FED Newsletter

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We will be announcing more exciting events next semester! You can currently register for our Winter Expos, Science Fairs, and STEAM events using links further down in the newsletter.

Click the "play" button below to learn about some of our upcoming events!

Is 2023-24 your very first year with Epic? If you are brand-spanking new to Epic Charter Schools, we want to hear from you. We want to help you navigate the Epic model and have the most successful year possible! Click the button below.

Don't miss out on the Epic 2024 Winter Expos! We will have various Epic departments on site to answer your questions. We are offering informative parent & caregiver breakout sessions, as well as engaging student sessions. We will have new and updated information presented at these sessions. There is something for both new and veteran Epic families! Families will leave with information and resources that will enable them to have success in the 2024 spring semester. We will also have photographers on site for school pictures and a Scholastic Book Fair!

Please join us at the Lawton, OKC, Glenpool and Norman Winter Expos for a free Mini Health Fair! We will be offering: vision, hearing and dental screenings, as well as sports physicals and blood pressure checks. Each student participating in at least one health check will receive a health swag bag! Don’t miss this great opportunity! Click the links below for details and to register!

Jan. 11 - Lawton Winter Expo

Jan. 18 - Muskogee Winter Expo

Jan. 22 - Enid Winter Expo

Jan. 26 - OKC Winter Expo

Jan. 31 - Tulsa Area Winter Expo

Feb. 6 - Norman Winter Expo

Feb. 15 - Durant Winter Expo

We have many more exciting field trips coming up after the winter break!

Jan. 17 - Oklahoma History Center - OKC

Jan. 24th Field Trip - We Rock the Spectrum (Sensory Gym) - Weatherford

In the next several newsletters, we will go over some basic information about Special Education.

EPIC SCIENCE FAIRS

Save the date! We will be bringing an Epic Science Fair to 7 different cities in Oklahoma this year! Click the links below for more details and to register.

Jan. 11 - Lawton, OK

Jan. 18 - Muskogee, OK

Jan. 22 - Enid, OK

Jan. 26 - OKC

Jan. 31 - Glenpool, OK

Feb. 6 - Norman, OK

Feb. 15 - Durant, OK

STEAM-SciTechEngArtMath

Bring your family and enjoy exploring science, technology, engineering, art and math in an interactive and engaging environment! It's time to put your creative minds to work. Prepare to engage your creativity and imagination through hands-on S.T.E.A.M. activities. Click the links below for more details and to register.

Jan. 26 - STEAM -OKC

Jan. 31 - STEAM -Glenpool

Feb. 6 - STEAM -Norman

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIRS

Scholastic Book Fairs are coming to the Lawton, Muskogee, OKC, Tulsa, and Norman Expo events!

INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC COMPETITIONS

Epic is participating in the 2023-24 International Academic Competitions. There will be options for, a Geography, History and Science Bee. There are free regional qualifying exams that will all take place online Jan.1 - Feb. 1. This is for students in grades 1-8. To participate in the qualifying exams, please click here and follow the steps.

CLICK THE VIDEO LINK BELOW

Jan. 17th - Food Bank of Eastern OK Community Service Epic STAFF Day - Tulsa

Jan. 25th - The Little Lighthouse Community Service Opportunity - Tulsa

Our school-wide Fall Giveback is still ongoing! It's not too late to partner with The Epic HUGS Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to assembling care packages for enlisted troops deployed overseas. Epic is busy assembling complete care packages containing snacks, toiletries, books, games and heartfelt letters. These care packages and letters serve as a powerful reminder to our troops that they are not forgotten!

Click here for details on care packages and how you can participate. Don't forget to fill out the Interest Form and indicate the number of boxes you would like to assemble.You can give the boxes to your teacher and they can bring them to the Staff Appreciation Luncheon on Dec. 15, or you can drop them off at any of our three drop-off locations.

If you wish to help fund the shipment of the care packages, you can donate by visiting the link below. It costs $20 to ship each package, so any amount that will bring us closer to our goal is appreciated! Important Note: Add the school name Epic to your Display Name when you visit the donation website. (Example: Your name - Epic). Access the donation website here or scan the QR code. Let’s serve those who serve us!

Would you like an easy way to see what events are happening in your area? This map shows where our events are located throughout the state. Registration links are included for upcoming events when available. Click on the image to access the interactive map.

At Epic, we offer a variety of clubs and activities for students to join. These events and organizations are a great way for students to find their niche among students with similar interests and goals. Below is a list of a few clubs and organizations that fall under the Epic Family Engagement Department to get involved in this year. Click the links for more details.

Key Club

Military

STUCO MS/HS

4-H

Chess Club

Interact (Rotary International)

NCAA - Thank you to everyone who attended the November NCAA Parent & Student meetings! If you were unable to attend, click here for the November slides. Upcoming meetings, high school students Jan. 12; grades 7-8, Jan. 12; Parents - March 7. All meetings are held at this Zoom link.

Questions? Email Jana Janzen at jana.janzen@epiccharterschools.org.

NHS/NJHS

Feb. 26 6 p.m. - NHS/NJHS Induction Quest Church- Norman (Invitation Only).

Feb. 29 6 p.m. - NHS/NJHS Induction Glenpool Conv. Center - Tulsa (Invitation Only).

March 5 2 p.m. - NHS/NJHS Induction Virtual (Invitation Only).

For a complete list of extracurricular opportunities and student organizations within Epic, check out the Student Life section of our website.

What Does Epic Homecoming look like?

• In-person Hang Outs in Edmond, Lawton, and Tulsa for students grades 5-12. Come and play games and interact with Epic peers.

• Virtual dress-up days, show off your school spirit on Facebook with the hashtag #EpicHoco2023

• Support our awesome esports team through Twitch. Watch our esports Team compete in State Competition and an exhibition during our Hang-Outs.

Click the links below to register for one of our middle and high school Homecoming Hang-Out events!

Dec. 12-Lawton Middle School & High School Hang-Out-3-6 p.m.

Dec. 14-Middle School-OKC Metro Homecoming Hang-Out-4-6 p.m.

Dec. 14-High School-OKC Metro Homecoming Hang-Out-6-8 p.m.

Dec. 14-Tulsa/NE-Middle School & High School Hang-Out-4-6 p.m.

Click the "button" below to learn more about the fun activities that will be taking place during homecoming!

The fall semester of Peer Tutoring concluded on Dec. 8. We had a great semester with amazing tutors and wonderful tutees. We ended the semester with an overall attendance percentage rate of 40%! Thank you teachers for your support and encouragement. As we prepare for the spring semester, we are currently taking tutor applications. Applications are open to Epic students in grades 9-12 who are seeking an Internship or Next Step elective credit. It is a great opportunity for Epic high school students to build relationships with younger Epic students, assist in their education and also earn an elective credit. Click here for the application.

The Epic Peer Tutoring Department will be opening enrollment to students who participated in Peer Tutoring in the fall session and students who scored within the 20th-39th percentile on the Star Winter Benchmark on January 22nd. Please be watching your emails for invitations! Enrollment will open to ALL Epic students on January 29th. Peer tutoring availability will be limited. Please enroll your students early so the student he/she may receive the full benefit of peer tutoring. Tutoring sessions will start on Monday February 5 and end on Friday March 15. We are looking forward to an amazing spring semester.

Dates to Remember:

• January 10 - VIRTUAL Monitor Training 4:00-6:00
• January 12 - VIRTUAL Tutor Training 1:00-3:00
• January 17 - IN PERSON Tutor Training Tulsa Area 1:00-3:00 SNU Tulsa Rm # 102
• January 24 - IN PERSON Tutor Training OKC Are 11:00-1:00 50 Penn Rm #239

An EPAT is an Epic Parent As a Teacher. We have expanded and now have 12 EPAT parents readily available to teach other parents the Epic models with personal insights of their own. One of the credentials of an EPAT is that they have been with Epic for several years and currently have an Epic student. This position allows parents, teachers and administration to create a cohesive partnership for the betterment of all our Epic students and their educations. EPATs meet via email, phone, Zoom or in person with families to help support and guide them with any questions they may have about PowerSchool, field trips, clubs, etc. EPATs are the perfect liaison between Epic staff and families.

Epic Beginnings is a free family-support program designed to prepare young children from birth to age 5 who reside in a household with at least one Epic student but who are not Epic students themselves. Tell us what you’d like to see with Epic Beginnings. Fill out our Family Interest and Availability survey here. Get to know a little more about Epic Beginnings by clicking here.

Dec. 12 - Epic Staff Epic Beginnings Coffee Talk-Virtual

Dec. 13 - Coffee Talk OKC

Jan. 16 - Coffee Talk-Lawton

Jan. 24 - Coffee Talk-Enid

For more information on Epic Beginnings, please reach out to Shallena Miller at epicbeginnings@epiccharterschools.org.

This month's Healthy Habits Challenge is all about lunges! Keep tabs on your progress and don't forget to tag us in your pictures and videos showcasing your victories in this monthly challenge. You can print off December's calendar by clicking the link below.

December Healthy Habits Fitness Challenge Calendar

Check out our Healthy Habits Cooking Show on YouTube for quick, healthy recipes!

Be sure to click in the YouTube comments section for the recipe.

Zucchini Bread

Pathways is a new program that offers an opportunity for adults between the ages of 21-25 to earn their traditional high school diploma. Young adult students work virtually with support from certified educators, mentors, and tutors to become “future ready.” The Pathways Team would like to extend our congratulations to Roy Wilkerson for earning his Epic Charter High School Diploma! A huge thank you goes out to KOCO for sharing Pathways with Oklahoma! Check out the story here.

If you or someone you know falls within this age group and needs to complete their high school education, follow this link to start your educational journey!

Contact Pathways by emailing pathways@epiccharterschools.org.

• Dec. 12: USO Oklahoma (Fort Sill) Nov Coffee Connections @ 3265 Crane Ave, Fort Sill, OK at 2:30 p.m.
  

• Dec. 19: Veteran's Coffee Social @ Cleveland County Wellness Square, 210 S. James Garner Ave. Classroom 100 Norman, OK 73069 from 9-10 a.m.

• Jan. 16: Veteran's Coffee Social @ Cleveland County Wellness Square, 210 S. James Garner Ave. Classroom 100 Norman, OK 73069 from 9-10 a.m.

• Feb. 20: Veteran's Coffee Social @ Cleveland County Wellness Square, 210 S. James Garner Ave. Classroom 100 Norman, OK 73069 from 9-10 a.m.

Whether your child struggles to read or can't get enough, it is important for students to have time dedicated to silent reading. Check out this Take 5 video for tips on how to incorporate this into your student's weekly schedule.

Do you need to change your email for Epic communication? It is super simple. Click the button below for easy to follow steps!

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

The Oklahoma City Community Foundation (OCFF) has connected donors with Oklahoma students to help them achieve their education dreams. This important service has made OCCF one of the largest independent scholarship providers in the state.

OKLAHOMA ALLIANCE FOR ARTS EDUCATION BOOKMARK CONTEST

It's time for the 6th annual Oklahoma Alliance for Arts Education Bookmark contest! The contest is open to students in grades K-12 who attend school in the state of Oklahoma. Winners will be chosen from each division: Kindergarten - 5th Grade, 6th - 8th Grade, and 9th - 12th Grade.

The artwork must be the original work of the student, whether computer generated or hand drawn. Entries must be submitted on an official entry form to maintain correct sizing for printing. Entries should be decorated with color, outlined in fine point black marker, and be created on white paper. Bookmarks can incorporate text, if desired.

For more information, visit the OAAE bookmark website. Contest deadline is December 15, 2023.

OKLAHOMA ARTS INSTITUTE QUARTZ MOUNTAIN

This fall, the Oklahoma Arts Institute (OAI) is offering free OAI Quartz Preview Days around the state! These Preview Days are designed to be a snapshot of what a student would experience at the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute (OSAI). We are offering workshops in eight artistic disciplines: acting, chorus, creative writing, dance, drawing and painting, film and video, orchestra and photography. Each Preview Day will feature a lecture and/or masterclass led by an Oklahoma artist on a topic relevant to their artistic discipline (e.g. still life drawing, how to choose an acting monologue). There will be a discussion and Q&A regarding the discipline-specific audition requirements for OSAI. All Preview Days are free and open to middle and high school students and teachers.

If you’re interested in learning more or registering to attend an OAI Quartz Preview Day, click here.

SNU MUSIC EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES

Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Okla., would like to share some services and events they have for Epic students.

School of Music Inquiry Form: Students should complete this form if they want to receive automatic invitations for our music events on campus.

Commercial Music Production Preview Dates

Please reach out to Lacey Phelps at phelps@mail.snu.edu