Monday, September 5, 2022
Colonial High School
CHS Community Member,

I hope this Labor Day edition of The Colonial Connection finds you having enjoyed a wonderful holiday weekend. This week we already kick off week #5 of the 2022-2023 school year which means teachers are finalizing student progress reports which will be released to Skyward later next week. If any student has an assignment that needs to be turned in, please do so right away. I hope all of our Grenadier parents will use the online Skyward system to check both progress reports and report cards all along this year. (Two-minute video on how to access.) As education is a cumulative learning process, these first two quarters of the school year are especially important so we encourage parents to be regularly involved. Monitoring your student's academic progress is crucial to know what’s going on. I encourage you to visit Skyward one to two times a week to check for completed assignments, grades, attendance, and any comments from teachers. This will allow you to stay up to date as you encourage and celebrate your child’s success.

Please remember that we have our first School Advisory Council (SAC) meeting of the new academic year this coming Thursday on the freshmen campus (details here). We rely on community involvement at SAC throughout the school year for valuable input and suggestions relative to our school improvement planning. If you have a student at Colonial this year, I encourage you to attend. This represents a nominal time investment once per month that pays off big for our students and teachers. 

Thank you for reading and best wishes for a successful week ahead!

Betzabeth Reussow
Principal
Colonial High School

Pictured very top: Grenadier cheerleaders visit with Windermere's cheerleaders at their field. The Grenadiers play at home this Friday vs. Horizon.
Useful Links
Connect with CHS
Main Campus:
6100 Oleander Drive
Orlando, FL 32807
(407) 482-6300

Freshman Campus:
7775 Valencia Collage Lane
Orlando, FL 32807
(407) 249-6369
This Week . . .
College & Military Gear Day this Wednesday:
SAC meeting Thursday. Open to all CHS community members!
Partner in Education
Engelwood Kidz Zone
Engelwood Kidz Zone invited students to a small luncheon talking about the services offered by EKZ. The Engelwood Kidz Zone offers free programs and services such as academic support, economic assistance, youth employment, cooking classes, health and fitness classes, basketball training, immigration services, mental health services, and more. EKZ services all kids ages 0-25, the only qualification is that they live in the qualifying zone. Students came by and picked up Chick-fil-A and applications to sign up for the EKZ. 

For more information, or to refer a student, please email Jesenia.Colbourne@orlando.gov.
Curriculum
Grenadier Chorus
On Friday, August 26th, members of the chorus program traveled to Steinmetz Hall at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center to watch the Ukrainian Ballet perform.
Grenadier Athletics
Football
Here are some of our highlights from our first regular season football game at Windermere High School. Our next home football game will take place Friday, Sept. 9 vs. Horizon High School.
Volleyball
Congratulations to our JV and Varsity Volleyball teams for defeating Jones High School on Thursday!
Grenadiers #1 in Summer Reading Challenge
Colonial also 1st among Southeastern US high schools!
Colonial HS led the way in the OCPS Summer Reading Challenge! We ranked 1st for high schools in the Southeast, and had the #1 (Iverson Fanas) and #3 (Hoang Nguyen) readers in the region. Congratulations on a job well done!
Open House
Thank you to all of our parents and families who came out for our Open House event on Tuesday! We look forward to staying connected with you throughout the year.
Flu Clinic
October 20, 2022
Colonial High School has partnered with Health Hero to offer in-school flu vaccines to your child for no cost. Register your child today — complete the consent form we will be sending home and send it back to our school. The clinic will be available on Thursday, 10/20/22.

Health Hero makes immunizations available to every child to stop diseases like the flu in their tracks and reduce absenteeism in schools. Sign your child up and help us stop the flu in its tracks! https://www.beahealthhero.com/for-parents
Library Cards
The most important school supply is a library card! With access to technology, innovative programming, and educational resources, a library card gives students of all ages the tools to succeed in school. Sign-up your student for a card during the Orange County Library System School Library Card Drive here!
Grenadier Clubs
Inter-Club Council
Our Inter-Club Council held its first meeting last week, connecting our club leaders and preparing for a great school year!
Special Guest Visitors
Executive Area Director (High School Division) Martha Chang, Orange County Commissioner (District 3) Mayra Uribe, Colonial HS Principal Betzabeth Reussow, School Board Member (District 2) Johanna López, and Chief of High Schools Jose Martinez pose for a picture in front of the Grenadier during a campus visit on August 25th.
Grenadier Club Rush Highlights
Thursday, Aug. 25: Part II
Theater Troup 592
Gay Straight Alliance
U.S. Air Force JROTC
Choir
Speech & Debate Team
CHS Mending Mindsets
* Club Rush segment credit: Mr. Dan Caliari, Assistant Principal.
College and Career
Ryan Izarpate, senior, is the lucky winner of a $500 scholarship from Collegeboard!
Applying to college might seem like a complicated process, so Collegeboard has created a program that guides you through it. Complete key steps along your path to college for chances to earn scholarships! There are drawings for $500 and $40,000 every month. Ryan took advantage of this awesome opportunity and won this scholarship for practicing for the SAT on Khan Academy. All seniors can enter these drawings by completing steps on https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/bigfuture-scholarships
More Scholarship Opportunities:
Bryan Cameron Education Foundation: Due Sept. 9th
The Cameron Impact Scholarship is a four-year, full-tuition, impact-driven undergraduate scholarship awarded annually to 10-15 exceptional high school students who have demonstrated excellence in leadership, community service, extracurricular activities, and academics. The Cameron Impact Scholar is unique among their peers in their desire to directly impact their communities and in the world at large. Our Scholar aspires to contribute to positive forces for change and plans to tailor their education to that end. The Cameron Impact Scholarship covers the full tuition, fees, and books at any accredited U.S. based college or university that the recipient chooses to attend.

The applicant must:
● Maintain a minimum, cumulative, unweighted GPA of a 3.7/4.0 scale or equivalent in their high school studies;
● Be a full citizen of the United States of America;
● Be in the high school graduating Class of 2023, planning to enroll in a full-time course of study towards a degree at an accredited four-year U.S. college or university for the full academic year following high school graduation;
● Show proven excellence in extracurricular activities, be motivated leaders with a strong work ethic, demonstrate active participation in community service and/or civic minded arenas; and
● Submit the following three components by the Application Deadline:
  • Online Application;
  • Two required Letters of Recommendation; and
  • Transcript certifying academic performance.
The Gates Scholarship: Due Sept. 15th
The Gates Scholarship (TGS) is a highly selective, last-dollar scholarship for outstanding, minority, high school seniors from low-income households. Each year, the scholarship is awarded to exceptional student leaders, with the intent of helping them realize their maximum potential.

To apply, students must be:
● A high school senior
● From at least one of the following ethnicities: African-American, American Indian/Alaska Native*, Asian & Pacific Islander American, and/or Hispanic American
● Pell-eligible
● A US citizen, national, or permanent resident
● In good academic standing with a minimum cumulative weighted GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent)
● Additionally, a student must plan to enroll full-time, in a four-year degree program, at a US accredited, not-for-profit, private or public college or university.
Upcoming ACT / SAT Registration Deadlines:
ACT Testing Dates/Deadlines
Test date: Oct. 22, 2022
Registration deadline: Sept. 16, 2022
Late registration: Sept. 30, 2022

Test date: Dec. 10, 2022
Registration deadline: Nov. 4, 2022
Late registration: Nov. 11, 2022

ACT registration:

SAT Testing Dates/Deadlines
Test date: Oct. 1, 2022
Registration deadline: Sept. 2, 2022
Late registration: Sept. 20, 2022

Test date: Nov. 5, 2022
Registration deadline: Oct. 7, 2022
Late registration: Oct. 25, 2022

SAT registration:
College Prep Events:
September 11:
October 15:
OCPS News
Chess Competition
The OCPS Chess Team is kicking off the year with a ChessKid's Back to School Blitz Contest. Students that play 100 Fast Chess games on their OCPS ChessKid account during the month of September have a chance to win prizes from the OCPS Chess Team. The contest began on September 1, 2022 and ends at midnight on September 30, 2022.

Students can access their OCPS ChessKid account via Launch. The app is in the OCPS Apps folder. All OCPS students are welcome to participate!
OCPS Parent Academy at Colonial!
This is the back-to-school event of the season!

Join us for a FREE day of learning and fun at Parent Academy. You will leave with all of the information and resources you need to make your student's school year a success!

There will be sessions from all district departments and a vendor hall with community partners just waiting to answer your burning questions.

Worried you won't be able to concentrate with kids in toe? Need childcare? We've got you covered! The Youth Academy is FREE for students grade Pre-k through 8th and features activities and games from Kidz Art, The Orange County Library, YMCA and more!

Date: September 17. 2022 | 9a.m. - 1p.m.
Location: Colonial High School
More information: 407-317-3300 | Email: ParentAcademy@ocps.net

Don't delay. Please register today!
Community Resources
Engelwood Neighborhood Center Diaper Giveaway:
It's Great To Be A Grenadier!
Ms. Reussow, Principal
Colonial High School
Sunday, September 4, 2022
Social Media
Stay Connected with Us
Leadership Team
Principal: Ms. Betzabeth.Reussow betzabeth.reussow@ocps.net
Assistant Principal: Mr. Daniel Caliari
Assistant Principal: Mr. Michael Cecere michael.cercere@ocps.net
Assistant Principal: Ms. Rochelle Conyers rochelle.conyers@ocps.net
Assistant Principal: Dr. Timothy Flynn timothy.flynn@ocps.net
Assistant Principal: Mr. Paul Maldonado paul.maldonado@ocps.net
Assistant Principal: Ms. Janeika Sweet janeika.sweet@ocps.net
This communication may contain information that is legally privileged, confidential or exempt from disclosure, and intended only for the use of the addressee(s) named above. If you are not the intended recipient, please note that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. Anyone who receives this message in error should notify the sender immediately by telephone or by return e-mail, and delete the message from their computer and any printout thereof. Please note that OCPS utilizes spam and junk e-mail filtration applications in its e-mail systems. That filtering process may prevent or delay delivery of certain e-mail communications. If you do not receive a timely response to an e-mail communication, please contact the intended recipient by phone.

OCPS EEO Non-Discrimination Statement
The 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, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other reason prohibited by law. The following individuals at the Ronald Blocker Educational Leadership Center, 445 West Amelia Street, Orlando, Florida 32801, attend to compliance matters: Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Officer & Title IX Coordinator: Keshara Cowans; ADA Coordinator; ADA Coordinator: Jay Cardinali; Section 504 Coordinator: Tajuana Lee-Wenze. (407.317.3200)
Copyright Notice
Reproduction of this material, either written or electronically, including the general layout, graphics, analyses, and content topics without the express approval of Target Performance Systems, Inc., a Florida corporation, and OCPS-Colonial High School is forbidden without written consent. Thank you for your support of the Orange County Public Schools and OCPS-Colonial High School. Please contact Mr. Daniel Caliari (assistant principal) at daniel.caliari@ocps.net with any questions.