Dear Otter Community,

We had our first Community Gathering on Friday. We all had a great time! Here are some thing you may want to know that happened:

• Mrs. Thompson and Mr. Luckie received the Golden Otter Awards
• PreK won the Color War Spirit Day award for the month of September
• 4th grade won the Spirit Cheer award for the month of September
• School-Wide commitments were made: 1) Greet and respond to adults and peers directly with phrases such as "Good morning" and "Have a great/nice day" and "You, too!". 2) Keep our hands, feet, and bodies to ourselves.

I continued my weekly message for students this week. I covered the topics listed below. I share this with you so that you can connect home to school and have conversations with your child about these things. I was able to award one LEGO to the boys restroom near the cafeteria and another LEGO to the boys bathroom near the gym. I will continue to be on the lookout for LEGO clean bathrooms again this week. Remember, when all four group bathrooms earn three LEGOs, the whole school receives 10 extra minutes of recess!

• Hand to Self
• I have had to remind several students across grade levels this week about keeping their hands to themselves.
• I reiterated to students that there are no games or any reason whatsoever for them to be putting their hands on one another at school.
• I also reiterated that we do not use our hands to solve a problem. We use words like, "That bothers me, please stop.", or we move away from the problem, or we ask the nearest adult for help. Never, under any circumstances, do we use our hands to solve a problem.

The PTA Cookie Sale fundraiser begins this week and there is a PTA Spirit Night at the Charlotte Hall Chipotle on Tuesday.

Finally, Dr. Smith and the Student Member of the Board of Education (SMOB) will be visiting our 5th grade students on Thursday. This is the 3rd year Dr. Smith and the SMOB have visited our 5th grade students.

Otterly Yours,

Mrs. Anderson

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

Please click on the links below to access public calendars.

Online Emergency Information Update Messaging: Effective communication is critical to the success of St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS). This will be crucial not only for emergencies but for our ability to communicate with families in general. Online Emergency Information Update Forms are now available through the student’s Home Access Center (HAC). Once logged in, directions to access the online form can be found HERE. A video with instructions is available HERE. It is vital that all information is updated in eSchool. The deadline for the online submission of Emergency Information Update forms is October 31st, 2024. Please click here for the Blank Emergency Form. If you have any questions, please contact The Department of Student Services at 301-475-5511 ext.32150.

Oakville does not have a parent to serve as a member of the Educational Equity Citizens Advisory Committee (EECAC). SMCPS strives to have representation from each school. The next meeting is schedule for 9/17/2024 from 4:30 - 6:00. If you are interested in representing OES on this committee, please let me know and I will put you in touch with SMCPS representative.

The new Executive Board are parents from LHS, PPES, and GWCES. The committee focus is on school attendance.

Parents of young children and local Childcare Providers are invited to participate in a Conscious Discipline workshop Tuesday, October 15, 2024, from 5:30-7:00 p.m. The Building from the Beginning workshop will be held in the Dohrman rooms at the Dr. James A. Forrest Career & Technology Center. Mission BBQ has graciously offered to provide dinner to the first 100 people who register. Childcare is not available. Please refer to the flier here for more details. Use this Registration Form if you are interested. Local childcare providers may register here and SMCPS will pursue MSDE Core of Knowledge Hours on their behalf.

OES will be having a Fall Book Fair from Fri Oct 11th - Friday Oct 18th. 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 Fri Oct 11 through Friday Oct 18 in the OES Media Center during school hours.

Parents are invited to shop Fri Oct 18 (Trunk or Treat) 5:30 - 7:00.

Keep this list somewhere handy!

The online application process to apply for free and reduced meals for the 2024-2025 school year is open. Click HERE to access information about the process and the application.

Monday, September 30th

9:00 am - 3:45 pm

• PTA Cookie Sale Fundraiser

Tuesday, October 1st

9:00 am - 3:45 pm

• PTA Cookie Sale Fundraiser

• PTA Spirit Night and the Charlotte Hall Chipotle

Wednesday, October 2nd

9:00 am - 3:45 pm

• PTA Cookie Sale Fundraiser
• Building Service Worker Appreciation Day

Thursday, October 3rd

9:00 am - 3:45 pm

• PTA Cookie Sale Fundraiser

• Dr. Smith and SMOB visit 5th grade students

Friday, October 4th

9:00 am - 3:45 pm

• PTA Cookie Sale Fundraiser

October 28th - November 1st

St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS) students use the Internet and other instructional computer resources in school. It is important that you and your student review this information each year. Within this policy is the Google Workspace for Education Additional Services Agreement. Students in grades PreK - 5th grade do not need to complete an AUP this school year. They will not be accessing additional services within Google Workspace for Education beyond the core features.

Now is a great time to find your laptop and charger. Please run all of the updates and make sure that it is working order. Chargers are to remain at home.

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.

Hello OES Otter Families,

I am Hannah Pratz, and I am so excited to be returning to the OES family this school year! I have been a school nurse for 25 years and have loved every minute! I love what I do and my door is always open! Don't hesitate to pop in the health suite or cut through!

All medications must be accompanied by an order before they can be given at school. We CANNOT give any medication without the medical order. Please contact me beginning on August 14th with any questions.

See you all soon!

FAQ for the start of the year:

When should I keep my child home from school?

• Fever >100.0, vomiting, diarrhea, or pink and crusty eyes
• Symptoms of COVID-19 like illness OR symptoms or an illness that do not resolve after home interventions
• Your child has been directed to quarantine by the local health department

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: lpanderson@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