Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Knights Find A Way!
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Ocoee Community Member
For the rest of this week we are operating from a modified bell schedule to accommodate PMA2 and FAST exams. Knights, please continue to be on time each day with your computers fully charged and with your chargers.
In the event you have not yet heard, the Florida Department of Education released school grades on Monday. I am very proud to announce that Ocoee High School earned a 'B' grade for the second straight year! Credit for this success is shared with much thanks to: our wonderful students who have an appetite for learning as their attendance rates are much better than so many US high schools, our talented and dedicated teachers who take sincere interest in each student's progress, caring parents & guardians who get involved with their child's education, a dynamic support staff who work daily making sure the entire high school runs smoothly, counselors who listen and constantly go that extra mile, coaches who teach more than athletics, but also life's winning behaviors, and some very awesome volunteers and partners in education.
As a school community, we should all be very proud of this 'B' grade from the state as it reflects that which we try to illustrate in these Knight News issues week after week: OHS is indeed a very special place of learning. CONGRATULATIONS KNIGHTS!!
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Above are the individual academic successes that when combined, earned OHS a 'B' letter grade from the FLDOE for the second straight year. |
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Modified Bell Schedule for the rest of this week: Wed., Thurs., and Fri.
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Mr. Hendricks and his jazz band performed at Ocoee's Jolly Jamboree. |
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Our NEW National Honor Society members posing with Dr. K after being inducted into our chapter. |
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As always, thank you for reading and please don't forget about our Toy Drive which runs for a few more days!
Dr. Karcinski
Principal
Pictured very top: Juniors and seniors currently taking Calculus/Physics had the opportunity to visit Florida Polytechnic University this past week to explore STEM programs available at the university.
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Knight Spotlight
SGA steps out to help local seniors and also provides a suggestion to benefit all SGA's to now be evaluated at the state level.
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SGA just had a very busy week! This past week they visited the local senior assisted living home to hold a winter dance. They also participated in 'D3' where they met with other SGA’s in our district to discuss their resolution of SAT/ACT waivers. Because of this initiative, the matter is now being brought up to state level in February. Way to go Knights! |
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SGA at Lake Buena Vista High School for the D3 SGA conference. |
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Bella Carreno dancing the night away at the senior assisted living facility! |
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Ashala Conway, Gabriel Gonazlez, Bella Carreno, Haylen Casey, Chloe Miller, Alanii Cason, Sahana Teajman, Elijah Taylor, and Elithany Taylor posing after a successful winter dance. |
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As we round out 2023 for Assessments, we have the following assessments for the month of December:
- PMA 2 (US History and Biology) – December 13th through December 15th
- FAST ELA Reading PM 2 for 9th and 10th graders – December 12th
We will continue with testing after Winter Break starting in January with WIDA assessments.
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Annual Holiday Food Distribution
Next Saturday, Dec. 16 at select school sites
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Many teens worldwide struggle weekly with food poverty: |
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This week in Knight sports: |
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Athletes of the Month: Hailey Maltba and Alexis Barajas |
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Readers of the Month
November 2023
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We are excited to announce our top three student readers for the month of November, in our Read Around the City District 7 Challenge! |
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Pictured left to right: 1st place - Nachilka Colas, 2nd place - Xander Burhans, and
3rd place - Hailey Pino. Well done Knights! ⭐⭐⭐
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Early Childhood Education
Curriculum highlights for our community
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Early Childhood 1 (Regulation of Child Care Facilities): |
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Last week in Early Childhood 1, students began working on our third DCF module, Child Care Facility Rules and Regulations. Students are learning about the Florida Statutes, Administrative Codes, and the handbooks used to run their own child care program. Students also learned about the different types of early childhood programs in Florida. |
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Early Childhood 2 ('Mighty Knights' working on their books): |
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This past week, Early Childhood 2 students began working on their Early Literacy children’s book. Students had the opportunity to choose between creating an Alphabet book, a number book (1-20), an original story that teaches a lesson, or an original fairytale. Level 2 students will begin taking their stories into the preschool classroom to read with the Mighty Knights.
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Academic Excellence
OCOEE HIGH SCHOOL FFA WINS 3RD IN STATE HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION!
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On Wednesday, December 6, the state finals were held for the Florida FFA Vegetable Evaluation Career Development Event (CDE) at the Florida FFA Leadership Training Center. A preliminary round was held a few weeks ago and the top 25 high school teams and the top 20 middle school teams earned the opportunity to compete for the top state honors. |
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Dakota Keller, Ava Taborough, Patron Grant, Emily Garrow
The purpose of the vegetable evaluation event is to test the skills and knowledge of students in the area of vegetable production and management. The team members had to take a comprehensive exam on the vegetable industry, evaluate/grade the quality of vegetable classes and correctly identify the kinds and varieties of vegetables, insects, diseases and seeds.
After all of the scores were tabulated, we are excited to share that the Ocoee HS FFA earned the 3rd place state honor. By earning a spot in the top 5 at the state level, this team will be recognized and receive their awards on stage at the Florida FFA State Convention & Expo in June.
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FFA Toy Drive
Runs through next Tuesday, Dec. 19. Thank you!
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Business Ads
Do you have a business or know someone who does? Purchasing a business ad in the yearbook is a great opportunity to market a business! See ad below for details.
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Class of 2024 - Buy your Senior Ad today! See ad below for prices. |
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Yearbook Sneak Peek
You can purchase a yearbook for $70. The price will increase in January 2024. Buy yours at yearbookforever.com
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Instructional Spotlight
Pre-AICE Chemistry
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Mr. Bhagaloo’s Pre-AICE Chemistry class deepened their knowledge and understanding of chemical equations by building molecules. Students worked collaboratively to determine how to balance various chemical equations. |
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Knight Teacher Feature
"Mr. B" - STEM
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Mr. Bhagaloo joined the Ocoee Knights last year, making this year his 23rd year in education. His previous educational roles included classroom teacher, dean of students, and most recently, Principal at the Vishnu Boys Hindu College in Trinidad and Tobago. He was the first in his family to Graduate with a Bachelor’s degree from The University of The West Indies and received his Postgraduate Qualification in Education. Mr. B spent two years as a practicing chemist in the private sector before deciding on Education; a natural choice for a descendant of teachers.
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Immigrating to the United States with his wife of 19 years, Marsha, so that his two children, Sarvesh and Vaishnavi could pursue University Study, Mr. B prioritizes spending time with his family. He is an avid fan of all sports and played professional Cricket in his home country. He also enjoys singing, cooking, and hiking. Mr. B loves teaching students and that indescribable feeling of joy when he sees them succeed.
Mr. B's success motto for his students is:
“Diligence , not intelligence, that is the condiment to success. Failure is the key to success, and it is how we gain meaningful experiences in life.”
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College and Career Center |
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FAFSA:
Seniors - we are still playing it by ear with the 2024-2025 FAFSA application. By law, the application must be made available by December 31st. As soon as we know, we will let you know that it is officially open. In the meantime … There have been changes to the form this year. You can familiarize yourself with these links + be ready to submit as soon as the application opens:
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This is the easiest scholarship you will complete! Take the time to complete the BigFuture tasks to enter drawings for $40,000 and $500 scholarships! No essay, application, or minimum GPA requirement!
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Bridges to Success Scholarship Program:
The Bridges to Success Scholarship Program is designed to support students in their first two years of school. Students who could benefit from a mentor checking in with you to help you keep on track with your classes/grades will want to consider applying. You do need to be PELL eligible to apply for Bridges. You can find out if you are PELL eligible by completing the FAFSA application. In addition, you will need to participate in community service while in the program and attend sessions geared towards helping you with things like time management, leadership development, and more. Additionally, the Bridges program provides financial support by covering the cost of your two years at Valencia College, provided you meet all necessary requirements while in the program. Bridges starts in the summer after high school graduation – something you must be able to commit to. The Bridges to Success application is due January 25th! See Ms. Hendricks if you are interested in applying.
Valencia College:
Seniors - if you qualify for application fee waivers and still need to submit an application to Valencia College, come by the College and Career Center during your lunch for help with the application fee.
Coolidge Scholarship for JUNIORS ONLY:
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Valencia College Dual Enrollment: |
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Industry Snapshot - High demand for airline pilots: |
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Weekly Superintendent's Message (Dec. 11): |
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Superintendent Dr. Vazquez gives us an update on how her Town Hall Community Meetings are going this year and which topics have been brought up the most. |
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Top Talent applications open Jan. 22, 2024: |
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Top Talent LIVE 2024 is May 4, 2024!
Our casting call will run January 22 – February 23. What does that mean? It is time to start preparing for auditions.
Proceeds from our Top Talent event will help support the Foundation and provide arts enrichment for students experiencing poverty and homelessness.
Top Talent LIVE finalists will be announced on March 29.
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A Charlie Brown Christmas: |
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Happening around Ocoee . . . |
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This Week's Motivational Moment! |
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WISDOM TO LIVE BY
Read inspirational quotes about concentrating on what you're doing, welcoming change in life and controlling mental stress.
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Sandra Day O'Connor On Focus
Do the best you can in every task, no matter how unimportant it may seem at the time. No one learns more about a problem than the person at the bottom.
~ Sandra Day O'Connor, former Supreme Court Justice (first woman to serve on the US Supreme Court)
Willie Stargell On Adapting
Life is one big transition.
~ Willie Stargell, baseball player
Epictetus On Peace Of Mind
There is only one way to happiness, and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.
~ Epictetus, philosopher
Harper Lee On Principle
The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience.
~ Harper Lee, author (To Kill a Mockingbird)
Stephen Hawking On Big Picture
I believe everyone should have a broad picture of how the universe operates and our place in it. It is a basic human desire. And it also puts our worries in perspective.
~ Stephen Hawking, physicist
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Knights Find A Way!
Dr. Karcinski, Principal
Ocoee High School
Wednesday, December 13, 2023
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Ocoee High School Senior Leadership Team |
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This communication may contain information that is legally privileged, confidential or exempt from disclosure and intended only for the use of the addressee(s) named above. If you are not the intended recipient, please note that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. Anyone who receives this message in error should notify the sender immediately by telephone or by return e-mail, and delete the message from their computer and any printout thereof. Please note that OCPS utilizes spam and junk e-mail filtration applications in its e-mail systems. That filtering process may prevent or delay delivery of certain e-mail communications. If you do not receive a timely response to an e-mail communication, please contact the intended recipient by phone. |
Copyright Notice
Reproduction of this material, either written or electronically, including the general layout, graphics, analyses, and content topics without the express approval of Target Performance Systems, Inc., a Florida corporation, and OCPS - Ocoee High School is forbidden without written consent. Thank you for your support of the Orange County Public Schools and especially Ocoee High School. Please contact lisa.karcinski@ocps.net (principal) with any questions or for further information.
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Ocoee High School
1925 Ocoee Crown Point Parkway,
Ocoee, FL 34761
Phone 407-905-3000
Fax 407-905-3099
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