Windy Ridge Families-
With the unofficial end to the summer, Labor Day Weekend signals the beginning of the fall...and while central Florida is a long way from getting cooler temps and changing leaves, we did get to experience college football this weekend and maybe the rain will let up a little each day. Either way, the students and staff at the Ridge are cruising along entering week 4. Progress Report grades will close this Thursday, but we are only half-way through the first quarter of school. Progress Report grades are meant to be a snapshot of your child's performance. However, they best way to keep up with your child's grades and attendance is through a daily review of his/her skyward account. If you are having difficulty logging into your parent account, please reach out to the school for help. While we are working on that, you can always have your child log in to their account on launchpad to see all of the same information.
As usual, there is a lot going on at the Ridge this week, please take a look through our entire newsletter.
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Our first SAC meeting was held on Tuesday, and we had a terrific turnout. We will be posting the minutes on the calendar page within Parent Square this week. |
On the off chance that there is severe weather in the area at dismissal, we will follow this procedure:
- Families will receive a Parent Square notice of a "Delayed Dismissal".
- During Delayed dismissals, we are not permitted to let the students leave, unless they are accompanied by an approved family/friend member as indicated in skyward.
- If you choose to come to the school, we will process all families through the cafeteria.
- You will first check in with someone that will arrange for your child to pack up and walk down.
- From that station, you will need to have your ID verified to ensure that you have permission to pick up any and all students that you are requesting.
- After your ID is verified, you will wait in the main hallway for your student(s) to arrive and you can leave through the main doors.
- We will not be able to release any students to an adult that does not have ID. This is a safety concern.
- You must be approved in Skyward to pick up any student that you are not personally responsible for. Please make sure that you complete the form that will go home on the first day. Any contacts that you added in the past will remain in the system.
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Middle School Families- We are reviewing all requests for schedule changes. At this time, we are not taking more requests.
Elementary School Families- Windy Ridge has seen an increase in enrollment, which we are excited about. For this reason, we may be hiring additional teachers at certain grade levels. If this happens, we will be sending out our procedures for balancing classrooms. We know that transitions can be difficult, but we are very confident in our grade-level teams ability to collaborate and support each other. While each teacher has their own personal style, the curriculum is identical.
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OCPS has connected with Community Connect to provide families with free or reduced cost resources. Here is the link:
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Hawk Bucks Are Here! We are excited to launch our Hawk Bucks program to celebrate and incentivize positive behavior across all grade levels. Students can earn Hawk Bucks throughout the week for demonstrating great character, responsibility, and school spirit, which they can trade in for fun prizes at our mobile Hawk Store. Encouraging great choices starts at home—ask your child how they’re working to earn their Hawk Bucks this week! |
We will be updating this with our concerts and performances throughout the year. |
Our Silverhawk soccer teams had a busy week with three games! We are so proud of our athletes for their hard work and determination on the field!
⚽ Monday vs. Carver: Our boys earned an impressive 8–0 WIN! 🎉👏 Carver does not have a girls' soccer team.
⚽ Vs. Gotha: Our girls battled hard and came SO close, falling 1–0. The boys' game was postponed due to weather and has been rescheduled for next Thursday. 🌧️
⚽ Our third matchup: The boys brought home another victory with a 2–1 WIN! 🏆 Our girls fought hard but fell 2–0.
📅 Check out the updated soccer schedule below and come out to cheer on our teams! Your support means so much to our student-athletes!
📣⚽ LET’S GO, SILVERHAWKS!
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Fun Spot America is giving a Popcorn Party to the first school or team that reaches 100 registered participants! Let's have our school make the leaderboard! Register today at the link below:
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It was another busy week in the Media Center!
Even though we were closed for two days due to testing, we still packed a lot into the week!
🎥 Hawk Action News is getting into a rhythm with a new crew of middle school students helping bring our school news to life!
🎢 I met with all of our 8th grade students and passed out permission slips and information for Gradventure!
📚 On Friday, we officially kicked off our elementary library visits! Our Silverhawks have been so excited to finally check out books. We are already up to 1,263 books checked out this school year! 🎉 Our current favorites are, of course, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dog Man! 📖
💭📕 During our elementary visits, I am reading The Curious Why by Angela DiTerlizzi. One of my favorite moments was watching one of our youngest Silverhawks discover that the library is the BEST! 📚✨
Next week, I’ll continue welcoming classes for their first library visit of the school year. I know so many of our Silverhawks have been eagerly waiting to find their next great book! 📖
Happy Reading, Silverhawks! 📚✨
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In news from the cafeteria, you can celebrate your student's special day with Birthday Bites. Birthday Bites are a healthy way to celebrate your child's birthday with the entire class. You can scan the QR code or order at: https://www.ocps.net/261122_3
This is a reminder that all orders must be submitted one week in advance.
This is a reminder that the cafeteria sells ice cream for $1 on Tuesdays and Fridays.
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Save-the-date for an engaging and interactive evening of STEM programming created by the Orlando Science Center! PTA invites you and your families to this free event, which will take place in the Windy Ridge Cafeteria on Friday 9/18 from 5pm-7pm. You can expect:
🧪 Hands-on science stations
💥 The Science Center’s signature Kaboom Show
💡 Fun give-aways and a STEM-based activity provided by WonderWorks
We look forward to seeing you there!
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September 14th begins our annual tradition of Kindergarten Color Days, where our whole school wears a different color each day to support our Kindergarten students in learning their colors. |
Mark your calendars, this club does not start until December, but a brand new club in partnership with UCF is coming to Windy Ridge- Astronomy Club! For more information, you can email Dr. Strawser at: corydon.strawser@ocps.net. |
Important for Drama Club Interest Meeting- Students must have arranged a ride home, be a front walker, or be extended day to attend the interest meeting. |
Windy Ridge will be starting many clubs in the month of September. Additional clubs will be advertised soon. Below is the contact emails for club sponsors:
For more information about:
- Drama Club contact Mrs. Lowe at: Abigail.Herrygers@ocps.net
- Silverhawk Chorus contact Mrs. Barazarte at: Geraldine.MorilloBarazarte@ocps.net
- FCA contact- Ariana.Santiago@ocps.net
- Girls Who Code contact Dr. Strawser at: Corydon.Strawser@ocps.net
- Battle of the Books contact Ms. Scurry at: Jessica.Scurry@ocps.net
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For any questions about upcoming health screenings you can email our school nurse Nurse Jones at: ashley.jones3@ocps.net. |
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September 7th- Labor Day- No School
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September 8th- FAST STAR Reading Grades 1-2
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September 9th- Soccer Game vs Ocoee at Gotha at 5:30pm at 5:30pm
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September 10th- FAST STAR Math Grade 1-2, Westly's Mile Run Club begins, Hearing and Vision Screening (Grades KG, 1st, 3rd and 6th)
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September 11th- Wear Red, White and Blue in Remembrance of 9/11
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September 14th- Soccer Game at Chain of Lakes 5:00pm, Kindergarten Color Days Begin
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September 15th- FAST STAR Reading Kindergarten
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September 16th- Soccer Game at Lakeview Middle School 5:00pm
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September 17th- FAST STAR Math Kindergarten, Progress Reports Q1 Distributed
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September 18th- PTA STEM Night
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September 23rd- Soccer Game at Water Spring 5:00pm
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When we return from Labor Day, 1st and 2nd Grade will begin FAST STAR testing.
Tuesday, September 8: ELA for Grades 1-2
Thursday, September 10: Math Grades 1-2
Tuesday, September 15: ELA Kindergarten
Thursday, September 17: Math Kindergarten
These tests are very important to establish where your child stands with regard to the standards they will learn this year.
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Look here for your student doing amazing things. |
I have over 5 years of experience in the career and technical education field with additional certifications from the American School Counselor Association in Career Development and Anxiety and Stress Management. I have degrees in Baking and Pastry Management from Valencia College, a bachelor's in Human Resources Management from Columbia College, and a master's in School Counseling from Liberty University. I have two boys who grew up and went to school in Orlando, and I have a very extensive Lego collection. I have a registered emotional support animal, a cat named Cuddles, to support children with anxiety. |
Hi! I’m Ms. Bless, and I’m excited to be joining the Windy Ridge community! I teach 7th grade Civics and 6th grade World History. I have a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and have always enjoyed working with and helping others. Outside of school, I love reading, spending time with my dogs, and trying new things. I’m looking forward to getting to know my students, becoming part of the Windy Ridge community, and making this a great school year! |
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A little bit about myself. . .
- I grew up in rural Missouri on a farm.
- My Father was a University professor and my mother was a nurse.
- I served with the United States Coast Guard after I got out of high school.
- After the Coast Guard, I went to college and embarked on a career with FedEx Ground.
- An opportunity came for me to go to the Cayman Islands for three years. I lived in paradise for three years.
- I moved to Florida from the Cayman Islands.
- I worked with The First Academy for several years and then with OCPS for seven-plus years.
- Moved to Polk County, Florida, and taught there for eight years.
- In Elementary school, I have taught: 5th Grade Science, 4th Grade Science and Math, 3rd Grade all subjects, and PE. I have also taught part-time evening Adult ESOL and ABE/GED courses through local community colleges.
- I love to travel, and I am a Foodie.
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