ORVA Community Newsletter
March 2022
In This Issue
- Re-Registration and Open Enrollment
- Activities Coordinator Corner
- Learning Coach Corner
- Text opt In
- Connect With ORVA Students/Families
- NJHS Inductees
- Box Tops
- Scholastic Books
- Amazon Smile
- Vector Solutions
- Elementary Spotlight
- Middle School Spotlight
- High School Spotlight
- Special Programs Spotlight
- From our School Psychologist
- Community Resources
- School Calendar
- Contact Us
Re-Registration
Dear ORVA families,
Re-Registration for the Fall 2022/2023 school year will open on April 4th! We are excited to start a new year and look forward to continued improvements and positive changes. One change that we will be making as we transition into the next school year is with our computer provider and tech support.
At the end of this school year, you will receive reclamation labels to return K12/Stride computers & materials. New computers from our Oregon-based company will be issued as we get closer to the start of the next school year. More specific information for returning your current school-issued computer will be sent out towards the end of the school year.
Once Re-Registration is open, we will begin sending out instructions and reminders. When the time comes, please be sure to mark your intent as soon as possible to ensure your “seat” is saved for the upcoming school year.
Open Enrollment
March Madness!
We are just MARCH-ing our way through this year! We have more exciting events coming up and big news about Prom and Graduation!
Check out our newsletter linked below for other exciting events to look forward to!
If you have questions or concerns please feel free to call me at 541-972-1682 or email me at aptaszynski@oregonva.org
Read-A-Thon
Newsletter
When filling out the opt-in form, please be sure to include all of your students' names and student ID numbers even if you select no for student texting. This allows us to mark your opt-in choices on each of their accounts in our system. Additionally, please be sure to include the phone numbers for each person you are opting in.
If you are opted in and would like to opt OUT or make any other changes, please contact Tiffany Folsom at tfolsom@oregonva.org.
Parent Connect
Student Connect
IMPORTANT:
- Form MUST be filled out by the student's Legal Guardian
- Please do not put gaming handles (Nintendo, Xbox, PS4, app games, etc.) on this form. Any gaming handles found on the form will be removed before info is added to the directory.
- What is shared between students over the phone or email is at the discretion of their Legal Guardians
- The Student Connect Directory will only be accessible to those who have filled out the Student Connect opt in form. Your student will receive a link to this form via their school email.
- To remove your student from the Student Connect Directory, you will need to contact Tiffany Folsom (tfolsom@oregonva.org)
Please note: if you choose to add an email address to the directory, it must be a personal email address and not their school email as students are not able to email each other through their school (oregonva.org) email. Thank you!
Congratulations to the following middle school students who have been invited to be inducted into ORVA’s chapter of the National Junior Honor Society on March 30, 2022! These students uphold the values of the national NJHS organization by demonstrating a commitment to scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship and by seeking opportunities to continue to grow in these areas. We look forward to welcoming them into ORVA’s local chapter.
Mary S.
Sebastian S.
Kanada C.-T.
Austin O.
Anhaar S.
Emmy W.
Giulietta F.
Orders for March are currently being accepted.
When you use the school’s code below with your order, ORVA earns points with Scholastic. The points will be used to purchase books as incentives and prizes throughout the year. Our school account says MS, but it’s the account for K-12.
Website/ordering link: https://orders.scholastic.com/XQ8XT
If you’re asked for our school code, it’s XQ8XT.
Be sure to choose the ship to home option when you’re ready to order.
Orders will be placed for this month on March 31, which means that orders will ship after that date.
ORVA teacher to contact if you have questions: Tina Lowen, (541) 751-5410, tlowen@oregonva.org
How do I shop with AmazonSmile?
How do I activate AmazonSmile in the Amazon Shopping app?
VectorSolutions (previously SafeSchools Alert) is our online tip reporting system that allows students, staff and parents to confidentially report safety concerns to our administration 24/7/365 via:
1.Mobile App
2.Text
3.Phone
4.Email
5.Website
NOTE: Vector Alert is for non-emergencies. For true emergencies, always call 911.
Happy (almost) spring, ORVA families! Since I love all things related to farming and gardening, I never tire of the beautiful transformations of this season. This is my third year at ORVA and I work as our Talented and Gifted Coordinator and Bilingual Liaison (Вы говорите по-русски?). I began my career in Oregon’s K-12 school system in 2003 and I am especially interested in how we team together to provide responsive, research-based instruction that meets students where they are.
My role at ORVA involves working with teachers and teams to identify talented and gifted students who need opportunities for challenge above and beyond the core curriculum. This work supports our schoolwide mission to help “engage and grow all learners.” For talented and gifted students, adjustments to the curriculum are often needed in the form of alternative assignments and material, additional planning around course placement and access to different curriculum options. As always, input from learning coaches is a key part of this process. Referrals for identification are open to our ORVA families, so please reach out if you would like more information!
Dear ORVA Middle School Community,
Happy March to our ORVA Middle School Families!
Academic Dates!
In Middle School this month, students and teachers are working hard to prepare for the end of Quarter 3 and the beginning of Quarter 4. Please remind your student of these important academic dates:
· March 21st to March 25th is Spring Break! No Classes for Students
· April 8th is the last day to submit essays or large projects for a grade in Quarter 3
· April 13th is the last day to submit other class work for a grade in Quarter 3
· April 15th is the end of Quarter 3
As a reminder, please stay informed in your student’s Online Learning System. Many Middle School students may save work for the last minute and this can be very challenging for the adolescent mind (and the learning coach too!) Please reach out to myself, teachers and advisors for support. We are here for you!
Communication:
Please keep checking the ORVA Middle School Padlet Information Page for Learning Coaches to access important links in a one-stop-shop format. Please check out our Learning Coach Information Padlet linked here or visit https://tinyurl.com/ORVAMS. As we continue in semester 2 together, please stay connected to your student’s teachers and advisors and make sure healthy academic habits are incorporated into daily family life this year.
Warmly,
Caitlin Klenz
ORVA Middle School Principal
Hello ORVA High School Community,
March will bring us the beginning of spring, and Spring Break, too! We’ve included a little summary for fun adventures to take during spring break if you’re needing an idea; this article came from our ORVA High School student newsletter called The Butterfly Times. Attendance for High School has been going strong, and we love to see all of you showing up to classes and communicating with us when you might be absent. Student/Staff lunches continue to be successful—feel free to stop by Freshman lunches on Tuesdays and 10th/11th/12th grade lunches on Wednesdays. Below you’ll some important dates and student work for spring. Enjoy.
Important Upcoming Dates:
- April 8th—Last day to submit essays or large projects for a grade for Quarter 3
- April 8th—Your missing and upcoming assignments will be zeroed out
- April 13th—Last day to submit work for a grade*
- April 15th—End of Quarter 3
*Please be sure to know what each of your teachers’ expectations are for deadlines.
Spring Break Fun
School is out March 21st to March 25th for Spring Break! If your anything like me, you might be trying to find the best places to visit in Oregon so you aren’t spending the entirety of the break binge-watching that same season of Stranger Things that you’ve already seen 3-4 times now. Oregon is one of the most diverse places to travel around because of the varying climates, sights, and landscapes available all around us. Whether you prefer the coast, farmers’ markets, or hiking trails, deciding where to go and what to do can be such a nerve-racking decision because of Oregon’s diversity. Lucky for you, I picked out some of the best places to visit this spring break!
Go to the coast for a day trip or full week! My personal favorite beach on the Southern Oregon coast is Sunset Beach in Coos Bay. There are some amazing hiking trails nearby at Sunset Bay State Park and the sights are wonderful! However, there are beautiful beaches everywhere in Oregon, such as Bandon, Winchester Bay, Cannon Beach, and so many more. You can find a beach with your specific preferences, whether that be camping sites or quick diners, online.
Visit the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Woodburn! This year will mark the 38th annual Tulip Festival in this beautiful town. There are millions of flowers to see and over 100 different activities to take part in. The festival opens on March 18th and ends on May 1st so right now is the perfect time to plan for your trip. For more information go to https://www.woodenshoe.com/events/tulip-fest/.
A sight to see this break would be the Oregon Caves. Down in Southern Oregon, right outside of Cave Junction, sits the Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve. There are many activities to take part in, including different types of tours of the caves, hiking trails, camping sites, and a dining hall. This trip is one everyone should take at least once in their lives and right now would be the perfect time to do so. Go pack your bags and go to https://www.nps.gov/orca/index.htm for more information on tours and directions.
What’s better than some organic fresh fruits and veggies from all throughout Oregon in the spring? From jewelry, clothing, and art to homemade foods, farm fresh greens, and deep-fried goodies, farmers’ markets carry it all. During a full week off, traveling around to different county farmers’ markets can be the perfect trip for all sorts of people. Each of the seven regions have outdoor markets of a sort, and each is unique on its own. The website linked below will share a list of different farmers’ markets organized based off of region and county for the best planning of travels around our beautiful state. https://traveloregon.com/things-to-do/eat-drink/farmers-markets/find-a-farmers-market-in-oregon/
High school is the best time to look at all the options for our futures. What more efficient way can a teenager spend their break then traveling to different college campuses for tours and information about how your plans will be executed? Even just a day trip to different campuses might push you to begin a firm plan or fill out an application in the future. Just go to the website of the college you would like to visit and find information about scheduling and openings!
--Written by Jasmine W. 11/12th grader
Student Spring Photography
Counselor Corner
Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)
The National Center on Intensive Intervention defines MTSS as: A prevention framework that organizes building-level resources to address each individual student’s academic and/or behavioral needs within intervention tiers that vary in intensity. MTSS allows for the early identification of learning and behavioral challenges and timely intervention for students who are at risk for poor learning outcomes. The increasingly intense tiers (i.e., Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3), sometimes referred to as levels of prevention (i.e., primary, secondary, intensive prevention levels), represent a continuum of supports.
At ORVA, we do our best to anticipate students’ needs and prepare an individualized approach that best supports their learning. We use an array of effective teaching strategies to ensure that all students can learn at their appropriate grade level.
Students come to ORVA with a wide variety of experiences and development, and they sometimes need additional support to help them be successful. To ensure our students get that additional help, ORVA uses a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework to address students’ needs. This is a research-based model that meets students where they are and builds on their strengths to improve learning and behavior.
Every student at ORVA qualifies for this support, and school teams meet regularly to look at data and decide how they can best meet the needs of their students. This may mean, for example, that students receive an additional small group reading or math class or teachers provide extra support within a student’s existing schedule. Whatever the case, we are doing everything we can to provide the right support at the right time for each student.
Dr. Jesenia Marcellini is our K-8 MTSS Specialist at ORVA. Jesenia is Bilingual and has expertise in Special Education, Literacy Instruction, Reading Interventions, Curriculum Development, and English Language Development.
She can be reached at jmarcellini@oregonva.org
Internet Safety
Hi ORVA Families~
Let’s talk about some ways to keep our kids safe online. And watch for next month’s addition, where I will take you down the road to understanding internet dangers…
----------This isn’t to scare; this is to make you aware! ----------
Here are some ways to keep your student’s safe online, whether it’s on a tablet, phone or computer.
INTERNET SAFETY:
- Alter the environment
- Keep the computer in a common area where you can watch and monitor it’s use.
- Don’t allow devices/computers in individual bedrooms
- Change the safety settings on the devices/computers
- Bookmark the student’s favorite sites for easy access and to reduce roaming the net
- Share your internet rules with your student’s friend’s family so that when they go to a friend’s house, your rules are more likely followed
- Discuss the basics of online safety - TEACH
- Follow the family rules around internet use
- Never post intimate pictures
- Don’t ever share passwords
- Never respond to a threatening message
- Never agree to get together with a person you met online without parental approval or supervision
- Discuss fake people/profiles
- Always tell a parent or other trusted adult about any communication or conversation that was scary or hurtful
- Be aware and use common sense:
- Watch for warning signs of your child’s behavior
- Watch for warning signs of a child being targeted by an online predator
- Spending long hours online, especially at night
- Phone calls to/from people you don’t know
- Unsolicited gifts arriving in the mail
- Your child suddenly turning off the computer or turning their screen away from you when you come near them or enter the room
- Withdrawal from family life and reluctance to discuss online activities
- Pay attention to your student discussing a new friend.
- Ask questions, ask to see their online game/activity, stay involved!
Internet safety laws: A federal law, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) helps protect kids younger than 13 when they're online. It's designed to keep anyone from getting a child's personal information without a parent knowing about it and agreeing to it first.
COPPA requires websites to explain their privacy policies and get parental consent before collecting or using a child's personal information, such as a name, address, phone number, or Social Security number. The law also prohibits a site from requiring a child to provide more personal information than necessary to play a game or enter a contest.
School Calendar
Contact Us
Instagram: @oregonvirtualacademy
TikTok: @oregonvirtualacad
Email: oregonvirtual@oregonva.org
Website: oregonvirtual.org
Phone: 541-751-8060
Facebook: http://facebook.com/OregonVirtual
Twitter: @AcademyOregon