Hi Parents and Students,

This blog has been used in the past but for Fall 2020 all teaching and announcements will be made through Cobb County School District’s CTLS Platform. Login through CTLSLearn or CTLSParent. To learn more, go to

http://www.cobbk12.org/

You may contact me at email:  janet.vrba@cobbk12.org

Hi Parents,

Please join a Zoom Meeting for you! Here is the link for the meeting this coming Monday, July 20 at 6:00 p.m. Topics: ParentVUE, ParentSquare and how to request a device through ParentVUE.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83792029913?pwd=MHgrSVpTZHVUSW8yODlxSkIvTnhudz09

Meeting ID: 837 9202 9913
Password: 7HL4VX

All OHS students are expected to read this summer. View the posted OHS Summer Reading Lists based on the grade/course that you will enter. You are expected to choose one book to read this summer. You can find these books in your local libraries and/or purchase your own copy on Amazon or other retailer. If you have a question, email me at:  janet.vrba@cobbk12.org. Once you choose a book to read, please answer this online survey:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdYalFYcWOGnrhpkN4l6ic5C3JuMmmI2-eo5cQb2SDeVU8Dmg/viewform

9th Literature:

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson or

Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Pena or

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

10th World Literature:

Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas or 

Life of Pi by Yann Martel or

The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston

11th American Literature:

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck or

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald or

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

12th British Literature: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin or

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley or

1984 by George Orwell

12th Multicultural Literature: The Devil’s Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea or

The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley and Malcolm X

12th AP Lang: Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson or The Devil’s Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea

12th AP Lit: Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison or Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras or Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

12th Dramatic Film Writing: On Writing by Steven King

I love and miss each student and colleague @ OHS. I know this Pandemic has changed all of our lives but there is hope. This too shall pass. We will get through this together. Hang in there! Enjoy this song and video made for such a time as this by King and Country.

Osborne Students & Families,

We will have OHS item return on Wednesday, May 13th.
This is for instructional items and athletic uniforms/band instruments.

To help with traffic congestion and to maintain social distancing guidelines, please adhere to the
schedule below. Please remain in your vehicle unless it is a necessity.
Time Last Name
9:00 – 9:45 A – F
10:00 – 10:45 G – L
11:00 – 11:45 M – Q
12:00 – 12:45 R – Z

Entrance: Kennedy Lane
Follow map to proceed to drop off locations.
Exit Only: Favor Road via South Campus Drive will be exit only.

Band Students/Parents:
After completing the other drop off locations, please park in right hand lane of South Campus drive
(beside cafeteria) in order to return/retrieve Band items.

Baseball:
Uniform collection will take place at the baseball field.

Thank you for following these procedures to help keep our students and staff safe.

• ENGLISH and SPANISH letters attached:  OHS Item Return ENGLISH    OHS Item Return SPANISH

You can do a virtual gallery walk to see what your peers have created. Take a moment to look at the creative art. https://ohsfineartsshowcase.weebly.com/

Set Your Mind:  You can choose to focus on all that you can do. Don’t focus on what you can’t do. Be thankful for all that you do have and what you can do.

As April comes to an end, so does National Poetry Month. The Academy of American Poets will celebrate by hosting a free Virtual Reading of poems on Thursday, 4/30, @ 7:30 p.m. in the theme of “Shelter In” poetry with a special offering of poems read by poets laureate, actors, musicians, artists, and more. If you have never been to a poetry reading, this would be a wonderful experience for my students. It is a free event, but you need to register. Please go to:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/shelter-in-poems-a-virtual-reading-tickets-103370060634

We are living in a challenging time. We are isolated from our friends and our normal life routines. Social isolation is especially hard for teenagers as it impacts their development of teenage social skills – a very necessary coming of age experience. What can you do if you’re feeling lonely?

Teens can learn coping skills to combat loneliness and learn to think more positive. One thought you can tell yourself is that this too shall pass. Social distancing is only temporary – it won’t last forever. We can learn good self-care.

• Start a journal to write your thoughts and feelings down.
• Write down everything you are grateful for. You have good things in your life.
• Call a friend when you’re down. Better yet, do a video call to see that friend you miss.
• Get outside and enjoy nature. Take a walk. Enjoy living in the beauty of the moment.
• Who can you help? Get your mind off yourself. Can you do something for your family without being asked?

Did you know that April is National Poetry Month? Do you have a favorite poet? I do. I especially like E. E. Cummings, Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Sylvia Plath, J.V. Cunningham, and Billy Collins. Who is your favorite poet? Don’t have one? This would be a great time to read some poems and find a poet you like.

Poetry is accessible to all readers. I believe that anyone can read a poem and make meaning out of it. I believe that anyone can write a poem. You have feelings. Right? You have thoughts about a matter. Right? Of course you do, you’re a teenager. Then, you can write a poem because poetry helps us to make sense of life around us. Are you in love? Write a poem about it. Are you feeling confused or lonely during this time? Write a poem about it. Share your honest feelings and thoughts on the subject.

During my 20’s, I wrote poetry in order to make sense of life on my path of self-discovery. I was bold enough to attend poetry readings and share my new poems with encouraging audiences in the Atlanta and San Francisco Bay areas. Writing a poem is a great way to capture a memorable experience to share with the world. Writing poetry is a great way to explore painful as well as joyful emotions. I encourage you to go to Poets.org to read poems for teens. Take a break, slow down, find a poem to read:

https://poets.org/poetry-teens

Writing Poems

• Writing poetry allows minds to reflect, imagine and wonder; whether that includes the telling of everyday experiences, or simply creating comical verse. There is no limit to what a poem can be ‘about’.

• Poetry is a method for self-reflection and there is more room for interpretation in poetry.

• There’s no exclusivity. Anyone can write a poem.

Reading Poems

• Many say that poetry is a language in itself, which to some extent it is; a simple verse can involve the reader’s senses, feelings and imagination.

• Poems offer a moment to pause and think, which in the modern world can be a rare yet treasured occurrence.

• Reading poetry can have the power to change the way a person sees the world and how they seem themselves.

(Bullet points from https://www.austinmacauley.com/blog/importance-poetry-national-poetry-day)