OMS Family Focus
December
December Newsletter
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.
Principal Message
Greetings Oakdale Middle School Families,
I hope each of you had a great Thanksgiving and many of you had time to relax and spend time with the people you care about. I hope you were able to make lifetime memories filled with laughter and love regardless if it was with families, friends or your school community. We have three weeks before we enter into our next holiday break. Although this is a short time, we want our students to continue to strive for excellence each and every day and finish strong. This week they started taking the second iReady testing and we know we will see gains of improvement.
Also as I am thinking about this holiday season, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to you and the partnership we are building to ensure we have a culture of thankfulness, kindness and inclusiveness among all. Whether you are celebrating with loved ones near or far, or not celebrating at all, I hope this Winter Break brings you peace, joy and some relaxation as well. May the rest of this year and the upcoming new year be filled with new opportunities of learning and growing.
As always, we will communicate throughout the school year using School Messenger, Schoology, and School Smore newsletter. There are lots of new and reminder information in this newsletter. If you have any questions throughout the year, please feel free to reach out.
Happy Holidays and many blessings to you and your families!!
Dr. Samuels
Principal
Student Recognition
The drawing displayed to the right was completed by one of our Learning for Life Students - Chou Bao Nguyen. She has a lot of amazing drawings and has captured the holiday spirit.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ENA VAJZOVIC who was nominated by the staff as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. awardee and will represent OMS at a ceremony on January 14, 7:00 pm, at GTJHS. Please come out and support our 2025 MLK Student Awardee at the 35th Annual MLK celebration.
CONGRATULATIONSs to 12 of our students qualifying for the All County Orchestra ensemble and 16 of our students qualified for the All County Chorus ensemble.
OMS makes up 20% of each ensemble.
CONGRATULATIONS to Kayden Lorrig (8th grade) and Deepika Kothurthi (6th grade) for winning the Patriot’s Pen contest sponsored by the VFW.
We are so proud of all of you!
Dec. 4: CASS Field Trip
Dec. 4: 8th grade Applied computer Science Field Trip (half)
Dec. 6: 8th grade Applied Engineering Field Trip (periods 2-5)
Dec. 9: 8th grade Applied computer Science Field Trip (half)
Dec. 17: Chorus Concert: 6pm at Oakdale High School
Dec. 18: Band Concert: 6pm at Oakdale High School
Dec. 19: Orchestra Concert: 6pm at Oakdale High School
Dec, 23 - Jan 1: Winter Break
Counselor Corner
International Baccalaureate Program
There is only a few more days if you are interested in applying to the IB Program
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.
NEW INFORMATION /REMINDERS
- As the winter months have arrived, please ensure students are wearing the appropriate attire for the cold months. Wearing long sleeves and long bottoms are a must when students are going to recess due to the cold weather. It is the determination of the school on when it is too cold to go outside or not. attached is the regulation on weather. https://apps.fcps.org/legal/documents/400-42/history/182
- Students are permitted to bring only water to school. No energy drinks, Starbucks, McDonalds, Dunkin, etc.
- Please make sure your child is charging his/her Chromebook every night. Many students are coming to school not prepared to learn.
- Please have your child check the lost and found pile in the cafeteria. There are several items already this term.
Oakdale Feeder Pattern Multicultural Night
We are excited to host our 2nd Annual Oakdale Feeder Multicultural Festival at Oakdale High School on Thursday, January 30th at 6:30. If you would like to set up a display table to showcase your family's culture, please complete this form by Friday, January 17th.
Please complete this form if you are interested in a table to present your culture: https://forms.gle/3PFfsLbXjvSqNaP98
Please complete this form if you are interested in being a performer complete this document: https://forms.gle/hH4J4JzsCAXsneo79
Due to the popularity of this event, we can accommodate up to 25 table displays. Sign up today so you will have a spot!!
Dec. 2- Dec. 6 Inclusive Spirit Week
Inclusive Spirit Week
Dec. 16 - 20 SGA Spirit Week
SGA Sponsored Spirit Week
PTSA
1. Texas Roadhouse Gift Card Fundraiser: Texas Roadhouse gift cards make perfect gifts for family, friends, teachers, bus drivers, and more. For every gift card purchased, a portion of the sales goes directly to support our students and programs.
2. Get your eagle some cool new spirit wear with this special offer for Free LOCAL Shipping! Use this link to place your order: https://seanclarkdesigns.etsy.com/?coupon=OMSLOCAL.
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). Thank you for your continued support!!
Community News
FCTA Artwork contest
FCTA’s Human & Civil Rights Committee is preparing to celebrate Black History Month in 2025. To kick that off, they’re hosting a poster contest for all middle and high school students in FCPS. This contest has been approved by FCPS for distribution to all middle and high school students. The contest guidelines are available at the online submission link for your review.
The Giving Tree
The holiday season is a time of joy, but we understand it can also bring added stress for families who may struggle to provide the Christmas they wish for their children. We are reaching out to the Oakdale Middle School community to lend a helping hand to those in need. By signing up below, you can help make this holiday season truly special for the students and families in our community. Your generosity will make all the difference. https://signup.com/go/yyiPbsi
Toys for Tots
The OMS SGA is hosting the Toys for Tots Program. Last day to donate is December 5, 2024
Help us Deliver Hope to a Child in Need…
MISSION: The basic mission of the Marine Toys for Tots Program is to collect new unwrapped toys and distribute those toys to less fortunate children at Christmas.
GOAL: The primary goal of Marine Toys for Tots is, through the gift of a new toy, help bring the joy of Christmas and send a message of hope to America's less fortunate children.
We are running a friendly grade competition and have 3 boxes in the school lobby for each grade. The grade that brings in the most unwrapped toys for ages 0-12 will have a prize. Turkey Bowl.
Key Information of Contacts
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.
REMINDERS
LOST and FOUND: Located in the cafeteria!!
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).
Tutoring
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.