A Fresh Start: Your Guide to Second Semester Success at ORCA
As Oregon Charter Academy (ORCA) students and staff return from a fun and restful holiday break, it's time to start thinking about the second half of the school year. In addition to new teachers, classes, and classmates, a new semester brings an opportunity for an academic fresh start. Students can focus on developing new routines that will carry them to success.
ORCA's online public charter school offers students opportunities and responsibilities that differ from traditional brick-and-mortar classrooms. Finding success in this environment means being proactive with class attendance, study habits, and organizational skills. Caregivers also play an important role as partners in their student's learning experience, with direct involvement in the school day depending on the student’s grade and independence level. As the second semester commences, here are a few tips to help students achieve greater academic success.
Daily Routines Impact Academic Success
In our online learning environment, students take ownership of their classwork. With students having different courses, they can benefit from strong routines to balance their coursework and stay engaged.
Successful ORCA students develop consistent daily routines to manage coursework effectively. These habits go beyond simply completing their grade book assignments. Instead, students should consistently attend live classes and log in to check each class's homepage. This ensures students stay informed about tasks, lessons, and important resources related to their assignments.
Regular communication with teachers should also play a part in a successful routine. Whether through text messages, email, or scheduled Zoom meetings, students are encouraged to reach out to their instructors whenever they have questions or need support. Our teachers are highly accessible and committed to helping students succeed.
Building Strong Organizational Systems
Strong organizational skills are key to success, especially in an online learning environment. Using tools like Google Calendar can help students keep track of class schedules and deadlines, ensuring they're prepared and on time for every task. At the start of every semester, we teach students how to set up their calendars so that they can keep track of their live class times and receive reminders about important due dates.
At ORCA, students receive guidance on building these skills. For example, middle school and AVID students are taught best practices for organizing their Google Drive, such as effective file naming and folder structures. These lessons help students stay on top of their work and reduce stress.
Our online learning platform, Canvas, serves as a command center for managing coursework. With features like a dashboard view of all classes, teacher feedback, and tools for planning study sessions and projects, Canvas empowers students to take control of their learning.
Students who use these tools well can stay on top of their work throughout the second semester and avoid scrambling to make up forgotten assignments at the end of the school year.
ORCA's Holistic Support Network
While ORCA students often lead their learning, they're never alone in their academic journey. Our school offers multiple levels of support to ensure every student can succeed. This includes:
Homeroom Teachers
Every year, K-5th grade students are paired with a dedicated homeroom teacher who plays a key role in building a strong foundation of trust and support for our younger learners. These touchstone teachers develop close relationships with students, providing a space where they can receive additional help with lessons and assignments while smoothly progressing through the online curriculum.
Since younger learners often need a little more supervision in the online environment, the homeroom teacher also collaborates with caregivers to ensure students stay on track and are well-prepared as they transition to middle school.
Advisory Teachers
Middle and high school students are assigned an advisory teacher who supports students in every aspect of their lives. These teachers don't work in the classroom. Instead, they handle course scheduling and help students struggling with more significant issues like motivation or organizational skills.
ORCA students begin working with advisory teachers in sixth grade and receive grade-level support until they enter high school. 9th, 10th, and 11th-grade students work with advisory teachers as a cohort. This model allows students and advisory teachers to build strong relationships over multiple years. When students enter their senior year, advisory teachers ensure they're on track for graduation.
Because our advisory teachers focus on supporting student success, they're often the first people caregivers should contact with questions or concerns.
Peer Tutoring
In many instances, students feel more comfortable receiving support from their peers rather than an adult. That's why we developed our peer tutoring program. ORCA's peer tutors work one-on-one over Zoom with middle and high school students to help them overcome learning obstacles.
Peer tutors are trained in the Socratic questioning method to help students come to the correct answer by themselves. This program can be an invaluable resource for students who want to connect with classmates and gain a deeper understanding of the material.
Teacher Communication
Successful students advocate for themselves if they have questions, need additional support, or begin to fall behind. ORCA teachers are always available to provide customized support so every student can succeed. Students can contact their teachers in whatever format they prefer, from text to email to Canvas to scheduled Zoom meetings. Students and caregivers can save teacher contact information so it's easy to access additional support when needed.
Caregiver Support is Critical
Students will always be more successful when their caregivers actively participate in their educational journey. Here are three ways caregivers can support their student’s second-semester success:
Monitor Academic Progress: Caregivers should monitor their student’s Canvas grade book once per week. It's here where caregivers can see how their students are performing, track assignments, and create reinforcement opportunities in areas where they might struggle.
Communicate with Teachers: Caregivers are always welcome to contact their student’s teachers directly. Our staff want every student to succeed, but they don't always have visibility on things happening at home that might impact a student's work. One phone call, email, or text message can help them better understand a student's unique needs.
Help Students Advocate for Themselves: When caregivers are plugged into their student's schoolwork, they can help them learn how to advocate for themselves. This at-home reinforcement helps students stay on track at school and builds valuable skills they'll use for the rest of their lives.
Action Steps for the Second Semester
Every student has the potential to thrive with the right tools and support. Whether they’re honing existing routines or developing new strategies, ORCA students can look forward to a successful semester. Creating constructive partnerships between students, teachers, and parents can help everyone in our community achieve their academic goals.
Join Us for a Virtual Information Session
Enrollment for the second semester at Oregon Charter Academy is open! If you'd like to learn more about joining ORCA's unique online community, join one of our virtual information sessions to connect with ORCA staff and preview our learning platform.