Technology Campus Chronicle
September 27, 2024
PRINCIPAL CORNER
Dear OSES Families,
Hurricane Helene impacts are still taking a toll on our state and the southeast. We hope your family and friends impacted by the storm will be provided with the assistance they need.
If you have not already, please reach out to your student’s teacher(s). We have set a goal that a parent teacher conference take place at least once per semester, for each student. We no longer have just a single night and instead can arrange meetings before, during, or after school, however this is dependent on each teachers personal schedule and availability. Conferences can take place on the phone, via Teams, or in person.
Finally, our school wide Boosterthon is right around the corner. We invite you to join our PVO meeting this Monday, where some of the details will be shared. More information is forthcoming for all families.
Michael Singleton
Principal
SAVE THE DATE
Also we are no longer allowed to accept Uber Eats/Doordash etc for students!
STEAM club is preparing for STEAM Night: Science Olympics!
by making scribble robots. Come and give our robots a try!
OCTOBER 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 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)
Curriculum and Testing Updates
Orlando Science will be sending home K-2 FAST score reports as Orange County does not provide access codes for primary grade levels. For Grade 3-6 families, please keep an eye out for your access code and additional directions to review FAST scores on the FDOE Family Portal via email. I have also included step-by-step directions for reviewing student scores in the Skyward Parent Portal.
All students will receive an orange Acknowledgment of Receipt form this week. After reviewing your student’s PM #1 scores, please sign the form and have your student return it to their homeroom teacher by Friday, October 4th. Please note that student results from PM #1 are for informational purposes only.
Our K-5 students started W.I.N. (What I Need) Time this week. This program allows students to focus on their learning needs, promoting growth and success.
Next week, students will participate in the first Drop Everything and Write (DEAW) activity. This is a schoolwide writing activity, enabling us to monitor student growth in writing throughout the school year.
Contact Ms. Carter (Cayce.Carter@orlandoscience.org) with any questions.
Hot off the Dean's Desk
THIS WEEK IN GRADES K-6
KINDERGARTEN
Kindergarten teachers hope all our families were safe during hurricane Helene. In kindergarten we have learned so much! In Ms Volden’s class we have finished our UFLI lessons on short vowels and cvc words. Next week we will have a review week of all short vowel spelling rules! In math we are starting our topic 3 next week. This topic covers addition to 20. We will also have many fun fall activities for science, reading and math coming up soon!
FIRST
First grade participated in their first, quarterly STEM Day rotations! Our focus was on Math activities, including basic math facts, measurement, perimeter, and place value. The students rotated between different classrooms, allowing them to interact with teachers they may usually only see in passing. With our first STEM Day being a complete success, look out for the upcoming date of our next event!
This Friday, first grade Cereal Box Projects are due. Make sure you have your project submitted as soon as possible!
SECOND
Mrs. Yeaman's second graders have had a great week! During our Wednesday STEM challenge the students worked together to create a catapult to launch their story character. We are learning how to communicate and work as a team. In Social Studies we have been researching Hispanic countries and creating Canva presentations. Next week we will be presenting our findings to our classmates. In math, we are practicing our understanding of the distributive property of multiplication by separating arrays. We just wrapped up our first Big Idea of Science and are starting our next focus which will be classifying types of matter. I'm so proud of the achievements I have already seen my students accomplish this year. They have come to school every day excited and ready for their next challenge.
THIRD
3rd grade had a great week this week. This week we learned about character traits in Reading. We. Continued working our way through multiplication and the states of water . Also we learned all about the contributions of Johnny Appleseed.
Mr. Martin's class got a class pet to teach us about the needs of animals and differences between different types of animals.
FOURTH
Ms. Polejes’ class got to conduct our first experiment! In science, we have been working on the properties and changes of matter. When mixing baking soda and vinegar, we observed the creation of gas and a temperature change, which are signs of a chemical change. Getting to do a hands-on activity and see it in real time was so much fun. We can’t wait to conduct more experiments this school year. In math, we are continuing to work on the multiplication of multi-digit numbers. Make sure to practice those math facts at home.
FIFTH
Mrs. Saucedo's class has been working on their math projects. Some students are enthusiastically creating math board games that focus on comparing, rounding, and estimating decimals, while others are engaging in research about manatees and sharing intriguing math facts in expanded form, word form, and standard form.
In science, our class has been exploring the physical properties of minerals, such as hardness, color, cleavage, and streak color, while also learning about the important role minerals play in the formation of rocks. The students enjoyed using airhead candy to investigate and observe the different ways the three types of rocks can be formed.
SPECIALS
The school year has kicked off wonderfully for our Character Education program! In grades K-1, students have been focusing on active listening and teamwork, and we’ve recently begun a unit on emotions, including strategies for managing feelings like anger. Second graders have been honing their collaboration skills, while also exploring topics like empathy and growth mindset.
In third grade, we’ve been working on cooperation and collaboration, and this week we’re starting a unit on bullying. We’ll begin by discussing what we can and cannot control, along with mindfulness practices. For fourth and fifth graders, we’ve also emphasized teamwork, and a few weeks ago, we started a unit on conflict resolution. Students discovered their conflict resolution styles—whether they’re a turtle, owl, or shark! Next, they will begin an in-class project focused on resolving conflicts.
SIXTH
In sixth grade Life Science, we are working on Nature of Science. Students did a Mystery Box Observation. They were given two minutes to observe items in the box. They were allowed to take notes, take a closer look, and use the notes for my questions when the observation was done. The majority of the students wrote the basic names of the items, and were confident that they would nail the open note quiz, but they were in for a little surprise... ( see photos) Details, details, and details!!!! Reactions were priceless and students are now working on being more thorough with their observations.
Students practiced the steps of the scientific method by testing gummy bears soaked in different types of liquids overnight. They observed and compared the physical properties and integrity of the gummy bears. (See photos)
Lastly, students ran (3) different experiments testing various detergent based solutions. They were testing to find which solution would produce the longest lasting bubbles. Their observation, hypothesis, data, and conclusion was based on the variables such as amount of detergent, type of detergent, and water temperature. FOAM ZONE is an understatement!!! ( see photos)
Last week in Spanish class, students focused on telling time in Spanish and created clocks to quiz one another. This week, in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, they are working on PowerPoint presentations about notable Hispanic figures and creating Carnival masks. Be sure to check next week's newsletter for more photos! STAY SAFE!!!!
COSTA RICA 2025:
Our travel agency has extended the scholarship and is offering a $100 discount if you or your student enrolls by October 15, 2024.
We will be holding an informational meeting for the Costa Rica 2025 trip on Thursday, October 10th at 3:00 PM in my classroom (Building 2, Room 229). Due to limited space in my classroom, I kindly ask that you complete this form to confirm your attendance; CLICK HERE! Please check in at the front desk upon arrival.
During the meeting, I will address any questions you may have and assist with the enrollment process if you have not yet enrolled. For those who have already enrolled, I will have a packet prepared for you.
If you have any questions beforehand, feel free to email me at Ivette.bravo@orlandoscience.org.
Information and itinerary for our Costa Rica 2025 trip:
https://secure.passports.com/document/2457CFC5ABD3/ - Tour itinerary
https://secure.passports.com/document/2457CFC5ABDC/ - Tour presentation
Club Sign Up Links
Club Fee Payment Link Below (by grade)
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
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.