OCEAN Newsletter

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Here are the new announcements in this newsletter:

• In Person Classes Begin Monday, September 9
  
• Who should I contact
• Meals at School
• Student Pick Up, Drop Off & Parking
  
• School Transportation
• Attendance
• Volunteering

We are looking forward to seeing everyone next week at in person classes.

• Class Schedule 2024-25
  • High School
  • Grades K-8

Welcome to the new school year. At OCEAN we have a great team who is here to support you and your student. Below is contact info for our staff and a guide or who can provide different types of support.

Secretary and Registrar - Shannon White -360-680-5750, swhite@ptschools.org

• Registration including Skyward
• Device Checkout
• General questions
• Weekend backpack program
• Attendance - use oceanattendance@ptschools.org for reporting absences

Principal - Sarah Rubenstein - 360-680-5754, srubenstein@ptschools.org

• Urgent or emergency matters
• Confidential matters
• Taking classes at another school
• Changing school programs

• Other concerns that are not addressed in a timely matter

Counselor - Emily Eldridge - 360-680-5634, eeldridge@ptschools.org

• Course planning for high school
• College or career planning
• Resources or services at school or in the community
• Confidential matters

Conferencing Teacher

• General questions about at home learning
• Overall concerns about student progress or support needed in classes
• Course changes and schedule

Class Teacher

• Questions about specific course work from the teacher
• Concerns about only one class

Special Education Teacher - Judd Farris, 360-680-5655, jfarris@ptschools.org,

• Concerns or questions for a student with an IEP

Teachers

Daniel Molotsky, 360-680-5657, dmolotsky@ptschools.org, Room 804

Kyle Reynolds, 360-680-5653, kreynolds@ptschools.org, Room 902

Mary Beth Armstrong, 360-680-5656, marmstrong@ptschools.org, Room. 803

Lisa Olsen, 360-680-5751, lolsen@ptschools.org, Room 703

Judd Farris, 360-680-5655, jfarris@ptschools.org, Room 802

Koyuki Fritchman, 360-680-5654, kfritchman@ptschools.org, Room 802

Michelle Tipton, 360-680-5753 mtipton@ptschools.org, Room 801

Breakfast available for all OCEAN students. Enter Blue Heron by Judd and Koyuki’s room. Doors open: 8:25-8:45. Pick up breakfast at the cafeteria and return to OCEAN to eat. Students should bring their breakfast to the OCEAN tent or class to eat.

Lunch is available at 11:30. Students getting a cafeteria lunch enter Blue Heron by the OCEAN tent. Lunch is eaten outdoors in the OCEAN tent except in inclement weather we eat in a classroom. Students will need their 4 digit lunch code to get a school meal. Copies will be available at lunch from the office.

Help make pick up and drop off a success. All students and families should access the OCEAN buildings from the orchard side of the school. Please do not walk across the playground area as there are often Blue Heron classes in that area during the school day. The parking closest to OCEAN near the orchard is reserved for OCEAN families and students. The fire lane behind the OCEAN office building is not a parking area.

Grades K-4

Students in grades K-4 should be picked up directly from the OCEAN classroom after class. Wait outside the room until class is dismissed. The teacher will release the student when they see their grown-up. If your student has permission to walk or bike home, or go home with another family please send them with a note.

Grade 5-12

Will be released at the end of class. If the student is waiting for pick-up they should wait in the waiting area near the fire hydrant (see map). If a student's ride does not come or they need to call home they should come to the OCEAN office.

Families picking up students should either park in a designated parking space, or wait in their car in the pick up and drop off area.

Families need to communicate with the OCEAN office if they are going to be late, or if the pick-up plan changes. Teachers are not always able to pick up voicemail and email in time for pick-up changes.

OCEAN students may ride school transportation when it works with their schedule. If a student day starts at 8:30am or ends at 3:00pm (Wednesday 1:00pm) school transportation is an option. Please follow the steps below to determine your student's bus number and pick up/drop off time as it may have changed.

1. Visit the InfoFinder map and enter your street address to identify the closest bus stop and the corresponding bus number.

2. Visit our Transportation page, select Bus Routes and click on the pdf of the bus number for your stop.

3. Review the pick up and drop off times and please have your student at the stop a few minutes before the pick up time. Here are some safety tips.

Reach out to Kristin Thibeault in Transportation at (360) 302-5811 or kthibeault@ptschools.org with any questions.

Showing up for school has a huge impact on a student’s academic success starting in kindergarten and continuing through high school.

Since OCEAN students have limited time each week in class with their teachers, regular attendance is even more important at our school. We expect students to attend all their scheduled class, and for families to excuse absences that are unavoidable due to health problems or other circumstances.

Daily attendance will be recorded by teachers, and families will receive a message letting them know that the student was absent.

Absences from class need to be excused by a parent or guardian. Please email oceanattendance@ptschools.org or send your student with a note to the office the next day to excuse an absence.

We love adult volunteers at OCEAN. Throughout the year there are opportunities to work in the classrooms, attend field trips, or join activities. All adult volunteers need to have complete the district application process. If you plan to accompany your student on a field trip you must complete the secure volunteer application.

• Secure Volunteer Application - Online Background Check

Students in grades 4-12 will be participating in sexual health education and HIV/AIDS prevention lesson as part of their classes at OCEAN this school year.

Our district is using lessons from Rights, Respect, Responsibility Advocates for Youth, which includes information about how people get HIV and how to prevent it. It stresses the importance of student-family communication and abstaining from sex. It provides age-appropriate information about human growth and development and the reproductive system, healthy relationships, consent, abstinence, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and pregnancy prevention methods.

Since 1988, all Washington students in grades 5-12 must receive HIV/AIDS prevention education at least once each year (RCW 28A.230.070). Parents and guardians may remove their children from these lessons with a written request after attending a district presentation about the curriculum. Students will be given other lessons.

Since 2022 all Washington schools are required to provide comprehensive sexual health education at least twice between grades 9-12, at least twice in grades 6-8, and at least once in grades 4-5. Parents and guardians may review the sexual health education curriculum and may remove their children from these lessons with a written request. (RCW 28A.300.475). Students will be given other lessons.

A presentation for parents and guardians will be held at back to school night:

Manday, September 23, at 5pm at OCEAN.

For more information, to request an interpreter for the parent presentation,

or to request that your child(ren) be removed from lessons, please contact: Sarah Rubenstein, srubenstein@ptschools.org.

OCEAN families always do a great job completing the Child Nutrition Eligibility form. Our rate of return means that for the second year in a row all students will receive free breakfast and lunch at OCEAN. Completing your form this year can help our school qualify for continued free meals and other funding.

You can complete this form in Skyward or by using the paper form that was mailed, or pick one up at school. More information and directions are available here:

https://www.ptschools.org/for_families/food_services/free__reduced_meal_application

If your family is eligible for other fee waivers be sure to complete the Consent to Share form as well.

• September 9 - In person FPP classes begin
• September 23 - 5pm, Comprehensive Sexual Health Education Family Info Night
• September 30 - Picture day

View the OCEAN Calendar Online

Want OCEAN K-12 Events to show up on your digital calendar?

Want to Get School Communications Via Text?

Opt in by texting “Y” or “Yes” to our district’s short code number, 67587.

Email: srubenstein@ptschools.org
Website: https://ocean.ptschools.org/
Location: 3939 San Juan Ave, Port Townsend, WA, USA
Phone: 360-680-5750
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oceank12

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oceank12

Port Townsend School District No. 50 does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of race, creed, religion, color, immigration status, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, marital status, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. The district provides equal access to the Boy Scouts of America and all other designated youth groups listed in Title 36 of the United States Code as a patriotic society. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination:

Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator for State Law (RCW 28A.640/28A.642): Carrie Ehrhardt 360.680.5756 cehrhardt@ptschools.org

Title IX Officer: Carrie Ehrhardt 360.680.5756 cehrhardt@ptschools.org

Section 504/ADA Coordinator: Shelby MacMeekin, 1610 Blaine Street, (360) 680.5763, smacmeekin@ptschools.org

Title IX inquiries may also be directed toward the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR):https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html