Orlando Science Schools Lynx Campus

Dear Orca Families and Students,

Thank you for your support of Orlando Science Middle/High School!

I hope everyone had another great week as we entered the first week of summer break.

Teacher of the year: please join me to congratulate Mr. Murphy for being Teacher of the year in 2019-20 school year at Orlando Science Middle/High-Lynx Campus. Mr. Murphy works really hard and goes above and beyond for his students. Thank you, Mr. Murphy for being a role model in our school and we appreciate your dedication to our students each day.

Course Selection and New Curriculum Guide: If you have not selected your 2020-21 school year course preferences yet, you may still do so by Monday, June 15th from the link below. We are excited to share our 2020-21 school year middle school curriculum guide. This is an informative document and a great resource for families and students.

PLTW Gateway: We have another exciting news! In 2020-21 school year, Orlando Science Middle School is launching Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Gateway at our Lynx campus. More information and course offerings from PLTW Gateway may be found in our curriculum guide.

We have shared many accomplishments this year! I am proud of the work effort put forth by our students, faculty, and families towards making Orlando Science Middle/High School the best it can be. I wish you all have a safe and wonderful summer. Have a great long weekend!

Please take time and review this year’s final weekly newsletter with additional reminders and important notes. I wish every Orca stay healthy and connected. Have a great weekend!

Go Orcas, Strive for Excellence!

Respectfully,

Abdulaziz Yalcin, M.Ed

Principal

Orlando Science Schools-Middle/High

Dear Families,

A survey is now available for you to provide your input regarding expectations for the start of the 2020-2021 school year. The Orlando Science Schools System is working hard to prepare for many eventualities in the coming weeks and understand that no plan will be complete without the invaluable input of our families.

Please click on the link below to provide your responses. The survey will remain open until Friday, June 5th.

PARENT SURVEY – Fall Expectations – 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR

Character.org has announced that Orlando Science Schools Middle High has been named a 2020 National School of Character!

National certification is the highest level of distinction bestowed by Character.org. Schools receiving this designation have demonstrated excellence in establishing a school culture that exemplifies and brings to life The 11 Principles Framework for Schools: A Guide to Cultivating a Culture of Character.

Thank you to all the students, parents, guardians, teachers, administrators, and staff for working together to make OSS a National School of Character.

We hope everyone is doing well and staying safe as we wrap up our school year. It is hard to believe the school year is coming to a close this week. Due to the current distance learning environment, we will not be printing paper copies of Quarter 4 Report Cards. Instead, we are making them available through your child's OSS Connect account. To access your child’s Q4 Report Card, follow the steps provided below.

Steps to access your child's Report Card:

Step 1: Log in to your child's account at https://ossconnect.orlandoscience.org/.

Step 2: In the middle of the dashboard, you will see a series of links. Select the one, third from the left, that reads ‘Report Cards.’

Step 3: You will see a PDF file under Progress Reports. Click on the link to download.

Step 4: A download for viewing should appear at the bottom of the browser.

We wish you all a safe and wonderful summer!

Parents and guardians may now order an 8th Grade Graduation cap, gown, and tassel, directly from Graduation Source, and have it shipped to their address. The deadline to purchase is May 31st.

We are now accepting course selection preferences for the 2020-2021 school year. Please complete the form below no later than Monday, June 15th.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We’re excited to share our Summer Reading list for the 2020-2021 school year. We continue to adjust the program to give students the best possible experience while also upholding the desire to turn them into life-long readers. We know that people who read are more successful in all spheres of life, and we want to give your child her/his best opportunity to be successful both here at OSS and beyond. Linked below, you’ll find the summer reading lists. Please note that you do not need to purchase copies of these books and the only summertime requirement is that all books are read prior to the first day of school. All additional work regarding the novel will be assigned after school has begun.

This year, all middle school students are required to pick 1 novel from the 2020-2021 Sunshine State Reading List. Students will read one book from that list as their choice novel and we will complete a project once we return to school. It is important that the novel is read prior to the start of school so that students would have ample time to complete the project. Project requirements will be given out during the first 2 weeks of school and will be counted as the first major grade in the English Language Arts classes. Students will turn in the answer sheet to their ELA teacher in August.

In addition to the Sunshine State book, students are asked to read and complete all the short stories for their designated grade level. Students are to answer all the questions that come after the stories, unless otherwise stated. These short stories will give students the insight of what our curriculum will be like and will have different genres that we will be using this year. The short stories packet will be due the first week of school. Packets are available on the main OSS web site if the student needs an additional copy.

We hope that, at the end of their time at OSS, all our students leave with a deep love of the English language and for the stories that connect us. We hope that the summer reading will give students insight as to what to expect from their English Language Arts classes this year. We hope that they are more compassionate, thoughtful, and intelligent people. We hope that they will develop wisdom and the ability to look beyond the surface of a thing to see its deeper truths, whether that “thing” is a book, a political situation, or another person. We hope that they are wise and just and true in their dealings with the world, and we know that great literature can help them to become all of those things. We thank you for entrusting them to us, and we thank you for your support as we guide them through these literary encounters, even those that may not make immediate sense to you. We also welcome your feedback and conversation.

If you have any questions regarding the middle school summer reading, please contact Katrina Frunker (frunker@orlandoscience.org).

Sincerely,

The OSS Middle School ELA Department

It’s important to note that students are expected to complete all summer reading prior to the first day of school. Please make arrangements to complete the reading even if you will be traveling during the summer as only those students who register after the 2020-2021 school year has begun will be exempt from this expectation. The project will be completed during the school year but not during class time. Every student is expected to complete the project on time and participate in the literacy event(s) that will be held during first semester. This is part of their ELA grade.

INCOMING 7th Graders:

1. One book from the summer reading list (see linked list)

2. Short stories in packet (assigned by teacher)

INCOMING 8th Graders:

1. One book from the summer reading list (see linked list)

2. Short stories in packet (assigned by teacher)

We’re excited to share the Summer Reading list for the 2020-2021 school year for rising 9th graders. Please follow the link below to review all summer reading materials. It’s important to note that students are expected to complete all reading prior to the first day of school.

Hello Friends!

Welcome back to the final Counseling Corner of the 2019-2020 year and the final week of Mental Health Awareness Month! Because we are launching into summer right now (and our summer may not look too much different than our last nine weeks), I wanted to bring you some brilliant, interesting and mental health related books for your Summer Reading List! These titles are all YA Fiction either centered on Mental Health issues or that include some plot lines/characters with mental health challenges. Each book may lead to some interesting discussions, so open yourself to the experience of learning from people just like you.

Here we go!

Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert – This book includes a main character who is falling for the same person her sibling is in love with, a character struggling with bipolar disorder, and very honest representations of what it’s like to have a family member struggle with something you may not fully understand.

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales – This book speaks particularly to a lot of awesome coping skills, friendship, finding your voice and identity, and the power music can have to bring people together.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky – This book is also a movie, so for those of you who don’t particularly like to read, this one is your pick! However, it’s also a really quick read so if there’s any book to get you into reading, this may also be the one. I will say, this is a book I re-read every few years, so it’s definitely a favorite of mine. This book follows a student, still grieving his best friend and favorite aunt, entering freshman year and saying anything more may just spoil the plot for you, so I will end my recommendation here.

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson – This book is a mystery based and true-crime-ish themed novel and it’s set at a famous private school. It has a lot going on throughout but includes a main character who takes medication to help with their anxiety and gives a very real depiction of what managing anxiety is like while also showing how you can live a very full (and interesting) life and manage mental health at the same time!

Four Weeks, Five People by Jennifer Yu – This book takes place at a therapy camp and follows five teens struggling with their recovery. The mental illnesses discussed in this book include obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorder, borderline personality disorder, depression, narcissistic personality disorder, and more but takes a very real approach to depicting these challenges. What I mean by this is that the author does a great job of showing how people are more than the mental illness they struggle with; it does not define you but it is a part of your story.

Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman – This book tells the story of a boy who is heading for the deepest place on Earth and navigating high school terrain at the same time! This novel shares a very realistic depiction of schizophrenia and captures the many different perspectives that can happen all in one brain. It’s a deep novel and may be hard to get into at first because of the way it straddles the two perspectives but also a super great read for any fan of Neal Shusterman.

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia – This is the story of a girl who is shy and doesn’t really speak much in real life, but online she is a famous author of a popular webcomic, and no one knows her real identity. This novel dives into her world as she finds that life in person can be just as amazing and full as the life we try to create for ourselves online.

Please enjoy these excellent recommendations and as always, I’m here if you need me.

All the best,

Ms. Perez

The core value in the month of May is: Respect

Daria G. - Daria is not only an excellent student, she is also a great role model for her classmates for the way she treats everyone with respect and compassion. Both in the classroom and in distance learning she helped her classmates in a respectful way and always had a kind word for everyone.

Beeraj B. - Beeraj is an exemplary student, completing all assignments and being respectful of the learning environment, all while maintaining an enthusiastic, positive attitude. Whenever he is finished with work, he asks if he can help other students. He takes responsibility for his actions and is a role model for his peers.

Mrs. Dilek is a leader who teaches us with respect and compassion every day. With her positive and happy personality, she always shows us the best way to carry out our tasks like in the Planbook, etc. Also, she is always available to help and teach me when I need it. She provided amazing support in distance learning.

Ms. Cramp volunteered to be a CMP mentor and taught many Saturday School sessions. She is a professional when working with students, staff, or parents. She stands firm for what is right in her classroom and maintains high expectations. She also tries to incorporate topical current events into her lessons to help educate students about today’s issues and foster an interest in science.

Florida Commissioner Fried activated the Summer BreakSpot text line & call center for families in need of free meals for kids under 18 during COVID-19.

OSS families can find support via:

• text "FLKIDSMEALS" to 211-211
• call 2-1-1 to speak with live operator 24 hours/day
• visit http://SummerBreakSpot.FreshFromFlorida.com

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
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If you have any questions or feedback please email info@orlandoscience.org.

OSS Middle High Parents: Welcome back to school! We have some wonderful events planned to make this year a memorable one for our Orcas. Join us in helping to make these events a huge success and register below. We look forward to working with you!

BoxTops has a NEW way for schools to earn money from your purchases! See the details below. Thank you for your support of OSS!

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.

https://smile.amazon.com/ch/20-3366305

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

https://www.officedepot.com/cm/school-supplies/give-back

Students and families that have any questions about the 2019-2020 Code of Conduct, Discipline Plan, Reward system and many other OSS Middle School topics should refer to the OSHS handbook attached here.

Email: info@orlandoscience.org
Website: www.orlandoscience.org
Location: 2427 Lynx Lane, Orlando, FL, USA
Phone: (407)253-7304
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/orlandoscience/
Twitter: @OrlandoSciMH