Orlando Science High School
issue 10
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: October 15, 2021
Principal's Corner
Greetings Orcas,
We are looking forward to seeing our families at this evening’s Hispanic Heritage Night activities. See below for details!
Seniors, don’t forget to check the Senior Corner in each week’s newsletter for great resources and important updates regarding graduation preparations. This week you can find a FAFSA Guide, Scholarship Newsletter links, and more.
Many of our clubs are in full swing as they plan activities and fundraisers to support their cause. See their notices below for more details on how to participate.
I hope you all have a nice weekend and look forward to updating you on our students’ continued success next week.
Dr. Yalcin Akin
Executive Director/Principal
Orlando Science School – Middle/High
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Orlando Science High School Recognized Among 2022 Best Schools in America
Here at OSS we’re thrilled to announce that we have been recognized as a 2022 Best School by Niche! This year, we ranked #1 Best Charter High School in Florida AND achieved an Overall Grade of “A+”.
We've earned this ranking by scoring highly in many factors that aim to capture what it’s really like to attend OSS. While we’ve always known that OSS is a wonderful place to learn and grow, we’re so proud of our students and staff for earning this national distinction.
You can check out OSS’s profile and see the full list of 2021 rankings, methodologies, and data sources over at https://www.niche.com/. Thanks again to our community for working hard every day to make OSS worthy of national attention. Go Orcas!
OSS High School Current COVID numbers
Hispanic heritage celebration today, october 15th
We hope you can join us for an evening of Hispanic Heritage celebration today at the high school field! Ms. Lizarazo and International Club are working hard to make sure this is an enjoyable event for everyone. This event is free for all families with an option to purchase food at the Chikiz Epanaditas Food Truck. Hope to see you there!
October pink out for breast cancer awareness month 10/22/21
NHS Pink out dress down day
OSHS Halloween Social - Thursday 10/28
trick or treat for unicef & Key club
OSS Key Club and UNICEF Club invite you to support the WASH project in Haiti!
Each year, OSS participates in Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF. In the past, those donations went towards the Eliminate Project, which helped to fight maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT). The campaign, which ended in 2020, contributed to a 96% decline in the disease worldwide! Thank you for those who donated in the past. While UNICEF continues to fight MNT, the new Trick-or-Treat initiative for this year is called the WASH project. It supports UNICEF’s water, sanitation, and hygiene efforts in Haiti. You can help us continue to save lives by donating using the link below. Thank you for your support!
Trunk or Treat
The OSHS UNICEF Club is holding a Trunk or Treat for all OSS students grades K through 12. The event will take place on Thursday, October 28th, 2021 from 5pm to 7pm in the Building 1 & 2 parking lot. There will be decorated cars for trick or treating, a raffle, games, food, and so much more. Proceeds will go to UNICEF’s WASH efforts in Haiti.
Tickets are $5 for participating students and includes all of the games and trick-or-treating. Food, raffle tickets and snacks will be available for additional purchase. Supervising adults and children under 5 are FREE. TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE on 10/22.
Any form of Halloween donations are highly appreciated by the club. If you would like to donate any items for the event, please use the sign-up genius link below. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D45ABAC2EA7FCC43-unicef
We are so excited for you all to join us for a whole lot of SPOOK-tacular fun!
OSS OUtreach club collections for Ronald McDonald House
AP Biology
2021-22 free/reduced meal application
- The names and incomes of every member of your household
- The school, grade, birthdate of every student in your household
- Your social security number and electronic signature
- (Optional) A valid email address or phone number for district communication about the status of the application.
October meal menu
Counseling Corner
10/15/2021
Hello and Welcome Back to Counseling Corner!
Caretakers of the young humans!! Are you having a hard time getting them motivated to do schoolwork, activities, or anything at home? You may even be inclined to think they’re… “lazy”… ? Well trust me, you’re not alone! Today we’ll be talking through a few quick solutions.
First, I’d like to give a quick perspective shift. If you’re currently wondering why your child is so lazy right now, I’d urge you to reconsider that word. Words are powerful things. The word “lazy” is a character trait, it labels the person as habitually unproductive, sloth-like, etc. When a kid hears lazy, sometimes they adopt the phrase as a truth about themselves, they begin to think, “I’m lazy, that’s why I don’t even bother.” Pretty soon, with repetition it becomes something they believe to be true about themselves on a fundamental level and they may not want to change that or even think they can.
When I hear “lazy,” I immediately think “unmotivated.” The student is unmotivated to do work or their usual activities. The student has some block (either mental, emotional, or physical) that is affecting their motivation to complete certain activities. Using this language, “unmotivated” transfers the situation from a character trait that is unchangeable to a problem that has a solution. This sets up both your mind and your child’s mind to think that this is something that can be worked on, shifted, understood, and improved upon. Your mind and words are powerful, and often they are the first step to making real change.
Second, make a mental note of what they seem to be interested in or distracted by. Is it their phone? Friends? TV shows and movies? Books? Youtube? Once you know what they would rather do with your time, you’ve got half the problem solved. Knowing what they are motivated by gives you the opportunity to build a reward system around that interest. For instance, if your child gets most excited by being on their tablet/iPad/phone, you then can make sure that they only have access to the tablet/iPad/phone after they’ve completed what you need them to do. This works best for homework and chores. If they learn, with consistency, that they will only receive the thing they want after they complete the things they have to do, then it becomes an external reward. Intrinsic motivation is best for problems like this, but getting there can be harder than working off the reward system in this way.
Third, once you’ve got the external reward in place, now we work on intrinsic motivation. When you notice your child doing the things on their to-do list, give them praise. Use phrases like, “I really appreciate you taking out the trash, thank you,” or “I noticed you finished your work early today, that’s awesome,” or even, “hey, I know it’s been hard for you to get focused and work so I’m really proud of you for pushing through and doing that work today.” Make sure you acknowledge that they are human, and that everyone has rough patches every now and again but that you are there for them. The more sincere and genuine, the better. We tend to forget that words are so powerful, especially negative ones, which is why its best to overload the people we love with enough positive messages to overpower the negative and unhelpful things they may hear elsewhere.
Finally, here are a few extra items that may be helpful when engaging in the 3 steps above! If the computer is a distraction, use some website blockers and trackers to block the distracting websites, such as StayFocused, Self-Control, or Forest. Another tip is to work on having open dialogue with your kids. Honest, genuine, real dialogue about things they care about, are interested in, and are passionate about! Building that rapport and connection outside of just the parent and child bond can help them feel more motivated to receive praise from you.
That is all I have for you this week, but I look forward to connecting with you again next week.
And as always, if you need anything, I’m happy to help!
All the best,
Ms. Perez
Ms. Perez quote of the day: "Success is not final; failure is not final; it is the courage to continue that counts." -- Winston S. Churchill
Senior corner-class of 2022 updates
JOSTEN'S UPDATE:
The deadline for Jostens orders - including caps and gowns - has been extended to Oct. 31, 2021. Please order online using the button below or via the Jostens website using the "My School Store" tab. If you prefer a hard copy of the packet/catalog, please see Ms. Bolat. Otherwise, all options for ordering are online.
fAFSA GUIDE
Fall Scholarships
september and october scholarship newsletters
BRIGHT FUTURES SCHOLARSHIP:
Steps to apply for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship:
- Students need to submit the Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA). https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/SAPPRFILE/SAPPRFILE
- Take the ACT or SAT and submit your scores through your College Board account to the Florida colleges/universities you apply to.
- Your high school transcript will be submitted directly from school to Bright Futures. We take care of this part.
- Complete your "Community Service Hours". For Florida Academic Scholarship (FAS) is 100, for Florida Medallion Scholarship (FMS) is 75 hours. Since your hours are logged into your transcript when we submit your transcript, your hours also will be submitted to Bright Futures.
- The Community Hours forms (Proposal Form and Log Reflection Form) are in the College and Career corner of the newsletter if you need them.
FAS and FMS Scholarships
https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/PDF/FAS-FMS.pdf
Florida Bright Futures Brochure
https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/PDF/bf_brochure.pdf
2021-22 Bright Futures Student Handbook
https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/PDF/BFHandbookChapter1.pdf
Please let me know if you have any questions.
additional scholarship resources
https://opportunity.collegeboard.org/?navId=bf-cbos
https://www.niche.com/colleges/scholarships/
https://www.scholarshippoints.com/
https://www.collegexpress.com/
https://admissions.ufl.edu/afford/scholarships
https://finaid.ucf.edu/types-of-aid/scholarships/
https://valencia.org/scholarships/
NOTE: Do not pay any money to get scholarship! Use only free scholarship resources.
Important 12th grade Teams announcements
See these important messages from Ms. Bolat posted on the 12th grade Teams:
Bolat, Gulistan: September Scholarships and and OCPS's Scholarship Bulletin
posted in 12th Grade / General at Tuesday, September 7, 2021 9:21:44 AM
Bolat, Gulistan: Special Opportunity with UF for your Seniors!
posted in 12th Grade / General at Tuesday, September 28, 2021 3:13:58 PM
senior portraits
Class of 2022 -- the time to sign up for senior portraits has arrived! Right now, spots are limited but more will be opening up. That being said, please don't wait to register! Once the studio closes for the season, you will not be able to have your senior portraits taken and your photo won't be included in the yearbook.
You can choose between the Basic and the Deluxe sittings, the descriptions are below. Any questions you have about pricing, scheduling, or purchasing should be directed to Prestige Portraits.
Below is the website as well -- you will select the Orlando studio when you register.
Common App Update
As many of you know, many colleges require students to submit written responses such as Common App essay, College-Specific questions, and Writing Supplement. You can see each schools' requirements on your Common App.
This resource below, updated for the 2021-2022 application year, helps students understand what writing questions they can expect to find for each college to which they apply.
Writing Requirements By Colleges
Common App Essay Prompts for 21-22
Account Rollover
Students who created a Common App account prior to August 1 can roll over their accounts. Learn more about how Account Rollover works here: Account Rollover
college and career corner
Virtual Pre-College Conference
community service resources
assessment corner
PSAT 8/9 opportunity
The PSAT 8/9 will be offered to 9th graders at Orlando Science High School on Tuesday, January 18th. This assessment tests the same skills and knowledge as the SAT and PSAT/NMSQT in a way that makes sense for eighth and ninth graders. It measures what they are already learning, shows them whether they are on track for college, and lets them know where they need the most improvement. A sign-up information will be shared in the coming weeks.
Exceptional Student Education and Assessments
Does your child have an IEP or 504 and receive extra time on tests?
Students who receive accommodations on statewide standardized assessments, such as the FSA, may be eligible to receive accommodations on college entrance assessments. These tests include Advanced Placement, SAT, and ACT exams. There is a separate application process where eligibility is determined by the testing company (not OSS or OCPS).
If your child already receives accommodations on statewide assessments, it is highly recommended that you give permission for OSS to submit an accommodation request for these competitive tests. This is not an automatic process. You must notify the school if you would like an application for accommodations to be submitted on behalf of the student.
To make a request, please email the ESE Coordinator, Mrs. Cervantes at Teresa.Cervantes@orlandoscience.org with the following information:
· Full name of the student
· Assessments the student will be taking (AP Exams, SAT, and/or ACT)
More information about accommodations and eligibility can be found at the following links:
orbit's character corner
Sense of Humor
Sense of Humor is to laugh and be playful without harming others.
"Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps, for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things are and what they ought to be." - William Hazlitt
parent resources
all OSS campus Newsletters
ORLANDO SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS
Website: http://orlandoscience.org/highschool/
Location: 2600 Technology Drive, Orlando, FL, USA
Phone: (407)299-6595
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/orlandoscience/
Twitter: @OrlandoSciMH