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,

Happy New year and welcome back! I hope this message finds you all well and that you had a joyful break. As we embrace this new year, we are excited to welcome our students back and to continue our journey of growing, learning and sharing. I hope this time has given you the opportunity to recharge with fresh energy and enthusiasm. We have two weeks before the end of second term. As we prepare for 3rd term, we want to ensure that our students continue to put forth their best efforts and to "Be Present" each and every day.

We are eager to continue fostering a positive and engaging learning environment for all of our students. We value your continued partnership in ensuring that each and every student has a successful and fulfilling experience. I have also included some information in regards to our math ALEKs program. This information is to help us all as we go into the testing season and how students practicing may lead to improvement of students overall.

As always, we will communicate throughout the school year using School Messenger, Schoology, and School Smore newsletter. Please look at the reminder below in regards to car riders in the morning. If you have any questions throughout the year, please feel free to reach out.

Warm regards,

Dr. Samuels

Principal

Please come out and support our 2025 MLK Student Awardee at the 35th Annual MLK celebration. ENA VAJZOVIC 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.

CONGRATULATIONS to all of our Band, Chorus and Orchestra students and staff who did a phenomenal job during their December concerts.

We are so proud of all of you!

Jan. 7: JROTC visits during lunch shifts

Jan 9/10: MCAP Algebra Testing (select students)

Jan. 14: MLK Celebration

Jan. 15: End of Term 2

Jan. 16: School closed for students

Jan. 17: School closed for students

Jan. 20: School and offices closed

Jan. 27 -31: WIDA testing (select students)

Jan. 29: 8th grade Polar Bear Plunge

Jan. 31: OHS counselors visit OMS for 8th grade registration

• Students who are car riders, please allow time for your student to be dropped off and to enter the building without being late to class.
• SAFETY CONCERN
• Please do not go around cars that are in front of you because we have students that are getting out of the vehicles on both sides and on occasion some students need to get their belonging out of the trunk of their vehicle.
• Cars should not make U-turns in the parking lot where students are being dropped off.
• 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.

• As we end the term, please have your child check the lost and found pile in the cafeteria.

• What is ALEKs?
• ALEKs is an adaptive Math Program
• Topics are assigned based on the individual students' needs
• We expect 5 topics completed each week
• This is a graded assignment.
• Students can pick which topics they would like to master
• Explanations are given prior to beginning the topic.
• If an incorrect answer is given, ALEKs will provide the solution and an opportunity to retry the skill.
• When focused, 5 topics typically take 25 - 30 minutes to complete.

• Do you know where your child is?
• This is a pie progress report. Your child can show you this through their clever portal!
• Students take a pre-test at the beginning of the year based on their current courses standards. This was where they were before instruction began.
• We just took a MOY Knowledge check to monitor progress on our grade level standards.
• We will be taking a 3rd administration of this knowledge check at the end of the year.
• • How do students find ALEKs?
  • FCPS Bookmarks - Clever - McGraw Hill - ALEKs of the Main Math Teacher
  • Why is ALEKS important?
  • There is a DIRECT correlation with research to Improved student grades, growth in Mathematics overall, and testing scores (including knowledge checks, iReady and MCAP) improving for student who have mastered at least 200 topics by MCAP
  • How can you help?
  • Students should have pencil and paper
  • Doing Math in your head is too difficult
  • Encourage students to take their time!
  • Pick topics that are "doable"
  • A calculator is provided online for particular topics.
  • Encourage students to read the explanations to figure out mistakes.
  • Monitor weekly topic completion via Schoology.

  
  

  Thank you for your continued support of our students and their mathematic growth!

Mrs. McCracken visited classroom prior to the the winter break to discuss registration with students. All students have access to the powerpoint that was used which is located in the schoology group named "8th grade bulletin board".

There will be a rising 9th grade registration night on February 5th at 6:00 pm at OHS.

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!!

More information to follow for the 7th grade dance which will be held on February 7th.

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!!

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.

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.

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).

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.