Freshmen Orientation�Class of 2029
Welcome Class of 2029!
High School Administration
Mr. Spagnola Principal
Mrs. Madak Assistant Principal (11-12)
Mr. Jackson
Assistant Principal (9-10)
Mr. Coxon Athletic Director
�Guidance Department Staff
Mrs. Gurtsak | Student Last Names (A-G) |
Mr. Banyasz | Student Last Names (H-M) |
Mr. Lintner | Student Last Names (N-Z) |
Mrs. Caldrone | College & Career Counselor |
Mr. Rivera | Special Programs Counselor |
Mrs. Smith | Administrative Assistant |
Important OFHS Resources
Bell Schedule
Period | Start | End |
1st | 8:06 | 8:56 |
2nd | 9:00 | 9:46 |
3rd | 9:50 | 10:36 |
4th | 10:40 | 11:26 |
5th | 11:30 | 12:16 |
6th | 12:20 | 1:06 |
7th | 1:10 | 1:56 |
8th | 2:00 | 2:46 |
Graduation Requirements
* PE Waiver Option: Completion of 2 full-seasons of any school sport, Marching Band, Drill Team or Cheerleading will meet Physical Education graduation requirement
Course | Credit(s) |
English | 4 |
Mathematics | 4 |
Science | 3 |
Social Studies | 3 |
Health and Physical Education | Health .5 *Physical Education .5 |
Required Electives | Personal Finance .5 Fine Arts (visual and/or Music) 1 |
Additional Electives | From any department 4.5 |
Total Credits | 21 |
Class of 2029 Graduation Requirements
Recommendation for College Prep Students
Course | Credit(s) |
English | 4 |
Mathematics | 4 |
Science | 4 |
Social Studies | 4 |
*World Language | 2 |
Fine Art | 1 |
*Please note, competitive universities may prefer additional credits of World Language
Olmsted Falls High School
The Program of Studies found online here on the Counselors’ Corner and on the OFHS Website.
OFHS Graduation requirements |
Honor Diploma Criteria |
Athletic Eligibility |
Academic Recognition |
Career Pathways |
Courses offered at High School |
College Credit Plus Options |
Polaris Career Center Options |
Athletic Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility for each grading period is determined by grades received in the preceding grading period.
⮚ Semester average and yearly average have no effect on eligibility.
⮚ For eligibility purposes, summer school grades may not be used as a substitute for failing grades received in the final grading period of the regular school year.
⮚ Summer school grades may not be used for lack of enough courses taken during the preceding grading period.
In order to be eligible on an OHSAA sponsored team, all student athletes must be:
∙ Enrolled and passing a minimum of five (5), one-credit classes each (or the equivalent of) for each and every grading period to have continuing eligibility
∙ Minimum GPA of 1.0
If you have any questions regarding your schedule, please see your school counselor or the athletic director for assistance. All student athletes and their families are reminded to “Know and to Protect YOUR Eligibility”.
Freshmen Orientation Day
First Day of School: 8/21/25
How to be Successful at OFHS
Be here! Daily attendance is crucial to academic and social success
Be informed! Check out OFHS website and Counselors’ Corner website on regular basis. Daily announcements are posted online and in the cafeteria
Get involved! Nearly 50 clubs/activities and athletics Activities/Club List
Start strong! Students have THREE years to establish a GPA before they apply to college. Students are encouraged to attend the math lab, writing lab, and science lab for academic tutoring.
Check your Email! Important updates are consistently emailed.
Be YOU! High school is a time to develop a sense of self and personal identity
Freshmen Challenges:
Advice for Students
Organization Organize your materials (separate binder/folder for each class), use a planner and keep a list of your assignments with due dates; keep notes and set reminders; check your email; use your time wisely.
Preparedness create good routines (assignments first, then leisure); check Google Classroom and Powerschool; prepare for tests and quizzes early; stay on top of your assignments; meet deadlines.
Self-advocacy Communicate with your teachers, ask questions, seek out help, and attend the math lab, writing lab, and science lab for tutoring; take ownership of your academics
Motivation Create an incentive plan for yourself; make life goals and connect them to school; expand your comfort zone and embrace challenges; learn from failure and make a new action plan; Everything counts now
Freshmen Challenges:
Advice for Parents
Organization Ask your student to show you their planners/list of assignments & their Google Classroom; help your student structure their time at home for schoolwork and extracurriculars; Check Powerschool for missing assignments.
Preparedness Ask and evaluate how your student is studying; quiz them for understanding of content; help your student limit distractions and build in breaks; encourage them to attend the math/writing/science labs for tutoring
Self-advocacy If an issue arises, encourage your student to self-advocate before stepping in; give advice on how to speak with the teacher
Motivation Help teach and create strong habits with your student; create a reward system to encourage effort, meeting deadlines, and progress (both academic and behavioral); help chunk larger assignments into smaller parts, help your student define a life goal and relate it to school
Scheduling for 2025-2026
Mrs. Maridi Gurtsak Mr. Mike Banyasz Mr. Alex Lintner
OFHS Counselor (A-G) OFHS Counselor (H-M) OFHS Counselor (N-Z)
mgurtsak@ofcs.net mbanyasz@ofcs.net alintner@ofcs.net
Career Pathways
*All 9 Career Pathways can be found in the OFHS Program of Studies. This example is Health Science
Arts |
Business |
Education |
Health Science |
Human Services |
Industrial Professions |
Information and Technology |
Marketing |
Stem (Science/Technology/Engineering/Math) |
The Career Development Process
Learn
Decide
Do
Learn about yourself and different jobs
Set a career goal and make corresponding educational plans
Follow the plan and achieve your career goal
Honors Diploma Criteria
1 Math | 4 credits of Math. Fourth math must be > Algebra 2 |
2 Science | 1 additional credit Advanced Science (4 credits) |
3 Social Studies | 1 additional credit Social Studies (4 credits) |
4 World Languages * | 3 sequential credits of one world language, or no less than 2 sequential credits of two world languages |
5 GPA * | 3.5 on a 4.0 scale |
6 ACT/SAT * | ACT: Score of 27 or higher, SAT: Score of 1280 or higher |
7 Seal Requirement | Earn 2 additional diploma seals, not including Honors Diploma Seal |
8 Experiential Learning | Field Experience & Portfolio, OhioMeansJobs Readiness Seal*, or Work-Based Learning |
Elective Course Choices
*Designates a .5 credit/semester-long course
Art Foundations | Digital Marketing and Management |
Band, Choir, Band/Choir combination | Marketing Principles |
French, Spanish | Principles of Accounting & Finance* |
Lifetime Wellness & Physical Fitness I/II* | Intro to Engineering Design |
Spinning (does NOT count as PE)* | Principles of BioMedical Science |
Sports Officiating* | Cyber Security |
Sports Performance & Weight Training# | Drama and Performance: Character Development/Scene Study* |
Yoga (does not count as PE)* | Publications (Contact Mr. Gaba) |
*semester long class/ .5 credit | #semester long class/ .25 credit |
Typical 9th Grade Schedule�
*HEALTH has been added to 9th grade schedules. Contact your counselor to have Health removed if you plan to take Health over the summer or in 10th grade instead of during the 2025-26 school year.
#PE/PE WAIVER INTENT: To meet PE graduation requirements, students must complete 2 seasons of an OFHS sport/marching band/cheerleading/drill team OR take 2 PE classes.
Select PE Waiver Intent/HPE002 if you plan to complete 2 seasons of a sport/marching band/cheerleading/drill team OR Select Physical Education/HPE100 if you plan to take 2 PE classes.
If you are NOT taking Health and/or a PE class, you have room on your schedule to take another ELECTIVE.
1 Period | Language Arts 1 credit |
1 Period | Math 1 credit |
1 Period | Biology 1 credit |
1 Period | World History 1 credit |
1 Period | *HEALTH/#PE or Elective(s) |
1 Period | Elective 1 credit |
1 Period | Study hall or elective 0/1 credit |
Total credit: 5.75 to 6.75 credit | |
Use the practice scheduling sheet to map out a potential schedule.
Freshman FAQ:
Q: Does my student need a study hall freshman year?
A: It is recommended that ALL 9th grade students schedule a study hall to help with the transition to the high school. Study hall is the perfect time to get extra academic support in the Math Lab/Writing Lab/Science Lab .
Q: Does my student need to take a world language (French or Spanish)?
A: World Language is NOT a graduation requirement but is recommended for a student who is planning on attending a four year college/university after graduation.
Q: Who should take Sports Performance and Weight training class and when does it happen on the schedule?
A: This class is recommended for student athletes but is available to all. This class runs before school from 7:20-8:06am. Please speak with your coach for more information. Sports Performance should not be chosen towards a student’s elective periods.
Q: How are recommendations made for students?
A: Recommendations are made by their current 8th grade teachers and are based on their progress in class, interest in the subject area, grades, and work ethic. All recommendations can be viewed in PowerSchool. If your student does not have any recommendations listed, your student is eligible to take all of the standard 9th grade classes.
Q: What if my student is not recommended for an honors course but I would like them to take it?
A: If a student/parent wants to move into coursework he/she doesn't have the recommendation for, we ask that he or she start the conversation with the 8th grade teacher. If you would like more information about the honors level classes at OFHS, please contact the following OFHS teacher:
Language Arts 9 Honors, Mr. Harbison (mharbison@ofcs.net)
Biology Honors, Mr. Lupica (dlupica@ofcs.net)
World History Honors, Mr. Blake (tblake@ofcs.net)
Honors Math, Mrs. DiLoreto-Smith (sdiloreto@ofcs.net)
If you still would like to discuss the recommendation and register for an honors class without a teacher recommendation, a parent will need to contact the appropriate high school counselor and sign the Course Placement Waiver form:
Last Name A-G, Mrs. Gurtsak (mgurtsak@ofcs.net)
Last Name H-M, Mr. Banyasz (mbanyasz@ofcs.net)
Last Name N-Z, Mr. Lintner (alintner@ofcs.net)
Q: If my student is recommended for an Honors class (Language Arts/World History/ Biology/Math), does my student have to take the Honors class?
A: Your student is not required to take an Honors class if they are recommended for it. The student may want to consider their entire academic course load and outside activities when selecting their courses. 8th grade teachers may recommend multiple options for students to consider.
Q: My student has an IEP. How do I ensure that my student is placed in the correct classes?
A: Your student’s current IEP case manager will be making recommendations based on their present placement. All students on an IEP should schedule a study hall to ensure they can fit tutoring time in their school day.
Q: How can I see what classes my student has registered for and how do I make changes if needed?
A: You can view your student’s class registrations by logging into PowerSchool. Click on the “class registration” tab on the left hand side of the screen. If you would like to make a course request change, please contact your high school counselor. The deadline to make any course request changes is May 2, 2025. The last day to make any schedule adjustments is the last day of school. We are not able to make any adjustments to schedules or convenience changes in the fall.
Last Name A-G, Mrs. Gurtsak (mgurtsak@ofcs.net)
Last Name H-M, Mr. Banyasz (mbanyasz@ofcs.net)
Last Name N-Z, Mr. Lintner (alintner@ofcs.net)
Q: What is the PE Waiver Intent (HPE002)?
A: The PE Waiver Intent should be selected by students who plan to complete 2 seasons of a school sponsored sport, marching band, cheerleading, or golden bullets in place of taking 2 PE classes. Students will select “PE Waiver Intent” when scheduling their classes.
Q: Can my student take summer PE/Health or Personal Finance to make room on their schedule?
A: Health class is automatically added to every 9th grade schedule and we recommend students take this class at OFHS. The curriculum and activities in both Health and PE are invaluable. There are no summer or online options for PE or Personal Finance available. If your student plans to take Health over the summer or in 10th grade, please contact your student’s high school counselor to remove the class. If you would like to explore a summer option for Health, the approved option is listed below:
Counselor Contacts