Happy Fall! I can't believe quarter 1 is almost over! I am so proud of the hard work that you are doing! Thank you for coming to class and participating! I love peeking into your classrooms and seeing you engaged, answering questions, and problem solving!

All work for the 1st quarter report card grades are due by 5:00pm on Tuesday, October 15th, so please get your missing assignments turned in. Report cards will be emailed on Friday, October 25th. The 2nd quarter begins on Monday, October 21st.

Second quarter we are rolling out our Green Dot Challenge for progress learning, the details are below! Winners of the challenge will be invited to a party where the grinch will pie me in the face! I would love to see you there! Be sure to complete your lift off daily! Master those skills, and earn those dots!

Parents conferences are just around the corner. Your teacher will be reaching out to schedule conferences. Please schedule a conference and partner with us as we strive to help every child reach their full potential!

Ashley

It's time to celebrate the amazing educators who make our school shine! 🌟

We need your help to choose our Staff of the Month. Your vote will help us recognize those who go above and beyond for our students and community.

👉 Click here to vote: https://forms.office.com/r/XQTdi2cWph

Voting is quick and easy. Let’s show our appreciation for the incredible work of our staff!

Thank you for your support!

It is difficult to watch your child struggle, but a productive struggle is actually a good thing. As parents we want to give our kids the answer rather than see them struggle through it. Productive struggle can help students develop strong habits of mind, such as: perseverance, flexible thinking, active learning, and creative problem solving. Here are some tips on how to encourage a productive struggle.

You are working so hard in Progress Learning and your teachers want to reward you! OVCA will be holding a Green Dot Challenge in Progress Learning in quarter 2!

What are green dots? When you master a skill (get 80% or higher) in a Progress Learning assignment, assessment or in your study plan you get a green dot! We will compare your number of green dots on October 21 to the number of green dots December 13th . The students that have increased their green dots the most will get some awesome prizes! All students that increase their number of green dots will get invited to a party session with Mrs. Cooks the Principal!

Letter grades are based on three categories: OLS Assessments, Growth Assessments &

Teacher Graded Assignments- Category weights for each grade level can be found in Appendix
B. Weights may change based on curriculum or state proficiency expectations. Any changes
will be communicated through homeroom teacher prior to the end of the quarter.
OLS Assessments are calculated by the average of the scores the student receives on the
lesson, unit and semester courses in the OLS. Assessments not completed by the Monday
after their due date according to the daily plan in the OLS will be marked with a M for missing
in the OLS Gradebook, which greatly impacts the overall average as it acts as a zero in the
gradebook.

Growth Assessments – OVCA utilizes the Growth Assessment at the beginning of the year,
mid-year and end of year to determine the academic needs of our students. Students will
receive a participation grade for completing the assessment during the assigned testing
window. Students who complete the assessments during the testing window will receive full
credit (50 points) as a participation grade. Students who do not complete the assessments during the assigned testing window will receive a 0 as a participation grade and will have their account locked until the assessments are complete.

Teacher Generated Assessments (TGA) – Teachers will assign and collect assignments
(including writing) routinely throughout the year. Late penalties may apply to assignments
completed after the due date. Reminders will be posted in the OLS announcements, sent
through email, mentioned in Class Connects, and in the grade level newsletters. Teachers will
offer assistance during Class Connects so students will be able to submit work on or before
the due date. Writing projects are submitted at least quarterly.
Each teacher reserves the right to require other assignments to help students master grade
level objectives. Additional assignments will be sent in email and explained in classes. It is
the student’s responsibility to review email daily and attend required class connects sessions
to receive information about additional assignments. These additional assignments will be
included in report card grades and posted in the OLS Gradebook.

ELEMENTARY PE/HEALTH GRADING POLICY
The PE/Health is a course that contains a health lesson and a fitness log to be completed
daily. Students will document time spent on physical activities on the fitness log provided in
the PE/Health lesson and complete the lesson activities. PE/Health grades will be figured once
a quarter based on completion of lessons in the PE/Health course. The grading scale for
PE/Health is an S for satisfactory and a U for unsatisfactory. Students that stay on-track with
lesson completion will receive an S for satisfactory. Students that complete less than 50% of
the expected lessons will receive a U for unsatisfactory.

REPORT CARDS

Report cards are sent at the end of each quarter for Elementary and at the end of each
semester for Middle and High School students. Student must have been enrolled a minimum
of 26 days in a quarter to receive a report card. Middle School students also receive a progress
report at the end of first quarter and third quarter. Students must be enrolled by the below
dates to receive a report card for that quarter.

HONOR ROLL & ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

Students are recognized for their hard work each at the end of each grading period based on the criteria below:

Honor Roll

All A's and B's in every subject and S in PE/Health

Academic Excellence/ Principal's Honor Roll

All A's in every subject and S in PE/Health

The OVCA school week is Monday through Friday. Scholars will have OLS lessons on Friday and live classes. It is our goal to give scholars as many touch points with teachers as possible to give them the support they need. Our attendance policy has not changed. We highly encourage our scholars to attend all live classes, however we do understand were there are instances when that is not possible. Please review the attendance policy below as this will help you understand how you can ensure that your scholar is marked present and stay on target!

Attendance

As a public-school program, the Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy (“OVCA”) is required to monitor student progress and attendance in accordance with all applicable statutes. Students are expected to complete 72 instructional activities per quarter, or about 2 instructional activities per day. For the purposes of attendance, instructional activities are defined as:

• Completion of course assignments that are used to record a grade for a student that is factored into the student’s grade for the term in which the assignment is completed;

• Instructional meetings with a teacher;

• Testing;

• School-sanctioned field trips; and

• Orientation.

Students who fall behind the required instructional activities at any point in the school year will be contacted by OVCA staff – CFAs, paraprofessionals, counselors, truancy specialist, and/or administration – to see what support is needed to re-engage the student in daily schooling. Prolonged periods of insufficient attendance may result in the student being withdrawn from OVCA.

Truancy

Any student who has not completed any instructional activities for a fifteen-day-period is considered truant and shall be withdrawn for truancy. However, if the student is on pace for on-time completion for coursework and the legal guardian has informed OVCA as to the reason(s) the student has not completed an instructional activity, or the student is experiencing a significant medical condition, then OVCA may determine the student should not be withdrawn for truancy based on the totality of the circumstances involved. Legal guardians are expected to remain in communication with their Community Family Advisor (CFA) if there is a reason why the student is unable to school for a prolonged period of time.

Once a student has gone five consecutive days without schooling, OVCA staff will begin attempting to reach the legal guardian to find out what issue(s) is hindering the student from schooling daily and work to resolve the issue. If the student has not resumed schooling within 15 days, the student will be withdrawn for truancy.

October 4th- Fall Festival

October 15th: Last day of 1st Quarter (all work and assignments for report card grades due by 5:00pm)

October 16th-18th: Fall Break-No School

October 21st: First day of 2nd Quarter

October 23rd-October 31st: Red Ribbon Week

October 28th: Parent Teacher Conferences 5:00pm-7:00pm

November 1st: Parent Teacher Conferences 8:00am-12:00pm

November 7th: Parent Teacher Conferences 5:00pm-7:00pm

In the event your address has changed, such as due to moving, a new Proof of Residence is

required in order to update your address in the K12 Virtual Schools LLC (Stride K12) and
state systems. OVCA will need one of the documents listed below. Once the document has
been submitted, our office will be happy to update your new address.
To confirm your address please follow the steps below:
• Log into the OLS with your username and password;
• Click “My Account” at the top right of your screen;
• Select “My Account” from the drop down menu;
• Your address will appear.
Please submit one of the following documents as proof of residence:
• Utilities (i.e. gas, electric or water/sewer bill in the legal guardian’s name)
• Proof of internet service
• Payment of ad valorem taxes
• Local agreements or contract for purchasing/leasing housing
• Mortgage statements
• If living with someone else, a Shared Residence Affidavit must be completed.
Please ensure the proof of residence is in the name of the parent or legal guardian,
otherwise the documents will not be accepted.

Please fax the new proof of residence to 405-259-8332, Attn: Address Change or email to
ovcaefax@k12.com.
Additionally, you may email your new address and proof of residence to your CFA, who will
notify the main office of the change.
If you have any questions regarding your address change, you may also contact the OVCA
Administrative Office at 405.259.9478 ext. 0, Monday-Friday from 8:00am-4:30pm.
See OVCA Board Policy 3050 All Board Polices can be found on the OVCA website: OVCA
Board Policies

A Learning Coach is the designated adult who will have the primary responsibility of being actively involved in all school related work and activities. Learning Coaches are the primary point of contact for all teachers and school staff. A parent may designate himself/herself as the Learning Coach or may find another trusted adult to serve in this role. In all cases, the parent is ultimately responsible for ensuring adherence to school policies. The Learning Coach will:

• actively monitor, assist, and motivate the student daily

• communicate regularly with the student’s Community Family Advisor (CFA) and teachers and

• ensure the student is engaged and follows a weekly schedule that includes attending live class and completing weekly assignments per program requirements

In Elementary School, a Learning Coach will work side-by-side daily with the student. Each week, the Learning Coach will review upcoming lessons to ensure any advanced preparation is completed and attend Learning Coach training/support meetings. Learning Coaches will check school communications at least once daily to stay up-to-date with academic requirements. They will also check their online school account to find exact times for classes and online meeting links. A Learning Coach of an elementary student can expect to spend 3-6 hours a day supporting the student’s education.

Learning Coach involvement is directly connected to student success. OLCA will offer a variety of opportunities throughout the year to improve Learning Coach practices. Learning Coach Orientation/Bootcamp reviews expectations, connects parents to other parents, and introduces local clubs and events. It outlines the parent responsibilities, important parent meetings, method of communication, how to support student academic expectations and learning goals, resources available, and how to provide feedback and become more involved in our school. The OLCA program is supported and led by the Student Support Services Team.

This student handbook sets forth some general guidance for parents, Learning Coaches, and students enrolled in the Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy (OVCA). The intent is to answer the most frequently asked questions. OVCA staff are willing clarify any items in the handbook or answer additional questions. Your main point of contact is your Community Family Advisor (CFA). A list of phone extensions is located on the school website. You may also use the dial by name directory by calling the main number 405.259.9478 and pressing the pound (#) key.

OVCA is a statewide charter school. OVCA is a public school and is subject to the rules and regulations of the Oklahoma State Department of Education Public School policies and mandates.

All students in one family are assigned to a single Community Family Advisor (CFA) who serves as the first point of contact. The CFA provides information about important dates and school events. The CFA helps families set up schedules, teaches families how to navigate the online school and monitors progress/attendance. The CFA helps students build connections at the school by organizing local in-person community events, hosting online social or study sessions or service learning projects.

As an OVCA student, youth are expected to be active learners by logging into school daily and participating in online class activities. Students will be contacted through email, text, phone or during online classes. Each student will have access to online and offline curriculum materials. Students may reach out at any time to OVCA Staff for assistance. Staff will respond within 24 hours during school hours.

Elementary will offer live class sessions for grade level content as well as targeted sessions to focus on specific skills gaps based on the student’s academic needs and progress.

OVCA teachers and students are encouraged to use webcams during online sessions. This Face to Face interaction can increase relationships and strengthen the learning process. The webcam environment must be sterile and appropriate for schooling. Families are responsible for ensuring a home learning environment that complies with OVCA’s requirements for webcam usage. This includes, but is not limited to, a visual or audible learning environment viewable during class connect sessions that is free of any signs, flags, symbols, words, or pictures that may be considered obscene, discriminatory, or profane.

To verify student engagement, students may be required to turn on webcam and interact with OVCA staff. OVCA may move forward with student safety protocols if staff are unable to connect with students in a face to face setting (Webcam, Zoom, Engageli,, etc).

Ashley Cooks

Email: acooks@okvirtual.org
Phone: 405-659-3912 ext. 3443 ( call or text)

OVCA Office:

1117 S. Douglas Blvd. Suite F

Midwest City, OK 73130

School Phone: 405.259.9478

School Fax: 405.259.8332

k12 help: help.k12.com