Faculty & Staff Profiles & Email Addresses

The Ossining High School Pep Squad is a highly motivated team that prepares students to perform at various school activities and events such as the Kwanzaa Festival, talent shows, basketball games, OHS Academic Recognition Day and more. The team participates in various competitions and hosts an Invitational Step Competition at Ossining High School. Fundraisers are held throughout the year to supplement various expenses. Practices are held every Monday, Wednesday.

On January 11, 2007 the “El Barrio Latino” Program was officially created by the Latino males at OHS. After meetings with the Latino male students, a name and purpose was established at OHS. The program is supported by members of the OHS Faculty. The goal is to improve academic achievement for Latino males at OHS, increase the graduation rate of Latino males at OHS, to address/discuss quality of life of the Latino males in the Ossining community, increase communication between teachers and Latino males, increase options and opportunities for Latino male students after high school, to promote social interaction amongst Latinos social settings and through intramural sports opportunities, and to increase the mentoring program for Latino males. Meetings are held. There will be college trips, invited guest speakers and promotion/sponsoring of cultural activities throughout the year.

The Engineering Club explores different types of projects and construction. Our projects have included soda bottle water rockets and an electric car, which is still under construction. The club generally meets Wednesdays in Room 132, and all grades are welcome. Additional projects are always considered. No specific science classes are required, just a desire to get involved and ambition to work.

Students involved in the Fed Challenge meet twice a week from December through March to prepare for a presentation at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York. The goal of the group is to work together to prepare a presentation about what the Federal Reserve Bank should do about interest rates. The students research this topic during meeting times and on their own. The actual presentation at the FED is 15 minutes in length followed by a question and answer session by the judges. The ultimate goal is to improve your knowledge about the Federal Reserve Bank and to win the New York Fed tournament and go to Washington, D.C. for the finals.

The goals of the Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) are to provide a safe and accepting atmosphere for all students including gay, lesbian and bisexual (GLB) teenagers, to educate the Ossining High School community about issues related to GLB youth, to explore diversity of all kinds and encourage tolerance and acceptance.

Habitat for Humanity is a club dedicated to helping families build an affordable home in Westchester County. Throughout each school year, students of Habitat contribute their time and labor in advancing our primary goal of enabling lower income families to own a dwelling they can call home. A great deal of time and effort will be required of students to help raise money for various projects and volunteer time to actually build homes. Habitat is also a way to give something back to members of your community. Meetings will be held monthly. Fundraising events and building projects can occur as often as every month or every two months.

The Interact Club is part of the Ossining Rotary Club. The goal of the club is to sponsor one local and one international project each year. Past projects include raising money for the children of Afghanistan and collecting funds for the victims of the World Trade Center attack. Other activities supported by Interact are the Park School ESL party, Claremont After-School program, and the food drive for the food pantry.

The International Club was created to expose students to the various languages and cultures that are represented in the OHS student body. In addition, it gives students from other countries a place where they can share their culture. We help with the Senior Citizen Breakfast at Park School and participate in the Park School Family Fun Night. Meetings are held 2-3 times each month. A trip to a Broadway show is usually planned each year.

Students meet regularly and participate in Political discussions, debates and listen to guest speakers. Participation in various regional conventions is a future goal for this club.

The Law Club provides an opportunity to prepare students to actively participate in a Model United Nations. The Model UN is sponsored each year by a university and gives students an opportunity to represent a country and discuss solutions to real-world situations. Students meet once a month or as needed to prepare position papers. Students interested in joining the Law Club must be enrolled in the International Law Class.

The Law Team is the Mock-Trial team that competes in an annual tournament sponsored by the New York State Bar Association. Students enrolled in You and the Law I, You and the Law II or International Law are eligible to try out for the team. The team meets every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:15 to 5:15 beginning in January. These meeting are organized as practice sessions for the competitions which begin at the end of February. The competitions are held at the County Courthouse in White Plains.

Welcome to the Barnes Library and Technology
Center at Ossining High School. We use a variety of technology to suit our students' and teachers' needs.

Breaking news...The Barnes Library is being transformed into a Learning Commons over the summer of 2010. The Learning Commons will be replete with new technology and a total transformation of the old library...

Stay tuned for forthcoming details...

Mr. Grimaldi, Librarian, 762-5760, ext. 333
Mrs. Walsh, Library Clerk, 762-5760, ext. 334
Mrs. Lagan, Instructional Technology Specialist, 762-5760, ext. 376

   

Department Directory 

The purpose of the National Honor Society (NHS) is to create enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to perform service within the school and broaden community service, to promote leadership and to develop character among members (Constitution of NHS, Article I, Section 2). Members are selected based on their demonstration of the four qualities of scholarship, character, service and leadership. Students with an average of 88% and above may apply for membership in the National Honor Society.

Each year the NHS sponsors the Senior Citizen Prom, in addition to various other subcommittees. In addition, a tutoring program is in place in order to tutor other students at OHS. Other opportunities to volunteer throughout Westchester County are also available, such as the Great Pumpkin Festival at Van Cortlandt Manor and Phelps Memorial Hospital.

This club was created to encourage all OHS students to get involved with international issues. The club will focus on helping different organizations that could not survive without our contributions. In this club we will organize bake sales, jewelry sales, and community runs to help raise funds for the different charity groups. We are also looking to possibly fund an international trip to Nicaragua to aid in the construction of third world villages, as well as offering donations to other organizations that lend their specialties to helping others in need. Meeting times will be announced.

The goal of the Outdoor Club is to introduce students to the world of hiking. Hikes are planned for after the school day and Saturday mornings. The Outdoor Club plans three to four hikes a year to such places as Fahenstock State Park, Bear
Mountain State Park, and the Rockefeller State Preserve. Hikes range from easy to moderate difficulty and cover from 2-6 miles. Students should bring bag lunches and proper attire for the weather and environment. Transportation will be provided to and from the planned excursions.

This group is designed to help students transition into high school. Students must be a 10th grader and recommended by your counselor or teacher. If you participate in peer leadership, you will help design orientation programs for incoming 9th graders as well as provide tours for new students who are transferring into Ossining High School.

The OHS Performing Arts provides an educational theatre experience for the high school community. Three theatre performances are produced each year- a children’s play which is presented in early November, a drama presented in the winter and finally a musical production is presented in the Spring. During the theatre season the students rehearse every day and on Saturdays. Participation in the performing arts is open to all students whether or not they are enrolled in theatre classes.

The goal of Power of Peace is to meet students you would not otherwise meet in school. We organize a midnight run and have a dinner in the spring. Meeting times will be announced.

The Prestigious Ladies in Power Club is designed for African American females in good faith to help inspire, motivate and academically support the students to become leaders of tomorrow! The students will participate in sessions which involve study skills, college/career interviewing tips, social and etiquette practices. In addition, the Prestigious Ladies in Power club will host guest speakers, along with a planned college tour. The club will meet twice a month.

Project Earthquake is a program that strives to instill integrity, discipline, honor and respect in young Black men by building their desire to become healthy, positive, productive citizens in our society. Project Earthquake offers personal support to young men to help counteract the forces that contribute to academic failure. They stress the importance of academic success as well as social codes of commitment to family, personal independence and strong moral character.

S.A.D.D. supports all state and federal laws regarding drugs and alcohol and encourages all those who are members of S.A.D.D. to work towards influencing their peers to follow a healthy lifestyle. Activities are focused on raising awareness of destructive decisions as well as providing positive alternatives. Students conduct various fund raisers throughout the year. Participation in S.A.D.D. is open to all OHS students. Meetings are held twice a month.

The goal of the Safe Driving Committee is to educate teen drivers about the risks that they face on the road. The committee meets monthly to plan for the Safe Driving Night in March. This event is planned and hosted by the student members of the Safe Driving Committee.

 

S.E.L.F. is the Senior Internship Program at Ossining High School.

The goals of the Student Council are to facilitate communication among students, teachers and administrators at OHS; to increase the student voice in curriculum choices and to secure adequate rules and regulations for the protection of students at OHS. General meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month except in September and June. Officer’s meetings are held periodically as the necessity arises. Officers are elected for one year terms in January and run through the following January. There are four officers: President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary. General membership is an appointed position decided through faculty recommendations, student essay and interview with the advisors. The student council sponsors two main events each year: Spirit Week in the fall and OHS day (a carnival-type celebration) in the Spring. Many fundraisers are held throughout the year to support these events including bake sales and dances.

Successful Transition from High School into the Working World.

Ultimate Frisbee is a club sport combining the elements of Frisbee, Soccer, and Rugby. The Ultimate Frisbee Club competes informally with other local clubs and practices on and off season, weather permitting.

Students that participate in the Video Club will learn how to create basic television productions. The two main elements of focus are studio productions and field production. Many of the programs that are produced by the students are televised on the OUFSD Education Channel (a division of GO-TV) on cable television. Students are taught how to use the equipment and the three stages of production: pre-production, production and post-production. Various fundraisers are held throughout the year including bake sales and candy sales. Field trips are taken to production companies and TV stations in the area. The video club meets once a week to hold meetings and the studio is open daily after school for productions being taped in the studio. For the more advanced students other areas of production will be explored, i.e. movie making, news reporting and more.

The Wizard, the Ossining High School yearbook, serves as a memory book and a historical record for the high school. Students enrolled in the Yearbook class, which meets every other day throughout the year, receive ½ credit. Staff members are also expected to attend after-school sessions, particularly when there are deadlines to be met. Students are involved in all aspects of planning of the yearbook including, but not limited to, gathering information, writing, editing, taking photographs, cropping pictures, and designing page layouts. Students are also expected to raise funds by selling yearbooks and commercial ads. Meeting deadlines and working as a team are most important.