OVCA Middle School Bison Blast
December 2017
OVCA has some pretty incredible students doing some pretty incredible things all over the state!
Check out Tru’s story!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-lpfELyN94In this issue...
Upcoming Events
Semester Finals Schedule
Tech Tip
Learning Coach and Student Resources
Upcoming Events
Blazers Ice Rink in Oklahoma City; Oilers Ice Center in Tulsa
December 10: Checkpoint #4
All Teacher Graded items are locked
December 11-14: Semester Finals
Schedule below
December 15: Last day of 2nd Qt
December 16 to January 3: Winter Break
No School
January 4: Second Semester Starts
School resumes
Hope you will plan to join us for some fun at our outings this year!
December All School Outing: Ice Skating and Gingerbread House Contest
Please bring canned foods to donate to a local food bank.
Ice Skating and Gingerbread House Contest RSVP link:
https://goo.gl/forms/x4OJldmak0X3H7ut2
Oklahoma City
8000 S I-35 Service Rd,
Oklahoma City, OK 73149
Time: 12-2pm
Admission: $7
Gingerbread House Contest
Class Connect-Students Schedule
Please bring canned foods to donate to a local food bank.
Tulsa
4th Annual OVCA/ISOK K-12 Online Art Show!
11:00am-1:00pm
Semester Finals Schedule
December 10th- all teacher graded items are locked!
December 11th- math diagnostic exams
December 12th- reading diagnostic exams
December 13th- all other semester exams- student accounts will be locked at 1pm if they have not completed the math/reading diagnostic exams!
December 14th – computer graded items can still be turned in- student accounts will be unlocked for math/reading diagnostic after 3pm
December 15th- hot cocoa virtual party for those who completed diagnostics by December 12th!
December 15th- last day to complete any computer graded course work for this semester. All classes will lock at 5pm!
December – How to Stay Fit in the Winter
Did you know that the average person gains 5 to 7 pounds in the winter?
What are three main culprits that make the scale go up in the winter?
- Decreased physical activity
- Greater number of empty calories
- Seasonal affective disorder (Winter Blues)
10 Ways to Exercise While Watching TV
- Walking in place or on treadmill
- Jumping Jacks
- Pushups
- Leg Lifts
- Crunches
- Jogging in place
- Squats
- Light weight lifting
- Dancing
- Step exercises
This site has several videos of exercises that can be completed at home:
https://www.fitnessblender.com/workouts-programs
Winter Eating Tips
1. Eat low calorie soup before a large meal
2. Indoor Grill
3. Give away baked goods when you make them
4. Eat winter fruit and vegetables
5. Eat oatmeal for breakfast
6. Make your favorite comfort food with low fat and fat reduced ingredients
7. Drink water
It’s Cold Outside but Go Out!
1. Hike through parks
2. Ice Skating (indoor and outdoor)
3. Go sledding
4. Snowball fight
Spoiler alert—it is pretty AWESOME!
Check out what a few of our OVCA students are saying about OVCA this year!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4SoOvNK49A&t=1s
If you have something you would like to share please email nellison@okvirtual.org
To provide resources for our OVCA school community, we'd like to hear more about your family’s activities!
Learn more about Title 1
If you haven’t met me before I am the Title I Coordinator at OVCA. This is my 8th year with our school and I LOVE year in and year out being able to help support our families in many different ways.
If you were unaware OVCA is a schoolwide Title I school. Perhaps you are unsure what “Title I” is, that is ok! Last week we held our annual Title I parent meeting.
If you did not get a chance to join the session I have placed the recording link here for you to view: https://sas.elluminate.com/site/external/jwsdetect/playback.jnlp?psid=2017-10-25.1502.M.772DB428D167F85478B212B5DEDF13.vcr&sid=559
I hope you take the time to view the recording and reach out to me if you have any questions at nellison@okvirtual.org
Check out this video!
Organization for Success
8th-10th Graders - Apply for Oklahoma's Promise!
Don't miss this great opportunity to submit your application for Oklahoma's Promise:
http://www.okhighered.org/okpromise/
Contact your Advisor or Homeroom Teacher if you have questions.
Check out our new website!
Have you had a chance to check out the awesome new OVCA Website? www.okvirtual.net
You can find some great information here and even log directly into the online school. Check out things like school calendars, purchase spirit wear, parent resources, and more. If you have ideas for improving the website feel free to email Nicole Ellison at nellison@okvirtual.org with yours ideas!
How to Enable Flash in Chrome 62+
Recently Chrome updated to version 62, where the functionality to enable flash has changed from previous software versions. Chrome 62 was released within the past week. K12 IT department has documented how to enable Flash within version 62.
As a reminder, for the best experience, OVCA recommends using the Mozilla Firefox browser. To download the most recent version of Firefox, please visit: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/ . Families have noted that when using other browsers, particularly in the OLS, they may receive a "Loading" screen that does not load any additional content. However, should a staff member or family need to use Chrome.
Step by step directions found in this 2 minute recording--
Step 1
Open a new browser tab and go to: chrome://settings/content/flash
Step 2
Ensure the Ask first (recommended) option is enabled (should be by default).
Step 3
Next to the Allow option click Add
Type [*.]k12.com and click Add
The end results should look like this and the user can close this tab
Learning Coach Resources and Info
Parental Involvement Plan
OVCA partners with parents to update the Parental Involvement Plan annually. Click the below link to check out the SY 1718 Parent Involvement Plan.
OVCA Learning Coach Connections - Find us on Facebook
Click here to request to join the group.
•Open to all current OVCA Learning Coaches grades Kindergarten – 12th grade
•Share your tips for successfully schooling at home in a positive environment
•Please include your students grade level in your posts. There is a progression of learning through the grade levels so each school has different requirement to meet the needs of students.
•Contact your student’s teacher if you have specific questions or concerns about courses and grades. They are the BEST source for those answers.
Calling all LC’s! Check out Wednesday Workshops! You will NOT regret it!
Click HERE to watch a 2 minute video explaining what Wednesday Workshops are and why we want you to attend!
Check out the calendar to see which topics will be offered this school year at http://okvirtual.net/p-resources.php
Are you an expert at one of the topics being offered? Or do you have vast experience as an LC and you would love to share your knowledge with others? PLEASE email Nicole Ellison at nellison@k12.com She is always looking for LC’s to share the mic!
What: Wednesday Workshops will offer a weekly topic to help LC’s and high school students school more effectively getting the most out of online school. They are held weekly at the same time & place.
When: Every Wednesday school is in session at 4pm
Where: Online in BBC – The links can be located in the OLS announcements, and under class connects for the LC.
Why: OVCA looks to partner with both the LC and student to make virtual schooling as smooth as possible. Providing the LC and student resources like a weekly support session is just one way we can partner together. #teambison #comecheckitout
Wednesday, December 13th , 4pm – First Semester Celebrations
Wednesday, December 20th and December 27th –Winter Break – No Wednesday Workshops Hosted
Here is how to find the OVCA Family Directory
2. Click the Link icon to the left of LC name and then select k12 LMS from the dropdown.
3. Select the My Info from the Quick Links box
4. Select Family Directory from purple box on left.
OVCA Military Co-Op
OVCA offers additional support to our students who are connected to the military. If you have access to Tinker Air Force Base, please contact the coordinator Christine Nichols at cnichols@k12.com.
The High School students of our Military Co-Op and our Gifted and Talented programs visited the UCO Forensic Science Institute and learned about careers in forensics and enjoyed a few hands-on activities.
Got Box Tops?
You can now use the Box Top app to increase your Box Tops for our school! Don't have the app? You are welcome to drop off your Box Tops at any of our in person outings or mail them to our office at the address below. Please check the expiration dates of your Box Tops before turning them in. Thank you and we appreciate your support!
OVCA Office
Box Tops- Attention: Sondra Callaway
1160 S. Douglas Blvd.
Midwest City, OK 73130
Prom Donations are always accepted!
Anyone that simply wants to make a donation to prom can send this into the office at any time to: Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy, Attn: Sondra Callaway, 1160 S. Douglas Blvd., Midwest City, OK 73130 and will receive a taxable receipt. J
Share the Love
Meet Your Teachers
Join a K12 Club
K12 offers a variety of student clubs. Browse the 2017–2018 club listings by clicking here, and register for your favorite clubs today!
OVCA provides McKinney-Vento/Homeless assistance and supports to qualifying students.
You may be eligible for assistance through the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Below is the definition of what qualifies a family to be considered eligible for supports and services.
According to section 725(2) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a(2)), the term “homeless children and youths”—
(A) means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence...; and
(B) includes—
(i) children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or are awaiting foster care placement;
(ii) children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;
(iii) children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and
(iv) migratory children who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because the children are living in circumstances described in clauses (i) through (iii).
Children and youth are considered homeless if they fit both part A and any one of the subparts of part B of the definition above.
If you feel you may qualify or if you have any questions, please contact Raeshelle Sharpnack, District Homeless Liaison & Family Resource Coordinator, at rsharpnack@okvirtual.org or (405) 259-9478 ext. 2140
Notification of Language Assistance Services
Any parent/legal guardian who is limited in speaking, writing, or reading English may request the school to provide access to services such as interpreter and/or translated documents. To request services please email or call the ELL Coordinator, Nicole Ellison, at nellison@okvirtual.org or 405.259.9478 ext. 2064. Nicole Ellison will coordinate prompt access for the parent/legal guardian to the appropriate services and/or translator service.
Parents Right to Know
At the beginning of each school year each Title I school must notify parents of students that they can request information regarding their child’s teacher, including, at a minimum:
(1) whether the teacher has met the state requirements for licensure and certification for the grade levels and subject-matters in which the teacher provides instruction; and
(2) whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or their provisional status through which state qualification or licensing criteria have been waived; and
(3) the college major and any other graduate certification or degree held by the teacher, and the field of discipline of the certification or degree; and
(4) whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals, and if so, their qualifications.
In addition, each Title I school must provide each parent timely notice that the parent’s child has been assigned, or has been taught for four or more consecutive weeks by a teacher who is not highly qualified.
To receive any of this information please contact Nicole Ellison, Title I Coordinator, at nellison@okvirtual.org
OVCA is proud to provide your student the best possible educational experiences. OVCA strives to recruit the most qualified, experienced, and passionate educators to work with our students. All teachers employed at OVCA for the SY17-18 are highly qualified as defined by the State Department of Oklahoma. For more information regarding highly qualified criteria or other public school related matters you may go to the Oklahoma State Department website at http://ok.gov/sde/.
Sincerely,
Nicole Ellison
Title I Coordinator
405-259-9478 ext. 2064
Important Information about Special Education Services
Click here for information on Special Education Services at OVCA.
Please complete this Child Find Survey for Special Education
To reach all families, this information has been sent through multiple avenues, however you only need to complete it once.
Keep your Computer Running Smoothly
Previous Monthly Newsletters:
2017-2018 Academic Calendar
K12 Customer Support
K12 Customer Support https://www.help.k12.com/s/
or call 866-512-2273
Find us on Facebook
Click here to request to join the OVCA Learning Coach Connections group.