OCEAN School Newsletter
September 25th, 2026
In this newsletter:
- College and Career Fair Information Sept 30
- OCEAN Family Campout Event Oct 9-11
- ASB Movie Night Fundraiser Oct 29
- Fall College Campus Tours Information
- 11th Graders PSAT Information
- ASVAB Test information
- NOAA Ocean Guardian School Information
- Personalized Yearbook Information
- Picture Retake Day Information
- School Safety ALICE Lessons
- OCEAN Calendar and Events
- This Week at OCEAN
- From Previous Newsletters
- Community
Attention 11th and 12th graders! Sept 30
Please check out the Flyer below for the College and Career fair Sept 30th at PTHS. OCEAN students can meet there or take a van from OCEAN to PTHS. This is a great way to learn about and explore your options!
OCEAN Family Campout Oct 9-11
OCEAN families are meeting up for a fun campout at the Wagon Wheel campground at Fort Flagger. This is a fun community building event! Although there may be staff there, this is not a school event, so families are responsible for supervising their kids and can not drop them off. Questions? Please text Amy @ (360)821-1847 or email kilhamanny@gmail.com if you have any questions. Bring Games, Music and stories! There will be a group Sunday breakfast.
The district does not sponsor this event/information and the district assumes no responsibility for it. In consideration of the privilege to distribute materials, the Port Townsend School District will be held harmless from any cause of action filed in any court or administrative tribunal arising out of the distribution of these materials, including costs, attorney’s fees and judgments or awards.
ASB Movie Night Fundraiser! Oct 29
Check it out! Bring Cash for food and drinks. This will be a fun time and benefit our Associated Student Body Fund, which helps support more student events.
Fall Campus Tours Oct 19
11th and 12th grade students, please check out this flyer for our Fall Campus Tours, with the College success foundation on Monday October 19th. This is a great way to learn about careers and college options.
11th graders PSAT (preliminary SAT testing) Information Oct 29
Hello 11th Grade Students and Families,
We will offer PSAT (preliminary SAT) testing October 29th. Interested 11th graders are invited to participate. Please sign up in the counseling office (or reply to this email).
The PSAT provides practice for the SAT test and connects you to potential scholarship providers. The cost will be approximately $14 (Thanks to a generous grant from the Port Townsend Education Foundation, there is no cost for students who qualify for free/reduced lunch)
Click here for information about how to prepare and practice for the PSAT.
For SAT testing, we are very fortunate that Port Townsend Sunrise Rotary is planning to host testing at PTHS 2-3 Saturdays a year. We encourage all interested Juniors to register for the March 6, 2026 test date when it opens for registration. Students need to create a college board account and register via their account. Please be aware that the test at PTHS is open to students from other districts and seats fill up fast.
Click here to register or set up an account
Click here for information about fee waivers
Click here for a breakdown of SAT related fees
Click here for information about how to prepare and practice for the SAT
Click here for information about test-optional college policies.
If you have a health plan, 504 plan or IEP and will need accommodations on the PSAT or SAT test, please click here for a required consent form to request accommodations. Please send the completed form to Emily Eldridge by September 18th.
Click here for more information on how accommodations work for PSAT or SAT testing.
ASVAB
The ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) is a test that can help fulfill your graduation pathway requirements, identify your strengths, and explore future career options, both in and beyond the military.
The ASVAB will be offered at OCEAN on November 10th.
To sign up, stop by the OCEAN Office or email:
OCEAN School is an Ocean Guardian School!
We are thrilled to share that OCEAN School’s K–5 Science program has been recognized by NOAA as an Ocean Guardian School for our second year—and we have received a NOAA grant to launch an exciting third year of hands-on watershed stewardship! This year, our students will get outside, investigate, create, and take action as they explore how our everyday choices connect our school and community to Port Townsend Bay and Puget Sound. Students will map and stencil storm drains, participate in campus and beach cleanups, and collect and analyze litter and marine-debris data with community partners. They will learn from the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, work with Jefferson County Environmental Public Health, and hear Indigenous perspectives on water, land, and our relationship with place. Students will also collaborate with a local artist to create a permanent watershed mural that shares student-created learning. The K-5 Fabric Arts class will turn their environmental learning into creative work for our public Trashion Show. Throughout the year, students will share their discoveries through exhibition nights, community presentations, a downtown gallery walk, local publications, and the mural unveiling. Most importantly, students will experience what it means to be a steward of the place they call home—and see that their ideas, creativity, and actions really can make a difference.
Personalized Student Yearbook Option
Attention OCEAN students and families, this is your chance to purchase a personalized yearbook at a discounted price. If you purchase a personalized yearbook before October 23rd, 2006 then it only costs $25 (which is the price of a normal yearbook without personalization).
For more questions about this option or about our 2026-2027 yearbook, check in with teacher Shannon Paselk who is on our Yearbook Committee. Shannon's email: spaselk@ptschools.org
Picture Day Retake Day
School Safety: ALICE Lessons
Next week, OCEAN students will participate in age-appropriate lessons reviewing our ALICE school safety protocols. ALICE stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. These protocols help students understand how to respond in the event of a school emergency involving a dangerous intruder.
Students in grades K–5 will participate in an age-appropriate lesson focused on what to do to stay safe, while students in grades 6–12 will review the ALICE protocols and strategies for responding to an emergency.
Our goal is not to create fear or anxiety, but to help students feel prepared and confident in knowing what to do in an emergency. We approach these lessons in a calm, supportive manner and do not use scare tactics or frightening scenarios.
We encourage families to talk with their children at home about what they learned, answer questions, and reinforce the importance of knowing how to respond to keep themselves and others safe. Thank you for partnering with us to support a safe and prepared school community!
Student of the Week
Mira Lang
This week, we are celebrating Mirah for all the wonderful ways she makes our school community a better place! Mirah is always willing to lend a helping hand, especially when she works with our elementary students. She brings kindness, patience, and inclusivity to everything she does and makes others feel welcomed and valued.
Mirah has also been working hard in her own classes and continues to show great dedication to her learning. Wherever she goes, the classroom, playground, or basketball court, she brings a happy, positive energy that brightens the day for those around her.
Upcoming OCEAN Events
- September 24th — Comprehensive Sex Education Information Night
- September 30th — College and Career Fair at PTHS
- October 6th — Picture Retake Day
- October 9th — OCEAN Family Campout (9th-11th)
- October 10th — Homecoming Dance
- October 15th — 8th Grade Healthcare Fair
- October 19th — Peninsula College Field Trip
View the OCEAN Calendar Online
Want OCEAN K-12 Events to show up on your digital calendar?
OCEAN K-12 Google Calendar (use the +Google Calendar Button) or iCal Format
This Week at OCEAN
It was another week full of creativity, collaboration, and hands-on learning!
In high school math, Kyle and Shannon’s students took on the Spaghetti Noodle and Marshmallow Challenge, putting their problem-solving, teamwork, and engineering skills to the test.
Our K–5 scientists are knee-deep in learning about sound and light waves and exploring how these fascinating forces work in the world around us.We are getting excited for our first Student Learning Exhibition of the school year on November 17th! All students should be working on a project at home to bring in and share. We can’t wait to celebrate their hard work and learning with our school community!
In Koyuki’s Art class, many students are busy working on sewing projects, and we can’t wait to see what they create!
And finally, the office worked hard from 9 to 5 on 9/25. Happy Dolly Parton Day!
From Previous Newsletters:
Attendance at OCEAN
We want to make attendance as easy as possible for OCEAN families!
If your student is going to be absent, please excuse the absence by:
Emailing: oceanattendance@ptschools.org
Calling the OCEAN office: 360-680-5750
You may still receive an automated attendance notification if you contact us after 10:30 a.m. No worries! If you have already emailed or called the school, our OCEAN office staff will make sure the absence is excused.
We use automated attendance messages simply to keep families informed when a student is marked absent from class. If you know you have contacted the school, stay calm—you're all set!
Thank you for helping us keep attendance records accurate and keeping us informed about your student's attendance.
Girls and Gender-Inclusive Weightlifting Club at PTHS
OCEAN students are invited to attend this new club!
Join us Mondays in the PTHS Weight Room from 3:30–5:00 PM for the first Girls & Gender-Inclusive Weightlifting Club.
For girls and gender-diverse students, including trans, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming students.
No experience necessary. We'll have some circuits available, or you can work out in your own way and at your own level. See you there!
Meals at School
Breakfast is available for all OCEAN students. Enter Blue Heron by the basketball court and Judd's room. Doors open: 8:25-8:45. Pick up breakfast at the cafeteria and return to the OCEAN tent or classroom to eat. Students ask a teacher for the door code. Second chance breakfast is available at 9:30am for students who did not get breakfast at the first serving.
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. The office will have the codes available at meal times.
Meals are available for all OCEAN students at no cost. Be sure to return your Free and Reduced Lunch Application to ensure accurate reporting for future years eligibility.
Complete your Free and Reduced Application
All families are encouraged to complete a Free and Reduced-Price Meal Application for the 2026–27 school year. Applications must be filled out annually, and even if you don’t think your family will qualify, submitting one still helps OCEAN secure vital funding for our school community.
BHMS Library available for OCEAN students and Families
Library Hours
8:30-11:00am and 2:00-3:00pm (M, T, Th, F)
Closed Wednesday fro Classes (There may be other closures for school activities)
All families must sign in at the OCEAN office and receive a visitor pass.
Students should get a pass from a teacher/office.
When arriving in the library check in with the library staff. Follow all library expectations.
Community Activities:
Parenting Workshop
Check out this parenting workshop opportunity.
Enchanted Realm Faire
Check out this fun community Event! At least one OCEAN students (Axel) has a booth at this event selling handcrafted arts, crafts and jewelry!
Cedar Root Fall Nature Studies Program
Cedar Root School offers school year programs for kids. Check out their offerings of full day Monday or Friday camps and 1/2 day wednesday Fall registration is now open! Link to offerings
Port Townsend Chess Tournament
If you are in grades 3rd-12th and love playing chess, check out this Chess Tournament opportunity.
Details and online registration: https://chessreg.com/ptchess
The district does not sponsor this event/information and the district assumes no responsibility for it. In consideration of the privilege to distribute materials, the Port Townsend School District will be held harmless from any cause of action filed in any court or administrative tribunal arising out of the distribution of these materials, including costs, attorney’s fees and judgments or awards.
About OCEAN K-12
Sarah Rubenstein, Principal
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, Carrie Ehrhardt, 1610 Blaine Street, (360) 680-5756, cehrhardt@ptschools.org
Coordinator Title IX Officer, Carrie Ehrhardt, 1610 Blaine Street, (360) 680-5756, cehrhardt@ptschools.org
Section 504/ADA Coordinator, Shelby Macmeekin, 1610 Blaine Street, (360) 680-5762, smacmeekin@ptschools.org
Title IX inquiries may also be directed toward the U.S. Department of Education for the OCR/Title IX complaints https://www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section