Remodeling

Things continue to change around here! The doors have been ripped out, painters are on site, and the foundation for the storage facility is being prepared.

Hurry up and wait...

The construction has begun in the form of demolition of many older classroom doors, moldings, door frames and the treads on the stairs. But we are still waiting for the roofing contractor meeting, July 1, and some dry days so that outside remodeling and painting can be done! Not much else to report as of today!

Till next time...

Thanks to Mr. Alice Cooper!!

School's out for the Summer!! See everyone in about 10 weeks.....

keep an eye out here for construction updates. I will even try to get some pictures up on the website and this blog. Right now as I type, interior renovations have already begun...

Till next time...

I can't remember the last time I used the word

Mitigation so many times! Over the past few days, since we were told by the Health Department that we had a confirmed case of H1N1, we have continued our mitigation efforts! What the heck does that mean!? Well, it means that we have been spending many hours over the past few weeks wiping down and disinfecting the desks and contact surfaces so that we can keep them as virus free as possible. Each day after the students leave, we begin to wipe them down--this process takes hours and usually does not last until the evenings hours. But it is really the only thing we can effectively;y do here at school to help mitigate (love that word) the problem that confronts us! Please be extra careful over the last few days and don't send your son or daughter to school if they are not feeling well. I know that everyone usually likes to attend the last few days of each school year, but it might be best to leave them at home...especially if they are feeling under the weather, running a fever, having intestinal problems, etc...

The construction update:

On Thursday, June 18, 2009 the contractors will be here to start working on the front entrance to the school. This will mean that the accessibility to the building may not be very easy, so if you need to come over to the school, please call ahead!

We are getting closer to the end of the year...

This has been an action-packed week here at OCS: the Homework Breakfast, the Talent Show, the Luau Lunch and of course our eleventh annual Ocean Night.

The bigger news this week was the word that one of our students had received a "probable confirmation" of the H1N1 virus. I am pleased to report that the student is on the road to recovery. Over the past few months we have been following the protocols outlined by the Warren County Health Department in sanitizing the desks, door handles, bathrooms and all surfaces that students might come in contact with on a daily basis and we have actually seen a decrease in the number of students absent since these new protocols have gone into place.

The Health Department has reminded us to reiterate with parents that this virus is a form of influenza and therefore must be treated as such. Please do not send your son or daughter to school if they are exhibiting any flu-like symptoms. If they have a fever, are coughing, chilled or have aches and pains, please keep them home. These are grounds for excluding a student from school and they will be sent home anyway.

Please consult the Swine Flu link from our homepage for information from the NJ Heath Department.

7th Grade Trip and 8th on the horizon...

The seventh grade trip to the Estuaries and Great Bay of southern New Jersey was a great success. Ask any 7th grader who has been on the trip and they will remember the kayaking--14 miles worth-- the Barnegat Lighthouse, the cold lunch on the beach, the Coast Guard station tour, seining, dancing, and many positive cooperative activities that led to a greater understanding of each other and the dynamics of groups! This trip is more than a discussion of the estuaries, the red knots, the horseshoe crabs, the herons and the ospreys we saw along the way. It is about working together, cooperating, reaching within yourself to find the power the continue kayaking even when it is hard! The trip promotes problem-solving skills that allow our students to cope with frustration, anxiety and difficulties!

This was the third trip I have been on and the 10th anniversary of this trip! It is a great experience and one that students will always remember. I am working to get pictures up on the website.

On to DC...

Till next time...