Dear Odyssey Families,
Welcome Back to School!! It is hard to believe summer is coming to an
end. However, I always enjoy the start
of the school year seeing all of the smiling faces walk through the door as we
start another year.
This year school starts on MONDAY,
August 27th at 8:00am for grades 1-8. For kindergarteners, you will receive a call
in the next few weeks to schedule a time slot to come in for an assessment for
your child. Assessments will be on either August 27th, 28th or 29th. The first full day of kindergarten will be on THURSDAY, AUGUST 30th,
at 8:00am.
Here is some information that
will assist you to begin the school year.
School Hours
School begins each morning at
8:00AM and the day ends at 2:15PM for grades K-5 and at 2:30PM for 6-7-8. We
will send home a school calendar in the beginning of the year in the back-to-school
packet to remind you of holidays, conference schedules, and school events.
Beginning the School Day
We like to keep the school
and the hallways quiet in the morning before the first bell
(7:55 AM) for the benefit of
our teachers, who are using this time to prepare for the day. We ask that all
students (and all accompanying parents) go to the auditorium when they get to
the school in the morning. Students may
socialize and wait to be dismissed to their classrooms. Supervision will be provided from
7:45-7:55AM.
Entering the School
Although our school has many
doors to get in and out, our policy is to keep all doors locked from the
outside, except for the main doors in the front of the building. Please enter and exit the building only
through the front doors. Staff have a
card key to enter and exit all doors during the day, so there is no need to
ever prop a door open.
Bringing Your Child in the Morning
If you are bringing your
child to school and simply dropping them off, please drive (slowly) through the
parking lot and be ready to have your child exit the car once you reach the end
of the driveway. Please avoid idling your
car outside. The front of the school
is not a park and drop off point, last year we had many near accidents as
folks opened car doors while others where zipping down the road.
If you are going to accompany
your child inside the school, please park in the parking lot and come inside.
Other parking options are on the side streets or in the neighborhood. Please
do not park in front of driveways!!
A visual map is hanging in
the front hallway to show you the parking lot loop and drop off location.
Picking Your Child Up at Dismissal Time
At the end of the day, please
park your car in the parking lot or the neighborhood and walk into the
building. K12 parents will pick up their
child from their homeroom at 2:15pm. 345
students will meet their parent in the front hallway or the grassy area in the
front of the school at 2:15pm. The 678
students will be dismissed at 2:30pm and must have a set location to meet
parents for pickup (front hallway, parking lot, curb). If your child is enrolled in Atlas or the PJA
after school care program, the students will meet in Mrs. Howard’s room
(room 19) and be escorted out
to the bus once it arrives.
Upcoming Events
Dinner with the Principal, August 23rd from 5:30-7:30pm on
the blacktop outside the cafeteria area (or in the cafeteria if it is raining). The
whole family is welcome to attend. We will provide the food (gluten-free and
vegetarian options will be available), and you get to see old friends, meet new
ones, and ease your way back into the school year. This is always a fun
evening!
Community Care Day is on
Saturday, August 25th from 9-12 at the school. Come help clean up
and beautify our grounds, and work on some school projects inside and out.
Bring the whole family and enjoy working together to improve our school.
Back to School Night will be
held on Thursday, September 13th from 6:00-7:30pm. Please save the date for a parent-only
night with teachers. You will get to
meet your child’s teacher, learn about the classroom expectations, and hear
about the upcoming year.
School Code and Dress Code
Here is the dress code for
all Portland Public schools. You may not have much problem with your student
along these lines but it is important for everyone to know what is not
acceptable, especially before school shopping. “Appropriate dress contributes to a positive
learning environment. The responsibility for the dress and grooming of a
student rest primarily with the student and his or her parents. Students may be
directed to change dress or grooming if
it interferes with the learning process or school climate, is unclean, or threatens the health or safety of
the students or others, is sexually suggestive (examples include bare midriffs,
visible undergarments, plunging necklines, see-through materials, or sagging
pants), is alcohol or drug-related (including advertising or advocating the use
of such products), is vulgar, lewd, obscene, or plainly offensive, is insulting
and/or demeaning to a particular person or group, or is indicative of gang
activity or membership (Reference: 4:30.012-P). When you are shopping for your
child, it is important that you follow these guidelines.
Other school expectations:
· No wheels-on-heels shoes.
· No cell phones or watch phones during
school hours. If seen, we will take them for the day. Students need to keep
them in their backpack during school hours.
· No electronics. Again, if seen we
will take them for the day, unless classroom teachers specify.
· If your child uses a skateboard,
scooter, or bicycle anywhere, not just here at school, please get them a
suitable helmet. If this is a financial problem, let the principal know. We can
help.
· If your child rides a bike to school,
make sure they lock their bike up in the rack in front of the school.
·
The warm weather will continue for the next month or so. Please dress your child in summer
clothing.
·
Please have them bring a water bottle to school each day.
Staff
I am still in the process of
hiring a school counselor and a PE teacher to join the team. Everyone else is returning from last year.
