About Olentangy's High Schools
The Schools
Olentangy High School (OHS), located at 675 Lewis Center Road in Lewis Center, serves more than 1,500 students from throughout the district. The high school building was constructed in time for the opening of school in the 1990-91 school year. A second high school – Olentangy Liberty High School located on Home Road in Powell – opened in 2003-04 and a third opened in 2008-09 – Olentangy Orange High School located on Orange Road in Lewis Center.
Olentangy students are encouraged to establish a community of peers, expand their nonacademic interests, and the educational and social skills to be successful after graduation.
The specialized needs and talents of students are met by programs and services such as applied and fine arts, post secondary enrollment options, career services, honors and AP courses, intervention assistance teams (IAT), peer tutoring, mentoring programs, CBI and others. Olentangy's high schools respond to the needs of students by constant curriculum review, the addition and adaptation of new courses, and the student-initiated organization of extracurricular clubs and sports teams. Various means of assessment both formal, such as proficiency intervention classes, and informal, such as a Student Council representative to the school board, lead to an ongoing awareness of student needs.
Students have several opportunities to learn about and participate in multicultural experiences. Many students participate in a variety of diversity and cultural programs including foreign language clubs, foreign country travel and interaction with exchange students
Course offerings include differing levels of the same subject, such as courses that are Advanced Placement (AP), College Preparatory (CP), honors, standard, and specialized resource/remedial courses through pupil services. Course prerequisites ensure that students are prepared to be successful in subsequent and upper level courses. Cooperation between departments such as math and science ensures that requisite skills are reinforced across disciplines.
Monitoring the results of various standardized tests allows teachers to tailor instruction to address identified weaknesses and to prepare students for future testing. Such monitoring has lead to the offering of new classes in various instructional areas, including Algebra III, and conceptual physics. The Pupil Services Department keeps track of students on Individual Education Plans (IEPs), monitors classroom progress, performs multifactored evaluations, and reevaluates/revises IEPs as necessary to ensure student success.
Freshmen and New Students
A freshman/new student orientation for students and parents introduces first-year and new students to the high school building, programs, and policies to ease the transition from middle school to high school. This has been particularly helpful considering the influx of transfer students to our schools. Transfer students are welcomed to the school by personal tours through the school by the counselors, principals, or teen advisors.
All freshmen take a Career Explorations class that provides students with assessment instruments to help them identify their strengths in various career fields while encouraging them to go beyond their respective expectations.
Counseling Services
Counseling services for high school students are provided by guidance counselors and include one-on-one counseling. A school psychologist is available in the building for counseling, testing services and for referrals to county counseling services including Delaware Mental Health and Delaware Area Recovery Services.
Health Services
Health services include a full-time school nurse whose tracking services include disseminating information about the special physical needs of students to all teachers. In addition, an occupational and physical therapy (OT and PT) are available for students on site. Athletic trainers are available throughout the day and are present at all major sports events. A health fair coordinated by the school nurse and the health/physical education department, makes current medical practices and health information available to students.
Safety Programs
Routine safety programs include fire, tornado and building lock down drills. Video cameras are placed in various locations within the school buildings and on school grounds. In addition, the Delaware County Sheriff's Office provides Olentangy and other area school districts with a YES officer who is designated as a full time officer for the district. For the safety of students walking, a safety crossing guard is available in the mornings and afternoons and patrols the grounds during the day.
Tutoring, Special Services
The Department of Pupil Services offers proficiency intervention classes, at-risk tutors and IEP tutors in accordance with state guidelines.
Informal referrals from teachers put students in contact with the personnel and services designed to help them. The IAT (Intervention Assistance Team) is a committee of counselors, school nurse, assistant principal, school psychologist, special education teacher and regular education teacher. This group meets as needed, assesses the written referrals from school personnel, and plans and implements confidential assistance to the student utilizing a variety of school, community and court resources, relationships that have been nurtured over the years.
Planning for Post-High School
English and government classes are used by the counselors to plan students' post-high school careers and occupations. A series of tests starting with the PLAN assessment at the sophomore level, and continuing with ACT and PSAT
Sophomores take the Pre-ACT test which includes a career choices section; counselors interpret the test results for students and parents. Juniors develop Career Passport portfolios that include a resume, career narrative, and employability assessment inventories. Seniors complete their portfolios by updating and finalizing their career information; the portfolios are theirs to keep at graduation.
Co-curricular, Extracurricular and Athletics
Many student activities are an extension of regular classroom instruction, while others serve the interests of students not addressed in the regular curriculum. As part of these offerings, students plan, organize, and administer many of the activities. These activities arise out of natural interest of students and teacher/advisors.
OHS offers a comprehensive athletic program. All athletic programs are in Title IX compliance. New athletic offerings are added based on evidence of student interest.
All athletes sign an agreement not to use tobacco, alcohol or other drugs. This program is a nationally recognized drug-testing program that requires athletes to pass a screening at the start of each season. After that time, 10 percent of the athletes are selected at random to undergo drug screening weekly during their respective seasons.