Ocean Avenue School News
August 2019 ~ Volume 37, Issue 37
Welcome Back!
Wednesday, August 28th
5 PM (Open House) & 5:30 PM (Watermelon Welcome)
We look forward to connecting with you at future curriculum nights, parent-teacher conferences school events. We look forward to partnering with you in your child's education.
Welcome New Faces to Ocean Avenue
- Samantha O'Connor ~ Art Teacher
- Deborah Belaire ~ Special Education Teacher
- Carly Roak ~ Part-Time Social Worker
- Sara Connolly ~ BEACH Program Teacher
- Hannah Higgins ~ BEACH Program Ed Tech
- Meghan Langella ~ BEACH Program Speech Pathologist
- Stacey Cardona ~ Special Ed Ed Tech
- Maria Despacho ~ Ed Tech Intervention
- Milca Issenguele ~ Ed Tech Intervention
- Pedro Joaquim ~ Ed Tech Intervention
- Samba Samba ~ Resource Room Ed Tech
In addition, four of our staff members have moved to a different grade/position this school year:
- Abigail Ferguson (formerly Grade 1) ~ Grade 2 (Reminder, Ms. Earley-Thompson will be covering Ms. Ferguson's maternity leave this fall.)
- Mary Kiffney ~ ELL Resource Specialist (formerly Ed Tech)
- Kate Patterson (formerly BEACH Ed Teach) ~ Resource Room Ed Tech
- Karen Potenziano (formerly part-time Social Worker) ~ Full-Time Social Worker
Welcome to the new and returning faces to Ocean Avenue Elementary!
First Day Update Paperwork is Now Online
The District’s First Day Update Paperwork is online and can be completed and updated through the same portal for Infinite Campus that allows you to see your child’s grades, attendance, school calendar, etc.
If you already have an activated parent portal Infinite Campus account, please go there to complete the paperwork. You will see further instructions once you sign on.
If you are new to Portland Public Schools or do not yet have an activated parent Infinite Campus account, please feel free to stop by the main office anytime during office hours, and Ms. Caminiti can assign a login for you. If you are not able to stop by the office, please complete the following form (Parent/Guardian Portal Form), and Ms. Caminiti will send you a Portal Activation Key for you to create your own username and password.
Please read the attached PPS Parent Portal Agreement prior to filling out the Parent/Guardian Portal Form. Instructions will be sent to you on how to create your username/password and update your child(ren's) information once your activation key has been assigned.
Principal's Message
Dear Parent/Guardian:
Welcome Back! As we begin the school year, I want to welcome you as our partner in your child’s education. We value, appreciate, and seek out your involvement and collaboration for the success of your child.
Our goal this year is a continuation of last year's goal ~ to ensure that every student attends school regularly. Positive attendance is a key ingredient to keeping kids on track academically and in engaging them in all aspects of school life.
Showing up for school has a huge impact on a student’s academic success starting in kindergarten and continuing through high school. Even as children grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students get to school safely every day and understand why attendance is so important for success in school and in life.
We realize some absences are unavoidable due to health problems or other circumstances. But, we also know that when students miss too much school— regardless of the reason — it can cause them to fall behind academically. Your child is less likely to succeed if he or she is chronically absent—which means missing 18 or more days over the course of an entire school year. Research shows:
- Children chronically absent in kindergarten and 1st grade are much less likely to read at grade level by the end of 3rd grade.
- By 6th grade, chronic absence is a proven early warning sign for students at risk for dropping out of school.
- By 9th grade, good attendance can predict graduation rates as well as success in college.
Absences can add up quickly. A child is chronically absent if he or she misses just two days every month!! Clearly going to school regularly matters!
When our students are not at Ocean Avenue Elementary School, we notice because we care!
We don’t want your child to fall behind in school and get discouraged. Please ensure that your child attends school every day and arrives on time. Please make sure you are familiar with the school calendar to assist in your family scheduling for vacations and medical appointments.
Let us know how we can best support you and your children so that they can show up for school on time every day. We want your child to be successful in school! If you have any questions or need more information, please contact us at 874-8180.
Sincerely,
Beverly Stevens
Principal
SCHOOL DAY INFORMATION
- SCHOOL DAY HOURS: School hours this year are 8:30 AM-3 PM. Students may NOT be dropped off before 8:15 AM. If you need childcare before 8:15 AM, please contact the City of Portland Recreation Department at 808-5400. There are still openings in the before and after school program!
- EARLY RELEASE WEDNESDAYS - START WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4: Early release Wednesdays start the first week of school on Wednesday, September 4. In past years, early release Wednesdays did not start until the last Wednesday of September and ended the last Wednesday in May. New to this school year is that early release Wednesdays begin the first week of school and continue every Wednesday through the last Wednesday of the school year. Students will be dismissed at 2 PM EVERY WEDNESDAY.
- FALL AND SPRING - 1/2 DAY CONFERENCE DAYS: Fall Conferences will be held on Thursday, December 5 and Friday, December 6. Spring Conferences will be held on Thursday, April 9 and Friday, April 10. Conference days are 1/2 days, with dismissal at 11:30 AM. Please mark your calendars now for these early release days!
- FALL AND SPRING - INTERPRETED CONFERENCES: For families needing an interpreter, Fall Conferences will be held on Tuesday, December 3 and Wednesday, December 4. Spring Conferences will be held on Tuesday, April 7 and Wednesday, April 8. There is NO early dismissal during interpreted conferences; school is in session all day.
Lunch Room Reminder!
There are a few payment options available:
- You can send in money daily with your child;
- You can add money onto your child's account online through paypams.com; or
- You can send in a check with your child to be dropped off at the main office.
Please contact the Main Office if you have any questions, 874-8180.
Nurse Notes ~ Vision & Hearing Screening
If you receive a referral, please schedule your child for an evaluation with an eye doctor as soon as possible and let me know the results of their evaluation. If your child needs glasses, and you are having difficulty getting them, please let me know so that we can talk about options. I may be able to help.
Many thanks!
- Nurse Laurie
Navigating Traffic and Parking
Here are some tips some experienced parents have shared with us at school:
- Be sure to obey all the speed limits on and surrounding the school grounds. This will help avoid a $300+ ticket.
- During drop-off times, use the parent loop (off Ocean Avenue) in order to avoid being stuck by the buses.
- Drop off in the circle should be a kiss-and-go. If parents need to park, please pull into a parking space to allow for a smoother traffic pattern for others.
- During pick-up time, park on the streets (Walton, Macworth and Austin) and walk up to the parent pick-up area. This avoids the jam, with a bonus of a little time to walk with your child while the day is still fresh in their mind. PLEASE NOTE: If parking on Walton, please do NOT park right near the school entrance, as this can make it difficult for our buses to turn into the school parking lot at dismissal time.
Rules your child's teacher wants you to follow:
- Please meet your child at the designated parent pick-up areas.
- Leaving early is lost learning time.
- Meeting your child outside of the pick-up area leads to confusion, and your child's teacher is managing 20+ students at dismissal time. If your dismissal plan changes, please notify school as early as possible, but NO LATER THAN 2 PM. After this time, the message might not make it to the teacher and child. Managing many changes leads to confusion. Any changes require a parent/guardian to contact the school through note, email or phone call.
A couple of other thoughts:
- Just a reminder - it is illegal to pass a bus with flashing red lights, whether on or off the school grounds.
- If you need to enter the school for a meeting, search lost and found, etc., please enter the Walton Street side to park in our visitor parking area (by the front door).
- When parking, please be mindful of the handicap parking spaces. We do have several parents requiring the use of these spaces. We also have vans picking up students with special needs using these spaces.
Thank you for helping us work this out for all parents!
Ocean Ave's Clothing Closet
To start the school year, we are in good shape for donations, but we continue to have needs throughout the year. When we get low on certain items, we will reach out by email asking for your help.
Thank you Ocean Avenue families for your generosity and support!