May 2012 Odyssey Middle School A Voyage To Excellence

OdysseyOutlook

A Message From The Principal

For the Parents, Staff, Students and Community of Odyssey Middle School

Volume XIIssue 4

OCPS EEO Non-Discrimination StatementThe School Board of Orange County, Florida, does not discriminate in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, marital status, disability, genetic information or any other reason prohibited by law. The Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Supervisor responsible for compliance is Carianne Reggio. Compliance matters relating to Section 504 and Title IX should also be submitted to Carianne Reggio at the Educational Leadership Center, 445 W. Amelia Street, Orlando, Florida 32801. (407.317.3200)

Dear Odyssey Parents, Students and Community, It’s hard to believe the 2011-2012 school year is nearly over. Since the last edition of the newsletter we have added a new member to our administration family, Mr. Miguel Nieves, who joins us as Assistant Principal of Instruction. He comes to us with experience in both middle and high

school. We are excited to have Mr. Nieves as an Odyssey Dragon and part of the Blue and Gold Nation! Over the past year, there have been many accomplishments worthy of recognition. First, is how proud the entire administration is of our students’ and teachers’ hard work in preparation for FCAT especially for successfully leading our 6th graders to be the first to complete the FCAT Reading computer-

based test! Students and teachers have also worked very diligently to make sure those taking End of Course Exams for Honors Geometry, Honors Algebra, and Honors Earth Space Science are fully prepared for their exams. Moreover, hundreds of students have demonstrated that their primary

focus is on academics by maintaining Honor Roll and/or Principal’s Honor Roll status all year. Congratulations to these students! They truly exemplify that Odyssey is a great place to learn! I look forward to recognizing all these academically outstanding students at our Evening of Excellence. In addition, it has been a pleasure to recognize students for a variety of achievements. Monthly, we have recognized one male and

one female student from each team for character, leadership, service, and scholarship with our Student of the Month program. Throughout the year we have recognized students for their contributions to the school and community with programs like the Martin Luther King

Humanitarian, Disney’s Dreamer and Doer, and Spirit of Excellence. Our students have also received distinguished recognition for their contributions in music, art, poetry, and athletics. Parents, thank you for your support of our students. We all should be very proud of the way that they represent themselves, their families, and our school.

Parents, we realize that students are excited about the end of the school year, however, it is very important for students to remain focused on their academics up to the very last day of school. This is a critical time in the school year for all

students, whether a student has all A’s and B’s and wants to maintain Honor Roll status for final grades or a student is in danger of failing a class. We want all students to finish the school year on a strong note, and we want their academic record to reflect the highest grades and test scores possible. Please continue to encourage your student to complete

homework and required reading nightly. Continue to check the planner and progress book regularly. Though your middle school student may not act as if he/she does need your academic guidance at home, they very much do need the support, encouragement, and even the occasional prodding of their first teacher in life, Mom and/or Dad. In partnership, we help our students achieve academic success. With summer around the corner this is a good time to discuss summer reading. Students have required summer reading and summer assignments for their core academic classes. The purpose of summer work is to help students maintain and strengthen their skills in reading, writing, and problem-solving. Research shows that

academic regression occurs after several weeks away from the classroom, and we want to minimize academic regression among our Odyssey students. Summer assignments will be distributed prior to the end of the school year, and these assignments will also be accessible on our school website (www.odms.ocps.net) over the summer

break. Please encourage your student to complete these assignments with fidelity in order to be sharp and ready for the 2012-2013 school year in August. During the summer, all schools and district offices will be on a modified schedule from June 18, 2012 through

Friday, August 3, 2012. Odyssey Middle School’s hours during this time period will be 7:30 A.M. – 5:30 P.M. Monday through Thursday. All schools and district offices will be closed on Fridays. In addition, Odyssey Middle School, along

with other OCPS schools, will be closed the week of July 4th. continued on page 2...

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Odyssey OutlookMay 2012

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As we prepare to close out this school year, I would like to express on behalf of the administration our sincere appreciation of your continued support of our students, staff, and school programs. We cannot have successful students, successful programs, and a successful school without our parents, community members, faculty, and staff. On a personal note I would like to share again, how extremely fortunate I am to have joined the Odyssey family. It is a privilege and honor to lead this great Blue and Gold Nation- GO DRAGONS!

Yours in Education,

Suzanne M. Knight, Ed. D.Principal

...continued from the front page

End of the Year Testing ScheduleSubject Area Testing Date(s)

World History May 25, 2012

Mathematics May 30- 31, 2012

Language Arts June 1, 2012

Science June 4-5, 2012

Our Oration Contest Winners!1st place- Samantha Hessinger- 8th grade2nd place- Andrea Doloisio- 6th grade3rd place- Katy Dingman- 8th grade

Samantha and Andrea represented our school in the district oration contest on May 14th. Katy was our alternate if either Samantha or Andrea couldn’t make it. Please congratulate the students for their hard work! Ms. Sheloske

The Odyssey Athletic Department would like to thank the administration, faculty, staff, parents, and students for their encouragement and support of our young athletes this year. I would also like to thank our wonderful coaches for their dedication and contribution of their time and effort as they prepared our athletes for their sports seasons. Kudos to Mrs. Bass and Mr. Labee for soccer, Mrs. Weldy and Mr. Shave for volleyball, Mr. Speights and Mr. Webb for basketball and Ms. Loristin, Mr. Labee, Mr. Shave and Mr. Webb for track and field. To the athletes, I hope you enjoyed this year’s experience as you trained, practiced, and participated for your prospective teams. As we are closing out this year, we must start preparing for the next year. Please remember to check out the ODMS website over the summer for all the sports news and upcoming schedules. The website also contains all the paper work and forms that are required for participating in our sports program. Here are the eligibility requirements: all students must maintain a 2.0 cumulative grade point average or higher and exhibit upstanding citizenship in school. Please download these forms and have them completed by your parents and doctor over the summer; the sports screening physical, the notification of risk, the emergency treatment card, and the cardiovascular assessment form. The Sports Seasons for all OCPS Middle Schools are: First nine weeks – soccer (which starts the first week of school); second nine weeks – volleyball; third nine weeks – basketball; and fourth nine weeks –track and field. Take care and enjoy your summer! Mrs. Weldy

The Discovery team is looking forward to a few events before letting our students go for the summer! Hopefully we will see some of you as chaperones for our Islands of Adventure field trip on May 23. Also we can’t wait to celebrate student achievement during the Evening of Excellence. In science, we will be studying weather for the remainder of the year, including climate, layers of the atmosphere, and interactions among Earth’s spheres. I am proud of the hard work our students put into preparing for the Science FCAT! Please keep checking progress book so there are no surprises between now and year’s end. K. Jenkins In American History, we are now learning about the American Civil War which takes about a month in our curriculum. We will be ending the year with a unit on Reconstruction. As your son or daughter enters High School there will be numerous choices for them to pick from in their social studies curriculum. If your child is returning to Odyssey, I suggest going to the Odyssey website to see what their requirements will be for summer reading and/or assignments. Have a nice summer! R. Gotham Discovery math students have been plugging away preparing for their end of course exams!! Algebra Honorsstudents are putting in extra time and effort by coming to tutoring before school and during study skills. Right now they are learning about quadratics, radicals, and rational expressions. Whew! Course 3 students are also working hard to make sure they are ready for their test. We are reviewing skills taught throughout the year as the test is cumulative. Please encourage your child to study, study, study!!! Algebra Honors EOC is May 14-15 and Course 3 test is May 30-31. Good luck!

Physical education has had three very successful marking periods, and we are looking forward to an awesome end to the year. The students are becoming more physically fit, and they continue to learn about a variety of sports and activities. As we close out the year we will be doing one last sports unit, fitness testing, and having notebook checks. We still want to make sure the students are participating, and dressing out every day, so that we can finish strong during the fourth nine weeks. As the weather gets warmer we want to make sure your students stay hydrated, so please encourage them to drink water throughout the day. Thank you for helping to make this a successful year.Odyssey Physical Education

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The Navigators Team teachers are so proud of our students for their efforts put forth during FCAT week. The students worked hard throughout the year and really stepped up to the plate when it was crucial. We would like to thank the families for all the support during that week and all year long. We are gearing up for the end of the year. Please look for information regarding end of the year exams. There will be study guides and review sheets going home and we are stressing to students that every day counts. Learning happens in every class, every day. Ms. Martinez’s language arts classes are wrapping up their unit on writing poetry. Students have been given the opportunity to study and create several types of poems. Sharing these poems and working together has strengthened and enriched the whole experience! Following the poetry unit, we will be moving into a class reading of the novel Freak the Mighty. Readers will complete vocabulary activities, comprehension questions, written reflections, graphic organizers, and post-reading activities. Students should continue reading nightly to maintain reading skills as we approach final exams. Mrs. Mitchell’s world studies classes are studying the important achievements of Ancient Chinese Culture and how they compare to our society today. Along the way, students will learn about two dynasties that united China for hundreds of years and the contributions of key figures. Students will also make real world connections by conducting research on products found in their homes that are made in China versus items that are made in America. Wow! Summer is almost here. FCAT Testing is complete. Our math school year will end with the final units on geometry and measurement. We will be finishing our algebra unit and reviewing how to multiply and divide fractions. Students need to remember to log on to the Holt McDougal website (http://my.hrw.com) for tutorial videos, workbook pages, and a wealth of other resources. Please check the weekly posts available at http://parentaccess.ocps.net to access some documents, web links, and class information. A few important tests will be given before the school year closes. Students will be given a test to help determine if they can take algebra next year. The math final exam will be administered in late May or early June. Please remember the same focus and dedication needed at the beginning of the year is necessary to end the year successfully. I want to say thanks to parents for all your help and support this year and to encourage students to always strive for excellence. I hope everyone will enjoy the rest of the school year and have a safe and fun summer! Please visit Odyssey’s website http://odms.ocps.net to get information about summer assignments. In Mrs. Dy’s science class we are learning about the human body systems. Students have been learning how to identify the functions of the musculoskeletal, digestive, circulatory, respiratory, excretory, reproductive, immune, and nervous systems. Students are very focused on their body systems projects in class and at home. The students are learning how to construct connections between the various systems to maintain homeostasis. They are also learning how to compare and contrast types of infectious agents that may infect the human body both positively and negatively, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. We will end the nine weeks with human sexuality education required by Orange County. Please be on the lookout for an informational flyer going home soon. At this time we are also preparing for the end of the semester exams. I want to thank you for a great year and wish all my students a great summer and a terrific 7th grade year.

Reading Department Time Travelers Stars Team

4 Team News You Can Use...

The STARS Team has had a very successful year! The team started a “Zero Zero’s” Club to reward those students with no missing assignments in selected classes and watched how the blue “missing assignment” squares in our grade book disappeared. Students also received a star to place on their “Rising Star” card for displaying positive behavior. We have enjoyed our students this year and want to thank all of our parents for their support and encouragement! In science, we covered all the formulas on the reference sheet for the 8th grade FCAT science test next year-speed, acceleration, momentum, frequency, and wavelength. We are concluding our Forces, Motion, and Energy unit with the construction of roller coasters where students will observe and solve equations using kinetic and potential energy. Our final units will be on Atomic Structure and Chemistry. Please look for a summer science project on the ODMS website this summer. Now that FCAT is behind us and the school year is approaching an end, Mr. Shanafelt’s math students will work on solving equations by working with multi-step equations and applying these ideas to solving inequalities and multi-step inequalities. We will then shift our focus into reviewing for our end of the course Final Exam. All regular education math students should make sure they get their summer math assignment before the last day of school. Have a great summer! Mr. Shanafelt’s advanced math students will begin preparing for eighth grade. We are working on Operations with Square Roots, The Pythagorean Theorem, Angles, and an Introduction to Higher Level Geometry. We will also be having our end of the course exam and we will be doing a comprehensive review for all students. Students should also be on the lookout for their summer math assignment before the last day of school. Have a great summer! The STARS are progressing through our novel, Tangerine. The plot continues to grow more interesting daily, and we are “getting to know” the characters well! We are making predictions about what we think may happen next in the story. Mrs. Richardson’s classes are happy, relieved, and nervous simultaneously, now that FCAT is over! Happy because we learned what we needed to know to do well; relieved since it is behind us; and a bit nervous as we await scores to arrive later in the year, or early summer! Students comments concerning how well-prepared they felt, and the difficulty of the test were positive and exhibited confidence in their own abilities. I am proud of them! Advanced language arts students participated in the Woodmen of America Speech Contest. The topic this year was “A Time When Volunteering Made A Difference”. Students conducted research, produced an outline of their notes, and composed an essay in response to the prompt. We enjoyed listening to a wide variety of speeches in class, and were proud to send Victor Rodriguez and Angela Scotti to the school-wide contest on May 3rd. We are finishing out the year with our final Reading Contract mini-projects being discussed in our classroom Literature Circles, as well as learning grammar, writing, and analyzing more poetry. It has been an enjoyable year. The students have matured, made great strides in their learning, and hopefully enjoyed some new and different activities in class this year. Please make sure your student completes the Summer Reading Expectation! Students have or will receive a list of books appropriate to their grade level and are expected to read two (2) books over the summer. The Reading List is usually posted on the ODMS website as well for easy accessibility. It is paramount that they accomplish this reading, so that they do not lose the comprehension skills, fluency, and learning gains they have made this year! Escape the hot summer – enjoy a cool book! I have enjoyed teaching your children this year and wish them continued success as they enter 8th grade in August. I have seen them mature a great deal over the course of the year, and I congratulate you and them, as they represent themselves to be young ladies and gentlemen of the future, using their talents and abilities as they progress along their academic journeys. Wow! It is difficult to believe that the school year is coming to an end! It has been a privilege having your children this year, and I wish them continued success next year, and in the future. As they become eighth graders next year, I look forward to seeing many of our STARS stop by to say hello and share success stories with the team. While the temperature is beginning to get warm, it is not summer yet, and we still have quite a bit to accomplish. During the last few weeks of this quarter, students will have an introduction to economics, compare and contrast our U.S. Constitution to the Florida Constitution, preview the World Market Place, and review for our final which is tentatively scheduled for May 29th. In an effort to end the year successfully, it is essential that students are in attendance and focused. We hope everyone has a fun and safe summer…see you next year!

The Reading Department congratulates all students taking this year’s FCAT Test! The students and teachers worked diligently and in depth on reading strategies in preparation. Good luck to all of our eighth grade students as they begin their new endeavor - high school. According to research from Sylvan Learning Center, numerous students lose the equivalent of one to two months of reading and math skills during the summer. Long term effects on their overall academic success can result. Summer shouldn’t mean taking a break from learning, especially reading. Studies show that most students experience a loss of reading skills over the summer months. Children who continue to read actually gain skills. Therefore, we encourage all students to read over the summer! Summer reading can help maintain and improve reading skills learned throughout the school year as well as increase vocabulary. All students will receive a required summer reading list according to their grade. Student can also maintain skills at home during the summer through using FCAT Explorer www.fcatexplorer.com) as well as sites like Study Island (www.studyisland.com). Please help your child find time this summer to READ!

Thank you from,

The Intensive Reading TeachersShannon Skeates 6th-8th gradeCarmen Padilla 6th-8th gradeTara Wilson 7th-8th grade

JUST1BOOK BOOK DRIVE What? Builders Club is hosting a ”Just 1 Book” book drive. When? Now through June 1Who? We are asking students/teachers to donate used books. Where? Instruct students to donate books to their SSK classes

(just like when we did Three Tons of Tuna in the fall). Why? These books will go to other children who need them in

our Central Florida community. The program originally started to help children from the town of Bithlo gain access to books but now they are distributed in other Central Florida areas as well.

What’s the incentive??? If we reach our school goal of 2,001 books – the SSK classes from 6th, 7th, and 8th grade that collect the most books get to pie Mr. Nieves, Dr. Knight, and Mr. Davis in the face! In addition, the SSK class who raises the most books overall will earn a donut party!

To learn more about Just 1 Book, go to just1book.net or ask me!!!

Tara A. Wilson, M.Ed. Reading TeacherOdyssey Middle School407-207-3850 X504Tara.Wilson@ocps.net Go Knights!

Book Drive

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Explorer Team Health Room Corner NewsWorld Studies – Mr. Rochkind We are still on a Quest to see how much Ancient History applies to today. Throughout our journey, we will be stopping by Ancient India, Ancient China, and will begin Ancient Greece. While there, we will adventure through life in each of these lands. I do want to let you know that as we wind down the year, the students will be taking a Final Exam on May 25, 2012. Look for the study guide to be going home in the coming two weeks to a student of yours. Please remember, if you ever have any questions, email me at michael.rochkind@ocps.net or send a note.

Language Arts—Mrs. Hernandez Ms. Hernandez’s language arts classes are wrapping up their poetry unit. All students had the opportunity to create various types of poems and utilize their figurative writing skills. Following the completion of the poetry unit, we will be reading and discussing the novel Freak the Mighty. During this time, students will complete vocabulary activities, comprehension questions, written reflections, graphic organizers, and post-reading activities. Students should still continue reading at least thirty minutes daily to increase comprehension and analytical skills as we approach final exams.

Biology—Ms. Noblett As we complete the 2011-2012 school year we will be spending the majority of our time on the Human Body, exploring the different systems with labs, activities, and debate. Sleep journals, dream questionnaires, lung capacity labs, heartbeat labs, and virtual dissections await us. The end of the year curriculum will be exploring the topic of Human Sexuality. There will be a binder in the main office should you wish to peruse the material. The final exam date has been set for June 4th and 5th. On behalf of the Explorer Team we would like to thank you for a great year. It would not have been possible without you. Please continue to be diligent on checking Progress Book for any missing assignments your son/daughter may have. Final exams are almost upon us. Please consult our website and or core teachers for specific dates. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. Enjoy your summer!

leisl.hernandez@ocps.netshelly.noblett@ocps.netcarla.pandohie@ocps.net

Dear Parents/Guardians: Any medication remaining in the Health Room at the end of the last day of the current school year will be thrown away. OCPS guidelines for safe disposal of medication (s) will be followed. Last day to pick up your child’s medication: Wednesday, June 7, 2012 by 2:00pm. Students are not allowed to bring or take medication home. Remember that next school year you may bring in necessary medication for your child under the following guidelines: Prescription meds: Label must have students name, recent date, dosage, and doctor’s name. You may ask your pharmacist for two bottles; you may have one for home and one for school. Non-Prescription Meds: Must be in a new unopened bottle or box. Over the counter medications needed longer than one week must have a physician’s order. A medication form must be completed for each medication brought in. Thank you for supporting our efforts to maintain a safe medical environment for our students and making it a great year. Have a Safe and Fun Summer Vacation!

Sincerely,Mrs. AcevedoHealth Room Attendant Odyssey Middle School

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Although we are rapidly approaching the end of the 2011-2012 school year, the Endeavor Team is still going strong. With successful preparation for and completion of FCAT testing, we are now focused on getting ready for high school by maintaining a strong academic focus. Please help us help our students by reminding them that transcripts will reflect their efforts through the last day of school so it is essential that students complete assignments on time and meet all obligations at Odyssey through the end of the year. In science, Mrs. Forman’s students are studying weather and climate. By the end of the year, your student should be able to tell you why we have thunderstorms here in Florida in the summer, how hurricanes are formed, and all about fronts. In Mr. Speights’ room, regular math students are focusing on analyzing and organizing different types of data in data sets and different types of data displays such as circle graphs, histograms, box, and whisker plots. Pre-Algebra will be focusing on polynomials and learning how to add and subtract them. They will also be learning how to multiply Polynomials by monomials and other polynomials. Students in Ms. Honeycutt’s U.S. history classes have been busy covering the topics of early presidents, westward expansion, industrialization, and reform movements this spring. To finish out the year, students are learning about the Civil War in our most exciting unit which will culminate with a debate between the Blue and Gray teams. Additionally, we have been working on our presentation and public speaking skills by doing research projects and peer teaching assignments. Ms. Vazquez’s language arts classes will end the year with reading a memoir of the Holocaust tragedy. Students are also examining and comparing several nonfiction sources including a Holocaust survivor’s recorded experience, the Diary of Anne Frank, and other writings collaborating the Holocaust events which some people in this century have had the audacity to deny. In this way our students are learning to evaluate and document their sources. While reading, Endeavor students will continue to focus on building vocabulary and increasing comprehension skills through classroom discussions of a variety of genres. Students are completing their last Reading Contract with corresponding mini-projects to then discuss in Literature Circles. Parents please encourage your child to stay focused as their efforts count to the very end. The Endeavor teachers would like to wish all our students and their families much success and happiness in the future. It has been our privilege to work with you this year! Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us via email at: Ms. Honeycutt/U.S. History: missty.honeycutt@ocps.netMr. Speights/Math: donnell.speights@ocps.netMrs. Forman/Science: peggy.forman@ocps.netMs. Vazquez-Morales/Language Arts: elba.vazquez-morales@ocps.net

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Seventh grade math students spent the first few weeks of April diligently reviewing to prepare for the Math FCAT. Students worked hard, and we are confident that their efforts will show when scores become available. Just because FCAT is over doesn’t mean we are slowing down! Seventh grade students are continuing to cover the curriculum according to Orange County Public School’s instructional blueprint. Advanced seventh grade students have begun working with 8th grade material to ensure that each of them is ready for next year. Geometry students are hard at work preparing for the End of Course Exam (EOC) which will be given May 7th and 8th. All of these students have been putting forth their best efforts this year, and it will surely show when they take the EOC. Passing this exam gives each student the opportunity to earn middle school and high school credit for Geometry. Ms. Vasani’s 8th Grade language arts class is finishing up a unit on studying the Holocaust. So far we have studied the historical events surrounding the Holocaust, read poems from Concentration Camp prisoners, created submissions for inclusion in the Houston Holocaust Museum’s butterfly exhibit, and written biographies of a survivor for the Maitland Holocaust Museum. We will finish our unit by reading and discussing Elie Wiesel’s “Night” and taking a field trip to the Holocaust Museum. For the last part of the school year, we will be analyzing the effect of media on society and in our personal lives with a specific focus on advertising. We will also create “This I Believe” essays for inclusion on NPR’s online collection. The Voyagers 7th Grade language arts classes recently completed reading Edward Bloor’s Tangerine. We are now beginning a unit reading and discussing S.E. Hinton’s classic “The Outsiders”. In this unit we will be examining the poetry of Robert Frost, looking critically at stereotypes and the role they play in society, creating character biographies, and completing creative art projects based on the novel. 7th Grade will also participate in writing “This I Believe” essays for NPR, and dive deeply into poetry. We hope to throw an in-class Poetry Slam before the end of the school year. In civics, the 7th grade Voyagers are wrapping up a Unit of the three branches of government. They participated in a mock trial and followed the case from the Trial Court to the Appellate Court. It was fun to watch the students’ role play the different positions of a trial. In history, our 8th graders have been focused on their Cornell Note-taking as we gear up for the Civil War. With less then 30 days left of school, we still have a lot to cover so we are on high speed.

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Team News You Can Use...Adventurers Team

In science, we are studying Newton’s Law of Motion and applying this new knowledge in the design and construction of a roller coaster. We will soon start our unit in chemistry. It is important that the students remain focused in their school work. They must review every day and practice the formulas given in class. It is my expectation that students will take initiative by expressing any doubts and by asking questions for clarification. Although FCAT is in the rear-view mirror, students haven’t skipped a beat in language arts class. In preparation for FCAT, each class designed their very own test which was an assessment of the content-based curriculum students acquired this year. The finished product was beyond impressive and looked astonishingly similar to the actual FCAT! We finished reading our second novel, The Lottery Rose, which was a favorite for many students. We will begin our third novel next week. The title has yet to be revealed to students…any guesses? This week in language arts, students are comparing similarities in music and poetry. Students are analyzing song lyrics for figurative language and poetic devices. They were amused at learning how closely these two forms of art parallel one another. Students and parents: stay tuned for summer reading assignments. With the Math FCAT behind us, we officially begin the 8th grade school year. As opposed to scaling down the curriculum as the school year comes to a close, we are rigorously pursuing our math studies to have the students ready for this coming August and the new school year. We have just completed a unit on “PROBABILITY”, and will be pursuing a variety of topics that I hope the students will find interesting. Please encourage your students to work their hardest all the way to the end of the school year. After all you know what they say about “idle hands”. Also, all students will have a summer assignment to complete and turn into their math teacher at the very beginning of next school year.

Dear Parents, Even though the year is just about over, it seems as if it were only yesterday when your children arrived here on our campus and became the newest members of the “Blue and Gold” Nation. It is truly amazing how quickly a year passes, but we feel extremely blessed to have had the opportunity to share our areas of expertise with each and every child. We hope that your child will continue to mature academically and socially throughout the summer once this year is completed so that he or she is prepared for another challenging year in the fall. Thank you for being our partners in education. As we are wrapping the 2011-2012 school year, we would like to update you on what your child will be accomplishing during the remainder of the fourth nine-weeks. World History—In world history, we’ve just completed units on Ancient India and China. Students were exposed to ancient governments, philosophies, cultures, and traditions in addition to having the opportunity to further develop and analyze timelines from those periods of study. Furthermore, students were afforded additional practice in interpreting and analyzing visual cartoons, charts, and tables. The skills acquired through the study of these units were quite valuable, for they provided students additional practice in preparing for FCAT-related test items which they would ultimately encounter in both FCAT Reading and Math. We will complete our historical journey by studying Ancient Greece and Rome. Students will once again have the opportunity to complete archaeological and historical research practices as they reproduce artifacts from ancient times. Our year will conclude with students taking a skills-based semester exam which will cover skills and topics addressed during the third and fourth nine week periods respectively. Language Arts—In language arts, students honed their skills in preparation for the FCAT. They were also introduced to figurative and descriptive language excerpts similar to those encountered in most standardized testing arenas. As we move forward, we plan to spend additional time focusing on poetry, mythology, writing, and grammar. It is our desire for students to become well-versed in completing essays as well as being able to effectively communicate through written expression as they analyze a variety of literary genres. Our semester exam will feature questioning examples which should adequately assess how well all students have progressed. Students are encouraged to continue reading many different types of books and to be able to respond to what they have read as directed through written analysis. Please make sure that your child has a series of books to read throughout the summer months so that the skills developed and nurtured throughout this school term will continue to be enhanced at a progressive pace. Math—Throughout the remainder of the last nine weeks, we will work on solving ratios and proportions, graphing functions, solving equations and inequalities, and understanding integers. As you can see, we still have quite a number of concepts to cover so please continue to encourage your student to come to school every day prepared and ready to work. We will take our End of Course (EOC) Math Exam on Wednesday, May 30, and Thursday, May 31. We will complete a study guide in class for this exam and for students to review at home. Science—As we rapidly approach the end of the 2011-2012 school year, the Pioneers team remains focused on academics and continues to move forward with the curriculum. We will finish the year with assignments and activities regarding the Adaptations over Time, Body Systems, and Human Sexuality. Please encourage your child to maintain a positive approach to school work and to take that work seriously. Our Science End of Course Exam (EOC) will be on Monday, June 4, and Tuesday, June 5. Students will complete a study guide during class and should use this guide as a review at home.

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To all who participated in our Relay for Life, It was such a great success!! Thanks so much to our wonderful committee for all their hard work. Mr. Labee, Ms. Graves, Mrs. Ritter, and Mrs. Johnson did a phenomenal job from organizing us to feeding us!! Thanks so much to Danny and Diego for helping to keep our school and track clean all day and night. Thanks to our sports club and builder’s club sponsors and students for their support with their “yummy” sales. Finally, thanks sooooooo much to all who were able to participate and supported the event, from the heart warming luminaries to heart moving conversations. Saturday once again proved how great Odyssey is!

Mrs. D. Hopper, Science Technology Teacher

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