What's New for the 2013-14 School Year in Ocean City?

Ocean City School District students return to classes for the new school year on Thursday, Sept. 5. Here are some new things awaiting students at each of the district's three schools. Look for more information on the district's redesigned website at oceancityschools.org.

Ocean City High School

• Dual Credit Agreement with Richard Stockton College for three courses offered at OCHS: Pre-Calculus, AP Biology and TV/Media 3.
• New Jersey School Choice in new specialty areas of Dance Fitness and Instrumental Music (currently OCHS has a School Choice Program in STEM — Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).
• School was awarded the Ed Byrnes All Sports honor for the top athletic program in the Cape-Atlantic League.
• First full year of the Astronomical Observatory at Carey Stadium.
• Newly renovated Performing Arts Center.
• New STEM Engineering computer lab.
• All Science rooms and labs will have new interactive boards.
• The Athletic Department office moved from the back of the school to the front of the school, giving student athletes, coaches, and recruiters easier access to the Athletic Office and letting the school showcase talented student athletes to the public.
• The district's Department of Special Services will reopen the “Red Raider Retail Store” in the high school. The store will be operated by the Life Skills Class and will include many updates and new items. An online store will allow anybody to shop for the latest in OCHS apparel from home or a mobile device. Some of the highlights of Red Raider Retail will be custom hoodies, flannel pants, sweatshirt blankets, drawstring bags, unisex T-shirts, pennants, lanyards, stainless steel tumblers and many more daily convenience items. The Life Skills Class and staff have been working to get the store up and running for the first day of school.

Ocean City Intermediate School

• Extensive work was done this summer and will continue this fall to expand a partnership with AtlantiCare, Healthy Schools, Healthy Children.  Students will show off green thumbs as part of a $1,500 Healthy Schools Edible Garden start-up grant. More than 30 staff members, spouses, parents and children worked this spring and summer to build five recycled raised garden beds. This summer, students and staff have been busy harvesting plants that started from seed (tomatoes, cauliflower, lettuces, bush beans, snap peas, cucumbers, radishes, beets, carrots and zucchini to name a few). With the help of donations from many community supporters, the school now has a shed, shovels, garden gloves, seeds, vegetable plants, a composter, tomato baskets and many other items.  
• More donations from the community have allowed the school to add a wildlife sanctuary with new bird houses and feeders.  The additions have allowed our courtyard to be distinguished as a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. The courtyard and garden will serve as an outside classroom for all of our students. The school hopes to add a fully functioning weather station this fall.
• There will be a 1:1 ratio for fourth-grade students with iPads and additional iPads for math and science labs.  This initiative will enable the classes to limit downtime in the classroom because each student will have access to a personal computer.  Students will be exposed to more informational text because it will be right at their fingertips. In addition, these iPads will be used for reinforcing skills, conducting research and experiments and to create videos and other projects. For teachers, the iPads will enable improved communication, shared resources, more resources in the classroom and instant feedback to students.
  

Ocean City Primary School

• Power Hour: A project based learning experience for the 2nd and 3rd grades.
• Attendance Stars: A kindergarten initiative to improve student attendance.
• Implementation of an open Technology Lab available to teachers and students on an as-needed basis to complete assignments and projects.
• The Primary School Library has expanded non-fictional reading opportunities for all grade levels.
• There will be a 1:1 ratio for Kindergarten through 3rd grade students with iPads. This initiative will enable the classes to limit downtime in the classroom because each student will have access to a personal computer.  In addition, these iPads will be used by students for reinforcing skills, conducting research and experiments and to create videos and other projects.  The web-based supplemental reading program, which is used in grades K-3, has now added an app so the entire class can use during reading time.