Orlando Science High School

Dear Parents and Students,

Thank you for your support of Orlando Science Schools! I hope everyone had a great week of school and ready for a successful year!

Please take time and review the OSS Health and Safety COVID-19 Procedures and COVID-19 Student Screening Scenarios Flow Chart below. Please have a conversation with your students about the health and safety measures that are in place and reach your school if you have any questions or updates about children’s health. I believe that parent partnerships are the key to keeping our students, teachers, and other families safe during this pandemic. I thank you for your support and contribution in advance. Below is the critical information.

• Masks: Masks are mandatory. Refusal to wear a face mask will be considered insubordination and will be subject to progressive discipline as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct. Specific guidelines are also included in the OSS health and safety procedure below.

• Sanitation: Hand sanitizers, sanitizing wipes or a spray bottle with paper towels provided in every classroom and will be available to students and staff. Automatic hand sanitizer stations are installed in restrooms, cafeteria, and commonly used areas.

•Temperature Checks: Every staff and student temperature are checked before entering the campus.

• Social Distancing: Students should always attempt to maintain a social distance of 6 feet. Proper signage is posted in every classroom, hallways, dismissal area and cafeteria.

• Class Changes: Students follow a cohort setting and remain in their homeroom classes. Students should walk directly to their next class and not congregate in the halls if they change any classes.

• Drop off/Pick -up: Parents/Guardians must stay in their vehicle when dropping off or picking up their students.

• Lunch –Students must be sitting on the socially distanced designated seats facing one direction in the cafeteria and follow the school staff’s directions.

• Visitors: All visitors must wear a face mask and must report directly to the front office.

• Sick-Not feeling well: If your student is sick or not feeling well, please keep them at home and inform your campus secretaries. If your student or one of the household member shows COVID-19 symptoms, please follow the OSS COVID-19 Student Screening Scenarios Flow Chart below.

Thank you to all Orca Families and students for following the directions and health and safety procedures.

Picture day is coming up. Please see the important information and procedures below.

Orcas may apply the federal Free and Reduced Lunch. 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.

Orcas enrolled in Innovative e-Learning Program, Grab and Go meals are available to all OCPS students at their Zoned Schools. Details may be found below.

Just a reminder that parents should not be dropping off or picking up their students at the front desk. Please use the car line both in the mornings and the afternoons. There will be no pickup from the front desk after 2:30PM, 1:30PM on Wednesdays.

It is great to be proud Orca!

Sincerely,

Abdulaziz Yalcin, M.Ed.
Principal
Orlando Science Schools – Middle/High

We are excited to announce that the high school CLUB SIGN UPS have begun! Clubs are a meaningful way for students to get engaged with OSHS, which is especially important during these difficult times where some students might be feeling isolated. Our hope is that students will be able to use their talents to excel and meet their goals and interact with their fellow students. Some clubs will meet virtually and others will meet on campus. Be sure to browse the descriptions of our club offerings and read the guidelines before making your selections.

Welcome to the 2020-2021 OSS High School 1st Semester Club Sign Ups! 9th-12th grade Orcas may use the form below to sign up for clubs of their choice. Due to the unique circumstances of this school year, most clubs are only available virtually. The list and descriptions of the 2020-21 OSHS clubs is attached below. Please review it before making selections on the Sign Up Genius form.

Please the following BEFORE signing up for OSHS clubs:

1) Students attending ON CAMPUS will be provided a room on campus to meet virtually during club time. Parents please adjust your student(s) pick up times accordingly. Clubs end at 3:30 except Wednesday when they end at 2:30.

2) Students may ONLY sign up for ONE(1) club per day.

3) Students may not miss more than one (1) club meeting per month, unless they are absent from school (unexcused & excused) or have permission from their club sponsor. Students who miss more than one (1) in a month could be removed from a club.

4) Club Re-Sign Ups occur at the end of the first semester. Students may sign up for any club with available space during this time.

5) Some clubs will require a fee to participate. The club sponsor(s) will communicate any expenses associated with a specific club.

6) Some OSHS clubs are invitation only and are not available for sign up here. Students can get details directly from those club sponsors.

INVITATION ONLY CLUBS:

• Student Government Association (SGA) Mrs. Bolat meets on Wednesdays
• National Honor Society (NHS) Mr. Kennedy meets on Mondays
• Science Olympiad Mr. Demir meets on Fridays
• Robotics Mrs. Barea meets on various days
• Mu Alpha Theta (see the registration links below) Mr. Akyalcin (meets Wednesdays), Ms. Klem (meets Tuesdays), Mr. Doyle (meets Tuesdays) & Ms. Moyer (meets Wednesdays)

Club Sign Ups are OPEN NOW and will CLOSE Wednesday, September 2nd at 10pm.
Clubs will BEGIN on Tuesday, September 8th.
Club Time is 2:55-3:30pm and Wednesday 1:55-2:30.

If you have any questions regarding clubs and sign ups, please contact Mr. Koebe.

Calling all high school mathletes! The Mu Alpha Theta Honor Society organization was formed at OSS for the purpose of fostering interest, developing strong scholarship, and promoting the enjoyment of mathematics. The society is officially a National High School and a Two-Year College Mathematics Honor Society that was formed in 1957 and thus we will follow the general guidelines already set. However, we will, as a Chapter, make independent regulations and activities. New and returning members use the links below to access the Mu Alpha Theta online application. We look forward to another successful year!

Bring your best smile for picture day! On campus students will take their school photos on Thursday, September 17th and 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.

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
• request technology
• reset passwords
• request login credentials
• any other issue related to technology

Happy Friday and Welcome Back to Counseling Corner!

This week, I want to discuss a little food for thought with you all as parents and caretakers, and that is the topic of exhaustion and how we glorify it in certain spaces. We love to see our children working hard and putting their all into the things they do, and it is a great sight to see. They learn a lot from what we model for them, so when they see us working hard and prioritizing work, they begin to see what is valued by us.

We, as a society, tend to glorify exhaustion. We say things such as, “I don’t have the luxury of sleeping, I’ve got too much to do,” “I going to be up all night finishing this,” “I wish I had enough hours in the day.” We use phrases like, “inexhaustible,” “endless energy,” “tireless” as admirable qualities of an employee, coworker, or manager. We praise people who are the first one in the building, last one out, and never take sick days. Because we live in society that feels this way, we may be modeling that for our children too.

The problem with this is that we cannot live in a constant state of hustle. We cannot keep driving a car without getting gas, regular oil changes or maintenance done, it will break down. We cannot survive without sleep, psychological and physical symptoms will arise. We cannot keep wearing the same shoes all our lives, eventually the soles wear out. So when it comes to glorifying exhaustion and valuing productivity above other things, this quote explains it best, “you’re inexhaustible until you’re not, and then you’re done for.”

So you model being a good person, a productive person, a hard worker and that’s amazing. I would also encourage you to make sure your child(ren) see you modeling self-care, taking things one step at a time, forgiving of yourself when you make mistakes, speaking kindly to yourself, and taking breaks to be a human first and not just an endless working machine.

You deserve the love and care for yourself that you keep trying to give to the people you love.

If you’d like more information on this topic, here’s a few resources (click on the title to be directed to the info):

The Missing Ingredient in Self-Care (11 min.)

Self-Compassion (5 min.)

Taking Breaks Makes You Work Better (3 min.)

Burnout Playlist (includes videos such as “4 Simple Ways to Prevent Burnout” and “Burnout and the Fastes Way to Recover”)

Dear Overwhelmed Moms, Self-Care Isn’t Selfish (10 min.)

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

All the best,

Ms. Perez

Orca families, please join us in congratulating and welcoming Mrs. Lisa Proto to her new role as the High School Campus PVO President! We at Orlando Science Schools are thrilled to be working alongside her on future campus events, activities, and community projects.

Before becoming a stay at home mom, Mrs. Proto was in the Hospitality industry and then moved into Corporate Training for all areas of Hospitality. Prior to her move to Florida, she lived in Vancouver Canada, she became a stay-at-home Mom and joined the team of the parents at her son’s school. She not only gained incredible friendships but lots of knowledge on fundraising and building communities in the school. She is a proud parent of a freshman son, attends at Orlando Science High.

We appreciate Mrs. Proto for coming on board as one of the valuable members of our school and we look forward to organizing campus events and community projects.

To contact Mrs. Proto, please email PVO.HSCampus@OrlandoScience.org.

OSS Middle High families can expect the PVO registration form to be available next Friday!

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!

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.

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 these great volunteer opportunities to Keep Orlando Beautiful! See the flyers below for more information.

Orlando Science High School's new AP Art Program is off to a great start with Ms. Garrity! Students have begun working on self-portraits in Google Draw. Featured below is classwork from student Lugthea P.

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.

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