Otter Families!

Weekly Attendance Rate Check: 96.07% attendance rate for the SY! AMAZING! Keep it up! Thank you for working with Nurse Pratz when your child is sick so we can make a decision about whether they should be in school or not. We appreciate this collaboration! While we are monitoring our attendance rate, your child's well-being and health are our first priority.

Linked below is the Acceptable Use Policy. ALL parents/guardians are REQUIRED to complete the form linked below EACH school year. We are about 170 families short in completing the form. Individual families will begin to be contacted after next week if it has not been completed. Please use the link below to complete the form.

It's also the time of year when we begin giving students "P.A.W.S.itive" Office Referrals! We are excited to share our first round of recipients with you. Students who earn a "P.A.W.S.itive" Office Referral will be treated to extra recess and a popsicle. We will begin those treats on 11/3 as the next two Fridays are early release days.

Finally, please enjoy some pictures of our 2nd-grade students shucking corn for our Farm to School Week. The corn that was shucked by 2nd grade on Thursday was served for lunch to the whole school today.

"Otterly" Yours,

Mrs. Anderson

The office will be open Monday - Friday from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm.

All SMCPS laptops come with the same responsibility of care and upkeep as any other loaned resources. Textbooks, novels, laptops and chargers can incur a debt if lost or damaged. Please refer to the student accountability newsletter that has been added to our weekly school newsletters.

All parent(s)/guardian(s) must complete an Acceptable Use Policy each school year. Click HERE to complete the Google form. School staff will be in touch with all families to complete the form throughout the month of August and September.

Our schools are heavily impacted by federally connected students – those parents/guardians who work on federal property in Maryland, live on federal property in Maryland, and/or are active duty military personnel. Because of this impact, we receive federal grant funds to operate and maintain our schools and enrich school programs. To receive these funds, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) requires us to survey each student to determine eligibility. SMCPS is encouraging all parents/guardians to please take the time to access and complete the Impact Aid Survey Form online, located in the Home Access Center (HAC). Once logged in, directions to access the online form can be found HERE. A video with instructions is available HERE. The form can now be accessed in Spanish by clicking on the Globe in the top right-hand corner once the form has been started. The deadline for the online submission of Impact Aid Program Survey forms is November 14, 2023.

Effective communication is critical to the success of St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS). This will be crucial not only for emergencies but for our ability to communicate with families in general. Online Emergency Information Update Forms are now available through the student’s Home Access Center (HAC). Once logged in, directions to access the online form can be found HERE. A video with instructions is available HERE. It is vital that all information is updated in eSchool. The deadline for the online submission of Emergency Information Update forms is November 14, 2023. Please click here for the Blank Emergency Form. If you have any questions, please contact Tiffany Shreve at tkshreve@smcps.org.

Please remember to communicate with your child's teacher, the main office, or the school nurse when your child is absent so that we can accurately label their absences as lawful or unlawful.

The Book Fair will start on Thursday, October 12th, and go through Friday, October 20th.

Oct 12 - Oct 19 - 9:30 - 3:30

Oct 20 - 9:30 - 12:30

After school opportunities to shop:

• October 17th - PTA meeting 4 - 5:30
• October 20th - Trunk or Treat 4:30 - 7:00

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Mrs. Cummins jmcummins@smcps.org

There are so many fantastic things happening in our efforts to support SMCPS students with disabilities. Please use this survey to share your praise, story, or news about successes in your school or department!

This survey is generated and reviewed by the SMCPS Department of Special Education.

Otters – let’s get c-r-e-a-t-i-v-e! The PTA invites you to enter your drawing in our Yearbook Cover Contest! The selected design will be featured on our 2023-2024 yearbook cover and the student with the selected design will receive a free, personalized hard-copy yearbook.

All entries must be:

1. Drawn on an 8.5 x 11 sheet of plain, white paper
2. Vertical (portrait orientation)

All entries must include:

1. The words “Oakville Elementary School”
2. The date “2023-2024”
3. A minimum border of 1⁄2” between text/graphic and the edge of the paper.
4. Background colors may go all the way to the edge of the paper.

Tips for a good entry:

1. Not a lot of white space – lots of color (including background)
2. Mix up your medium (play with one or more of the following: crayons,watercolors, markers, oil pastels, etc.)
3. Use up the whole sheet of paper (the bigger the better)
4. Incorporate our school theme this year – COLORFUL

Questions? Email oakvillepta.secretary@gmail.com

A WEEK

Monday, 10/16

8:45 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.

• Yearbook Cover Contest Begins
• Book Fair Open
• School Bus Safety Week

Tuesday, 10/17

8:45 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.

• COLOR WARS - Wear Grade Level Colors - See below for a list of the grade level colors
• Book Fair Open
• PTA Meeting @4:30 - Book Fair will be open during the PTA meeting
• School Bus Safety Week

Wednesday, 10/18

8:45 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.

• Unity Day - Wear ORANGE
• Book Fair Open
• School Bus Safety Week

Thursday, 10/19

8:45 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.

• Book Fair Open
• School Bus Safety Week
• SMCPS Crisis Drill - Earthquake Response

Friday, 10/20

8:45 a.m. - 1:45 p.m.

• Two-Hour Early Release Day
• Last day for the Book Fair
• PTA Trunk or Treat - Book Fair will be open

Save the Date: This year’s SMCPS STEAM Festival will be held on Saturday, October 28th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the St. Mary’s County Fairgrounds. Admission is free and open to the public. Wrap up the fall festival season with a day of learning, food trucks, and STEAM-related fun!

Please click HERE for a link for ALL OES students to submit items for display for our Veteran's Day performance.

Hello OES Otter Family,

I am Hannah Pratz, and I am so excited to be returning to the OES family this school year! I have been a school nurse for 24 years and have loved every minute! I love what I do and my door is always open! Don't hesitate to pop in the health suite or cut through!

See you all soon!

We are looking forward to a great school year!

President: Beth Johnson Hill

Vice President: Stefanie Wines

Treasurer: Kim Burroughs

Secretary: Megan Russell

One community committed to the learning and safety of all children.

Community is important to us. We strive to have the words "goal-oriented", "fun", "inclusive", and "thriving" used to describe our community. We believe that children learn and adults work best in an environment where they feel respected and safe. We are focused on four areas in our development of community: 1) Cultivating respectful, supportive relationships among students, teachers, and parents, 2) Emphasizing common purposes and ideals, 3) Providing opportunities for service and cooperation, and 4) Providing opportunities for independence and influence.

Email: lpdietz@smcps.org
Website: https://schools.smcps.org/oes/
Location: 26410 Three Notch Road, Mechanicsville, MD, USA
Phone: (301) 373-4365
Facebook: facebook.com/smcps.org
Twitter: @OES_smcps

Fall School Yearbook Pictures

Tentatively scheduled for September 26th

Retakes are tentatively scheduled for November 8th

More information will be provided as the dates draw closer.