Technology Campus Chronicle

Dear OSES Families,

One of the best things about Thanksgiving Break is being able to spend time with family and friends. Regardless if you observe the actual day of Thanksgiving, it’s a week (or day) to hopefully unwind. Thanksgiving Break looks different for each family. Some will stay at home the majority of the time, others will run around and exhaust themselves with all the events that come with the holiday. Some may travel back home and others may take a few minutes to call those important to them. Some families are massive and spread across the globe, while others may be small and all located in the same community.

One thing is for sure. People need each other. I hope each of you get to spend time with your students and those important to you.

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)

This week, many of our students took a break from the regular curriculum to explore various professions during the Great American Teach-In. We were thrilled to host guests from diverse fields such as aviation, medicine, animal studies, and technology. A heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers who participated, both in person and virtually.

FAST PM #2 will begin when students return from the Fall/Thanksgiving Break. Please refer to the schedule below for more details.

We appreciate your continued support and involvement in our school community. If you have any questions, please contact Cayce Carter at Cayce.carter@orlandoscience.org.

Dear Parents,

I hope this message finds you well!

First, I want to inform you that there will be no practice math competitions during the Thanksgiving break. I hope all our mathletes and their families have a wonderful and relaxing time with their loved ones.

Second, if your mathlete is looking for study materials during the break, I would like to share some helpful resources and ideas with you. Please feel free to explore these materials to keep their problem-solving skills sharp.

Lastly, please review the links below for details about upcoming competitions and events. These opportunities will help our mathletes enhance their problem-solving abilities and further develop their math skills.

Wishing you a safe and joyful Thanksgiving!

Resources/Ideas:

• Beast Academy (for 4th graders). https://beastacademy.com/

Our best resource for preparing for the math competitions. You students should have their username and password credentials. Please let me know if you need them.

• Noetic Learning Past Years’ Contest Problems (attached). Password is noetic to open these files.
• Central Florida Math Tournament (CFMT) Previous years’ contest problems. Here is the link: OSS Mu Alpha Theta - Past Tests

Upcoming Math Competitions

• Central Florida Math Tournament (CFMT) Hosted by Orlando Science High School Mu Alpha Theta Honor Society at OSES Campus on Saturday, December 7th.
• Mathleague.org Elementary School December Qualifying Round at Lake Whitney Elementary School on Saturday, December 14th. If you would like your child to participate in this contest, please complete the following online form by the end of Monday, December 9th, so we can register them. Please note that the contest fee is $20 per student, which will be covered by the OSS Competition Program. Therefore, kindly complete this form only if you are certain that your child can attend the contest. https://forms.office.com/r/h3LdLCyeTH

2024-2025 Orlando Science Elementary School Saturday Practice Math Competitions Schedule: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GKthSlQTm1LaeH0qEVMjCJgFO2ElLkxV/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=113009018431004850567&rtpof=true&sd=true

Orlando Science School 2024-2025 Calendar for All Math Competitions: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FibNnmCgjha4xZMA_KISHxVH8hGQI8CK/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=113009018431004850567&rtpof=true&sd=true

Kerim Akyalcin, M.Ed.

Kindergarten had a lot of fun this week with Teach in on Wednesday where we had Ms. Powell from the high school come over and teach the kids about being an accountant and Ms. Rodriguez's class got to learn about entrepreneurship and ask questions via a zoom call.

Then today they got to go and enjoy Crayola Experience and see how crayons are made. Thank you again to all our chaperones who made this trip possible.

Happy Thanksgiving to all our kiddos and their families we will see you in December!

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” and “What’s it like to be a...?” Those are some of the questions First grade discussed this week. We’ve learned about many different jobs like nurses, canine security, medical assistant, pharmacist, and doctors. Students got a look inside the workplace of parents who made fun videos. And some received demonstrations from other parents who were able to visit the school. We sincerely thank you parents! To continue our Teach-in experience this week, students participated in a mock trial. They saw an example of what can happen in a courtroom when they acted as “jurors” in the trial of Big Bad Wolf v. The Three Little Pigs. Again, we had the collaboration of awesome parents. As a result, students had an exciting time.

What a fun week of learning! This week students compared two Cinderella stories and made connections, learned about dramas, and explored figurative language in their own writing. We reviewed subtraction with students making their own subtraction games. In science we expanded our knowledge of force, gravity, and magnets. We also made our own magnet maze. We ended the week with reading the story “How to Catch a Turkey” and made our own turkey traps. The second-grade team hopes that you have a fun, safe, and relaxing break. We are THANKFUL for all our students and families.

This week in Mrs. Patel's class, our students had a fantastic time with various STEM activities! They began the week by researching different animals and then created detailed habitats for them. The students showcased their creativity and understanding by designing and building these habitats, which was both fun and educational.

In addition to their research projects, students also made balloon floats. They learned about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, its history, and the engineering behind those impressive floats. Each student then created their own mini balloon floats, bringing the parade to our classroom!

Furthermore, the students read about the history and traditions of Thanksgiving. They applied their math skills in a practical assignment where they planned and budgeted for Thanksgiving meals.

Overall, it has been an exciting and educational week, filled with hands-on learning and creativity, right before we head into Thanksgiving break

This week, our fourth graders delve into the fascinating world of Geometry—a branch of mathematics that focuses on the properties and relations of points, lines, surfaces, and solids. One of the most fundamental concepts in Geometry is Angles, and understanding them opens up a world of possibilities in both everyday life and advanced mathematical studies.

Our fourth graders learn that an angle is formed when two rays (or lines) share a common endpoint, called the vertex. The space between these rays is the angle itself, and its size is measured in degrees (°). And the tool that is use to measure the degree of the angles is a protractor.

We also learn about the different types of angles, its measurement and the definition of each angles. The students are aware that angles are everywhere and this geometry help them understanf how the world is shape in essence that geometry and angles are embedded in virtually every aspect of modern life. From the technology we use to the buildings we live and work in, understanding these concepts is vital for creating solutions, improving efficiency, and solving everyday problems.

Fifth grade has had a busy week wrapping up Science and Math topics. Ask our new weather experts if it is going to rain today! They can tell you about humidity, types of clouds and precipitation, temperature, wind speed, wind direction, and Earth’s different zones and climates. In Math, the accelerated class has just finished a 7th-grade topic and is moving into Ratios and Rates. We’ll be calculating miles per hour in no time!

The STEM Lab has been so busy. Some of the things we have been up to are:

Kindergarten discussed the parts of a plant and even got to dissect a plant.

First Grade continued their Storybook STEM by creating an escape for Rapunzel.

Second Grade created stop-motion movies.

Third Grade learned about Egypt and created a giant pyramid.

Fourth Grade dissected flowers to learn about and identify their reproductive organs.

Fifth grade used MakeyMakey boards to create playable video games.

While working on their Marathon kids numbers these kids have been able to run a mile during P.E. class!

Sixth grade had a fun time at the Solar Bears’ annual School Day Game, rooting for the home team and exploring some of the fun STEM exhibits set up by the Orlando Science Center!

This week in Ms. Pitoniak’s ELA class, students have been reading the middle grade action/adventure novel Stormbreaker for a novel study. They’ve been practicing analyzing character interactions, determining the meaning of unknown words, word connotations, and tracing plot structure. We hope that students come back from Thanksgiving well rested for F.A.S.T testing on December 3rd and 5th!

The 6th grade trip to the Orlando Solar Bears ice hockey game at the Kia Center was on Tuesday, November 19, 2024. The students had a fantastic time watching the game and exploring the STEM tables set up there. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to engage with both the sport and the educational aspects of STEM in a fun environment.

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.