Ocean Avenue Friday Notes

• 01/06-01/24: mClass Assessment Window - Middle of the Year
• Starting 1/15 (and every Wednesday): 4th & 5th Grade Board and Card Game Club, 11:45-12:45 PM, Mr. Rounds' Classroom
• 01/20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day - NO SCHOOL
• 01/22: Dental Clinic at Ocean Avenue School
• 01/25: OAES Hockey Night at the Maine Mariners ~ PTO Sponsored Event, 6 PM
  
• 01/28: Community Meeting in the Gym, 8-8:20 AM
• 01/29: Dental Clinic at Ocean Avenue School
  
• 02/07: Teacher In-Service PD Day - NO SCHOOL
• 02/11: OAES PTO Meeting in the Library, 6:30-8 PM
• 02/17-02/21: February Break - NO SCHOOL (School Resumes Monday, February 24th)
  
  

✅ Here is the link to BREAKFAST/LUNCH MENU.

✅ Here is the link to the DISTRICT CALENDAR for the 2024/2025 school year.

✅ To look ahead to future meetings, school events, etc, please click on the link below ⬇️

Portland families who want your children to attend our high-quality pre-kindergarten program this fall: The application for the 2025-2026 Pre-K Lottery opened on January 10th! Children are eligible for Pre-K in the 2025-26 school year if they turn 4 years old on or before October 15, 2025.

The application is open through Sunday, January 26th. Get all the details on our lottery process here: tinyurl.com/PPSprek

>>>Read More

We are noticing another increase in the number and use of Smart Watches among students. We have seen several students texting with parents during the school day. Please remind your student(s) that if they are being used as a devide to text, etc, and not simply as a watch, they will be asked to bring it down to the office and it will be returned at the end of the school day. Many Smart Watches have a Schooltime mode option that you can set up to block notifications and disable the use of apps during a particular time frame.

This is a District Policy. Here is the school board policy if you wish to review it. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Discipline: Restorative Practices and Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS)

Philosophy/basic beliefs:

• Every student has the right to come to school safely, be at school safely, and go home safely.
  

• Every student has a responsibility to follow school expectations and maintain a safe presence at all times.
  

• All school staff, students, and parents/guardians contribute to creating a culture of safety. Mutual respect and thoughtful, clear expectations are crucial to effective teaching and learning.

What exactly does this mean?

We practice Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS). PBIS is a system of tools and strategies for defining, teaching, acknowledging appropriate behavior, and correcting inappropriate behavior. PBIS is for the whole school, it is preventative and it changes the paradigm of focus from negative behaviors and exchanges to positive expectations and interactions. School-wide means that we support appropriate behaviors in the classroom and non-classroom (bathrooms, playground, hallways) areas. The goal is to create an environment that sets ALL students up for success. You will likely hear your child(ren) refer to our three core expectations:

• We are responsible
  

• We are respectful
  

• We are safe

At Ocean Avenue School, we use a restorative approach. Read below in the Assistant Principal's Notes for more information on this approach.

Please Note: Beverly wrote this article earlier this week, and is now out on medical leave, hoping to return on February 3rd. This will be the last Principal Notes section until her return.

We use a restorative approach at Ocean Avenue School. This means that in addition to fostering positive choices and a sense of belonging, when students do break expectations they are guided to accept responsibility for their actions, address the harm caused, and actively work to repair relationships. Behaviors such as fighting, overt student disruption, bullying, use of foul language toward others, vandalism of school property, leaving an assigned area, throwing objects in anger, and hitting staff members are all considered serious matters that are addressed. Examples of responses to these behaviors include:

• Participating in a restorative process

• Conferencing with staff and/or peers, parent/family, administration

• Notifying parents/guardians

• Loss of privileges

• Recess or Lunch in an alternate setting

• Community service

• A request for a meeting with parents/guardian
  
  

Parents/guardians are responsible for paying for any school or other student’s property that is lost or damaged by their child. In some rare cases, our staff will work with parents/guardians to develop a plan to support the student's re-entry into class. Staff will communicate with parents/guardians regarding any behavioral concerns. We value working in partnership with families to address behavioral issues and foster social-emotional growth.

In next week's Friday Notes, I will discuss what a Restorative Circle Process is and why we use this Restorative Approach at Ocean Avenue School.

A huge congratulations to 1st grader Youye Cui who created the district's first INFINITE LOOP with our Indi robot. While this looks simple, figuring it out is extremely challenging.

Way to go, Youye!

For the 10th consecutive year, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) is partnering with schools and community organizations across the state to promote the Read to ME Challenge. This month-long public awareness campaign, held every February, encourages reading and literacy development among Maine children.

• Learn More

As part of our new Strategic Plan, the district is working to identify strengths and areas for improvement in supporting students who need specialized instruction and special education services. To aid in this, we’ve created a survey to get insights and feedback from families about their experiences and relationships with the district. Please take a few minutes to complete this short survey and share your experiences with us. Your input is essential! The deadline to complete the survey is TODAY ~ January 17, 2025.

Complete the Survey Now

We will be hosting a PTO Fundraiser at the Maine Mariners game on Saturday, January 25th at 6 PM. The OAES Community had a blast at this event last school year so we are heading back to cheer on the Mariners and enjoy a fun night with family and friends!

$1 from every ticket sold from our link will benefit students and staff of Ocean Ave School. Additionally, we will still need volunteers (12 total who must be 18+) to work a concession stand for the duration of the game. Please note that volunteers will need to be there at 4 PM and will work through approximately the end of the 3rd period. This is a really fun event and a great way to get involved!

Get your tickets here: Hockey Night with OAES

Concession stand signup: Concession Stand Volunteers

Meet at Rising Tide at 6 PM on Wednesday, Jan 22nd. Bring a phone or laptop. We will be reaching out to local places for auction items.

Each year the PTO hosts a benefit and auction in the Spring with proceeds going right back into our school! Thanks to our tireless volunteers, we always have a lot of great items & experiences up for silent or live auction! That’s where you come in - we need your help to make 2025’s auction better than ever!

If you’d like to participate on the auction committee or have items to donate, please contact volunteer@oapto.org.

• OAES PTO Facebook Page
• OAES PTO Instagram Page

We won’t spam your texts but we will send reminders about events! Signing up for texts or emails from the PTO is the best way for direct communication.

If you’d like to join our email list, please contact communications@oapto.org.

FOR TEXTS:

Email: westme@portlandschools.org
Website: https://oceanavenue.portlandschools.org/
Location: 150 Ocean Avenue, Portland, ME, USA
Phone: 207-874-8180
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oaesportland