While this is a professional workday for our teachers, the campus is very quiet today as this is a student holiday. Classes will resume on schedule Monday morning. As you may have already heard from Superintendent of Schools Dr. Barbara Jenkins, OCPS students can stop wearing face masks to class on Monday, if their parents provide a note opting them out - Orlando Sentinel (Oct. 28) - "Orange County schools to end face mask mandate for students starting Monday." 

Monday also begins a new month and the 13th week of school already. October was a very busy month and with one less week in November due to the Thanksgiving break, November will be as well - OCPS 2021-2022 calendar. Looking ahead, I want to call your attention to three important November special events that depend upon parent and community support:

Below you find information on these special events but please know that each offers direct benefits to our students and all three are powerfully magnified with community support. We always count on our Pioneer families and the community's involvement, but this month it is especially true. So please, this November if you have a student at Oak Ridge or have a stake in seeing our students achieve their very best, choose at least one of these events to participate in. The short time investment pays off large for our students and I think you will find the experience most rewarding. 

I hope this edition finds you well and if able, please try to get outdoors this weekend to enjoy what looks to be some fine fall weather!

Mr. Alvarado

Principal

Oak Ridge High School

Pictured very top: Homecoming 2021 King & Queen. King is Jalen Lewis and Queen is Karla Martin! Congratulations!

Community leaders are invited to be a "teacher for a day" to underscore the critical role communities need to play in public education. Teach-In, which started in 1991, offers parents, business people and community members the opportunity to enhance learning by going into classrooms as school volunteers for an hour. They can read a book to pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students; teach practical, personal skills to high school students such as managing a checking account and using credit cards wisely or involve entire middle school classes in projects like a mock election. Other options include: sharing a key experience from their education or career, or even talking about a favorite vacation or hobby.

Any time that volunteers give enhances our children's education. If you are interested in participating, please contact: Laurene Householder @ 407-852-3200 X6102394 or Laurene.householder@ocps.net

Our School Advisory Council meetings are held at 5:30 PM, on the second Thursday of each month in the school’s Media Center.

Dates for the upcoming meetings are:

The School Advisory Council supports the principal in developing the school’s budget as well as providing input on the annual School Improvement Plan.

Our homecoming week was a huge success! Thank you to everyone who participated and came out to make this one of the best. After the past couple of years, we are definitely moving out of the darkness into the light!

Student vs. Teacher Volleyball Game: Our Pioneer faculty team takes the WIN!

Mr. Chinea-Bonet, our Teacher of the Year, created a Harry Potter themed experiment to explore some of the magic within our own households. All of the labs used things students could find in their own homes or local grocery stores such as vinegar, sugar, baking soda, and milk. During the first experiment students explored color changing due to pH using red cabbage that had been boiled in water. The solution then reacted with various acids and bases to change color. While doing the lab the students were grouped into the 4 different colored Houses (as with Harry Potter) and competed earning points with questions and following lab safety rules.

Students who arrive AFTER 7:45AM will need to go through Ms. Echevarria in the attendance office to receive a pass to class.

Tardy passes during the day are no longer written. Students need to report directly to class where their teacher will mark them tardy in Skyward.

The Coca-Cola Scholars Program scholarship is an achievement-based scholarship awarded to graduating high school seniors. Students are recognized for their capacity to lead and serve, as well as their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities. With the 33rd class in 2021, the Foundation has provided over 6,450 Coca-Cola Scholars with more than $75 million in educational support. 150 Coca-Cola Scholars are selected each year to receive this $20,000 scholarship.

High school seniors, apply here! The application will be open until October 31, 2021, at 5pm Eastern.

The Valencia Bridges to Success Scholarship Program is an opportunity for Seniors to apply to a program that not only covers two years of tuition, fees, and books at Valencia College but also provides students with support as they transition to college.

The support includes learning strategies for success and academic achievement, structure that keeps you on track with your academic goals, weekly updates/reminders from an Academic Advisor and Program Director, early registration for courses, and more! The application is available through the Valencia portal. Students can access this application after they have been accepted to Valencia College. The fee to apply to Valencia College is $35.

The College & Career Specialists have scheduled to have a monthly FAFSA Night to better serve our students. The proposed dates are listed below. Time for each event will be 5:00-8:00PM and take place in the cafeteria. Dates are subject to change- events will be announced monthly as well. We hope to see you there!

To register, follow the links above and create a account on each site. From there you will be able to select a test date, submit payment*, and print your admission ticket.

* Students on free/reduced lunch are eligible to receive two fee waivers for each test at no charge. Please see your guidance counselor to obtain a waiver.

If you know any families or community members that would like to read about the happenings at ORHS please let them know how to sign up using the link:

Neighborhood Centers for Families (NCF) are one-stop centers that provide residents with a multitude of valuable services within their communities. Funded by the Orange County Citizens’ Commission for Children, services are offered at 13 locations throughout the County. They offer counseling programs, tutoring, employment skills, case management, senior activities, limited health services, and so much more.

Each NCF is made up of non-profit organizations, government agencies, churches and community groups working together to address the specific needs of the surrounding community. These organizations collaborate to provide intergenerational programs, services and activities that address the needs of the entire family. Most services are offered free of charge.

Each NCF is uniquely designed to address the needs of its surrounding community and offers flexible hours of service in a family-friendly and accessible location. Childcare stipends, through Community Coordinated Care for Children, Inc. (4C) are also available for clients who are actively enrolled in services.

Please click on the link below for information about vaccinations and testing locations and times.

Visit https://www.hfuw.org/gethelp/ for more information.

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 - Oak Ridge High School is forbidden without written consent. Thank you for your support of the Orange County Public Schools and especially Oak Ridge High School. Please contact Mrs. Laurene Householder at laurene.householder@ocps.net with any questions related to the program.

Oak Ridge High School | Mr. Alvarado, Principal | 407.852.3200 | ORHS Website