Otter Families!

Weekly Attendance Rate Check: 95.25% attendance rate for the SY!

It was a quiet week at school as we jumped into the 2nd marking period.

Report cards will be available in the Home Access Center (HAC) on Tuesday, November 7th at 5:00 p.m. Report card narratives will be emailed to you no later than 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 7th as well. If you need assistance accessing your HAC account, please reach out to the front office for assistance.

Please join us for our Veteran's Day program on Tuesday, November 7th @ 10:00 a.m. or 2:30 p.m. Ms. Drake and our 4th grade students will be celebrating our Veteran's service in song!

As a reminder, students are considered late to school if they arrive after 9:15 a.m. We have PreK transfer buses arriving from MES and DES after 9:15 and that is why adults have been outside in the mornings. If your child is arriving by car after 9:15 a.m., you will need to park in the parking lot and walk your child into the building to sign them in.

Finally, remember that on Friday, November 10th, all SMCPS Schools and Offices will be closed in observance of Veteran's Day. Enjoy a three-day weekend!

"Otterly" Yours,

Mrs. Anderson

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

Mrs. Curtis (School Counselor), Mrs. Towne (Pupil Personnel Worker), and I met to review 1st Quarter attendance statistics. Formal attendance letters will be mailed home over the next two weeks to those families whose attendance is a concern at this point in the year.

Please remember to communicate with your child's teacher, the main office, or the school nurse when your child is absent so that we can accurately label their absences as lawful or unlawful.

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.

Our schools are heavily impacted by federally connected students – those parents/guardians who work on federal property in Maryland, live on federal property in Maryland, and/or are active duty military personnel. Because of this impact, we receive federal grant funds to operate and maintain our schools and enrich school programs. To receive these funds, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) requires us to survey each student to determine eligibility. SMCPS is encouraging all parents/guardians to please take the time to access and complete the Impact Aid Survey Form online, located in the Home Access Center (HAC). Once logged in, directions to access the online form can be found HERE. A video with instructions is available HERE. The form can now be accessed in Spanish by clicking on the Globe in the top right-hand corner once the form has been started. The deadline for the online submission of Impact Aid Program Survey forms is November 14, 2023.

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 November 14, 2023. Please click here for the Blank Emergency Form. If you have any questions, please contact Tiffany Shreve at tkshreve@smcps.org.

There are so many fantastic things happening in our efforts to support SMCPS students with disabilities. Please use this survey to share your praise, story, or news about successes in your school or department!

This survey is generated and reviewed by the SMCPS Department of Special Education.

Otters – let’s get c-r-e-a-t-i-v-e! The PTA invites you to enter your drawing in our Yearbook Cover Contest! The selected design will be featured on our 2023-2024 yearbook cover and the student with the selected design will receive a free, personalized hard-copy yearbook.

All entries must be:

1. Drawn on an 8.5 x 11 sheet of plain, white paper
2. Vertical (portrait orientation)

All entries must include:

1. The words “Oakville Elementary School”
2. The date “2023-2024”
3. A minimum border of 1⁄2” between text/graphic and the edge of the paper.
4. Background colors may go all the way to the edge of the paper.

Tips for a good entry:

1. Not a lot of white space – lots of color (including background)
2. Mix up your medium (play with one or more of the following: crayons,watercolors, markers, oil pastels, etc.)
3. Use up the whole sheet of paper (the bigger the better)
4. Incorporate our school theme this year – COLORFUL

Questions? Email oakvillepta.secretary@gmail.com

B WEEK

Monday, 11/6

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

• 3rd and 4th Grade STEM For ALL Experience
• PTA Ledo's Spirit Night

Tuesday, 11/7

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

• 4th Grade Veteran's Day Program @10:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
• Report Cards available on HAC at 5:00 p.m.

Wednesday, 11/8

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

• Picture retake day

Thursday, 11/9

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

• Spirit Day/Color Wars Day - Wear Red, White, and Blue to celebrate our Veterans
• Yearbook Cover Contest Entries Due

Friday, 11/10

• ALL SCHOOLS AND OFFICES CLOSED IN OBSERVANCE OF VETERAN'S DAY

Please click HERE for a link for ALL OES students to submit items for display for our Veteran's Day performance.

Hello OES Otter Family,

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 24 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!

See you all soon!

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

Fall School Yearbook Pictures

Tentatively scheduled for September 26th

Retakes are tentatively scheduled for November 8th

More information will be provided as the dates draw closer.