The Owl
The Newsletter of OECHS -- April 4, 2020
Owl of the Week
This week's Owl of the Week is one of our freshman, Tiffany E. In their nomination, Tiffany's teachers said:
"Tiffany has been an exemplary student in online learning. She consistently works hard in her classes and when she has a question, she seeks out the assistance she needs. She is supportive of her peers in the online learning environment and offers reflective feedback on other students’ work and discussion board forums. She stays positive and continues to represent what OECHS OWLS are all about. Great job, Tiffany!"
Grading Guidelines
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and Onslow County Schools provided guidance this week on grading our period of remote learning.
For the 5th grading period, teachers adjusted scores to ensure that grades did not fall below where they were on March 13th, the last day of seated instruction and that any grades accrued during the remote learning period of the 5th grading period would only help, not hurt students.
For the final grading period, scores will not be adjusted and whatever grades are earned by students will be reflected in PowerSchool. Guidance on final averages will come at a later date from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
Grading guidelines from Onslow County Schools and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction can be found below.
AP Exams
Connect
Several CCCC classes utilize a service called Connect with many of their textbooks. Unfortunately, the web filter that OCS utilizes, Zscaler, is blocking access to Connect. Other school districts are reporting the same issue and Zscaler is working to rectify the problem.
In the meantime, several students have found that they can sometimes use Connect if they try different internet browsers. Students can always use Connect on their non-OCS device (Computer, tablet, or smartphone).
Students may also possibly be able to use Connect if they use OCS WiFi. If you are able, you can swing by any OCS school and connect to their WiFi from outside the building(s). It is not a perfect solution, but it is a possible solution. We are all working through this! Stay Safe!
Esports: Rocket League
Unfortunately PlayVS has suspended the Rocket League season. We are not sure if there will be an eventual continuation of the season and/or playoffs. Currently the A Team is ranked 4th in the region and the B Team is ranked 24th.
OCS Student Counseling
It is hard to get away from the rapidly changing news about COVID-19 and the changes it continues to cause in our society. With schools currently closed for students, concern over this new virus has increased the questions children and families currently have. Our school counselors and school social workers, a regular source of help in dealing with the pressure of school life, are not as readily available.
OCS school counselors and school social workers understand this and, during this challenging time, are prepared to help our children cope with these questions.
This link will direct you to the OECHS Counseling/Student Services page. There, students can get an appointment to set up a virtual meeting with Ms. Hutsell. Additionally, students can access Ms. Hutsell on the Guidance page on Teams!
These virtual meetings can be for questions or concerns students would normally see their school counselor for (or any additional concerns related to the current school closure.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE GUIDANCE PAGE IS NOT FOR EMERGENCIES!
If you have a medical emergency, contact 9-1-1.
Mental health crisis should contact Integrated Family Services at 1-866-437-1821.
CCCC Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information and Resources
Coastal Carolina Community College began remote learning via Blackboard Collaborate this week. Students need check and use their my.coastalcarolina.edu account for information from instructors and the College. Personal emails may be filtered out by spam filters and not reach instructors. If you have difficulty accessing your my.coastalcarolina.edu account, please contact the helpdesk at helpdesk@coastalcarolina.edu or 910-938-6123.
Coastal Carolina Community College has also assembled a list of information and resources for our community as we navigate the Coronavirus Pandemic. The Writing Center, Math Lab, and other resources are now accessible online! Those College and community resources can be found at:
OCS Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information
Thank you for your patience and flexibility as the district navigates these unprecedented circumstances. As we all face the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, we would like to make our families aware of the services available to them throughout the school closures.
You can find all district COVID-19 information and updates here on the district’s website: Coronavirus Information.
OCS Nutrition Hubs
Free meals for children ages 1-18 years will be available for pick-up at 10 schools during the school closures. Beginning on March 23, a new site will open at Southwest Elementary School, and breakfast will be served along with lunch. All sites are drive-through or walk-up only. No space will be provided for eating on site and multiple meals may be picked up by students, parents or caregivers. Recipients should be prepared to drive up or walk up to the designated area and let staff know how many meals are needed.
Breakfast and lunch will be given out at the same time. Breakfast will consist of a shelf-stable grain and fruit or juice that may be consumed the following morning.
Meals will be available for pick-up from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Monday through Friday at the following schools:
- Clyde Erwin Elementary Magnet
- Dixon Elementary School
- Hunters Creek Elementary School
- Jacksonville High School
- Northside High School
- Northwoods Elementary School
- Richlands Elementary School
- Southwest Elementary School
- Southwest High School
- Swansboro High School
Beginning on March 23, meals will also be served from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Monday through Friday at the following satellite sites:
- Belleau Woods: 145 Harbord Drive, Midway Park, NC
- Christian Community Church: 732 9 Mile Road, Richlands, NC
- Belgrade Community Center: 482 Springhill Road, Maysville, NC
You can find more information here: Student Nutrition Hubs.
OCS Student Laptop Repair Process
Due to school closures because of COVID-19 and to maintain the continuity of digital instruction, the OCS Instructional Technology Department has implemented a plan to repair broken or malfunctioning district-issued student devices. Students will be able to drop off a broken or malfunctioning district-issued laptop, have an IT Technician repair the device, and have it ready to be picked up within 24 hours.
District-issued student laptops requiring repair during the disrupted school schedule because of COVID-19 can be dropped off between 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. at the following locations:
- Dixon Elementary School
- Hunters Creek Elementary School
- Jacksonville High School
- Northside High School
- Richlands Elementary School
- Southwest High School
- Swansboro High School
There will be a Technician in the front office area during these times to receive laptops.
The student/parent should plan on the student being without a device for the following 24 hours.
Students may pick up their laptops at the same location on the following day between the hours of 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
THE STUDENT MUST BE PRESENT TO PICK UP THE DEVICE ONCE IT IS REPAIRED BECAUSE THE STUDENT WILL BE REQUIRED TO LOGIN TO THE DEVICE WHILE IT IS ON OUR NETWORK.
If you have questions regarding student device repairs, please contact the Instructional Technology Department at 910-989-2101.
You can find any updated information about IT repairs here: IT Information and Resources.
OECHS Class Updates
English
English II Honors: This week, students completed their unit on Fairy Tales from Around the World. They will complete their digital puppet shows on Flipgrid by Monday at 4:30 p.m. Next week, we will begin our next unit on Magic Realism, and study the works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Jorge Luis Borges. A list of assignments are posted weekly in teams on Friday, so students can refer to this sheet in order to complete their work for the following week. Daily discussion boards will continue next week as well, as most students have expressed they are enjoying these, and the opportunity to discuss works with their peers.
Parents are encouraged to check students' OneNotes, where all assignments and materials are posted for students on a weekly basis.
English IV Honors: This week, students completed their virtual peer reviews of their research proposals, and they finished their preliminary study of some influential writers of the early modern period in British Literature. Next week, students will begin their study of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's gothic novel, Frankenstein. They will also begin work on their annotated bibliographies, which will be due on April 24. A list of assignments are posted weekly in teams on Friday, so students can refer to this sheet in order to complete their work for the following week. Daily discussion boards will continue next week as well, as most students have expressed they are enjoying these, and the opportunity to discuss works with their peers.
Parents are encouraged to check students' OneNotes, where all assignments and materials are posted for students on a weekly basis.
Math
Honors Math 3: The final average for the 5th six weeks was an 89 for both classes.
Students have a deltamath assignment reviewing right triangle trigonometry due Monday morning by 9am. It was assigned last Thursday. Otherwise this week students will be working on their photography project. This project was assigned before our coronacation began and is due April 21st. Students are allowed to work with a partner and the instructions can be found on Teams. Each day of the upcoming week I will post a mathematical topic and students will post a picture of an item around the house that demonstrates that topic. I will also post a picture as an example from around my house. Have a great week and Spring Break!
Honors Math 4: This week we will continue working on Unit 6 dealing with Solving Triangles. Monday we will cover Law of Sines Applications. The rest of the week we will learn about the Law of Cosines, and how to use Trigonometry to to find the Area of a Triangle. Don't forget, Friday is the beginning of SPRING BREAK!
Social Studies
Civics and Economics: : We finished up our study of the Legislative Branch by taking a look at who our Representative and Senators are from the state of North Carolina. We also talked about Committees and Leadership in Congress. Next week we will study The Federal Bureaucracy. It is a short unit so we will be able to wrap up our study before Spring Break begins on Friday.
AP WH: The big news is our AP Exam will be Thursday, May 21st. As mentioned previously, students will be taking this exam at home. It is a timed, 45 minute DBQ which will include 5 documents for the students to analyze and write about. I have given students all the information I have as of Friday morning. Friday mid-day College Board will be posting more detailed information which we will look at and discuss in our weekly meetings next Thursday. Next week we will be finishing up Unit Six before Spring Break begins on Friday.
American History Honors: This week students worked on Unit VI: Causes of the Civil War. All assignments & resources are in TEAMS with a suggested work schedule.
We are using an online textbook (The Americans) as it is easier for our virtual classroom than our in-class textbook (Norton) that we have used for most of the semester.
Students have given excellent feedback that they are comfortable with this text and the concise nature of the assignments. All Unit VI work is due Wednesday, April 8.
*Get out and walk, enjoy the sunshine, stay in touch with classmates, & send Mr. Strope some pix for The Owl.
Love you, Miss you, Mean it!
Science
Biology Honors: In Honors Biology, this past week , we covered Viruses, Bacteria, Protists, and Fungi. The students did a Web quest and took a quiz. Next week we will be covering the Plant and Animal Kingdom. The students, for the most part, are doing outstanding with keeping up with their work. I really miss my face to face interactions with them. They are great kids and are adapting well to the online instruction.
Chemistry Honors: We are finishing up with Unit 9 this week before Spring Break begins on Friday. Students Unit 9 Worksheet and Online Gas Law Lab is due on Wednesday April 8. The Unit 9 Test will be on Thursday April 9. Once we return from Spring Break we will look to complete Unit 10 and then Unit 11/12/13 (a combo unit).
APES: Students have Unit 9 Worksheet and Unit 9 Quiz on Wednesday April 8. After we return from Spring Break, our sole focus will be reviewing Units and practicing FRQs for the Exam on May 18 @4pm.
Onslow Early College High School
Email: james.strope@onslow.k12.nc.us
Website: https://www.onslow.k12.nc.us/onslowearlycollegehs
Location: CE109, 444 Western Blvd., Jacksonville, NC 28546
Phone: 910-938-6702
Twitter: @OnslowECHS