In "Otter" News - Week #28

Dear Oakville Families,

The 2025-2026 system operational calendar has been adjusted and approved by the Board for a second time on March 4, 2026. The Digital Media Team (DMT) has posted the amended calendar on the SMCPS website. A press release went out on Thursday, March 5th.

MedStar Health invites St. Mary’s County residents to participate in MedStar Health’s Spring into Action Community Food Drive. On March 21st, from 10:00 AM to noon, help fill the transport helicopter and ambulance with food donations and meet members of the MedStar Transport team. Donations to the event will help support the Healthy Food Pantry at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, which serves patients with food insecurities, and Feed St. Mary’s, a community-supported food bank. For more information, view the event flyer.

Classroom Celebrations Reminders:

We truly appreciate the time, energy, and heart that our families put into making classroom celebrations special. Your support brings so much joy to our students and staff. To help save families the disappointment of sending in items we are unable to use, we want to provide a clear reminder of our celebration guidelines.

• Store-bought food items in their original packaging—with a full ingredient list—are permitted.
  This allows us to carefully check ingredients to ensure all students can participate safely.
• Goody bags that contain food items cannot be accepted, even if the items are individually wrapped.
• Once items are combined in a goody bag, we cannot verify the ingredients of each item, so we are unable to distribute them.

If you would like to contribute to your child’s celebration, families are always welcome to send:

• Store-bought, original-packaged food items with ingredient lists, or
• Non-food items such as pencils, stickers, small crafts, bookmarks, or other fun seasonal trinkets.

Thank you for helping us keep celebrations safe, inclusive, and enjoyable for all of our otters. If you have any questions, please reach out to your child’s teacher or the main office.

PAWS Parent Tip

As we move into spring, it’s a great time to revisit what it means to give our Personal Best. Encourage your child to set a small goal this month, whether it’s improving reading stamina, showing extra responsibility, or practicing kindness daily. Small goals build big confidence.

Zones of Regulation Parent Tip

Seasonal changes can bring big energy shifts. Help your child notice what Zone they’re in and ask:

“What strategy will help you stay focused on your job as a learner today?”

Recognizing feelings and choosing tools to manage them builds independence and accountability.

Thank you for your continued partnership as we welcome a fresh new month of learning, growth, and connection. It’s a great time to be an Otter!

Otterly Yours,

Mrs. Anderson

Our 5th grade students will be participating in the Maryland Integrated Science Assessment (MISA) on March 10th, 11th, 17th, and 18th.

MISA measures students’ understanding of science concepts, critical thinking skills, and their ability to apply knowledge to real-world situations. Our teachers and students have been working hard all year to build strong scientific thinking skills, and this assessment provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate their growth.

Attendance is extremely important on testing days. Please make every effort to ensure your child:

• Arrives to school on time
• Is well rested
• Eats a healthy breakfast
• Is present on all four testing days

Strong attendance helps students feel confident and minimizes the need for make-up testing.

This is also a wonderful opportunity to reinforce our PAWS expectations:

• Personal Best – Give your full effort on every question.
• Act Responsibly – Take your time, read carefully, and use strategies you’ve learned.
• Work Hard – Stay focused and persevere through challenging tasks.
• Safety First – Follow all test taking rules and protocols

We are confident in our 5th graders and proud of the growth they’ve shown this year. Thank you for partnering with us to ensure they are prepared, present, and ready to shine!

If you have any questions, please reach out to your child’s teacher.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I am excited to announce that due to student request, OES will be hosting a Book Club during recess every Wednesday. This program is designed to build a love for reading while developing critical thinking and communication skills. All interested 5th graders should attend the club meeting on March 11th from 1:30-2:00 (students' scheduled recess time).

How It Works:

• Students will vote on a book to read. Books will be chosen from SMCPS elementary school library resources–specifically, books from the Battle of the Books challenge.

• Books will be provided for students to borrow.

• Students will read assigned pages and meet bi-weekly to discuss characters, plot, and themes.

• Each student is responsible for completing their reading, taking notes, or completing short activities (e.g., jotting down discussion questions on sticky notes).

What Club Meetings Will Look Like:

• A blend of discussion with creative, hands-on activities. Examples: role-playing scenes, making thematic crafts, STEM challenges based on the plot, and playing games like trivia or charades.

• Activities will be designed to foster interaction, such as creating character profiles or designing new book covers, ensuring the experience is fun rather than a chore.

Thank you for helping to make this an exciting and successful experience. Please reach out if you have any questions.

Best regards,

Ellisa DiRenzo

Visual Art Teacher
OES

St. Mary’s County has released the first draft of the St. Mary’s 2050: Charting Our Tomorrow plan — and family voices matter! This long-range plan will help guide how our community grows and preserves what makes it special for today’s students and future generations. Open Houses are being scheduled for February and March and we encourage all families to stay involved and help shape the future of St. Mary’s County. For more information on Open Houses and to review the draft St. Mary’s 2050 plan, visit: www.stmaryscountymd.gov/stmarys2050.

Click the link below to access the 2025-2026 PTA Family Directory. If you would like your information added to the directory, please contact the PTA by email: oakville.pta@gmail.com

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

Please click on the links below to access public calendars.

See below for our grade levels weekly rates of attendance in addition top our current school attendance rate. We strive for a 94% or better attendance rate. Our whole school attendance rate for SY25-26 is currently: 94%

PreK: 94% (-3%)

Kindergarten: 93% (+6%)

1st Grade: 98% (+2%)

2nd Grade: 98% (+1%)

3rd Grade: 97% (+4%)

4th Grade: 95% (+2%)

5th Grade: 95% (+2%)

St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS) is asking all parents/guardians who do not already have a MySchoolBucks account to create an online account. The MySchoolBucks platform is a convenient, secure, and efficient school payment solution for all stakeholders.

• The enrollment process is easy and getting started is simple. Parents can visit the MySchoolBucks website or download the free "MSB Parent" application from their device's app store.
• Please click the link for more information and create an account today

MySchoolBucks App

The MySchoolBucks app provides on-the-go access to your child's meal balances, purchases, and lets you make payments directly from your phone. You can manage lunch accounts by adding funds, setting up account automatic replenishment, and tracking purchases - all in one place. You can also pay for field trips, and a variety of school fees using your credit/debit card online or through the app.

Benefit of MySchoolBucks

• Convenience - Available 24/7 on the web

• Efficiency - Eliminate the need to write checks and for students to bring money to school

• Flexibility - Make payments using credit/debit cards and electronic checks

• Security - MySchoolBucks adheres to the highest security standards, including PCI and CISP

Enrollment is easy!

To get started with MySchoolBucks for your school's communications and payments, visit the MySchoolBucks website or download the mobile app to create an account and sign up for free.

1. Go to the MySchoolBucks website or download the "MSB Parent" app from your device's app store.

2. Click "Sign Up for Free" and create a new account
   Add your child using the name of the school they are attending, and either their student ID or birthdate.

3. You will receive a confirmation email that your account has been established.

4. Once your account is set up, you can add funds, view balances, and make payments for various school items and fees

Customer Service

• Email: parentsupport@myschoolbucks.com

• 1-855-832-5226

• Visit www.MySchoolBucks.com and click on Help/FAQ’s

Lost and Found

At OES, we make every effort to help students reconnect with their lost belongings. The Lost and Found is located in the cafeteria, and students are encouraged to check for missing items during lunch.

To help us return items more easily, please be sure to label jackets, water bottles, lunchboxes, and backpacks with your child’s name.

Unclaimed items will be donated to a charitable organization during winter break and again during summer break, so be sure to check the Lost and Found regularly.

Check out a message from our School Counselor, Mrs. Curtis!

SMCPS is gearing up to start evening counseling. Counseling services are 9 weeks in length, free, short-term, and open to SMCPS students. Parents can sign up to be contacted about these services by filling out this form or scanning the QR code on the flyer below. Once slots are filled, a waitlist will be generated.

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.

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. Chargers are to remain at home.

Students are expected to:

• Stay seated in their assigned seats

• Use a calm, indoor voice

• Follow the driver’s directions at all times

• Follow all relevant school rules while on the bus

Parents are encouraged to review these expectations with their child and watch the Bus Safety Video available on the SMCPS Transportation website.

Special Notes for Pre-K & Kindergarten

• Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students will exit the bus first and must be met at the bus door by a responsible person at least 13 years old.

• If no adult is present, the student will be returned to the school.

• Repeated failure to meet this requirement may also result in a loss of bus-riding privileges, as outlined in the SMCPS Handbook.

Bus Passes

SMCPS will only transport students who are assigned to a bus route. Temporary bus passes are approved only in cases of emergency.

• All requests for temporary bus passes must be directed to the main office and will be reviewed by the principal or their designee.

• Approval is not guaranteed and will be based on the nature of the request and the availability of seating.

We appreciate your understanding as we work to ensure safety and consistency in daily transportation routines.

The Student Handbook and Code of Conduct presentation will be reviewed with students over the first week of school. Please take some time to review it with your children at home, too. It is linked below.

St. Mary’s County Public Schools is launching a comprehensive Facility Utilization and School Boundary Study initiative to guide how our schools serve students and families in the years ahead. Your input matters. Whether you join a meeting, offer feedback, or follow along with updates, your voice will help shape the future of education in St. Mary’s County.

For more information please click on the links below:

The redistricting website and Smore have been updated with new information, including Options and Recommendations and Find Your Proposed School Assignments.

Our school has a parent representative and staff representative on the district-wide Community Engagement Redistricting Team. The representatives will help ensure communication of the work, timeline, and community engagement opportunities by sharing information on surveys and community engagement events through school, community, and social media resources. You can reach out to them for additional information or to share your perspective.

OES Community Engagement POCs:

• Staff Representative: Laurel Anderson (lpanderson@smcps.org)
• Parent Representative: Kimberly Sterbenz (oakville.pta.treasurer@gmail.com)

B Week

Monday, March 9th

9:00 am - 3: 45 pm

• PTA Read a Fun

Tuesday, March 10th

9:00 am - 3: 45 pm

• PTA Read a Fun

Wednesday, March 11th

9:00 am - 3:45 pm

• PTA Read a Fun
• Bus Evacuation #2

Thursday, March 12th

9:00 am - 3:45 pm

• PTA Read a Fun
• PTA General Membership Meeting @5:00 pm
• PTA Movie Night @5:30 pm

Friday, March 13th

No School for Students: Professional Development Day/Professional Responsibilities

Check out the upcoming dates of student performance for this spring!

Ottermania and the Otter Trot are hosted by Calvert Marine Museum and are not affiliated with SMCPS or OES in any way. However, because we love our dear otter so much, we choose to share so you can take part in the fun as a family!

The PTA will host a spirit week in December to get us pumped up for Winter Break! Finally, we will host a spirit week in March to coincide with Read Across America Week and the PTA Read-A-Fun.

Every Friday is Otter Spirit Day and students are encouraged to wear their Otter spirit wear! On Community Gathering days, students are encouraged to show their grade level spirit and wear their grade level colors. See the image below for grade level colors.

Hello Oakville Families!

My name is Tonya Hall, and I’m thrilled to be joining the Oakville community as your new school nurse. I have been a nurse for 17 years, this being my 7th year as a school nurse. I’m truly looking forward to getting to know every student and their family. I am committed to supporting your child’s medical needs.

You can expect to hear from me in situations that may require follow-up, such as head injuries (whether minor or more concerning), illnesses that meet the criteria for going home, or when a student’s concern is beyond what I can manage in the health room. After every visit to the health room, your child will receive a pass detailing the reason for their visit. These passes will be placed in their take-home folder for your review. If you ever have any questions or concerns about what’s listed, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

I welcome communication in whatever way is easiest for you—feel free to send an email, call the office, or stop by the school to chat in person.

As a gentle reminder, if your child has any specific medical needs—chronic or acute—please reach out to me directly. This includes new diagnoses, required medications or treatments while at school, or any communicable illnesses such as flu, COVID-19, pneumonia, or others.

I’m so excited to begin this journey with you and to be a part of your child’s support team here at Oakville!

Warmly,

Mrs. Hall

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

Save the Dates!

OES PTA Meetings | 2025–2026 School Year

Mark your calendars:

• October 22, 2025

• December 17, 2025

• March 12, 2026

• May 20, 2026

Join the OES Otters for a year of connection, collaboration & community!

Meetings will include updates, events, and ways to get involved!

Stay tuned for times and locations.

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