Bee in the Know

Week of April 3, 2022

Whew! The end of the 3rd quarter is here, and we are in the homestretch for the end of the school year. It is hard to believe because the school year has flown by. Students, please do your very best this quarter. Use the supports in place here at OPHS, such as staying after with teachers, online tutoring sessions, etc. to impact your learning and performance in class. SOL testing is in May, and your teachers are preparing each day for these important assessments. You can also use the remediation that will be available to prepare you for those test (please look for more information after Spring break). We started the year with the mantra, "Work Hard, Be Kind." It is imperative that we remember and enact these words. Students, as we finish out the rest of the school year, please focus on your classes and activities.

 

March Jackets of the Month

Congratulations to Jaclyn Doherty (Registrar), Catherine Aponte (Admin Assistant and Testing Coordinator) for winning March Jackets of the Month! Our student winner, Ethan Trunkey, was nominated by several teachers for his kindness and work ethic. Winners were nominated by staff and/or peers for displaying our Yellow Jacket attributes of Kindness, Perseverance, Hard work, Respect and Optimism. Each recipient received an OP bookbag and medal. Congratulations!!

 

Congratulations to the Teach for Tomorrow Winners!

Mrs. Mullins took her Educators Rising students to the Educators Rising State Conference last weekend at Langley High School in McClean, VA. There they competed in different events ranging from writing their own Children's book to writing & conducting a speech. OPHS came home with many 2nd & 3rd place awards! The 2nd place students will compete at the Educators Rising National Conference in DC at the end of June! Good luck, Ladies!

• Olivia Wilson placed 2nd (Educator's Rising Moment)
• Alyssa Martinez placed 3rd (Educator's Rising Moment)
• Maisha Farzana, Saaty Saddridin, Leilani Ropati placed 2nd (Ethical Dilemma)
• Helena Elias placed 2nd (Impromptu Speaking)
• Stephanie Pruitt placed 2nd (Public Speaking)
• Grace Probst placed 3rd (Public Speaking)

 

Update: Northern Virginia Community College (Dual Enrollment)

On April 7th, counselors and a Northern Virginia Community College representative will meet with any students that were unable to attend the first Dual Enrollment session. Students will receive passes in their 1st period classes to report to the Career Center at 8:45 am. An afternoon session is available for any additional students who are unable to attend the morning session. If you have any questions, please contact your school counselor.

 

Yearbook Pre-Orders Still Available - Get Your Yearbook Before They Sell Out

We are still taking pre-orders for this year's Hi-Jacket OP yearbook. Our theme is "Back to Our Roots" and cost is $75. Interested parties should go online to yearbookforever.com and search for "Osbourn Park" to pay by credit card. Checks and cash can be paid directly to Mr. Barber in room 1222 and receipts will be issued. Yearbooks will be distributed at the end of May 2022 and once we sell out, we are sold out...so don't miss out!!!

Order Now!

 

Come Out to See Cinderella - April 8 and 9 at 7 pm

The performing arts department are putting on a ball with Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella! The production took place on April 1-2 and it was a success!! Bravo to all involved. You still have an opportunity to see the play on April 8-9 at 7pm in the Lillian Orlich Auditorium at OPHS and all are invited to enjoy in the fun! Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults. Purchase your tickets now! You won't want to miss out on this magical night!

 

OPHS Student Places First in the District for Original Oratory in VHSL Forensics State Championship

Congratulations to senior, Ashleigh Clyde, for placing FIRST in the category Original Oratory in the VHSL Forensics State Championship.

"Original Oratory requires the student to create their own, which can be any topic that should persuade, convince, or inspire. They memorize this speech (up to 10 minutes!) then present the piece in a thoughtful and engaging manner. Last year, Ashleigh won second place at the state VHSL tournament (we compete in class 6), and first place at this year's state VHSL tournament (also class 6). Competing with words is very challenging, and her work and dedication to her craft has paid off!" said Ms. Christina Melvin, OPHS' Forensics sponsor. Ashleigh also serves as the Debate/Forensics Team President. Way to go Ashleigh!

 

SOL and Final Exam Schedules

May will begin our End of Year testing season including AP tests, SOL tests, and Final Exams. AP exams will begin on Monday, May 2nd and you can find the testing calendar here. Please remember that PWCS schools will be closed on Monday, May 2nd and the AP tests scheduled for that day will take place on the following days.

• AP Chemistry is now May 18 at 8 am
• AP US Government is now May 20 at 12 pm

There are still no AP tests on May 3rd. Students will take those tests on the late day.

• AP Environmental Science - May 17 at 8 am
• AP Psychology - May 17 at 12 pm

SOL tests will begin on Thursday, May 12 and will go through Friday, May 20, with make-up dates and expedited retakes dates to follow. Students will be tested by period. Please keep an eye on the OPHS school website for the detailed testing calendar. If your student is taking virtual classes, we will be reaching out to schedule testing date(s).

SOL review sessions are being provided by our Math, Science, Social Studies, and English Departments. We will be posting specific details and dates on the OPHS webpage as well as the OPHS Student Canvas page. You can also reach out to your student's teachers to get additional details.

Review sessions will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays after school as well as during the virtual tutoring sessions on Monday and Wednesday evenings. More information to come.

 

Final exams for seniors will begin on Friday June 3, and will be as follows:

• Period 1 and Period 6 exams - Friday June 3
• Period 3 and Period 5 exams (early dismissal for seniors at 10:43) - Monday June 6
• Period 2 and Period 4 exams (early dismissal for seniors at 10:43) - Tuesday June 7
• Period 7 exam (early dismissal for seniors at 9:03) - Wednesday June 8

Underclass exams will begin on Friday June 10, and will be as follows:

• Period 3 and Period 7 exams (normal dismissal at 2:10) - Friday June 10
• Period 2 and Period 6 exams (student dismissal at 11:30) - Monday June 13
• Period 4 and Period 5 exams (student dismissal at 11:30) - Tuesday June 14
• Period 1 exam (student dismissal at 10) - Wednesday June 15

More information about Test Prep Sessions will be given after Spring Break.

 

 

National Assistant Principal Week is April 4-8

Our Assistant Principals play a significant role in the academic achievement of our students through attendance, discipline, planning, and content supervision plus the many other "duties as (not) assigned." I couldn't ask for a better team and I am so thankful to have the privilege of working with Ms. Walton, Ms. Gill, Ms. Gardner, Ms. Wilson-Keys, Mr. Henken, Mr. Grazier, and Mr. Laine.

 

Librarian Appreciation Week is April 4-8 - A Big Thank You for All That They Do

Next week is Librarian Appreciation Week and our librarians at Osbourn Park high school are the best! Librarians Rheetha Lawlor and Jennifer Coleman and librarian assistant Maria Grimsley, support everyone each and every day. They conduct book talks, teach, help with testing, create all types of media for teachers and students, and if you need a good book, they can help you with that as well. We never hear them say no to anything or anyone and they are greatly appreciated for all their year-round hard work. We love our Library Ladies!

 

College and Career Center

I'm so excited to share the updated college and career readiness website with you! We have added resources for every pathway after high school, organized resources, and authored the academic career planning process K-12 in PWCS with highlights on VA Wizard and Naviance. Please look at these resources and link to this site. We hope you find these resources valuable!

 

2nd Round of ASVAB Testing

Testing will be taking place on April 6th at 8:00am in Room 2A. All students who wish to take the test can sign up in Naviance under the Colleges tab under College Visits. Seniors, if you plan to go into the military after high school, you MUST take this test for all military branches. Paper passes will be sent the morning of the test to arrive in Room 2A by 7:40am to give students buffer time before the 8:00am start time. If you need practice tests or study resources, please refer to this Canvas page.

 

Parent Learning Series

The Parent Learning Series provides live webinars for students and families to attend. Please visit the Parent Learning Series webpage for instructions on how to access the PLS Canvas Course to view the entire resource library, which includes previous webinar recordings.

The next webinar will be on April 6th at 6:30pm. The topic will be "Rising Seniors - Are You Common App Ready?". The Common App is one of the few platforms that colleges utilize for the application process. This workshop is for rising seniors and families wanting to learn more about the Common App. The Common App is accepted by nearly 1,000 colleges worldwide, including 29 in Virginia. Participants will learn how to approach their college application, explore key application features, and discover resources to help along the way. Come with your questions! Translations will be provided.

 

Overdue Books

If you have an overdue book for more than 45 school days, it is considered lost. We encourage all students who have received both print and email reminders to stop by the library to either return, renew, or pay for the book. If you aren't sure if you have a book checked out, sign into Destiny Discover using your SSO from the OPHS-Library canvas class to find your checkouts, holds, favorite books, and any fines.

While we may be closed for testing, feel free to come by the back office by the elevator for library business or printing needs. If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected].

 

Gifted Education Update

Gifted students in grades 9-12 are asked to complete a short survey about Gifted Education in PWCS between now and April 6th. Survey link has been sent via Canvas and/or PWCS email.

Services continue to be provided on a rotating basis through the end of April. End of year reports will be sent home during the month of May. If you have questions about gifted services at OPHS, please reach out to Beth Christensen, Gifted Resource Teacher.

 

Reminder for Seniors!

Per regulation 661-01.1, for our current senior class (and all thereafter), the following shall apply:

A percentile rank in class will be computed for all students pursuing a standard or advanced studies diploma. This percentile rank will be computed for the first time at the end of the first semester of the student's 10th grade year and each semester after that point leading up to graduation from high school.

The GPA will be computed by adding the total quality points for all credits attempted, except for the first attempt of a repeated course and dividing the sum by the total number of credits earned.

 

Junior Symposium Night

• April 20th
• 6:00 - 8:00 pm

Come learn about 2- and 4-year college options and processes, financial aide, direct to work options, internships, and meet with a variety of military branches and Prince William County government about summer employment and internship opportunities.

 

NOVA JumpStart2NOVA NOVA

NOVA is pleased to announce JumpStart2NOVA for summer 2022! Qualified seniors graduating this spring who are considering going to NOVA after high school may take one 3-credit course and our 1-credit College Success Skills course, SDV 100, at no tuition! All classes will be offered through NOVA Online and run May 31st through August 8th, 2022. Students are required to pay for textbooks or other course materials. Courses have been selected based on their usability in NOVA degrees and their status as part of the Uniform Certificate of General Studies. The application is now open and will close at 5PM on April 29th, 2022. First-time NOVA students will need to apply to NOVA and create an account to request the course in nvcc.dualenroll.com. Current DE students can skip the NOVA application and go straight to nvcc.dualenroll.com, selecting term "JumpStart Summer 2022." All students will be required to upload a high school/homeschool transcript and any qualifying test scores if they do not have a 3.0 GPA. To learn more about JumpStart2NOVA, including course offerings, minimum qualifying scores, and details on how to apply, please visit their website.

 

Class of 2022 Employment Fair

The employment fair will be held on Thursday April 21st from 5pm - 8pm at the Kelly Leadership Building. Seniors who are interested in entering the workforce after high school will have the opportunity to interview/screen for jobs on the spot with potential offers for employment! Businesses with career opportunities for graduating seniors who are also PWCS business partners are invited to screen/interview for employment at this fair. Students will have the opportunity to apply for jobs prior to the event. The list of registered businesses and positions will be shared with you after March 18th! You MUST register beforehand.

 

Athletics

This week's schedule:

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