Thursday, November 9, 2023
Knights Find A Way!
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Ocoee Community Member
In the event you missed our boys soccer team home opener yesterday evening, our Knights defeated Boone's Braves 3-2. Congratulations Knights and good luck this season!
Ocoee's School Advisory Council (SAC) meets each month for 1 hour. Our next meeting is Tuesday, November 14 from 5:30pm to 6:30pm in the media center. The concept of the SAC is based on a belief in the importance and power of shared leadership. Ocoee parents, faculty, administration, and the community work together to provide advice regarding school policies in accordance with the mission of our school and the policies of OCPS.
While these meetings run only one hour per month, the feedback coming from the community is very valuable. Suggestions from parents are of great help to us with the implementation of our School Improvement Plan, monitoring the budget, and other important OHS matters. Therefore, if you are a Ocoee parent or guardian, or just a member of our school community, as you scroll down this latest issue please consider joining us next Tuesday. The meeting is not a lot of time, but is personal time very well spent when you consider the impact on students and teachers.
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Pictured at the top of this issue and just above:
This past weekend our band took home STRAIGHT SUPERIORS at their Music Performance Assessment (MPA). SUPERIOR – The rating is comparable to the grade of “A”. This rating reflects the finest conceivable performance for the event and class of participants being evaluated – worthy of the distinction of being recognized as among the very best.* Congratulations Knights!
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Today we wrap up Military Week. If you missed any of the dates above and have interest, reach out to our College and Career Center and they will gladly answer any questions you may have. Please remember that Saturday, November 11 is Veterans Day. If you know of someone who has worn the uniform or see a current member of our armed forces over the next few days, kindly take a quick moment to thank them for their service.
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Thank you for reading about some of our most recent Knight happenings and successes.
In Knight Pride,
Dr. Karcinski
Principal
Ocoee High School
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OCPS Magnet Programs
2024-2025
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This week's Superintendent's message is about OCPS Magnet Programs: |
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It's magnet program application time! Superintendent Vazquez sits down with Bri MacNaught to talk about programs such as Agriscience, criminal justice, law and finance, digital gaming, international studies, medical careers and first responder training.
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Knight Spotlight
FFA / U.S. History
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It has been super busy lately for Ocoee High School FFA. We would like to give a couple shout outs!
Congratulations to our vegetable judging team for qualifying for state vegetable judging and placing first in the preliminaries. Team members include Dakota Keller, Payton Grant, Ava Yarborough, and Emily Garrow. We are also proud of our Environmental Science team for qualifying 3rd in prelims and advancing on to States.
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We would also like to congratulate Madelyn Young (above) on winning Grand Champion Senior showmanship, Grand Champion Steer and Reserve champion heifer. Emily Garrow for placing first in her class and Dakota Keller second in her class. We are so proud of all of our students and their accomplishments! |
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U.S. History: Ocoee's leading classrooms after PMA 1 |
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Shout out to MS. Vinson’s 1st period, Ms. Anderson’s 1st period, and Ms. Strickland’s 2nd period (pictured in order from top to bottom) U.S. History classes which had the highest class pass rates on the first U.S. History PMA. Dr. Karcinski surprised these classes with breakfast sandwiches and hash browns for a job well done! |
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Teacher Recognition
Ms. McDonald, 3rd year at Ocoee
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Victoria McDonald has been an educator for 14 years. Teaching every grade level in Secondary English Education, Victoria has been able to see the varying levels and stages of the English Curriculum from middle to high school.
Ms. McDonald joined Ocoee High School three years ago and not only serves as a 9th Grade AICE General Paper teacher, but also as PLC lead, department chair, a model classroom teacher, and the Literacy Instructional Coach. These roles allow her to be able to extend her leadership to teachers by assisting and coaching them to gain greater capacities in their instruction through data-driven instruction and literacy. She has also played a great role in building academic capacity and relationships with students resulting in her nomination as the Hero Teacher of the Year for Orange County Public Schools in 2018.
Victoria McDonald graduated from Florida State University with a degree in English Education where she was a founding member of the FSU Council of Teachers of English. She also earned her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from National Louis University in the summer of 2020. In her, albeit limited, free time, she enjoys food tours with her twin sister and lifting weights!
Thank you Ms. McDonald for all you do for our Knights!
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Curriculum Snapshot
Early Childhood Education Program
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Level 2 students in the Early Childhood program seen with our Mighty Knights Preschoolers, are working on earning their Child Discovery Associate certificate. On Tuesday, October 30th, our preschoolers had the opportunity to “Trick or Treat” around campus. Zoey Gray (left) and Haylen Casey (right) are helping two preschoolers carry and collect their treats. |
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One of the many perks of attending Ocoee High school is that we have a coffee shop located just inside the Media Center. It is open in the morning before school, and during both lunches. During lunch, our student assistants sell and serve iced coffee to anyone who would like to purchase. |
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Special Feature
OHS leaders were back in the classrooms for a day.
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Dr. Karcinski has challenged her leadership team to start taking over a teacher’s class for the day. This past week, Dr. Karcinski, Ms. Wagner, Ms. Green, and Dean Morris all stepped in to teach classes. |
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Dr. Karcinski helped students to identify the reasons for the United States involvement in World War I and how involvement in the war was justified to the American people. |
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Ms. Green spent the morning teaching our learning strategies classes. Students worked in collaborative groups to research and identify personal, academic, and community problems. |
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Dean Morris took over our student government class on Friday. Students researched local and state issues that they were passionate about and wrote resolutions. |
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Ms. Wagner engaged students in a game of philosophical chairs to demonstrate Americans changing opinions throughout World War I. |
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Classroom Spotlight
Biology with Ms. Vega
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Ms. Vega’s class utilized manipulatives to help process their understanding. Students drew, labeled, compared and contrasted the functions of animal and plant cells while making inferences and connections to their prior knowledge. |
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OTC Dual Enrollment
Applications are now open!
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What all our students have been waiting for; OTC Dual Enrollment application process went live on Monday, November 6. This is open to all current sophomores and juniors with a 2.0 or higher unweighted GPA. Additionally, they must be on track to graduate!
Orange Technical College Dual Enrollment programs:
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Meet our Knight OTC Pharmacy Tech Dual Enrollment students: |
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Our 1st year Pharmacy Tech Duals:
Ge’Niyah Bridges, Cara Compas, Yesmean Quarterman
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Our Year 2 Pharmacy Tech Duals:
Ruth Bernadin, Jessica Jacques, Nalani Newland
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Knight Camaraderie
Mathematics
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The community builder with our Algebra 1 and Geometry teachers during Articulation Day was a blast! Our teachers are always looking for moments to celebrate success - the smiles on their faces tell the story 😀 Work + a little bit of play = a great day! Now that’s good “Math” right there! |
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College and Career Center |
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Valencia College: the Valencia College application is open! If you want to apply to the Bridges to Success (2 years free tuition/mentorship program), apply for Summer term. Apply using this Valencia Application Walkthrough Video. If you qualify for free/reduced lunch, see Ms. Wolfgramm or Ms. Hendricks for a waiver to apply.
Common App: The Common Application is an online platform designed for you to apply to multiple colleges with one system. This makes applying faster and easier! There are over 1,000 colleges/universities using Common App! Seniors can reference their student email (subject line: Common App How-To) for a Common App guide or you can use this Common App Walkthrough Video.
Common Black College Application: the Common Black College Application is an online platform designed for you to apply to over 60 Historically Black Colleges and Universities with one system and one $20 application fee! Students can apply here: https://commonblackcollegeapp.com.
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FAFSA (The Free Application for Federal Student Aid): |
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Seniors - while the 2024-2025 FAFSA won’t open until December, the current 2023-2024 FAFSA application is OPEN! You should go ahead and complete this form so your schools have some sort of an idea regarding your financial aid status for scholarships in the event the 24-25 FAFSA is delayed past December. Feel free to use this STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE to assist you with the application. Be sure to save your FSA ID for future applications!
A unique, one-week, summertime educational program for rising seniors that focuses on participation and personal experience in a model state, complete with governmental bodies and elected public officials. It is designed to mirror the structure and operation of Florida’s state government, while providing hands-on training in practical citizenship, leadership and character development through a non-partisan perspective. Young men interested in Boys State should hold outstanding qualities of leadership, character, scholarship, loyalty and service to their school. In the selection process, merit and ability are the two most important factors considered. Enrollment fees, or tuition, are paid by American Legion posts or other community-minded organizations, leaving little or no expense to the student or his family. See Ms. Wolfgramm or Ms. Hendricks for an application form.
Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors! 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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Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA) empowers a community of exceptional young leaders from under-resourced backgrounds by supporting their higher education and professional success in order to create a more inclusive and equitable country. Open to high-achieving juniors with an unweighted 3.5 GPA or higher.
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Valencia Two-Year Scholarship (9th Graders): |
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Valencia Horizon Scholars – Take Stock in Children Program: a scholarship, mentoring, and college readiness program designed to provide students with professional, academic, and personal support for 9th graders. This program culminates in students receiving a two-year Florida Prepaid scholarship that can be used at any public university, college, or vocational/technical school in Florida upon high school graduation and successful program completion.
● The priority deadline to apply is November 27, 2023. The official application deadline is January 2, 2024. However, students who apply early will be given priority!
● Student Eligibility Requirements:
- Have a 2.3 unweighted GPA
- Meet the household financial need requirements as outlined in the attached documents and our website
- Demonstrate a desire to continue their education after high school
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This Week in Knight Athletics: |
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A Gallup poll has found that over half (51%) of US teenagers report spending at least 4 hours per day on social media apps.
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2) Immediate transition to college from high school = 62%
Question: How many high school seniors go straight to college after high school?
Answer: Of the 2.7 million US high school students who graduated in 2021 (latest year available), some 1.7 million (or 62 percent) were enrolled in college shortly after leaving high school. The percentage of high school graduates who are enrolled in 2- or 4-year college institutions within a few months are known as the "immediate college enrollment rate." The overall immediate college enrollment rate in 2021 was lower than the rate in 2010 (68 percent - see second column in table below).
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3) Government-held college student loan balances are now down on a year-over-year basis (in part due to student debt forgiveness). But, our Knights should remain very cautious when using debt to pay for college. Please first see your other options mentioned above from the Ocoee College and Career Center.
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4) KNIGHT WISDOM TO LIVE BY: Week of November 6, 2023 |
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Andrew Whitworth On Character
You can always teach what you know. But you'll only ever replicate who you are.
~ Andrew Whitworth, NFL player
Art Turock On Commitment
There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.
~ Art Turock, performance coach
B. C. Forbes On Obstacles
Golf without bunkers and hazards would be tame and monotonous. So would life.
~ B.C. Forbes, founder of Forbes magazine
Jessica Jackley On Delegation
Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do.
~ Jessica Jackley, entrepreneur
Roger Goodell On Ethics
It's not always easy to know what's right. But when you do know what's right, you have to have the courage to do it.
~ Roger Goodell, NFL commissioner
Tommy Lee Jones On Manners
Kindness and politeness are not overrated at all. They're underused.
~ Tommy Lee Jones, actor
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Knights Find A Way!
Dr. Karcinski, Principal
Ocoee High School
Thursday, November 9, 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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