Dear Families and Students,

I hope you had a wonderful start to the Month of October! We have a few exciting items to share with you and important reminders.

We are first pleased to announce that Orlando Business Journal ranked Orlando Science Middle High as the #1 Public High School in Central Florida. This is an outstanding achievement that would not be possible without our hardworking students, faculty and the Orlando Science Families. Thank you for contributing to this great success!

Congratulations to our September Commendation winners pictured in this week's newsletter, continue keeping up the great work! I would also like to congratulate our Orlando Science Middle School Soccer team on both victories this week! Our Orcas have been working hard and it has not gone unnoticed. More details regarding next week's game can be found below.

Our 2nd Annual PVO Sponsored Fall Festival is right around the corner, this week's newsletter is packed with details regarding early bird wristbands, donations, volunteer opportunities, sponsorships and more. Please be sure to read each item carefully, you will not want to miss out on this wonderful event!

Orcas we are now on week six in our Science Fair process, be sure to visit our "Science Fair Quarters" in this week's newsletter for week six details, and any previous week's updates and forms. This is a reminder that there will follow our normal "Early Release" schedule next Wednesday, October 10th 2018.

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

Respectfully,

Abdulaziz Yalcin, M.Ed

Principal

Orlando Science Schools-Middle/High

Orlando Science Middle High School has done it again! The Orlando Business Journal announced on October 1st 2018 that Orlando Science Middle/High Charter is the 2019 #1 Best Public High School in the Orlando Area! "Niche, an online ranking service, analyzed several factors, including state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores, teacher quality, and high school rankings to came up with the list of the best public schools in Central Florida's Orange, Seminole, Lake and Volusia counties."(Orlando Busines Journal). For the full list of school rankings, click here. Congratulations Orca students, families and staff on a job well done. Keep up the hard work!

Please join me to congratulating Russell Abedeen (12th Grade) and Kevin Rocha (12th Grade) for being named as Semifinalists in 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program with an index score of 227 and 219 respectively. According to the National Merit Scholarship Programs, “these academically talented seniors will have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some of the 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth $31 million offered in the spring of 2019.” We wish you the best of luck in completing the requirements for the next step in becoming a National Merit Finalist!

Orlando Science High School student Harshitha U. scored a perfect 36 on the ACT college admission test. She got the perfect score at her first try after a hard preparation. In addition to her academic talents, she is a very active member of the school community. Congratulations Harshitha! Go Orcas!

Congratulations to OSHS students Joshua P., Rayan N. and Nikhil R. aka OMEGA team! They submitted three car designs and are now Semifinalists in the A' design competition. "Car and Land Based Motor Vehicles Design Award is a freestyle design competition open to all; concept stage, prototype or finished car designs by professional and young designers, design studios, car stylists, in-house design teams and design oriented automobile manufacturers and the creative industry worldwide" (adesignaward.com). Their designs will be showcased to Ferrari, Lamborghini, Koenigsegg, Karma, McLaren, Mercedes, Bugatti and Porsche this weekend in Italy. The companies will vote for the best design and announce a winner soon.

Good luck OMEGA team!

Orlando Science High School would like to congratulate the students pictured below who were observed exhibiting behavior “above and beyond” what is expected in the month of September. Students are randomly selected each month from the total list of submitted commendations. Congratulations!

#commendationwinners #AlwaysStriving #WeAreOrlandoScience

Yasmine K

Dante A

Serena S

Nikhil R

Harvik K

Siyona M

Mary Ann B

Gabriel G

Richard O

Ryan S

Trent S

Vimal B

Ethen O

Abhiram A

Nelson Y

Science Fair Week 6 update
STEM Art! Now that the research plans are essentially done, we can now focus on our other STEM activities. Our Schools will be competing in a STEM art challenge. There are still monetary prizes, gift certificates, for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place per campus!, but unlike last year we will be submitting these projects for further competitions and further accolades. So if they didn’t win the $30 gift certificate in the first round, they can still win something in the future. This year’s theme will be biomimicry! Students are to complete a 2D colorful artwork (Painting, Collage, or even an Original Computer Graphic Design). The projects need to include an index card with a written description of the art. Please make sure that they submit their STEM Art Project to their science/art teacher by October 12th! I will be going around to each of the campuses on the 17th to collect your top 5 projects. Finalist will be announced during the fall festival on October 20th! Detail about the other art competitions will be given out in the future. They include the Crayola competition, Winter Park Sidewalk Competition, and the SECME Poster Competition.
This week we are still wrapping up our research plans! Your science teacher may be looking at what you have done and be grading you on the content. They may ask you to change somethings, edit and resubmit some forms. The research plans need to be perfect. Experiments and projects need to be approved of before they start. It is important for us and others to know what your detailed plan is. This is very important in matters of safety and responsibilities. Some common errors to the paperwork (research plan, forms and bibliography):
• Bibliography not properly formatted or does not have ISEF rules listed.
• Form is missing or is properly not signed.
• Forms do not have proper dates (Form 1A leave those dates blank, when in doubt leave them blank!)
• Adult sponsor is incorrect (It should be the science teacher! Parents are not the adult sponsor)
You need to scan and save a copy of the forms and research plan for your own records! Some teachers might be asking for the forms and research plans later and it is imperative that you have a copy. The research plan and the forms will be turned in to your teacher. Please do not have staples!
There is a documentary opening this weekend at Winter Park Village Cinemas 20 called, “Science Fair”. It has received great reviews, but has had very little advertisement and has not been well attended, thus it won’t be in the theaters very long. I would urge students to check this film out if they can. Maybe it will provide some motivation to some!! It is highly recommended for high school students!!!
Show times this weekend at 11:50 and 2:05.
Best of luck Orcas!
Mr. Stampas

Thank you!

Mr. Stampas

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 michael.lakner@orlandoscience.org 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

It is that time of year to submit your "Senior Quote" for the yearbook. You may submit your quote via the form below. All forms (digital or paper) are DUE TO MS. LIZARAZO BY FRIDAY NOVEMBER 2ND 2018. If you have any questions please contact Giovanna.Lizarazo@OrlandoScience.org.

Seniors of Hispanic heritage, read the flyer below presented by the Hispanic Heritage foundation to learn more about their 2018 Youth Awards. There are educational grants available to winners! The deadline for applications is Monday, October 15th!

On Tuesday between 4pm and 6pm, Orlando Science Seniors had a chance to work on their essay with Ms. Stevens and multiple volunteer teachers and received immediate support and feedback to improve their essays. This was the second one of the workshop series and more to happen in the upcoming weeks. Looking forward to great college essays and applications results. Way to go Class of 2019!

We want you for career day! On November 1st OSHS is host a 2018 Career Day. This invitation is extended to any and all professionals, even retirees. These professionals will present a 10 min engaging session with students as the kids rotate through their normal period schedule. These presentations can be a PowerPoint slideshow showcasing a their typical daily life and work environment or even a quick lecture as to why they got into that career and how school helped. After the 10 min presentation, we hope to engage the students with a quick Q and A and even with an interactive community problem that the professional can guide the students in solving. If you have questions feel free to email Mr. Stampas at Stampas@orlandoscience.org.

On Tuesday after school, the parents of our alumni Abhinav Dhulipala shared their experience with our juniors and seniors in college preparation, application process and the decision process in majors like Computer Science and Computer Engineering. Abhi is now in his first year at UC Berkeley. Thank you so much Mrs. and Mr. Dhulipala for a great presentation! It was a lot of fun and very informative.

Dear Parents and Students,

Due to conflict with other programs, I would like to let you know that we updated our PSAT/NMSQT testing date. The new date is Wednesday, October 10th, 2018. Please view the attached file for important information and links about PSAT/NMSQT. If you have any questions pertaining to the PSAT/NMSQT please contact Mr. Han.

Here are the test dates and registration deadlines. We recommend taking at least one of each test to see which one works better for you. October, November and December test results are the most useful dates for the college applications. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Sincerely, Mr. I

The next 2018-19 SAT Administration Dates

November 3, 2018

Registration Deadline: October 5, 2018

Late Registration Deadline: October 16, 2018 (for mailed registrations), October 24, 2018 (for registrations made online or by phone)

The next 2018-2019 ACT Administration Date

December 8, 2018

Registration Deadline: November 2, 2018

We are pleased to announce that our Middle School Soccer Team won their game on Tuesday, October 2nd 2018 against Renaissance Charter Golden Rod with a score of 3-1. Congratulations Orcas on a job well done!

The Orlando Science Middle School Soccer team earned another win on Wednesday, October 3rd 2018 against CFLA with a score of 10-1! This is huge victory for our team and we so proud of your hard work! Keep it up Orcas! Well done!

Greetings Orca families,

The current book count of the OSHS library stands at 375! I would like to extend a sincere THANK-YOU to the families who have generously donated to our new library thus far:

Akella family

Akin family

De'Waina Bradford

Canatay family

Dorman family

Colin Foley

Foisy family

Mischa Fortna

Ganaban family

Halabi family

Khan family

Melo-Pereira family

Nana family

O'Connor family

Oikle family

Parekattil family

Simons-Tully family

Taje-Sanders family

Trujillo family

Yore family

The Media Center is open and students are coming in to borrow books, study and to check out Chromebooks. Keep those book donations rolling in! Check out the many titles our team suggests here on the OSHS Media Center Amazon Wishlist. If you would like to donate any of these items (new or gently used), please send them to the Media Center. Titles do not need to be purchased from Amazon.

Donations that will be shipped to the school, please deliver to:

Orlando Science High School

Attn: Media Center

2600 Technology Drive, Suite 250

Orlando, FL 32804

For each book donated, I will enter your child's name into a raffle for a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card. Congratulations to Ethan P. who won the first Barnes and Noble gift card! The next drawing will be on Friday, October 12th.

Thank you again to families making contributions, little by little we are building a high-quality book selection for our students.

Orca Pride,

Mrs. Singleton

Media Specialist, OSHS

Meghan.Singleton@orlandoscience.org

407-299-6595 Ext. 3324

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.

Here at OSHS character education is an important component of educating the whole student. Our program, ORCAS Core Values, spotlights 5 specific character traits that we focus on as a school. The "O" in ORCAS is Outreach which focuses on a student's ability to improve his/her community. Students complete community service hours for scholarships and club requirements and we want to make sure they see a connection between their service and affecting others in a positive way. Parents and families can use this program and language to continue these conversations outside of school as well. OSHS ORCAS are students of character!

Early Bird special for Fall Festival Wrist bands is now open. From Sept 21 to Oct 12 wrist bands will be sold at a reduced rate of $10. From October 13 to the festival the price will revert back to the normal price of $15. Beat the lines and purchase package deals now and pick up your tickets at the Will Call Table either at the festival or a couple days before the festival at the school. (Will Call pick up dates at the school will be announced closer to the festival.)

Purchase using the link below.

Please begin to collect small new and unused toys and trinkets for our Treasure Chest tent at the Fall Festival. These prizes are for the 2 free game tents the children play to collect tickets and then redeem them for prizes at the Treasure Chest tent. Donation boxes are at the front offices to drop off your donations.

There are still Fall Festival sponsorships available. Please consider one of the sponsorships still available or an affordable family sign for $100. If you also work for a company that does donation matching, your donation will be doubled. You can find out all the fall festival information on our OSS home webpage or at www.orlandoscience.org/fall-festival-2018.

The PVO needs your help and you need to collect Community Service Hours towards your Bright Future’s Scholarship requirement (100 hours by the time you graduate). The Fall Festival will take place on Saturday, October 20th and we have various shifts to choose from. If you sign up for a shift, you are acknowledging that you will be responsible for covering that shift from the beginning to the end and are not allowed to leave your post unattended. Your shift supervisor will be signing off on your volunteer hours and will not give you the full credit if you leave your post unattended. A mandatory volunteer orientation meeting will be held at the school days before the festival to make sure that you are aware of the importance of your job. Your 4-hour shift will include a meal voucher. Please go to the office and register on the computer outside Mr. Han’s office. This is only for volunteering for the PVO, if you are volunteering for a club tent, please see your club advisor.

The Parent Fall Festival Volunteer Registration link is now open. We need your help! This is a big undertaking that will reap big rewards if we have the support from parents to help us. There are two shifts plus an early set up. Please sign up for at least one of them, if not more, so that we can have every position covered. We will have an In Service meeting at the October 10th meeting so you know what is expected of you. If you can’t come to that meeting, we will get in touch with you and share what you missed. If you are volunteering to work at a club tent do not sign up on this link. This link is only if you are helping with the PVO. You must be OCPS Additions approved to volunteer for anything school related. Don’t forget to register with them ASAP.

This is one of the yummiest features of our fall festival! Families, please sign up to donate baked goods for the Fall Festival Bake Sale that will take place on Saturday, October 20th. We are accepting donations of homemade baked goods: cakes, pies, cupcakes, cookies, candies, breads, muffins, etc. We would love to have a variety of ethnic foods representing our OSS families’ heritage and something your fellow compatriots would be excited to buy. We are also accepting store bought goods for those who want to donate but have a busy schedule. Please donate only dessert type foods that will compliment and not compete with our lunch sales.

Things to remember:

¨ Avoid adding nuts as per mandated be OCPS

¨ Include a list that states the ingredients inside your homemade food for allergenic purposes

¨ Wrap your food in clear wrap so we can see but is protected from handling

¨ Non perishable goods can be dropped off at the schools to the PVO rep on duty at the front desk Friday morning October 19, 7:30—8:30 am before the event if needed

¨ Otherwise bring the morning of event before 11 am

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.

OSS Connect is your one stop for student grades, assignments and resources. Students use their credentials to log in and there you can access a wealth of information.

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!

If you have a student with any medical conditions such as asthma, anaphylaxis, diabetes or any other serious medical conditions, please contact Mrs. Foley via email ASAP for the paperwork that is needed for the 2018-2019 school year.

Orcas who walk or take the LYNX Transportation bus service must have a "Walker/Bus Rider" form on file. Return completed forms to Ms. Foley.

Orcas interested in dressing down for their birthday MUST submit a "Dress Down Day" form(found below) to Mrs. Foley 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.

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