OVS Weekly Update
August 31, 2018 Volume 79
Mark Your Calendars!
NO SCHOOL ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3rd
What does that mean? No online lessons, OVS staff is not on site, learners CAN STILL work online and learning coaches can still log attendance.
Learning Coach Training Next Week
September 4-6th
OVS Connect- During K-5 art class, the K-5 learning facilitators will visit the LC Lounge to provide updates, previews of curriculum, and answer LC questions. See the times below for when your learning facilitator will visit:
- 9:15-9:45 - 4th-5th grade teacher, Mrs. Walker
- 9:45-10:15 2nd-3rd grade teacher, Mr. Dowling
- 10:15-10:45- K-1st grade teacher, Ms. Rogers
*Afternoon session times with teachers, TBD.
Technology Training: Office 365 Intro and One Drive
Upcoming LC Training Schedules
Instruction Training: NWEA-MAP Scores- What do they mean?
9:00-10:30 Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
1:00-2:30 Tuesday, Thursday
Learning Coaches will learn how to read and use the data that is gathered on the learners. Data is just numbers until we apply a narrative to it. We will be distributing learner MAP data results at this training.
MAP testing-Make Up Sessions
All OVS learners took the MAP reading and math MAP assessments the week of August 27th. Refer to information below to sign up for your learners' make up sessions if they were unable to complete the assessments during the week.
Open House
Thursday, September 27th--More info to follow
Welcome Mrs. Nicole Walker
NWEA-MAP Testing Information
MAP testing and logging attendance
Sign-Up for your learner's MAP testing session
Other notes: Please send your learner with their device and a book to read if they finish early.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call or email your child's Learning Facilitator.
NWEA-MAP Test practice at home
Practice MAP test sessions
If your learner is nervous with test taking, that is normal! If you would like them to experience what the MAP is like, click on the NWEA icon on the desktop of your learner's laptop.
Click "Take the practice test" and enter the username and password below.
Username: Grow
Password: grow
Here they can practice the reading, math, and science assessments for their grade level.
If you want to exit the test at any time, hold the Control, Alt, Shift, K button. That will escape the test
Robotics
We continue to look for aspiring robotics engineers at OVS! Our robotics clubs will begin the week of September 10th. We will be running two nights for elementary and middle school robotics. Middle school (7th â 8th) will be on Tuesdays from 4:30 to 6:30. Elementary (4th â 6th) will be on Thursdays from 4:30 to 6:30.
All practices are at OVS in the robotics room. During the year up to two (2) Saturdays will be required for competitions around Omaha. Competitions usually last a full day at local schools.
If your learner is interested, please reach out to Mr. Gamble, our robotics coach, via email to express interest. He can be reached at thomas.gamble@ops.org. We look forward to working with learners and accomplishing great things with our robotics program!
Drop-Off & Pick-up procedures
Learners can be dropped off no more than 15 minutes prior to their session, so 8:45 for the 9:00-12pm, morning sessions and 12:45 for the 1:00-4:00pm sessions.
Please do not park in front of the front doors to drop or pick-up your learner. You can drop your learner off at the end of the curb in front of the building. Please enter the building to retrieve your learner at the end of the session. If you would prefer to stay in your car (if you have small children), park in a parking stall and staff will take learners outside once most of them have departed.
Please be on time to your learner's session and on time when picking them up.
Core Value: Growth Mindset
OVS Synergy
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.
OVS Board: We are reviewing new board member applications. We will be announcing our new board members soon. If you are interested in serving, we are still seeking a treasurer, vice-president, and secretary. We do have interested parents, so thank you for engaging. More to come!
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/
Box Tops
We will do another Box Top Competition in the very near future! So be clipping those Box Tops. More information to come!
Learning Coach Q & A Highlights
**Repeat from last week**
We had great discussions this week at the LC trainings Q & A. It was great to see LCs work and learn together to brainstorm solutions and sharing tips and tricks that they have learned already! Here are some questions that were repeated through the week.
Q: What do I log for attendance?
A: K-5 learners- LCs log ALL activity on K12 and Off K12
6-10th grade learners- LCs log only activity that occurs off of K12.com (reading a book, powerpoint, journaling, etc.)
Q: Can I just use the workbooks for my K-5 learner, instead of the online work?
A: NO! The workbooks and online lessons work in conjunction. The workbooks are for learners to practice what they learn online lessons. If learners are only doing the workbooks, they are not learning, they are just doing!
Q: When my middle/high school learner went to take a test, it asked for an admin username and password. What is this?!
A: This is Respondus, lock-down browser. The lockdown browser keeps the learner locked into the testing browser so they cannot go to other websites and find answers to a test. This requires the learning coach to enter the parent admin username and password. This was emailed to you by the learning facilitators. If you do not know it, please email your learning facilitator (teacher). Please do not ever share this username and password with your learner!
Q: What hours do I manually log for my middle school learner's attendance?
A: Learning coaches log ALL work that is done OFF K12, this includes the online lessons. These use a different program, and therefore need to be logged, whether they attend live or watch the recording. These are logged in the content area in which the lesson was for.
Q: The attendance log for my middle/high school learner does not show the total time he/she has spent on K12, it is only showing what I enter? What is wrong?
A: Nothing, the attendance that the learning coach logs for middle/high school students is only for work that is completed OFF or OUTSIDE of K12. The attendance log in K12 only includes what you have entered, not the learner's online engagement. The K12 system logs the online hours and is available within each course.
Q; Then how will I know how much my middle/high school learner's total attendance is for the week?
A: There is no place in K12 for the learning coach to get the total hours for the week. BUT, learning coaches can look in each course in the progress tab for the total hours spent in each tab.
Classroom Happenings
Ms. Rogers' Classroom- KG-1st Grade
I can't wait to dig into all of the MAP data for our K-1 learners!! Everyone did a great job of taking their time and doing their best to show what they know.
Next week:
We will spend time reviewing classroom procedures and routines, it is important for all to understand the expectations of our learning center time. Students will identify 2 stars (things they do well) and 1 thing that they would like to get better at; pertaining to academics. Take some time to talk with your learner about what they are already doing well at and what they could continue to work on. I will be completing some benchmark testing this week that includes letter/sound recognition, sight word mastery, and understanding numbers. This will help me when forming small groups for the learners and different opportunities for skill practice.
**Please make sure that Learner's names are on all artifact papers being sent in blue folders. Also don't forget to give each artifact a grade according to the grading scale discussed during orientation. I added the grading scale to each learner's OneNote under Pacing Guides.
Resources:
Here is the link to our class Symbaloo page in case you need it!
Mr. Dowling's Classroom- 2nd-3rd Grade
Week in Review:
We had a great week of testing! Thank you so much for your hard work this week. It sometimes can be overwhelming, but the learners really fought through it.
Next Week:
We will be diving into their MAP data next. We will be setting individual and classroom goals in Math and Reading. Next week is also our first week of Art. All students will be participating, just like last year. We will be completing a writing sample as well. If all goes well, learners will be uploading these samples to Seesaw and recording their voices as they read them.
Resources:
Speaking of Seesaw, I recently sent home a sheet in the purple folder asking that you download the app and follow your learner on Seesaw. The good news is we already have 8 Learning Coaches who are in!! The bad news is we have 36 Learning Coaches. đ Iâll be emailing you with directions as well, just in case you misplaced the sheet. It would be fantastic to have 100% participation!
Ms. Nommensen's Classroom-4th-5th grade
Happy Friday!! I hope you survived the first full week of school!! I know I'm going to sleep well this weekend!!!
Please be sure you are logging your attendance for each and every day. Even if you don't do work on Friday, please mark that attendance as 0. When your student is working online in K12, it asks you to log the attendance at the end of the lesson. When you log it there, it will automatically move over to your cumulative time spent for the day. You then need to go into your attendance to log any additional work that you did during that day. If, however, the lesson does NOT ask you to log the attendance, then you need to log the on-line and off-line work into the attendance on YOUR end.
Here's an example:
Maria works on a K12 math lesson online and completes the lesson. A screen pops up and asks for the parent password to log 60 minutes of attendance. The parent enters the password. Then, Maria and her mom work together off-line (not in K12) for another 20 minutes. Maria's mom will log into K12 and log those 20 minutes.
Then, Maria switches to Literature and works for 60 minutes online, on a K12 lesson. Maria does not finish the lesson, or there is never a screen that asks for the parent password. After the online portion, Maria and her mom work off-line for another 30 minutes. At the end of the literature block, Maria's mom logs into K12 and logs 90 minutes for literature.
I recommend just keeping a log of it and log in one time. I have attached a spreadsheet that has 2 templates on it to help you keep track of the time that needs to be added into the system for attendance. As always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!!
Students: The new teacher, Mrs. Walker, will officially be taking over this week. I met her on Friday and she is going to be wonderful!! We have a very similar sense of humor and became instant friends! I think you all will truly enjoy her! I will miss being in the classroom each day with you, but I know you are in good hands. I will be in the building and look forward to hugs and high fives! Thank you so much for being my class and know that I am always here to help whenever you need it!!!
Mr. Gamble's Classroom: 6th-10th grade math
Week in Review:
Thank you to learners, coaches, and families for your dedication and effort to get all learners to OVS for the Fall MAP testing. It was a long week where the learners showed their effort and dedication. We are reviewing the data to help identify lessons and topics to focus on during our face time with learners.
Our first online lessons went great! Learners were involved and did an outstanding job. Remember that if a session is labeled as âoptionalâ the learner is welcome to join but does not have to attend since they have already shown mastery of that objective.
Looking Ahead:
Students will complete the Science MAP test to complete our diagnostic assessments. We will begin our âfluidâ rotational model to address specific needs of each learner where they are currently at. This will allow for individualized instruction that is not âmiddle of the roadâ, but focused to where each learner is.
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.
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 weekâs resource can be effective for all courses. Desmos provides a free graphing calculator that is helpful for verifying or graphing equations, expressions, and inequalities. 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 âRequiredâ is listed on the session, you must attend that session. If âOptionalâ is listed, you do not have to attend, but CAN attend if youâd like help or a review.
- Math 06: Mondays @ 9:15 â 10:00.
- Math 07: Mondays @ 10:15 â 11:00.
- Math 08: Fridays @ 9:15 â 10:00.
- Algebra 1: Wednesdays @ 1:00 â 2:00.
- Geometry: Tuesdays @ 1:00 â 2:00.
Mrs. Felten's Classroom-6th-8th grade Science & social studies
September Activities:
Earth Science: Mystery Map, Scientific Data Inquiry, Desertification experiment
Life Science: Madagascar exploration, Taxonomy pyramid, Types of food energy sorts
Physical Science: Boiling Point exploration, Speed lab, Density lab
World History: Early humans research/Minecraft project explanations
Geography: Map activity
American History: Notebook check, Part 2 assessment for unit one test
Weekly Online Science Lessons:
Online lessons are only for science, not social studies.
The schedule for regular online Math sessions is as follows:
Physical Science: 10:15 - 11:00 AM Mondays
Life Science: 1:00 - 1:45 PM Mondays
Earth Science: 10:15 - 11:00 AM Fridays
There are no online lessons on holidays or teacher work days.
Ms. Robison's Classroom-6th-8th grade English and Computer Apps
What a great first weekâŚ. It was so fun to see our returning learners and meet our new ones! This is going to be an exciting year at OVS! Thank you to our Learning Coaches and Learners for coming to school this week with good questions, positive attitudes, and a spirit of collaboration.
As we discussed, there can be a lot that is overwhelming at the beginning of any new school year. Recognize that we are here to help. Please donât hesitate to reach out! By October, I imagine we will all feel like our skills have improved.
Next week, your learners will continue to be introduced to procedures and expectations. This is true in both ELA and Computer Applications. It is my goal to lay a good foundation so that all students will feel comfortable and knowledgeable in what they are doing in school, in K12, and with their technology. By laying this foundation, students can focus on their learning!
Speaking of learningâŚ.I notice some learners are getting a jump start on tasks in ELA and Computer Apps. Way to go! Keep that pacing guide at the forefront. It will help you stay right on track!
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.
Online ELA lessons will begin regularly the week of August 27th.
The schedule is as follows:
6th ELA-Mondays, 10:15 to 11:00
7th ELA-Fridays, 9:15-10:00
8th ELA-Mondays, 9:15-10:00
*Most online sessions will not last the entire block of time, unless needed for individual help.
ReminderâŚ.all students will attend their first online lesson Friday, August 24th at 9:15.
Have a great week!
K-8 Art with Mrs. Barry
I am so thrilled to begin another year at OVS!
K-8 Art will begin the first week of September. Students DO NOT need to complete any coursework before then. I will be emailing learning coaches and doing learning coach training about art in the coming weeks before the first face to face class.
If you have any questions or would like more information please contact me - shannon.barry@ops.org.
9th Grade Newsletter
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Mission Statement
Vision
Core Values
Positivity
Collaboration
Integrity
Self-advocacy
Accountability
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