OVS Weekly Update
August 24, 2018 Volume 78
Mark Your Calendars!
Learning Coach Training Next Week
NONE--Modified schedule because of MAP testing. Learning coaches are welcome to stay in the LC lounge during this time. Teachers may bring in projects for parents to help with and leave on the front table. (cut out lamination, letters, and we have boxtop labels to be cut!).
Upcoming LC Training Schedules
September 4-6th: OVS Connect & Technology Training
OVS Connect- During K-5 art class, the K-5 learning facilitators will visit the LC Lounge to provide updates, previews of curriculum, and answer LC questions. See the times below for when your learning facilitator will visit:
- 9:15-9:45 - 4th-5th grade teacher, Mrs. Walker
- 9:45-10:15 2nd-3rd grade teacher, Mr. Dowling
- 10:15-10:45- K-1st grade teacher, Ms. Rogers
*Afternoon session times with teachers, TBD.
Technology Training-Office 365 Intro and One Drive
- 11:00-12:00
- 1:00-2:00
MAP testing
All OVS learners will take the MAP reading, math, and science MAP assessments the week of August 27th. Refer to information below to sign up for your learners' sessions.
Open House
Thursday, September 27th--More info to follow
Welcome Mrs. Nicole Walker
NWEA-MAP Testing Information
Sign-Up for your learner's MAP testing session
OVS has a modified schedule during the week of NWEA-MAP testing, and learning coaches must sign their learners up for TWO testing sessions. Which means learners do not attend class at their normal time.
Parents-using the link provided, choose a time for your student to take the Math and reading assessments. You will need to sign up for 2 different time slots. Please keep your child in mind when signing up, as you want the most accurate data to guide instruction.
Monday, August 27
- 2:00-3:30pm
Tuesday, August 28
- 9:00-10:30am
- 11:00-12:30pm
- 2:00-3:30pm
- 9:00-10:30am
- 11:00-12:30pm
- 2:00-3:30pm
- 9:00-10:30am
- 11:00-12:30pm
- 2:00-3:30pm
Click HERE to sign-up for TWO sessions today!
Other notes: Learners will stay for the whole testing session. Since this is NOT a timed test, if learners don't finish in this time frame, they can come back another time to complete the test. Please send your learner with their device and a book to read if they finish early.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call or email your child's Learning Facilitator.
NWEA-MAP Test practice at home
Practice MAP test sessions
If your learner is nervous with test taking, that is normal! If you would like them to experience what the MAP is like, click on the NWEA icon on the desktop of your learner's laptop.
Click "Take the practice test" and enter the username and password below.
Username: Grow
Password: grow
Here they can practice the reading, math, and science assessments for their grade level.
If you want to exit the test at any time, hold the Control, Alt, Shift, K button. That will escape the test
Drop-Off & Pick-up procedures
Please do not park in front of the front doors to drop or pick-up your learner. You can drop your learner off at the end of the curb in front of the building. Please enter the building to retrieve your learner at the end of the session. If you would prefer to stay in your car (if you have small children), park in a parking stall and staff will take learners outside once most of them have departed.
Please be on time to your learner's session and on time when picking them up.
Core Value: Growth Mindset
OVS Synergy
OVS Synergy- Our non-traditional version of a parent teacher organization. All are included and invited to participate, donate, and engage.
OVS Synergy Mission: A collaborative Organization that Creates Engagement and Learning Opportunities for Teachers and parents to support Student success.
OVS Board: We are reviewing new board member applications. We will be announcing our new board members soon. If you are interested in serving, we are still seeking a treasurer, vice-president, and secretary. We do have interested parents, so thank you for engaging. More to come!
OVS Synergy Facebook Group
Connect with OVS learning coaches in a closed group on Facebook!This group is for those of us who are enrolled in OVS. The group focuses on questions as we begin the year, questions regarding the children's homework, technology related questions that pertain to OVS, field trip information and updates, and anything else that comes up that we wish to discuss. Click the below link to request to join and engage in the conversations!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ovsfamilies/
Tshirt Orders
Our first round of Tshirt orders were a fundraising success! We made $320 that will go right back to supporting our program. Look for another Tshirt order in November for the holiday season!
Box Tops
We will do another Box Top Competition in the very near future! So be clipping those Box Tops. More information to come!
Learning Coach Q & A Highlights
We had great discussions this week at the LC trainings Q & A. It was great to see LCs work and learn together to brainstorm solutions and sharing tips and tricks that they have learned already! Here are some questions that were repeated through the week.
Q: What do I log for attendance?
A: K-5 learners- LCs log ALL activity on K12 and Off K12
6-10th grade learners- LCs log only activity that occurs off of K12.com (reading a book, powerpoint, journaling, etc.)
Q: Can I just use the workbooks for my K-5 learner, instead of the online work?
A: NO! The workbooks and online lessons work in conjunction. The workbooks are for learners to practice what they learn online lessons. If learners are only doing the workbooks, they are not learning, they are just doing!
Q: When my middle/high school learner went to take a test, it asked for an admin username and password. What is this?!
A: This is Respondus, lock-down browser. The lockdown browser keeps the learner locked into the testing browser so they cannot go to other websites and find answers to a test. This requires the learning coach to enter the parent admin username and password. This was emailed to you by the learning facilitators. If you do not know it, please email your learning facilitator (teacher). Please do not ever share this username and password with your learner!
Q: What hours do I manually log for my middle school learner's attendance?
A: Learning coaches log ALL work that is done OFF K12, this includes the online lessons. These use a different program, and therefore need to be logged, whether they attend live or watch the recording. These are logged in the content area in which the lesson was for.
Q: The attendance log for my middle/high school learner does not show the total time he/she has spent on K12, it is only showing what I enter? What is wrong?
A: Nothing, the attendance that the learning coach logs for middle/high school students is only for work that is completed OFF or OUTSIDE of K12. The attendance log in K12 only includes what you have entered, not the learner's online engagement. The K12 system logs the online hours and is available within each course.
Q; Then how will I know how much my middle/high school learner's total attendance is for the week?
A: There is no place in K12 for the learning coach to get the total hours for the week. BUT, learning coaches can look in each course in the progress tab for the total hours spent in each tab.
Classroom Happenings
Ms. Rogers' Classroom- KG-1st Grade
We spent some time learning expectations and routines of the classroom this week. We will continue to focus on these the next few weeks. I introduced students to SeeSaw this week and we added 2 items to our digital portfolio. Directions for parents/learning coaches to join our SeeSaw class were sent home in Blue Folders. Please let me know if you have questions about SeeSaw. My goal is to complete activities or upload things we have done in class for parents to see.
Continue to send the required artifacts in your learner's blue folder each week as you complete them.
Next week:
We will have a modified schedule at OVS next week. Learners will be completing MAP Testing in Reading and Math for the sessions you have signed them up for. If you haven't had a chance to sign your learner up for 2 different sessions, please do so ASAP. Here is the link to sign up!
Resources:
Here is the link to our class Symbaloo page in case you need it!
Mr. Dowling's Classroom- 2nd-3rd Grade
This week:
I was very impressed with the attitudes the kids had this week. They did a fantastic job of working together and sharing knowledge and experiences.
Next week:
As you all know, MAP testing is happening this week. If you haven’t signed up for a Reading and Math time slot, please do so at your earliest convenience. We will NOT be having our face-to-face sessions this week, August 28-30. We WILL, however, be having our Class Connect Online lessons on Monday, August 27th and Friday, August 31st. Please make sure devices are charged and ready to go when you get here to school for MAP testing.
Reminders:
· Please make sure your learner knows their K12 username and password. We had a few learners who were not able to log in to practice our Class Connect routines. You can put a Post-it note beside their trackpad until they have it memorized.
· Please have learners log themselves into their computers. The more they type in those numbers, the faster they will learn them. We use that username and password several times each day.
Ms. Nommensen's Classroom-4th-5th grade
Happy Friday!! I hope you survived the first full week of school!! I know I'm going to sleep well this weekend!!!
Please be sure you are logging your attendance for each and every day. Even if you don't do work on Friday, please mark that attendance as 0. When your student is working online in K12, it asks you to log the attendance at the end of the lesson. When you log it there, it will automatically move over to your cumulative time spent for the day. You then need to go into your attendance to log any additional work that you did during that day. If, however, the lesson does NOT ask you to log the attendance, then you need to log the on-line and off-line work into the attendance on YOUR end.
Here's an example:
Maria works on a K12 math lesson online and completes the lesson. A screen pops up and asks for the parent password to log 60 minutes of attendance. The parent enters the password. Then, Maria and her mom work together off-line (not in K12) for another 20 minutes. Maria's mom will log into K12 and log those 20 minutes.
Then, Maria switches to Literature and works for 60 minutes online, on a K12 lesson. Maria does not finish the lesson, or there is never a screen that asks for the parent password. After the online portion, Maria and her mom work off-line for another 30 minutes. At the end of the literature block, Maria's mom logs into K12 and logs 90 minutes for literature.
I recommend just keeping a log of it and log in one time. I have attached a spreadsheet that has 2 templates on it to help you keep track of the time that needs to be added into the system for attendance. As always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!!
Students: The new teacher, Mrs. Walker, will officially be taking over this week. I met her on Friday and she is going to be wonderful!! We have a very similar sense of humor and became instant friends! I think you all will truly enjoy her! I will miss being in the classroom each day with you, but I know you are in good hands. I will be in the building and look forward to hugs and high fives! Thank you so much for being my class and know that I am always here to help whenever you need it!!!
Mr. Gamble's Classroom: 6th-10th grade math
Week in Review:
We are off to a great start! This week we were able to work on the initial discussion posts with many learners and learn the expectations for all future posts. Learners were very involved and seemed comfortable with the process. We also began working in content areas with some learners and they were able to ask questions and get clarification on multiple topics.
Looking Ahead:
This coming week we will be taking the NWEA-MAP test for math and reading. Each session is about an hour and a half and will provide valuable data for our learning times during face-to-face days. Each learner is required to be signed up for TWO different sessions. If you have done so already, thank you. If you have yet to sign your learner up, please do so as soon as possible so we have accurate numbers for testers each session.
Should your learner have a question or struggle, please encourage them to reach out to us. If they are reserved, then please email the appropriate teacher and we will make note of that need and address it. We are a team and encourage all parties (facilitator, coach, and learner) to communicate.
Resources:
There are countless resources on the internet for math. Throughout the year I will post some here that could assist your learner or yourself. Learning coaches can use these to check the work of a learner or preview topics. This week’s resource can be effective for all courses. It provides procedures and solutions for algebra, geometry, and more. I would encourage coaches to use it sparingly with learners so they don’t rely on it for solutions. It can be effective to check your learner’s work.
Weekly Online Math Lessons:
Online lessons will begin next week, August 27th.
Most online sessions will not last the entire block of time, unless needed for individual help. We will work in mini-lessons addressing specific needs. If “Required” is listed on the session, you must attend that session. If “Optional” is listed, you do not have to attend, but CAN attend if you’d like help or a review.
The schedule for regular online Math sessions is as follows:
- Math 06: Mondays @ 9:15 – 10:00.
- Math 07: Mondays @ 10:15 – 11:00.
- Math 08: Fridays @ 9:15 – 10:00.
- Algebra 1: Wednesdays @ 1:00 – 2:00.
- Geometry: Tuesdays @ 1:00 – 2:00.
Mrs. Felten's Classroom-6th-8th grade Science & social studies
Looking Ahead:
This week will be taking the MAP test.
In two weeks we will continue working on our hands-on activities:
August Activities:
Earth Science: Mystery Map, Scientific Data Inquiry, Desertification experiment
Life Science: Madagascar exploration, Taxonomy pyramid
Physical Science: model of an atom, Boiling Point exploration, Speed activity, Density lab
World History: Timeline activity
Geography: Map activity
American History: Antifederalist/Federalist ideals comparison
Weekly Online Science Lessons:
Online lessons are only for science, not social studies.
The schedule for regular online Math sessions is as follows:
Physical Science: 10:15 - 11:00 AM Mondays
Life Science: 1:00 - 1:45 PM Mondays
Earth Science: 10:15 - 11:00 AM Fridays
There are no online lessons on holidays or teacher work days.
Ms. Robison's Classroom-6th-8th grade English and Computer Apps
What a great first week…. It was so fun to see our returning learners and meet our new ones! This is going to be an exciting year at OVS! Thank you to our Learning Coaches and Learners for coming to school this week with good questions, positive attitudes, and a spirit of collaboration.
As we discussed, there can be a lot that is overwhelming at the beginning of any new school year. Recognize that we are here to help. Please don’t hesitate to reach out! By October, I imagine we will all feel like our skills have improved.
Next week, your learners will continue to be introduced to procedures and expectations. This is true in both ELA and Computer Applications. It is my goal to lay a good foundation so that all students will feel comfortable and knowledgeable in what they are doing in school, in K12, and with their technology. By laying this foundation, students can focus on their learning!
Speaking of learning….I notice some learners are getting a jump start on tasks in ELA and Computer Apps. Way to go! Keep that pacing guide at the forefront. It will help you stay right on track!
Should your learner have a question or struggle, please encourage them to reach out to us. If they are reserved, then please email the appropriate teacher and we will make note of that need and address it. We are a team and encourage all parties (facilitator, coach, and learner) to communicate.
Online ELA lessons will begin regularly the week of August 27th.
The schedule is as follows:
6th ELA-Mondays, 10:15 to 11:00
7th ELA-Fridays, 9:15-10:00
8th ELA-Mondays, 9:15-10:00
*Most online sessions will not last the entire block of time, unless needed for individual help.
Reminder….all students will attend their first online lesson Friday, August 24th at 9:15.
Have a great week!
K-8 Art with Mrs. Barry
I am so thrilled to begin another year at OVS!
K-8 Art will begin the first week of September. Students DO NOT need to complete any coursework before then. I will be emailing learning coaches and doing learning coach training about art in the coming weeks before the first face to face class.
If you have any questions or would like more information please contact me - shannon.barry@ops.org.
9th Grade Newsletter
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Mission Statement
Vision
Core Values
Positivity
Collaboration
Integrity
Self-advocacy
Accountability
Omaha Virtual School
Email: virtualschool@ops.org
Website: ovs.k12.com
Location: 4640 S 59th St, Omaha, NE, United States
Phone: (531)299-0269
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OPSVirtualSchool/
Twitter: @OPS_Virtual