OMS Family Focus

The MISSION of Oakdale Middle School is cultivating character and academic excellence through high expectations.

The VISION of Oakdale Middle School is working together with parents we provide an atmosphere of high expectations where learning is celebrated and our students are encouraged to be the best they can be. Our teachers, counselors and administrators are here to equip each and every student with the knowledge, skills and experiences so that he/she can become an engaged and empowered citizen. Staff and students respect the rights of others and enjoy the differences, as well as similarities, they find among their classmates. As our community grows, we revel in our rich and diverse culture and welcome all to OMS.

Greetings Oakdale Middle School Families,

We have finished up half a term and we are excited for the partnership we have together. We will continue to embody the Believe it , Achieve it mentality. It is great that we can all learn in different ways and still able to achieve the same goals. I feel this is important for our students to see, so they know it is okay to make mistakes and we do not always master things the first time. In addition, OMS is full of amazing educators and staff that are here to help ALL students succeed. I want to thank all the volunteers who took time out of their day to help volunteer during outdoor school for our 6th graders. I know many more are volunteering for the next group to attend.

There are a few reminders that I would like to reiterate. If your child is a car rider, please do not let them out of the car before 7:45 if there is no adult present. We want to ensure we have supervision of students at all times. Please follow the direction of staff, we want to ensure we all are safe. We understand the lines are long at times, but please be patient, safety first. Also when checking your student out for early dismissal there is a QR code that must be scanned. The information you provide is for school use only and not shared for any other purpose. Again it is for safety reasons. The link is here so you can preview it ahead of time.

As always, we will communicate throughout the school year using School Messenger, Schoology, and School Smore newsletter. If you have any questions throughout the year, please feel free to reach out.

Kind regards,

Dr. Samuels

Principal

October

I am glad to inform you that the International Baccalaureate application process will begin soon! We hope that this rigorous academic program will appeal to some of your students. Please encourage any 8th grade student to apply for the International Baccalaureate program here at Urbana High school if you think that they would enjoy and benefit from a comprehensive academic program with emphasis on research, writing, and application of knowledge to the real world.

Students and families interested in the International Baccalaureate Program at Urbana High School are invited to attend an information session on Monday, September 23rd at 7:00 pm in the Urbana High Auditorium (3471 Campus Drive, Ijamsville). At this meeting, we will share information about the program- prerequisites, courses, and requirements for earning the IB Diploma- and the application process.

The application packet will be made available on the UHS website starting September 23rd. All application materials, including transcripts and teacher recommendations, must be received by the UHS IB Office no later than 2:30 pm on Dec 6th, 2024. Decision letters will be sent in early January.

Families with questions are welcome to reach out to the UHS IB Office, Jessica McBroom is the IB DP coordinator: uhsibprogram@fcps.org.

Administration and Counseling Team

6th Grade Assistant Principal - Ms. Brown

6th Grade School Counselor - Ms. Gibson

7th Grade Assistant Principal - Mrs. Zeoli

7th Grade School Counselor - Mrs. Eck

8th Grade Assistant Principal - Mr. Heusser

8th Grade School Counselor - Mrs. McCracken

All Grades Behavior Support Specialist - Mr. Cunningham

Attendance: Ms. Sanders, Please email absence notes to OMS.attendance@fcps.org the morning of your student's absence.

Bulletin Board for students to think about different types of careers. Students wrote the career names. It is never to early to think about the future. More activities are coming from our Career Coach Ms. Huy!!

Oct. 3: School closed

Oct. 7-9: Conferences

Oct. 7&8: 4 hour delay conference days (Lunch will not be served)

Oct. 9: 3.5 hour early dismissal conference day

Oct. 10&11: Picture Days (reminder, not to wear green due to the backdrop)

Oct. 14-17: School Spirit days

Oct. 18: No School

Oct. 25: 2 hour early dismissal

Oct. 28: No School

Oct. 30: Spooky Band Concert

The Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) first general assembly meeting was held Oct. 2, 2024. If you missed this one, there will be other opportunities, be on the outlook for our upcoming meeting dates.

To ensure you are getting all the latest and greatest PTSA information, please join on mailing list using the following link https://oakdalemiddle.givebacks.com/join/f0ead1 and/or follow us on social media via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/oakdalemiddleptsa) and/or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/oakdalemiddleptsa).

Introducing Basecamp, a mental wellness hub for students

As part of our ongoing commitment to support the mental health and well-being of our students, Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) is excited to announce the launch of Basecamp. Developed in partnership with Greenspace Health and funded by the Maryland Consortium on Coordinated Community Supports, Basecamp is a comprehensive mental wellness hub designed to provide students with immediate access to a wide range of mental health resources and services.

What is Basecamp?

Basecamp is an online wellness platform that makes it easy for students to find the help and support they need, ensuring they have immediate access to resources and services to support their mental health. By utilizing Basecamp, students can better understand their emotions, develop healthy coping mechanisms, and access supportive mental health services and resources. With Basecamp, students will have access to:

Educational Content: Access to articles and videos on various mental health topics relevant to students.

Self-Guided Resources: Tools and activities that students can use independently to maintain or improve their mental health.

Bi-Weekly Surveys: Short surveys to help students check in on their mental health, understand their feelings over time, and identify factors impacting their well-being.

Resource Recommendations: Personalized suggestions based on each student’s current challenges.

Direct Access to Services: Information and connections to mental health resources available within Frederick County.

How Can My Child Access Basecamp?

Basecamp is easily accessible to all middle and high school students at basecampfcps.com. Additionally, we have placed posters around the school with the URL and a QR code for quick access via mobile devices. For elementary school students, the platform is intended to be accessed by parents/caregivers to help them support their child’s mental health.

Your Role as Parents and Caregivers

We encourage you to discuss Basecamp with your child and explore the platform together. Your support and involvement will help your child feel supported and access the most appropriate resource or service for their needs. This document has more information about Basecamp and how you can share it with your child.

For more information or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at lynn.davis@fcps.org.

Thank you for your partnership in supporting the mental health and well-being of FCPS students.

Introducing Girls on the Run's Heart and Sole program

We would like to have a girls on the run at Oakdale Middle school, If you have a student that is interested please see the attached flyer below and consider joining this amazing program.

Cell Phone Use

In an effort to work together to ensure appropriate use of cell phones for students, we encourage parents/guardians to review safe cell phone usage frequently, maintain open communication, and utilize appropriate parental controls. Also, students are reminded of the school’s rules for having a cell phone at school, which is linked in case you wish to periodically review them with your child. Regulation 400-18 Electronic Devices – Student Use.

Finally, please reiterate with your child to not use their cell phone for unsanctioned purposes such as: cheating, harassing or bullying others, taking photos or videos of others without permission, checking personal social media accounts, or sexting. Some violations may have consequences not only related to student discipline, but victims have also pursued legal action against both the student and the parent/guardian. Those outcomes are best avoided when schools and parents partner together. We thank you for all that you do to help us reinforce good digital citizenship.

Oakdale Middle School has implemented the "Off, Away, and Out of Sight" cell phone policy for the last several years. While students are in the school building during the instructional day, they are to keep their cell phones, "Off, Away, and Out of Sight" and that time is 7:45am - 3:12 pm. Please see FAQ for consequences of misuse.

• Parents/Guardians - if you need to contact your child please call the front office at 227-203-2450 and we will get the message to your child as soon as possible.

Bus riders

Please use the FCPS Transportation website to ensure you know your child’s bus stop location as well as the pick-up and drop-off time.

As a reminder, A quick and easy resource to check if your child's bus is delayed is to visit https://apps.fcps.org/transdelay/ This site is updated in real-time to reflect any bus delays.

Car rider Arrival and dismissal Traffic Patterns and Procedures

All car rider drop-off and pick-ups will occur in the side parking lot off of Oakdale School Road. OMS staff will be in the side parking lot to assist with traffic flow, student crossings, and vehicles safely exiting from the parking lot. Please pay close attention to their guidance. OMS staff will be highly visible over the next few weeks helping with the flow of traffic. During these first few weeks, I ask for your patience and understanding as everyone becomes familiar with our arrival and dismissal procedures.

OMS Arrival Traffic Procedures MAP

• All traffic should follow Oakdale School Road past the middle school and turn left into the OMS side parking lot at the bottom entrance.

• Upon entering the parking lot, all car traffic should stay to the left of the cones and follow staff guidance as you proceed towards the student drop off location near the front of the parking lot.

• Once you reach the drop-off spot, students should exit the car and follow the guidance of the OMS staff member(s) at that location.

• After the students have safely crossed and are on the sidewalk, the car should follow staff guidance, yield to any exiting busses, and proceed to exit the parking lot onto Oakdale School Road. Cars SHOULD NOT make U-turns in the parking lot.

OMS Dismissal Traffic Procedures MAP

• All traffic should follow Oakdale School Road past the middle school and turn left into the OMS side parking lot at the bottom entrance.

• Upon entering the parking lot, all car traffic should stay to the left to begin forming lanes of parked cars (OMS staff will be present to help with this process).

• All bus riders and walkers will be dismissed first beginning at 3:12. Once all of the busses have cleared, we will begin dismissal for our car riders (at roughly 3:25).

• As students exit the building, OMS staff will help students cross to their cars and begin releasing one row of cars when it is safe.

• Please do not move your car until a staff member has released the row you are parked in.

Start and End Time

School doors will open at 7:45 with all students arriving through the side cafeteria entrance. Upon arrival, students will report to their designated areas until they are dismissed by OMS staff members.

• 6th Grade - Gym

• 7th Grade - Gym

• 8th Grade - Cafeteria

All students should be in the building before 8:05 so that they are in their class and ready to learn by the start of class at 8:12.

We will begin dismissal at 3:12 with our walkers and bus riders. Once all walkers and bus riders have been dismissed, we will dismiss our car riders (usually around 3:20/3:25).

The Frederick County Library has an online tutoring platform called Brainfuse HelpNow. This service can be used with a Frederick County Public Library Card Number. HelpNow is a resource designed for K-12 students and beyond. Live tutoring is available in English and Spanish from 2:00-11:00 p.m. to provide homework help for core subjects, including mathematics, science, and English language arts. Practice long division, improve reading comprehension, and learn other key skills. Practice for standardized tests. Students may submit papers to HelpNow’s Writing Lab for expert assistance and feedback, or collaborate with peers in virtual study spaces. More information is available at the FCPL website, https://www.fcpl.org/learn/brainfuse-helpnow.