Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Knights Find A Way!
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Ocoee Community Member
Thank you to all of our Ocoee families that invested the time to complete the 2024 Family Survey which closed out last Friday. Once the overall results are returned to the school, we will closely review our parents' suggestions with an eye towards including those within our 2024-2025 school improvement plan. During the course of next year, we will be sharing our progress against the school improvement plan all along during our monthly School Advisory Council (SAC) meetings.
We open this week's edition recognizing our latest round of students with perfect attendance (pictured above). As teachers have already begun to review content in many classes with the 2023-2024 year-end assessments just around the corner (please see testing schedules below), daily attendance will be especially important over the next few weeks. Thankfully, when compared against most US high schools, our Knights do quite well with attendance which reflects upon their sense of accountability and school pride. Continue to make each day count Knights!
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Listed just above and pictured at the top of this issue:
Congratulations to our perfect attendance Knights!! We are so proud of you. A special thank you to the parents of these students. We appreciate you! Knight Parents: Please ensure that you are checking your child’s grades and attendance routinely via Skyward Family Access so to keep up with their progress all along.
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If you are a senior, remember our FAFSA help session on Wednesday during lunch. If you know someone who has yet to complete their FAFSA, please bring them to the College and Career Center and pick up your Airheads Xtremes! Ocoee parents, in Florida only 17% of seniors have completed this important form as of April 5th. The FAFSA is a free form that unlocks the door to federal financial aid, such as grants, work-study and student loans. Schools and many states rely on the FAFSA to award financial aid. Please take advantage of this help Wednesday!
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Congratulations to our 2023-2024 girls' flag football team (11-3)! They are back-to-back District Champions! Our Lady Knights defeated Apopka's Blue Darters last Thursday by a score of 13-12.
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Finally, a quick reminder with respect to school safety. One of our top daily priorities has always been campus safety, so please continue to keep this in mind right through year-end. Remember Knights, if you should ever see or hear of something suspicious or unusual, please say something to any teacher, coach, administrator, or one of our SROs right away. Thank you for your support and continued awareness.
Enjoy the rest of your week!
Knights Find A Way!
Dr. Karcinski
Principal
Ocoee High School
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*** SPECIAL RECOGNITION ***
Ocoee's awesome PTSA - Thank you for your service!
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Thank you to our PTSA for all of the work you’ve put in over the past three years to start-up and sustain a PTSA devoted to the educational success of our children, and in turn, the improvement of our community. When we support teachers and invest in kids, the future is bright! Please consider joining our PTSA. It’s just $7 to become a member. Scan the QR code to join: |
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Jazz Band and Percussion Team |
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Our amazing jazz band and percussion team paired up with Ocoee Middle School's jazz band to perform this past weekend at the Ocoee Music Festival! |
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Congratulations to Madison Zurek, Zachary Johnson, Dominic Marinacci, and Darius Garddic on their U.S. History PMA PERFECT scores!! |
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Fridays' Pop Up Boutique: |
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Weekly Superintendent's Message |
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Who's excited for summer? On this week's Mondays with Maria presented by Addition Financial, Superintendent Maria Vazquez talks about how summer enrichment impacts student success and the fun opportunities available.
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All students: Any student with below a 2.0 cumulative grade point average at the end of the year will need to attend summer school at Ocoee High School. Please keep in mind that transportation is not provided. Students who need to attend summer school will be notified in the coming weeks via their counselor or mentor. Letters will also be mailed home and a Connect Orange phone call and email sent to the parent/guardian of all students needing to attend summer school.
Rising Seniors who have not met their concordant score to graduate by the end of their Junior year will need to attend our ACT Camp. There will be two testing opportunities provided over the summer that you will need to attend to meet your concordant score.
* Summer School Dates and Times: June 3rd-June 27th, 7:30am-12:30pm
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Ocoee HERO Staff Member
Ms. Patrick, External Bookkeeper
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Thank you to Ms. Patrick, our external bookkeeper, for all you do! Ms. Patrick was acknowledged as an OCPS HERO staff member for all she does. We appreciate you so much. |
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Biology review is in full swing! Macromolecule EOC Review: Students are engaged in a card game with a review quiz in collaborative groups. Each student has a note-taking guide to record their knowledge. |
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FFA State Land Evaluation Team: |
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This past week, our FFA chapter competed in State Land Evaluation. Our Knights placed 11th in the state, and Teagan Keller was the 5th highest individual FFA member in the state competition. Pictured above are team members: Colton Glover, Teagan Keller, and Dakota Keller. |
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2023-2024 Senior Calendar: |
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This week in Knight sports: |
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Seniors! National Decision Day is coming up soon!
In order to receive an invitation to the Ocoee HS Decision Day event, which celebrates all students (not just athletes) committing to a college, technical college or military branch, you must complete the form in the link below and show proof of acceptance. There is an option to upload your proof of acceptance in the form or you can email it to erin.wolfgramm@ocps.net or bring it to the College and Career Center. If we don’t have proof of the acceptance, you will not receive an invite to participate. If you’ve already shown proof - you won’t need to send it again.
We need to have your response by April 19th. If you aren’t 100% sure where you will attend, you can choose a school you have been accepted to – this doesn’t tie you to a school.
Athletes who have already signed with their school at an athletic signing are still encouraged to join their friends and participate in this event.
Again, invitations will only go to those who completed the form and have proof of acceptance on file with us. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
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There are MANY scholarships still available. We are constantly adding new opportunities to the Scholarship Spreadsheet. Please take advantage and APPLY! |
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Horatio Alger CTE Scholarship: |
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Horatio Alger CTE Scholarship: up to $2,500 per student headed into a Post-Secondary CTE program this Fall. 500 students will be awarded nationwide.
1. Open now until June 15, 2024, for citizens ages 18-35, entering a Certification or Technical program, that is 2 years or less. (NOT for a 4-year degree.)
2. Students can download their FAFSA Submission Summary PDF or scan a copy of their 2022 tax return, and they are ready to apply. (Income of $65,000 or less.)
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Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): |
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Seniors! Your 2024-2025 FAFSA should be submitted. Schools should have begun to receive student FAFSA information mid-March and then they will start processing the applications for your financial aid. The FAFSA BBQ is coming up on May 2nd. If your FAFSA is not fully processed, you will not receive an invite. Mr. Hendricks is cooking and believe us - you DON'T want to miss it!
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Entrepreneurship Summer Opportunity
● Leadership & Innovation Lab (LIL) - open to 9th - 11th grade students
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https://leadershipinnovationlab.org/programs-%26-dates (also see attachment)
- Summer entrepreneurship opportunity will offer both group and 1-on-1 entrepreneurship programs. If your student is interested in launching their own company, business, or organization, or if they're seeking to enhance their leadership skills or stand out on college applications, LIL has tailored programs to meet their needs. Their expert instructors and personalized approach will provide them with the knowledge, skills, and guidance necessary to succeed in their entrepreneurial endeavors and personal development goals.
- Students need to complete the application and a resume and send it directly to zijia.liu@scholarlaunch.org
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Applications can be picked up in the College + Career Center (see Mrs. Wolfgramm)
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Stanford University Summer Enrichment Program: Grades 6-12: |
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MATRICULATE FREE COLLEGE ADVISING
Matriculate connects high-achieving, low-income juniors and seniors to highly-trained undergraduate advisors—completely virtually—empowering students to attend colleges where they will thrive. www.matriculate.org
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Social Media Summer Internship: |
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Final Parent Academy Conference of 2023-2024 |
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1) Kids playing sports by state (Florida = 48.7%; US = 53.8%): |
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2) Florida is currently 2nd to last just ahead of Alaska in terms of Class of 2024 Seniors completing the FAFSA (17.7%): |
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3) February's Bar Exam passing rates by Florida law school:
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Note for any of our Knights considering law school in the future: Of the 593 people who took Florida's February 2024 bar examination for the first time, 334 passed, or roughly 56%, according to the Florida Board of Bar Examiners. Florida offers its bar exam, as do most states, twice a year, in February and July.
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Mahatma Gandhi On Purpose
The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others
~ Mahatma Gandhi, statesman
Tom Landry On Implementation
Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan.
~ Tom Landry, football coach
Anne Frank On Optimism
What a wonderful thought that some of the best days of our lives haven't happened yet.
~ Anne Frank, writer
Walter Payton On Achievement
If you ask me how I want to be remembered, it is as a winner. A winner is somebody who has given his best effort, who has tried the hardest they possibly can, who has utilized every ounce of energy and strength within them to accomplish something.
~ Walter Payton, football player
Cynthia Erivo On Dreams
I don't believe that many things are impossible to achieve so long as you put your mind to it and take the time to get it done.
~ Cynthia Erivo, singer
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Knights Find A Way!
Dr. Karcinski, Principal
Ocoee High School
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
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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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