In "Otter" News - Week #15 and #16

Dear Otter Community,

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I find myself reflecting on the countless reasons we have to be grateful as a school community. This season reminds us to pause and appreciate the wonderful people and moments that make our school such a special place.

Our Gratitude Overflows

This year has been filled with countless moments that remind me why I love being part of this incredible school community. I am deeply grateful for the specific ways our Otter family has come together to support one another.

Our Amazing Students

To our students, you have shown such heart and compassion through initiatives like our Otters Helping Otters food drive, where you stepped up to support our local food pantry. Watching you add links to our Kindness Chain in the cafeteria has been a reminder of how you look out for each other with small acts that make a big difference. And who could forget the excitement when you worked together to earn every single bathroom puzzle piece, ultimately earning our whole school an extra ten minutes of recess?

Our Dedicated Staff

To our teachers and staff: your creativity and dedication shine through in everything you do. From our 2nd grade's heartwarming music performance about all the ways to be thankful this Thanksgiving season, to the way you work together to accomplish "all the things" that make our school run smoothly, your commitment to our students is extraordinary.

Our Supportive Families

To our families: your partnership means everything. The way you collaborate with our school staff to support student needs creates a strong foundation that helps every child thrive. Your trust and involvement make our school community stronger.

Together, we are creating something special here at OES. Thank you for making every day brighter with your kindness, dedication, and Otter spirit.

Looking Ahead Together

As we enjoy this well-deserved break with family and friends, please know that we're already excited to welcome everyone back for the final stretch before winter break. There are wonderful learning opportunities and special events planned that will make December memorable for our entire school community.

Important Reminders

Extended Newsletter Coverage: Please note that this SMORE newsletter covers the next two weeks and includes important information for both this week and the week we return from Thanksgiving break. Be sure to review all the details so you don't miss any upcoming events or important dates.

Save the Date: Our next Principal/Parent Chat and Chew is scheduled for Friday, December 5th at 10:00 AM. This is always a wonderful opportunity to connect, share ideas, and discuss how we can continue supporting our students together. I look forward to seeing many of you there.

Wishing You Joy

May your Thanksgiving be filled with warmth, laughter, and precious moments with those you love. Thank you for being such an essential part of what makes our school community extraordinary.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back on December 1st refreshed and ready for an amazing December together!

Otterly Yours,

Mrs. Anderson

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: 93% (+3%)

Kindergarten: 96% (+3%)

1st Grade: 94% (+1%)

2nd Grade: 95% (+/-0%)

3rd Grade: 94% (+4%)

4th Grade: 94% (+1%)

5th Grade: 94% (-2%)

We strongly encourage families to utilize My School Bucks not only for your child's meal account, but also for collecting money for things like field trips, school fines, or classroom level events. The OES Store has been established on My School Bucks and is available to all students and their families.

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

Attendance

Consistent, on-time attendance is one of the most important ways families can support student success. At OES, we aim to help every child start their day feeling calm, prepared, and connected to the learning community. Families are encouraged to make every effort to ensure that students attend school at least 94% of the time throughout the year. A 94% attendance rate means students have not missed more than 10 days of school for the year. A student is considered chronically absent if they are absent for 10% of the school year, or 18 days of school. Missing 18 days of school adds up to over three and a half weeks of missed instruction. That’s enough to impact academic progress and social connections, even if the absences are excused.

Arriving on time helps students ease into their morning, receive important routines and announcements, and engage fully in instruction from the very start. Frequent tardiness, just like absences, can add up over time and lead to gaps in learning. Even just 10 minutes late each day is the equivalent of a week of missed instruction over the course of a year.

If your family is struggling with morning routines or transportation, please reach out ot our school counselor. We’re here to help problem-solve and support.

We recognize that some students may face ongoing health challenges that impact their ability to attend regularly. If this applies to your child, please reach out proactively to the school counselor and school nurse to discuss options for support.

Reporting Absences

• The recommended method for reporting a student's absence is through the “Report a Student Absence” link on the school website. This ensures the office is notified immediately and helps streamline communication.

• Teachers will receive absence information entered by the office and will hold any missed work for lawful absences until the student returns.

• Parents or Guardians may request missed work from the teacher for a lawful absence. Work may be shared via Schoology or placed in the office for pickup.

• Please note: Teachers may not be able to provide work in advance if lessons or materials have not yet been prepared for the dates of a lawful absence.

Lawful Absences

Per SMCPS guidelines, the following are considered lawful absences:

• Death in the immediate family

• Student illness (a physician’s note may be required)

• Court summons

• Hazardous weather conditions

• School-approved work experience

• Religious observance

• Declared state of emergency

• Medical or dental appointments

• Pregnant and parenting students (refer to Board Regulations JED-R, JHCG-R)

• Suspension

• Lack of authorized transportation

• Other reasons deemed appropriate by the principal or designee

If a student is absent 25 days or more, whether excused or unexcused, the student will be referred to the School Attendance Team for review and may be considered for retention the following school year.

Students arriving at school after the start of their school day will be considered tardy. Students leaving early before the end of the school day will be counted as having a sign out.

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 link below.

• Link to Redistricting Smore - UPDATED FOR 11/17 - COMMUNITY SURVEY #2 OPEN

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)

A Week

Monday, November 24th

9:00 am - 3:45 pm

• Yearbook Cover Contest

Tuesday, November 25th

9:00 am - 3:45 pm

• Yearbook Cover Contest
• Honey Baked Ham Pick Up from 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Wednesday, November 26th

All SMCPS Schools Closed

OES Office will be Closed

Thursday, November 27th

ALL SMCPS Schools and Offices Closed

Friday, November 28th

All SMCPS Schools and Offices Closed

B Week

Monday, December 1st

9:00 am - 3:45 pm

• Yearbook Cover Contest
• PTA Holiday Shop Open (Lunch and Recess)

Tuesday, December 2nd

9:00 am - 3:45 pm

• Yearbook Cover Contest
• PTA Holiday Shop Open (Lunch and Recess)
• 3rd Grade Students Participate in GIZMO Lesson with Mrs. Curtis

Wednesday, December 3rd

9:00 am - 3:45 pm

• Yearbook Cover Contest
• PTA Holiday Shop Open (Lunch and Recess)

Thursday, December 4th

9:00 am - 3:45 pm

• Yearbook Cover Contest
• PTA Holiday Shop Open (Lunch and Recess)

Friday, December 5th

9:00 am - 3:45 pm

• Principal/Parent Chat and Chew #2 @10:00 am
• Yearbook Cover Contest
• PTA Holiday Shop Open (Lunch and Recess)

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

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