Policies for Parents

Family Involvement Policy

The Opportunity Charter School recognizes that family involvement is a critical component of education. Parents of OCS students are vital contributors in the education of their children. Accordingly, parents are encouraged to participate in the development of programs and activities and to stay informed about programs in which their students participate. It is through mutual understanding and close cooperation between the school and home that a student’s academic success will thrive.

 

Two-way communication, both verbal and written, provides a foundation for a strong partnership between the school and home to provide an effective educational program for all students. There are several scheduled events throughout the school year where students and families gather together to celebrate in the interest of increasing the value of education while building community spirit.

Some of these include:

  • Admissions Open Houses: OCS families are invited to come out to promote the school to prospective families seeking admission to OCS.
  • Parents are able to participate in ongoing workshops held throughout the school year on a variety of topics.
  • Advocacy Day: Parents are bused to Albany to show support for Charter Schools.
  • The school displays its educational materials and curricula during Back to School Night in the fall, and at the annual Science Fair that is held each spring.
  • Parent-Teacher Conferences: See the school calendar for dates.

Planners: Please make sure that your student is bringing home his/her planner every night and that you are signing it after seeing that the homework is completed.

 

Notes: Sign all notes that are brought home and send in a note anytime your child is absent.

 

Emergencies: Please make sure that the phone numbers we have are current and up-to-date so in the event of an emergency, we’re able to contact you immediately.


School Arrival: Students are expected to be at school by 7:50 a.m. After 8:00 a.m., students are marked late. Late arrivals impact student learning and disrupt the organization of the classroom. Please make sure your child arrives on time each day.

 

Inclement weather/snow days: In the event that school will be closed due to inclement weather, you’ll receive a phone call the evening before or in the morning. Please make sure your telephone number is listed with our office and your child's homeroom teacher.

 

Personal electronics: Electronic devices, including iPods and cell phones, may not be brought to school. Any student found with one of these devices will have the device taken. Parents must come to the school to retrieve the device. We established this policy to support the education and safety of our students; we have found these devices to be disruptive in the classroom and a source of conflict between students.