Technology Campus Chronicle

Dear OSES Families,

Our school system is preparing our annual school climate survey for students, staff, and parents. We use the data from these surveys to recognize what is working well and identify areas for improvement. Students in grades 3 through 6 will have the opportunity to complete this survey during the school day. Once the survey is available, please take the time to complete it, as your input is invaluable.

If you have feedback now, please do not hesitate to contact the school with your comments, questions, or suggestions. We are also excited to announce the return of Coffee and Conversation next school year. These monthly events will provide a casual environment for socializing with administrators and other parents.

Michael Singleton

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)

This week, OSES celebrated Engineers Week! Our students explored the fascinating world of engineering through a variety of engaging activities in the classroom and during Specials. Additionally, third graders were able to attend the annual UCF Engineering Day.

The statewide BEST Writing assessment will take place on April 1st. This is an important opportunity for our students to showcase their writing skills. Please ensure your child gets plenty of rest the night before and arrives at school on time.

Thank you for your continued support and involvement in your child’s education. Please reach out to Cayce Carter at Cayce.Carter@orlandoscience.org if you have any questions.

We've had a busy and exciting time in kindergarten! In math, we've been composing equations using tens frames and number bonds, with a focus on understanding teen numbers. During reading, we’ve been sharpening our skills by identifying sentences versus fragments, practicing our handwriting, and becoming experts at reading and writing words with consonant blends.

A highlight of our week was our Glow-in-the-Dark Kindness Day Party! The students had a blast celebrating kindness with fun, glowing activities that reminded us how small acts of kindness can light up someone’s day.

We've had an eventful, short week! Our STEM rotations went off without a hitch! Students loved learning about different engineers and their skills. They were able to create satellites, relief maps of the Earth, and secret code decoder rings.

Today was our field trip to watch Dragon's Love Tacos at the Orlando Family Stage. Thank you to everyone who helped make this field trip possible!

Reminder: The Black History Month Project is due February 26

Our talented second grade students have been busy little engineers, learning how to solve problems to make the world a better place. Inspired by the challenges faced by those living in homes without electricity, our young innovators designed and created light boxes using recycled materials and the power of the sun! These light boxes not only illuminate dark spaces but also demonstrate the power of renewable energy and creative thinking. We couldn't be prouder of their dedication to helping others and their impressive engineering skills. Keep shining, future problem solvers!

This week in 3rd grade Mr. Martin, and Ms. Sese Jiawan and Patsilevas class went to the UCF engineering fair. Students got a lot of chances to learn from engineering students about many things.

Ms. Patel and Ms. Myers visited the central Florida zoo. In my class we’ve been learning how to compare and contrast informational texts and how to solve 4 digit subtraction problems. Reminder stem fair projects are coming up. See each teacher for the exact date in early March.

In MATH our are excited to share what our students have been learning about fractions, specifically focusing on equivalence, ordering, and comparing fractions.

Our 4th graders knew that Fractions are an essential part of our math curriculum and in our daily routines, and this month, we have been diving into some important concepts:

Fraction Equivalence - Students have been exploring how fractions can be equivalent even if they look different. We used visual models, such as fraction strips and pie charts, to help students see the relationship between equivalent fractions. They also practiced creating equivalent fractions by multiplying or dividing the numerator and denominator by the same number.

Ordering Fractions - Students learned how to order fractions from least to greatest and vice versa. They discovered that to compare fractions, they need to have a common denominator. We engaged in hands-on activities where students used number lines to place fractions in order and practiced comparing fractions using visual aids.

Comparing Fractions - Our focus has also been on comparing fractions to determine which is greater or if they are equal. Students learned various strategies, such as cross-multiplication and finding common denominators. We played interactive games that involved comparing fractions, which helped reinforce their understanding and made learning fun!

We are thrilled with the progress our 4th graders are making in understanding fractions, and we appreciate your support at home.

In SCIENCE our 4th graders are excited to share the fascinating topic we have been exploring: the Phases of the Moon. Our students have engaged in hands-on activities and discussions that deepen their understanding of this astronomical phenomenon.

Throughout this unit, our 4th graders have learned about the different phases of the Moon and how they occur.

What Are the Phases of the Moon- The Moon goes through a cycle of phases each month, including New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, and Waning Crescent.

They knew that the changing appearance of the Moon is due to the relative positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun.

The Lunar Cycle - Students learned that the entire lunar cycle takes about 29.5 days to complete. We created lunar Flip book to see the phases of the Moon and discussed how the Moon looks different.

Hands-On Activities - Moon Phase Models: our 4th graders-built models using balls to represent the Earth and Moon, demonstrating how the Moon orbits the Earth and how sunlight creates the phases.

Fifth-grade students participated in the OUC program, where they explored the exciting world of energy conservation. They engaged in the engineering design process to balance the electrical grid and had the fun opportunity to role-play as electrical engineers, tasked with providing electricity to a city. Their designs needed to meet three important goals: no power outages, minimal energy usage, and keeping costs low while supplying electricity at a specific time of day. The students really enjoyed collaborating as a team, brainstorming ideas, and managing their budget to meet these requirements!

Mr. Senter’s and Ms. Erickson’s classes were playing Icebergs from grades k-5. A game where students dance around until the music stops and then they must find a hula hoop with the correct number of students. Students who do not find the hula hoop with the correct number of students must do a small portion of exercise to reenter the game. Students had a fun time playing

Ms. Rodriguez's classes have been dipping their toes into engineering in celebration of Engineering Week with designing and building vehicles with Legos.

They also had some wonderful volunteers come in to share what they do as different types of engineers. Showing blueprints and discussing what goes into them, and discussing the differences of insulator vs. conductors in engineering. We so appreciate our parents willing to share parents of their daily lives to be able to inspire future generations of engineers.

The sixth grade had their second Resiliency Day lesson. They learned about internet safety and how to keep their personal information safe online! Please discuss these conversations with your students, so that they can remain safe!

In addition, students in their social studies classes have been learning about the empires and kingdoms of medieval Africa! They have learned about the cultures and different regions of Africa. Students will be doing special Civil Rights lessons for Black History Month and will be moving on to study Ancient Greece soon after!

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

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.