Welcome to this issue of The Download, the EPIC family monthly newsletter. Each month, we will be sending you a round-up of news from the school that we believe you will find helpful and valuable in your child’s education at EPIC and in communicating with your teacher.

We want to make sure The Download is responsive to questions you have, too. So if you have suggestions for information or news we should share in the next issue, email us at communication@epiccharterschools.org and make the subject of your email Newsletter Information.

Missed last month's newsletter? View it here!
CLASS OF 2019 TSHIRT COMPETITION
ATTENTION EPIC SENIORS:

We want to see your design ideas! We've heard requests for an EPIC Class of 2019 t-shirt, and we thought it would be fun to let you, our senior class, come up with your class shirt. So, we are excited to be launching our first ever t-shirt design contest!

There will be three finalists chosen from the submissions, and YOU, the EPIC Class of 2019, will get to vote on your favorite of the three designs. There will be cash prizes for all three finalists, and the winner will receive $100 and have their design printed on the official EPIC Class of 2019 t-shirt!

Click the button below for official rules and submission requirements!
FYI: NHS & NJHS MEMBERSHIP PROCESS
In early February, eligible 6th-12th grade students will receive emailed invitations to apply to the National Honor Society or the National Junior Honor Society. Applications are due 2 weeks after receipt.

Applications are reviewed in March and student notifications occur by March 31st.

The induction ceremony is in late April or early May.
EPIC CHARTER SCHOOLS IS GOING GLOBAL
EPIC students in grades 4-8 can participate in the  National Geographic GeoBee !

Test your social studies skills and see what you know about maps, other countries, other cultures, geography of the world and more!

The ultimate prize, should you excel all the way to the national level, could be a $50,000 college scholarship! It PAYS to know your geography!

The  National Geographic GeoBee  is conducted similarly to a spelling bee with questions sent to us by National Geographic being asked by a moderator and answered by students from our school. A school winner may go on to compete at the state or national level.

Study packets will be available for students to print out and use to prepare for the school competition. This is an amazing opportunity for all of the students, so please encourage them to do their best!

Our school Bee will be held at the Oklahoma City Blended Learning Center on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. The winner of the school Bee will be given the 1 hour long Qualifying Test that will be sent to National Geographic for scoring on Friday, January 25, 2019.

STUDY HARD, HAVE FUN WITH IT, AND GOOD LUCK!

EPIC's Schoolwide Geography Bee Details
  • Who: EPIC students in grades 4-8
  • When: Wednesday, January 16, 2019 at 4:00 p.m.
  • Where: EPIC Blended Learning Center, 11911 N. Pennsylvania Ave, OKC, OK 73120
EPIC COLLEGE, CAREER READINESS
FREE College Credit Hours while in High School
Is your student a senior with a 3.0 (unweighted) GPA or has scored at least 19 on the Pre-ACT or National ACT?
If you answered yes, this means he/she qualifies to take up to 18 COLLEGE credit hours at a community college while being in high school for free! Contact your local community college to learn more.

Depending on the community college, a few, including Tulsa Community College and Rose State College, will cover tuition for juniors as well.
C areer Tech might be right for you!
Attending Career Tech is free for high school students! Click here to find the Career Tech in your area. The programs are endless from business to health science, from human services to information technology, and so much more! Sophomores should apply NOW. Programs fill up fast! 
Paying for College
FAFSA : FAFSA is now open. All college bound seniors are required to complete the form regardless of income.

Oklahoma's Promise : This program offers free college tuition to students who qualify. Students MUST apply in the 8th, 9th, or 10th grade. Regardless of college plans, those who may qualify should apply.
Questions? Please contact:
Nicole Ellison, Director of College and Career Readiness Nicole.Ellison@epiccharterschools.org
Shay Patterson, College and Career Readiness Coordinator Shay.Patterson@epiccharterschools.org
NEXT STEP: STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Michael Tomshany is taking full advantage of several Next Step opportunities. This semester Michael is taking free concurrent classes at Tulsa Community College including Computer Concepts, Introduction to Psychology, Public Speaking, and US History. Before he attends classes each day at the downtown TCC Metro Campus, he works as an intern at the Patterson Law Firm. Michael is learning how a law office operates, and he spends time attending court sessions with the attorneys. Michael wants to attend law school, and he has recently discovered an interest in working as a Public Defender. Along with gaining immense knowledge, participating in this internship allows him to earn high school elective credit.

Are you a student participating in concurrent enrollment, career tech, work-study, or an internship? Are you interested in us sharing your success story?
EPIC LIVE BOOSTERS: 3RD & 4TH GRADERS
We are excited to announce a brand new opportunity for students to work with an Epic teacher, online, with their Study Island Boosters! The new weekly virtual classes began on Tuesday, November 20th and are offered on a first come first serve basis to 3rd and 4th grades students in Math and ELA. 

  • Epic Live Boosters provides all Epic teachers an opportunity to connect their students with an Epic teacher to work live with student groups on the Study Island Boosters practice assignments. 
  • Epic Live Boosters launched Tuesday, November 20th and will be taught all day Monday through Friday, in 45 minute sessions. View the course schedule at www.epiclive.rocks.
  • 3rd and 4th grade Math and ELA will be given first priority to sign up. Limited seats will be available on a first come first serve basis. After the pilot launch, we will evaluate the inclusion of other grade levels.    
  • Teachers will enroll their students (3rd and 4th graders as of right now) through the Epic Live platform. 
  • In addition to the Epic Live Boosters classes, many Epic Live teachers are graciously opening up their classes this week to all Epic students. Please note that limited seats are available for traditional Epic Live classes, also. 

The new Epic Live Boosters classes are in addition to the already available Epic Live courses. We encourage parents to discuss this game-changing opportunity with their children's teachers!
A SUCCESS: SPIRIT OF GIVING
This year, Epic challenged the students of the Oklahoma City Blended Learning Centers to donate as many non-perishable food items as possible.

Among the two centers, over 650 items were donated and were taken to Skyline Urban Ministry and a food pantry to help families in need this holiday season.

Congratulations to Abby Anderson's PreK-Kindergarten class, winners of the NW BLC competition and Page Hauser's 3rd-4th graders, winners of the North Penn competition. Both classes received an ice cream party!
WIN THUNDER TICKETS
Win tickets to an OKC Thunder game by logging hours in Homework Help! We've already rewarded over 50 students with tickets!

Each month we will award two tickets to those students who log the most hours on Homework Help for the month. These students must also be on pace and have not been withdrawn for truancy. You may only win once per school year.
EPIC HIGH SCHOOL PROM 2019
This year’s prom will be held at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum on Saturday, May 4th, 2019.

Ticket sales will begin on Monday, December 3 at 10:00 am for Seniors, and Monday, December 10 at 10:00 am for grades 9-12. This event is open to EPIC Charter Schools students (and guests) in grades 9-12.
GRADUATION UPDATE
Families of the Class of 2019, look in your inboxes in the next 7-10 days for information about EPIC's June 2019 Graduation, cap and gown orders and other items.
EPIC BLOG: NOVEMBER EDITION
Take your children to places and times they have never been, without leaving the couch or car! 

It's wintertime! That time of year where we as parents have so many things to do on our lists of chores and stress can play a factor. This is also the time of year where students’ thoughts turn to snow days, holidays, family trips and so much more! So what do our priorities look like for schooling for our children right now? We know Epic is flexible so we want to use that flexibility while maintaining the essence of continual learning. 

We want to be careful to not let the busyness of our winter goals to impact our children's learning in a negative way. A key to letting our students enjoy more time off with their friends and family is to plan ahead! Talk to your teacher now about increasing the pace of your work for a few weeks so your child is ahead of schedule, then they can take a few extra break days here and there in the upcoming couple of months. Communication with your teacher is imperative! 

Now, even though they may take a few days off here and there with your teacher's approval, what can you do to prevent academic backslide while their precious minds are occupied otherwise these next few weeks? READING!

Take them to the library or jump on your E-Readers and find them a few books that they will enjoy and have them read every day. Taking a short reading break for 15 or more minutes every day will continue to encourage their academic motivation, curiosity and build up their memories. It has also been proven that reading will help a child to cope with stress and anxiety that may come from different schedules, traveling, and different situations they may encounter this winter. Take a book with them wherever you go to run your errands and they will have something pleasant and meaningful to engage in! 

We hope your winter months are full of fun, laughter and love and books! 

"A book is a dream you hold in your hand" - Neil Gaiman

-Yolanda Merriman
SOCIAL MEDIA
Are you following us on social media? Fun activities, events, contests, and Epic-related news are posted throughout the week!

Be sure to like and follow now by clicking the icons at the bottom of this email.
CAREERS: APPLY TODAY
We're continually searching for talented, dedicated individuals to join our Epic team! Does this sound like you or a friend? View our current openings at the button below.

Most Recent Positions Posted:
  • ELL Coordinator
  • Learning Fund Manager
  • Certified Teacher
  • Teacher's Assistant
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