April 27 OHS Community Update: Academic News and Notes

Monday, April 27, 2020

Hey Raccoons!

I hope everyone is doing well! I wanted to take a minute to provide everyone with some important academic-focused updates. As we continue to do our best to adapt to online learning, we understand that many families and students need an extra degree of flexibility during this unpredictable time. Please see the information below regarding grades, the upcoming AP exams that begin on May 11, and information on our term 4 Family/Teacher Conferences.

Grading Scale Flexibility for Families

Our staff and students have done a fantastic job adjusting quickly to an online learning environment. While we are trying to provide the best academic experience possible, we are fully aware of the limitations and challenges with virtual learning. In addition, we know many students and families are facing personal hardships at this time, and school cannot always be a priority in your days. As a school community and a district, we recognize these challenges.

Last week, the School Board approved a modification to our grading policy that gives families flexibility in regards to how grades are reported for the term 4 report card. Specifically, to respect the individual needs of each family, we are offering families the option to select a Pass/Fail grading scale for the term 4 block or semester 2 skinny classes that they are currently enrolled in. Below are the details regarding this policy change that was approved by the School Board on Tuesday evening.

Guiding Principles: 

• The current state of education will cause some uncertainty regarding how current term 4 grades for students (transcripts) are viewed in higher education institutions. Allowing students/families the choice to maintain letter grades affords some certainty for those comfortable having their grade reflect their achievement toward course outcomes.
• We have the obligation to provide flexibility and support to our students and families during this unprecedented time.
• We cannot control the variables associated with learning environments that students are working in right now.
• While some kids are thriving, others are struggling. None of them chose this learning structure.

Policy and/or Handbook Modifications

Teachers will be responsible for continuing grading practices, as stated in current policy and handbook language through the final day of the term or semester.

Once final grades are posted, families (parents/guardians) can select students to receive a P instead of a letter grade for the last .5 credit (semester 2 skinny or term 4 class, or semester 2 A/B alternating block for freshmen Lit and Comp/Algebra.)

A P will be issued if the student receives a D- or higher. A different process and criteria may be used for students with IEPs per the IEP team.

A P will not be applied to the student’s GPA.  An F will be applied to the student’s GPA.

For term 4 courses (2019-2020 only,) students who elect into a P will have the ability to retake the specific course for an improved grade. This temporarily replaces current handbook language that states only grades below a C will be allowed for retake. This modification is reflective of our guiding principles. Credit is not awarded twice for the same course.

Families will be asked to request optional grading on a class-by-class basis. They will be asked to select one of the following challenges to the virtual learning environment:

• Access: Family had inconsistent access to internet/devices
• Environment: Students struggled with a virtual learning environment
• Personal: Supported family as a caretaker of siblings, employment, and other family supports
• Illness: Student had an illness that required extensive absences
• Other, as agreed upon by the family and site administration

Process

• OHS teachers enter final grades in Skyward by the final student day of the 2019-2020 school year
• Families can request P/F option for a period of five days following grades being posted to Skyward
• Upon approval from the OHS Administrative Office, the student’s grade is modified
• Report cards/transcripts Issued

More details on how to make this request will be shared in June.

AP Exams Begin May 11

Students enrolled in AP Exams will be participating in the online exams from their home beginning May 11, 2020. Your teachers have been in touch regarding the exact dates and times of your exam. Make sure to test your technology and see if your family can help out and reduce internet usage during your 45-minute exam. You should receive an email from AP with a link for your exam on testing day. You also should have started receiving emails from AP about your testing dates, and you should be receiving more messages in the near future about how to practice with the new online format prior to testing day. 

Make sure to check your junk mail or spam if you do not see any informational emails coming from AP in your inbox sometime soon, and allow emails from collegeboard@e.collegeboard.org. 

Please note that you need to change your email in AP Classroom if you prefer to have your link sent to a different account. You can click here to review a video that outlines the testing requirements and several resources that will support our Raccoons. A full update can be found here.  

While the College Board has provided flexibility regarding the cancellation of exams, please know that we will only provide reimbursements for exams for unique personal circumstances. Reimbursement guidelines are available by clicking here.

Family/Teacher Conferences

Our Family/Teacher Conferences scheduled for Wednesday, May 6 are cancelled. That being said, you can always reach out to our teachers to have a conference via Google or over the phone to discuss progress and plans to support the transition to next year.

As always, please feel free to reach out to me at CurtisJ@oasd.org.  

Thanks!
Jason

April 17 Update: School Closure Extended- Important Information

Friday, April 17, 2020

Hey Raccoons,

I hope everyone is doing as well as possible given the circumstances. The announcement that school will remain closed for the rest of the 2019-2020 year is heartbreaking. Now more than ever, we have to remain united as a school community as we begin to make plans around ending the school year in a virtual environment.

The purpose of today’s post is to provide you with an update and as many details as possible about the various events, celebrations, and operational tasks that come with the end of the year. Please check them out below.

Academic Updates: Virtual Learning Continues

Virtual learning lessons will continue to be delivered Tuesday-Friday each week. If your school-issued device breaks or you need any technical support, please fill out this form, email helpdesk@oasd.org or call 262-560-2126. Someone from our tech team will contact you as soon as possible.

Reclaiming Personal Belongings at OHS

I understand that many students and staff have personal items that are still at OHS. There is a team working to establish a process that abides by government guidelines to reclaim items, and I will share those details as soon as possible.

Down the road, we will also be setting up plans to return any school materials you may have. This includes any uniforms, Chromebooks, library books, and classroom materials.

Refunds and Fees

We are working with the business office regarding refunds and reimbursements for specific events and course fees. More details will be shared in the next month.

Academic and Extracurricular Events

All in-person academic and extracurricular-related activities scheduled for the rest of the school year will need to be canceled. This includes:

• All curriculum-focused honor society induction ceremonies 
• National Honor Society induction ceremony
• All band, choir, and orchestra concerts scheduled throughout May
• Grilling to Give 
• All banquets and end-of-the-year celebrations 

Advisors may be in touch regarding possible virtual or alternative recognition ceremonies. This will be determined by each individual organization. However, due to the large number of students eligible for National Honor Society, we will simply be mailing acceptance notifications and certificates later this Spring. Our hope is to honor these inductees with a smaller recognition ceremony in the Fall.

Seniors who have earned cords and other academic regalia for their participation in these various organizations will still receive them prior to graduation. Details on the distribution of these items is still yet to be determined.

Spring Athletic Season 

The WIAA will issue guidance regarding the spring sports season after their meeting on Tuesday. We will share details from them as soon as possible.

Remember, our stadium lights will shine tonight in our honor of spring athletes from 7:30-9:30pm. You are welcome to stop by, but please stay in your car and do not congregate in large groups by the fence.

Scholar Athlete Ceremony 

The annual Scholar Athlete Ceremony scheduled to occur on Monday, May 18 will be canceled. Recipients will receive their certificates in the mail sometime this summer. We will have a special recognition for seniors who are 4-year Scholar Athlete winners sometime during one of the senior celebration events later this spring.

Since the rosters for most spring sports were not set and cuts could not occur, we will be waiving the varsity letter requirement for Scholar Athlete eligibility for any student committed to a spring sport this season. To be considered committed, you must have your physical on file and have completed all online waivers and forms that are required by the WIAA. This means spring-only athletes will be eligible for the Scholar Athlete recognition if they:

• Have completed and submitted their required physical 
• Completed all forms required by the school and WIAA
• Attained a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher
• Have not had an athletic code violation during the 2019-2020 school year

Please contact Kevin Flegner at FlegnerK@oasd.org if you have any questions or concerns.

Prom

We will need to cancel our Prom that was rescheduled for Saturday, May 30. While we will not be hosting a formal Prom this year, we will continue to monitor government guidelines and hope to offer some culminating social experience later in the summer. Stay tuned!

Class of 2020 Recognition Events and Commencement Ceremony

Our community is committed to recognizing this resilient and special group of seniors. As I shared the other day, the Class of 2020 is teaching us all an important lesson in not taking things for granted. 

Obviously, everyone wants to have an idea about what we will do for the Commencement Ceremony scheduled for June 13. Dr. Rindo and I have talked on almost a daily basis, and have developed several contingency plans depending on the status and restriction put in place by the state and federal government after the Stay at Home Order expires on May 26.  Any celebration would need to comply with government guidelines, CDC recommendations, and logistically make sense given our facilities and equipment. We will continue to monitor the situation and communicate an update sometime in early May.

This class deserves to be honored and I look forward to many new, out-of-the-box, and fun celebrations throughout late May and June. I have a team of parents and teachers meeting next week to help set a plan to celebrate our Raccoons!

Ocon Pride Live! Virtual Pep Rally

Now more than ever, we need to unite as a Raccoon community and cheer each other up. Families, students, and community members are invited to tune in to our Ocon Pride Live! Virtual Pep Rally on Wednesday, April 22 at 7:30pm. You can access the event through this link: https://www.oasd.org/page.cfm?p=9054

The celebration will include musical performances by our students, a fundraiser for first responders, and recognize many of our Raccoons and spring athletes.

Well… this wasn’t the most fun letter to write. This is going to be a weird month, but we will get through this together. Despite the changes and all the cancellations, now more than ever, I am proud to be a Raccoon!

Please know you can always contact me at CurtisJ@oasd.org if you need anything. I will be in touch with additional information as it becomes available.

Hang in there, Raccoons!

Jason

April 14 Update: Living our Ocon Pride Values!

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Hey Raccoon Family!

I hope everyone had a great weekend! I have mentioned before that with these uncertain times and the unexpected switch to virtual learning, it gives us an opportunity to shine. When facing hardships like the one we are experiencing, it’s easy to get down and lower expectations. However, we all know our core values of being grounded, committed, and accountable, and now, more than ever, it’s important we apply those values in our everyday life. Don’t get me wrong—I know many of us are struggling right now. Isolation, loneliness, recent economic hardships, and the reality of online learning have left us to question what the future might bring. However, as Raccoons, it’s important we stay committed to our purpose by focusing on our academics, supporting our family, and reaching out to those in need. Below are a couple of ways we will be showing our Ocon Pride over the next few weeks. Check them out!

OCON CARES Bingo Competition!

As a way to show your commitment to bringing our Ocon Pride to our community, supporting those in need, and trying to have a little fun, I am excited to share our OCON CARES challenge! Check out the bingo card below. We are encouraging each Raccoon to achieve a vertical, diagonal, or horizontal bingo by completing the activities listed on the card. 

You can click here to access your OCON CARES bingo card.

Once you achieve bingo, record a quick video or share photos from your kind acts throughout the week and submit them to Mr. Frias at FriasJ@oasd.org by midnight on Monday, April 27 for your chance to win a prize!

These activities are a great way to spread some cheer in our community. They also serve as another way to earn service hours, entertain your younger relatives, and share our Ocon Pride!

Ocon Pride Live! Virtual Pep Rally (Wednesday, April 22 at 7:30pm)

We are going to attempt to bring some Ocon Pride to you directly at home with a livestream virtual pep rally at 7:30pm on Wednesday, April 22. Our plan is to include:

• Musical performances
• A recognition of spring athletes
• A shout-out to students who had their spring activities cancelled or cut short
• A miracle minute to support our first responders
• Interactive activities where you can post photos and share messages

Stay tuned for more details and wish us luck as we work to learn this new technology. So grab some popcorn, throw on your purple and gold, and tune in to Ocon Pride Live!

Go Raccoons!
Jason

April 2 Update: You Can't Hide That Ocon Pride!

Thursday, April 2, 2020

Hey Raccoon Family!

Thanks for making our Virtual OconPride day a success! We know you might be feeling disconnected during this time. We hope yesterday's messages and posts gave everyone a chance to feel connected to our broader Raccoon community! Check out the video below for a message and some photos. We will post additional student photos and announces winners of the competition in next week's Raccoon Rambler.

For now, enjoy a little #VirtualOconPride

Go Raccoons!
Jason