Middle School Weekly Communication

Dear OCS MS Families,

Welcome to the 2024-2025 School Year! First, I'd like to introduce myself. I am Christine Slobodinsky and I will be the serving as the Interim Principal for the Middle School while Odyssey conducts its search for the next permanent principal. I will be working with the existing Middle School Admin team to ensure a smooth transition for the start of the school year. I started at Odyssey in the Fall of 2014 with the first ever 7th grade class where I taught math for 8 years. For the last two years, I've been serving as the District Testing Administrator in charge of all things testing; SBAC/SAT/etc. In addition to my teaching certificate, I also have a Master's Degree in School Leadership and am certified to be a principal/assistant principal in the State of Delaware. I am beyond excited to have this opportunity to serve as the interim principal and look forward to working with you all!

Student Schedules: Some student schedules may still require adjustments, due to errors in core classes. Please note, there will be no schedule changes made for elective courses. Administration has done their best to accommodate student requests, however, core academic courses take priority. We expect to be done with schedule changes by Friday, September 13th. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work through these final details.

Warm Regards,

Christine Slobodinsky

Tuesday, 9/10

• Professional Development Day, no school for students.

Wednesday, 9/11 & Thursday, 9/12

• Chromebook Distribution

Friday, 9/13

• First Dress Up Day! More information below.

Tuesday, 9/17

• Back to School Night for 6th and 8th grade, 5-7pm

• Back to School Night for 7th grade, 5-7pm

• Picture Day

Our first formal dress day will be on Friday, September 13th. On formal dress days, students must wear a navy blue blazer over their OCS-embroidered polo shirt (long or short sleeve).

We understand the time crunch of getting a navy blue blazer in time for our first formal dress day. As a result, we are incentivizing this day by offering THREE dress down passes for every student who comes in full formal dress with a blazer on Friday, September 13th. These free dress downs can be used at anytime before the end of September.

We encourage all of our families to participate in our first formal dress day, and have attached a calendar of additional formal dress days that will be required throughout the year.

Navy Blue blazers embroidered with the school logo are available through our vendors, Tommy Hilfiger and Lands’ End. Students may also wear non-logoed navy blue blazers in a similar style. Blazers are not required to be embroidered, and can be purchased from major retailers such as Amazon ( 1, 2, 3), Target, H&M, Zara, Walmart, etc. Please click the links for examples of acceptable blazers.

Gym Day Clarification: Gym uniform shirts are acceptable under the blazers. Students will remove the blazer during gym class. Since students will be removing their blazer, please ensure that your blazer is labeled with your students first and last name!

Click here for the updated 2024-2025 Dress Code & Uniform Policy. Clarification regarding what is acceptable spirit wear & dress down apparel is included in the attachment.

***PLEASE NOTE THAT LEGGINGS ARE NOT TO BE WORN INDEPENDENTLY, THEY ARE A LAYERING PIECE ONLY. LEGGINGS SHOULD BE WORN UNDER A SCHOOL APPROVED UNIFROM SKIRT***

Mark your calendars! Back to School Night will happen on Tuesday, September 17th and Thursday, September 19th. Families with students in grades 6 and 8 should attend on Tuesday, September 17th. Families with students in grades 7 should attend on Thursday, September 19th. This event will run from 5pm - 7pm. A more detailed schedule will be sent as this event gets closer.

Middle School picture day will take place on Friday, September 20th! If you are interested in ordering yearbook pictures, please follow the directions in the picture to the right! If you are interested in ordering the 2024-2025 Middle School Yearbook, please click on the PDF below for instructions for ordering!

Please view the following attachments below regarding any and all Owls Club information.

Program Coordinator: Ms. Rachquel Winn

Email: Rachquel.Winn@odyssey.k12.de.us

Please click here to access the Greek Newsletter!

Students may not use personal electronics (cell phones, tablets, laptops, smart watches, etc.) at school or on the bus.

When entering the building, students should not have any devices or their accessories (headphones, charging cords) visible. All electronics should be stored in students’ backpacks. Students are not permitted to use personal electronic devices while riding the bus, and must abide by the Acceptable Use Policy and comply with driver requests to put a device away.

Students who violate this policy will be asked to turn over their phone or electronic device to an administrator. Refusal will result in an automatic suspension. If a teacher asks the student to put their devices away and the student refuses to comply with this reasonable request, the teacher will immediately call for an administrator who will remove both the student and the device from the classroom and proceed with the appropriate disciplinary consequences, including confiscation, detention or suspension.

The first time a student is found possessing or utilizing a device, the device will be confiscated, students will meet with an administrator to reiterate the rules, and a phone call home will be made. The device will be returned to the student at the end of the day.

The second time a student is found possessing or utilizing a device, the device will be confiscated, students will meet with an administrator to reiterate the rules, and a parent or guardian must come to the school for a conference with the administrator and to pick up the device.

Additional incidences of a student utilizing or possessing a device will result in continued confiscation and parent conferences, including suspension(s) for the student. Any time a student refuses to comply and turn over their device, they will be suspended.

From the Middle School Nurse:

Medications - Emergency and Routine

If you have a student that requires emergency or other medications to be kept in the School Nurse's office, please send in or drop those off at school now.

All emergency medications MUST be sent into school. Medications that are controlled substances (medications that you give your license to pick-up) must be brought to school by someone over the age of 18.

Please call the School RN so that we may look for the medication and prepare.

Odyssey Charter School's Requirements for Medication can be found here.

Emergency Treatment Cards - This should have come home with all students. A new Emergency treatment card is required EVERY school year. This is a requirement by the Department of Education. Emergency Treatment cards MUST be turned in by Wednesday, September 18, 2024. ***Students will NOT be permitted to attend any field trips without an Emergency Treatment Card on file in the nurse's office***

Required Health Screenings - Hearing/Vision Delaware Department of Education requires vision and hearing screenings completed on all students in Kindergarten, 2nd, 4th, 7th and 10th, all students that are new to Delaware Public Schools, and students considered for special education. Postural and Gait (Scoliosis) Delaware Department of Education requires postural and gait screenings (often referred to as Scoliosis) on all students in 5th-9th grades.

Required health screenings will begin taking place in the month of September. If you have any questions, please reach out to your student’s building RN.

• Last drop off without signing in: 7:30 AM

• Last early dismissal: 1:45 PM

• Last car rider pickup: 2:30 PM

• If a student is being dropped off, you must go through the middle school carline. DO NOT drop off students in the parking lots of the IS/HS/MS and have them walk to the main entrance.

• Students who are not picked up at school or bus stop are taken to aftercare

• Aftercare is now in Building #20

• All dismissal changes must be communicated to the front office in writing. Please reach out to Brittney Ridgway with any questions.

• Patches can be purchased at the main office.

• If you would like to volunteer at an event at your child’s school or attend a school field trip, please follow the instructions on this form. Thank you for all your assistance!

Odyssey Charter School

Interim Principal - Christine Slobodinsky

Assistant Principal - Michael Pietlock

Assistant Principal - Jocelyn Whitwell

Website - http://odysseycharterschooldel.com

Address - 4319 Lancaster Pike Wilmington, DE 19805

Phone - (302) 516-8000