Dear Families and Students,

Dear Parents,

I hope everyone had a wonderful week. This week's newsletter is filled with many exciting recaps: our visitors from Japan, our new OSS School Resource Officer, Chemistry Olympiad results, Students of the Month, Teachers of the Month, commendation winners and more!

I am very excited to let you know that our three high school teams, Team Red, White and Blue, proudly represented OSS High School at the Florida State Science Olympiad tournament on Saturday, March 30th. Competing against 40 teams from Florida, they dominated the tournament and placed 4th and 5th overall. Congratulations to all the teams, see the pictures and results below.

I would also like to congratulate Peter P. on winning a special recognition at the Florida State Science Fair last week! Peter, along with a few other Orlando Science Orcas, represented OCPS in the State Science Fair last week. Congratulations on a job well done!

This week OSHS 8-10th graders took their FSA Writing Tests. Our testing continues again this May, and we would like to remind everyone that on May 1st, 8th and 15th students will not be released at their normal Early Release time. Please see below for more details.

Teacher Appreciation Week is coming! More information can be found on the Sign Up Genius below. Sign up and see how you can contribute to make this a special week for our teachers.

Have a wonderful weekend and we will see you on Monday!

Respectfully,

Abdulaziz Yalcin, M.Ed

Principal

Orlando Science Schools-Middle/High

Attention OSS Middle High Families, Saturday Leadership Academy and AP Studies Saturday will continue this Saturday, April 6th. Please make every effort to attend in order to be better prepared for upcoming tests. High School families: Please note the time difference for AP Calculus, AP Statistics, AP Chemistry & AP Geography.

Welcome to the OSS Family our new School Resource Officer, Stan Klem! He worked for 25 years at the Orlando Police Department where he retired with the rank of Lieutenant. He was the sergeant for all the SROs in Orlando for 3 years. In March he decided to come back after his daughter, Ms. Klem, beacame an OSHS teacher. His mission is to keep OSS safe, we look forward to having a seasoned officer on all of the OSS campuses. If you see him, be sure to make him feel welcome Orcas!

On Thursday, March 28th, We had a special visit from Japan. These students arrived from the Munakata High School. The school is in the Fukuoka Prefecture, not too far from Meizen High School, another school from Japan visited Orlando Science in previous years. These visiting students were here to learn more about our robotics, PLTW Engineering and PLTW Biomedical Science special programs. In exchange, these students also presented their own culture to our school. Our students really stepped up and brought forth an amazing act of hospitality. Student Government Association organized a warm welcome ceremony and put the visit program together. Some of our students gave their presentation in Japanese and this gesture surprised the visitors. Both Orlando Science and Munakata High students had a gift exchange ceremony which helped each school’s students to enjoy having a cultural souvenirs exchange. Our students took the time to learn a few conversational pieces and scientific terminology to get their presentation across. It allowed the Japanese students feel more comfortable when they presented their projects in English. The students really did make a connection. Student Ambassadors gave them a tour around the campus to show what Orlando Science High is offering.

I am very excited to let you know that our three high school teams, Team Red, White and Blue, proudly represented our school at the Florida State Science Olympiad tournament on Saturday, March 30th. Competing against 40 teams from Florida, they dominated the tournament and placed 4th and 5th , overall. You may see the details of the results here: http://state.soss.floridascienceolympiad.org/Results/?year=2019&embed

None of this could have been achieved without the dedication of teachers, coaches, parents. Thank you for supporting our students in every way possible!

Please congratulate the following students for their dedication, hard work, sportsmanship, and outstanding achievements! They medaled at the competition!

Team Blue:

Jaehyun A (1st chemistry lab, 3rd in protein modeling and 4th in thermo)

Siyona M. (3rd designer genes, 3rd in experimental design, 6th in herpetology)

Harshitha U. (2nd in anatomy, 3rd in protein modeling)

Nishi A. (3rd in experimental design, 3rd in designer genes)

Meghana T. (2nd in anatomy, 3rd in protein modeling, 3rd in water quality)

Aleksandra T. (5th in astronomy, 5th in dynamic planet, 5th in geo mapping)

Amitha K. (5th in dynamic planet, 5th in geo mapping, 2nd in fossil)

Liam O. (3rd in water quality, 3rd in experimental design, 6th in herpetology)

Anthony L. (1st in chemistry lab, 3rd code busters, 4th in thermo)

Esha R. (1st widi, 3rd in code busters)

Tanvi R. (1st widi, 3rd in code busters)

Alvin N. (5th in astronomy, 2nd in fossils)

Team Red:

Tony H. (5th in anatomy, 4th in water quality, 4th in experimental design)

Noah L. (5th in anatomy, 4th in water quality, 4th in experimental design)

Josh L. (4th in experimental design)

Shreyanshu D. (4th in wright stuff)

Nelson Y. (3rd in thermo)

Wade T. (3rd in thermo, 5th in fermi questions)

Ritam B. (5th in fermi questions)

Leo M. (4th in wright stuff)

The students put in a lot of effort and learned an amazing amount!

-Mr. Stampas

This year we had several of our students research and experiment from plant projects to chemistry projects. Ramsey Z.'s "The "C" In Chlorophyll", Ashna M.'s "Are Homemade Fruit Juices a Better Source of Electrolytes and Carbohydrates than Sports Drinks for Kids?", Michael T.'s "Environmental Effects on Chlorophyll Concentrations", and Peter P.'s project on "Format Discrimination Analysis of High-Resolution Audio Perceptual Evaluation" represented Orange County and the Ying Expo in this year's State Science Fair. With over 1500 students in attendance, this collection of academics is the brightest in the state. In such a highly competitive environment our students were in their atmosphere, enjoying every moment of the professional interactions. We are proud to announce:

• Peter won a special award!
• Ashna placed 3rd in her category!
• Ramsey earned 1st place in the state of Florida!

These brilliant students show a bright future for not just their success, but also for our beautiful state! Congratulations to them all! Thank you to everyone that has helped them and others in this years science and STEM fair. Good luck to your summer research!

-Mr. Stampas

During Spring break students took an advanced chemistry test part of a competition known as the Chemistry Olympiad. Jaehyun A. and Anthony L. have qualified for the National level! They will be taking the next level test at UCF on the 27th of April. This test contains not just multiple choice and problem solving but also lab practical portions as well. We wish them congratulations and best of luck in their exam!

Last Friday the senior class of 2019 enjoyed their senior trip to Escapology, Ihop, Dave and Busters and the outlets. Mr. I, Mr. Cook and Ms. Stevens happily chaperoned and a fun time was had by all!

OSHS proudly announces our March Students of the Month! These students were nominated by their teachers for showing ORCAS Core Values and working hard in all they do. Congratulations to all of these amazing Orcas!

OSHS is excited to announce our teachers of the month, Mr. Stampas and Mr. Abakay. These teachers show ORCAS Core Values and are dedicated to their student's success on a daily basis. Congratulations teachers, thank you for your hard work!

We are proud to showcase our OSHS March Commendation Winners! These students were acknowledged for making good choices and earning commendation points at school. Congratulations students, keep it up!

Gwen H., Tahj D., Vanessa G., Bhindya S., Colin F., Saman K., Joshua N., Sebastian P., David V., Abhi A., Betual K., Ann B., De'waina B, Gabriel G., Angelina B. & Alexis R.

Come on a journey "around the world" and experience the cultures of:

Brazil

Cuba

Germany

India

Ireland

Japan

Mexico

Poland

Puerto Rico

South Korea

Spain

Turkey

United States

If you or your family hails from one of the countries, or if you are simply interested in learning more about one of them, please consider contributing as a volunteer. Your time, experience, skills and donations are all appreciated and needed to keep this event authentic and make it a success.

See the list below of our needs and sign up where you are able. We look forward to celebrating the divisersity that is Orlando Science High School!

Theme: “Protecting Endangered Species”

Eligibility: ALL students K-12th grade (Judging is in 4 groups (K-2, 3-5, Middle and High School)

Deadline: April 8th, 2019

Award Ceremony: Crayola Experience in May 2019

Prizes: $100 for each 1st place winner and $50 for each 2nd place winner

All 40 finalists receive their artwork framed, tickets to Crayola Experience, Gatorland and other prizes.

Submit the completed entry form and drawing to:

Gatorland Art Contest

14501 S. Orange Blossom Trail

Orlando, FL 32837

* Please review the attached sheets for full contest information and guidelines*

8th-11th Grade Orcas, it is time to request your 2019-20 school year courses! Read the details and click the link below to formally submit your request.

Take time to carefully select possible courses in the order of your preference. Due to class size restrictions, prerequisites and your academic readiness, you may not be assigned the classes you requested. Sometimes, your last choice is the only option that will work when creating a schedule. Therefore, please complete all of the course categories including the contingency (back-up) course offerings. We will try our best to accommodate your requests. All final placement decisions will be made by the administration and guidance departments after reviewing students' end of year grades and test scores.

If you are not satisfied with your schedule or have different needs, please do not hesitate to email Mr. I until the end of the first two weeks of the new school year. Students should check their high school graduation requirements from the Florida Department of Education's website.

Please feel free to see Mr. I for further questions.

FLDOE Graduation Requirements are found here http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7764/urlt/1415forwardflyer.pdf.

For detailed course descriptions, please visit http://www.cpalms.org/Public/search/Course.

For information about the AP classes, please visit https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse.

ATTENTION OSHS Tech Campus FAMILIES:

Above you will find the 2018-2019 OSS High School Tech Campus Assessment Calendar, please keep these dates in mind when planning any upcoming appointments and vacations. It is also important to note that on the following Wednesdays listed below we will not hold our regular early release schedule. Instead, we will follow our standard release schedule to allow more time for testing.

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Download a copy of the testing schedule below.

We will be creating a slideshow for the 8th grade graduation. If you would like your student’s picture to be included in the slideshow please follow the directions below:

STUDENT SLIDESHOW PICTURES

A. Email two pictures to Mr. Kriebel by 4pm on April 19th at: kriebel@orlandoscience.org

1. One young/baby picture &

2. One current/recent picture.

B. Please include the full name of your student in the email subject line. This will ensure it is labeled accurately.

Please be advised slideshow participation is optional. Graduation attendance is not required to participate in the slideshow. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

Some general information about graduation:

• Ceremony will run from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Friday, 5/24/19

• Hyatt regency OIA address: 9300 Jeff Fuqua Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32827

• Parking: $4.00 Self-Parking/$7.00 Valet Parking.

• Caps, gowns, and tassels must be worn upon arrival.

• Open Seating for the Audience. Please do not bring more than 4 guests per student. No tickets required.
  

This scholarship program helps support promising high school seniors who intend to pursue a career in an approved engineering, computer science, mathematics or physics program and who live in communities where Northrop Grumman Mission Systems has a major presence. That includes Florida's Orange County! OSHS Seniors check out the link below to learn more about NG's $8,000 scholarship opportunity.

FAFSA is the Federal Student Aid program. Every single college applicant needs to complete FAFSA regardless of their income. This application is free and completed through only one website. Do not pay to anyone or any website for completion of FAFSA. This should take no more than 45 minutes to complete if you have everything ready to go. FAFSA is time sensitive. The funds are distributed as first come first serve.

State of Florida has its own scholarship program called Bright Futures and it is managed through OSFA (Office of Student Financial Assistance). When you complete the application, you are also being evaluated for other scholarships through State of Florida. It is a very short application and should not take more than 15 minutes. Most important thing to know is that, you only complete the form and your transcript and SAT/ACT scores will be submitted automatically through OSS and the State of Florida University System. You are not required to satisfy all the application requirements until the end of the school year to apply to this scholarship. On the other hand, being qualified currently does not guarantee that you will receive this scholarship. If your end of year GPA falls under the requirement, then you will not be receiving the scholarship. Here are the current requirements:

We are excited to announce that the OCLS has partnered with OSS Middle/High to provide free Virtual Library Cards (VLC) to all of our students! There are many wonderful online resources students can access now from any computer with their credentials. Check out the website www.ocls.info and go to Research and Learning to explore all the learning opportunities the library offers. Use the credentials listed in the picture above to log in and learn!

The Orlando Science High School on Technology Drive opened its doors to a newly renovated campus in August 2018. One of the great features of the High School campus is the brand new Media Center. It serves as a space where all students can read, research and study. Please consider making a donation directly to the Media Center to help Mrs. Singleton stock the shelves and create a welcoming environment for our students. As always the Amazon Wishlist link below contains the most current requests from our staff and students.

OSS Families: See the important message below regarding FortifyFlorida.

We are pleased to announce that the FortifyFL app is LIVE. Now, any student, educator, parent or member of the public can report school safety concerns directly to law enforcement and school administrators anonymously and easily through the FortifyFL app or www.getfortifyfl.com. The Florida Legislature directed this tool’s development in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act.

The app, which is available for download on Apple and Android mobile devices, is critical to ensuring all Florida schools are safe environments where students and educators can experience and share the joy of learning without fear.

We hope that you will be come familiar with the app and help spread the word to other school families in Florida.

Sincerely,

Pam Bondi and Pam Stewart

Attorney General and Commissioner of Education

Our School System has recently updated our accounts on LinkedIn would love for you to join our network! Please see below for links to the official LinkedIn Company Pages for each of our campuses and feel free to share with current families and alumni.

• Orlando Science Schools (K-12): https://www.linkedin.com/company/orlando-science-schools/
  
• Osceola Science Charter School (K-8): https://www.linkedin.com/company/osceola-science-charter-school/
  
• Seminole Science Charter School (K-8): https://www.linkedin.com/company/seminole-science-charter-school/

This is an easy way to help raise money for Orlando Science Schools. Use the link below when shopping from Amazon. 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.

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

Hello OSS Families! Please remember that BOX TOPS are a wonderful FREE way to raise funds for our school. Each Box Top is worth $.10 and they really add up. Please make sure to continuously send these in so that I can mail them before their expiration dates. The monies received go to supporting our academic and sport teams, the PLTW (Project Lead the Way) along with many other OSS programs and classroom needs. If you would like to learn more about the Box Tops program go to www.btfe.com. Please register or login today. Make sure that you designate Orlando Science Schools as your school support.

To see a complete list of products go to: https://www.boxtops4education.com/earn/participating-products

Also, it is very important to check those expiration dates. We do not receive any credit for expired Box Tops.

Thank you so much for your support of Orlando Science Middle High School. For questions or thoughts please email me at jmallonee@cfl.rr.com.

Happy Clipping!

Denise Mallonee

Dear Orlando Science Lynx Lane and Technology High School Families,

It is time to join the Parent Volunteer Organization (PVO). Membership is $25 per family for returning families and $30 for new families, your membership dues go directly back into the school to provide items and supplies for our teachers. We are also asking that PVO members work with specific committees (School Improvement, Fundraising, Volunteer Work, Teacher Appreciation, Events, Etc.) Please utilize the SCHOOL PAY link below to pay your dues.

If you have questions, comments, or requests, you may email OSS.PVO@orlandoscience.org . A formal PVO committee, including president and vice-president, will be announced at the end of the first quarter of the 2018-2019 School Year. PVO will hold bi-monthly meetings that will inform parents of progress, agendas, and upcoming events.

Thank you for all of your help and support as we look forward to a great year.

If you are an ADDitions approved volunteer, OSHS can use your help! We are looking for parents or responsible adults over the age of 18 to help during lunch times (approximately 11am-1pm) and during car line before and after school. Please contact Ms. Foley to schedule the exact time slots. All volunteers must complete the ADDitions application is here: https://ocps.samaritan.com/custom/503/ beforehand. Thank you for all you do to help make OSHS great!

Orcas interested in dressing down for their birthday MUST submit a "Dress Down Day" form (found below) to Ms. Rebel at least two business days prior to the requested dress down date.

Technology Drive High School Orcas Families please make sure to review the Dress Code with your students. Dress Code may be found on page 29 in the OSS Handbook HS 2018-2019 below.

Families whose Free/Reduced lunch applications have expired, please take a moment and fill out the OCPS Free/Reduced Meal Application today! It must be completed each year to qualify for this federally funded program. To fill out the application click the link below.

Email: info@orlandoscience.org
Website: http://orlandoscience.org/highschool/
Location: 2600 Technology Drive, Orlando, FL, USA
Phone: (407)299-6595
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/orlandoscience/
Twitter: @OrlandoSciMH