The Quaker Gazette

Rocket Teams Soar at Regional Rocketry Competition

On October 18th, the STEM Club had an outstanding showing at the Regional Rocketry Competition, sponsored by Moog. Out of 18 competing teams, Will Work For Pnuts earned an impressive 4th place, while Cosmic Quakers followed closely in 5th place.

Under the guidance of Mr. Betrus, students showcased their skills in engineering, teamwork, and problem-solving as they designed, built, and launched their rockets at the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo, NY. Their strong performance highlights the innovation and dedication of our STEM program.

Congratulations to both teams for their hard work and for representing OPHS with pride and excellence! The STEM Club is always looking for more members - if this sounds like fun to you, come join us!

We’re excited to announce the return of Roswell Adopt-A-Family! This year, we need your support more than ever. We are raising funds to help two families of four who have been deeply impacted by cancer. Your generosity can make a meaningful difference in their lives during this challenging time.

🎁 RAFFLE ALERT! To help with fundraising, we’re holding a special raffle featuring an incredible prize:

🏈 A signed Josh Allen football!

Every contribution brings us closer to our goal and gives you a chance to win big while giving back. Students can buy tickets during homeroom, at football games (and other home sporting events), at the OPHS Fall Drama (11/13-15), or donate money and gift cards to room 163. The final drawing date will be Friday, November 21st.

See Mr. Bove (above@opschools.org), Mrs. Feldman (kfeldman@opschools.org), or Mrs. Maciejewski (smaciejewski@opschools.org) with questions.

This January all students in English 11 will be taking the ELA Regents exam. This will be the last opportunity for students to take this exam in its current format which our ELA department has been structuring their instruction towards. Beginning June 2026 the new exam will be implemented. Students will have the ability to take the new exam in June if they need to exhibit proficiency or work towards mastery. As a High School we feel by having all students take the exam in January gives all of our students the best opportunity to be successful.

ELA Regents Review Session Information

November 18, 19, 20 - Part I Review

December 2, 3, 4 - Part 2 Review

December 9, 10, 11 - Part 3 Review

Jan 13 (Pt. 1), 14, (Pt. 2), 15 (Pt. 3)

The following information for Seniors on how to order caps & gowns went out in the Class of 2026 Google Classroom today, October 6, 2025:

DIRECTIONS:

Click the attached link called High School Class Rings and Graduation Products | Herff Jones
Enter School Name
Click "Shop Graduation Products."
Click "Cap & Gown Grad Packs."
Purchase your cap and gown - "Basic Bundle."

IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW:

The current price of the "Basic Bundle" is $32. Herff-Jones will increase the price substantially after December, so please order NOW.
The attached .pdf from Herff-Jones is for your info only and is not "clickable."
If you need financial support, please inform your school counselor, social worker, or other trusted adult so arrangements can be made for you.
Make sure you save any order confirmation emails or receipts.
Caps & Gowns will be delivered to school, and you will pick them up AT THE SENIOR PICNIC on FRIDAY, MAY 29; anything else you order from the site will be delivered to your home address.
If you have questions or technical difficulties, please contact PATTY NOTARO at HERFF-JONES at (716) 573 - 1936 or pwnotaro@herffjones.com. (Please do not contact office staff or the Senior Class Advisors.)

The deadline for ordering your Quaker Yearbook is February 1, 2026. To order your yearbook, go to https://yearbookordercenter.com/ and enter school code 4747. All yearbook sales are online only. Furthermore, you MUST pre-order your yearbook by February 1, 2026.

Any questions, please contact us a ophsyearbook@opschools.org

October Information

The Western New York Collegiate Consortium of Disability Advocates will be hosting a college night for students with disabilities interested in learning about the transition from high school to college. The event will take place at Daemen University on October 28th, 2025. Colleges and agencies that support this transition across the state will present valuable information. Please visit the WNYCCDA website for details and registration information.

Parents of seniors, please encourage your student to be aware of the following college application deadlines:

Transcript Request Forms must be turned in to the school counselor by October 20 for a November 1 application deadline.
Transcript Request Forms must be turned in to the school counselor by October 31 for a November 15 deadline.
Transcript Request Forms must be turned in to the school counselor by November 17 for a December 1 deadline.
Transcript Request Form must be turned in to the school counselor by December 12 for a January 1 deadline.
Transcript Request Form must be turned in to the school counselor by December 19 for a January 15 deadline.

OPHS is a test center for the October ACT, November SAT, May SAT, and June ACT. Please visit the ACT and SAT websites for details and registration information.

During the months of September and October, the High School Counselors met with seniors for their Senior Check-In to discuss post high school plans. Options including college, trades, military, and employment were discussed.

College Application season is underway! Students must fill out a Transcript Request Form for each college application completed. Please give your teachers and counselors at least two weeks notice when requesting transcripts and letters of recommendations. Common deadlines and Transcript Request Form due dates can be found here on the School Counseling page of the high school website.

College applications to SUNY schools will be free October 20th to November 3rd. Don’t miss out!

The High School Counseling department hosts a Google Classroom for each grade level. Ask your child to login and check out the latest announcements.

Check out the School Counseling page of the high school website. It includes a variety of resources for students and parents.

Throughout the fall semester, many college representatives visit OPHS. When students meet with these representatives, not only are they learning about the institutions, but they are also meeting with a person who may review their college applications. Keep in mind that "demonstrated interest" is a factor some colleges use when making admissions decisions. We highly encourage Juniors and Seniors to meet with the college representatives. Many visits are virtual and will occur after the school day, starting at 2 pm, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Thursday visits will be in-person and will take place in room 150. More information can be found here.

The Scott Krueger Memorial Scholarship application is now available and is due on November 7th. Each year, two OPHS seniors are chosen to receive a $10,000 annual scholarship valued at $40,000 over four years. Applicants must have a GPA of 90% or above, have 4 credits of math and science, and have participated in at least one season of athletics at OPHS. Additional information and the application are available on the Scholarships-Class of 2026 Google Classroom. All seniors have access to this classroom.

The Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) Scholarship provides selected applicants with full tuition, books stipend, educational fees, and other financial benefits at many of the nation’s leading colleges and universities. Total scholarships can exceed $200,000. This scholarship program educates and trains young men and women for leadership positions and a commission as an Officer in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.

To be considered for immediate selection, an applicant must:

be a high school senior
be a citizen of the United States
SAT combined score of at least a 1230 (minimum of 600 in Math) or ACT combined score of at least 54 (minimum of 26 in Math)
Significant involvement in school, community, or extracurricular activities
Top 20% of their high school class

If you meet these qualifications, please see Mr. Behm or Mrs. Stahl in the House 1 office IMMEDIATELY.

The Post Prom Committee would like to thank everyone who supported the Chipotle fundraiser this past Thursday!

The next PTO meeting will be on Monday 10/27 at 6:00pm in the HS Library.

The next Post Prom meeting will be on Tuesday 10/28 at 6:00pm in the HS Library. Hope to see you there!

Thank you to the senior class for filling out the Post Prom Survey! We received an overwhelming response! The Post Prom committee is thankful for your input!

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Please consider joining the PTO. There’s no commitment, just a membership fee of $7.00. Click the link below to join.

Membership link

The PTO has a Facebook page! Click this link to join! Facebook link

Do you have questions about the PTO, Post Prom, Senior information, Fundraisers, etc.? Check out the OPHS PTO Website for more information. If you have suggestions for additions to the website or if you still have questions regarding the PTO, reach out to Jen Domzalski, PTO President jmdomzlaski@hotmail.com or any PTO Board member.

OPHS PTO Website