By Melissa Byrd

It’s here! The new school year is upon us, and the first day is this coming Monday. 

Hopefully, everyone was able to attend the Meet the Teacher events this past week and you had the opportunity to get to know your child’s teachers for the upcoming year. If you were unable to attend, don’t hesitate to reach out in some way to introduce yourself. Building a good relationship with your child’s teachers is really important, as you are partners in your child’s academic success. 

Last week, the district sent out a Back to School Checklist in an effort to highlight some important tasks for parents to get done before school starts. One of those is to activate your ParentSquare account. This is the new system the school district is using for all communication from the district, as well as from schools. It is an online application that can be accessed through the website, or there is an app that can be downloaded, which I highly recommend. 

Another important thing to do is to open your email from Xello that all parents received on July 31. Xello helps students explore careers and plan for the future. This is a great tool for parents and children to use to help navigate all the choices available to your child.  

It is also important to register for the new school fees platform, SchoolCash Online, to pay for school fees, field trips, and more. It replaced SchoolPay, which is now inactive. Go to ocps.schoolcashonline.com.  

Finally, don’t forget to register to be an ADDitions school volunteer online. Look for the “Volunteers” link on ocps.net. Being a registered volunteer allows you to help in the classroom, chaperone field trips or help out at school events. 

One of the best things I did when my children were in school was to be a regular classroom volunteer. It helps you to build relationships in the school that can be a helpful resource when needed. 

Most of all, spend some time talking to your child this weekend and as the first days pass. Find out how they are feeling about the new year, ease concerns and help build excitement about all the fun things ahead. Establish homework spaces at home and routines that include a good sleep schedule so your child is ready to learn. 

As you all get started bright and early Monday morning, enjoy it. Take lots of first-day pictures and soak it all in because it really does go fast.  

I hope everyone has a wonderful first week. Let’s have a great 2025/2026 school year!