Technology Campus Chronicle

Dear OSES Families,

Did you know that homework and classwork account for 30% of your student’s grade? Teachers assign homework that will foster individual learning and growth, and that is appropriate for the subject area. Homework should be designed to allow a student to practice a skill.

Homework has, and always will be, a topic of discussion in education. Parents have commented we don’t assign enough, others have shared we assign too much. Students usually, comment “too much.” Some schools do not assign any. The factor often uncontrolled by schools is family life; maybe your student practices soccer after school everyday and some homework can feel like a lot. Some students may take five minutes to finish an assignment, another may take thirty for the same assignment. The list of factors is infinite.

No matter how you feel about homework, it’s a good reminder that it counts for no more then 30% of your student’s grade. In addition, it’s combined with classwork ,which accounts for most of the 30%. As always, just have your student do their best. Communicate with the teacher. Have sympathy for everyone involved.

Do your homework and know your facts, but remember it's passion that persuades.-H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Michael Singleton

Principal

Due to supply issues at the OCPS level, we do not know if hot or cold lunch will be served. Please be prepared to have either lunch until further notice.

Breakfast and Lunch will be FREE for the 2024-2025 school year

If your child has food allergies and will require a special meal from OCPS please click on the link below to fill out the special diet order form

Special Diets for Food Allergies - Orange County Public Schools (ocps.net)

Congratulations to Deveshii Tandon from Ms. Jersey’s 6th grade homeroom, our schoolwide 2025 Spelling Bee winner! She will represent our school in the next round of the Scripps Spelling Bee.

Students have completed their FAST Progress Monitoring #2. Grades K-2 will receive an AOR next Friday. Families will have one week to complete and return to their student’s teacher. Star results can be found via Skyward Parent Portal using the directions below.

This week, students in Grade 5 participated in the countywide Science PMA. Coming up in February, students will complete the third Drop Everything and Write (DEAW).

Thank you for your continued support and involvement in our school community. For any questions, please contact Cayce Carter at Cayce.carter@orlandoscience.org.

Congratulations to the Optimistic Orcas for their outstanding performance at the regional robotics competition this past Saturday at SeaWorld! The team earned the prestigious Breakthrough Award from FIRST, which honors teams that exemplify the core values of the challenge while excelling in robot design and their innovation project. This award celebrates discovery over victory, and the Orcas' dedication to innovation truly shone through. The were advised that their project could, "change the world". They will now advance to showcase their innovation project at the FIRST Spotlight event at Embry-Riddle University in April. Well done, Optimistic Orcas!

This week, our friends had an exciting and productive time filled with learning and discovery! Our students worked hard on their STAR test, showing off their amazing progress in reading and math. We’re so proud of their focus and effort!

We practiced finding the missing numbers in our number bonds, sharpening our problem-solving skills and building a strong foundation in math.

In science, we explored the different ways matter can change. From solids to liquids and beyond, we had so much fun experimenting and learning how the world around us works!

To wrap up the week, we enjoyed a special Show and Tell session where students proudly shared their favorite items. It was a wonderful opportunity to practice speaking and listening skills while learning more about our classmates!

We’re so proud of how much our kindergarteners are growing and can’t wait for another fantastic week ahead!

First Grade Highlights

This week in first grade, we’ve been hard at work exploring a variety of exciting topics across our subjects!

Reading: We are finishing up Module 5 by identifying the topic and central idea of a story. Students have been making and confirming predictions and discussing the theme or lesson the author wants us to learn. These skills are helping us become thoughtful readers who look for deeper meaning in the stories we read.

Math: Place value has been our focus this week! We’ve been learning how to break down numbers into tens, ones, and even hundreds. Students are creating numbers in different forms, such as standard form, base 10 form, expanded form, and word form. To end the week, students put their knowledge to the test with a Math Mystery activity focused on place value. It was a fun and engaging way to practice these skills!

Writing: In writing, we’ve been working on conjunctions. Students practiced using “because,” “so,” and “but” to join dependent clauses and create complete sentences. We’ve been focusing on how these words help us explain our thinking clearly and add detail to our writing.

Science: Our science lessons have been all about stars and gravity! Students learned that stars are not evenly scattered throughout the night sky and explored how the mass of an object determines the gravitational force it experiences. These concepts sparked curiosity and great questions from our young scientists!

Reminders:

• Permission slips and payments for our Orlando Family Stage field trip are due on January 31st.

Safety Patrol News:

We’re thrilled to introduce our first Safety Patrols of the year! These students were selected for consistently exhibiting our school’s core values, such as respect, responsibility, and kindness. They also serve as role models for their peers by demonstrating excellent behavior and leadership in the classroom. Congratulations to our Safety Patrol members for this well-deserved recognition!

Dear Families,

We hope this message finds you well and thriving! As we move through another exciting week in our classroom, we want to take a moment to express our sincere appreciation for your continued support and partnership. Your involvement makes a significant difference in our students' lives!

Important Announcements

· Reading: Our class is currently studying Module 6, "Weather Wise." We are learning about different kinds of weather, how to stay safe during various weather conditions, and the important role of meteorologists in informing the world about incoming weather. Students have also been engaged in a classwork project where they answer questions and express their understanding through drawings.

· Math: In math, we are exploring the concepts of odd and even numbers. The students are excited to create projects demonstrating arrays in columns and rows, which will help deepen their understanding of these concepts.

· Science: Our science unit focuses on Earth’s Natural Resources! Students are studying different types of rocks, including their textures, sizes, colors, and shapes. Each student brought in a rock to study in groups and exchange with their classmates, fostering collaboration and hands-on learning.

· Social Studies: We have recently begun our exploration of community services. Students are learning about the various occupations that play essential roles in our community, highlighting the importance of each service provider.

Celebrations from the Week

Please save the date! On January 18, 2025, at 12:30 PM, we will hold an awarding ceremony in the B1 Cafeteria. We look forward to celebrating our students' achievements together!

Additional Information

We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Pickles, our new class pet! Mr. Pickles is a gerbil who has already brought joy and positive energy to our classroom. The students are motivated and excited to see him every day, and he has truly added a special touch to our learning environment.

We are grateful for your ongoing support in making our classroom a vibrant and nurturing place for learning. Thank you for your partnership as we continue to grow and learn together.

As we look forward to more exciting adventures in learning, let’s continue working together to help our students thrive!

Thank you Ms. BenRhouma for your generosity in sharing Mr. Pickles with us.

Warm regards,

Ms. Sanico

This week in ELA, my students explored the exciting world of adjectives! They're learning how adjectives can describe what kind of object or person, as well as how many there are. We're also focusing on identifying an author's purpose and pinpointing the central idea in texts. Additionally, students are enhancing their comprehension by examining text and graphic features in various reading materials.

In Math, our lessons have been all about numbers. Students are practicing how to plot, order, and compare numbers, as well as learning to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100. Our Math Thinking and Reasoning activities are helping students use patterns and structure to make meaningful connections between mathematical concepts.

For Science, we’ve been exploring the different forms of energy. Students are excited to learn about the many ways energy is used and transformed in their daily lives.

In Social Studies, our class is exploring the Southeast region of the United States. We're discovering the unique characteristics and history of the states in this region, enriching our understanding of the diverse cultures within our country. Also this week, we’ve initiated a wonderful activity where students have been thinking of questions they are curious to ask about the lives of Filipino children. These questions will be sent to children in the Philippines, who will respond, giving our students a glimpse into another culture and fostering a global connection.

In 4th grade last week, students are diving into the world of Exploring Operations to Solve Problems in Math which include addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division in solving various problems. They are doing Collaborative Group Work where students are encouraged to work in pairs or small groups to solve word problems together. This collaboration not only enhances their problem-solving skills but also fosters teamwork and communication. A Significant Aspect of our Math Activities is teaching students how to read and solve word problems. They are learning to identify keywords and phrases that indicate which operation to use. For example, words like "total," "combined," or "in all" signal addition, while "left," "remaining," or "difference" indicate subtraction. The relationship between multiplication and division enhances their understanding of both operations and was also emphasized in solving word problems.

This week, students are delving into the world of Exploring Number Patterns, Factors, and Divisibility in Math. These foundational concepts are essential for developing strong mathematical reasoning and problem-solving skills.

In Number Patterns, students are learning to identify and extend number patterns. They are exploring patterns in sequences of numbers and discovering how to predict the next numbers in a series. For example, they are working with patterns that increase or decrease by a specific rule, such as adding, subtracting, dividing, and multiplying a constant number.

We also tackled Factors where our 4th graders focus has been on understanding factors of the numbers that can be multiplied together to produce a given number. Students are learning to find all the factors of a number and to recognize prime and composite numbers.

Lastly, we delve into Divisibility as well, where our students are exploring the concept of divisibility and the rules that determine whether one number is divisible by another. They are learning the rules for divisibility by 2, 3, 5, and 10, which will help them quickly identify factors. This understanding is crucial for simplifying fractions and performing division.

We are thrilled with the progress of our 4th graders! Their enthusiasm and willingness to learn are commendable! Thank you for your unwavering support at home, which plays a vital role in their learning journey.

We hope that everyone had a wonderful winter break and a happy new year! Our class is back into the swing of things and working hard on our new unit in English Language Arts. The stories and articles we are analyzing all relate to animals. This week, we focused on the informational text, “Animal Snoops: The Wondrous World of Wildlife Spies.” We learned about different animals and insects and how they use their skills to survive in a variety of habitats. We also learned how to analyze each paragraph to identify the topic and key details that support the main idea. By the end of the Unit, students will have researched and studied an animal of their choice and write an expository essay about it! The students are excited to start their research and to share everything they learn about their animal!

Miles kids from Physical Education

Hope you all had a wonderful break and a fantastic start to the new year! Since returning, we have wrapped up our science fair presentations. The students did an amazing job sharing their projects and findings.

Now, we have shifted our focus to an exciting new unit on genetics. We are diving into the fascinating world of heredity, exploring how traits are passed from parents to offspring. This unit is packed with engaging, hands-on activities and labs that will help students understand these concepts in a fun and interactive way.

One of the innovating activities we have planned includes building DNA models, which will give students a tangible understanding of the structure of DNA. We will also be modeling how traits are inherited from one generation to the next, and examining how genetic mutations can be passed down through generations. These activities are designed to make learning about genetics both enjoyable and educational.

We are looking forward to a great unit and can't wait to see the students' enthusiasm and curiosity as they explore these important scientific concepts.

The Student Government Association, in collaboration with the 6th grade students, made a great contribution to the 2nd Harvest Food Bank by donating nearly 300 pounds of canned goods. This donation will provide over 240 meals for families in need, showcasing our school's commitment to community service. This demonstrates the 6th grade's commitment to our orca core values, especially C—caring for my community.

In order to help keep our families informed of the latest legislative updates regarding their student's education, a Parent Rights Resources page has been added to the school website.

Recent updates include:

• Internet Safety
• District Health Care Services
• Special Magistrate

The mission of Orlando Science Elementary School (OSES) is to provide a well-rounded education with special emphasis in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), while using research-based and innovative instructional methods in a stimulating learning environment. OSES is committed to the social-emotional learning and character development of all students.