AP Exam Availability for Homeschoolers
AP Exam Availability for Homeschoolers

If taxes from homeschooling households contribute to their local school district like any other brick-and-mortar family, why are homeschool students discriminated against, like clockwork, every fall when they go to register for AP exams?  If a homeschooled student lives within the district of a school, they are as entitled to a seat as any given student who happens to attend. They should be permitted to pay the College Board for the test and sit for AP exams, regardless of attendance status. 

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Isabel Hogben '25Comment
Pixel Festival Preview & Recap
Pixel Festival Preview & Recap

Reminding us of the togetherness of our OHS community, Ms. Mustafa, the director of Student Life, mentions how parents specifically can partake in sessions “...focusing on social-emotional well-being and college counseling” led by expert OHS instructors. Rounding off the night, students can let loose at the Winter Formal filled with music, board games, and lots of delicious food.

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JB '24 & Rasa '25Comment
Love's Day or Just Another Hallmark Holiday? A Student Perspective
Love's Day or Just Another Hallmark Holiday? A Student Perspective

Alas, we do indeed have some students who celebrate with splendid spirit, but with their twist! Aishwarya (‘27) shares that, I don’t think I’ll ever celebrate Valentine’s Day the way it’s meant to be. But I have my own unique way of celebrating it with family and friends! Valentine’s Day is a day of love for my family.” Rebecca (‘25) also thinks of it as “a fun day to celebrate meaningful relationships and eat chocolate.” A tasty agenda in addition to family, friends, and fun? Count me in. 

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Arielle Clyne ’25Comment
Monterey Fall Meetup
Monterey Fall Meetup

In general, there was a lot of flexibility in the organization of the event. Although Maxwell stayed in a separate hotel for the weekend, most people stayed at the same hotel. Some students were even able to drive everyday to the meetup! Moreover, students were able to select which events they wanted to attend each day. For instance, Maxwell’s favorites were the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Gianni’s Pizza, and the Bird Rock Hike. He was able to make cherished memories at Gianni’s Pizza, which was a “highlight of the entire meetup for me!” 

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Rachael Lin ’26Comment
How OHSers' are Dealing with Finals Week
How OHSers' are Dealing with Finals Week

In terms of how OHSers feel about these assessments, let’s start on a relatively positive note. When asked how confident the OHSer feels about their finals, 48.1% of students reported their confidence as a 3 within the scale of 1-5. There is also the slightest left skew with 29.6% of students reporting their confidence as a four or five as opposed to the 22.2% describing their confidence as a one of two. This is definitely good news because confidence is key.

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Arielle Clyne ’25Comment
OHSers' Plans for Halloween
OHSers' Plans for Halloween

October is a busy month for OHS’ers, because of midterms. However, the end of the month provides a chance for celebration and having fun: Halloween! Halloween, which originated as a pagan festival called Samhain, marks the end of summer and beginning of fall. Trick-or-treating, a Halloween staple in the US, was established throughout the 1920’s to the 1950’s by immigrants. Given the diverse body of OHS students, there is also a diverse range of plans.

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Rasa Atluri ’25Comment
Student Opinions on Pronto
Student Opinions on Pronto

Based on a survey of 30 OHS students with a combination of multiple choice and short answer questions, over 70% of students use Pronto over 40% of the time to connect with others across the school, but there are mixed emotions as to how students feel about Pronto at this current stage.

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Sterling ’24Comment
September NorCal Meetups
September NorCal Meetups

On September 3rd, from 5 PM to 7 PM, local OHS students attended an informal gathering at Burgess Park, Menlo Park. Students brought an array of dishes to share, such as pizza, pasta, cupcakes, and much more. In addition, students brought sporting equipment, including volleyballs and footballs.

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Rachael Lin ’26Comment
Seniors' Next Steps 2023
Seniors' Next Steps 2023

Congratulations to the OHS Class of 2023! It’s been a great couple of years, and the Pixel Journal team wishes them the best of luck in the future. Whether it be providing advice, or taking the “lead” during spirit weeks, the senior class will undoubtedly be missed! Contributor Rachael (’26) gathered some of their thoughts about their takeaways from high school and their next steps after OHS.

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College, LifestyleRachael Lin ’26Comment
How OHSers are Preparing for AP Exams
How OHSers are Preparing for AP Exams

AP exams are something that all students, both middle and high schoolers alike, are familiar with. Whether a student is taking their first AP exam this May or they have taken countless of them over the years, they never seem to become less nerve-wracking or stressful. Contributor Sterling (’24) surveyed 10 OHSers on their plans to take AP exams, why they’re taking them, and their thoughts about the process.

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Academics, CollegeSterling ’24Comment
Spring Break 2023: YellOHStone Trip
Spring Break 2023: YellOHStone Trip

This year, 12 students, Dr. Vetter, and Middle School Counselor Kellye Smith took their Spring Break to join the Ecology Project International (EPI) on their trip to Yellowstone National Park to observe the various wildlife, talk with different professors and scientists, interact with science hands-on, and explore one of the most visited national parks in the United States!

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Events, Student LifeSterling ’24Comment
Spring Break 2023: New Orleans Trip
Spring Break 2023: New Orleans Trip

This spring break, OHS hosted a trip to New Orleans, thus continuing the tradition that began in 2019. The trip was composed of 12 OHSers from middle school, aged 11 to 14 years old, as well as three chaperones: Dr. Banks, Mr. Bennette, and Elitsa Somleva, the Academic Expeditions Tour Coordinator. Combining their passions for the history of New Orleans, Dr. Banks and Mr. Bennette helped provide students with a unique glimpse into the history of slavery that extended beyond the text in a book.

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Student Life, EventsRachael Lin ’26Comment
A New AP: The Potential of AP African American Studies
A New AP: The Potential of AP African American Studies

In 2021, the College Board announced that a pilot of the new course, AP African American Studies, would begin rolling out in the 2022-2023 academic year. This is a much-needed addition to high school curriculums as African American studies are often not given enough attention or focus in typical history courses such as AP US History. Contributor Sterling (’24) spoke to history instructors Dr. Smith and Dr. Chudzinski about their thoughts on this new AP and its potential applications to OHS’s history curriculum.

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AcademicsSterling ’24Comment
February NorCal Meetups
February NorCal Meetups

In the past few weeks, the NorCal OHS community has been hectic with frequent meetups. This includes the Writing Alliance’s inaugural meetup, as well as a meetup at Red Door Escape Room. These two back-to-back events provided OHSers based in NorCal with a great opportunity to connect with the peers they usually see online. 

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Student Life, EventsRachael Lin ’26Comment
Student Mental Health: Imposter Syndrome at OHS
Student Mental Health: Imposter Syndrome at OHS

Students in the OHS student body may experience many mental health challenges because of the high academic standards set by the school as well as students and their families. Defining our worth with test scores and grade point averages in a community filled with self-starting, accomplished students can ultimately lead to imposter syndrome. Often, these feelings can be falsely perceived as unique. However, most students feel some extent of imposter syndrome, and remembering this will help students gain perspective. 

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OpinionNaiya ’25Comment