This summer has been one for the books. The OCS campus buzzed with the activity from the academic, arts, and athletic camps. Our Lady Eagles shone at the Duncanville Tournament of Champions, coming in 5th place of the 24 public school teams. Construction continued on renovations: phase 1 of the library renovation is nearing completion and the new bookshelves are scheduled for a January install. Our front lobby received an update with funds from the Eagle Parent Fellowship (EPF) and manpower supplied by ORBC deacons. The administration team has worked to bring new faculty members and families into our community, implement improved communication through ParentSquare, and cast a distinct, carefully crafted vision for the future of Ovilla Christian.
OCS began classes in the fall of 1992. In the ensuing 30 years, our school has witnessed many changes and weathered many storms. Our strong roots support a healthy plant, and every gardener knows that pruning and nurturing are the ways to foster growth. Our foundation stands on timeless truth and there is an even brighter future ahead.
Our school has filled up earlier and quicker, with more parents interested in Christian education than ever before. We are confident that this current student body will engage in our mission and parents will continue to trust us to partner with you and your local church to teach these young ones the truth about our Creator God, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Memorization Challenge
The passage above is from chapter 2 of Ephesians. OCS faculty and the student body will be challenged this year to memorize this beautiful passage of Scripture, as well as the Apostles' Creed. In this way, we are modeling the spiritual discipline of Scripture memorization which brings transformation through the Holy Spirit. Parents, download the PDF and work together with your student at home to solidify this passage in your own hearts!
First Days of School
BooHoo/WooHoo Breakfast
PreK3, PreK4, and Kindergarten parents ONLY: you may park in the front parking lot and walk your student to their classroom for a quick picture. Then leave them in the very capable hands of their teacher and join us for a BooHoo/WooHoo Breakfast at 7:50 am in the Worship Center.
Upper School Kick-Off (August 18-19)
Students should come to school in uniform dress on Thursday, August 18, and can wear OCS Spirit dress on Friday, August 19 (OCS t-shirt and jeans). The Kick-Off planned for Upper School will be an exciting two days with activities, games, and waterslides. A post went out on ParentSquare with a lot of details, so please look for that.
Middle School First Few Days of School and Kick-Off (August 22)
Students should come to school in uniform dress on Thursday, August 18, and can wear OCS Spirit dress on Friday, August 19 (OCS t-shirt and jeans). They will have regular class schedules those two days. For the Kick-Off on Monday, they can wear OCS Spirit dress. Starting Tuesday, August 23, they should arrive in athletic clothes for PE.
ParentSquare Communication
We have been talking alot about this! We have moved to a new communication tool called ParentSquare (PSQ). You should have seen an email inviting you to join: it is a unified platform where parents will hear from the administration, your teachers, and the groups you are involved in. Instructions for downloading the app and setting up your account are online and were sent home in orientation packets. Emergency alerts will be sent through PSQ, so let us know if you need assistance getting this set up.
This Year's Fundraising Focus
We’re looking forward to improvements in the transportation we’re able to provide for students—for field trips, away games, and all the activities our students engage in outside of this campus.
Increased Safety Measures
Our security and administration teams have many plans in place to increase campus security, including keycard entry to exterior gates, more camera coverage, and a single-point entry and exit for all students, parents, and visitors. At times these measures may feel inconvenient, but they are vital for maintaining the safety of our students and faculty. Do not ask a staff member to let you into the building with their keycard. All visitors must enter through the front and get a visitor’s badge.
Staggered Schedules
The single-point entry and exit necessitated a staggered schedule for Lower, Middle, and Upper School.
PreK3, PreK4, and Lower School school day is from 8:00 am–3:30 pm.
Middle School school day is from 8:30 am–4:00 pm.
Upper School school day is from 8:15 am–3:45 pm.
All the details are in this document, which parents received in their packets at orientation. Every grade level now has a car sign to use for pick up. Please review these changes before coming to school on Thursday. It is paramount that we are all on the same page as we navigate the first few weeks and settle into a routine. Be patient with staff and faculty and fellow parents as we all get used to these new procedures: they are ultimately for the safety of our entire community.
Students cannot be left on campus past 4:20 pm, even if there is an on-campus event later that day. Your FACTS account will be charged the daily rate of $20/day for Eagle Camp, our after-school care, if students are not picked up by the cutoff time.
FACTS billing
You have already started down this road, but a reminder that this year we are moving to online tuition payments through your FACTS Family Portal. Everyone should pay their accounts online for tuition and other fees throughout the year. Please pay your account balance by the 10th of the month.
All-in Eagles
We are very excited to announce a new program that will help us all serve the needs of the school, our families, and students in a more powerful way. OCS is a ministry of ORBC and together we have been working toward greater effectiveness. In 2021, ORBC assigned deacon Dennis Fowler the role of serving the ministry of the school, and the faculty was incredibly blessed by his service last year. Now, Dennis will be expanding his role by serving as the president of a new organization we are calling All-in Eagles. Parent organizations, including the Athletic and Fine Arts booster clubs and EPF, will function under the umbrella of All-in Eagles. Look for an announcement for a public meeting this semester.
Cell Phone Policies
Please allow me to speak frankly with you for a moment from my 28 years of experience in education. Cell phones and other electronic devices do not contribute to positive development in young children and are not healthy for adolescent development.
We remind you that no Lower School students are permitted to have cell phones on campus. Parents are asked to support this policy by not allowing students to use their personal cell phone during lunch, class parties, field trips, and any school-sponsored events.
Middle School students do not need cell phones and will not be allowed to use their own devices at school. When students are at school, you can leave messages for them at the front office, they can ask permission to use the school lines to call you, and teachers will check out Chromebooks when they need students to use devices in instruction. I want to encourage all parents to wait a little longer before handing their still maturing middle school-age children easy, often unmonitored access to the world through a cell phone or other device. A family computer in a shared space for easy monitoring is a much better option for Middle School homework. Please carefully consider resisting the too-common practice of providing your Middle Schooler with a cell phone.
Our policy for Upper School has changed as well.
Grade 9 students are not permitted to use cell phones during school hours, including in the hallways during the passing periods or in the bathrooms.
Grade 10-12 students will not be permitted to use cell phones during school hours, including in the hallways during the passing periods or in the bathrooms, but may use their phones during lunch.
Smart Watches will not be allowed to be worn during the school day.
If a parent needs to contact a student during school hours, please call the school office. If a student needs to contact a parent, they will be instructed to call from the front office.
I speak for all of the administration when I say: we are so excited to get this year going!
Penny Hayes, M.Ed.
Head of School
