OVS High School Weekly Update
December 7, 2018 Volume 89
Mark Your Calendars!
Upcoming events:
-Online lesson Schedule has been modified for December.
Every Monday and Friday, Teachers are available online during the below times.
- Mr. Brannan--- 9am-10am
- Mr. Gamble--10am-11am
- Mrs. Mendoza --11am-noon
- Mrs. Diaz for Mrs. Ignowski--1pm-2pm
These sessions are required for learners who are behind and/or failing a course. Optional for those who are on pace and passing.
-Tuesday, December 11 & Thursday, December 13th
- Active Intruder safety training for students during class time (more details below)
-Tuesday, December 13th @ 3-4pm in room 208
- OVS High School Infosession for interested parents and students
-Thursday, Dec. 20th @ midnight
- Last day to turn in Semester 1 work
-Friday, Dec. 21st-- NO ONLINE LESSONS
-January 7, 2019
- Students have access to 2nd semester courses.
- STEAM Fair at 60 & L
Learner volunteer opportunities (more info later in newsletter):
Saturday, December 15th 2-4pm
- Gift wrapping at Barnes and Noble-Crossroads
- Optional meet-up in the coffee shop at Barnes & Noble from 4-4:30pm
MCC and OPS Safety Protocol
On December 11 & 13th at 9:30, we will have a few members of the MCC police force to train our learners on what to do in the event of an active intruder. This training can be applied to any and all public places they frequent. Sadly, this knowledge and awareness is a life skill that we feel a responsibility to teach our learners.
Additionally, Omaha Public Schools has adopted the Standard Response Protocol for safety. You should have received an email from me that outlines these measures. Please review these with your learners. Standard Response Protocol (see image below) is widely adopted amongst the districts in the state in the hopes that it does become a standard language and protocol to ensure safety. Additionally, here is a resource that the state recommends as an educational resource for us all https://iloveuguys.org/.
As always, please let Dr. L know if you have any questions or concerns.
Omaha Student voice Council
Student Happenings
Lexy P., 10th grader at OVS was selected as a delegate to serve on the Omaha Student Voice Council, which consists of high school students within Omaha Public Schools.
This gives Lexy an opportunity to represent her voice, and the voices of her peers and our program to OPS leadership. She will also gain knowledge and experience in leadership, advocacy, diversity inclusion, and educational equity. This group meets regularly at the Omaha Public School's TAC office. Thank you, Lexy for representing Omaha Virtual School, and for demonstrating one of our core values of self-advocacy!
Contest Opportunity
High School Hangout & volunteer opportunities
BARNES AND NOBLE GIFT WRAPPING & COFFEE SHOP HANGOUT--December 15th
What: Come and join us in spreading some holiday cheer and raising money for OVS while gift wrapping. Be sure to wear your OVS gear to promote our school!
Where: Barnes and Noble at Crossroads Mall (72nd and Dodge)
When: Saturday, December 15th at 2pm-4pm for wrapping and 4:00-4:30pm for Starbucks afterward for a hangout
**Parents are welcome to stay and help wrap!!
PLEASE CONTACT ERIN COX to sign up your learner for the gift wrapping volunteer opportunity.
Call or text (402) 739.7632
email: erineferg@yahoo.com
OVS MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE FAIR JUDGING
Mrs. Felten, the middle school science teacher, is looking for volunteers (students and adults) to support our STEAM fair on Thursday, January 17th from 5:30-7:30.
Click HERE to sign-up and learn more about this event.
OVS Synergy Updates
High School Learning Coaches Facebook Group
A few learning coaches have requested a separate facebook group for high school only. Here is the link for that group.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/269153923721409/?source=unknown
Classroom happenings
English Updates
Only 2 weeks left before break! If you have questions and need help, I am here to help!
Upcoming
English 9 is working on the final unit of the semester: Medium and Message!
English 10 is finishing up the short novel "Night"!
Creative Writing is developing a multimedia presentation project!
Journalism is putting all the knowledge together for a final journalism project!
Online ISL
Mondays: 11am-12pm
Fridays: 11am-12pm
Mr. Brannan's Updates
Week in Review:
We currently have a team in 12th place in the Stock Market Game! Game ends Dec. 7, I will update next week.
*When reviewing your students grades please make sure to check their missing assignments and low assignment grade. Your student may be showing a 'C' even thought they are have many zeroes for assignment scores. You may do this by clicking on "Grades" at the top of the K12 page
Looking Ahead:
History: Students are working on a Unit about WWII. They have an RSP to complete for this era due before break.
Economics: Students should be working on Unit 7.
Online lessons The schedule for my online lessons changed. I plan on using this time to help students where they need it or give them a chance to complete work.
I will be available from 9-10am on Monday's and Friday's
Mrs. Ignowski's Updates
Mrs. Diaz will be taking over for Mrs. Ignowski's science courses. Mrs. Justice was not able to cover the whole maternity leave. So, please welcome Mrs. Diaz back to OVS.
A lot of our students connected with Mrs. Justice. They are welcome to send her a thank you email to her email: anjanette.justice@ops.org.
Mrs. Ignowski returns on Thursday, December 13th.
Week in Review:
Students focused on getting caught up on their coursework and understanding expectations of upcoming assignments. Learning Coaches and students should always keep in mind the pacing guide for all courses. High School Students must earn a passing grade by the end of the semester (December 21st) in order to earn a credit for the course. Please continue to reach out as needed, these clarifications have proven very successful for students.
Looking Ahead:
Topics covered will build off of previous units, so it is important for students to attain mastery (63%) on each assessment. This upcoming week at the learning center I will be specifically addressing students that have not attained mastery.
Weekly Online Lessons:
**Schedule change for December***
Mr. Gamble's Updates
Week in Review:
The semester is going quick! We are looking at about 2 weeks left for learners to complete all lessons and submit all required work. December 20th at midnight will be the final day to submit work as the courses will be removed from the learner’s dashboard that night.
Looking Ahead:
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.
Regular PIT Stop continues Wednesdays from 1:00 – 3:00 at the K-8 building on 60th & L. High school learners are welcome to attend to get help from me there, in person.
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 month’s resource can be effective for all courses. Geogebra provides a free graphing calculator and many other tools that are helpful for verifying or graphing equations, expressions, and inequalities as well as drawing geometric shapes and finding their properties. It can be used to show graphs if equations in assignments or to check the work of a learner.
Weekly Online Math Lessons:
Online lessons have been suspended for the month of December. In return I am offering online PIT stop from 10:00 - 11:00 every Monday and Friday for the month. This is to offer students time for focused instruction on a topic they need. Encourage your learner to join me online during this time to get help and step toward mastery of their course.
Mr. Koneck-Wilcox's Updates
December 4th
Sophomores completed the Pre-ACT this week! Mr. K-W was out on Thursday and will be back next week to engage with learners during advisement.
November 27 and 29
Sophomores jumped right into the answer folder for the PREACT. They completed the interest inventory and all the basic bubbles. Now they are ready for the four section test on Tuesday, December 4th !
Remind the students to get a good night's rest and eat breakfast before they test.
The ninth graders reviewed test taking skills and learned the PQRST study method. Ask your student about this.
Encourage everyone to work hard each day, show up prepared to learn , respect others and themselves, do your best !
" How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."
----Anne Frank
November 20
The Metro Community College Tour gave students a good vision of the future, a chance to see post secondary life up close !
We will be back next week working on more skills for test preparation. The PRECAT will be Tuesday , December 4th.
" Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse. "
----Henry van Dyke
American Educator
November 13 and 15
We began the test preparation section this week. Students identified study strategies that they might use . Visualization , first-letter mnemonics, analogies , chunking of information, highlighting main ideas, were all discussed as useful tools.
Ideally , one will be most prepared for tests and remember to stay calm , not letting stress and anxiety overcome our thoughts.
Next week will be the Metro Community College Tour at Fort Omaha.
Parents are to sign the permission slips .
OVS High School
College Tour
Metro Community College
Tuesday, November 20,2018
Walking Tour on Fort Omaha Campus
9:15---11:00am
I give permission for________________________________ to attend the tour.
__________________________________________ __________________
Parent signature Date
The test prep sessions will continue November 27th and 29th.
The PREACT will be given on Tuesday , December 4th. The make-up date will be Thursday December 6th.
"The secret to happiness is being grateful for what you have , not what you don't have or what you've lost. "
-----Muniba Mazari
November 6 and 8
One step in the third mindset, 'We are all connected', asks us to seek ways to serve others. The folks who have chosen career paths in the rescue, fire , police and military domains give examples of serving others.
The students this week will write letters of thanks as part of Operation Gratitude. Our collected letters , some typed some hand written , will join nearly 250,000 being distributed in care packages. Ask your student to whom and what they wrote about.
Parents and students sometimes feel a need to visit regarding issues at home, school, work. The Community Counseling Program offers an option for families at school sites or neighborhood locations. Students were all given the lists and phone numbers. Mr. Victor Sherman directs the program, and may be reached at 402-354-8005.
October 30 and November 1
The 7 Mindsets--- an awesome path to follow through our lives.
During advisement we reviewed the first two, 'Everything is possible' and 'Passion first'.
The third one , 'We are all connected', allows us to see the wide array of ways we are touched by others throughout our lives, whether in person or digitally. We may even ask ourselves , 'how may I better serve others ?'
The students took a character strengths inventory and shared their perspectives.
Next week we will participate in Operation Gratitude.
" Character is doing the right thing even when it costs more than you want to pay."
----Michael Josephson
October 24,2018
Advisement this week included awards for attendance and growth mindset.
Our EQ, essential question , was " What helps us to remember new information ?"
Ask your student to share the three parts of our memory experiment. We had 63 words to recall and write down . What total did they get ?
Mnemonic devices help many folks . Some of us are better auditory than visual and even some truly excel in kinesthetic learning. Share with your student what your best might be.
School-Connect module 3: Building Academic Strengths and Purpose
" How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. "
----Anne Frank
October 16,2018
During advisement , the students discussed the issue of bullying. Ways to prevent it and methods of responding were part of our dialogue.
Ask your student to describe the three parts of a bullying scenario.
Some informational reading could be found at 'Steps to Respect, Committee for Children ' and www.respect2all.org.
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."
-------Ralph Waldo Emerson
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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