Dear OSS Families,

Help us spread the word about the opening of our Orlando Science East Campus located near UCF. It will be opening August of 2020 for grades K-6 with the addition of a higher grade each year to include grades K-8 by 2022. Students attending our East Campus will be able to continue at Orlando Science Charter High School which is located on Technology Drive. We would like to welcome our new East Orlando Campus to our Orlando Science family. They will have the same outstanding programs and educational model that we currently have at our existing campuses including:

· Small class size and individual attention for our students

· Award-winning academic and extracurricular programs

· Robotics, Science and Math Olympiad programs

· State of the art STEM classrooms, labs and media center

· Dedicated teachers and staff

· Hands-on learning experiences

· Full-time Gifted program

Orlando Science Charter School is a tuition free STEM focused public charter school. Orlando Science has been rated the #1 school in 2018 and 2019 in Central Florida by Niche. US News also rated Orlando Science Charter High School the best high school in Central Florida.

While our plans are progressing, we would like to ask for your participation by filling in an interest application to help us determine the capacity of each grade level. If you are on the waitlist for one of our current campuses or would like to transfer your children to the east campus, please complete the application form below by February 15th, 2019.

http://www.orlandoscience.org/orlando-science-east-campus

Sincerely,

Yalcin Akin, Ph.D

Executive Director

Orlando-Seminole- Osceola

Science Charter Schools

Dear Families and Students,

I hope you all had a wonderful week! Below you will find our upcoming OSHS announcements and reminders.

Saturday Leadership Academy and AP Studies will continue tomorrow, February 9th, at the high school campus. Check the newsletter or OSS Connect for the most accurate schedule of courses and room assignments.

We have many ORCAS doing amazing things this month! Read all about our math teams, fencing team, robotics teams, teacher of the month and more.

In today's issue we have shared the 2019 testing schedule. Please keep these dates in mind when scheduling upcoming vacations and appointments. This year there are 3 testing Wednesdays where OSS High School campus will not have early release; see the schedule for all the details.

Orlando Science Middle High was pleased to celebrate "National School Counselor Week!" National School Counseling Week, sponsored by ASCA, highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career! We would also like to take this time to thank our very own School Counselor Ms. Perez for EVERYTHING she does for our ORCA Family! We are truly grateful for her and the difference she makes at Orlando Science Middle High!

February 15th is an important deadline for both FSU's Young Scholar Program AND the Support Our Scholars girls scholarship opportunity. Find links to applications for both of these great opportunities below.

Orca families, Pizza Day will return next Thursday, February 14th, 2019 and continue every Thursday until the remainder of the year. The cost is $2 for one slice and $5 for two(2) slices and drink.

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

Respectfully,

Abdulaziz Yalcin, M.Ed

Principal

Orlando Science Schools-Middle/High

Students who have signed up for Saturday Studies should be prepared for the third session this Saturday, February 9th. Session one is from 9am-10:30am and Session 2 is from 10:40am-12:10pm. Check back on OSS Connect each Friday for the most up to date Saturday Studies schedule.

3rd Quarter Parent Teacher Conference Nights will take place on

Tuesday, February 12th and Wednesday, February 13th.

Sign Ups will take place starting today, Friday, February 1st at 6pm by clicking the link below. At 6pm on Friday, February 8th, the Sign Up window will close.

Please read through the Sign Up information carefully before selecting a time slot. Don't forget you may always email your student's teachers to make an appointment which fits your schedule. Once spots are filled, please email your student's teachers to arrange an appointment for another date and time, no additional spots will be added to these nights. There will be no wait list created, please check back for canceled time slots.

OSHS is pleased to celebrate "Black History Month" this February! Each week we will feature one influential African-American who helped shaped our society. This week we are pleased to feature Dr. Gladys West.

Gladys West was born in Dinwiddie County, Virginia to a farming family in a community of sharecroppers. After gaining a scholarship for achieving the first place in her high-school class, she studied mathematics at Virginia State College. After graduation she taught mathematics for 2 years and ultimately accepted a job at a Dahlgreen Naval Base.

"Dr. Gladys West is among a small group of women who did computing for the U.S. military in the era before electronic systems. Hired in 1956 as a mathematician at the U.S. Naval Weapons Laboratory, she participated in a path-breaking, award-winning astronomical study that proved, during the early 1960s, the regularity of Pluto’s motion relative to Neptune. Thereafter, from the mid-1970s through the 1980s, using complex algorithms to account for variations in gravitational, tidal, and other forces that distort Earth’s shape, she programmed an IBM 7030 “Stretch” computer to deliver increasingly refined calculations for an extremely accurate geodetic Earth model, a geoid, optimized for what ultimately became the GPS orbit.

The Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Award pays tribute to the leaders of the early years of the Air Force space program, as well as the subsequent innovators whose vision and perseverance overcame the obstacles of the unknown, those who transformed the cutting edge of technology into operational systems, and those who dedicated their lives to exploring space in support of our national security concerns."

She is described as one of the pioneering hidden figures who did essential mathematical computing for the US Armed Forces before electronic systems.

Source: www.af.mil, www.bbcnews.com

Celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of African-Americans to our country. Special events throughout the month include lectures, cultural performances and film screenings. Click below for a detailed schedule.

Congratulations to OSHS Calculus teacher Mr. Akyalcin for being nominated by his peers for December Teacher of the Month! His involvement and organization of the OSS Mu Alpha Theta team and many various math competitions show his commitment to challenging our Mathletes and helping them do their best. Thank you for your dedication of time and energy to serve our students, you make OSS a better place!

Orlando Science Varsity fencing team qualifies to go to the Junior Olympics in Denver, Colorado from February 15th through the 18th competing in many styles of fencing! Here are our members:

This past Saturday, February 2nd, 2019, our middle and high school mathletes competed in the Mu Alpha Theta Regional Competition at Suncoast High School. They performed very well and received several placements, including:

• 2nd Place Algebra 1 Team

• 1st Place Geometry Team

• 1st Place Algebra 2 Team

• 5th Place Calculus Team

• 1st Place Individual in Geometry: Aadi N.

• 1st Place Individual in Algebra 2 Ritam B.

We would like to congratulate all of our mathletes! Well done.

Congratulations to the TEACHERS who won NHS's first annual Teachers vs Students Soccer Game! Our students gave them a run for their money and next year we anticipate an even more amazing showing! Thank you to EVERYONE who participated, supported, donated, and helped with the event -- with your help, NHS raised nearly $400 for the American Cancer Society and Relay for Life. A special thank you goes out to Mrs. Foley and Mrs. Mulligan for all their help making sure the event was a success!

OSHS student Alexis D. conducted her first Career Aid For Young Immigrants and Refugees (CAFYIR) workshop at Vista Lakes Elementary School in December 2018. She brought three OSHS volunteers and had 18 students from countries such as Venezuela, Colombia , Haiti, Dominican Republic, Germany, and India attend the workshop. It was a great success, the students enjoyed setting goals and creating vision boards. They are scheduled to do another full day event over Spring Break with the same group of immigrant students, and some more. She is in the process of scheduling workshops with some other elementary schools. Any OSES immigrant students and families interested in participating in CAFYIR workshops with Alexis should contact Orlando Science High School.

Last Sunday, February 3rd, 2019, 7 OSS FTC robotics teams participated in the Tesla League Championships. They had a great time competing with their robots and interacting with teams across central Florida. Our teams performed exceptionally well; awards are listed below. We are especially proud of FTC 6379 Clockwork Mania, who qualified to progress on to the State Championships! Congratulations to all our teams and good job for all your hard work throughout the season!

FTC 6379 Clockwork Mania - Think Award (1st Place), Control Award (2nd Runner Up), Connect Award (2nd Runner Up)

FTC 10567 Kube Khaos - Promote Award (1st Place)

FTC 5070 NUTS - 2nd Place Overall

FTC 15065 Binary Bosses - 3rd place overall

FTC 15517 P.A.W.S. - Finalist Alliance

On January 25th-27th Madison D. and Alexis D. attended the GatorMUN Conference at UF. There were about 1,000 students competing in 25 different committees. Madison and Alexis competed in General Assembly Committees each with about 50 students. Madison was Cuba in the World Trade Organization, and Alexis was Eritrea in the International Labor Organization. Alexis placed 6th in her committee. Overall it was a great experience! Congratulations!

This week is National School Counseling Week! In honor of this week, Ms. Perez, our School Counselor, is interested in debunking some common myths about school counseling.

Myth #1: School Counselors only help the neediest students.

Fact: School Counselors provide ALL students with the supports and a standards-based school counseling core curriculum to address universal social/emotional development.

Myth #2: School Counselors and other types of educators can be hired interchangeably.

Fact: As a Mental Health Designee in the schools, we have completed a specific Master’s degree program and are uniquely trained in areas of human development, trauma, relationships, crisis response, and specific counseling techniques and theories. *Fun Fact* Ms. Perez has an Education Specialist Degree in Mental Health Counseling as well as her Master’s in the same area. She’s also worked closely with those struggling with eating disorders, depression and anxiety.

Myth #3: School Counselors have a job that’s similar to an administrator.

Fact: The role of an administrator can be discipline-oriented in nature or at least perceived that way. The role of a school counselor aims to be restorative, supportive, and student-centered. It’s not appropriate for school counselors to perform disciplinary actions or to assign consequences.

Myth #4: School Counselors give long-term, intensive therapy for students who need it.

Fact: School Counselors provide short-term, brief, solution-focused & structured interventions for students. We refer out when a student needs ongoing therapeutic services.

Myth #5: Guidance Counselor & School Counselor… Same thing, right?

Fact: The term “Guidance Counselor” is outdated - the position focused only on graduation and course selection for secondary students. Today’s school counselors are working hard to eliminate the term! School Counselors are trained professionals who focus on the academic, personal/social and emotional development of all students at every stage of their journey.

A Note from Ms. Perez:

I am happy to be working with such great students, parents, teachers, and staff and am grateful for the opportunity to share National School Counseling Week 2019 with you. Have a wonderful weekend!

Attention OSHS GIRLS: "Support our Scholars" is a four year scholarship exclusively for girls. Their organization selects young women with exceptional academic achievement and then mentors them throughout their four years of college and beyond. The program supports disadvantaged and/or first-generation students need the support of mentors and stipends to accomplish their goal of graduating college. Through this one-of-a-kind program, these young pioneers have a better chance to fulfill their dream of becoming a college graduate.

Each scholar chosen receives:

• Trained Mentor
• $10,000 Stipend (paid in increments throughout their four years of college)
• Complete Dorm Room Provisions
• Laptop Computer
• Support Team of Business Women for contacts and internships

ACT QUICKLY! Applications must be received by Friday, February 15, 2019. Please email application and all required documents to applications@supportourscholars.org. Download the application using the button below.

2019 Mandatory Dates and Deadlines:

February 15th: Applications Due Date
March 29th: Applicants Notified for Scholar Interview Day
April 7th: Scholar Interview Day
April 12th: Chosen Scholars Notified
April 28th: Scholar and Mentor Boot Camp
May 17th: Dorm Shower

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.

Currently, the Orlando Science School Band Program at both the middle school and high school are raising money to fund their program. Their current fundraiser is a Snap-Raise fundraiser. This type of fundraiser does not hinge on actively selling products or services but instead requests help and donations from patrons. The band program is asking for help in raising the funds they need to purchase music, maintain and repair equipment, and purchase new or missing equipment. The link at the bottom takes you to the band's Snap-Raise page with more information on donating to their cause or spreading their story. Anything that anybody can offer will be appreciated. Even if you cannot provide financial assistance, forwarding the link with their story to others and through social media can go far to help them achieve their goals. If you would like any further information about the fundraiser, you may contact Mr. Jenkins.

https://www.snap-raise.com/fundraisers/orlando-science-charter-band-2019

Attention 8th graders: Our class is planning to take a field trip on Friday, May 17, 2019 to Universal Studios! Please complete the field trip permission form on the last page of the document below and return it before the deadline date.

Attention OSHS current 10th and 11th grade students: We are pleased to share with you an opportunity for Florida State University's Young Scholars Program (YSP). It is a six-week residential science and mathematics summer program for Florida high school students with significant potential for careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The program was developed in 1983 and is currently administered by the Office of Science Teaching Activities in the College of Arts and Sciences at Florida State University. For more details, please visit the Program Information page.

Eligibility:
The program is designed for students who have completed the eleventh grade in a Florida public or private high school. A few exceptionally qualified and mature tenth graders have been selected in past years, though this is quite rare.

To be considered for acceptance, applicants must:

• Maintain at least a 3.0 GPA (unweighted)
  
• Have received a score in the 90th percentile or better in math on a nationally standardized exam (i.e., SAT, PSAT, ACT, or PLAN) before the application deadline
  
• Be enrolled in or have completed Pre-Calculus
  
• Be able to commit for the entire six weeks of the program (no exceptions will be made for travel to other summer internship opportunities, sports camps, Mu Alpha Theta, etc.)
  
• Maintain a permanent residence in the state of Florida
  

Important Program Dates 2019:
January 1: Applications available online
February 15: Application deadline (must be postmarked by this day)
May 15: Admissions decisions finalized (on or before this day)
October 15: Summative evaluations available to students (on or before this day)

Click the application link below to apply. Good luck!

The OSS PVO Committee representing the

Elementary, Middle, Junior High, and High School

are holding their Third Annual Fall Festival to raise funds for our schools!

Annual OSS Fall Festival Fundraiser will be held on

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Something for everyone, from toddler to adult with Inflatable houses, jousting, and slide; Games; Food; Bake sales; Silent auction; Raffles; Vendors; Health Fair

TIME: 11am – 5pm

LOCATION: OSS Elementary and Middle School

2611 Technology Dr. Orlando, FL. 32804

PARKING: Free parking at Magic Mall with shuttle service to the school. $5 Preferred Parking at the Technology elementary and high school parking lot

This is where we need your help! We have various sponsorships at all levels available to fill. If you would like to be a business sponsor, individual sponsor, or know of a business that would be willing to be a sponsor, please contact us.

We are working diligently to fill all the spots.

With your help, we can reach this year’s goal to increase our profits!

Please feel free to contact our PVO Committee below for more information on sponsorship levels, to submit a sponsor referral, or if you would like to become involved with the PVO committee. Our kids are this country’s future; please help us support our school’s needs by supporting the efforts of the OSS PVO committee.

OSS.PVO@orlandoscience.org

Visit our webpage for one stop shop for festival information:

www.OrlandoScience.org/Fall-Festival-2019

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:

Senior yearbook ads are now available!

Purchase an advertisement for your senior today. Include pictures and a short message for your student before they graduate. After payment is made be sure to email your pictures and your message to Ms. Lizarazo to make sure the correct information is placed in the yearbook.

Full page ad:

https://www.schoolpay.com/pay/for/FULL-PAGE-Senior-Yearbook--Advertisement-/IdDLy

1/2 page ad:

https://www.schoolpay.com/pay/for/HALF-PAGE-Senior-Yearbook--Advertisement-/IdDLx

Due date is March 29, 2019

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.

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!

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