Parent Organizer
​Layta Downs 
​layta.downs@ocsny.org
347-964-3816

Parent Association

Dear families,
We are honored that you have chosen OCS for your child’s education. We look forward to sharing this year with you.  We have provided some essential information below.

​Please read the Parent/Student Handbook and other documents below in their entirety.  All students and families are responsible for being aware of and abiding by the information provided below.

Parent Testimonials

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Family Involvement Policy

OCS 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.

Joining the OCSPA is a great opportunity to meet other OCS parents, stay connected to teachers and school staff, organize special events, and play a critical role in building an active school community. Meetings will be held monthly. We're going to hold elections for OCSPA President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer positions (these are volunteer positions). Please consider joining our Board.

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.
• Parent Association Meetings: Parents Association meetings are held monthly via Zoom. Links will be sent securely through Infinite Campus.
• Parent-Teacher Conferences: Parent Teacher Conferences are held via Zoom. See the school calendar for dates and links will be sent securely through Infinite Campus.

OCS Policies

Personal Electronics Policy: Per school policy, Opportunity Charter School is a No Cell-Phone environment. Use of cell phones/tablets and other non-school related electronics are not permitted during class time. To assist with making our school a phone-free space to improve teaching and learning this upcoming school year we will be using a new system called Yondr. Yondr has been implemented in over 1,000 schools across 21 countries to facilitate an engaged learning environment.

We believe that phones have great utility. We have also found that learning improves drastically and peer conflict decreases when students are fully engaged with their teachers and classmates.

To learn more about our school Policies and Yonder click here to view the Parent Letter that was sent out. 

Attendance Policy: First period classes start at 8:00 am each day. Students should be arriving to school prior to morning entry which starts at 7:55am. If you know your child is going to be late, please notify the main office at 212-866-6137.

Lunch Policy:

• Middle School students do not go off-campus for lunch. Instead, students have a designated time and location for eating inside the building.
• High School Students in the 11th and 12th grades, and Honor students in 9th and 10th grade are permitted to leave the building for lunch, under the condition that they meet all school expectations for the day ( i.e are in full uniform and have not received any write ups). Students who are consistently not in uniform, have received an excessive amount of write ups or who return late from lunch three (3) times will have their lunch privileges revoked for the semester.

Important Reminders

• Emergencies: Please make sure that the phone numbers we have are current and up-to-date so that in the event of an emergency, we are able to contact you immediately. You can update your contact information yourself through Infinite Campus. 
• Weather Closures: In the event that school will be closed due to inclement weather, you will receive a phone call, email and text the evening before or in the morning. You are also encouraged to check the local news for New York City school updates. Please make sure your telephone number and email address are listed with our office.
• Notes: Sign all notes that are brought home or sent via email, and send in a note anytime your child is absent.

COVID-19 Report Card

Daily Health Screening

District Wide Safety Plan

Handbook - Ocs Student

Middle school parent compact

NYSED Parent Dashboard

nysed procedural safeguards

nysed procedural safeguards (Spanish)

OCS Data Privacy and Security

PArent bill of rights

Parent Involvement Policy

Perspective Parents

Title I: Right to Know Notification