Otter Families!

I hope you had a restful Spring Break!

We will have a relatively quiet return to school this week. 2nd and 5th grade students will go on their environmental field trips to Sotterly Plantation on Thursday and Friday and our Math Team will compete in the Math Challenge on Thursday after school.

We also celebrate Paraprofessional Appreciation Day on Wednesday and School Librarian Appreciation Day on Thursday! Thank you to Mrs. Wagoner (K Para), Mrs. Joyce (K Para), Mrs. McCollum (PreK Para), Mrs. King (PreK Para), Mrs. Gibson (PreK Para), Mrs. Hayden (PreK Para), Mr. Layne (SpEd Para), and Mrs. Cummins (Media Specialist/School Librarian)!

"Otterly" Yours,

Mrs. Anderson

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

• Applications for STEM 6 will open on April 2 and close on April 30, 2024. No late applications will be accepted. The online application will be found on the Academies page of the SMCPS website.

• The annual Academy Open House will be held virtually on Wednesday, April 10th starting at 5:30 pm. More information is available via the Academy Open House Google Site.

Save the Dates!

Pre-K students, their families, and local private providers are invited to attend two upcoming evening events. The first event is scheduled for Thursday, April 4, 2024, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. and focuses on Language & Literacy and Math skills.

The second event will be Monday, May 6, 2024, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. and focuses on the Transition to Kindergarten. Both events will occur in the Dohrman rooms at the Dr. James A. Forrest Career & Technology Center.

Please see the press release attached below for information about the upcoming solar eclipse on Monday, April 8th. Teachers who wish to take their students outside to watch the eclipse will obtain parent permission.

Please be aware of our MCAP assessment schedule over the next two months.

April 22-25

• 5th grade Math/ELA
• 4th grade Math/ELA

April 29-May 2

• 5th grade Math/ELA
  
• 4th grade Math/ELA

May 6-9

• 3rd grade Math/ELA

May 13-16

• 3rd grade Math/ELA

SMCPS and SMC R&P have partnered to offer the new Summer Sports Academies. Campers will be instructed by area high school coaches. Camps are held Monday -Thursday. Click below for more information. Registration begins March 1st. Don't miss this opportunity.

• https://www.stmaryscountymd.gov/recreate/camps

• https://www.stmaryscountymd.gov/docs/thescoop.pdf

Parents or guardians of children receiving special education and related services were mailed the Maryland Special Education Parent Involvement Survey from the Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services during the week of February 12, 2024. Parents are asked to complete the survey and return it in the postage-paid envelope by May 24, 2024. The Survey may also be completed online. Your feedback will help guide efforts to improve special education and related services in your local school system. Your voice can make a real difference for your child and many other children across the state of Maryland. To learn more, please visit https://www.mdparentsurvey.com.

Our school's overall attendance rate, as reported to MSDE, for the school year so far is 93.84%. The goal is 94%.

This is the time of year where I switch to sharing data about attendance on a weekly basis and how it changes from week to week. Below are the attendance rates for each grade level for the week of

March 18th - March 22nd.

PreK: 89.73%

Kindergarten: 92.65%

1st Grade: 92.44%

2nd Grade: 97.06%

3rd Grade: 97.2%

4th Grade: 95.45%

5th Grade: 89.12%

Yearbook orders are due April 24th!

Evening Counseling: SMCPS is once again offering School-Based Counseling Support in the evening for SMCPS students. Counseling support focuses on the following areas: Healthy Relationships, Social Skills, Self-Esteem, Stress Management, Worry, Sadness, and Emotional Regulation. Services will be located at Margaret Brent Middle School and Greenview Knolls Elementary School on Tuesday evenings from 4-7:30 p.m. Please complete the Parent Contact Form for Evening Counseling to request services.

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.

WE ARE NOW ACCEPTING WINTER EVENTS FOR EDUCATING AND CELEBRATING. You can email Mrs. Curtis directly, kvcurtis@smcps.org, or use the link below to submit events.

Check out some highlights from the winter EducatING and CelebratING season! Don't forget to fill out the form or email Mrs. Curtis with any spring events your children are participating in!

B WEEK

Monday, 4/1

All SMCPS Schools Closed for Spring Break

Tuesday, 4/2

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

• PreK Accreditation Visit

Wednesday, 4/3

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

• Color Wars - Wear Class Colors
• Paraprofessional Appreciation Day

Thursday, 4/4

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

• 2nd and 5th Grade Environmental Field Trip to Sotterly Plantation
• Math Challenge
• School Librarian Appreciation Day

Friday, 4/5

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

• 2nd and 5th Grade Environmental Field Trip to Sotterly Plantation

Hello OES Otter Families,

I hope everyone is keeping safe and healthy. Be sure to eat right, get plenty of sleep and rest, exercise, cover your cough with your elbow, and wash your hands frequently. Don't forget to get vaccinated against the Flu and COVID.

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