OCEAN School Newsletter

• Attendance at OCEAN
• Comprehensive Sex Education Info Night - Sept 24, 5pm
• Picture Day Retake information
• PTHS and OCEAN Girls & Gender -Inclusive Weightlifting Club Information
• OCEAN Calendar and Events
• This Week at OCEAN
• From Previous Newsletters
• Community

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.

Each year, Washington schools provide age-appropriate instruction to help students develop the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy, safe, and responsible decisions. At OCEAN, this includes instruction related to HIV/AIDS prevention and sexual health education in grades 4-12.

Information Session

Parents and guardians are invited to attend an information session where we will explain what students will learn, review the instructional materials, and answer questions.

Parent Information Session:
📅 September 24, 2026
⏰ 5:00pm
📍 OCEAN, Room 705

We encourage families to attend, especially if you have questions about the curriculum or would like to review the materials before instruction begins.

HIV/AIDS Prevention Education

Washington law provides parents/guardians with the opportunity to excuse their child from HIV/AIDS prevention education. To request an exemption, a parent/guardian must first attend one of the district's parent information sessions and then submit a written request asking that their child be excused from this instruction.

Sexual Health Education

Parents/guardians may also request that their child be excused from sexual health education. A written request to excuse your child should be submitted to the school.

If you have questions about the instruction, want to review the materials, or would like to request that your child be excused, please contact Sarah Rubenstein, srubenstein@ptschools.org or 360-680-5754.

We appreciate partnering with families to make sure students receive age-appropriate, accurate, and supportive health education.

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!

• September 24th — Comprehensive Sex Education Information Night
• September 30th — College and Career Fair at PTHS

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 Thursday CTE Career class has started our weekly class with Community Works! Their mission: To enhance our community through dynamic, intergenerational programs that foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork.

Students are enjoying their core classes, enrichment, electives, and clubs! Our Bike Team has many new members who are learning the ropes and the rules of the road. In U.S. History, students welcomed special speaker Sabrina Hill, who talked with them about Indigenous history and, specifically, the history of the Makah people. In high school ELA, students have started their novels, Life of Pi and The Color Purple.

There is lots of creativity happening, too! K–5 and 6–8 ELA students are enjoying writing and illustrating, creating poems, comics, novels, and more. Chess Club is going great with our wonderful volunteer, David!

OCEAN loves partnering with members of our community to give students opportunities to learn, connect, and grow beyond the classroom. We are grateful for all of our wonderful community partners and the experiences they bring to our students!

Food Service Menu

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.

• Application in English

• Application in Spanish

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.

In person Family Partnership class schedules are here:

• High School Schedule

• Grades K-8 Schedule

Online Classes have already begun. If your student has not started reach out to your conferencing teacher. How to Login to Edgenuity

Open Doors students regular class begins at the Nest, Monday, September 14th at 12:00pm.

• Open Doors Class Schedule

Check out this great opportunity! OCEAN is offering a Middle School and High school Performing Arts Class with director Marc Weinblatt. This class will focus on "Scenes and Monologues." For questions or to sign up for the weekly class, contact: marmstrong@ptschools.org and 360-680-5656.

The 2026–27 bus routes are now live on the PT Schools website. Families can view routes and stops by visiting the transportation page: https://www.ptschools.org/page/transportation

Please check the site to confirm your student’s route information before the first day of school.

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.

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 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

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

Check out this great opportunity to study history and receive free college credits.

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.

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

Discrimination Procedure