. The team received their highest raw score ever and qualified for the state semi-finals. “It’s been a challenging season because we are putting a harder routine on the floor than we have ever attempted before and over half of our team has never cheered competitively before,” head Coach Kelley Thorp admitted, “so there has been a big learning curve to overcome.”

Going into state competition, the team hopes to hit a zero-deduction routine in order to take a spot in the final round. 

Gameday Competitive Cheerleading

Not only are the members of the cheer program preparing for state competition, but they are also working hard to prepare for Nationals! 

With a smaller squad of 15, the team has been very successful. At their Universal Cheer Association (UCA) regional competition in the beginning of December, the eagles shocked everyone by placing second with a very high score at their first ever Gameday-styled competition. “It’s been a fun and rewarding season,” head coach Kelley Thorp recounted. “With a small team made up [of] predominately veteran cheerleaders, it has been fun to put together a routine in a genre of cheer we have never done before.” 

The team will travel to Orlando next Thursday to compete at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. 

News

OHS Latin Program Hosts Regionals

By Amelia Chen

All students enrolled in Middle and Upper School Latin courses at Oak Hall School are participating in the Latin Regionals tournament hosted on campus Saturday, Jan. 28. 

All Latin students compete at regionals in the hopes to be chosen for the state tournament. This year, about 86 students from Oak Hall School will be competing. In total, there are usually around 150 students competing from all the schools in the tournament. This year those schools include Oak Hall, St. Francis, Cornerstone, and Forest High School.

“I’m excited for all of the new students who haven’t been to regionals to experience it and for some of the veterans to be able to kind of show the ropes to the new generation of Latin students,” said Zachary Mair, one of Oak Hall’s Latin teachers.

Students participate in academic testing, Certamen (a Jeopardy-style competition), racing events ala Olympics-style, wear costumes, and participate in art. Minus the testing and Certamen, OHS Latin Club officers organized the regional competition. 

Oak Hall’s Latin Program, the Junior Classical League (JCL), has been competing at regionals for decades and is considered one of the biggest classics programs in the region and quite possibly the state. 

Oak Hall regularly has success in the regionals, as Oak Hall is designed to prepare students on a national level. Mair also noted his hope for the turnout of the competition.

“I hope [this is] a starting line for looking toward states… I’m hoping that students [really] put in that effort and get the award that they deserve for the input that they gave,” he said.

News

Midterm Exams – What to Know

By Ella West

Midterms for Middle and Upper School students are next week. While this is the first round of final/midterm exams for the sixth graders, students in all grades may be wondering what they can do to prepare for exams, or when the exams occur, or how long an exam is, and when students should start studying. Luckily, teachers (and this article) are here to help students prepare and be informed for these exams.

In all Middle and Upper School grades, the last day for teachers to teach new content is Dec. 6, while Dec. 7 – 9 are designated as review days. Most classes will hand out study sheets for students to use at home in order to prepare for exams. 

Middle School Information
Middle School exams are classified by period and grade level, and exams are two hours long, from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. 

Middle School Exam Schedule:

Dec. 12Dec. 13Dec. 14Dec. 15Dec. 16
6th gradeA periodB periodD periodE periodG period
7th gradeA periodC periodD periodF periodG period
8th gradeA periodB periodD periodE periodG period

Not every Middle School class will give an exam, however, as projects and papers are also options.

Content Areas that Assess (Exam, Paper, or Project) by Grade Level
6th Grade: English, Math, Science, Social Studies, STEM
7th and 8th Grades: English, Math, Science, Social Studies, World Language

After Middle School students have completed their exam, they can either be checked out at 11 a.m. as part of early dismissal or go to study hall until noon. Extended Day is available Monday through Thursday, but all students must be picked up by noon on Friday, Dec. 16. If your student will be in Extended Day, please note that lunch will not be served, so please pack a lunch for your student.

Upper School Information
For the Upper School students, the exam schedule is as follows:

Dec. 12Dec. 13Dec. 14Dec. 15Dec. 16
HistoryWorld LanguageScienceEnglishMath

Upper School Learning Specialist Amanda Metzler recommends using a “study map” to organize what to study and when. For example:

When studying for exams, Metzler recommends spaced repetition; a studying technique in which you go over a set of materials take a break, or look at another subject, then go over that same material again. She also sent an informative PowerPoint presentation to the Upper School students with tips and tricks:

News

OHS Open on Friday

Update – Nov. 10 – 6:30 p.m.

Given the improving forecast of TS Nicole, campus will reopen, and classes will resume normal schedule tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 11. We’ll see you then!

Update – Nov. 9 – 10 a.m.

Dear Families,

Due to Tropical Storm Nicole, effective 6:00 p.m. this evening, Wednesday, November 9th, Oak Hall’s campus will be closed. Campus will remain closed and there will be no classes on Thursday, November 10th. A decision regarding campus reopening on Friday, November 11th will be communicated using our Emergency Notification System via email, text, and phone call on the evening of Thursday, November 10th.

To satisfy the required number of school days for this academic year, we will be combining Wellness Day and Conference Day on February 27th. School will now be in session on February 28th.

The Junior Class Introduction to College Night scheduled for this evening has been postponed. Mrs. Wilkins will be in touch with more information.

If you have any questions, please reach out.

Stay safe,
James

Nov. 9 – 8:30 a.m.

As of the 7 a.m. advisory, Tropical Storm Nicole is a Category 1 storm with winds maxing out at 70 mph. Its current track has it coming near Gainesville on Thursday afternoon.

Alachua County is under a Tropical Storm Warning. Oak Hall will make the decision campus will be closed tomorrow (Thursday, Nov. 10) after the 11 a.m. advisory.