Dear OSES Families,

As we approach the end of another wonderful school year, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to our incredible volunteers and chaperones. Your dedication and support have been invaluable in making this year a success for our students.

From assisting in classrooms to organizing events, and accompanying our students on various field trips, your contributions have enriched the educational experience for everyone. Your willingness to give your time and energy has not gone unnoticed, and we are deeply appreciative of all that you do.

As we look forward to the final weeks of the school year, we have some exciting activities planned. Our students will be embarking on several field trips, providing them with hands-on learning experiences and the opportunity to explore new environments. These trips are always a highlight, and we are grateful to our chaperones for ensuring they run smoothly and safely.

Additionally, we are eagerly anticipating our annual Field Day! This fun-filled event is a favorite among students and staff alike, offering a day of outdoor games, teamwork, and celebration. It's a wonderful way to wrap up the school year and create lasting memories.

Thank you once again to all our volunteers and chaperones. Your support truly makes a difference, and we couldn't do it without you. Let's finish the year strong and continue to make our school a place where students thrive.

Warm regards,

Michael Singleton

My name is Shrika Velagapudi, I'm a junior at Orlando Science High School. I took up creative writing as a hobby this past summer, and recently had the wonderful opportunity to publish a nonfiction children’s book about 10 remarkable female scientists from around the globe who broke barriers and accomplished great feats in STEM. Traveling to India every summer, I was devastated to learn how many girls shared my same aspirations and dreams, but simply didn't have the resources or opportunities to bring them to fruition. This drove me to play my part as an advocate for STEM learning and overcoming systemic barriers: 100% of the profits made from my book, "STEMpowering Women", go to funding tech access and education for the millions of Indian girls living in poverty and denied opportunities.

"STEMpowering Women" is a compilation of varying women's journeys to success in the fields of STEM, as they conquer countless challenges and obstacles to prove the world wrong. Mentioned throughout this colorful, inspirational children's book are the tales and accomplishments of women scientists from all over the globe, such as Sally Ride, Antonia Novello, Marie Curie, and more. The aim of this book is to inspire young children, especially girls between the ages of 4 and 10, to take up careers in the field of STEM, and break gender barriers in this male-dominated area.

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)

Today, students received their Progress Report AORs for the final quarter. Please sign and return them by Friday, April 25th.

This weekend, gather recycled items from around your house and return them in a grocery store bag or reusable bag. Each homeroom will use these materials to design an Earth Day project to be displayed and voted on. We will have a winner from both buildings. We can’t wait to see everyone’s creative ideas!

Lastly, emails were sent to each grade level this week with details about the students' final FAST assessments taking place next month. Please refer to the schedule for dates. Kindergarten through second grade have a testing window – homeroom teachers will update you on your students’ assigned testing dates.

Reach out to Ms. Carter (Cayce.carter@orlandoscience.org) with any questions. Enjoy your weekend!

Kindergarten had a very busy last few weeks!

Ms. Whitaker and Ms. Volden’s class ended their topic 12 in math class with a fun lemonade stand activity. Students were able to complete centers reviewing counting coins and money.

In Ms. Volden’s class also finished their last Module for reading! Next week students will begin their researching unit on animals. Students will learn how to find information both in texts in class and online using Epic.

Remember kindergarten has a lot of fun days planned for next month! Please make sure to turn in parental permission forms to your child’s teacher.

First grade has been full of excitement and learning this week!

In reading, we explored the world of poetry by finding rhymes, repetition, and descriptive words that bring the poems to life. We also practiced picking out what’s important (and what’s not!) in a text and retelling stories in the correct order.

For Math, we’ve been diving into 2D and 3D shapes—learning their defining attributes and spotting them all around us in real life. The kids loved finding everyday objects that match each shape—like basketballs for spheres and books for rectangles!

Science has been all about discovering how young plants and animals are like their parents—so many "aww" moments!

First grade is also working hard to prepare for the FAST assessment by reviewing reading and math skills and practicing with test-like activities.

The highlight of our week? Our amazing field trip to iFLY on Thursday! The students had the time of their lives experiencing indoor skydiving in the wind tunnel. It was a day full of smiles, laughter, and memories we won’t forget!

Reminders:

• Bring in recycled items for our Earth Day Art Project on April 21st!

• Field Day for 1st grade - May 19th - 10:25am - 12:15pm.

🎉 Teacher Appreciation Week is Coming! 🍎

May 5th is Teacher Appreciation Week, and we’re so excited to celebrate the amazing educators who work hard every single day to support, inspire, and care for our students.

Our teachers give so much of themselves—time, energy, creativity, and love—to help every child grow and succeed. This is the perfect time to show them how much they’re appreciated! A heartfelt note, a small gift, or even a simple “thank you” from your child can go a long way in making a teacher’s day.

Let’s make sure our teachers feel the love—they deserve it more than ever! ❤️

Dear Families,

We’ve had a busy and exciting time in 2nd grade! Here’s a look at what we’ve been learning and working on in class:

🌟 FAST Testing Preparation
We are currently reviewing and preparing for the upcoming FAST testing. Students are practicing important skills they’ve learned throughout the year to help them feel confident and ready. Thank you for your continued support at home!

➗ Math
This week in math, we’ve been exploring measurement. The students have enjoyed using rulers and other tools to measure objects and compare lengths.

📖 Reading
In reading, we are focusing on three important skills:

• Making inferences – using clues from the text to understand more than what is directly stated.

• Figurative language – identifying and understanding expressions like similes and metaphors.

• Text features – learning how things like headings, captions, and diagrams help us better understand nonfiction texts.

🦋 Science
Our science lessons have been all about life cycles! We’ve studied the life cycle of a butterfly and the life cycle of a plant, and the students have loved observing these fascinating changes in nature.

🌍 Social Studies
In social studies, we’re discussing ways citizens can make positive contributions to their community. Students have shared thoughtful ideas about kindness, helping others, and taking care of the environment.

Thank you for being such an important part of your child’s learning journey. As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions or to see how you can support learning at home.

Boot Camp, Big Clocks & Bright Floats!

Hello 3rd Grade Families,

What a fun and focused week it’s been in 3rd grade! Our students showed incredible energy and effort as we tackled new skills and prepared for upcoming challenges. Here’s what went on in Ms. Sese’s class:

ELA Boot Camp – Ready, Set, FAST!
This week, the 3rd grade team launched our very own ELA Academic Boot Camp for two days. Students dove into key reading skills to build confidence and readiness for the upcoming FAST assessment.
We focused on:

• Context Clues

• Poetry

• Author’s Purpose

• Compare and Contrast

• Theme

• Central Idea

Math – Beat the Clock
Our class practiced telling time to the nearest minute, identifying AM and PM, and solving real-world elapsed time problems. Students are showing great growth and becoming confident timekeepers.

Science – Digging into Earth Structures

Students learned all about the layers of the Earth: crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core. They explored what each layer is made of, how they differ, and how they work together to make up our amazing planet. It was an exciting week of discovery under the surface!

Social Studies – Region State Float Fair
Our 3rd Grade Region State Float Fair was a colorful and creative success. Students proudly displayed their handmade floats, each representing a different U.S. state or region. Each project showcased fun facts, important symbols, and unique student creativity. Thank you to our families for your support and encouragement in making this event a memorable one.

We are so proud of the hard work and dedication our students continue to show. Let’s keep the momentum going as we get closer to FAST testing.

Sincerely,
Ms. Sese

Fourth grade is getting ready and prepared for FAST PM3! We are beginning our reviews in class and as a grade level. To get everyone excited and continue to be enthusiastic, we have our ABC Countdown. Starting on the 22nd, each day will have a different theme for the grade level to participate. This will continue through the end of the school year.

April 21st, we will be conducting an in class Earth day project with recycling materials. If you have any, please donate to your child’s classroom! Each classroom will be creating their own art piece with the materials donated. We can’t wait to see what they create!

Hello! Our students have been working hard on their last unit before preparing for the FAST review. They did a deep dive into dramas, analyzing “The Prince and The Pauper.” They did a great job examining character and plot development! For their Unit Project, the students worked on “A Modern Retelling,” where they modernized and dramatized a folktale or fairytale using Generation Alpha slang. They also collaborated within their small groups to complete a plot analysis of their modernized play. They did an amazing job, and we are looking forward to their performances next week!

We continued with the theme of dramas in social studies as well. Students learned about the American Revolution and its causes. To sum up the unit, students wrote a play showcasing their knowledge of what loyalists and patriots believed in. The students predicted how these colonists might communicate with one another and created events that they would have potentially been involved in, like the Boston Tea Party. Although our month was full of drama, the students did an excellent job! 😊 During our ELA FAST review, students can expect to revisit topics such as Text Structure, Compare and Contrast Texts, and Context Clues. We have some great activities to align with these topics, such as a STEM ship-building project that will serve as an analogy for text structure and correlate with our text review on the Titanic! However, there will be no ships sunk as the students sail smoothly into our last month of the school year!

-Ms. MacAllister

We have recently begun the second phase of our exciting biomes project. This part of the project focuses on the intricate ecosystem interactions within their chosen biomes and how the different living and non-living components affect one another. Additionally, students will be investigating human impact on these biomes and the significant influence of climate change on the organisms that live there. We are seeing some fantastic work and I am impressed with their dedication to this project.

We are also wrapping up our unit on Classification and Evolution. The students have gained a strong understanding of how living organisms are organized and the fascinating processes that drive evolutionary change. They have explored topics such as taxonomy, natural selection, and adaptation.

Our next and final unit for the year will be Ecology. This unit will build upon their biome research as we explore the intricate relationships between living organisms and their environment. We will cover topics such as ecosystems, populations, communities, and the flow of energy and matter.

Please note that the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) testing in early May will focus on Math and ELA. We will continue to focus on reinforcing science concepts in class.

As always, I encourage you to discuss these topics with your child and support their learning at home.

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.