Ocean Avenue School's Family Handbook ~ 2024/2025 School Year
We encourage you to read through the Student/Family Handbook for the 2024/2025 School Year. The Student/Family Handbook is a reference for guidelines, policies, and procedures that we use at OAES and within the Portland Public Schools. Inside are answers to many questions families typically wonder about or ask us.
We are always eager to listen to and work with parents and students on new ideas and procedures. Your input is not only important, but also necessary to create the best learning environment for our children. Please take the time to read and review this handbook as there are changes made each year. If there is something missing, please let us know!
School Hours, Morning Drop Off, and Early Release Wednesday Reminder!
Ocean Avenue's school hours remain the same this year ~ 7:40 AM to 2:10 PM. Staff begin supervising students starting at 7:25 AM. Many students are excited and wanted to be at school earlier, but they may not be at school until 7:25 AM at the earliest. There is no before school care at Ocean Avenue. You may see staff out at 7:20 AM to welcome early bus students.
EARLY RELEASE WEDNESDAY REMINDER: The first Early Release Day starts the first week of school on Wednesday, September 4th. Every Wednesday during the school year, students are released 1 hour earlier. For Ocean Avenue, Wednesday dismissal is at 1:10 PM.
Your Child's Dismissal Plans
We started to use this form a few years ago, and found it to be extremely helpful for both our teachers and office staff. Your child's safety is of our utmost importance!
Navigating Traffic and Parking
Here are some tips some experienced parents have shared with us for morning drop-off:
- 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). The bus loop off of Walton Avenue is only for buses for everyone's safety.
- Drop off in the circle should be a kiss-and-go. If you 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, Mackworth 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 Street, please notice the street parking signs. There are areas of Walton near the school entrance that are no parking zones.
Rules your child's teacher wants you to follow, if picking up your child:
- Please meet your child at the designated parent pick-up areas. We have established this routine for our staff to be able to ensure students get to where they need to be safely.
- 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 1 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 Avenue School Library Donors Choose Project!
Help power up student learning with a library laptop charging cart! Help Ms. Eva to give her students a laptop charging cart to ensure reliable access to library technology.
A big thanks to Shawn Box, Michelle Smith, Patrick Moran and an anonymous donor from Maine for your recent donation. We appreciate your support of Ocean Avenue School!
FIRST DAY PACKET PAPERWORK ONLINE ~ Please complete by September 19th!
The District’s First Day Packet Paperwork is online only, 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, and more.
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 have forgotten your login or can't remember your password, please email Janice Caminiti. Please include your full name, home address, student's name(s), and your email for verification purposes. You will receive an email with your username and a temporary password, along with instructions on how to change that password to something more secure.
If you are new to Portland Public Schools or do not yet have an activated parent Infinite Campus account, please fill out the Parent/Guardian Portal Form and read through the PPS Parent Portal Agreement. Once we receive this form, 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.
School Meals Free of Charge
Breakfast and lunch is free for all Portland Public School students. Maine is fortunate that legislatures passed LD 1679, An Act to Address Student Hunger through Expanding Access to Free School Meals. LD 1679 was signed into law by Governor Janet Mills on May 3, 2022. This law resulted in breakfast and lunch being available at NO CHARGE to all students enrolled in a Maine public school. The State funds the parent portion of reimbursable meals.
Although school meals for all students are free regardless of family income, the information from the Household Income Data Form helps us maximize the state revenue our school district receives. We ask that all families complete the Household Income Data Form by downloading the print-version of the form located at this link. Alternatively, you will receive a personalized link in mid September so that you can complete the form electronically. Please know that the information you provide is protected and won’t be shared.
PLEASE NOTE: Students can continue to purchase milk only for $0.50 each.
