FED Newsletter

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We have exciting events scheduled as we close out the semester! You can find links to register for these events in this month's newsletter. We also have set the dates for our winter expos. More details coming soon!

Click the "play" button below to learn about some of our upcoming events!

Is the 2023-24 school year your very first year with Epic? If you are brand-spanking new to Epic Charter Schools, we want to hear from you. We want to help you navigate Epic and have the most successful year possible! Click the button below.

Who needs an Epic shirt or two? Now through Dec. 22, you can place your order and pick up your new Epic apparel at one of our upcoming Winter Expos. If you can't make one of our expos, you can choose to have your order shipped directly to your house. There are two colors and three styles to choose from: T-shirt, long-sleeve T-shirt and sweatshirt.

You do not want to miss the 2024 Winter Expos! We will have various Epic departments on site to answer your questions, informative parent and caregiver breakout sessions, as well as engaging student sessions. We have new and updated information to share. There is something for both new and veteran Epic families! Families will leave with information and resources that enable them to have success in the 2024 spring semester. Our larger expos will also have health fairs and include vision, hearing, and dentail screenings, sports physicals, and blood pressure checks. Each child that participates in at least one screening will receive a Healthy Habits swag bag (while supplies last). Science fair and STEAM events will be part of the days events at many of our expos!

Click the links below for details and to register!

Jan. 11 - Lawton Winter Expo

Jan. 18 - Muskogee Winter Expo

Jan. 22 - Enid Winter Expo

Jan. 26 - OKC Winter Expo

Jan. 31 - Tulsa Area Winter Expo

Feb. 6 - Norman Winter Expo

Feb. 15 - Durant Winter Expo

We have many exciting field trips coming up! To see details and registration information for the following field trips, click the links below. When registering, it is important that you register with each attendee's name and choose the correct ticket type, student or parent/guardian. This ensures that your student is counted for attendance that day and prevents duplicate registrations from being canceled.

Nov. 28 - Oklahoma State Capitol Tour Field Trip - OKC

Dec. 5 - Science Museum Oklahoma Field Trip - OKC

Dec. 6 - Philbrook Museum Field Trip - Tulsa

Healthy Habits

Dec. 1 - Thunderbird Lanes - Bowling Field Trip - Lawton

SPED Friendly

Dec. 6 - Frontier Lanes Bowling Field Trip - Stillwater

Career Exploration Field Trip

Nov. 29 - Career Explorations Field Trip to Burford Corp. - Maysville

In the next several newsletters, we will go over some basic information about Special Education.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS

Learn more about Epic Charter Schools Special Olympics! If you think your student would benefit from participating in Special Olympics, please reach out to our Special Education Community Specialist, Mark Williams, mark.williams@epiccharterschools.org

EPIC SCIENCE FAIRS

Save the date! We are bringing an Epic Science Fair to 7 different cities in Oklahoma this year in conjunction with our Winter Expos! Click the links below for more details and to register.

Jan. 11 - Lawton, OK

Jan. 18 - Muskogee, OK

Jan. 22 - Enid, OK

Jan. 26 - OKC

Jan. 31 - Glenpool, OK

Feb. 6 - Norman, OK

Feb. 15 - Durant, OK

S.T.E.A.M- SciTechEngArtMath

Bring your family and enjoy exploring science, technology, engineering, art and math in an interactive and engaging environment! It's time to put your creative minds to work. Prepare to engage your creativity and imaginations through hands on S.T.E.A.M. activities. These events are happening in conjunction with our Winter Expos. Click the links below for more details and to register.

Jan. 26 - S.T.E.A.M.- OKC

Jan. 31 - S.T.E.A.M. -Glenpool

Feb. 6 - S.T.E.A.M. -Norman

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIRS

Scholastic Book Fairs are coming to the Lawton, Muskogee, OKC, Tulsa and Norman Expo events!

INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC COMPETITIONS

Epic is participating in the 2023-24 International Academic Competitions. There is an option for: a Geography Bee, a History Bee and a Science Bee. There are online free regional qualifying exams that will take place online Jan. 1- Feb. 1. This is for students in grades 1-8. To participate in the qualifying exams, please click here and follow the steps.

Our school-wide fall Epic Giveback is here! We are partnering with The HUGS Project, a nonprofit organization that prepares care packages for enlisted troops deployed overseas. We as a school, are building completed care packages, which include items such as snacks, toiletries, books, games and letters. The HUGS Project, which started in Oklahoma, aims to express gratitude, comfort and encouragement to the troops who are away from their families, friends and loved ones. Some units are in places such as Somalia, where they cannot obtain essentials. These packages and letters let our troops know they are not forgotten! Watch the video below to learn more! Additionally, click here for care package information and how you can get involved. Thank you!

Would you like an easy way to see what events are happening in your area? This map shows where our events are located throughout the state. Registration links are included for upcoming events when available. Click on the image to access the interactive map.

At Epic, we offer a variety of clubs and activities for students to join. These events and organizations are a great way for students to find their niche among students with similar interests and goals. Below is a list of a few clubs and organizations that fall under the Epic Family Engagement Department to get involved in this year. Click the links for more details.

Key Club

NHS

NJHS

Military

STUCO MS/HS

NCAA

4-H

Chess Club

Interact (Rotary International)

For a complete list of extracurricular opportunities and student organizations within Epic, check out the Student Life section of our website.

What Does Epic Homecoming (Dec. 11-15) look like?

• In-person hang outs in Edmond, Lawton and Tulsa for grades 5-12. Here, students can play games and interact with Epic peers.

• Virtual Dress-up Days-Show off your School Spirit on Facebook with the Hashtag #EpicHoco2023

• Support Our Awesome esports team through Twitch. Watch our Esports Team compete in State Competition and an exhibition during our hang-outs.

Click the links below to register for one of our middle school & high school Homecoming hang-out events!

Dec. 12-Lawton Middle School & High School Hang-Out-3-6 p.m.

Dec. 14-Middle School-OKC Metro Homecoming Hang-Out-4-6 p.m.

Dec. 14-High School-OKC Metro Homecoming Hang-Out-6-8 p.m.

Dec. 14-Tulsa/NE-Middle School & High School Hang-Out-4-6 p.m.

Click the "button" below to learn more about the fun activities that will take place during homecoming!

An EPAT is an Epic Parent As a Teacher. We have expanded and now have 12 EPAT parents readily available to teach other parents the Epic models with personal insights of their own. One of the credentials of an EPAT is that they have been with Epic for several years and currently have an Epic student. This position allows parents, teachers and administration to create a cohesive partnership for the betterment of all our Epic students and their educations. EPATs meet via email, phone, Zoom or in person with families to help support and guide them with any questions they may have about PowerSchool, field trips, clubs, etc. EPATs are the perfect liaison between Epic staff and families.

Epic Beginnings is a free family-support program designed to prepare young children from birth to age 5 who reside in a household with at least one Epic student but who are not Epic students themselves. Tell us what you’d like to see with Epic Beginnings. Fill out our Family Interest and Availability survey here

Dec. 1 - Epic Beginnings Virtual Coffee Talk for Student Parents

Dec. 4 - Epic Beginnings Virtual Coffee Talk for Student Parents

Dec. 13 - Coffee Talk OKC

For more information on Epic Beginnings, please reach out to Shallena Miller at epicbeginnings@epiccharterschools.org.

This next month's Healthy Habits Challenge is all about lunges! Keep tabs on your progress and don't forget to tag us in your pictures and videos showcasing your victories in this monthly challenge. You can print off December's calendar by clicking the link below.

December Healthy Habits Fitness Challenge Calendar

Check out our Healthy Habits Cooking Show on YouTube for quick, healthy recipes!

Be sure to click in the YouTube comments section for the recipe.

Thanksgiving Episode

Pathways is a new program that offers an opportunity for adults between the ages of 21-25 to earn their traditional high school diploma. Young adult students work virtually with support from certified educators, mentors, and tutors to become “future ready.” If you or someone you know falls within this age group and needs to complete their high school education, follow this link to start your educational journey!

Contact Pathways by emailing pathways@epiccharterschools.org.

• DEC. 07: Tinker AFB Career Fair @ Tinker Event Center, 3900 Mitchell Ave Oklahoma City, OK 73145 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
  

• DEC. 08: 2023 OKLAHOMA WOMEN IN AVIATION AND AEROSPACE DAY @ Will Rogers Air National Guard Base 7100 Terminal Dr., Oklahoma City.

• DEC. 12: USO Oklahoma (Fort Sill) Nov Coffee Connections @ 3265 Crane Ave, Fort Sill, OK at 2:30 p.m.

• DEC. 19: Veteran's Coffee Social @ Cleveland County Wellness Square, 210 S. James Garner Ave. Classroom 100 Norman, OK 73069 from 9-10 a.m.

Whether your child struggles to read or can't get enough, knowing their Lexile level help them find a good starting point, not too easy and not too difficult. "The Lexile Framework for Reading is a scientific approach that places both the reader and text on the same developmental scale."

PEER TUTORING

Peer Tutoring Program currently has 433 Epic students participating either as tutees or tutors. We are currently taking applications for tutors for the spring 2024 semester! All Epic students in grades 9-12 may apply. In the spring semester, we only accept students wanting to receive a class credit for participating. We will not allow tutors to participate who want to tutor for volunteer hours only. Click here for the application.

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

The Oklahoma City Community Foundation has connected donors with Oklahoma students to help them achieve their educational dreams. This important service has made OCCF one of the largest independent scholarship providers in the state.

OKLAHOMA ARTS INSTITUTE QUARTZ MOUNTAIN

This fall, the Oklahoma Arts Institute (OAI) is offering free OAI Quartz Preview Days around the state! These Preview Days are designed to be a snapshot of what a student would experience at the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute (OSAI) and we are offering workshops in eight artistic disciplines: acting, chorus, creative writing, dance, drawing and painting, film and video, orchestra and photography. Each Preview Day features a lecture and/or masterclass led by an Oklahoma artist on a topic relevant to their artistic discipline (e.g. still life drawing, how to choose an acting monologue). There will be a discussion and Q&A regarding the discipline-specific audition requirements for OSAI. All Preview Days are free and open to middle, high school students and teachers.

If you’re interested in learning more or registering to attend an OAI Quartz Preview Day, click here.

GIRL SCOUTS WESTERN OKLAHOMA

The Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma have three Girl Scout Winter Carnivals in December.

Dec. 9 - 1:30 p.m.- Lawton - For additional information or to RSVP, text "Lawton" to 405-418-7968

Dec. 9 - 2:00 p.m.- Yukon - For additional information or to RSVP, text "Yukon" to 405-442-0684

Dec. 10 - 2:30 p.m. - MWC - For additional information or to RSVP, text "MWC" to 405-442-0684

TULSA AIR & SPACE MUSEUM & PLANETARIUM

Click HERE to see the various educational opportunities the Tulsa Air & Space Museum & Planetarium is offering to Epic Charter School students. Students can use their learning fund to take advantage of some of these amazing classes and programs.

SNU MUSIC EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES

Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Okla., would like to share some services and events they have for Epic students.

School of Music Inquiry Form: Students should complete this form if they want to receive automatic invitations for our music events on campus.

Commercial Music Production Preview Dates

Please reach out to Lacey Phelps at phelps@mail.snu.edu