Otter Families!

This week we welcome the sweet sounds of our 3rd graders and their recorders and the opening of the Spring Book Fair on Wednesday! The 3rd Grade Recorder Concert will be held at 10:00 am and 2:30 pm.

The Spring Book Fair will be open to families after school on Friday, April 19th from 4:45 - 5:30 pm before the PTA Bingo Night.

April 15th - 19th is National Volunteer Appreciation Week. I would like to take this moment and thank all of our parents, guardians, and family and friends of our OES Otters that have volunteered to help our school this year. We are grateful for your support! A formal Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon will take place in May.

Finally, don't forget the deadline to order Square One Art is Friday, April 19th. Information about how to order can be found below.

"Otterly" Yours,

Mrs. Anderson

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

Let's celebrate those students who earned "P.A.W.S."itive Office Referrals!

PreK registration for the 2024-2025 school year is now open. Please find all needed information in the document linked below.

St. Mary’s County Public Schools, in collaboration with Healthy St. Mary’s Partnership, is hosting a Surf the Mental Health & Wellness Wave: A Resource & Education Fair on May 18, 2024, from 10 AM-3 PM, at the James A. Forrest Career & Technology Center. Come interact with and gather information from over 35 Mental Health & Wellness vendors. There will be numerous guest speakers and presentations on several different mental health and wellness topics. Use the QR code in the health fair flyer to view the schedule of events. In addition, there will be food trucks, door prizes, and lots of fun! Please join us!!

OES will be having a Spring Book Fair from Wed Apr 17th - Friday Apr 26th. Currently, we are looking for volunteers to help run this fair. We usually have two volunteer shifts. The morning shift runs from 9:30 - 12:30 and the afternoon shift runs from 12:15 - 3:30 . If you are interested, please contact Mrs. Cummins jmcummins@smcps.org

The Book Fair will run Wed April 17 through Friday April 26 in the OES Media Center during school hours.

Parents are invited to shop Fri April 19 (BINGO night) 4:45 - 5:30 and Wed April 24 (Night of the Arts) 5:00 - 6:00.

Coming home to you soon is your child's custom catalog for the Square 1 Art fundraiser catalog - featuring their own name and art on the cover, WITH FREE STICKERS OF THEIR ART!

Get a head start, and start ordering keepsakes and gifts featuring your child's art online NOW, if you like! Simply search for your child's art using Art Search, and enter state, school name, and your student's name. Your student's art and code will appear, and you may order! NEW - *Ship to Home FREE. (*Customer pays a small $1.99 processing fee at checkout and order ships to home.)

Order by: 4/19/2024

Upload additional art if you like, using Art Upload!

If you have questions, or need anything at all, contact customer care online .

Thank you for supporting our school!

• 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 an upcoming evening event. The 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 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 93.9%. 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

April 8th - April 12th.

PreK: 91.89%

Kindergarten: 95.31%

1st Grade: 97.33%

2nd Grade: 90.59%

3rd Grade: 96.6%

4th Grade: 96.00%

5th Grade: 95.16%

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.

B WEEK

PTA Read-a-Fun takes place all week! Your child's teacher has more information for you.

Monday, 4/15

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

• Chick-Fil-A preorder due - complete form linked below
• Rita's Spirit Night from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Tuesday, 4/16

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

Wednesday, 4/17

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

• 3rd Grade Recorder Performance at 10:00 am and 2:30 pm
• Book Fair open

Thursday, 4/18

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

• Book Fair open

Friday, 4/19

8:45 a.m. - 1:45 p.m.

• Two-Hour Early Dismissal - Professional Responsibilities
• Purple Up Day for Military Families
• Book Fair open for families from 4:45 - 5:30 pm
• PTA Meeting at 4:30 pm
• PTA Bingo Night at 5:30 pm

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