Ocean Avenue Friday Notes
November 13, 2026

Mark Your Calendar
Mark Your Calendar!
- 11/17: PTO Meeting in the Library, 5:30 PM
- 11/20: Grade 4 Poetry Celebration in the Gym, 11:15 AM-12 PM
- 11/25-11/27: NO SCHOOL ~ Thanksgiving Break
- 12/2 and 12/3: School Conferences
- 12/2: Dismissal at 1:10 PM
- 12/3: Dismissal at 11:10 AM
- 12/12: Designing Women Craft Fair at Ocean Ave, 9 AM-4 PM
- 12/15: PTO Meeting in the Library, 5:30 PM
- 12/23-1/1: NO SCHOOL ~ Winter Break (School Resumes on 1/4)
A Friendly Reminder to All Families!
Toys and Fidgets Should Remain at Home
We kindly ask that all toys, including fidgets, stay at home. We are noticing that many fidgets are being used more as toys than as tools for learning. We are also seeing students taking them from one another, popping them, and creating quite a mess!
Please know that our school will provide fidgets and other sensory tools for students who need them to support their learning. Staff will help students learn how to use these tools appropriately and purposefully.
You can help reinforce this at home by asking your child:
How do you know when a fidget is helping you focus?
Can you listen, think, and participate while using it?
Is it helping your brain and body learn, or has it become something you want to play with?
Thank you for your continued partnership! Helping children understand what they need to do their best learning is something we can work on together.
Principal's Notes
STUDENT CONFERENCES ARE COMING UP!
We look forward to seeing you all at our upcoming conferences! Ocean Avenue's conferences are scheduled for the following dates:
β
Wednesday, December 2nd: 1:10 PM Dismissal
β
Thursday, December 3rd: 11:10 AM Dismissal
Early next week, conference invitations will be sent to all families through ReachMyTeach. Please be on the lookout for an email with instructions on how to schedule a time that works best for you and your child(ren).
Once you have booked your conference through ReachMyTeach, you will receive reminders of your scheduled conference one day before and again one hour prior to its start time.
Conferences are scheduled in 30-minute time slots. We kindly ask that you arrive a few minutes before your scheduled time so that we can stay on schedule and ensure everyone has a smooth experience.
We look forward to seeing you on December 2nd and 3rd!
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the Main Office. We are always happy to help! See you soon! π
Assistant Principal's Notes
Math Game Night Was a Huge Success!
Fourth Grade Notes
Fourth Grade Poetry Slam!
Attention 4th grade families! Mark your calendar for Friday November 20th 11:15 am! Join us as our 4th graders showcase their poetry. Some students will share their original poems in an exciting poetry slam, while a gallery walk will feature everyone's illustrated poetry. We look forward to celebrating their creativity and hard work with you!
Nurse Notes
Head Lice Awareness: Important Information for Parents and Families
Cases of head lice have been on the upswing throughout Ocean Ave and other PPS schools. Head lice are very common and are more active during the cooler part of the year when children are indoors and in close proximity. By the time it is found, the person usually has had it for up to 2 weeks, which includes some time at school. Evidence shows that settings/activities outside of school are typically where kids acquire lice such as sleepovers, sharing sporting equipment, playing on carpeted mats, etc. and not as much in school settings. Please remind students to not share hats, scarves, keep their hair up and out of their face and try to stay seated on carpets (not lay down).
Following guidance from American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Association of School Nurses (NASN), along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discovering lice at school is not an automatic send home, students are allowed to stay the remainder of the day. Once they start treatment at home, they can return to school.
Please check your child's head closely and if lice or nits are found, take appropriate measures to treat the child's hair. Over the counter lice remedies can be very effective. If one person in your home has lice, it is necessary to check everyone in the household. After the initial treatment, continue to check your childβs head for the next 4-5 weeks for lice that may have hatched from undiscovered nits.
For more information please visit
https://www.cdc.gov/lice/caring-head/index.htmlIf you have any questions, please let me know.
Facts about Head Lice:
1. Head lice do not cause disease.
2. Head lice do not fly or jump.
3. They only live on human heads. Pets do not get or transmit head lice
4. Head lice transmission is primarily by head to head contact.
5. Head lice begin to lose water as soon as they are off the scalp and die within 24hrs; they are probably incapacitated before that.
6. Only live lice can spread to another person. Nits (eggs) cannot spread to another person.
Social Work Notes
Thanksgiving Resources
The 2026 Maine Thanksgiving List is a statewide guide to 250+ holiday dinners, free community meals and food baskets, and takeout and take home options ranging from singles dishes and baked goods to entire meals to enjoy at home.
Community Notes
Rippleffect February Break Camp!
Rippleffect is excited to host another year of February Break Camp!
About Us
Website: https://oceanavenue.portlandschools.org/
Location: 150 Ocean Avenue, Portland, ME, USA
Phone: 207-874-8180
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oaesportland