I am excited to begin this school year with a full administrative team in place to support our OCHS students. We welcome OCHS Assistant Principal, Mr. Nicholas Bailey to join Assistant Principal, Mr. Jerry Brown and our OCHS Athletic Director, Mr. Mike Pellegrino. We are here to support our students and collaborate with our families to begin the 2023-2024 school year. 

Administrative assistants, guidance counselors, and various support teams have been hard at work during the summer months, enthusiastically assisting new families and preparing materials for the upcoming year. The hard-working building and grounds crew and custodians have spent the summer thoroughly cleaning and upgrading the facility. Faculty and staff are rested, recharged and have returned to begin a new school year.

Two-way open communication continues to be the cornerstone of our commitment. You will find current Ocean City High School administrators, faculty and staff contact information on the website. We will utilize SwiftK12 throughout the school year to share updates on procedures or key happenings at OCHS. 

School opens with a full day on Tuesday, September 5th. Students must be in the building by 7:48. Students must be in their classrooms by 7:50 am; there is a warning bell at 7:45 and 7:48. Dismissal is at 2:35 pm. Students must enter the school building through the front entrance not prior to 7:15 am. 

This year we are utilizing School Pass, a school safety, attendance, and visitor management system. School Pass upgrades our current e hall pass system and includes a system for safety checks on all visitors that enter the building and scan in systems for every classroom in OCHS. Students must scan into the building as they enter through the front doors; there will be multiple scan sites for the students as they enter. If a student leaves prior to 2:35, the students must scan out of the building prior to exiting the building through the front doors. Ultimately, students will scan in and out of every classroom to have up to the minute attendance and verification of all students in the building. As a reminder, students should not open exterior doors for any person, including adults or students who do or do not attend OCHS. In addition, if parents must drop off items for their students during the school day, you will be asked to leave the items in the vestibule of the Main Office only. You should label the items with your student’s name and we will notify your student to pick up their belongings. 

A Lunch/Flex will provide 25 minutes for lunch and 25 minutes for a Flex period. During Flex, 9th, 10th and 11th students will move to a Lab one day if they have an Advanced or Honors Science class or move to a Study Hall each day for 25 minutes during Flex. Students may also choose to flex into a variety of options offered including Open Gym, utilizing the Library, Wellness Center, attending a club or co-curricular activity or meeting with a teacher. Students may view in PowerSchool what options are available each day and flex out of their Study Hall to one of our many special sessions. Students may not use Flex to have an additional Lunch period. Students are encouraged to use Flex time to connect with friends, see teachers, and utilize resources in the building to assist them as needed. 

Seniors have 50 minutes each day for Lunch/Flex and may flex into any of the same offerings as underclassmen or explore other areas related to specific college/career offerings. Seniors are afforded the opportunity for a Study Hall during the regular school day so do not need an additional study hall time during Lunch/Flex. 

Ocean City High School takes pride in maintaining a safe, secure, and welcoming environment. Our goal is to create an open and safe environment while reducing unnecessary distractions and encouraging focused thinking. Students will be required to store backpacks, bookbags, purses and briefcases in their lockers, beginning with their arrival in the morning and throughout the school day. Students may only bring lunch bags with them into the cafeteria for lunch. Students may carry a small accessory bag no larger than 8 inches by 6 inches by 8 inches for personal or gym items. Students are allowed to go to their lockers between classes. 

We value our partnerships with OCHS families. We are all vested in the academic, emotional, and social success of every student. This year we are focusing on Back to Basics. Teachers will offer engaged, differentiated, relevant and hands-on learning. Encourage your students to be an engaged learner and to “be present” when they enter the building each morning. To assist students to be engaged and be present, cell phones will be stored in the front of the classroom after students scan in for attendance upon their entrance to each classroom at the start of each period. Students will have access to their phones in between class periods, Lunch and Flex periods. Please remind your students that every day they should be coming to school with their Chromebook and their Chromebook should be fully charged.

Please reach out with any questions or concerns. OCHS administrators, counselors, teachers, and staff will work collaboratively with our families in our continued commitment to excellence. Let’s have a great year!

Dr. Wendy O'Neal

OCHS Principal