Ocean Avenue Friday Notes

• 6/1: Ocean Avenue PTO Spring Fair at Ocean Avenue Elementary School, 2-4 PM
• 6/4: Fifth Grade Step Up to Sixth Grade Event at PPS Middle Schools, 11 AM-1:30 PM
• 6/4: Fifth Grade Parent/Guardian Night at Lyman Moore Middle School, 6-7:30 PM
• 6/5: School's Out for Summer PTO Free Community Event and FOAM PARTY (weather permitting) at Bunker Brewing, 5-8 PM
• 6/6: Fun Run, 8-9:15 AM, with 6/7 Rain Date
• 6/6: Third Grade Maine Maritime Museum Presentations ~ The Life of a Maine Tree
• 6/7: Fifth Grade vs. Staff Basketball Game
• 6/7: Portland Sea Dogs Ocean Avenue Night, 6 PM game start, but arrive by 5 PM to join the pre-game parade around the field starting at 5:15 PM!
• 6/10: Step Up Event for Grades K-4
• 6/11: PTO Meeting in the Library, 5:30 PM
• 6/13: Fifth Grade Celebration, 1 PM
• 6/14: Last Day of School, 11:10 AM Dismissal (Egg Drop Begins at 9 AM!)

CLICK HERE for the complete Calendar of Events through June.

• JEWISH COMMUNITY ALLIANCE: Last Day - June 7th
  
• BOYS & GIRLS CLUB: Last Day - June 7th (Open for summer programming starting June 24th). PLEASE NOTE: There will be an information and registration night for summer programming for families on Thursday, May 30 at 6 PM. Interpreters will be present to assist!
• CENTERPOINT MARTIAL ARTS: Last Day - June 12th
• MAINE OUTDOOR KIDS: Last Day - June 13th
• BREAKWATER: Last Day - June 13th
  
• PORTLAND RECREATION: Last Day - June 13th

WHEN: June 6th ~ 8-9:15 AM (Rain Date: June 7th)

WHERE: OAES Campus

PLEASE SEND YOUR CHILD(REN) IN WITH THEIR WATER BOTTLES FOR THIS EVENT!

Please come and join us for this exciting event where all students will be participating in a fun run.

Students have been practicing running around the school loop during Gym class with Mr. Pedro and are excited to be running with their classmates!

We are starting with Kindergarten students at 8 AM and working our way up to 5th grade. We are inviting families and friends to come cheer them on and enjoy a great way to celebrate a wonderful school year. Parents/guardians are also welcome to run with their child(ren).

We hope to see you there!

The Power of Student-Led Conferences

In today's educational landscape, there's been a remarkable shift from traditional parent-teacher conferences to the empowering practice of student-led conferences. This move has been happening across Maine and the U.S., including Portland Schools. Unlike the conventional setup where adults take the lead, student-led conferences put students squarely in charge of their educational path. Please know parents can ask for an additional meeting with your child’s teacher. You can also contact the teacher prior to your conference to ask them to save five minutes to talk without the student.

Let's dive into why student-led conferences hold such value in schools:

1. Ownership of Learning: Student-led conferences are all about students taking the driver's seat in their educational journey. From setting goals to tracking progress and reflecting on achievements, students become the architects of their own learning experience. This fosters a profound sense of accountability and empowers students to steer their academic success—a fundamental principle in our IB model emphasizing student voice, choice, and ownership.

2. Communication Skills: Leading a conference provides students with a platform to hone their communication skills. By articulating their thoughts, sharing accomplishments, and discussing challenges, students refine their ability to express themselves effectively, a vital skill for navigating both academic and real-world scenarios.

3. Self-Reflection: Student-led conferences encourage students to engage in reflection—a core tenet of our IB model. As they prepare for the conference, students reflect on their strengths, areas of growth, and personal development. This self-awareness cultivates a habit of introspection, empowering students to become lifelong learners equipped with resilience and adaptability.

4. Goal-Setting: Goal-setting is at the heart of student-led conferences. Students collaborate with parents and teachers to articulate academic, social, and personal goals, setting the stage for continuous improvement. This practice instills a growth mindset, motivating students to strive for excellence and view challenges as opportunities for growth. Research by educational expert Marzano underscores the power of students tracking their own goals, boosting achievement by an impressive 37%.

5. Parent Involvement: Student-led conferences foster active parental engagement in their child's education. By providing insights into their child's progress, strengths, and areas for improvement, these conferences facilitate meaningful collaboration between parents, students, and teachers. This partnership strengthens the bond between home and school, empowering parents to effectively support their child's educational journey.
   
   

Student-led conferences epitomize a student-centered approach to education, empowering students to become active participants in their learning journey. By nurturing ownership, communication skills, self-reflection, goal-setting, parent involvement, motivation, and confidence, these conferences lay the groundwork for lifelong learning and success. By embracing student-led conferences, we pave the way for a more inclusive, collaborative, and empowering educational experience for all students.

Principal Notes are generated each week by questions OAES parents ask.

As the weather gets warmer and we enjoy longer days, it's important to encourage your child to play outside as much as possible. The benefits of outdoor play are huge, whether it's kicking the soccer ball around the park, taking a walk in your neighborhood, or playing tag with friends. Active time outside allows children to advance their gross motor skills, and gain muscle strength. It also provides opportunities for children to deepen friendships and develop their social skills. It can even help boost the immune system and improve overall mood.

If you are looking for a different outdoor place to take your child check out this City of Portland Parks and Recreation list of Parks, Trails, and Playgrounds around our beautiful city. Of course, it's helpful to remember that children don't always need to be part of an organized activity. Unstructured playtime outside can foster creativity and often children will invent their own imaginative games.

Here are some wonderful ways for students to stay engaged with books this summer!

Check out the document below for information on how to access FREE eBooks, audiobooks and library resources.

Ms. Eva will be coming around to classrooms with details, but as always, feel free to get in touch with questions.

The Maine Mariners’ Summer Reading Program, Read with ME, is back for the 2024 summer! This is a free reading program for kids 12 and under to participate in. Upon completion, the participants of the Read with ME program will receive 1 ticket to the Mariners Reading Day game (date TBD), 1 child ticket voucher to be used at any home game during the 24-25 season, a Read with ME bookmark, and 1 drink coupon from Aroma Joes. The registration form is live now for parents to sign their children up and the tracking form went live on May 27. Registration link.

The summer temperatures have arrived in Portland! As I'm sure your children have mentioned, the classrooms can get hot very quickly. Two suggestions to help your favorite kiddos combat the heat are:

1. Fill a waterbottle with ice and top it off with water OR fill it half way with water, freeze it overnight, and then fill it the rest of the way in the morning.
2. Wear light layers
   
   

Both of these strategies have helped so many students in our classroms in previous years. Some of our teachers get to school early in the morning and turn on fans to pull cool air into the room, so that helps, too.

Stay Cool!

As we enter into the final stretch of the school year, our Lost and Found continues to grow each day. If your student is missing any items, I encourage you to come and look through our lost and found before the last day of school on June 14th. During the summer months, any unclaimed lost and found items are either donated to our Clothing Closet at school or to an outside agency. Before this occurs though, we would love to get as many of these items back to their original owners as we can. Please feel free to come in Monday through Friday during school hours to look. We ask that you sign in at the Main Office first before heading down to the Lost and Found.

All day on Wednesday, June 5th, the Locker Project will be the beneficiary of Scooping for Community at Gelato Fiasco in the Old Port. When customers tell the cashier they are there to support our child hunger programs, 75% of their purchases will be donated!

On Saturday, June 15th, at 11 am, Back Cove Books at 651 Forest Avenue in Portland, will be hosting a book launch with local art teacher Dorson Plourde, author of Garbage Gulls. A portion of sales from the event will support the Locker Project summer programs.

Pride month is a time to recognize and celebrate the contributions of LGBTQIA+ people. It is also an opportunity for the Portland Public Schools to reiterate that PPS supports people for all of the awesome aspects of their identity. One opportunity is by joining PPS colleagues, students and families in participating in the Pride Portland! parade on Saturday, June 15th, 2024 starting at 1 PM at Monument Square in Portland. The parade line-up is at 12 PM. Look for the yellow school bus. All staff and students are invited to ride or march alongside and represent their schools in the parade!

Learn more at the Pride Portland! website.

Saturday, June 1 from 2 PM to 4 PM

FREE FOR ALL! Bring family and friends! Lots of fun activities including Bouncy House - Glitter Tattoo Artists - Martial Arts Demo - Hot Dogs - Shave Ice + MORE!

Wednesday, June 5 @ Bunker Brewing, 5 PM to 8 PM

You're invited to celebrate the end of the 2023-2024 school year with prizes, food, and a foam party! We have partnered up with Maine Foam Parties (www.mainefoamparties.com) to bring you the craziest end of school party ever! If your child might participate in the foam party, make sure to bring a towel and/ or a change of clothes! See details at link above. This event is open to all OAES families.

AMATO'S PIZZA - MAINE FOAM PARTY - PRIZES!

Experience an evening of excitement with the Ocean Avenue Elementary School on Friday, June 7th at Hadlock Field! Cheer on the home team as the Portland Sea Dogs transform into the Maine Whoopie Pies and battle against the Akron RubberDucks. The game kicks off at 6:00 PM, but make sure to arrive by 5:00 PM to join the special pre-game parade around the field starting at 5:15 PM. It's the perfect outing for families, friends, and baseball enthusiasts alike. Don't miss out on this thrilling community event. Get your tickets today!

Buy tickets here by May 31: https://fevo-enterprise.com/event/Oceanave7

You're invited to join other parents, guardians, teachers and staff for the next monthly meeting of Ocean Avenue's Parent Teacher Organization! Each meeting takes place in the school library on the second Tuesday of the month at 5:30 PM. Come for an update from our principal and stay for as long as you'd like.

We are looking for parents who are interested in filling a vacant role on our PTO board for the next school year so please attend or email board@oapto.org if you are interested!