Dear Ocean Shore Families,
Hello! We have completed a full week of school. How fun to know our school year is officially underway! I continue to enjoy meeting parents, family members and volunteers around our campus. My 60-day name challenge is putting me to task as I diligently continue to learn every student’s first name. Wish me luck! Reflections from My Office: As I mentioned earlier, a favorite part of my job is seeing the many different programs and activities that occur every day here at school. Being able to circulate through individual classrooms and making myself present outside on the playground, allows me to see the sweet, memorable moments occurring with our children each day. It is a pleasure for me to share these reflections with you each week! I am excited to see the different programs with their unique learning opportunities taking root in our Ocean Shore school community. While reading about the various programs is interesting, it is even more engaging at the next level where I get to see the programs become an integrated part of successful educational experiences. One such program that has given me a new appreciation for education in action is the “Coffee Cart” elective class. When I initially heard about it, I thought it may be a fundraising effort where students sell snacks and coffee to staff. While this seemed like a clever idea, knowing that our hardworking staff can always appreciate a coffee, I had no idea how incredible this program is for all of the students at Ocean Shore. Far from a typical school fundraiser, the Coffee Cart elective class offers opportunities for our kids to develop leadership skills that are ripe with poise, empathy, and creativity. The class is facilitated by one of our treasured special education teachers, Matt, who utilizes collaboration between his students and the 7th and 8th graders. Side by side, the kids develop a “business plan” to learn things like the difference between profit and revenue. As a team, the kids then walk the hallways, checking in with staff members in polite ways that allow them to take ownership over their project. They jointly celebrate their success of raising money by donating their proceeds to the 8th grade activities such as Yosemite and graduation. Each year they raise between $1,000 -$2,000…amazing! The partnerships that develop between the general and special education students through this unique project-based elective speaks to the heart and soul of what Ocean Shore is all about. The tolerance, empathy and inclusion that is normal at our school comes from the many opportunities that are given to our students, such as the coffee cart. These classes can make a huge difference for a child. For example, an 8th grader who may need some direction can benefit from the leadership responsibility offered with the Coffee Cart elective class. Today a student shared why she was excited to be part of the class this year, stating that she had been looking forward to this class for several years now. She said, “It is an awesome class because you get to work with Matt and see other teachers from Ocean Shore that you had when you were little. You also get to work with some kids who are younger, and you get to teach them things!” To my delight, I have learned that some Ocean Shore students have gone on to pursue careers that serve the needs of youth with disabilities after participating in this program. What I love about discovering new things at Ocean Shore, is that there is so much more to our programs than the mere details. Grand life lessons that enrich the whole child are the basic foundation of these well thought out activities and programs. This is one of the reasons why you sought out Ocean Shore for your child’s education. It is an honor to be on this journey with you! There are many volunteer opportunities available for this program. It is a great way to make new friends, to share in our student’s learning experiences, and to be involved with our school community! If you are a Costco member, it would be a tremendous help if you could assist with getting supplies and if not, Matt would welcome your help. Please let me or Matt Hayden know if you are interested, we would love to have you on board! Final Thought: I am looking for any suggestions on how we can improve our communication between home and school! What would motivate you to read our weekly message and newsletter to stay informed about the events happening at school. We look forward to making this be the best it can be! From the Front Office: Student Safety Before or After School: If you have to drop your children off at school before 8:10 please have them wait on the benches in front of the office. There is no supervision on the school yard until 8:10. There is no supervision on the playground after school. Parents please arrive ontime to pick up your children. See the attached bell schedule for pick up times. Cell Phone: Parents please remind your children if they have cell phones or cellular watches they may not have them out during the school day. They will need to be kept in their backpacks, desks, or pockets. If they are seen with their cell phones/watches, the items will be taken from them and they may retrieve them from the office after school. If your child needs to call you during the school day, they may do so in the front office under staff supervision. Parents may contact the office if they need to contact their child for emergency purposes. Air Quality Levels: As you may be aware, our school and district closely monitors the air quality levels, especially as it relates to fire and smoke. Depending on the air quality, outside physical activities and exposure will be modified accordingly. Our office also monitors the air quality specific to Ocean Shore as it can be different from other parts of Pacifica. Parent Volunteer Forms: THANK YOU to all of our parents for your patience and flexibility as we adjust our procedures for collecting volunteer forms. In effort to protect privacy, the collection process has been adjusted this year. While this new process is put in place, your support has been much appreciated. Families should have received most of the forms on the list. The Volunteer Driver Form and Field Trip Safety Checklist will out next week for circulation by the Field Trip Coordinators. NEXT WEEK HAPPENINGS! Back to School Night on Thursday, August 30! Next week is an important evening at Ocean Shore! We are hosting Back to School Night for parents. Parents are invited to meet with teachers in your child’s classroom. Grades K – 5 will meet at 6 pm, and grades 6 – 8 will meet at 6:30. Check with your Ombud for more information! Minimum Day Schedule on Friday, August 31st! A reminder that Ocean Shore has a minimum day next Friday! NO SCHOOL on Monday, September 3rd in observance of the Labor Day Holiday! WAYS TO SUPPORT OUR SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY: NEED HOURS OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL? The Oceans 411 committee needs you! We're looking for parents to cut and paint plywood for a project. If you can help email Sheila at [email protected]. HELP RUN AN ELECTIVE FOR 7th and 8th GRADERS! We are still looking for parents who would partner with our teachers to facilitate an electives course. These are offered each trimester and we hope to host a class such as a language, coding or computer-programming course. If you have an interest in offering this opportunity to our kids, please let me or a 7th/8th grader teacher know about your expertise or availability! Support PEF! The Pacifica Education Foundation (PEF) is taking education to new heights. They completely fund educational programs which exceed California’s core school standards; which our district budget cannot accommodate. Simply, PEF funds, advances, and protects a higher quality education for OUR students. PEF Programs: - Elementary School Music Program - Middle School Band Program (Music Matters in Pacifica - MMIP) - Middle School Computer Science Program - Elementary School Slam Poetry Program (SPARC - Stage Performance + Rhythmic Culture - Poetry) - Professional Science Curriculum Development & Training For Teachers (Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)) PEF gives our children an enriched educational experience. Please give to PEF. Upcoming PEF Events: - PEFathon: Mark Your Calendars - Oct. 28th - Run & Walk to support our school! Races for all ages, Fitness Fair, Awards, Prizes and much more! See the insert attached to this newsletter. - New Membership Plans: Membership provides you tickets and/or discounted access to fun annual family events, supporter decals, and much more! - PEF @ OSS: Watch for more info from PEF Ambassadors during our Back To School Nite & PTO events! If you'd like to Help PEF Make A Difference; reach out to our OSS PEF Ambassadors below and Like and Follow PEF on Facebook! - Elizabeth (Liz) Cayot ([email protected]) - Jen Newman-Locks ([email protected]) - Johnny Davis ([email protected]) Flyers: PEFathon CYO Volleyball Nutrition News Welcome from Child Nutrition Florey's Book Signing Comments are closed.
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Jeanne BellingerPrincipal of Ocean Shore. Check back here for weekly updates and messages from the principal. Archives
June 2022
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Location |
Ocean Shore School
411 Oceana Blvd Pacifica, CA 94044 Main office: 650-738-6650 |
For enrollment questions, please contact our front office. Our PTO does not have control over cumulative records.
School secretary - Patricia Buddington |