The Owl
The Newsletter of OECHS -- March 28, 2020
Owl of the Week
This week's Owl of the Week has really stepped up in this time of crisis! Nominations came in this week from teachers and students. Ryleigh T. is our Owl of the Week! Here is what her teachers and fellow classmates had to say:
"She is so so great and helps out all of us and deserves it the most."
"This has been a really crazy time for all of us, and I just wanted to draw attention to the fact that Ryleigh has done some amazing work for the sophomore class. She has let everyone know what is going on with Blackboard Spanish assignments and has kept us in the know regarding our AP classes. She has just been really supportive and I wanted to make sure that someone knew the amazing things that she is doing."
"Ryleigh has been posting important information to keep her fellow classmates up to date on their CCCC and regular classes. Ryleigh explained how students should log in to their Spanish class and how useful the AP online reviews were and what they covered."
Great job, Ryleigh!
Expectations and Workload
Our school, like all others across the state, initially prepared for a two week period of remote learning, with the hope of resuming normal seated instruction. Our teachers planned and instructed with the goal of preparation for all of the normal federal and state expectations that come at the end of every school year. Those plans have changed.
We are continuing to make changes to help ensure that the daily workload for students is approximately 4-6 hours total. Our pace is going to slow a bit. More time will also be given to submit work, but students still need to be mindful of deadlines. We want our kids to learn, but recognize the stress of all that this COVID-19 pandemic has placed on students, families, and staff members.
Please note that our sophomores will still have AP exams later this semester, but they will be shortened and taken online (at home). Both AP classes are wrapping up "new" learning over the next week or two and will begin to focus on preparing for this new version of the AP exam.
All students are encouraged to reach out to their teachers with any issues that they have in academics or technology (Teams, submitting work, websites, etc.). Please continue to have patience with the aspects of remote learning and continue to look out for one another!
Spring Break is coming soon!
CCCC Scheduling for Class of 2021 and Class of 2022 (March 31st Deadline)
All current sophomores and juniors need to check Teams (OECHS Class of 2021 and Class of 2022 Scheduling) for a scheduling "assignment" from Mrs. Padilla by March 31st!
EOCs and NCFEs
ACT
Videoconferencing Websites and Apps
With the use of many different social networking and videoconferencing sites during this period of remote learning, Onslow County Schools has growing concerns around student data privacy and regulatory compliance that have arisen. As a result of that, OCS will begin blocking all non-district supported videoconferencing solutions for students effective Monday, March 30th at 3:00 p.m.
The district is looking at other possible solutions for face-to-face videoconferencing, such as use of the camera feature in Teams.
There will be some exceptions to this directive that will be addressed by the district on a case-by-case basis (such as platforms and apps utilized by CCCC instructors for remote learning).
Students are reminded that this applies to OCS 1:1 devices only.
Yearbook
Yearbooks will now be shipped directly to your home address!
Esports: Rocket League
Both the A Team and B Team racked up victories this week. The B Team improved their record to 3 - 2. The A Team moved to 5 - 1 on the season, and moved up to a number 3 ranking in the East Coast Regional. Both teams are scheduled to play again on Thursday at 4:00.
OCS Student Counseling
It is hard to get away from the rapidly changing news about COVID-19 and the changes it continues to cause in our society. With schools currently closed for students, concern over this new virus has increased the questions children and families currently have. Our school counselors and school social workers, a regular source of help in dealing with the pressure of school life, are not as readily available.
OCS school counselors and school social workers understand this and, during this challenging time, are prepared to help our children cope with these questions.
This link will direct you to the OECHS Counseling/Student Services page. There, students can get an appointment to set up a virtual meeting with Ms. Hutsell. Additionally, students can access Ms. Hutsell on the Guidance page on Teams!
These virtual meetings can be for questions or concerns students would normally see their school counselor for (or any additional concerns related to the current school closure.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE GUIDANCE PAGE IS NOT FOR EMERGENCIES!
If you have a medical emergency, contact 9-1-1.
Mental health crisis should contact Integrated Family Services at 1-866-437-1821.
CCCC Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information and Resources
Coastal Carolina Community College began remote learning via Blackboard Collaborate this week. Students need check and use their my.coastalcarolina.edu account for information from instructors and the College. Personal emails may be filtered out by spam filters and not reach instructors. If you have difficulty accessing your my.coastalcarolina.edu account, please contact the helpdesk at helpdesk@coastalcarolina.edu or 910-938-6123.
Coastal Carolina Community College has also assembled a list of information and resources for our community as we navigate the Coronavirus Pandemic. The Writing Center, Math Lab, and other resources are now accessible online! Those College and community resources can be found at:
OCS Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information
Thank you for your patience and flexibility as the district navigates these unprecedented circumstances. As we all face the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, we would like to make our families aware of the services available to them throughout the school closures.
You can find all district COVID-19 information and updates here on the district’s website: Coronavirus Information.
OCS Nutrition Hubs
Free meals for children ages 1-18 years will be available for pick-up at 10 schools during the school closures. Beginning on March 23, a new site will open at Southwest Elementary School, and breakfast will be served along with lunch. All sites are drive-through or walk-up only. No space will be provided for eating on site and multiple meals may be picked up by students, parents or caregivers. Recipients should be prepared to drive up or walk up to the designated area and let staff know how many meals are needed.
Breakfast and lunch will be given out at the same time. Breakfast will consist of a shelf-stable grain and fruit or juice that may be consumed the following morning.
Meals will be available for pick-up from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Monday through Friday at the following schools:
- Clyde Erwin Elementary Magnet
- Dixon Elementary School
- Hunters Creek Elementary School
- Jacksonville High School
- Northside High School
- Northwoods Elementary School
- Richlands Elementary School
- Southwest Elementary School
- Southwest High School
- Swansboro High School
Beginning on March 23, meals will also be served from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Monday through Friday at the following satellite sites:
- Belleau Woods: 145 Harbord Drive, Midway Park, NC
- Christian Community Church: 732 9 Mile Road, Richlands, NC
- Belgrade Community Center: 482 Springhill Road, Maysville, NC
You can find more information here: Student Nutrition Hubs.
OCS Student Laptop Repair Process
Due to school closures because of COVID-19 and to maintain the continuity of digital instruction, the OCS Instructional Technology Department has implemented a plan to repair broken or malfunctioning district-issued student devices. Students will be able to drop off a broken or malfunctioning district-issued laptop, have an IT Technician repair the device, and have it ready to be picked up within 24 hours.
District-issued student laptops requiring repair during the disrupted school schedule because of COVID-19 can be dropped off between 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. at the following locations:
- Dixon Elementary School
- Hunters Creek Elementary School
- Jacksonville High School
- Northside High School
- Richlands Elementary School
- Southwest High School
- Swansboro High School
There will be a Technician in the front office area during these times to receive laptops.
The student/parent should plan on the student being without a device for the following 24 hours.
Students may pick up their laptops at the same location on the following day between the hours of 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
THE STUDENT MUST BE PRESENT TO PICK UP THE DEVICE ONCE IT IS REPAIRED BECAUSE THE STUDENT WILL BE REQUIRED TO LOGIN TO THE DEVICE WHILE IT IS ON OUR NETWORK.
If you have questions regarding student device repairs, please contact the Instructional Technology Department at 910-989-2101.
You can find any updated information about IT repairs here: IT Information and Resources.
OECHS Class Updates
English
English II Honors: This week, students completed their study of the Tragic Hero with Goethe's play, Faust. Next week, we will move into our new unit on Fairy tales from around the world. Students will read a variety of works from different cultures and time periods. In conjunction with the upcoming readings, students will be completing their own puppet shows on FlipGrid! By Tuesday, all students will receive their Comparative Analysis papers, and should begin the process of correcting and uploading those into their portfolios. Final papers have been removed from students' syllabus, since we do not have the luxury of all the many lovely books in my classroom at the moment. However, we will continue to complete portfolio assignments, which are due May 8.
Please make sure students are checking teams daily for their Discussion Board prompts. Their weekly assignments will be posted in their Teams by the end of the day on Friday of every week.
English IV Honors: This week, students completed their study of Early Modern English, with the works of William Shakespeare and Macbeth. Next week, we will begin the Romantic period of British Literature. Students will read works from Jonathan Swift, and Mary Wollstonecraft. By the end of the week, we will begin our introduction to Mary Shelley's famous Frankenstein. Students have a virtual peer review on Thurs. April 2 for their Research Proposals, and their topics are due on Friday April 3. While I have removed the requirement for the final research product, students will write an annotated bibliography in conjunction with this assignment, in preparation for their ENG 111 and ENG 112 courses. Some students have expressed an interest to write the research portion of their paper as well for extra credit, which I have encouraged and will allow.
Please continue to ensure students check their teams daily for their Discussion Board prompts. Their weekly assignments will be posted in their Teams by the end of the day on Friday of every week.
Math
Honors Math 3: The second six weeks ends on Monday, March 30. Monday will be the last day to turn in late assignments from last week. A typical grade average in each class is an 89.
This coming week students will finish Unit 4. On Monday there will be a video lesson reviewing perimeter, area, and volume. Also, a deltamath assignment will open that will be due Wednesday by 4:30 pm. On Tuesday students will have a lesson on cross sections of 3 dimensional figures. An open note assessment will be given on Study Island this Wednesday on all of Unit 4. The rest of the week students will be reviewing special right triangles and completing a deltamath assignment on basic trigonometry.
Honors Math 4: Big thank you to all the students (and parents!) that have been working so hard under challenging conditions! Monday we will review Unit 5. Tuesday will be the Unit 5 Test. The rest of the week we will be working on solving oblique triangles using the Law of Sines, and Law of Cosines.
Social Studies
Civics and Economics: This week we have been studying Congress. We looked at the qualifications of Representatives and Senators, Leadership Roles in Congress, our State Senators and Representatives and the demographic makeup of the 116th Congress. Next week we will conclude our study of Congress by examining the Committee Structure in the House and how a bill becomes a law. We will have our Review/Test of the Legislative Branch on Friday.
AP WH: This week we continued studying Imperialism and its effects on Asia and Africa. We looked at the reasons Western countries used to justify colonization and the attempts from the different regions to fight Imperialism. We will continue looking into Imperialism next week, specifically the economic impacts. Students will be assigned a One-Pager Activity on Monday and a Guided Reading Assignment for section 6.5. We will be done with our study of Unit 6 before Spring Break.
The AP Exam is still moving forward. It will be a shortened exam (45 minutes) taken online and it will only consist of a writing portion. I am encouraging students to begin reviewing material from the beginning of our school year. When we return from Spring Break the remainder of our time will be review and continuing to practice our writing for the Exam. No day to take the exam has been assigned and I will let you know as soon as I hear anything.
American History Honors: Congratulations AH-1 virtual learners! You are rockin’ this on-line thing and we are into our last 3 units and the end of the year. This week we completed & tested Unit V: Manifest Destiny. All assignments and Tests were due on Wed. 3/25.
All roads this semester have led to this moment – the Civil War/War between the States/War of Northern Aggression – (depending on where you stand on the subject). Unit VI: Events leading to the Civil War assignments & resources have been loaded in TEAMS as is a suggested pacing guide. Times given per day of work are generous and students should adhere to the schedule to prevent falling behind. Unit VI work is due Monday, April 6. Please check our TEAMS page daily for announcements/meetings and contact me with any concerns.
*Get out and walk, enjoy the sunshine, stay in touch with classmates, & send Mr. Strope some pix for The Owl.
Love you, Miss you, Mean it!
Science
Biology Honors: This week in Honors Biology we finished Ecology. We also started classification. Next week we will start off with a quiz on Classification and start going through the 6 Kingdoms. We will start with the 2 Bacterial Kingdoms and also cover viruses with them. Next we will cover the Protists and Fungi. Then we will move into the plants and animals.
Chemistry Honors: We are finishing up Unit 8. Unit 8 Test on Monday and Unit 8 worksheet is due as well. The students have had Study Islands assigned to them since the 2nd week of this 6 weeks and they are due on Monday by midnight. We will start Unit 9 on Tuesday and look to finish this unit just in time for a nice and well-deserved Spring Break.
APES: We just finished Unit 8 and are going to quickly cover Unit 9. We will cover these topics very quickly and finish up before Spring Break with the unit. Once we return from Spring Break our focus will be solely on the APES Exam for College Board. We will begin our review of all the material that will be covered on this shortened exam.
Onslow Early College High School
Email: james.strope@onslow.k12.nc.us
Website: https://www.onslow.k12.nc.us/onslowearlycollegehs
Location: CE109, 444 Western Blvd., Jacksonville, NC 28546
Phone: 910-938-6702
Twitter: @OnslowECHS