OVS Weekly Update
October 6, 2017 Edition, Volume 44
Mark Your Calendars!
October 10th-12th: Common Sense Media: Technology Addiction with Keegan Korf @9:15am and 2:15pm
OVS Synergy Social @10am and 3pm
Principal's Corner
Our front door security system was installed today! This means that all visitors to our building will have to be buzzed in to the building. Be sure to wear your OVS lanyards so you are easily identifiable to the individual who will be buzzing students and family members in. Please be patient with us as we figure out our new door security system. Your students' safety is our priority!
School Secretary
We have a new part-time secretary that will be joining our team! Please welcome Eunice De Leon and be sure to introduce yourself and your students to her once she arrives at the Den.
Tech Tidbits
$20 Device Coverage Clarification
Many of you opted into the $20 device coverage when your students received their devices. After further clarification from the district, this $20 covers only the student device, not the accessories (headphones, mice, stylus).
If your student's headphones, stylus, and/or mice stops working that is no fault of your student, please communicate with your teacher immediately, and bring in the item to school to receive a replacement.
Students are liable for the cost of the accessory, if:
1) Unexplained Loss or Mysterious Disappearance: The item is lost.
2) Intentional Acts: The Program will not cover a loss caused by intentional damage or destruction of property.
3) Dishonest Acts: The Program will not cover any loss caused by dishonesty or illegal acts.
4) Unauthorized Repairs: The Program will not cover damages in which repair was attempted or completed by non-District technicians.
5) Non-Timely Reporting: The Program may not cover damage or loss that is not reported with 3 days
With this in mind, we recommend that you determine an inobtrusive way to identify your students' accessory, to prevent it from getting lost. For example, a rubber band on the head phones or a sticker on the bottom of the mouse.
Replacement costs:
Wireless mouse: $30.09
Headphones: $16.99
Stylus for 612: $45.99
Once the cost of the item is received, it is up to the parent/LC if they would like the student to receive a replacement item from the school or purchase an item on their own.
Device Troubleshooting
If you are having issues with your student's device, please email your issue/concern to this email address:Parents will get an email response following your submission. One of our staff members will email parents back to provide assistance, so be sure to check your email after sending your concern.
Late Check-in and Attendance
Attendance should be tracked daily for all students. Students in K-5th grade will track online AND offline attendance while students in 6-8th grade are only tracking attendance for offline work in the attendance module. Time is tracked in 6-8th grade through the computer system when the student is working through K12.com. All missing days in attendance needs to be updated by the last day of the quarter, which is October 20th. Please reach out to Ms. Sechrest if you are having trouble with the attendance.
Scholastic Book Order Open NOW
All orders are due OCTOBER 20TH.
First time ordering online?
- Go to scholastic.com/readingclub
- Enter our one-time Class Activation code: KQTWN
- Shop and submit your child's book order
- Your books will be delivered directly to the classroom
Parent/Teacher Conferences: Sign-ups Start Next Week
More details to come for signing up for a conference time with your student's teacher. Watch the newsletter for more details!
Independent Study Lab and Skills Support
K-5 Independent Study Lab and Skills Support time is up and going. Independent Study Lab will run from 1:30-3:30 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. They will be held in two separate rooms and will have different expectations.
Skill Support Sign Ups
Ms. Rogers Skill Support Schedule Sign up
Synergy Corner
Fall Friend-zy!
Send your friends and teachers a fun fall craft!
Cost is $1
Fall Friend-zy sales will begin October 10th and run through October 19th.
Stop by the welcome table to purchase a special surprise for some of your favorite people. Take a few minutes to write a friendly note and we will deliver it to them during class the week of October 31st to November 2nd.
You can check out a sample at the welcome table!
The second week of each month will be OVS Spirit Week!
Please join us this week in wearing your OVS shirts to class. If you don't have an OVS shirt you can still participate by wearing blue or gray. We do have extra shirts available for students and parents to purchase on a first come, first serve basis.
Last year's blue shirts are available for $10 or this year's grey T shirts are available for $17. Payment can be made by cash or check to OVS PTO or through Paypal. Check with Beth at the front desk for details!
Please start clipping your Boxtops!
Next Synergy Social Date.
Join your fellow OVS parents in the Learning Coach Lounge during class time the week of October 17th-19th!
If you are interested in helping us serve the OVS community please contact us at omahavirtualschoolpto@gmail.com
Learning Coach Training: Library Services
K12 Art Contest
K12.com is having an art contest and we want to see your student's artistic talent!
The theme for K12's 12th Annual Art Contest is CELEBRATE CULTURE!
We’re asking students to roll up their sleeves, tap into their artistic side, and create artwork that illustrates how they would celebrate culture. They could Illustrate a customary dance they perform, a food they eat on special occasions, the flag that represents where their ancestors are from, the games their family plays on Friday nights, or something else entirely.
You can submit multiple entries for your student, and the artwork can be realistic or abstract. Students can use paint, photography, or drawing materials or create a collage, a digital illustration, or a three-dimensional piece using clay, origami, etc.
View the full contest guidelines, and submit your student's entry at stories.k12.com. Be sure to enter by 5 PM (ET) on October 31, 2017.
Student Clubs Start in October
Mr. Dowling will be facilitating the Bricklayer Coding Club for 3rd-5th grade students on Tuesday evenings 4:30-6pm starting Tuesday October 10th. Students will need to bring their device and will meet every Tuesday until winter break. Please reach out to Mr. Dowling if interested in participating by September 29th.
Bricklayer is a coding environment for 2D and 3D artifacts. The goal is to educate students in computational thinking, computer science, math, art, and spatial awareness in a way that is engaging and effective. Check out their website for more information!
Robotics Club
Mr. Gamble will be facilitating Robotics Club in two different sessions for 4th-8th graders. Students in 4th-6th grade will have Robotics on Thursday evenings from 4:30-6:30pm while 7-8th graders will meet on Tuesday nights from 4:30-6:30pm. Both sessions will start the week of October 10th. Please reach out to Mr. Gamble if interested in participating. thomas.gamble@ops.org
Students will get an opportunity to use Vex robotics. Vex inspires students to become an active part of the problem solving process and scientific community. The system harnesses the excitement of building a robot and immerses students in the STEAM Process. They will also have the opportunity to compete in tournaments throughout the community on select Saturdays (Dates TBD).
Classroom Happenings
Ms. Roger's Classroom
Week in Review:
This week students used the MAP system to take a skills assessment in reading. I plan to use this information for small group work and will share with parents. In Math, we focused on numbers 1-10 and using a 120 chart to find 10 more and 10 less of a given number. We continued discussing US symbols and also talked about a few national holidays such as President's Day, Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, etc.Looking Ahead:
Next week, we will focus on main idea and supporting details. In Math, we will continue to focus on numbers 0-10 and addition strategies. We will get back into Minecraft and have students building together and focus on being respectful of our Minecraft community.
Resources
Mr. Dowling's Classroom
Week in Review
We focused on our new station rotation last week. I think it was successful! All students seem to be getting more independent every week. It’s great to see! Our second graders were introduced to simple levers. Third grade began working with ecosystems.
Looking Ahead:
3rd graders will be working with inverse operations and using fact families to help understand them. 2nd Grade will be using fact families as a way to see connections between numbers. In language arts, we will continue to work on fluency and will begin diving into character traits. In Science we will continue learning about simple machines and ecosystems.
*2nd Quarter pacing guides were mailed out on Friday. Please take minute and find which units I will be covering. I want to save you as much work as possible.
Ms. Nommensen's Classroom
Week in Review:
We had a wonderful week focusing on writing strong paragraphs! The kids focused on what makes fall special for them. I heard a bunch of great ideas! In math, we practiced division and multiplication. In social studies, we continued working on building our national monuments in Minecraft, then creating a "tourist" map to help others find our monuments!
Parent teacher conferences are coming up soon! Your child will be making personal goals and data folders to share with you at conferences!
Mr. Gamble's Classroom
Week in Review:
The class worked through various math concepts from their K12 curriculum and completed Exit Tickets related to the content.
Looking Ahead:
In class we will work on varied science concepts from their curriculum focusing on aspects we see in our everyday lives.
- Earth Science: Calculate sea level change, erosion, and uplift over the course of history.
- Life Science: Describe and illustrate blood and air flow within the human body.
- Physical Science: Calculate the speed and estimated time for a vehicle in an experiment.
Resources:
- Beyond Penguins has information on erosion, weathering, deposition, and general rate of change on Earth.
- Discovery Kids explains the circulatory system and the flow of oxygenated and non-oxygenated blood around the body.
- Ducksters has information and examples of calculating speed and velocity.
Weekly Online Math Lessons:
Each week I am teaching the current math lesson, per the pacing guide, for each subject online via ClassConnect. These sessions are mandatory and students will learn the concept through interaction with the teacher. Upon completion, students will complete their lesson check-up and be finished with that lesson.
- Fundamentals: (Monday @ 9:30) Comparing rational numbers (3.07).
- PreAlgebra: (Friday @ 9:30) Subtraction with integers (3.03).
- Algebra: (Monday @ 10:15) Transforming formulas (2.06).
- Algebra 1: (Friday @ 10:15) Multiplying and dividing equations (4.03).
- Algebra 2: (Monday @ 11:45) Varied topics.
- Geometry: (Friday @ 11:00) Triangle congruence (3.08).
Ms. Blackburn's Classroom
Week in Review: This last week we worked on collaboration skills. Specifically we focused on what collaboration sounds like. Students came up with sentence starters that would help them navigate group work. Students practiced these skills working on the Mission to Mars projects.
Looking Ahead: Students will be working on paraphrasing, summarizing, and quoting skills as they prepare for a research assignment in K12.
Weekly Online ELA Lessons: I have emailed out details of online lessons.
9th Grade
Mission Statement
Omaha Virtual School
Email: virtualschool@ops.org
Website: ovs.k12.com
Location: 3215 Cuming Street, Omaha, NE, United States
Phone: (531)299-0269
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OPSVirtualSchool/
Twitter: @OPS_Virtual