OVS Weekly Update
October 5, 2018 Volume 84
Mark Your Calendars!
Learning Coach Training
Quarterly Check In
Our training this month is going to focus on creating a positive classroom environment at home and monitoring data inside K12. We will be taking a look at your student's data and reflecting on what is going well and what we can improve. Your attendance at one of the sessions is required.
Thursday- Oct. 11- 9:30 and 1:30
Tuesday- Oct. 16- 9:00 and 1:00
Wednesday- Oct. 17- 9:00
Wednesday- Oct. 24- 4:30 and 6:30 (during Parent-teacher conferences)
Thursday- Oct 25- 12:30 (during parent-teacher conferences)
October 9th-11th
OVS Connect-Middle school Learning Facilitators will be coming in to answer questions, provide updates and enjoy some time getting to know the Learning Coaches during Art in the morning.
*The afternoon schedule is yet to be determined.
Past Training
Earlier this year, LCs at the high school learned about OneNote. We will have Eileen coming for the K-8 families at the end of October. Here is a link to refresh your memory or to get you started in OneNote. OneNote is used often, especially in the K-8 building and can be a powerful tool to use throughout the school experience. *To view it, you will need to log into Office 365.
https://education.microsoft.com/GetTrained/OneNote-Toolkit-for-Teachers-Guide
Community events:
Baseballoween!
the Omaha Storm Chasers at Werner Park for Baseballoween on Friday, October 26 5:00-8:00! There will be games, movies, and of course, CANDY!! This is a fun, safe environment to go trick-or-treating with the whole family!
Parent Teacher Conferences
When: Wednesday October 24 4:30-8:00 and Thursday October 25 12:30-8:00
Where: The Den at 60th & L
Why: Parent teacher conferences are a time for the learning team (learning coach, learning facilitator, AND learner) to connect regarding the learners' growth goals for the school year using MAP data, current progress, and how the team can work together to finish this semester off strong. Think of it as a huddle in football! You are strongly encouraged to attend so you can rally the team around your learner to ensure a winning season!
Who: Learning Coaches AND Learners
Parent-Teacher Conference Chili Cook-off
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/5080445a4ae2dabf49-chili
Attendance
- K-5 Learning Coaches must enter ALL learning in the attendance module in K12.com.
- 6-8th grade Learning Coaches must enter learning that takes place OFF K12.com.
Growth Mindset
OVS Synergy
OVS Family Bowling Night
Where: The Mark
When: Monday night, October 22nd from 6pm to 7pm.
Details: $10/person includes pizza, pop, shoes, and an hour of bowling.
**Optional after bowling families can do laser tag on their own for an additional $5 each.
Box Top WARS!!! UPDATE
The middle school classes won the Box Top War!! Students in the middle school classes will receive a prize the week of October 15th.
OVS Synergy Facebook Group
Connect with OVS learning coaches in a closed group on Facebook!
This group is for those of us who are enrolled in OVS. The group focuses on questions as we begin the year, questions regarding the children's homework, technology related questions that pertain to OVS, field trip information and updates, and anything else that comes up that we wish to discuss. Click the below link to request to join and engage in the conversations!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ovsfamilies/
OVS Synergy- Our non-traditional version of a parent teacher organization. All are included and invited to participate, donate, and engage.
OVS Synergy Mission: A collaborative Organization that Creates Engagement and Learning Opportunities for Teachers and parents to support Student success.
Ms. Rogers' Class Update
What a busy week! Learners participated in Art and Coding this week. Learners worked on ordering numbers from 1-100. We read the book Stellaluna and discussed the characters and setting of the book. Learners should have brought home a sight word book that they can read to a family member, pet, or record themselves on Seesaw.
Next week:
We will continue to focus on place value and numbers next week too. Learners will be working in small groups to demonstrate mastery of this area of number sense. Writing will continue to be a focus, as we will work on writing our 5 Star Sentence: Capital letter to start my sentence, Punctuation to end my sentence, Use Finger Spaces, Use Neat Handwriting, and My Sentence Makes Sense. Learners will choose a picture or two and write their own sentence about the picture. Learners will work in small groups to practice letters/sounds or sight words.
Mr. Dowling's Class update
Week in Review:
The first week of each month is always fast-paced. We had Art and Coding sprinkled in with our Language Arts and Math. Our focus for Math is representing numbers in multiple ways. This includes: Standard Form, Word Form and Expanded Form. We’re meeting everybody where they are as it relates to that standard. Learners all have personal word walls in the back of their writing journals. As they come across interesting adjectives, they are adding them to the chart. Our goal is to spice up our writing!
Next Week:
We will be having our Severe Weather drills next week. During this drill we will be walking down to the basement into a secure inner room. Please prepare your learners for this. We will be continuing to focus on independence. By now, when learners come into my room, they should know they need to do the following things without being asked.
1. Find a seat
2. Unpack their backpack and hang it up on the hooks.
3. Log into the computer.
It’s never a bad idea to review this with them at home. We only have 2 weeks left before the quarter ends and conferences begin. Please look at your pacing guide and keep up with it. Items for the tracker should be almost complete. I will be sending home a 2nd Quarter Tracker in their purple folders for those who need it.
We only have a handful of parents left who haven’t connected to Seesaw. Ms. Rogers and I are having a contest to see who will be the first one with 100%! Please help me out! I sent home a sheet in their purple folders with a large QR Code. There are instructions for both smartphones and computers. Thanks!
Mrs. Walker's class update
Week in Review:
The students did a wonderful job with the substitute this week! They continued with Math Stations, working on Popcorn Math, Division Tour, and Daily Math Work! In Reading, they were focusing on finding adjectives in their books that they can use in their own writing. Learners also worked on their personal reading goals and used Story Cubes in writing!
This was also an Art and Coding week! Learners did an exciting "off line" activity in coding this week. Be sure to ask your learner what the activity was and how it relates to coding!
Looking Ahead:
I will be back this week and am excited to see all of you again! I can't wait to hear about your successes and when you had the opportunity to learn!
Bring in those boxtops and 4th and 5th grade wants to win!
Mr. Gamble's Class Update
Week in Review:
Our face-to-face time is running smoothly. We are in full swing of addressing learners where they are in their lessons. This has allowed us to do a lot of reviewing, reteaching, and retaking of assessments to assure comprehension of topics. Learners are using our “road map” each day to identify their target while the Learning Facilitator is present and their next steps once they get home.
Online lessons continue to happen daily. See below for the schedule to ensure your learners are in attendance. If a student is optional, they are not required to attend, but are welcome to for additional assistance. “Required” learners must attend the session for lesson assistance.
Looking Ahead:
Learners will continue to use their Passports to check in with each Learning Facilitator and discuss that subject area. These passports will also notify Learning Coaches what was done in class and what the next steps are for learners. Follow up with your learners and see what their next step is. Keep checking their progress and using the pacing guides to know what is due.
Should your learner have a question or struggle, please encourage them to reach out to us. If they are reserved, then please email the appropriate teacher and we will make note of that need and address it. We are a team and encourage all parties (facilitator, coach, and learner) to communicate.
PIT Stop is available on Friday mornings from 10:00 – 11:00 for learners that need assistance. This is an ONLINE session. I will be actively in the session and available to answer questions or model lessons for learners in need.
We are still missing numerous learners for their required online lessons. Please ensure your learner is logging into the Class Connect sessions for their instruction and assistance. This is vital to their progress and comprehension.
Resources:
There are countless resources on the internet for math. Throughout the year I will post some here that could assist your learner or yourself. Learning coaches can use these to check the work of a learner or preview topics.
This month’s resource can be effective for all courses. Geogebra provides a free graphing calculator and many other tools that are helpful for verifying or graphing equations, expressions, and inequalities as well as drawing geometric shapes and finding their properties. It can be used to show graphs if equations in assignments or to check the work of a learner.
Weekly Online Math Lessons:
Most online sessions will not last the entire block of time, unless needed for individual help. We will work in mini-lessons addressing specific needs. If “Required” is listed on the session, you must attend that session. If “Optional” is listed, you do not have to attend, but CAN attend if you’d like help or a review.
Mrs. Felten's Class Update
6th grade science students are working through some labs on rocks and minerals. They are enjoying hands-on identification.
7th grade science students are working on labs about cells.
8th grade science students are working on density and measurement labs. We did a lab using gum drop models to balance equations this week as well.
All social studies students are working through their workbooks. World history is working on a book about Early Man using Minecraft to create pictures. Global studies is working to get used to using the workbook in Onenote. They will do a research project in class before the end of the semester. American history students are on unit 8 right now. They will have an optional field trip to the Lewis and Clark Headquarters coming up. Be on the look out for an email from Angela Nelson for group details. Learners can also choose to read the book Jefferson's sons.
Mrs. Robison's Class Update
If you are following the pacing guides, you will notice that we are coming to the end of our first module. In each module, your learner will have an opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned through writing assignments and module exams.
For the module exams, please remind your learner that there are two parts to each test. The first part will be multiple choice. The second portion of the exam will be a written exam. Remind your learner that they will need to read and answer all parts of the questions! As a reminder, good grammar and mechanics are always expected!
Your learner should also be spending time on their writing assignment (if they haven’t already turned it in!). Please help them by reviewing the rubrics and being that second eye that can provide some helpful hints when revising and proofreading. As a reminder, the writing assignments for the first module are:
ELA 6-Compare/contrast essay after reading two poems.*
ELA 7-5-paragraph essay on a topic of their choice.*
ELA 8-Short story or personal narrative.*
*Rubrics for all assignments can be found in K12.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions. Have a great weekend!
Mrs. Barry's Art class update
All learners should be following the pacing guide for their grade band and completing one art lesson per week.
All artwork to be included on 1st quarter report cards is due by October 14th. Turn in any labelled work to the blue "Art Drop Box" in front of the art cabinet.
Week of October 8th:
6th-8th Face to Face Art for AM art students
**All 6-8 art students bring your portfolio with any completed work.**
If your middle school learner is on pace they will have the following lessons/projects completed:
(Each lesson they do has an "Explore" section with an art project to be completed)
- 1.01/1.02 An Artist's Role (Self Portrait)
- 1.03 Styles of Art (Mini art gallery)
- 1.05 Color Choice (Painting using a color scheme)
- 1.07 Composing Artworks(Composition plans/sketches)
Week of October 15th:
October Open Art
To register for October Open Art- http://bit.ly/OVSOctOpenArt
9th Grade Newsletter
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Mission Statement
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Omaha Virtual School
Email: virtualschool@ops.org
Website: ovs.k12.com
Location: 4640 S 59th St, Omaha, NE, United States
Phone: (531)299-0269
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OPSVirtualSchool/
Twitter: @OPS_Virtual
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