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,

Welcome Back! I hope you and your families have had an amazing summer and found some time to relax and enjoy a variety of activities. The staff has been very busy preparing for the upcoming school year and are ready to welcome you back. I am excited to be a part of the Oakdale community, and I look forward to getting to know you. This time of the year can be filled with both excitement and anxiety as students prepare to return to school. Please know that we are committed to ensuring every child, every day has a positive experience as we start the new school year.

We had our open house yesterday for 6th grade and new students to OMS. It was great to see all of you there. If you were unable to make it, we will have our Back to School Night August 19 for everyone. I would also like to thank the parents who attended my first principal chat last month to get to know me, and I will be having another one later in the school year so please stay tuned. As always, we will communicate throughout the school year using School Messenger, Schoology, and School Smore newsletter. I am grateful for this opportunity, and I am looking forward to us all making memories together and incorporating new activities at OMS.

Kind regards,

Dr. Samuels

Principal

Schedule Changes: Due to the high number of new enrollees and full classes, all schedule change requests will be added to a waitlist. However, If there is an academic level concern, these request will take priority.

Please check your child's schedule to make sure they are enrolled in all the necessary classes. Your child should have one class in each of the following: Language Arts, Math, History, Science, PE/Health, and Advisory.

First day of school: Students will be dismissed from their holding areas and report directly to their Advisory at 8:05. Please have your child look at their schedule in advance so they know who their Advisory teacher is and their room number.

Holding Areas by grade level:

Grade 6 – Gym

Grade 7 – Gym

Grade 8 – Cafeteria

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

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 first couple days may be delayed until we are able to establish a good routine.

Aug. 19 - Chromebook distribution 3:30 - 8:30(6th grade and new students to the school who did not pick them up during open house)

Aug. 19 - Back to School Night (This is a structured evening event where students will 1st go to their advisory teacher and a bell will signify when to change to the next class.)

*****5:00 - 6:00 (Last name A - L)
*****6:30 - 7:30 (Last name M - Z)

Aug. 21 - First day of school
Sept. 2 - Schools and Offices are closed

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.

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.