7-12 OVLC Updates
2020-2021 School Year
2020-2021 OVLC Smore
Happy Holidays!
Draw a Hippo Challenge from "Share Your Genius!"
December 11 Update
1 Week Until Break!
We have one week left until our break! Make a big push on your work this coming week, so you can enjoy taking two weeks off and come back in January, ready to continue the great work!
Share Your Genius!
OVLC students have the opportunity to participate in a fun activity each week called “Share Your Genius.” These various activities will be posted on Friday and are meant to be a fun change of pace from the normal routine of school work. You can find the challenges on your grade level Canvas course’s discussion board. Last week we asked students to post a “Glamour Shot” of something they dressed up. This week you have a choice! Either a push-up challenge or a Flying Hippo challenge. Upon posting to the discussion board, you will be entered into a contest to win a prize! Let’s see your genius contributions!
Edgenuity/Canvas/Skyward Differences
We use three different learning platforms/systems in the OVLC. At times this can be confusing to know where to go for assignments, grade updates, progress, etc. Below this update you will find a document to help identify the purposes of each of these platforms. As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to a teacher.
Slides from Grade Level Meetings
It was great to see so many students last week Friday in our grade level Zooms/meetings! We were able to review our commitments, expectations, and strategies for being a successful online learner. The slides we went through are linked here for your benefit and review.
7th-8th Grade Daily CPR Meetings
Please remember that all 7th-8th graders are expected to attend their daily CPR Zoom meeting with a teacher from either NHI/SLI. If you haven’t been attending regularly, the teachers would love to see you! Let Mr. Eichstadt know if you have any questions or issues attending these live sessions.
Transitioning to OHS for 2nd Semester
For those families considering leaving OVLC and returning to OHS for the Spring Semester, please refer to the letter sent out on Monday and remember to fill out the form requesting to change schools. Let Mr. Eichstadt know if you have any questions.November 24th Update
Happy Thanksgiving!
The teachers and staff in the OVLC hope you have a wonderful break and a happy Thanksgiving! It has been great getting to know so many students and seeing the supportive families that make online learning a success. We look forward to our continued partnership in preparing your students for success, wherever their next steps lead them. There is no school the rest of this week - Wednesday, November 25th-Friday, November 27th.
End of Trimester 1
7th-8th grade students are ending their trimester today! Over the course of the next week, grades will be finalized and posted to Skyward Family Access on Tuesday, December 8th. Please pay attention to email as individual teachers may be communicating important information about the end of the trimester.
During Trimester 1, students had the opportunity to explore a foreign language. This course has now been completed and in Trimester 2, students will be able to explore Music and/or Studio Art. Their “Intermediate Foundations of Personal Wellness” course will continue to run the whole school year.
Since we are unable to support the Explore courses in the same manner as the core courses, students and families will have the option after grades are posted for Trimester 1 to select a Pass/Fail option for their Explores, instead of a traditional letter grade. Look for additional information concerning this next week. Please note: this option will only be available for the Explores, not for the core courses (Math, Science, Social Studies, English).
Adjusted Schedule for Friday, December 4th
Next Friday, December 4th, we are operating an alternate schedule with specific grade-level Zoom meetings instead of specific course meetings. Students will get an opportunity to reflect on their start to virtual learning, review strategies for being successful - especially as we enter the busy holiday season, and take part in a community building exercise! Students will still have regular coursework to complete that day, as directed by their teachers.
Schedule for Live Sessions on Friday, December 4th
8:00-8:40 - 7th Grade
8:50-9:30 - 8th Grade
9:40-10:20 - 9th Grade
10:30-11:10 - 10th Grade
11:20-12:00 - 11th Grade
12:30-1:10 - 12th Grade
ZOOM LINK for the Sessions
Parent Resources
Please continue to access our Tech website for parents and students, which can be found at www.oasd.org/techhelp.
In particular, parents may find the following helpful-
November 13th Update
Good Online Learning Practices
As we continue to progress in this unusual school year, please keep in mind good practices for online learning.
- Establish a schedule for your day to ensure work is completed on time
- Attend any and all Zoom sessions with teachers and reach out if you have questions
- Complete your work in an environment conducive for reading/learning
- Take regular breaks from your computer screen to ensure you stay productive
- Keeping your video on during a Zoom call is helpful for the teacher and other students - we want to see your smiling faces!
- Don't be afraid to say "Hi!" to your teachers! We love talking with you!
End of 1st Trimester (7th-8th Grade)
For the 7th-8th grade students, we are only 7 school days away from the end of the First Trimester! We encourage all students to make a big push to the Thanksgiving break, and ensure they are caught up in all of their courses. If there are specific questions, please contact the individual teachers for those courses, all other questions please direct to Mr. Eichstadt (eichstas@oasd.org)A new trimester also means a new Explore course for the 7th-8th graders! Their foreign language course will be completed at this point and either an Art or Music course will be added to their schedule for the Second Trimester. This is in addition to "Personal Wellness" which will continue to run the whole school year. The Third Trimester will be an opportunity for students to explore a STEM course.
Parental/Guardian Access to Courses/Technology
This is a reminder that all parents/guardians can gain access to see more information about their students' work in both Edgenuity or Canvas. Please contact a teacher to gain access to the Family Portal in Edgenuity and follow this link to set-up access to your student's account in Canvas. This is a great way to gain regular updates to help your students stay on pace in their coursework.
GoGuardian is another great way for parents to stay informed about their student's engagement. This letter was sent out previously, and it details information about how parents/guardians can see the website activity of their student.
Attendance Reminders
Please remember that all students are expected to be active daily, during normal school hours (7am-3pm) in either Edgenuity or Canvas. This is how attendance is taken and if a student does not demonstrate activity/engagement during the normal school hours, they will be marked absent.
NHI Musical Info Meeting
We are excited to share that we are hosting our 2021 NHI Musical Revue Meeting over Zoom for more information for families. Any NHI Student or OVLC Student whose home school, is eligible. Wondering about what our musical revue entails - more info is in the doc linked, including the link to our Zoom on Wednesday.
We WILL record our info meeting, and update and link the meeting recording and other docs to this info sheet if you are interested.
If you have any questions, please contact Amy Jappinen, Director, at JappineA@oasd.org or Tracy Garon, Musical Director, at GaronT@oasd.org
OVLC Survey
Thank you!
October 22nd Update
Friday, October 23rd - NO SCHOOL
Friday, October 23rd, is an off day for OASD, including the OVLC. If you are behind pace in any of your classes, this is a great opportunity to take the day to catch up!
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Families are encouraged to set up conferences (on Zoom) with teachers at any point during the trimester/term. There will be no formal conference days, but teachers have availability during the day and in the afternoon-early evening upon request. If your student is struggling or if you have questions and concerns, please reach out to the teacher to set up a Zoom meeting.
High School Term 1 Finals and Report Cards
High School students in OVLC will be taking their cumulative, Term 1 Finals, for their core courses, during a two-week window from October 26-November 6th. Teachers will be communicating the date and structure of their finals in the coming week. While there are finals, students in OVLC will not be receiving Term 1 grades on a report card, due to the structures of the OVLC classes. This is different from those students who are at OHS who do receive a term grade. OVLC students will receive a final semester grade at the end of the Fall Semester in January along with the corresponding credits. If you have any questions/concerns please contact Mr. Eichstadt (eichstas@oasd.org).
Mentorship Program for 7th-9th Grade
This year the 7th and 8th graders in the OVLC will have the opportunity to be partnered with a National Honor Society member from OHS to help encourage good academic habits and positive connections! This opportunity will allow students to form relationships and get mentored by some of the wonderful student leaders in our community! This will be a year long mentorship, with students meeting with their mentors via Zoom/Google Meet 2-3 times per month. If you would like your child to participate in this program please fill out this interest form so they can be matched with an NHS Mentor that is right for them!
Electives Progress Report Update in Skyward Family Access
For all 7th-12th grade OVLC students, a progress report was inputted into Skyward, showing student's current Term/Trimester grade for their Elective/Explore courses. If a student is behind pace, this was taken into account in calculating their grade. This grade is not final, and can be improved before the end of the Term or Trimester. Please let Steve Eichstadt (eichstas@oasd.org) know if you have any questions or concerns.
Daily Attendance Reminders
*Brief Presentation Regarding Daily Attendance Reminders for Families
MAP Testing Updates 3rd through 8th Grade OVLC
MAP Testing for 3rd through 8th Grade Students
Families will be receiving communication about OVLC MAP testing for 3rd through 8th-grade students soon.
We will have two options for how your child(ren) will be able to MAP test - in person or virtually. For validity and technology purposes, we would prefer to have students test in person. However, we recognize families will have different preferences.
Please use the following form to indicate how you would prefer your child(ren) to take the MAP test. OVLC MAP Assessment Initial Preference
7-12 OVLC Updates: Week of September 28th
Families are encouraged to stay up to date on their child's current grade in their classes. For Core Courses, this can be done by looking in Skyward Family Access which is where the most accurate and current grade is located. For the Electives, parents can view their student's progress report in their Edgenuity updates. If you have any questions or concerns don't hesitate to reach out and ask any of the teachers.
In an effort to provide additional support for the Elective courses, students are now able to contact Mr. Todd Rohrer as well as Mr. Eichstadt. Mr. Rohrer will have open office hours as well as meetings by appointment or help via email. As a general reminder, students are able to access the links and times for open office hours through the Canvas Electives homepage.
The 7th and 8th graders are on a rotation for Social Studies and Science units. Starting next week, Monday, September 28th, the 7th graders will be switching to Social Studies with Mrs. Rincon-Stegner and the 8th graders will be starting their first Science unit with Mr. Starr. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns about this rotation.
OHS Live Streamed announcements will be switching from 8:35 to 8:55 due to the change in schedule at the high school. We still encourage students to tune in and watch every day, but recognize there may be some days where this interferes with an already scheduled live session. Please attend the live session for your core courses when this conflict occurs, and plan to watch the announcement recording later in the day.
High School students should be completing their two College and Career Seminars each week. These can be found under "Modules" in their grade level Canvas courses. If you haven't done all of these modules yet, please find the time to work on these. They will each take roughly 30 minutes to complete and it is a required component for high school students in OVLC. Let Mr. Eichstadt know if you have any questions.
OVLC 7-12 Updates: September 21st
7th through OHS Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences:
- OVLC Teachers will contact parents if a conference is needed and will coordinate a time.
- OVLC Parents who desire a conference should contact the teacher. Teachers will continue to utilize flexible time periods to meet with families during the day.
- Parents should utilize those periods to make sure they are staying connected to their child(ren's) teacher(s)
- Edgenuity Parent Access: Please contact one of your child's teachers if you are struggling with access to view your child's academic progress through the Edgenuity platform
- Please take a few minutes to read: "How to be a Successful Student in OVLC"
Have a great week,
7-12 OVLC Staff
OVLC Introduces "Character Strong" to 5th through 8th grade students
Character Strong Introductory Meetings THIS WEEK!!
Zoom Link (Password is 123).
If a student misses their grade-level introductory meeting, they should just join another one later in the week.
*If your child is unable to attend this week's introductory session with Mrs. Holzbauer, please reference the above presentation prior to Sept.14th.
Character Strong live sessions will formally begin on Monday, September 14th
5th Grade
Tuesday, September 8th, 7:30-7:55
6th Grade
Wednesday, September 9th, 7:30-7:55
7th Grade
Thursday, September 10th, 7:30-7:55
8th Grade
Friday, September 11th, 7:30-7:55
7-12 OVLC Week 2 Updates
It was a great first week getting to see and meet our online classes in the OVLC! We've been able to build a solid foundation with common commitments, expectations of the OVLC, and a weekly schedule focused on the core content courses. This week we will take the final step in launching the school year, by introducing the learning platform Edgenuity and starting students in their various Elective courses!
We will also be launching the OVLC connections to NHI/SLI and OHS this week. These include:
For the 7th-8th graders, they will be participating in Circle of Power and Respect (CPR), and Character Strong Lessons, to support the students in creating connections with teachers and further building on our amazing OASD Community.
- Students at NHI/SLI are currently receiving these lessons daily and OVLC 7th and 8th graders will be connecting in a live session to an Explore teacher, at their home intermediate school
- 7th graders will have their initial session on Thursday, September 10th
- 8th graders will start on Friday, September 11th.
- This will be the only session for each grade level next week, before it fully starts on Monday, September 14th on a daily basis for all 7th-8th grade students. This fits into their early morning schedule from 7:30-7:55. The links for these Zoom sessions will be posted on their grade level course home pages.
The high school students will start connecting into the seminars OHS face-to-face students will also complete.
- Seminars are focused on helping to develop students who are College, Career, and Life Ready, as well as ensure a strong school community.
- Seminars will be posted to their grade level Canvas courses twice per week.
Parents/guardians can help ensure their students are equipped and held accountable in this online environment by setting up a Canvas account as an "observer" of their student. Follow the instructions on this website for more information.
Thank you for your support as we continue to develop a strong online learning community and have a great start to our school year!
-OVLC 7-12 Teachers
Week of September 1st Updates:
- Students feel comfortable and confident with daily schedules and expectations
- Students feel comfortable and confident with accessing core learning resources
- Students know how to access their teacher(s) for support and live sessions
- Students have established a productive work station and routine at home to be successful as a virtual learner
We recognize each student (and family) will meet these goals at different times this week. Please continue to be patient as our teachers work through issues with each student and family. Our intention is to be ready to begin delivering academic lessons and/or assignments at the beginning of next week.
Thanks for your partnership as we launch the OVLC this week.
OVLC Staff
Student Placement Questions
OHS
Transition between Face-to-Face and Oconomowoc Virtual Learning Community
Second Trimester Transition
- Notify Diane Silkey (Silkeyd@oasd.org) no later than January 5, 2021
- Students would begin their new placement on January 19, 2021
Elementary Schools and Intermediate Schools
Transition between Face-to-Face and Oconomowoc Virtual Learning Community
Second Trimester Transition
- Notify Diane Silkey (Silkeyd@oasd.org) no later than Friday, November 13, 2020
- Students would begin their new placement on November 30, 2020
Third Trimester Transition
- Notify Diane Silkey (Silkeyd@oasd.org) no later than Friday, February 12, 2021
- Students would begin their new placement on March 1, 2021
Who to Contact for OVLC Support
7-12th Grade General Questions:
Steve Eichstadt (Eichstadts@oasd.org)
General OVLC Questions
Michele Koper (Koperm@oasd.org)
Questions Related to Transitioning to OVLC or to In-Person Learning:
John Flannery (Flannerj@oasd.org)
Attendance or Questions Related to Class Schedules:
7-12: Steve Eichstadt (Eichstas@oasd.org)
General Technology and Access Questions:
HelpDesk@oasd.org 262-560-2126
Family Resources
OVLC Program Planning Guide: 2020-2021
*Please see the attachments below. These were communications sent by staff during the orientation meetings in August.
Meet the Teachers
- Mr. Eichstadt: Specials and OVLC Team Leader
- Mrs. Donovan: English Language Arts
- Mrs. Hopkins: Math
- Mrs. Rincon-Stegner: Social Studies
- Mr. Starr: Science
7-12 Learning Strategists: Mrs. Sobol and Mrs. Busalacchi