

Ocean Avenue Friday Notes
December 8, 2023

Mark Your Calendar!
- 12/9: Designing Women Artist and Craft Show, 9 AM-4 PM
- 12/12: PTO Meeting in the Library, 5:30 PM
- 12/14: Ocean Avenue Night at Panera Bread, 4-8 PM
- 12/21: Community Meeting, 8 AM
- 12/22-1/1: No School ~ Winter Break
To look ahead to future meetings, school events, etc., please click on the link below ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️
Principal's Notes
❄️ Snow Days Update from the Superintendent's Office
The superintendent's Office recently shared important details for elementary schools about PPS's approach to snow days this year shared with us from the Superintendent's Office:
Overview
We will have up to three traditional snow days. These are days where school is cancelled for the day, and these days are tacked on to the end of the school calendar, per usual.
If there are more than three days of inclement weather, we will have remote learning days in lieu of a ‘snow day’. Remote learning days will not need to be made up at the end of the year. If an inclement weather remote day is called, the district will make school meals available for families. Closest pick up spots for OAES students will be at King, Portland High School, Presumpscot, Lyman Moore, and Reiche.
Remote Learning Expectations for Elementary Students
Elementary students will be provided with hard copy materials to be completed at home and returned to school the next day.
Communication
Final decisions regarding snow days and remote learning days will be communicated by the superintendent starting at 5 AM. (Direct text and robo calls, TV stations, and on the PPS website and Facebook Page.
Assistant Principal's Notes
Playworks at Ocean Avenue School
Our whole staff worked with our Playworks Coach again last week. Our partnership with Playworks is supporting our work to ensure we provide a truly inclusive and joyful play experience for students that contributes to their cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being. We reflected further on our recess procedures and routines: how we open and close recess, the games offered, the equipment available for use, etc. It was an engaging and productive discussion and planning session.
In particular, we talked about how we can further expand game/play options for students. For example, when the weather and conditions allow, we are hoping to include a soccer drills option for those students who would like to learn/practice their skills without participating in an actual game. Of course, this week the snow provided a whole range of new possibilities for students!
Library Notes
Library Book Reminders!
There has been a significant increase in books left outside during recess and after school. Please talk to your students about leaving books in backpacks and ensuring they come inside where they are safe and dry. (These are examples of books found outside from the public library.)
Please note: If public library books are found and/or returned to school, there is no way to notify the borrower due to patron privacy. Please ensure you are checking library books to make sure they are being returned to the correct library. I do my best to return them, but often they can go undiscovered for quite a while.
Please let me know if you have any questions. I'm happy to help!
Happy Reading!
Ms. Eva
Nature Notes
Nature Notes with Ms. Nika, Ocean Avenue's Enviromental Literacy Teacher
Ms. Nika, Ocean Avenue's Environmental Literacy teacher, helps to connect classroom learning with the environment, which we know is vital at this time on our planet. This work in the living schoolyard helps students build relationships, reciprocity, respect, and responsibility for our Earth in a shared learning experience.
See Ms. Nika's Nature Notes for the week of November 13th!
Designing Women Craft Fair ~ VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TOMORROW!
The Ocean Avenue PTO will be hosting the Designing Women Craft Fair on Saturday, December 9th, a one-day event that features women artisans who are selected through a juried process. This is one of the PTO's largest fundraisers of the year -- it raises money for school activities by asking visitors for door donations and by selling homemade food. We need a huge number of volunteers to make this event a fundraising success. Please volunteer your time or donate a food item for our food table.
We still need volunteers for tomorrow! If you can help with any of the following (all proceeds go directly to our school), please sign up:
-Drop off a box of coffee and/or mixers
-Drop off 6 individually wrapped breakfast sandwiches
-Drop off a quiche - in pie dish but pre-cut into 8 slices
-Drop of a "crockpot" for the day - full of warm soup or chili. We will make sure you get it back!
-Donate gluten-free foods to sell (sets of 6)
-Sell and serve food to patrons at the Food Table
-Help breakdown the event
PTO Monthly Meeting: December 12 @ 5:30 PM
You're invited to join other parents, guardians, and staff for the next monthly meeting of Ocean Avenue's Parent Teacher Organization! Each meeting takes place in the school library on the second Tuesday of the month at 5:30 PM. Come for an update from our principal and stay for as long as you'd like.
Ocean Avenue Night at Panera Bread (Westbrook) ~ December 14, 4-8 PM
20% of sales between 4 PM - 8 PM will be donated to our school! Spread the word!
Present the flyer above at checkout OR enter promo code FUND4U during online checkout for your purchase to help our school! Without the flyer or code we will not receive your donation.
GIVEAWAY! Win a YETI Cooler!
Enter to win this Yeti Cooler before a winner is drawn on December 17th at 8 PM! One free entry per person. If you are able to donate to support our students, we so greatly appreciate that! Made possible by Eldredge Lumber + Hardware in Portland.
Join Dolphin's Cove and Support the PTO Each Month!
The PTO is trying to reach a goal of 100 monthly donors who are willing to give $1 - $10 each month. Can you help?
Now that we have all settled into the 2023-2024 school year, we are more eager than ever to support our students and teachers. If a teacher wants to do a special project with their class, we want to be able to say YES! If the library wants to add to their collection, we want to be able to write the check. If a grade level wants to go on a field trip, we want to fund it. If there is an opportunity to bring a visiting artist to the school, we want to make it happen.
Thanks to our Dolphin's Cove donors last year, we:
Provided funds to replace all lost library books throughout the school year.
Supplied funds for school garden upgrades and maintenance including 200 new plants.
Sent third graders to the Desert of Maine for an ecological learning experience.
Covered the membership cost for our school nurse with the National Association of School Nurses. One benefit of membership is the VSP Eyes of Hope® gift certificate program which covers a comprehensive eye exam and, if prescribed, new glasses at a VSP network doctor's office for students in need.
Brought a Portland Symphony Orchestra Kinderkonzert ensemble to perform for the K-2 students. The brass quintet performed The Circus Ship, the beloved children's book story by Chris Van Dusen, while introducing students to this family of instruments.
Sent second and third graders to a vibrant production of Wabanaki Stories at Merrill Auditorium featuring five Wabanaki artists coming from several different nations and traditions.
Organized monthly teacher appreciation events for OAES staff including an ice cream truck, treats for teachers in the staff room, a gift card raffle, and an espresso cart service.
Paid membership fees for Ruth’s Reusable Resources, a free store for teachers connecting them with surplus furniture, paper, books, office supplies and computers.
Funded a visit from award-winning children’s book author and poet, Samara Cole Doyon, who is both a second-generation Haitian American and a deeply rooted Mainer.
Covered the cost of math team t-shirts for fifth graders.
Organized and funded our school spring fair with an inflatable obstacles course, snow cones, face painting, photo booth, martial arts demos, and lawn games.
Covered costs for books from Maine Student Book Awards and Chickadee Book Awards to be added to our library.
Currently, we have 15 monthly donors and we thank each of you for the consistent support.
We need 85 additional monthly donors to reach our goal. Please consider if you can!
Happy Wheels -- Ocean Ave Night! Friday, January, 26th ~ 5-7 PM
- Bring your friends and family for Ocean Ave's private skate time!
- $11 per person
- Rentals included or bring your own skates
- All the classic games -- hokey pokey, chicken dance, corner game, and more!
- Enter to win an LL Bean XL Sonic Snow Tube ($189 value)! Winner will be drawn and announced at the event.
Sign up for text updates from the PTO!
Opt-in to text updates to stay up to date on community events, news, reminders, and more! Just text the phrase OAPTO to 844-795-0248. Text STOP to opt-out at anytime.
About Us
Website: https://oceanavenue.portlandschools.org/
Location: 150 Ocean Avenue, Portland, ME, USA
Phone: 207-874-8180
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oaesportland