Ocean Avenue Elementary School
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
1. What are the arrival and dismissal procedures?
- Arrival:
Busses are scheduled to arrive between 7:45 – 7:55 am. Walkers, bike riders and students being dropped off should begin to arrive at 7:50 am. After sanitizing and temperature checks at their respective doorways, students will proceed directly to their classrooms to be greeted by their teachers starting at 7:50 am. Kindergarten and 1st Grade should enter through the B wing doors; 2nd Grade should enter through the main courtyard doors; 3rd and 4th Grade should enter at the Makerspace entrance.
If you choose to drive your child to school each morning, we ask that you please drop your child off at the “drop-off” lane on Dogwood Road. Please do not leave your car unattended in the drop off lane as this creates an unnecessary and unsafe back up of cars that children crossing the street must then try to navigate through. In the interest of safety, all children should exit their cars on the passenger side so they can step directly onto the sidewalk.
Please do not drive into the parking lot to drop off your child(ren). It is a safety hazard to use the parking lot as a drop off area because children then proceed toward the building without using the crosswalks, and have been seen walking and running in front of and/or between cars and mini-buses. If you must park your car to come into the building for one reason or another, please park on one of the side streets and walk your child into the building.
If you use the drop off lane, please remember that it is illegal to make a U-turn as well as being very dangerous. Since so many children are driven to school each morning, the drop-off lane on Dogwood Road does get very backed up, especially in inclement weather.
WALKERS/BIKERS: Please review with your children the route you wish them to travel. Also remind them to observe pedestrian and traffic safety precautions. Bicycles are to be parked in the racks provided as soon as the children arrive at school. Remember helmets! Try to prearrange a “pick up spot”, for example a bench or the map in the courtyard, where you will meet your child should you pick them up after school. Walkers and bike riders should arrive after 7:50 am.
- Dismissal:
We now have a staggered dismissal at the end of the day. The order for dismissal will be:
1st Bell 2:13 All SCOPE and Bus students are released
2nd Bell 2:15 Kindergarten and Third Grade walkers
3rd Bell 2:20 First grade and Fourth Grade walkers
Final Bell 2:23 2nd grade walkers
Thank you very much for your support in ensuring the safety of the children. Your cooperation with regard to all of the above is very much appreciated.
2. What is a Responsive Classroom?
- Ocean Avenue is a school which embraces and actively practices the philosophy of Responsive Classroom. This philosophy gives teachers concrete ways to make academics engaging, manage classrooms effectively and create a positive climate in which children feel safe to take the risks necessary for learning. The seven guiding principles of the Responsive Classroom approach are:
- 1. The social and emotional curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum.
2. How children learn is as important as what they learn.
3. Great cognitive growth occurs through social interactions.
4. To be successful academically and socially, children need to learn a set of social and emotional skills: cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, empathy and self-control.
5. Knowing the children we teach- individually culturally, and developmentally – is as important as knowing the content we teach.
6. Knowing the families of the children we teach is as important as knowing the children we teach.
7. How we, the adults at school, work together is as important as our individual competence: Lasting change begins with the adult community.