OVS High School 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
Technology: Into Office 365 and One Drive
Room 201
Tuesday, Sept 4 @ 9:30-10:30 (feel free to come at 8:30 and hang out)
Thursday, Sept 6th @ 8:30 - 9:30
Upcoming Learning Coach Trainings
Instruction: NWEA-MAP Scores--What do they mean?
September 11-13
9:00-10:30 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.
Technology: One Note for beginners and refresher
Tuesday, Sept 18th @ 8:30
Thursday, Sept 20th @ 8:30
MAP testing--
Tuesday, September 4th from 1-3pm--Math
Thursday, September 6th from 1-3pm--Math
September 7 from 8:30-12:30--Make-up testing
All OVS learners will take the MAP reading, math, and science MAP assessments the week of September 3rd during the 1-3:00 ISL time. Please have your learner pack a lunch and be prepared to share what they know on this adaptive assessment. More information below.
Logging attendance for MAP testing
Map testing information
The testing schedule is found in the "Mark Your Calendar" section above.
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
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
Core Value: Growth Mindset
Learning Coach Q & A highlights
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: When my 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 high 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 their 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.
Since this time will be a running total, K12 recommended for LCs to keep track weekly and deduct totals every week. In the picture below, the learner engaged for 5 hours and 15 minutes in the first week. Next week on Thursday, if he has 12 hours, you would subtract 12 hours from the previous week to determine his hours for the 2nd week. In this case, the second wee, he worked for 6 hours 45 minutes. You can keep a running record of this.
Read more HERE.
See below screenshots on how to access progress and time spent in course.
OVS Synergy Updates
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, soon!
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/
Tshirt Orders
Our first round of Tshirt orders were a fundraising success! We made $320 that will go right back to supporting our program. Look for another Tshirt order in November for the holiday season!
Box Tops
We will do another Box Top Competition in the very near future! So be clipping those Box Tops. More information to come!
OVS High Teen Hangout
Our OVS Synergy would like to invite our high school students to the first annual high school hangout!!
The purpose of the high school teen hangout is to get our learners together in an informal environment to socialize and have FUN! With just a little bit of parent supervision.;)
The high school learners voted at our beginning of the year picnic on the first day of school on activities that they would like to participate in together. The votes have been calculated!
We are working on coordinating an outing at a pizza place for learners to hang out. More to come!!
Classroom Happenings
Mrs. Mendoza's Class Updates
Coming up next week in English!
English 9: Informative Essay Writing
English 10: Speech Integration
Just a reminder: In order to move on to the next weeks activities in K12, all quizzes must be at least a B or higher and all written assignments must be submitted to K12.
Mr. Brannan's Class Updates
Week in Review:
Please ensure that your students are keeping up with the Pacing Guide. The students were all given instructions on how they can make up assignments that they did not receive A's on. Please encourage them to make up as many of these as they can. Thanks
Looking Ahead:
Students will begin learning about WWI and Economics students will begin to set up the SMG.
Weekly Online Lessons:
Online lessons have already begun. The schedule for my regular online lessons is below.
- Computer: 1st and 3rd Monday of the month 9:15-10:15
- History: Wednesdays OR Fridays 8:30-9:30 (each student in this course was assigned a specific session)
- Economics: Wednesdays OR Fridays 10:15-11:15 (each student in this course was assigned a specific session)
Mrs. Ignowski's Class Updates
Week in Review:
Week tackled our first summative unit projects this week. Students were expected to identify a myth, "debunk" this using all steps of the scientific method, and share out to their peers during their session at the learning center. Overall, the myths chosen and submissions were satisfactory. Some students have yet to do this, which will impede their progress within in their course.
Looking Ahead:
Now that students are acclimated to our schedule and access to materials have been established we will truly dive into our curriculum. Unit 2 will become available to students once they have successfully completed their Unit 1 project.This will be a common occurrence at the end of each unit of study.
Weekly Online Lessons:
Online lessons have already begun. The schedule for my regular online lessons is below.
- Earth Science: 2nd Monday of the month 10:15-11:15
- Physical Science: Wednesdays OR Fridays 10:15-11:15 (each student in this course was assigned a specific session)
- Biology: Wednesdays OR Fridays 11:30-12:30 (each student in this course was assigned a specific session)
Mr. Gamble's Class Updates
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 “optional” 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 “fluid” rotational model to address specific needs of each learner where they are currently at. This will allow for individualized instruction that is not “middle of the road”, 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 week’s 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 “Required” is listed on the session, you must attend that session. If “Optional” is listed, you do not have to attend, but CAN attend if you’d like help or a review.
- PreAlgebra: Thursdays @ 1:00 – 2:00.
- Algebra 1: Wednesdays @ 1:00 – 2:00.
- Geometry & Honors: Tuesdays @ 1:00 – 2:00.
- Algebra 2 & Honors: Thursdays @ 1:00 – 2:00.
- PreCalc/Trig: Thursdays @ 1:00 – 2:00.
Mr. K-W's Updates
All sophomores have met with Mr. K-W to develop their academic planner in their personalized learning plan. Next week freshman will touch base on schedules and graduation requirements.
Quote of the week: 'Most people see what is, and never see what can be.' Albert Einstein "
Troubles with your device?
Parents will get an email response following your submission. One of our staff members will email parents back to provide assistance, so be sure to check your email after sending your concern.
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