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Emma, Student Announcer: No, it can't be this time already. 

Jamir, Student Announcer: I think it is. And our superintendent has the list of all the things we need to know. Stay tuned. 

Jamir, Student Announcer: Presented by Addition Financial Credit Union. Here's our OCPS superintendent, Dr. Maria Vazquez.

Dr. Vazquez: Hi, everyone. We'll have more with Emma and Jamir in a few weeks. Their voices might start to sound familiar by then. More to come on that. But first, I have to welcome everyone back, and to help me do that. Nancy Alvarez is here. Thank you for being here.

Nancy Alvarez: Thank you, Maria. I'm back too, from summer vacation already. Like, where did it go? What happened? 

Dr. Vazquez: I know. I think, like, where, where did the summer go, right? 

Nancy Alvarez: Yeah, it went by fast.

Dr. Vazquez: Yeah. The first day of school is next Tuesday, August 11th. I can't believe I say August already. Yeah. Right? It's, it's great though, right?

Nancy Alvarez: It's wild. And it is season five of Mondays with Maria. In case you're counting seasons, we're a little veteran show now, aren't we?

Dr. Vazquez: Yes. I think. I think if we.

Dr. Vazquez: Well, we won't do this, but if you look back from the first show to now, I hope you'll see that. We've come a long way. We have. Some of us more than others.

Dr. Vazquez: I'm so excited to see all of our new students and our teachers filling the halls and the classrooms again. This week, it will be happening across the district. We have Meet Your Teacher that's happening. And it's very important that our families, you know, attend Meet Your Teacher. 

Nancy Alvarez: Of course. Yeah. It's a great opportunity to connect. And we were talking about how, particularly from middle and high school, where everything changes, you know, you're so connected when you're in elementary school, and your kid just has one teacher, but it all changes starting in middle school. So take advantage of the Meet the Teacher opportunities. And so much going on. You're also opening two new schools. Innovation Elementary in the Lake Nona area, and they held their sneak peek last week. How exciting to have a brand new school for families to walk through. And then Ovation Elementary in the Horizon West area is hosting their sneak peek this week. And of course, we can't forget, when we talk about all these changes, the families who are also exploring new campuses after seven schools consolidated at the end of last school year. As you know, it was so tough.

Nancy Alvarez: Obviously, a big story for us that we covered and we talked to so many families. So, we really want to pause and kind of acknowledge that they're having a lot of new experiences this school year.

Dr. Vazquez: Yeah, they are. And it was such a difficult decision. And transitions can be, you know, very difficult for families. But I also know that our schools have been very welcoming to all of their new families with warm greetings and opportunities for them to feel part of that school, their new school culture. Yeah.

Nancy Alvarez: And speaking of new families, we have to talk about this new online enrollment platform. It's, it's seriously a game changer. You know, I have a picture of my daughter when she started kindergarten holding like a stack of papers because I took pictures of everything. So she's standing there, you know, and she doesn't even know what it is, but it was like 12 pages I had to fill out. I know. That's gone. 

Dr. Vazquez: It is, thank goodness. It's, it, it's supposed to be a game changer. So, there are no paper forms. There are no trips to the office. Sometimes more than one because you might have forgotten a document. You can enroll on your computer, on your phone at any time. You can upload your documents, like your birth certificates and proof of residency; just snap a picture. And you can complete the entire process in your native language, right? You know, our district is incredibly diverse. And it's little things like that that make families feel like they are respected, that they're valued. And then one of the best things about the new process is that you've got that new feature where you can start it and maybe, oh - uh-huh. I need a picture of my driver's license. I don't have it with me. You won't have to come back and start all over again.

Dr. Vazquez: It will pause it. Yeah. So very, very excited about that. And our current families can use it through their parent portal to add a sibling or request a transfer through our school choice options. We're very excited about the new process.

Nancy Alvarez: Yeah. No, it's great. And, and eliminating barriers, you know, with the language component. Yes. It's going to be great. And I know you always remind everyone this time of year, I hate that we've talked about this, and I'm going to knock on wood. It is hurricane season. So, our meteorologists at Channel 2 are predicting, you know, a kind of a quieter year, but it, it doesn't really matter because all it takes is one storm - Right. As we always say.

Dr. Vazquez: And you're right that everybody is, is like holding their breath. But questions families have are, okay, so what happens if school is shut down? And so, we have all of our makeup days on our calendar, which is located on our website. Just look for the bad weather days, as well as other important days, when we are off for Thanksgiving, our winter holidays, and spring break. All of those days are on our school calendar. So happy about that.

Nancy Alvarez: Yeah. And another thing to be happy about: all meals. Yes. At no charge in all schools.

Dr. Vazquez: Yes. We're so happy that, you know, families, that's one less thing they have to worry about. And I believe that this might be the last year we're going to be able to offer that, but we'll talk about that at a later time. Also, there are new menu items. I think you know this. Every year we host a taste testing, and this year I was able to attend. There are more vegan options. And there are also more international flair-type menu items. You can go to your school's website under the quick links menu tile, and you can view what the menus are for the year. So happy about that.

Nancy Alvarez: That's always fun to look at. And of course, the district is still cell phone free. So we have to remind parents of what that means. And also for new parents coming in, I always like to point out your kid can still take the phone to school. It just has to stay in the backpack. They just can't use it.

Dr. Vazquez: That's correct. And so, if you're new to our district, our schools are cell phone free- no phones, better bell. And you can also find that information in the code of student conduct. And parents, make sure you and your child review and sign the code of student conduct.

Nancy Alvarez: And there are changes, Maria, when it comes to e-bikes and e-scooters; everyone is talking about this. And, you know, our coverage has reflected a real issue with these things in our community. We've had people send us, you know, videos of just near misses on the roads. I know we lost a student recently on Mother's Day in the Lake Nona area, which was just a horrific accident. And so, this is something the district has been watching closely, and you guys took action.

Dr. Vazquez: We did. And so, effective this school year, all e-bikes and scooters are banned in elementary and middle school. If a student has a permit, which you're able to get at age 15, or a driver's license, you are eligible to ride an e-bike or scooter to school. You will get a decal and have permission to ride it. We are monitoring, you know, what actions some of the municipalities are taking. The board has agreed to bring back the policy once we hear what's happening in the different municipalities. So, there might be a change, but for now, the e-bikes and scooters are only allowed for those students who have a permit or a driver's license, just like the cell phones. We're going to ease into that. We're going to continue to remind families and students of the new policy, and then we will begin enforcement the Tuesday after Labor Day.

Dr. Vazquez: So more to come. Another need-to-know for our parents is about bus transportation. Mm-Hmm. , Registration for your child's school bus is ongoing. If your child is eligible for bus service, please register by going to transportation services on ocps.net and clicking on student bus registration.

Nancy Alvarez: And don't wait till the last second. I always wanted to know and be ready. Yeah. Also, there is a Find My Bus link on the front page of OCPS.net. It's right under “Quick Links.” If you're unsure of your bus stop or time to be at the bus stop, you can go to the “Find My Bus” webpage. There are always a lot of new things to get used to, or get re-acclimated to every year. It'll just take a minute to absorb it all, but just take the time. It's going to make it much easier that first day and first week.

Dr. Vazquez: It really is. Yeah. And so, I also know there is a one-stop shop where you will find almost everything you need, and that's ParentSquare. All of our communications to our families are in one place. The platform pulls together all of your school-to-classroom to district communication. This is where you will see everything from emails to text messages to voice calls, even direct messages and posts from teachers and principals. All are translated in over 100 languages, and you can even set up delivery preferences in your own personal feed without all the noise you get on other social media sites. I know I prefer text messages. To some of the other modes of communication. We encourage families to activate their account and download the app. But if you don't, you will still get all the information to your phone or your email.

Nancy Alvarez: And if you need help with all of it, like I often do, or reminders. August 15th, this is so great, starting at 10:00 AM. At Howard Middle School. It's the first parent academy of the year called Start a “Successful School Year.” The event provides a really fantastic opportunity for families to receive valuable information, including information on setting up a family access or ParentSquare account with on-site assistance. So please mark your calendar if you haven't already for this. The first day is Tuesday, August 11th, the first day of school, so you'll have this opportunity to attend Parent Academy. And Maria was talking about that. I mean, what a, what an opportunity to just go in and ask whatever questions you have. You can hand some on your phone, and they will actually help you learn the app. It's so valuable.

Dr. Vazquez: It really is. And that's something that we've had parent academies for so many years. There's more information about our parent academies on our website. So, it's been great to start another school year with you. And I know you're all going to be excited with one at Howard?

Nancy Alvarez: One at Howard and one at Boone.

Dr. Vazquez: Yeah. So, thanks again for being here. Don't forget to like, follow, and subscribe. Coming up on our podcast, the top three things that we call our must-do list for back to school. You don't want to miss that. Go to wherever you get your podcasts and search for Mondays with Maria. Have a great last week of summer.

Student Announcer: For an extended conversation on today's topic, listen to the Mondays with Maria Podcast, available wherever you get your podcast. Mondays with Maria is presented by Addition Financial Credit Union. Count us in for every step on your financial journey. Learn more at additionfi.com. For more OCPS news and information, visit theslice.ocps.net. I'm your announcer, Jamir Jones, a student at OCPS. Thanks for watching, and have a great week.