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September 11, 2015
"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 15:5-6
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Dear Families and Friends of ODCA,
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It has been a pleasure to walk around the school and see the classes so fully engaged in all of their work already this year. The teachers have been working hard to bring updated and relevant instruction to enhance your child's experience as they learn. There are creative approaches that can make even the most basic material come alive and we are focusing on expanding our lesson delivery methods to engage the young learners. We recently acquired two document cameras that will provide support to lessons and creative opportunities. We hope to be able to get one for each classroom in the future.
Most of all, it is a blessing to see the Biblical integration in the subjects as the students learn that all truth is God's Truth and the foundation of all subjects and learning is through the knowledge of Him. The world can be a confusing and scary place to navigate without the basic understanding of the Lord's faithfulness and truth that gives us wisdom and discernment to succeed. We join together with you to build a strong foundation to prepare them for the challenges and opportunities ahead whether it is through the use of technology, discussion, pen and paper, or any method of instruction.
In His Service,
Meg McHale, Principal
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BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT!!!
This is such an exciting night of the school year. We invite you to come and get information, meet with your child's teacher and get your questions answered. On Tuesday, September 15th, we will be meeting in the sanctuary at 7:00 pm sharp. After a brief meeting (about 20 minutes at most) we will be proceeding to the classrooms so you can meet with the teachers and find out the plans and expectations for the exciting school year ahead. There will be two elementary sessions of approximately 20 minutes each. Middle school parents will also have an opportunity to meet with each of the teachers of the major subjects for about 15 minutes each. At 8:05, Mr. Barak Parsons, Athletic Director, will be meeting with parents in the Music Room for Questions and Answers as well as any other plans for the school year.
OPEN SIS SESSION: At 8:00 and 8:15 we will be having sessions in the Computer Lab for parents who want to learn more about the Open Sis program that you received a sign on for. We will be going over how to sign in, how to change your password and how to set up your preferences for email alerts. We can also answer any questions at that time.
PLEASE NOTE:
This is not an evening for individual conferences for your child. The teachers will be prepared to set up individual conferences to meet with you. In addition, you will have an opportunity to sign up for the parent teacher conference time (November conferences) at this time to get the best slot for your schedule!
This is a vital evening for your child's successful school year! I hope you will join us!
Each student that has a family attending the Open House night will receive a dress down pass!!!
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PARENTS...
CLEARANCES ARE DUE FROM EACH PARENT.
PLEASE READ BELOW.
A new Pennsylvania state law requires all public and private school volunteers to obtain background checks. Under amendments to the state Child Protective Services law, all teachers, staff, administrators, contractors and volunteers who come into contact with students must obtain a Criminal Background check and a Child Abuse clearance every 36 months, effective Dec. 31, 2014.
Since we require all our families to serve in some capacity, from chaperoning field trips to completing service hours, we asking all families to complete their clearances. All volunteers will be required to submit the afore-mentioned clearances prior to service at ODCA. Pennsylvania state officials have enacted this law in response to the tragic events that occurred at The Pennsylvania State University. We support this extra measure of safety and of course, desire to follow the law. Therefore, we are asking our parent volunteers to attain the required clearances.
We appreciate the help of our parent volunteers and pray that the new requirements do not deter any one of you in supporting the ministry of ODCA as you have done so faithfully in the past. In support of parent volunteers, Governor Corbett has made these clearances free of charge to you for a limited time.
If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Thomas in the school office. Please note that clearances must be submitted to the school office prior to your service. Parents without clearances WILL NOT be able to participate in school events. If you already have these clearances through service with a church or other volunteer organization, please just make a copy and submit them to the school office. We have several events coming up quickly and this is why we ask for you to get these to us as soon as possible. Please use this website http://keepkidssafe.pa.gov/ as it might help answer some of your concerns. Respectfully,
ODCA Administration
Clearances and Documents Links Clink Here
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OpenSIS...
Information is being sent home with your child about OpenSIS. If you have any questions about accessing your account please call the office.
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PARKING LOT NEWS...
As the latest heat wave has passes and hopefully we are heading to more seasonable temperatures, we are hoping our parking lot will soon be back in full functioning. We appreciate how quickly we have been able to change the pattern of entry and exit for pick up and it has made it much safer for our students. We ask that you only use the entrance on the Early Learning Center side to arrive to school regardless of the time of arrival. Entering the parking lot on the school side from the street may cause a dangerous situation with the buses and other drivers regardless of the time of day. Thank you for your cooperation!
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ODPA News and Information...
Welcome Daryl and Roshawn Williams as ODPA Co-Presidents!!
CHANGE: Due to the changes in transportation in Philadelphia for the Papal Visit the All School Dinner will be postponed to a later date. As soon as we know the date we will let everyone know!
Welcome New Families!!!
We have one meeting left!!! Come learn more about the events we offer for the school year. The event coordinators from last year ask that you please join us for one of the meetings so you can learn about what we do and get involved!
September 14th - General parent's association meeting @ 9am (after parents prayer - 8:30 am)
RACE FOR EDUCATION!!! We need helpers! Please email us if your are interested in earning service hours for pre-race day duties. odpa2013@gmail.com
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Dear Parents,
Please remember on rainy days to check your emails throughout the day should practiced be canceled. You can also email me or call the school office if you have any concerns about practice.
Our first game is THIS Tuesday!
Goooo Warriors! Come out and cheer us on!
Boys-Away @ Phil-Mont
Girls-Home
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We would like to establish a safety committee that would meet on a monthly basis. The objective of this committee would be to evaluate the overall safety of the school based on the PA state standards for schools. We would then establish safety procedures, identify areas that need to be addressed immediately and develop long range goals. All parents are invited to be a part of this vital committee and especially those that have background knowledge to contribute.
If you are willing and interested to be a part of the committee, please email Principal Meg McHale with your name and the times you would are available for a meeting so we can set up the first meeting in September. mmchale@opendoorchristianacademy.com
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Hot Lunch Program starts Monday, September 14th!
This year we have combined both programs! You now can write one check for both the hot dog and the hot lunch programs! If you have any questions or concerns please call the office! Click, print and turn in the form below on FIRDAYS.
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OTHER DATES TO REMEMBER
September 14 ODPA parent meeting 9am
September 15 Back to School Night
September 25 "At home" school day
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See whats happening on our social sites.
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