Ockerman Middle School Parent Newsletter

September 24, 2014
Ockerman Middle School Parent Newsletter
Ockerman Middle School
8300 US 42
Florence, KY 41042
Phone: 859-282-3240
Fax: 859-282-3242
Our mission at Ockerman Middle School is to
develop life-long learners and to inspire every
student to achieve his or her potential.
Additionally, all people involved in the
educational process work together to create a
safe and challenging environment in which
students make successful transitions.
SPACE CAMP!
There are still a few spots open for our annual 6th and 7th grade trip to Space Camp!
The trip will be scheduled for October 3-5, 2014 and will include transportation with
Travel America Charters, food and lodging at the Marriott. Parents are welcome to
attend for the same cost. The Pathfinder program is three days of non-stop STEM
activities exploring the past, present and future of manned space flight.
Participants are immersed in hands-on training for a space shuttle mission, experiencing both shuttle and space station simulators. Presentations are packed with interesting facts and trivia that students remember long after the adventure is over. Pathfinder also includes a giant-screen IMAX experience where students experience the
sensations of a real shuttle launch! The cost for space camp is $470.00 per person.
For more information about this amazing opportunity, follow this link. For the permission form follow this link. If you have any
questions, please feel free to contact Mrs. Bacelieri directly: kathy.bacelieri@boone.kyschools.us
ARCHERY IS COMING TO OMS!
This year Ockerman Middle School is excited to be launching its first archery program. Students were
asked to sign up with Mrs. Borgman in August. The next step in the process will be that students who
signed up last month will soon receive a permission slip that needs to be signed by a parent and returned to school. Then a mandatory parent meeting will be set up to relay information and go over student participant expectations. At this meeting parents will also learn more about the costs involved,
equipment that will be used, practices, and behavior expectations. In the meantime, questions can be forwarded to Kim Borgman
at kim.borgman@boone.kyschools.us or you can reach her at (859) 282-3240 x162.
Congratulations to Mr. Doug Logan
for being name the National American History Teacher of the Year by the
Sons of the American Revolution! For
the full article on Cincinnati.com, follow this link!
Parents, please note that 6th grade students require three
vaccines to enter school: 2 varicella, TDAP and meningococcal vaccines. Please have your child up to date on these
and submit a current immunization certificate with all past
and current vaccines on a Kentucky Immunization Certificate to the office of
first aid. Any question or concerns can
be directed to Debbie Woodruff or
Paula Armstrong.
Upcoming Events
See You at the Pole (FCA): September 24th
Space Camp Trip: October 3rd—5th.
Site-Based Decision-Making Council: Wednesday, October 8th from 5:15—6:15pm.
No School: Friday, October 10th.
No School: Monday, October 13th.
End of the 1st Quarter: Wednesday, October 15th.
Book Fair Family Night and PTSA Chili Supper: Tuesday, October 21st.
Parent/Teacher Conferences: Thursday, October 23rd.
New Chess Club for Middle School Students
Boone County has a new Chess Club for 6th and 7th grade students! If you think your child may be interested - even if he or she has never played chess before - please read on. The club presents several opportunities
and has several goals. It will: teach kids to play chess who have never played before,
help kids who already know the basics to get more experience, provide kids with an
opportunity to teach chess to less experienced players, provide opportunities for
leadership roles in the club, focus on learning, having fun, and developing leadership, courtesy, and good sportsmanship.
Please follow this link for more information about meetings, membership, and leadership opportunities.
Real World Math
The students in Mrs. Bisig’s, Mrs. Courtney’s, and Ms. Hon’s sixth grade math
classes completed an end-of-unit activity to practice
using their decimal operation skills for real-world activities. At one station, a grocery list for a picnic was provided and students had to calculate the grand total and
the amount of change that would be received. Students also learned how to balance a checkbook, keeping track of deposits and purchases. Ordering a pizza and appetizers with friends and dividing up the bill was another great
challenge. Big thanks to
Union Kroger for the
Kroger Ads and to Mellow Mushroom in Wilder for the pizza boxes
and carry-out menus!!
FCA Sponsors “See You at the Pole” Rally
The OMS Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) will sponsor
See-You-at-the-Pole, a global day of student prayer, on
Wednesday [Sept. 24]. See-You-at-the-Pole began in 1990 as
a grass roots movement with ten students praying at their
school. Over twenty years later, millions pray on their campuses on the fourth Wednesday in September. See-You-atthe-Pole is simply a prayer rally where students meet at the school flagpole to lift up their friends, families,
teachers, school, and nation to God. It is student-initiated, student-organized, and student-led. It will begin
at 7:10 AM, and all members of the OMS family are welcome to participate.
iSpace Hosts Annual Space Day
www.ispacescience.org
Soar in for a payload of hands-on family activities and demonstrations during
this free event on Saturday, October 4, 10am-2pm at 3254 East Kemper Rd., Cincinnati, OH. Along with community partners, iSpace is celebrating all things to do
with space. Participants will: Ride a Hovercraft, Try
on a Space Suit, Launch Rockets, Watch a Liquid
Nitrogen Demo, Fly Gliders & RC Helicopters, Drive
a Robot, and see Chuck Sunshine "The Math Magic
Man” and Bob McMillan "Spaceman Bob.”
Exhibitors: American Institute of Aeronautics &
Astronautics (AIAA) * CDI Aerospace * Cincinnati Astronomical Society * Cincinnati Observatory * Ethicon * LyondellBasell * GE Aviation * Mathnasium * The Arete STEM Project & XCOR Aerospace * The
Mars Society * University of Cincinnati: NASA Educator Resource Center
Mr. Ream’s Classes Compete for Math Recognition
Each of our OMS Compass classes were daily winners in
the Regional Sumdog Contest. The contest is hosted on
www.sumdog.com and encourages students to become
“Math Legends” by challenging classes across the US for
the highest scores. The regional contest ended on September 19th, and each of the 6th, 7th and 8th grade
classes are positioned to be the overall winners!
MS Office Now FREE For Students!
Boone County Schools is happy to announce a new program for students - Microsoft Student Advantage Program. This program is
available to any student enrolled in Boone County Schools as part of the district's licensing agreement with Microsoft. The Microsoft Student Advantage Program allows students to install Office 365 Pro applications on up to 5 devices - PC, MAC, and/or mobile device - FREE!
QUESTIONS
Who is Eligible?
Any student currently enrolled in the Boone County School District!
All students need to do is log in to their webmail to get started.
What happens when a student leaves the Boone County School
District?
The Microsoft Office 365 subscription ends.
Can the software be installed on more than one device?
Yes. It can be installed on up to 5 devices. After installing the software, the installation page will display the names of the devices
using the licenses. Students can deactivate licenses here if new devices are purchased and need to use one of the Office 365 licenses.
What if I don't know my Boone County provided student email address?
Most student email addresses are firstname.lastname@stu.boone.kyschools.us, and their password is exactly the same as their
computer password at school. Some more common names may have a number after the last name, to differentiate them from
other students in the district with the same name (ex: john.smith2@stu.boone.kyschools.us). Students can ask for help from their
homeroom teachers if they have trouble getting in, or need to verify their email address.
Who provides customer support for the student downloads of Office 365?
Students should seek support from the link provided on the software installation page or the online Office 365 Community forum.