28/07/2020
A message from Mrs. Heidi Curry
13 July 2020
Dear Parents, Guardians, and Students,
I trust this message finds you enjoying your summer break and staying safe and well.
Over the past several weeks, we have been preparing for reopening Ocean Academy's campus in August.
2020-2021 will be a very different school year for all schools across Belize and the world as we adjust to social distancing and increased health and safety measures to keep our students and families healthy and safe.
At Ocean Academy, the 21st Century Skills, including innovation, flexibility, adaptability, creativity, and critical
thinking, are the foundation of what makes our education stand out and be recognized nationally and internationally. Now, is the time for the entire OA Family to apply these skills to be ready to embrace how "different" will not be any "less." With innovation and an open mind, our new era of education will be better than ever.
With more access to virtual opportunities, mentors, enrichment, and certificate courses, students will benefit from a blended education both online and in the classroom. By building comfort with online learning, we will easily be able to move entirely to online learning if needed for health and safety. In fact, for students and parents who need an extra level of safety and can confirm online access, they may choose online only. For
students who struggle with technology, they will have more access to campus time.
Below are updates, news, and answers for frequently asked questions (FAQ). Please be sure that both parent/guardian and student read the following to prepare for the coming school year:
1. When will the campus open and the school year begin?
* Weeks of July 27th and August 3rd: The office will be open to process new enrollment and registration.
Hours will be posted.
* Week of August 3rd: OA Faculty (teachers) and Staff will continue planning and preparing diagnostics. A
schedule for the week of August 10th will be posted and distributed on Friday, August 7th. Students should check their emails and the OA Way Google Classroom for their schedule.
* Week of August 10th: We will schedule assessments, interviews, and appointments for:
1) Incoming
students (including the PSE and additional diagnostics),
2) Returning students (summer assignments and
additional diagnostics), and
3) Form III and IV students to determine enrollment in two new Form III/IV
tracks: CSEC or Applied Skills.
* Week of August 17th: Teachers will be reviewing assessments, and planning and preparing for
reopening.
* Week of August 24th: The school year begins! The first week will include orientation sessions to welcome all students and introduce new policies, schedules, timetables, curriculum credits, and more.
2. How many days will we spend on campus?
* Two days per week on campus. These will be regular school day hours. Exact times will be provided in August.
* Three days per week with online classes. These will be approximately three hours of virtual classes and three hours of independent-work classes.
3. How many students will be in my class?
* Students will be divided into groups of approximately 8 students as their “cohort (group)”.
* Each teacher will serve as the Homeroom Teacher and Cross-Curricular Advisor for approximately 2 cohorts.
4. What is a Cross Curricular Advisor?
* More learning will happen in a cross-curricular way. That means that instead of doing only English work
during one hour, only Science work during one hour, only Mathematics work during one hour, etc., students will be working on projects and assignments that combine skills from various subject areas. This is called cross-curricular learning.
* Cross-curricular work is the very best way to learn. Why? Because in the real-world, we do not spend an
hour using only our English skills, another hour using only our Science skills, and another hour using only our Mathematics skills. Instead, life requires that we apply all of these skills at the same time to complete important tasks and develop innovative strategies and ideas, and make strategic decisions.
* Each teacher will serve as the Homeroom Teacher and Cross-Curricular Advisor for approximately 2
cohorts. Students will meet with their Teacher/Advisor every week, face to face, to review learning and
progress with cross-curricular projects.
5. Will I also get to meet with my subject-area teacher?
* Yes. Every student will meet face-to-face and virtually with subject area teachers.
6. What are the CSEC and Applied tracks for Form III and IV students?
* After Form III and IV students have completed assessments and interviews in August, students and
parents will speak with advisors to choose enrollment in CSEC or Applied Skills courses.
7. Will we stay in the same classroom?
* Yes. To follow the guidelines that keep students safe, students will remain at the same desk throughout
the day in most cases. The classroom may be different for different days, but will stay the same for a
particular day in most cases.
8. Which uniform should we wear?
* Students may wear the blue button-down shirt or blue polo shirt with a badge or PE shirt and khaki
pants/skirt/short pants OR the PE shirt and shorts on either day they are on campus. There are several reasons for this:
* We want to keep the costs down for all students and families as much as possible.
* Many returning students have outgrown their uniforms.
* Mikado’s has a low stock of blue cloth right now and this may make it difficult to purchase this cloth.
* Finding and ordering clothing items is difficult right now.
* We will provide two PE shirts and one PE shorts to every student as part of the registration fee. One day
on campus will always include PE or yoga, so the PE uniform is recommended for those days.
* We will assist students/families who have already purchased additional uniforms to sell these items to other
students, if requested.
* We encourage all families to donate uniforms that no longer fit to our uniform program so these can be
provided to students in need.
* We will not require long pants for a formal uniform this year, e.g. parade day. If a student already has long
pants, these are useful for days when bugs are out.
* The shoe policy remains the same: solid colored tennis shoes or professional sandals (no slippers).
* More details about the uniform may be found in the school handbook: http://bit.ly/OAStudentHandbook
(p.21 electronically; says p.17 for printed version)
9. When is the registration fee due?
* Good news for incoming Form One students who attended a Caye Caulker primary school!
Minister Heredia will contribute $300 toward your school fees, the Caye Caulker Village Council will
contribute $150 toward your school fees, and GOB will contribute $200 as your subsidy. This means your
registration fee is covered and you will only have $200 remaining to pay in fees for the year. We will also
attempt to raise funds to assist.
* For Form II, III, and IV students: we will soon launch a fundraising campaign to attempt to raise the funds
for your registration fees and if possible, additional fees for the school year. We will keep you posted and
provide updated information as soon as it is available.
10. How important is it for me to have a device and internet access?
* It is VERY important to have a working device and internet access.
* We will be spreading the word to see if we can get some devices donated. We are not yet sure how many
may be possible.
* Monthly internet service is much less expensive than using data. Please check with BTL or Smart to ask
for any possible free-installation offers for students.
* If at all possible, having internet access at home will be the best possible assistance you can provide for
successful learning at home.
11. Will students be required to wear a face mask or face shield on campus?
* Yes, students will wear a face mask or face shield at all times except when seated at their desks which will
be spaced approximately six feet apart.
* Students are only allowed to wear blue, black, or khaki colored face masks (cloth or disposable) or face
shields without designs or caps.
12. Will I have a locker?
* No. Because cohorts/groups will take turns using desks on different days, students will not have their own
“locker” or “locked desk” to use. They will need to bring supplies in their backpack and keep the desk clear
of all items each day.
13. What supplies do I need?
* 8 blanks
* 3-Ring Binder (optional)
* Folder sheets
* 2 Folders
* Backpack
* Water bottle (with name on it)
* Scientific calculator
* Geometry Set (Forms II, III, and IV only)
* Personal hand sanitizer to bring to school everyday
* One bottle of hand soap per semester
* Solid color blue, black, or khaki face mask (no buffs allowed; no designs allowed; no rags allowed). For
students/parents who prefer a face shield, it should be pre-approved.
* Pens, pencils, color pencil crayons/markers, scissors, erasers, sharpener, highlighter, white-out.
* Device: Computer or Tablet with Keyboard
* WIFI, keyboard, USB port, soft case cover (to protect it in backpacks).
* Specifications:
* Screen size between 10 and 16 inches.
* Storage: Minimum of 32GB.
* Battery Life: Minimum 3 hours of battery life.
* Memory or RAM - minimum of 2 GB for a smooth operation.
* Operating System - Chrome OS, Mac, or Windows 7, 8, 10.
* Hardware features - At least 1 USB port for transfer of files.
* Note that the device is a SCHOOL TOOL. Students must follow all school rules related to what is stored
and used in the computer. Teachers and administrators will have access to all files on the device. It is
important that storage is kept open for saving school files and resources, so students will be required to
save personal files (music, photos, etc.) on a personal storage device.
* See (https://bit.ly/OAStudentDevices) for more details.
* We will be trying to get sponsors and donations to assist if possible.
* Students do not need to purchase textbooks. The device replaces textbooks.
14. Does the school need help to prepare for the reopening?
* Yes! We have a lot of physical preparations to complete and all students will benefit greatly from the OA
Family coming together to help. If you are able to assist with campus preparations, please let us know on
Facebook (), by emailing [email protected], or messaging 630-1726.
15. Is Ocean Academy still accepting new students and transfer students?
* Yes! Interested applicants may visit (https://oceanacademy.education/admissions/) or contact 630-1726 to
get an application and recommendation forms. We will begin processing applications the week of July
27th.
16. Where can I find more information?
* Useful links:
* Parent Portal: (Message 630-1726 if you need the password)
* Student Portal: (Message 630-1726 if you need the password)
* Student Handbook: http://bit.ly/OAStudentHandbook
* Uniform Information: http://bit.ly/OAStudentHandbook (p.21 electronically; says p.17 for printed
version)
* Device Information: https://bit.ly/OAStudentDevices
* Contact Us:
* Message (during summer): 630-1726
* Office Phone (after July 27): 226-0321
We know times are challenging and we are all in this together. We will do everything we can to assist families
through this time. We are excited to focus on the many blessings of health, growth mindset, and enthusiasm
for learning and teaching among the OA Family for 2020-2021. Stay safe, well, and enjoy family and friends.
See you soon!
Blessings,
Heidi Curry, M. Ed.
Founder and Principal
Ocean Academy
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