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The school newspaper of Oakville High School

myOHSonline

The school newspaper of Oakville High School

myOHSonline

The school newspaper of Oakville High School

myOHSonline

Art teacher Amela Cikota poses for a picture (left) and helps a student with his ceramics project (right). "It’s a lot easier to ... bond through the artwork in class, like students making the art and helping them with the art," Cikota said. She felt it helped her make a greater connection with her students and have a better reputation among them.

High School Reunion

Samantha Clem, JI Reporter December 5, 2025

High school 3D art teacher Amela Cikota walks into her classroom on the first day of school, and for the first time, she recognises some students. Her previous students from her elementary school career...

English teacher Jenn Fruhwirth poses for her picture in her classroom. “I won a writing competition in fourth grade, so I guess I’ve been writing since I was very little,” Fruhwirth said. She is also part of a writing club that gets up at 5:30 a.m just to write.

Teacher by Day, Writer by Night

Ellie Haverdink, Reporter March 14, 2025

Outside the classroom, many teachers have grading and meetings that they have to spend their time on, but there are some who spend their time doing different things. For English teacher Jenn Fruhwirth,...

This picture shows one of many pieces that Cikota has produced and uploaded to her website. "...They're supposed to be abstract landscapes and cityscapes. You can tell that there are mountains and buildings and stuff, but it’s not exactly realistic..." Cikota said. Cikota also sells her art online on her website (amelacikota.com) and Etsy.

Teacher Turns Pro

Mazie Menkhus and Anna Rohr December 19, 2024

Walking through the halls of Oakville, there is plenty of evidence to show the many talented art students. From the murals on the walls to the pottery in display cases, there is nearly always something...

OHS science teacher Bekki Kirchhofer demonstrates to her class how DNA strands connect on Nov. 22. "My favorite part of  being a teacher is helping students who want help and are willing to accept the help," Kirchhofer said. Outside of school, Kirchhofer enjoys serving as a foster parent at the Humane Society Of Missouri.

Learning With Love

Belle Mahoney, Online Editor November 23, 2024

Head down. Falling asleep. Struggling to keep your eyes open. Walking through the halls, feeling the weight on your shoulders drag you down. Airpods in. Music on. Just getting through the day.  Until...

Coach Rodney Gerdes stands with the golf team at state. "[I coach and teach at OHS because] there were teacher openings. It came with the fact there were a bunch of coaching positions...I said 'I'll coach anything' to get a job as a teacher," Gerdes said. He has been coaching and teaching since he got out of college over 20 years ago.

Long Lasting Careers

Haley Hughes, Editor-in-Chief September 12, 2024

As some people grow up, they think ‘what job can get me rich and successful?’ But the more important question may be ‘what job can I make a difference with while enjoying it?’ A few OHS staff started...

OHS coach Adam Williams supervises wrestlers in the weight room.  "...[I can't spend a lot of time with my family while coaching because with] practice you are usually here till 5 o’clock anyway, and during the winter it gets dark around 5:30," Williams said. Williams coaches wrestling and football.

Coaching and Teaching

Madison Donze, JI Reporter December 18, 2023

Many teachers volunteer their time to running clubs, coaching sports, or tutoring after school, which can take up a lot of their time.  This is a reality for biology teacher Kelsey Tunze, who is also...

English teacher Sarah Petroff smiles for a photo with other
coworkers. “To me, being in the restaurant industry is not sustainable, so it is just something I'm doing to get by in the meantime,” Petroff said. Petroff doesn't mind this job even though it is tiring to her.

Double Booked

Kellie Youngblood, JI Reporter December 2, 2022

English teacher Sarah Petroff is working two jobs to sustain her lifestyle. In addition to teaching, she is a part-time waitress at the breakfast restaurant First Watch. While there are some downsides...

Teachers travel from room to room

Preston Ocello, Editor-in-Chief February 20, 2018

Mrs. Amy Crean and Mrs. Katie Heurung (Wolf) are both roommates. No they don’t share an apartment, they share a classroom. Mrs. Crean only travels during her planning period and proceeds to the teacher...

StuCo’s annual food drive is a success

StuCo’s annual food drive is a success

Haley Boeschen, Reporter December 10, 2010

This year for the canned food drive, OHS students collected 9,508 food items to benefit Feed My People. This year’s collection set a record for OHS. The canned food drive started Nov. 3 and ended...

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