Orlando Science High School

Saludos, Orcas!

September 15th marked the kick-off of National Hispanic Heritage Month. Orlando Science Schools is pleased to celebrate America’s rich Hispanic history and culture with National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 – October 15 through 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.

Thank you for your support of Orlando Science Schools! I hope everyone had another successful week! I would like to thank each of our Orcas for following the School Health and Safety procedures. As we also enter the flu season, the precautions become more important for all of us.

Parents, please be advised that 1st Quarter Progress Reports are available in your children’ OSS Connect starting September 11th. If you have not had a chance to view, please follow the directions below and review your students’ progress with your son/daughter as soon as possible. There may be more grades entered by the time you see their grade.

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.

This is the last reminder that parents may apply for the federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program. The learning model, whether traditional or e-learning, does not affect eligibility. Please see the details and application link below. Please act fast. The deadline for new applications, and the expiration of last year’s benefits, is September 23.

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

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

Ellen Ochoa (born May 10, 1958) is an American engineer, former astronaut, and former director of the Johnson Space Center. In 1993 Ochoa became the first Hispanic woman to go to space when she served on a nine-day mission aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. Ochoa became director of the center on December 31, 2012. She was the first Hispanic director and the second female director of Johnson Space Center.

The Ochoa Middle School located in Pasco, Washington, the Ellen Ochoa Elementary School in Cudahy, CA and the Ánimo Ellen Ochoa Charter Middle School in East Los Angeles are named in her honor. In addition, Grand Prairie, Texas has the Ellen Ochoa STEM Academy at Ben Milam Elementary School and Pico Rivera, California has the Ellen Ochoa Prep Academy. Union Public Schools in Tulsa, named a new elementary school after her as well.

Constitution Day is observed on September 17th to commemorate the signing of the Constitution on September 17, 1787, and “recognize all who, by coming of age or by naturalization, have become citizens.”

This commemoration had its origin in 1940, when Congress passed a joint resolution authorizing and requesting the President to issue annually a proclamation setting aside the third Sunday in May for the public recognition of all who had attained the status of American citizenship. The designation for this day was “I am an American Day.”

In 1952 Congress repealed this joint resolution and passed a new law moving the date to September 17 to commemorate “the formation and signing, on September 17, 1787, of the Constitution of the United States.” The day was still designated as “Citizenship Day” and retained its original purpose of recognizing all those who had attained American citizenship. This law urged civil and educational authorities of states, counties, cities and towns to make plans for the proper observance of the day and “for the complete instruction of citizens in their responsibilities and opportunities as citizens of the United States and of the State and locality in which they reside.”

In 2004 under Senator Byrd's urging, Congress changed the designation of September 17th to "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day" and added two new requirements in the commemoration of this Day. The first is that the head of every federal agency provide each employee with educational and training materials concerning the United States Constitution on Constitution Day. The second is that each educational institution which receives Federal funds should hold a program for students every year on the day designated for Constitution Day.

The OSHS social studies department held various classroom activities for students on Constitution Day this week. Kudos to Mr. Hennessey for livening up the hallway conversations at OSHS by highlighting the rights laid out in the constitution on his classroom door!

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

For those students preparing to take the SAT, you should know that the CARES Act will pay for high schools to administer the SAT assessment during the 2020-21 school year. All high school students will participate in this assessment free of charge. Additional information will be shared once the details are finalized.

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.

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.

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.

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 26the 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.

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.

Due to the current blended learning environment (virtual and face-to-face), we will not be printing paper copies of Quarter 1 Progress Reports. Instead, we are making them available through your child's OSS Connect account. To access the Progress Report when they become available on Friday, September 11th, follow the steps provided in the link below.

OSS High School is pleased to share that we have been recognized by the National Honor Society. We are proud to recognize and promote the important qualities of scholarship, service, leadership and character in our students. Our 2019-2020 NHS group raised money for Breast Cancer Awareness in October of 2019 and logged over 100 hours of community service in the greater Orlando area last year. We look forward to another successful year of service from this year's NHS group.

The NY Times is providing free online access to their news organization for high school students. Please see the details and terms and conditions using the link below. If you decide you want free access to the NY Times, submit the Microsoft Form using the link below. Sign up before Monday, September 21st.

Bring your best smile for picture day! Innovative Learning students will take their school pictures on Saturday, September 19th. Innovative Learning students should use the Sign Up Genius link below to register for a time slot on Saturday, September 19th.

Middle and High School families that are signed up for Picture Day on Saturday, September 19th, please consider bringing non-perishables to benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank. 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 to help out those in need in the greater Orlando area. Thank you for your support during this stressful time!

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.

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!

All OSS volunteers (field trip chaperones, robotics coaches, and anyone spending time with OSS students) must complete an ADDitions application EVERY YEAR in order to volunteer. Complete or update your application using the link below. Thank you to our volunteers, we appreciate you!

Orlando Science School is committed to the safety and well being of our students and staff. Please see the detailed flow chart and review the safety procedures we are following every day. We look forward to a healthy and productive year. Go Orcas!

As students in Orange County Public Schools, OSS Orcas may apply for the federal free/reduced lunch program. Please visit OCPS's website for a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS) or use the button below to fill out the application. A new application must be completed each school year and the deadline for new applications is September 23rd.

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.

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.

Please see the attached OSS High School handbook below. Here you can find information about our school wide dress code, discipline plan, core values, reward systems and much more.

Families experiencing technical issues related to eLearning, please email our helpdesk at eLearning@orlandoscience.org. Use this email address to:

• request OSS Connect credentials
• problems with Skyward access
  
• request technology
• reset passwords
• request login credentials
• any other issue related to technology

Welcome back to Counseling Corner!

This week, we’ll be discussing the first 3 of HelpGuide’s 6 Keys to Being Mentally Healthy. These 6 areas are vital to creating a well-rounded way of caring for yourself. They may sound a bit cheesy and cliché, but it’s because they are proven to effectively build resiliency, coping strategies, new skills, self-esteem, and a balance in life. Anyone can struggle with their mental health at times the same way we’ve all caught a cold or taken a tumble when we didn’t mean to at times. Having a bit of each of these 6 things can lead to becoming more mentally healthy over time. Let’s crack into it!

• Social Connection:

Making this a priority the right way is important. The right way means being present in that social interaction. If you’re hanging out on the couch with your family and each of you are on your phones ignoring each other, that’s not the type of connection HelpGuide means. The key here is make sure you can see each other’s faces (virtually or in person, whichever is safest) and not just a voice (this is where the eye contact and a phones down rule come into play.) Interact with someone who is a good listener and someone who you can be a good listener to as well. If you don’t feel like you have friends you can reach out to, try acquaintances. Plenty of people feel the same way about making new friends… it can be awkward sometimes, so take that info and run with it. It takes two seconds to reach out to someone you’d like to be closer with, so give it a try.

• Staying Active:

The mind and the body are linked. When our physical health is taken care of, it frees up our mind to feel taken care of as well! In addition, physical exercise releases chemicals in the brain that can significantly affect mood and energy. Regular activity helps with relieving stress, improving memory and can even help you improve the quality of your sleep. Now if you’re like me, running & weight training are not your thing. The activity I incorporate is yoga, taking walks out on nature trails (pups are always welcome), and dancing. Physical activity can look different to many people. So a few tips to get started on this key? Try to do 30 minutes most days of the week. If you want to break it up, you can do that too. three 10 minutes sessions throughout the day can be helpful (pull out your favorite playlist and dance like no one is watching). Other types of exercise people don’t really consider are martial arts, swimming, walking, and yoga.

• Managing Stress:

Now this we’ve discussed before, so it shouldn’t sound too new! Effective coping skills and being proactive about using those coping skills are the real key here. If I know that reading helps me feel calm, entertained, and happy, then I should set a small reading goal each day and stick to it (whether or not I’m feeling like I need to manage stress at that time). My current goal is 15 pages or 15 minutes a day, whichever comes first. And to be honest, once I get started, I end up just continuing for a few more chapters anyway. You can do this with your preferred coping skills. If you know music helps you feel great, then make sure to play it when you can throughout the day. Same with drawing, writing, and talking to friends/family. Other types of coping can include cleaning out a junk drawer, smelling a nice candle or incense, drinking tea or coffee, using a stress ball, writing in a gratitude journal, having game nights with your friends, and meditation!

Focus on these three for the next week and see if any part of your daily outlook, mood, or energy changes! I’ll be back with the other 3 next week and then I’ll discuss ways to combine multiple of these so you don’t have to add 10 new things to your plate. Stay tuned and I’ll see you next week!

And as always, if you need anything, I’m happy to help!

All the best,

Felicia Perez, M.S/Ed.S

School Mental Health Counselor

Hello Class of 2021,

College applications are around the corner. You are invited to the senior one-on-one meeting via MS Teams. Parents are welcome to join the meeting. During the meeting, we can discuss college application process, college essays, scholarships, testing, etc.

Another set of meetings will be sent for the following week. Please stay tuned if you are not able to get a time slot from the first week.

Please review the available slots below and click on the button below to sign up. Please inform your teacher about your absence before the meeting.

Thank you!

Mrs. Bolat

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.

On September 5th-6th, the Project Vrindavan plant sale took place at the ISKCON temple. At the beginning of June eleven students, ten from OSS, brain-stormed on how to spend the COVID summer. As none of them were travelling and wanted to utilize the time in an outdoor activity, they came up with the idea of a community vegetable garden. In order to raise money for the garden they planned a plant sale.

All the volunteers, supervised by Sreelatha Kandagadla, planned this sale since the past few months by growing different types of plants, creating information cards, manuals, and preparing plant seeds pouches.

The sale ran for two days from 9AM - 5PM, in which the students were mainly in charge. After the 3 months that have passed, the hard work and effort put into this project finally paid off. The sale made a whopping $910 which was given as a donation towards the ISKCON Orlando vegetable garden. Congratulations students! Because of the students hard work and dedication, the sale was a huge hit!

Picture from left to right:

Standing: Pragna T., Gopisha L., Vaishnavi N., Sanjana N., Rishi K., Akshat R., Danial J.

Sitting: Sahiti Y., Meghana T., Deepak Lal (project supervisor) Arnav B.

On Thursday’s Key Club meeting this week, District 10b Lieutenant Governor Olivia P. joined our Orcas in keeping their tradition of making motivational post it notes, with an unconventional twist. Since lockers aren’t available for use this year, they made a collage with the notes in order to still spread the positivity during these tough times. Thank you to OSS Key Club and Olivia for making these messages and maintaining this tradition. Check it out!

High School Orcas needing volunteer hours can use the resources below to find an organization to earn those hours and make a difference. The necessary forms and log are also below for your convenience. We look forward to seeing what our students achieve and learn with an "Outreach towards community" mindset!

Ms. Lizarazo and Environmental Club would like to inform you of the coastal cleanup volunteer opportunity to Keep Orlando Beautiful! See the flyer below for more information.

Skyward is Orange County Public School's platform for grades and attendance calculations. OSS parents can access Skyward by clicking the link below and registering for an account, if you haven't already done so. Instructions for navigating Skyward can be found using the button below. Be sure to follow the setup instructions, including using your parent email account on file with OSS, to access your child's information. For questions, please email eLearning@orlandoscience.org.

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.

1. Go to the following URL https://ossconnect.orlandoscience.org/radix/portal/signup/index.php
2. Enter the parent access code, birth date of the student this code belongs to, Student ID (if asked) and your relationship to the student.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Once you logged in to the site, you can add another student by clicking on the "Add new student" link located on your dashboard.

Note: Access parent portal via Radix Mobile App on any IOS or Android device. Search for the word "Radix Mobile" on your app store.

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.

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.

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

Website: http://orlandoscience.org/highschool/
Location: 2600 Technology Drive, Orlando, FL, USA
Phone: (407)299-6595
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/orlandoscience/
Twitter: @OrlandoSciMH