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.

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!!

Sept. 19: 2 hour early dismissal for midterm

Sept. 20: 3.5 hour early dismissal fair day (dismissal at 11:40)

Oct. 3: School closed

Oct. 7-9: Conferences (information coming soon for sign ups)

Oct. 7&8: 4 hour delay conference days

Oct. 9: 3.5 hour early dismissal conference day

Oct. 10&11: Picture Days

OMS Families,

The Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) wants to welcome you all back to school for another great year at Oakdale Middle School! We are recruiting volunteers for a numbers of committees and teams and we hope you will join us to make the middle school experience for our students a positive one! Please check out our sign up here https://signup.com/go/JiakZBG to see all the volunteer opportunities we have. Don't see something that strikes your fancy, but you want to get involved? No problem, send an email to oakdalemiddleschoolptsa@gmail.com with your ideas! We are confident we can find the perfect volunteer opportunity for everyone!

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).

Finally, be on the lookout in the near future for information about our first general membership meeting and how you can join the OMS PTSA and help the OMS PTSA fulfill its mission to support and advocate for our children.

Warmest Regards,

The OMS PTSA

We would greatly appreciate it we can get some donations for the following items. We will take donations through Sept. 30th. Items can be dropped off in the front office either by you and your student. Thank you in advance!!

• Kleenex
• Spoons/forks

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.