TECHNOLOGY CAMPUS CHRONICLE
VOL 6 ISSUE 18
PRINCIPAL CORNER
Dear OSES Families,
I am thrilled to announce that Tejas Byna, an exceptional 6th Grader, emerged triumphant as the champion of our School Spelling Bee. Tejas demonstrated exceptional spelling skills and dedication, making our school proud. Please join me in congratulating Tejas on this remarkable achievement! Tejas is gearing up to rock the county OCPS Bee next!
Next week marks National School Choice Week, a time to celebrate the diverse educational opportunities available to students and their families. Let's take this opportunity to reflect on the importance of quality education and the choices that empower our children's futures. Read below in our newsletter to see how you can get involved.
In addition, were excited to embrace “Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida!” where we'll immerse ourselves in the world of books and storytelling. Our dedicated teachers have planned engaging activities to ignite a love for reading among our students. Read below for more details on the exciting literary adventures that await our young Orcas!
Wishing you a fantastic week ahead!
Mrs. Greene
Assistant Principal
SAVE THE DATE
JANUARY CALENDAR
JANUARY LUNCH MENU
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 2023-2024 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)
Curriculum and Testing Updates
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).
Please continue to turn in your FAST PM #2 AORs, as these were due by January 12th. Students in grades 3-6 can locate scores at the FDOE Family Portal (https://fl-familyportal.cambiumast.com/). Reach out to Ms. Carter (Cayce.Carter@orlandoscience.org) with any questions.
Congratulations to Tejas Byna from Ms. Jersey’s sixth grade homeroom, our schoolwide 2024 Spelling Bee winner! He will represent our school in the next round of the Scripps Spelling Bee for the second year in a row.
Lastly, next week is Florida’s Celebrate Literacy Week; the theme is Believe in Your-Shelf. Students will have the opportunity to participate in different activities including a reading marathon, character book parade, and sharing pictures of their personal bookshelves. See flyer below.
National School Choice Week
January 21-27, 2024
Activity Links below!
THIS WEEK IN GRADES K-6
KINDERGARTEN
Lamour
This week we’ve been practicing our addition and subtraction equations as we move into learning Number Bonds. In literacy, students are beginning to read their consonant blends and digraphs as we introduce new centers into our classroom. We have also been working hard to write sentences using the words that we hear. I can’t wait to see what will happen next week!
FIRST
Quarterman
This week in Math, first grade students used math tools to find different ways to make a number. In Reading, students learned more about dramas by reading a script. Students also learned more about stars in science and how they appear in the night sky. We did an activity with salt to simulate how stars are not evenly scattered and there are too many to count. ***First grade is asking for shoebox donations*** Here are a few reminders for upcoming dates: 1/22 - Field trip permission forms and payment due 1/26 101st day of school activities. Students dress like dalmatians in white with black spots. 2/6 - First grade field trip 2/16 Black History Projects due
1st Grade Field Trip- Giraffes Can't Dance
SECOND
Layher
This week in second grade we wrapped up our unit on word problems and will begin learning how to add and subtract three-digit numbers. We will also be working on multiplication facts to help us get ready for 3rd grade. In reading we are learning how to identify text features, cause and effect, the narrator's point of view, and making inferences. We are also getting messy in science with dirt. We made a mini-compost experiment to see how vegetable scraps will decompose into the soil.
THIRD
Myers
This week Mrs. Myers class has been working hard in science learning the Forms of Energy. They have watched sound waves move water, static electricity move hair and paper, made mechanical mazes, tested thermal energy with thermometers, and discovered how light can be reflected, refracted, or absorbed! We have also been exploring the Mariana Trench in ELA and working on writing our first informational paper on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
FOURTH
What’s up Fourth Grade Families!
This week we’ve been hard at work and having fun at the same time. The second semester is underway and the fourth grade team can’t believe how fast the year is going by. There’s a lot coming up so make sure to keep an eye on your email. First of all, next week we will be doing the second iXL reading diagnostic. No one needs to do anything to prepare, but this diagnostic will give the team data that is sure to help us tailor our upcoming instruction to the needs of our learners. The following week, we will be doing iXL math diagnostic.
Next, don’t sleep on Boosterthon! This is OSES first annual Boosterthon fundraiser. It is a fun, engaging way for your student to participate in the school community. Signing up doesn’t cost anything, so every family should go on a register their student for an account! More information about how to participate in Boosterthon and the prizes will be shared soon.
Lastly, don’t forget about literacy week next week. It’s a week of fun activities to celebrate reading!
Monday: STEM storybook door showcase
Tuesday: Book tasting and book recommendations
Wednesday: Readathon!
Thursday: STEM Activities
Friday: Dress up as a book character and Book Character Parade
We’re looking forward to the rest of the quarter and all of the fun activities, events, and lessons we’ll get to do together. Have a great weekend,
The Fourth Grade Team
FIFTH
MacAllister
Hi from Ms. MacAllister’s Classroom! We are currently working on Unit 6, where students are focusing on answering the essential question, “What hidden truths about people and the world are revealed in stories?” We have analyzed two folktales and have begun analyzing two poems related to fairytales. “The Boatman’s Flute” is from Sherry Garland’s book, Children of the Dragon: Selected Tales from Vietnam. The other folktale, “The Mouse Bride,” is from Finland and is retold by Heather Forest. Students focused on the plot and discovered the hidden messages (themes) in both stories- that beauty is skin deep and to never judge a book by its cover. Students also finished up their STEM Project Based Learning assignment, “Rebuilding Together: Problem Solving After the Hurricane.” Students worked in groups to solve challenges faced by communities after a hurricane. By completing this project, students learned more about how we could help our community, how to show compassion, and answered their last unit essential question, “What does it take to be a survivor?”
fifth grade, illustrating balanced and unbalanced forces- Leighvard
photos that demonstrate forces in equilibrium and out of equilibrium- Leighvard
SPECIALS
Montes
Besides the many cardiovascular benefits of running, research has shown that 15 minutes of running can improve resilience, mindfulness, and goal setting. With 537 marathons and 123,948 miles logged, OSS is the second ranked school in Florida, and the 22nd ranked in the country on the marathon kids national leaderboard.
This past week our athletes got to work on their soccer skills. They played "Protect the VIP (Very Important Pin):" a game where groups of 3 to 4 tried to knock down another team's bowling pin while protecting their own. This activity promoted communication, creative problem solving, and strategic group analysis while developing proper techniques in defending, dribbling, and striking form.
Kindergarten was cooking up some great times when we took a field trip to an outdoor kitchen where they found a giant "parachute" pan. They helped toss the world's most giant meatball and popped some popcorn!
The STEM Lab needs your help!
Donations are needed so that we may continue to create wonders of engineering in the STEM lab. We need:
paper towel rolls
cereal boxes
glue sticks
tissues
tissue boxes
SIXTH
Magandang Araw! Welcome to Ms. Duenas’ STEM class. Last week, we started the introduction of laboratory rules, students were able to pull out some rules that they need to remember when working in the laboratory. Students were also introduced with the expectations and course activities they will take for this second semester, including Eie (Engineering everywhere) kit. This includes the "Just Passing Through: Designing Model Membranes", students explore organisms and recognize how engineering can help provide for the needs of a small animal. The unit begins with the storybook "Juan Daniel's Futbol Frog", in which a boy named Juan Daniel living in El Salvador explores the field of Bioengineering to design a safe environment for his "futbol" team's mascot, a small frog.
The students were also given STEM challenges that develop their critical thinking skills and collaborative work in class. In addition to this STEM challenge, they were given also an activity related to recycling which is “How to make a paper mache which not only allows students to value simple things but also realized the impact of conserving resources.
January’s character trait is Self- Awareness, which goes along with the ORCA Core Value Ownership for my actions. I am seeing many students receiving commendations for being self- aware and meeting our expectations!
As we work to become more self-aware, here are some activities you can try at home!
Self-Awareness Activities
1. Create a Success File
This is a collection of work done well, done extremely well, and what a student worked hard on. This is tangible evidence of the student’s abilities and capabilities.
2. Develop a checklist
To evaluate Success File work, develop a checklist that includes criteria like:
__I was interested in the topic
__I felt confident that I could do the work, with: a lot of help; a little assistance; or no extra help. __The work was as difficult as I expected it would be
__I planned for the right amount of time to finish the work
__I needed to explain to someone why the task might be challenging for me
__I knew why this might be difficult, but I worked through that myself
__Other factors that led to my success (or my lack of it)
3. Develop a personal self-advocacy plan
Encourage your student to assume responsibility for and ownership of their future.
Help the student identify several personal goals (i.e. “go to college,” “become a nurse,”).
Encourage them to research/ interview people who had similar goals to find out how they did it.
Help the student develop strategies to maximize their success and minimize potential limitations.
When we are able to demonstrate self-awareness we are able to establish and maintain rewarding relationships with others. We are also able to recognize where we need support so that we can do more than just survive but we can thrive.
Have a great weekend!
CLUBS AND TUTORING
CLUBS
Hello families!
Please read carefully for all club reminders:
PICK UP: Please remember that you should not arrive on campus before clubs dismiss. Even coming 5 minutes early causes backups in our dismissal process.
- Building 1 (grades K-3) - clubs dismiss at 3:40 during the week and 2:40 on Wednesday
- Building 2 (grades 4-6)- clubs dismiss at 3:40 during the week and 2:40 on Wednesday
ABSENCES: Remember that 3 or more consecutive absences will result in a removal from the club. If you are missing club because of tutoring or sickness, email the club teacher so it can be excused.
If you want to withdraw from a club, please email Marketa.Thomas@orlandoscience.org
Weekly tennis times have been adjusted to 3:30, 4:30, and 5:30. Please sign up for the next session (1/11, 1/18, 1/25, 2/1) directly with Coach Raul.
To confirm your child’s spot please send $80 to Coach Raul via Zelle at rrodriguez@allcourttennisinc.com.
CLUB PAYMENT LINKS
Competition Math
Pick up and Drop off Carline Procedures
PikMyKid Questions? See Below!
Elementary Competition Math Calendars
TUTORING
BRAINFUSE ONLINE TUTORING
Brainfuse offers free online tutoring through the Orange County Library System to ALL students in Orange County Public Schools.
FREE live tutors are available every day from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Using Brainfuse, students can connect with a qualified tutor for expert help in a variety of subjects.
Building 1: K-3 407-299-6595 option 1 Ms. Nicole
Attendance Emails and Notes K-3 - Nicole.Wallace@orlandoscience.org.
Any doctor's notes can be dropped off at the front desk, or sent via email.
Building 2: 4-6 407-299-6595 option 2 Ms. Molina
Attendance Emails and Notes 4-6 Keily.Molina@orlandoscience.org
Any doctor's notes can be dropped off at the front desk, or via email
Volunteering
If you want to volunteer in your student's classroom, eat lunch with your student, or chaperone a field trip. You must be additions approved. If you have volunteered in past, you must update your account each school year. For any questions, please reach out to Nicole.Wallace@orlandoscience.org.
How to add a student to school pay
Staff Commendations 2023-2024
PARENTS' RIGHTS INFORMATION
Your Resource for Legislative Updates
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
ADDITIONAL PARENT INFORMATION
Mission Statement
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.