Orlando Science High School
Issue 29
Weekly Newsletter: March 27, 2020
Principal's Corner
Dear Orca Families and Students,
I would like to thank every family and students for their positive approach and preparations during these difficult times. As we work together, entire education community, during this outbreak, the health and safety of educators and students are our top priorities. Please follow your local county authorities, CDC and health officials’ recommendations strictly.
During these school closures, where the students do not report to school, Orlando Science Middle/High will engage in distance learning with students, families, and faculty. The memo has been sent out to families recently. If you still would like to get a copy, please find in this week’s newsletter. In that document, you will be able to find the details about our Distance Learning plan, procedures, and student/family expectations. Students and parents must review and follow the online code of conduct and to contact their assigned Dean of Students with any questions. The school will continue to follow the code of conduct and teachers may review their students' discipline record on OSS Connect.
This week is the Distance Learning Pre-planning week for all teachers. Orlando Science staff and faculty share the primary goal of high-quality continuity of education for each student. Please check OSS Connect landing page and specifically your teachers’ pages with the further information about the Teacher-led courses, online assignments, expectations and study resources.
During the break, our Senior class shared great news with us. Please join me in congratulating the Class of 2020 seniors’ college acceptances. I am proud of each one of the seniors for their hard work and dedication! Specifically, for this week’s acceptances, please join me in congratulating Saardhak B. for getting accepted to John Hopkins and Yale and Tony H. to Harvard and U Penn. And all seniors who got accepted to the nation’s great colleges and universities.
Please take a time and review your entire newsletter and get ready for a new Distance Learning experience starting from Monday, March 30th. I wish every Orca a successful virtual learning experience and I believe that they will take a great initiative in their learning and work collaboratively with their teachers!
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
Free internet services
We hope all of our Orca families are well and safe. In preparation for Distance Learning to begin on Monday, March 30th, here are three internet resources to help ensure everyone has access to the internet:
Xfinity hotspots are available for FREE, click here for the interactive map: https://wifi.xfinity.com/
AT&T: https://m.att.com/shopmobile/internet/access/
Spectrum/Charter: https://www.spectrum.com/b…/content/spectrum-internet-assist
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.
OSS Distance Learning starts March 30th
Dear OSS Families and Students,
Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, our nation has been going through difficult times. As we work together during this outbreak, the health and safety of educators and students are our top priority. During these school closures when students do not report to school, Orlando Science Middle/High will engage in distance learning with students, families, and faculty. In the document attached below, you will be able to find the details about our Distance Learning plan, procedures, and student/family expectations. Students and parents must review and follow the online code of conduct and to contact their assigned Dean of Students with any questions. The school will continue to follow the code of conduct and teachers may review their students' discipline record on OSS Connect.
Please read the attachment below in its entirety.
teacher led virtual course program schedule:
AP course Update
Your health and safety are our top priorities. We know the coronavirus has created new and unexpected challenges. Here’s how the AP Program is supporting you and OSHS:
- College Board is providing live and on-demand HIGH QUALITY AP courses for free.
- The content of the live and on-demand AP courses will either be REVIEW or missed units from the end of the course. See the session schedule and descriptions for details.
- Direct all specific inquires to your OSHS AP instructors.
Based on the number and length of school closures, it's clear that the usual way AP Exams are given at schools won’t be possible. See Mr. Koebe's message below regarding AP Exams for more information.
AP/FSA/EOC 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.
About This Year’s AP Exams
• Traditional face-to-face exam administration will not take place. Students will instead take a 45-minute online free-response exam at home.
• The full exam schedule, specific free-response question types that will be on each AP Exam, along with additional testing details will be available by April 3.
• Some students may want to take the exam sooner while the content is still fresh, while other students may want more time to practice. For each AP subject, there will be two different testing dates which will also be announced on April 3.
• The AP Program will unlock relevant free-response questions in AP Classroom for digital use so students can access all practice questions of the type that will appear on the exam.
• Since the exams will be completed at home, the AP Program will use a range of digital security tools and techniques, including plagiarism detection software, to protect the integrity of the 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.
Hello Friends & Welcome to Counseling Corner!
This will be the space for weekly tips and guidance through this time as we experience a new normal and many adjustments to the unwritten rules we’ve lived our life by until now. This first post will be dedicated to helping everyone develop healthy coping skills and trying to keep a sense of normalcy/routine.
1. Set a limit on media consumption:
In this time, social media and news consumption has most likely increased considerably and it’s likely to overwhelm our minds, causing stress and anxiety. Try to set limits on the media you consume. Filter the information you receive about COVID-19 by only allowing notifications from reputable sources, such as the CDC. Also, limit your time on social media as there has been a correlation found between an increase in symptoms of depression and anxiety and increased time spent on social media apps.
2. Stay Active:
The CDC has stated that walking, running, and bicycling outside are healthy and safe, as long as you maintain 6 feet between you and anyone else you may come into contact with, and avoid popular and crowded areas. Take some time to walk, run, or ride your bicycle for 15-30 minutes a day. This way you get fresh air and sunlight each day. If being outside isn’t an option, there are a lot of free fitness videos on YouTube you can use to stay active and burn your energy from inside your home. Refer to my list of Resources on OSS Connect for links to those channels & websites.
3. Stay Hydrated:
Limit the amount of caffeine and sugar you’re consuming by staying hydrated with good ‘ol fashioned water. No use in having the coffee jitters when you have nowhere to go.
4. Connect Virtually with Others:
Use apps like Zoom, Skype, Facetime, House Party, etc. to remain connected with your friends and family even though #SocialDistancing is the new norm and people are under quarantine. Just because everyone must remain at home, doesn’t mean you have to remove yourself from the “group chat.”
5. Start a Gratitude Journal:
Often in times of high stress and hardship, people let themselves focus on the negative aspects of situations. My challenge to you is to write down 1-3 things that you are grateful for at the end of every day. The purpose of a gratitude journal is to help people find the things in their day that they are happy about, find joy in, or just that made them laugh. Thus, a gratitude journal lets us end the day on a positive note. Think of it like this; If you’re stuck in traffic and late for an appointment, you can either scream and get angry the whole time, or you can turn on your favorite song and jam out while you slowly move through the traffic. Either way you’re still going to be late, but only one of those options has you feeling better within a few minutes. Will you show up angry and flustered, or in a better mood and grateful for arriving safely to your destination?
6. Learn about Local and National Mental Health Resources:
I have a list of Mental Health and Crisis Resources on my OSS Connect Course, feel free to download it and save it to your computer just in case. If you have any questions about specific resources, please feel free to email me.
Life has given us a reason to slow down right now and we can use this time to allow ourselves to improve and grow. Let’s go with the slow.
Thanks for visiting the Counseling Corner!
Wishing you all the best,
Ms. Perez
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.
Seniors: It's time to purchase your yearbook senior ad!
Seniors! It is time to purchase your advertisement page for your yearbook. Limited space is available. It is first come first served bases. Half page Ad is $30 and full page Ad is $50. After payment is made, be sure to e-mail your pictures and your message to Ms. Bolat. Ads must be submitted no later than March 31st, 2020. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Bolat.
FAFSA FAst Break Challenge
College Career Corner
Class of 2020 College Acceptances:
We are so happy to announce that the Class of 2020 college acceptance notifications are growing. Congratulations to all of our amazing students!
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
Report Card Dates and PTC Days
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