Principal Notes

As we enter the final 15 days of the semester, OHS is energized with purpose, celebration, Red Devil spirit and the magic of the holiday season! December is always a special time at Owensboro High School. It gives us the perfect blend of purpose and joy as we wrap up our work, celebrate our accomplishments, and show what it means to be part of Owensboro High School.

Our halls will be buzzing with holiday cheer thanks to our OHS Christmas Spirit Spectacular, a lineup of spirited theme days designed to bring fun, connection, and excitement to campus each day. Whether it’s festive colors, cozy wear, or classic holiday favorites, these celebrations remind us that joy and togetherness are powerful parts of our school culture. We encourage all students and staff to join in the fun as we celebrate the season.

This month also brings powerful opportunities for students to lead and serve. Through our annual partnership with the Owensboro Police Department, OHS is collecting canned corn and green beans for Operation Santa, helping provide holiday meal boxes to 350 local families. This purpose project allows our Red Devils the opportunity to lead and serve in meaningful ways right here in our community.

And of course, December gives us one more reason to celebrate and rally together. This Saturday, we will proudly cheer on our Red Devils Football Team as they compete for the KHSAA 5A State Football Championship at Kroger Field in Lexington. Let’s bring the spirit, pride, and love for OHS that defines #FILD! We believe in our Devils. Let's make sure everyone in Kentucky knows where 1800 is! We are Owensboro!

As we wrap up 2025, we want to say thank you for choosing Owensboro High School and for partnering with us in your student’s journey of learning, leadership, and growth. Your support makes it possible for us to create a school community where students thrive academically, socially, and personally.

Here’s to a December filled with focus, pride, service, celebration, and Red Devil excellence. Let’s finish the semester with everything we’ve got. Go Devils!

OHS is proud to continue our annual Operation Santa collaboration with the Owensboro Police Department, a service tradition that brings holiday meals to families across our community. Each year, OPD assembles holiday meal boxes, and OHS plays a major role by providing the canned vegetables needed to complete the meals. Together, we ensure that 350 families in Owensboro have a warm, complete holiday dinner.

This year, OHS is responsible for collecting:

• 700 cans of corn

• 700 cans of green beans

To make this happen, our classes are teaming up with purpose:

• Seniors & Sophomores: Canned Corn

• Juniors & Freshmen: Canned Green Beans

This service effort is proudly led by OHS Student Leadership as part of our ongoing commitment to giving back, building community, and living out our Red Devil purpose.

Students may place their canned items under their class Christmas tree in the front lobby from Monday, November 24 through Friday, December 12. Every can collected helps us reach our goal and ensures that families across Owensboro feel the warmth, care, and support of the Red Devil community this holiday season.

Thank you for helping OHS lead with purpose, serve with heart, and grow through experience during this special time of year.

The energy in Owensboro is electric as our Red Devils prepare to compete for the KHSAA 5A Football State Championship at Kroger Field. We’re kicking things off with a community pep rally you won’t want to miss!

Join us on Friday, December 5 at 7:00 PM in the OHS North Gym, immediately following the Lady Devils Basketball game. This celebration is open to ALL students, families, alumni, and community members who want to show their love, pride, and unwavering support for our team. Let’s unite as one Red Devil Family and send our boys off with the biggest wave of OHS spirit this city has ever seen!

We’ll be joined by two special guests who bring the hype everywhere they go: DJ Chad Gesser, the energy behind the music at Rash Stadium and Dan Bartlett, The Voice of the Red Devil Network!

Come ready to cheer, dance, and celebrate Red Devils Football as we prepare to turn Kroger Field red and black and bring that State Title back to 1800 Frederica Street.

Bring your poms, your signs, your spirit, and your Red Devil pride! Let’s show our team and our community what WE ARE OWENSBORO truly means!

Go Devils!

Winter Final Exams will be administered December 15–19, 2025. Final exams count as 10% of each student’s semester grade and serve as a summative measure of learning. Each exam will reflect the coursework and skills emphasized in the class and will be designed and administered by the teacher.

All exams will take place within a standard 85-minute class period.

All students are required to take a final exam in every class. There are no exemptions.

Final exams will not be administered early. Students who are absent during an exam will have the opportunity to complete it on Final Exam Make-Up Day on Friday, December 19. Students must coordinate directly with their teacher to complete any missed exams when they return to school after Winter Break.

This year, any student who completes all final exams during the scheduled exam days and does not have any assessments or projects to finish on the Make-Up Day will have the opportunity to attend a special field trip to the Kentucky Wesleyan College Basketball Game at the Owensboro Sportscenter. Students will cheer on the KWC Panthers as they take on IU Southeast, a fun celebration for ending the semester strong!

Please review the Final Exam Review Days and Exam Day Schedule below to help your student prepare for a successful finish to the semester.

As Winter Final Exams approach, now is the perfect time for students to lean into extra support and make sure they finish the semester with confidence. OHS offers free tutoring sessions both before and after school, giving students multiple opportunities to review content, complete missing assignments, strengthen skills, and ask questions in a focused learning environment.

No matter the content, our OHS teachers are ready to assist. Tutoring is also an excellent space for students to prepare for final exams, practice study strategies, and get personalized feedback that can make a meaningful difference on semester grades.

Students can sign up for sessions by scanning the Tutoring QR Code, available throughout the building, in the Advisory Agenda, and in this newsletter. We encourage all students to take advantage of this resource, especially those who want to boost their understanding, catch up, or simply feel more prepared heading into exam week.

Strong preparation today leads to strong performance tomorrow. Let’s finish the semester purposeful, confident, and ready to succeed!

This December, Owensboro High School is proud to celebrate the Class of 2026 seniors who have achieved Postsecondary #REDy status with a special trip to the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art for the 47th Annual Holiday Forest Festival of Trees. This visit is both a recognition of their dedication to planning for life after graduation and a chance to experience one of Owensboro’s most beloved holiday traditions.

During the trip, students will enjoy a guided tour of the Holiday Forest, an annual exhibition featuring monumental Christmas trees and intricate seasonal displays created by local artists, florists, schools, and community organizations. Each tree reflects themes from exhibitions throughout the museum’s three wings, making the event a vibrant showcase of creativity and community spirit. The festival has been proudly sponsored by The Glenmore Distillery since its beginning in 1977, continuing its long-standing tradition of ushering in the holiday season for our region.

We are excited to celebrate our seniors’ achievements in such a meaningful and festive setting. Their hard work, planning, and commitment to being ready for their futures truly embody what it means to be a Red Devil.

The FAFSA is officially open, and now is the time for seniors and families to take the next step toward college, career training, or technical programs. Completing the FAFSA early gives students access to the maximum amount of financial aid, including grants, scholarships, work-study, and student loans.

To support our Red Devils, OHS is offering FAFSA Friday Workshops from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM in the OHS Media Center. Students and families can drop in for hands-on support from Mr. S, our OHS Kentucky College Coach, to complete and submit their FAFSA with confidence.

Families and students may also schedule a personalized one-on-one meeting with Mr. S by emailing ryun.schienbein@owensboro.kyschools.us

Click the button below for a step-by-step FAFSA guide. This is a great resource to help you gather documents, prepare your information, and understand the process.

Let’s make sure every Red Devil is ready for what comes next. Start your FAFSA today and take a strong step toward your future!

Old Man Winter is here and that can mean school cancellations. Owensboro Public Schools has been granted the use of Non-Traditional Instruction (NTI) days by the Kentucky Department of Education. NTI days allow students to receive instruction from home when conditions such as inclement weather prevent schools from being in session.

OPS will announce when a regular school day is canceled. The announcement will be specific if schools are closed or if schools are using an NTI day. If schools are closed, students are not expected to do any assignments. If schools are using an NTI day, students are expected to complete assignments posted on Google Classroom.

Below are the expectations of OPS high school students, teachers and parents/guardians on NTI days.

High School students will:

• Complete assignments posted on Google Classroom
• OIA students should log into ECHO for each scheduled class
• Student participation is based on turning in posted assignments
• Assignments should be completed by due date posted by the teacher

High School Teachers:

• May work remotely on weather related days
• Will post instructions and assignments on Google Classroom by 8:30am
• Will include clear learning intentions, success criteria, and tasks/assessments to be completed for each lesson
• Will be available by email, phone, and/or Google Meet from 10:00am to 12:00pm and 1:00pm to 3:00pm

High School parents/guardians will encourage students to:

• Complete assignments listed on Google Classroom/ECHO
• Check to make sure assignments showing "Turned In" aren't blank documents
• Communicate with teachers when encountering questions or points of confusion

Let Carols Ring

Owensboro High School & Owensboro Middle School Choirs

December 4, 2025

Owensboro High School Auditorium

7:00pm

Owensboro High School & Owensboro Middle School Orchestras

December 9, 2025

Owensboro High School Auditorium

6:00pm

Almost, Maine by John Cariani

Owensboro High School Advanced Theatre

December 13, 2025 at 7:00pm

December 14, 2025 at 2:00pm

Owensboro High School Black Box Theatre

Sleigh!

Owensboro High School Bands

December 16, 2025

Owensboro High School Auditorium

6:00pm

Monday, December 1

#REDy Seniors to Holiday Forest Festival of Trees

Thursday, December 4

OHS & OMS Choir Concert 6pm

Saturday, December 6

KHSAA 5A Football State Championship - Kroger Field 7pm CST

Monday, December 8

#REDy Seniors to Holiday Forest Festival of Trees

Tuesday, December 9

OHS Staff Meeting 3:45pm

OHS & OMS Orchestra Concert 6pm

Wednesday, December 10

1st Semester House Champion Reward Trip

Thursday, December 11

SPED & ML Combined Department Meeting 12pm

Saturday, December 13

ACT at OHS

Advanced Theater Show 7pm

Sunday, December 14

Advanced Theater Show 2pm

Monday, December 15

Black Day Final Reviews

OHS SBDM Council Meeting 4pm

Tuesday, December 16

Black Day Final Exams

Winter Band Concert 6pm

Wednesday, December 17

Red Day Final Reviews

Thursday, December 18

Red Day Final Exams

Friday, December 19

Make-Up Final Exams

KWC Field Trip Game 11am

Monday, December 22 - Friday, January 2

OPS Winter Break - No School