Rocks on the shore

Hello OCRS families,

I know that it's hard to believe, August is here and the new school year begins in just over 3 weeks! While I certainly don't want to rush the rest of the summer, I am looking forward to the new school year and welcoming all of the students back to school.

Important Information

Back to School Night

As in the past, OCRS will be hosting a "Back to School Night" event for all OCRS families to come together to celebrate the beginning of the new school year. This year's Back to School Night will be held on Wednesday, August 21st at 5:00pm. All families, teachers, and staff are invited to attend. More information will be sent out as we get closer to the date.

Summer Learning Guide

Did you know that if students stop learning during the summer, they can lose more than two months of what they learned in reading and math? This SPS Summer Learning Guide contains a collection of recommended grade-appropriate activities that can be used to prevent summer learning loss. Students are encouraged to read every day and complete additional activities each week. Verify your child's summer learning activities by completing this form and your child will be invited to a celebration hosted by the school principal at the beginning  of the new school year. Please see https://summer.smithfield-ps.org/ for all of the district's Summer Learning information and activities!

First Day of School for 1st through 5th grade students

The first day of school for all 1st through 5th grade students will be Tuesday, August 27th.

Screening and First Day of School for Kindergarten students

The first day of school for Kindergarten students will be on Friday, August 30th. Kindergarten screening will take place by appointment Tuesday, August 27th through Thursday, August 29th. The families of incoming Kindergarten students should have received an email with the date and time for their child's screening, along with additional information.

Class List Assignments

Class list assignments for students in 1st through 5th grades will be emailed to families during the week of August 12th. Per the Smithfield Public Schools Elementary School Handbook:

"Each spring, teams consisting of the principal and teachers work collaboratively to create balanced groups of students, taking into consideration such factors as learning styles, classroom performance, developmental levels, gender, peer relationships, social development, and class size. Input from parents regarding learning style will be taken into consideration when placement decisions are being made. A request for a specific teacher is discouraged, and may not always be granted due to the complexity of the placement process. Concerns must be submitted to the principal in writing prior to May 1st each year. No changes will be made following the release of the classroom assignments."

Changes to school start and end times

In order to address issues with buses being late for the routes at the later elementary schools, the start and end times for Old County Road School will be 5 minutes earlier next year. The school day will begin at 8:15 a.m. and the school day will end at 2:45 p.m.  This also means that morning drop off will begin 5 minutes earlier at 7:55 a.m.  Please see this posting on the district website for additional information, https://www.smithfield-ps.org/article/120504?org=smithfield-public-schools

Upcoming Dates and Events

Back to School Night, Wednesday August 21st at 5:00 p.m.

The Old County Road School "Back to School Night" will be held on Wednesday, August 21st at 5:00 p.m.  All families, teachers, and staff are invited to attend.

First Day of School for 1st through 5th Grade Students, Tuesday August 27th

The first day of school for all 1st through grade students will be Tuesday, August 27th.

Kindergarten Screening, Tuesday August 27th through Thursday August 29th

Kindergarten Screening appointments will be held on Tuesday, August 27th through Thursday, August 29th. The families of incoming Kindergarten students should have received an email with the date and time for their child's screening, along with additional information.

First Day of School for Kindergarten Students, Friday August 30th

The first day of school for Kindergarten students will be on Friday, August 30th. Parents/guardians will arrive with their K students for 8:45 a.m. and join the Kindergarten teachers and Mr. Barrette for a short orientation. At the end of the orientation, Mr. Barrette will do an activity with the students while parents/guardians leave for the day. The Kindergarten students will remain at school for the rest of the day.

Follow OCRS Online and on Social Media

To stay up to date with the latest OCRS information, please check out the OCRS website at https://oldcounty.smithfield-ps.org. Also follow OCRS on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OldCountyRoadSchool/, our Twitter feed at https://twitter.com/OldCountyRoad, and our Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/oldcountyroad/