Orlando Science High School
Issue 32
Weekly Newsletter: April 17, 2020
Principal's Corner
Dear Orca Families and Students,
I hope everyone had another great distance learning week! This week's newsletter is filled with many important reminders and recognitions.
Please join me to congratulate Ms. Klem for being selected Teacher of the Month by her colleagues. Ms. Klem works hard and goes above and beyond for her students. Thank you Ms. Klem for being a role model in our school and we appreciate your dedication to our students each day.
AP families, In order to better understand the potentially unique needs or challenges related to AP testing that our students may be facing during this time, we are looking to gather some feedback from our AP families. Please take a moment and compelte this feedback form below. If you have any questions, please reach out Mr. Koebe.
Juniors and Seniors, MS Teams meetings are scheduled. Please find the details below.
Your yearbook club is working diligently and finalizing our 2019-20 yearbook with Distance Learning updates and much more. It is going to be great when finished. If you have not purchased yet, do not be late. More information and the links may be found below.
I would like to thank and congratulate each Orcas and their families for their positive approach and hard work during our distance learning. I am once more amazed by the resiliency of our Orca Family and the school’s community during these difficult times. Kudos to each one of you! Please continue to follow your local county authorities, CDC and health officials’ recommendations strictly.
As we sail through the 3rd week of distance learning, I would like to remind you to continue following your school’s distance learning plan, guidelines, rules, and procedures carefully. All these information can be found in this week's newsletter. This will help you successfully finish this school year with a good note.
I wish every Orcas stay healthy and connected. Have a great weekend!
Respectfully,
Abdulaziz Yalcin, M.Ed
Principal
Orlando Science Schools-Middle/High
Follow OSS Middle High on Social Media
Download the new OSS mobile App
Orlando Science Middle/High has a new mobile app! It is currently available in the App Store® and in Google Play®. You can download the app for free, for access to our school's news, calendars, volunteer opportunities, push notifications and much more!
Download for Free - visit your tablet or smartphone's storefront and search for "Orlando Science Schools"
- For Android, visit Google Play
- For Apple iOS, visit the and App Store or iTunes
If you have any questions or feedback please email info@orlandoscience.org.
free meals for students during distance learning
Florida Commissioner Fried activated the Summer BreakSpot text line & call center for families in need of free meals for kids under 18 during COVID-19.
OSS families can find support via:
- text "FLKIDSMEALS" to 211-211
- call 2-1-1 to speak with live operator 24 hours/day
- visit http://SummerBreakSpot.FreshFromFlorida.com
OCPS Grab and Go Meal UPDATE
OCPS Grab-and-Go meal distribution UPDATE: Beginning Monday, April 20, food distribution and office hours for school sites and district offices will only be on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. This is in an effort to keep more individuals at home to reduce exposure to others.
All school sites and district offices will be closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays but employees will continue to work remotely at home on those days and can be reached via email.
The 52 FREE Grab and Go school sites can be found on the front page of the district’s website: ocps.net. Schools and offices will be open from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. and meals will be distributed between 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Children will receive meals on Monday for Tuesday, and on Wednesday for Thursday. Weekend meals will continue to be distributed on Fridays.
Orange County Library digital material access
graduation ceremony 2020 update
Dear Orlando Science Class of 2020 and families,
As we all experience the difficulty that comes with the uncertainty during this time, we would like to let you know that we are thinking of all of you. As a result of the governor’s “Safer-at-Home” order, and with schools being closed through at least May 1st, graduation ceremonies are being postponed within OCPS. With that said, Orlando Science High School’s graduation ceremony has also now been postponed.
During the governor’s press conference on Thursday, April 9th, he had stated that he is not ready to announce a return to school date. His decision is critical to our planning. We would like to engage with our Student Government Association, Class of 2020, and their families to receive input regarding options such as smaller ceremonies inside the school facility, open area ceremonies, and if necessary a virtual ceremony. We understand that this has been a disappointing and unfortunate time however, we also believe in the resiliency of our orca family.
We will announce final graduation plans recognizing our amazing seniors as soon as possible. We will be sure to provide updates as soon as they become available.
Please stay safe.
OSS Event cancellations 2020
Orlando Science Middle/High Charter School will continue to follow the guidance and best practices of Orange County Public Schools regarding the threat of COVID-19. OCPS has developed a Coronavirus Disease 2020 (COVID-19) information page located at the below link.
In accordance with the best practices, the following OSS events have been cancelled:
Prom
GradBash
GradVenture
At this time, 8th and 12th grade graduations are still scheduled. We will keep all of our families up to date as local authorities make decisions for large gatherings.
We are so sorry for any disappointment this causes our students, however their health and safety are our utmost priority. We will continue to communicate changes and new information as quickly as possible.
DL attendance
Dear Parents and Students,
Thank you for your continued support during our transition time to our distance learning platform. OSS Connect is still our primary platform for digital learning and we are using MicrosoftTeams as a platform to allow for pre-recorded/live sessions and teacher office hour sessions.
Students enrolled in Distance Learning must meet compulsory attendance requirements. During this period of school closures and the implementation of Distance Learning, schools and districts are reminded by the Florida Department of Education that we are required to take attendance, per Florida Statute. A period by period attendance must be taken for the secondary school (Grades 6-12) per FL Statue as well.
The purpose of this memo is to clear up some of the questions about attendance. Students should still be attending all seven of their classes each day, by accessing each of their class pages on OSS Connect between the hours of 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM, Monday through Friday. It is imperative that your students check their OSS Connect courses daily as teachers will be posting their announcements, assignments, and other pertinent information on their pages.
The first period survey link that is located in your student’s homeroom classes is a way for the school administration to ensure that students are checking in and will allow for us to easily track who is attending virtual school during the first week of the Distance Learning. Starting from Monday, April 6th, students will NOT complete this form. They will continue to check in by accessing their OSS-Connect courses, following their regular school day course schedules.
If you need assistance during this transition time, you may e-mail DL@orlandoscine.org for technical assistance or your campus administrators.
We thank you for your understanding, support, and patience during this transition. We will continue to monitor communication from the Florida Department of Education and inform our students and parents accordingly.
Sincerely,
Abdulaziz Yalcin, M.Ed.
DL Behavior Guidelines and Student Code of Conduct Agreement
AP course Update
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian,
I hope this message finds you all well. As you may know, there have been significant changes to this year’s AP testing policy and procedure due to COVID19 restrictions. Please review the important AP Program updates listed in this memo. For additional information on question names and descriptions, updated rubric information and other course-specific information, please review the AP Coronavirus Updates on the College Board website or contact your OSS AP teacher.
Please see the attached AP Exam feedback form and take a few moments to give us your thoughts. We would like to hear from you in regards to the upcoming AP Exams. As always, contact Mr. Koebe with any questions or concerns: Nicholas.Koebe@orlandoscience.org.
FSA/EOC/Final Exam Testing Update
A message from Mr. Koebe
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian,
I hope this message finds you all well. As we begin our distance learning online classes next week, it is important that our students and parents are aware of the changes made to our assessment calendar.
FSA and EOC Testing
Governor Desantis has canceled all state-wide testing for this school year. This means that there will not be any FSA or EOC testing and schools will not be assigned a school grade as has been done in the past.
However, students will still receive grades from their teachers in the fourth quarter and in lieu of a state test, students will have final exams created by their teachers. More information will be communicated by the teachers with you in May regarding these final exams.
For the complete course-specific exam information, as well as any other Florida Assessment questions, please read Mr. Koebe's "Assessment Distance Learning Parent Letter" below.
Family FUn and Games
Hello friends! Welcome back to Counseling Corner with Ms. Perez. The past few weeks we’ve talked coping skills and sleep, but this week I want to put some focus on the fun side of coping. So this week, we’re talking fun and games!
Here are some activities that can be done as a family that are fun, engaging, and do-able with the whole kids (ages 6-18):
Board/Paper Games:
Otrio! – A 3-layer tic-tac-toe game where a 6-year-old can beat their parents
Sequence – A card strategy game that is simple to understand and tricky to win
Codenames – An identity guessing spy game!
Pictionary – A drawing game that’s funniest when you can’t draw
Uno/Dos – A card game fun for everyone
Catchphrase – A talking game where you can’t say what you mean
Virtual Games:
Jackbox Party Games have family-friendly games you can display on your tv at home or by sharing your screen on a Zoom call. You just need a screen and your phone to play! The family-friendly games are:
- Drawful 2
- Tee K.O
- Dictionarium
- Patently Stupid
- Mad Verse City
Here’s the link to check out those games: https://www.jackboxgames.com/try-these-5-jackbox-games-for-your-family-friendly-party/
Codenames is also available virtually (if you own the game already) with a quick Google search.
Active Games:
Charades
Freeze Tag
Hide & Seek
Hot & Cold
Manhunt
There you have it! A list of ways to have family nights that’s not just movies and dinner (even though that’s completely good too!). Enjoy Orcas!
Thanks for visiting Counseling Corner and as always, if you have any questions, let me know!
All the best,
Ms. Perez
Ms. Perez' Quote of the Week
2019-2020 Yearbooks are ON SALE!
The 2019-2020 High School Yearbook is on sale for $40! Get your yearbook today and keep your OSS memories forever.
Ms. Klem
We are proud to share that our March teacher of the month is Ms. Klem! Ms. Klem teachers Alegbra 2 and AP Stats and is a sponsor of the high school Mu Alpha Theta team. She goes the extra mile by being extremely prepared and available for students as well as other teachers during our online instruction. She is always there to try to help no matter what subject or who is in need. She is a rock during this uncertain time. Congratulations Ms. Klem, we are grateful for you!
2020-2021 JUNIOR AND SENIOR MS TEams MEETINGS
Dear Class of 2020 and 2021 Students and Parents,
College and Career Center will hold an online meeting for Junior and Senior students and with their parents. Parents can join the meeting with their child’s Microsoft Teams account. Grade level announcements, information and resources will be shared during the online meeting. We look forward to seeing you. Stay safe and healthy.
Microsoft Teams® Juniors Meeting
Date: Tuesday, April 21st
Time: 5:00-6:00pm
Microsoft Teams® Seniors Meeting
Date: Tuesday, April 23rd
Time: 5:00-6:00pm
Best regards,
Mr. I and Ms. Bolat
College and Career Center
virtual community service opportunities
Dear students and parents,
It has been difficult times for everyone due to Covid-19. Our school will continue in distance learning through May 1 and we will make every effort to ensure our students are on track academically. If you are seeking to earn your community service hours during this time, there are some virtual options available. Here is the list of service ideas that can be performed digitally at non-contact environment while you are at home:
- Tutor students who need help with academic work.
- Make cloth masks and donate them to hospitals, neighbors or community members.
- Contact and help your elementary teacher to read a story to the students.
- Write letters or create art for residents of a local senior center that are not currently allowed guests.
https://www.pointsoflight.org/virtual-volunteering-opportunities/
Steps:
1. Community Service Plan (attached below)
- Community Service Plan should be completed prior to beginning community service hours.
- Develop a written community service plan which address a social problem or concern and how your service will address the community’s needs.
- E-mail your written community service plan to your college counselor for the approval.
- E-mail your written community service plan to your college counselor for the approval.
2. Community Service Hour Log (attached below)
- After approval, start completing your community service hours.
- Log the completed hours into the sheet provided until you are finished.
3. Submission
- Required documents to be submitted upon completion of community service hours.
- Full completed community service form with signatures.
- Completed community service log with signatures.
- A typed, one-page essay describing the following: How your services were beneficial for the community and How you have experienced personal growth as a result of completing community service.
Please contact Mr.I or Ms. Bolat if you need further information or any questions or concerns.
College and Career Courses now in Microsoft Teams
Starting Monday, April 6th, College and Counseling Department will be accessible to students in each grade level via Microsoft Teams to continue providing services remotely. Mr. I and Mrs. Bolat are accessible to both students and parents in the designated times. Please check your emails and Microsoft Teams with the new updates.
Mr. I and Mrs. Bolat
USCG Academy information
The Coast Guard Academy is comprised of a Corps of Cadets of approximately 1,050 students. We pride ourselves in being a small yet diverse campus with nearly 38% of the student body being female, and 36% of the student body being minorities, the highest of all the five major Service Academies. The student to faculty ratio is 8:1 and we are proud to offer students the ability to participate in 25 Division III varsity sports and a number of additional extracurricular activities such as band, vocals, drama, religious groups, and community outreach programs. We are looking for students of character with leadership experience and a strong academic record.
Overall, the entire two hundred weeks of leadership driven experience is valued at nearly $400,000 in educational expenses per student provided at no cost to them or their families. More information can be found at www.uscga.edu.
Robert Gregory Gibson
Admissions Partner
U.S. Coast Guard Academy
Easy Ways to give back to OSHS
The BOX TOPS Program is easier than ever to use!
BoxTops has a NEW way for schools to earn money from your purchases! See the details below. Thank you for your support of OSS!
OSS is an Amazon Smile School
This is an easy way to help raise money for Orlando Science Schools. Use the link below when shopping from Amazon. AmazonSmile donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Orlando Science Schools via Discovery Education Services, Inc. whenever you shop on AmazonSmile.
Office Depot & Office Max
Office Depot provides the school with 5% back in credits for FREE supplies when you make a purchase of qualifying school supplies. Simply provide the school ID at checkout.
OSES School Code: 70228302
OSS School Code: 70218341
Mark your calendars: Important upcoming events
2019-2020 Report Card Dates
Class of 2020-2021 JUNIORS Microsoft Teams Meeting
Friday, Apr 17, 2020, 05:00 PM
Your Home via Microsoft Teams
Class of 2020-2021 Seniors Microsoft Teams Meeting
Thursday, Apr 23, 2020, 05:00 PM
Your home via microsoft teams
Orlando Science High School Campus
Email: info@orlandoscience.org
Website: http://orlandoscience.org/highschool/
Location: 2600 Technology Drive, Orlando, FL, USA
Phone: (407)299-6595
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/orlandoscience/
Twitter: @OrlandoSciMH