OCA Calendar | 1/6/2026 7:19:00 PM
Mt. Pleasant, SC – It is great to be back at the Tank after a long holiday break. I hope everyone had a great time with family and friends and took a little time to remember those less fortunate than ourselves.
Today we started the second semester of the school year, getting back into the swing of learning and growing. Please remember to look at your Powerschool account to make sure you see all your classes for this semester.
The OCA faculty had a great Holiday party at Crush Yard back in December. It was a lot of fun and was a great opportunity for our teachers and staff to come together outside of school.
Upcoming Events
On Wednesday afternoon we will have an informational meeting for parents whose students are seriously interested in taking part in the AirSharks program. Selections for the inaugural class of AirSharks will be limited to a maximum of 12 students. This informational meeting will begin at 4 p.m. at the school.
The application process is now open for the 2026-27 school year at Oceanside and, to answer questions from any prospective parents, our next Shark Talk is scheduled for Tuesday, January 13, in the OCA gymnasium. Visit our Admissions Page for complete information on enrolling at OCA for next year. The deadline for applications is January 31.
A reminder that Monday, January 19, is the Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday and there will be no school that day. The final week of January will feature an important School Board meeting on Tuesday, the 27th, at 4 p.m. We will have our first Personalized Learning Day on Friday, January 30th.
Congratulations to Ella Johnson
Super Shark is an award given to the student who has great success in academics and athletics. Ms. Smith nominated Ella for the award by saying, "Ella is an outstanding student-athlete! Completing her Associates Degree before graduating for OCA this spring, Ella is in NHS, Writing Lab, volunteers at MUSC and for a kitten rescue; Ella does not sit still! Every free minute is given to help others. She has been a leader for our girls' swim team and in all of her classes. Ella is the epitome of Oceanside character."
10th Anniversary Gala
On Friday the 23rd, OCA will celebrate its 10th Anniversary at the "From Sea To Stars Gala" at the Cotton Dock-Boone Hall Plantation in Mt. Pleasant. This will be a formal event with formal attire required. The deadline to RSVP for the event is Monday, January 19. Please RSVP at
https://ocagala.my.canva.site/
As part of the celebration, the inaugural class of the Landsharks Athletics Hall of Fame will be introduced.
Academic Integrity and AI
Academic Integrity is everything in education and our staff has been working hard to prevent cheating. There will be serious consequences when you get caught. But, even if you don't get caught, you are only hurting yourself in the long run. Taking shortcuts will only hurt you in the big game of life. While we are just learning about AI and its place in the academic world, we do know there are ethical and unethical ways to use AI, including Grammarly.
Grammarly is AI.
The rise in AI detection in our students' work is often a result of unethical use of Grammarly and not just ChatGPT and other generative AI tools.
How can a student ethically use Grammarly?
- spell check
- synonyms
- grammar questions, i.e. commas, semi-colons, capitalization
Summary
- Use for mechanics and clarity, not content: Grammarly can suggest grammar and punctuation changes, but do not rely on it to generate ideas or even be accurate for grammar!
- Preserve your voice and meaning: Review each suggested change. Accept only minor edits that align with your intended meaning and your voice. Never accept heavy rewrites of your point or structure.
Examples of unethical use of Grammarly
- allowing Grammarly to rewrite sentences
- uploading any of your instructor's materials or content into Grammarly (or AI tool) with your question or your own material; the instructor's work is proprietary and cannot be made public
- allowing Grammarly to change your ideas, content, or style
- Never use AI unless your instructor has approved it
Summary
- Grammarly and other AI tools are often incorrect
- Grammarly and other AI tools offer material and tone that is consistent with an informal audience like newspapers instead of a scholarly audience
- Grammarly and other AI tools do not know what your instructor has explained in class or posted with their resources for the course
- Using generative AI (like Grammarly's options for rewriting sentences) will flag your work as AI
Consequences
- Using generative AI, Grammarly, ChatGPT, etc. unethically is Academic Dishonesty and is a very serious offense. In college, it often results in an F in the course or expulsion from the college not just a 0 on the assignment
- Incorrect citation (often because a student used AI instead of the teacher's directions) is also Academic Dishonesty with the same consequences as above
In high school, Academic Dishonesty results in a zero (0) on the submission and further consequences, including Saturday School, suspension and even the possibility of expulsion for multiple offenses.
Writing Contest
OCA will be holding its first writing contest during the spring semester. This is a great opportunity for our students to show their talents and creativity.
Winter Sports
Our winter sports are in full swing so please come and support our Landsharks as they compete in basketball. Schedules are posted on the OCA website and are updated in the event of any changes.
Graduation
Graduation date and time has been set! Graduation is scheduled for Friday, May 29, at 11 a.m. and will be held at Seacoast Church.
From the Guidance Counselors & Dual Enrollment Desk
We are in the process of updating schedules. Please continue to follow your current schedule through January 12. Any changes will be reflected in PowerSchool once they are finalized. If you wish to request a change, be sure to complete the drop/add form linked above.
The OCA Writing Lab will officially open on Tuesday, January 20, with slightly different times and rooms.
- 2 AM A Days - Room 122
- 3 PM A Days - Room 120
- 4 AM B Days - Room 121
- 3 PM B Days - Room 121
Community Service
Remember, to walk across the stage at graduation you must do 25 hours of community service. This time of the year there are always great opportunities to give back and help people in need. If you are doing community service please let us know.
Support Teachers
To support our amazing teachers and staff at OCA please feel to donate at our Team Oceanside or feel free to contact me. This helps us pay for special treats like coffee and our holiday meals. We want to make sure our teachers feel the support and love from our OCA families. Follow this
link to support Team Oceanside.
About Oceanside Collegiate Academy: Oceanside Collegiate Academy (OCA), located in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., serves high school students in a safe, small and family-centered setting. Our students seek the opportunity and challenge of rigorous curriculum, high academic standards and elite athletics while earning up to two years of college credit. OCA serves students in grades 9-12 using an honors curriculum in 9th and 10 grades with a dual enrollment curriculum in 11th and 12th grades.
Learn more about OCA by visiting our website at OceansideCollegiate.Academy and by following us on social media on Facebook, Instagram and X. For video content, visit our YouTube channel.
