Orlando Science High School
ISSUE 7
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: September 25, 2020
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Principal's Corner
Saludos, Orcas!
I hope you have another successful week and enjoy the first week of official Fall season with the great Florida weather! As our month begins to come to a close, we want to remind and share with a few important/exciting items in this week’s newsletter!
Starting from September 15th, we continue to celebrate America’s rich Hispanic history and culture with National Hispanic Heritage Month through October 15 with several class and school-wide activities. During this month, we recognize the contributions and the important presence of outstanding Hispanic and Latin Americans in the U.S. and within our communities. In this week, we are highlighting Mario Molina! Please take time to learn more about him and his contributions.
The Month of September is the annual observance of "American Founders" and Orlando Science Celebrates and highlights the greatest people of our Nation! We feature our seven founding fathers and more database in this week.
Orcas, please continue following the School Health and Safety procedures. As we also enter the flu season, the precautions become more important for all of us.
Congratulations to OSS Outreach Club for collecting a great amount of food donations. Thank you, parents, for your attention and help us! Every contribution to the charities and society is greatly appreciated!
Orcas, our social media sites provide lots of great updates, school highlights, and celebrations. Be sure to like us on Facebook and Twitter. Who knows, you or your work may be our next post highlighted. Your newsletter has important announcements, reminders, and highlights. Please go over and do not miss any important dates and announcements.
Orcas, there are very important testing announcement this week, if you have not review, please read the details in the Assessment Corner.
Seniors, if you have not scheduled your one-on-one meeting with Mrs. Bolat, please act fast and schedule your meeting. This is your year, 2021! I encourage you to be on top of your courses as well as your college applications. Please stay tuned to our College Center Corner and Senior Class page in your Microsoft Teams accounts.
Lastly, I would like to let every student know that we are here to help you learn, grow, and succeed.
Vamos, Orcas and Strive for Excellence!
Sincerely,
Abdulaziz Yalcin, M.Ed.
Principal
Orlando Science Schools – Middle/High
Hispanic Heritage Month September 15th-October 15th
OSS is proud to celebrate the Hispanic Heritage Month! We would like to encourage our middle and high school students to participate in the 2020 Hispanic Heritage Month Florida essay contests. Winners receive a 4-Year Florida College Plan scholarship from the FL Prepaid College Foundation. The deadline for the essay contest is 9/25. Learn more: http://floridahispanicheritage.com
Mario Molina
Celebrate freedom week
Celebrate Freedom Week
American Founders' Month
American Founders' Month
George Washington
Benjamin Franklin
John Adams (and family)
Thomas Jefferson
Alexander Hamilton
John Jay
James Madison
This data base includes over 185,000 searchable documents, fully annotated, from the Founding Fathers Papers projects.
We encourage our families to use this resource as a starting point for meaningful discussions about what it means to live, learn and pursue happiness in America in 2020.
Excerpt from the Preamble of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
OSS Outreach hosts Second Harvest food drive continues: November 10th
OSS Outreach would like send out a BIG thank you to all of the families that donated to our food drive on Saturday. With only two days notice, OSS families came together and showed just how wonderful and caring they are. We already knew how generous and kind our families were but, after seeing the amount of donations we received on just one day, really warmed our hearts here at school. It proves that even during tough times OSS families still take time and energy to help others. Thank-you for being the amazing people you are!
Middle and High School families that missed Picture Day will have an opportunity for Retakes on November 10th. On this day, OSS Outreach will continue their Food Drive! Please consider bringing non-perishables to benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank on this day. These are their critical need items:
*canned fruits
*canned vegetables
*grains-rice, pasta, oatmeal
*canned meats in water, low sodium
*canned proteins such as beans-low sodium
*canned soups/meals low sodium
*baby food
*diapers all sizes
*toiletries-shampoo, soap, toothpaste, etc
The OSS Outreach Club will have collection boxes at BOTH the Lynx and HS campuses. They will deliver all of your donations before Thanksgiving in order to help those in need in the greater Orlando area. Thank you for your support during this season of giving thanks!
NOW happening on campus: spirit days
assessments corner: important testing updates
a message from Mr. Koebe
Dear OSS Students and Families,
As you know, high school years are typically understood as particularly “assessment heavy.” From standardized testing like the SAT/ACT to AP exams and the FSA, it can be a lot of information to keep straight. Our goal with this section of the newsletter is to offer you an additional space to view current updates and to provide clarity on assessment details every Friday. Be sure to keep an eye on this section for important assessment updates and announcements! Continue to check your email for additional details and information regarding assessments throughout the year.
Best,
Nicholas Koebe
Admin-Testing and Instruction
Orlando Science High School
SAT Testing Update
notice for 2019-2020 algebra 1 students
If your student was in Algebra I in 2019-2020, please review this information carefully. As a result of the schools closing, students were unable to participate in end-of-year assessments and will need to satisfy these important graduation requirements this year.
Algebra I: To satisfy the graduation requirement, students who were enrolled in Algebra I last year need to either earn a passing score on the FSA Algebra I EOC or earn a concordant PSAT/NMSQT ACT or Geometry EOC score. Please read the options below and make the best choice for YOUR student.
1. The preferred option is for students to participate in the OSS administration of the FSA Algebra I EOC test. The Algebra I ECO will take place at the OSS High School campus on November 9th AND 10th with all COVID health and safety guidelines in place. Additional information and a sign-up form will be sent through email soon.
2. 10th and 11th grade students who are unable to participate in the November 9th and 10th assessment (or who fail to earn a passing score on the November assessment), can satisfy the graduation requirement by scoring a 430 on the PSAT/NMSQT Math section. The opportunity for students to take the PSAT/NMSQT will be at the high school campus on January 26, 2021.
3. Students who are unable to earn a qualifying score on either the FSA Algebra I EOC or the PSAT/NMSQT, can satisfy the graduation requirement by earning a passing score on the Geometry EOC in the Spring of 2021.
4. As a final option, students can submit an ACT Math score of 16 or greater, or an SAT Math score of 420 or greater to Mr. Koebe and Ms. Bolat. OSS will administer the SAT in the Spring 2021 free of charge.
OSS is committed to student success. Should you need guidance determining which Algebra 1 testing option is best for your student, please contact Mr. Koebe.
notice for 2019-2020 Grade 10 ELA Students
If your student was in 10th grade ELA in 2019-2020, please review this information carefully. As a result of the schools closing, students were unable to participate in end-of-year assessments and will need to satisfy these important graduation requirements this year.
Grade 10 ELA: To satisfy the graduation requirement, students who were enrolled in Grade 10 ELA last year need to either earn a passing score on the Grade 10 ELA FSA Assessment, or earn concordant ACT/SAT score. Please see the two options below and make the best choice for your child.
1. The preferred choice is for students to take the Grade 10 ELA FSA Assessment at the OSS HS campus on November 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Additional information and a sign-up form will be sent through email.
2. Alternatively, Students can submit an ACT English and Reading score of 18 or greater, or an SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score of 480 or greater to Mr. Koebe and Ms. Bolat.
3. The third option is for students to earn a 3 or better on the Grade 10 ELA FSA Retake Assessment offered at OSS HS in May 2021. Students who have not satisfied the graduation requirement before May, will be required to participate in this assessment.
OSS is committed to student success. Should you need guidance determining which Grade 10 ELA testing option is best for your student, please contact Mr. Koebe.
2019-2020 Biology and Geometry students
Biology and Geometry: Students who were enrolled in Geometry or Biology in 2019-2020 are NOT required to take the EOC assessments for these courses. Since earning a passing score on these exams is not tied to a graduation requirement, final grades for these courses were based solely on in-class performance.
PSAT National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT)
The PSAT/NMSQT is the official route of entry to the National Merit Scholarship Program.
The College Board has offered two opportunities for schools to administer the PSAT/NMSQT this year. Since this assessment must be administered in person, and we want to give all our 10th and 11th graders the opportunity to participate, Orlando Science HS will participate in the secondary, January 26th assessment date. Be on the lookout for an email update regarding PSAT/NMSQT in the coming weeks.
We strongly encourage students to take time to review the full-length practice test before the assessment. Feel free to start looking over the materials now.
Progress Monitoring Activities (PMAs)
Students who are currently enrolled in classes with FSA/EOC assessments will participate in Q1 Progress Monitoring Activities (or PMAs). FSA/EOC courses are: Biology, U.S. History, Algebra I, Geometry and ELA 9th & 10th grades. These important benchmarks provide teachers with useful data that can be used to identify and target areas where students need the greatest level of support. The PMAs can be completed online from home, or online during face-to-face instruction. Teachers will share additional information soon.
America's Safe Schools Week & Unity Day October 21, 2020
Orlando Science High School is participating in this year's America's Safe Schools Week. Activities conducted during America’s Safe Schools Week draw attention to the continuing problem of school violence and educate everyone about how schools can be made safer and more secure. America’s Safe Schools Week offers an opportunity to address this very important issue and to take steps to ensure that schools offer students and teachers an environment which they can perform to the best of their abilities. There will be several activities throughout this week and more details will be provided!
At this time we would like to announce that on Wednesday, October 21st, students are welcome to Wear Orange for Unity Day and dress down. All dress down day guidelines apply.
OSS Unity Day shirts are available for purchase online, use the link below to order before October 2, 2020. Wear and share orange to show that we are together against bullying, and united for kindness, acceptance and inclusion.
Make it ORANGE and make it end! What are your true colors when it comes to showing that you believe that all youth should be safe from bullying? Come together in one giant ORANGE message of hope and support, WEAR AND SHARE ORANGE to color our nation, and even the world, visibly showing that our society believes that no child should ever experience bullying.
OSS Middle High School Parent Volunteer Organization-pvo
PVO Registration & Dues
Dear Orlando Science Lynx Lane and Technology High School Families,
It is time to join the Parent Volunteer Organization (PVO)! Membership is $25 per family for returning families and $30 for new families. Your membership dues go directly back into the school to provide items and supplies for our teachers. We are also asking that PVO members work with specific committees (School Improvement, Fundraising, Volunteer Work, Teacher Appreciation, Events, Etc.) See the registration form below for opportunities to get involved.
If you have questions, comments, or requests, you may email Orlando Science PVO at PVO.HSCampus@orlandoscience.org (for the High School) or PVO.LynxCampus@orlandoscience.org (for the Lynx Campus). The PVO will hold meetings once every two months that will inform parents of progress, agendas, and upcoming events. **Due to the Pandemic, the PVO will host Zoom Meetings until further notice.**
We are so excited to connect with our families and create a wonderful environment on and off campus!
Additions volunteers
HEALTH AND SAFETY COVID-19 PROCEDURES for students on campus
Free reduced lunch application-updated for 2020-21
grab and go meals available to all ocps students at their zoned ocps schools
Beginning Monday, August 10, Orange County Public Schools’ Food and Nutrition Services Department will provide meals for students utilizing the LaunchEd@Home instructional model with a Curbside Meals Program. This ensures those students who rely on nutritious meals to be able to continue doing so, even when they are not in the building for their lessons.
become familiar with the 30/30 Rule for bad weather dismissal procedures
What is the 30/30 Rule?
The “30/30 Rule" is a Delayed Dismissal Weather procedure that the nationally recognized. It is required that the “30/30 Rule” be enacted by the school if thunder is heard within 30 seconds of a lightning strike. Orlando Science Middle/High follows this rule.
When 30/30 Rule is implemented, students will not be dismissed until 30 minutes has passed from the last sound of thunder. However, parents/guardians who wish to pick up their child/children during delayed dismissal, will be allowed to sign out their child/children at the cafeteria or front office.
In order to pick up your student(s) from the cafeteria or front office during this procedure, parents/guardians must bring their dismissal sign to the front door of the school to sign their child/children out. If you do not have a dismissal sign, you will need to provide a picture ID and be on the school pick-up list to pick-up the child/children. Bus riders will be delivered home when conditions are all safe for dismissal.
An automated telephone and/or email message will be used to notify parents/guardians about delayed dismissals. Always be sure to update the school when your phone or email information changes. Thank you for your cooperation on our students’ safety.
OSS High School 2020-2021 Handbook
OSS TECHNICAL ISSUES?
- request OSS Connect credentials
- problems with Skyward access
- request technology
- reset passwords
- request login credentials
- any other issue related to technology
September 25th
Hello friends and welcome back to Counseling Corner! This week we are continuing our topic from last week, so if you haven’t read that yet, go check it out and then come back to this one… seriously, I’ll wait for you 😊
Okay welcome back! Here is the second half of our list of 6 Keys to improving our mental health!
- Brain-Healthy Diet:
There are certain types of food that can adversely affect mood, such as caffeine, foods with high levels of preservatives/hormones, sugary snacks, and fried food. These types of food can facilitate irritable moods, mood swings, sleep troubles, low energy, and weaken your immune system. Additionally, there are foods that can help boost your mood, for example avocados, flaxseed, beans, leafy greens, fresh fruit, walnuts, almonds, cashews, peanuts, and fish rich in Omega-3s. If you haven’t tried to change your eating habits before, you may not be aware of how much it can affect your mood. Now, I will preface this by saying I’m not a dietician, so be sure to conduct your own research in addition to the research I provide here.
- Quality Sleep:
“I’ll catch up on the weekend!” No, actually, sleep doesn’t work that way. You can’t really “catch up” the way you think you can. When it comes to mental health, sleep is essential. If we constantly walk through work and school life on less than the necessary amount of hours of sleep we can experience problems with memory, attention span, energy, mood, ability to handle stress, confidence, and communication. If you’re someone who has issues with sleep, try limiting your screen time for the 30 minutes to an hour before bed, drinking caffeine-free tea, meditating, listening to soothing music, or taking a warm shower before bed each night and see if there is any change.
- Meaning & Purpose:
We often hear philosophers asking about the meaning and purpose of life and forget that we can create both meaning and purpose ourselves. The biggest way to do this is to look beyond yourself and your immediate circle and see what impact you can have on your community, your environment, your school, your workplace, your state, your culture, your world, etc. It really isn’t that difficult when you consider one simple metaphor: You know how in time travel movies/shows everyone is always afraid of changing even the slightest thing, like moving a book, or interrupting someone’s walking path? They become so worried that the one minor change will affect their timeline so drastically. Well imagine what small change you could do now that could drastically affect your own future and that of those around you for the better?
The most used activity under this key is volunteering (honestly, it’s one of my favorites as well!). Volunteering for a cause or organization that has a mission you like or care about can help improve your mood and brighten the world a little bit at a time. Other activities you can use to create meaning or purpose is taking part in yoga, meditation, or an art form that has a community, like music, art, or drawing. When you participate in a hobby that has a community, you have the ability to watch impact and inspiration happen in real time. Think about that one song that got you through a difficult time, that one video that changed your whole day around, or a painting that inspired you to do something fun or cool for yourself or someone else? Well, someone made that, and decided to share it with the world and somehow you found it, isn’t that wonderful?
Now, you have all the keys, but how can you combine them to make them all digestible?! Here’s a MAJOR KEY, some activities can count as more than one category! Here are a few examples:
- Yoga can be considered physical activity, meaning & purpose, managing stress, quality sleep, and if you take a yoga class, social interaction.
- Dancing along to music you love can be physical activity, managing stress, and if you partake in a 30 second dance party, social interaction.
- Volunteering with friends is meaning & purpose, managing stress, and social interaction.
- Cooking a meal can be social interaction, brain-healthy diet, and managing stress.
- Using essential oils or a diffuser at night can be managing stress and quality sleep.
- My personal favorite, reading, can be considered meaning and purpose, quality sleep (when I read the last 30 minutes before bed), managing stress, and social connection (because I’m doing a reading challenge with some friends).
You don’t have to add 6 new things to your already busy schedule, it’s as simple as picking things you really like or would really like to try and incorporating them into your day.
Now, if you are incorporating the 6 keys and you don’t feel any improvement over time, you may want to consult with a trusted adult who can help put you in touch with mental health resources, like websites, hotlines, and referral sources.
And as always, if you need anything, I’m here!
All the best,
Felicia Perez, M.S/Ed.S
School Mental Health Counselor
Ms. Perez quote of the week
senior updates
Dear Class of 2021,
I would like to share another link with you for the online meeting appointment for next week.
You may review the available slots to sign up for one-on-one senior meeting if you could not make it for the first week. Time slots are available from Monday, September 28th through Friday, October 2nd except Wednesday. We may discuss college application process, college essays, scholarships, testing, etc.
Meetings will be held via Microsoft Teams. Please inform your teacher(s) for your possible absences in advance.
Thank you,
Mrs. Bolat
Senior Portraits
SENIOR PORTRAITS: Seniors, don't forget you need to schedule your senior portraits. There are 2 ways to do so:
1. You can call the studio to schedule their sessions (407)802-2468
2. Click the button below to schedule a session via the website.
orca accolades
Ms. Lizarazo's Spanish 2 self portraits
college and career corner
Volunteer opportunities and forms
Parent Skyward access
oss connect parent access
All OSS Middle High parents can create an OSS Connect account to view their students' academic progress, attendance, discipline, upcoming events and more. Multiple students can be added under one parent account for an easy access. Each student has a unique "Parent Access Code". Please use this code to add each of your students.
- Go to the following URL https://ossconnect.orlandoscience.org/radix/portal/signup/index.php
- Enter the parent access code, birth date of the student this code belongs to, Student ID (if asked) and your relationship to the student.
- If the information is correct, you will be redirected to a page where you can see your student's name. If this is your student, click continue, if not, click cancel and contact the school.
- After the verification is completed, you will be redirected to registration page. On this page, you will create a new parent account by providing the information requested and selecting a password for your account. Click on "Create my new account" when done.
- You will receive a confirmation email that contains a link to click to complete account creation. Once you click on the link in confirmation email, you will be directed to the site and your account will be ready to use.
- Once you logged in to the site, you can add another student by clicking on the "Add new student" link located on your dashboard.
OSS APP available for download
Orlando Science Middle/High has a new mobile app! It is currently available in the App Store® and in Google Play®. You can download the app for free, for access to our school's news, calendars, volunteer opportunities, push notifications and much more!
Download for Free - visit your tablet or smartphone's storefront and search for "Orlando Science Schools"
- For Android, visit Google Play
- For Apple iOS, visit the and App Store or iTunes
If you have any questions or feedback please email info@orlandoscience.org.
SEE THE IMPORTANT MESSAGE BELOW REGARDING FORTIFY FLORIDA:
Any student, educator, parent or member of the public can report school safety concerns directly to law enforcement and school administrators anonymously and easily through the FortifyFL app or www.getfortifyfl.com. The Florida Legislature directed this tool’s development in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act.
The app, which is available for download on Apple and Android mobile devices, is critical to ensuring all Florida schools are safe environments where students and educators can experience and share the joy of learning without fear.
We hope that you will become familiar with this tool and help us spread the word about it with your students and their families. Please note that the official app’s logo will look exactly as it does in the graphic above.
easy ways to give back to oss middle high
Box Tops 2020
Amazon Smile
AmazonSmile donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Orlando Science Schools via Discovery Education Services, Inc. whenever you shop on AmazonSmile.
Office Depot
Office Depot provides the school with 5% back in credits for FREE supplies when you make a purchase of qualifying school supplies. Simply provide the school ID at checkout.
OSES School Code: 70228302
OSS School Code: 70218341
OSHS Bell Schedule 2020-2021
OSS report card and Parent TEacher Conference (PTC) schedule
Orange County 2020-2021 School Calendar
upcoming events
Unity Day
Wednesday, Oct 21, 2020, 07:30 AM
OSS Middle High
Picture Day Retakes
Tuesday, Nov 10, 2020, 08:00 AM
OSHS
OSS 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