To those that were engaged in FSA testing on Thursday, thank you very much for your efforts! I want to thank all of these students, their teachers, staff members, and families for their work to make the administration of the FSA Writes exam successful. This has been such an extraordinary school year and we will depend on this level of cooperation right through year-end. Please be sure to look over the spring testing calendar below for the dates of all the remaining assessments.

We are now down to only two School Advisory Committee (SAC) meetings for 2020-2021 with the next one coming up on Tuesday, April 13. All of our ORHS school community members are invited, but I want to particularly suggest that any families with students returning in 2021-2022 participate. The information on next Tuesday's 4:30PM meeting is just below so please join us if you can.

Thank you for looking over this latest issue and keeping an eye out for those events that might apply to you or your household.

Ms. Bellinger

Proud Principal

Oak Ridge High School

Pictured very top: Autism Awareness Month in April aims to celebrate and promote acceptance for the condition that occurs in one in every 54 children as of 2020 in the United States. Autism, a complex developmental condition affecting the patient’s ability to interact, communicate, and progress, has not one but many subtypes.

Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by difficulties with social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. Parents often notice signs during the first three years of their child's life. These signs often develop gradually, though some autistic children experience regression in their communication and social skills after reaching developmental milestones at a normal pace.

Note for Oak Ridge families: OCPS celebrates the more than 3,200 students with autism spectrum disorder in our schools! OCPS also provides an array of educational supports and resources for families including the Big IDEA conference coming up this month.

Andrea is a proud member of the Junior Achievement Academy Class of 2022 who plans on attending UCF and studying Biotechnology. She enjoys being a part of clubs at school like Oak Ridge Friends and the Environmental Awareness Club. She said, "I like that the #JAAcademy offers a wide amount of support for every student to find their own path. I feel like it allows students to gain more real world experience." 

On the weekends, this musician who plays the saxophone and piano, enjoys playing her instruments and drinking a nice cup of coffee. In her free time, she likes doing her makeup. Andrea loves to drink Boba (aka. Bubble Tea) and her favorite flavor is Oolong Milk Tea! Do you like Boba?

FAFSA Help Session Link: https://forms.gle/5kBjBPiW4k8JK1bU9

Helpful Scholarship Link: OCPS Scholarship Link

FSA ID: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/filling-out/fsaid

FAFSA Application: https://fafsa.gov/

CSS Profile: https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/

Note for our Pioneers: The growth in STEM degree recipients has far outpaced that for all degrees. Between 2010 and 2018, the most recent year for which data is available, the number of STEM bachelor’s degrees awarded grew by 62%, compared with 20% growth for all degrees.

Source: Pew Research Center (April 1, 2021); Read full article

This schedule is based on the availability of the Amway Center during the NBA playoffs or Solar Bears games, and safety conditions due to COVID-19.

In the event graduations cannot take place at the Amway Center, alternative locations will be determined.

Safety precautions will include, but are not limited to, the mandatory wearing of face masks, social distancing, limited ticketing (exact number per graduate to be determined), strict arrival, departure and stage procedures.

All guidelines and protocols are being developed in conjunction with the Florida Department of Health in Orange County and the Amway Center.

Please note that all financial obligations need to be paid before you can purchase a ticket. Please see Ms. Gooseman in the Media Center to pay for any outstanding obligations.

Save the date… Tuesday, April 27th at 3:30PM. More information to follow.

Tuesday, May 11th – Media Center. LaunchED will drive thru. Please be sure to have all financial obligations paid in full.

All dates and times are subject to change.

OCPS provides students and families with multiple supports at both the school and district level. Below are descriptions of our three support services departments and how they can assist you. If you have a need, please complete the survey and a staff member will be in touch within 1-2 business days. If you are experiencing an emergency or need immediate assistance, please call 911.

Mental Health Services: This team is comprised of social workers, school psychologists, mental health counselors, and mental health support specialists, highly trained to improve the quality of life and well-being of students, families, and school staff by providing a broad range of services, including prevention strategies or interventions such as counseling, consultation, for those experiencing ranges of mental health issues and referrals for long-term services, and supports in the community.

Psychological and Social Services: This team is comprised of highly trained school social workers and school psychologists that provide a wide-range of direct and indirect services to address the needs of students, families, and school staff. This includes partnering with schools to provide family-school collaboration services, conducting evaluations for special education services, crisis prevention and intervention, and the facilitation of community resources to support students and families.

McKinney-Vento Program (MVP) or Homeless Education: This team is comprised of social workers and resource teachers who can specifically assist families that due to hardship are currently living in cars, on the streets, in a shelter, in a hotel, or sharing housing due to hardship. Services provided are assistance with food supports, immediate enrollment, transportation to school, and possibly consistency of school placement.

Take the survey here: https://ocps.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9XoB3I0TGhQ9kfr

** This week's Motivational Moment is particularly aimed at our Class of 2021 Seniors with graduation now only a few weeks away, but it still applies to all of our Pioneers. However, as the Seniors will be leaving high school next month, this formula will prove helpful much sooner.

It's so simple that it's revolutionary. The fact is, this formula or principle is misunderstood enough, or overlooked enough, that it can be called magic by those who understand it. Ready? Here it is. You can beat 50 percent of the people in America by working hard. You can beat another 40% by being a person of honesty and integrity and standing for something. The last 10 percent is competition in the free enterprise system.

The lesson for our Pioneers? Effort and personal character matter greatly through both high school and in college. For those of our Pioneers who plan to own their own business one day or even rise up in the private sector, this formula certainly applies to you. Be the best you can be and never be afraid to compete. With confidence and preparation, you will succeed!

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 | Ms. Bellinger, Principal | 407.852.3200 | ORHS Website