OVCA Middle School Bison Blast
December 2016
Have some family fun in Oklahoma this holiday season!
Top Holiday Events in Oklahoma
From horse-drawn carriage rides through charming Main Streets decorated in Christmas lights to the excitement of snow tubing and ice skating in downtown Oklahoma City, explore this list of the top holiday events in Oklahoma and usher in the holiday spirit in style.
http://www.travelok.com/article_page/top-holiday-events-in-oklahoma
http://www.metrofamilymagazine.com/Guide-to-Family-Friendly-Festivals-November-December/
In this edition...
Congratulations to our Students of the Month!
Upcoming Events
Box Tops for Education
Student Learning Fun
Learning Coach Resources
Get Connected with OVCA
Teacher Shout Outs
Wondering what events are coming up for OVCA this year?
Dec. 14 - Online Art Show (details below)
Feb. - Virtual Education Day at State Capitol - (date TBD)
Feb 13-17 - Spirit Week (online)
March 28th - Art Showcase in Tulsa
May 20 - Graduation *Cap and gown information coming soon
Hour of Code - December 9th!
We live in a world surrounded by technology. And we know that whatever field our students choose to go into as adults, their ability to succeed will increasingly depend on understanding how technology works. But only a tiny fraction of us are learning how technology works. Fewer than half of all schools teach computer science.
That’s why our entire school is joining in on the largest learning event in history: The Hour of Code, during Computer Science Education Week (December 5-11). More than 100 million students worldwide have already tried an Hour of Code.
Our Hour of Code is making a statement that Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy is ready to teach these foundational 21st century skills.
Please join your teachers on December 9th during your Bison Blast Off time at 12pm. You will have the opportunity to learn how to code, or create, your own computer game or program. See http://viewpure.com/FC5FbmsH4fw?start=0&end=0 for details, or contact Amy Conder at aconder@okvirtual.org.
December – Staying Fit during 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?
1. Decreased physical activity
2. Greater number of empty calories
3. Seasonal affective disorder aka winter blues
10 Ways to Exercise While Watching TV
1. Walking in place or on treadmill
2. Jumping jacks
3. Pushups
4. Leg lifts
5. Crunches
6. Jogging in place
7. Squats
8. Light weight lifting
9. Dancing
10. Step exercises
This site has several videos of exercises that can be completed at home.
http://www.workoutbox.com/exercises/home-exercises/
OR google the name of your favorite show + workout (example: “Gilmore Girls Workout”) and see what comes up! You can work out to your favorite show!
Winter Eating Tips
1. Eat low calorie soup before a large meal
2. Give away baked goods when you make them
3. Eat winter fruit and vegetables
4. Eat oatmeal for breakfast
5. Make your favorite comfort food with low fat and fat reduced ingredients
6. 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
Got Box Tops?
OVCA Office
Box Tops- Attention: Sondra Callaway
1160 S. Douglas Blvd.
Midwest City, OK 73130
Introducing Wednesday Workshops
Click HERE to watch a 2 minute video from Nicole Ellison explaining what Wednesday Workshops are!
Check out the calendar to see which topics will be offered this school year @ http://ovca.k12start.com/calendar/
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!
Wednesday, December 7th 4pm
What is Parental Engagement?
Click Here to Attend
Wednesday, December 14th , 4pm
1st Semester Celebrations/ Achievements
Learning Coach University - Motivate 2 Activate
Motivate 2 Activate
7:30pm ET/6:30pm CT/ 5:30pm MT/ 4:30pm PT
K12 and School at Home Effectively are pleased to offer the Motivate 2 Activate Series, an introduction to principles and practical strategies for Learning Coaches to help their students become motivated and involved in their academic success. Each session is 30 minutes long and includes discussion, follow-up questions, and answers. Please RSVP for the session dates that work best for your schedule. We will send you session reminders, recordings, and details via e-mail.
Your Role as a Learning Coach
As a Learning Coach, it's important to understand what you should—as well as what you shouldn't—be providing your student. “When I understand what I am responsible for, I have a better chance of working effectively with my student, using the things I can control. I stop wasting time trying to control things that the student has control over.” Learning Coach, Deslynn Mecham, 2016
Learning Coach University
K12 Learning Coach University™ was created to support the Learning Coaches who guide the schooling of their children at home. Online classes provide a clearer understanding of the developmental process of learning as well as effective strategies and resources to use at home to help every child succeed. Click here to view the October sessions.
Come Join the OVCA Booster Club!
Sign up for our email list here
We are hoping to elect our executive committee soon. Booster Club meetings will be scheduled once the executive committee is voted on by OVCA families. Information and a link for voting will be sent to learning coach email accounts.
Thank you for supporting OVCA students and families!
Join a Co-Op in your area!
Get Connected!
Want to meet other families in your area? Get connected with our Co-Op’s around the state. Click here to sign up for additional information on OVCA Co-Op’s.
OVCA Military CO-OP https://www.facebook.com/groups/385954058264501/
OVCA CO-OP South Central https://www.facebook.com/groups/1426537394234389/OVCA CO-OP Northeast https://www.facebook.com/groups/168538123342038/
OVCA CO-OP North Central https://www.facebook.com/groups/547015578702224/
OVCA CO-OP Tulsa https://www.facebook.com/groups/1396437950590840/
OVCA CO-OP OKC https://www.facebook.com/groups/ovcacoop/
OVCA CO-OP Southwest https://www.facebook.com/groups/678593742152182/
Students and families in the OVCA Military Co-Op were interviewed and photographed recently by the k12 marketing team! They will be featured in future advertising to military families nationwide! Join us today to be a part of what we are doing! Email OVCA's Military Base Site Coordinator at chnichols@okvirtual.org for more information!
Breaking News! OVCA's Military Co-Op has been chosen by K12 to be featured in a marketing campaign designed to showcase the support our school programs offer to military families! The PR and Marketing team will be visiting us at Tinker AFB on Wednesday, November 16th at 10am. The day they visit will be too much fun to miss! You will have the opportunity to receive academic support with live teacher assistance, from both an OVCA Elementary and an OVCA High School teacher! We will also be utilizing paper airplane launching devices to have a friendly paper airplane competition with other OVCA military connected students! And what a better way to finish off our time together than with some time spent in our indoor gym facilities...game of dodgeball anyone?? Come have your student(s) be a part of this opportunity and to see a little of what goes on behind the scenes at photo shoots and commercials!
Let's show our teachers some love!
Click on the link below and give your teachers a special shout out!
McDonalds Teacher of the Month contest - Make your submissions on Twitter!
McDonalds of Central Oklahoma is proud to announce their sponsorship of the “Teacher of the Month” program beginning Oct. 17.
Every month a teacher will be selected based off of a submission on why they are deserving of this recognition, submissions can be made by anyone.
Submission will be received via Twitter, @McDCentralOK using #McDTeacher.
Winners receive a $100 Gift Card, $25 McDonald’s Arch Card, School Supplies for their classroom and featured on our Twitter page.
Keep your Computer Running Smoothly
Want to check out previous newsletters?
OVCA High School - September Bison Blast 2016
OVCA High School - Back to School Newsletter 2016