Dates and times are subject to change.
Thanks to families, students and staff for our smooth start to the school year. It is the Eagle Way!
We are beginning to spread our vision for this culture by calling it #eagleway. Look for tweets using this #.
I am learning so much about OMS and enjoying my time in classrooms, cafeteria and halls. I would love to hear from you throughout the year so I can best serve the needs of your child and this community. Please email me at mita.badshah@fcps.org or call me at 240-236-5505.
OMS welcomes new staff to our Health Room this year:
School Nurse Kathy Sullivan, RN, BSN Health Room Technician Lemecca Witherspoon
See Ms.Sullivan's introductory letter at http://education.fcps.org/oms/kathysullivan.
Dear Parents,
If you have moved, changed your phone number, have a new email address or need to change your emergency contact, please email the new information, along with a copy of the new proof of residence to lynn.harden@fcps.org,or you can contact Ms. Harden at 240-236-5503. It is imperative that we have your information updated in case of emergency and for any mailings. Thank you.
Buy a Yearbook Today! 64 pages of full color and memories!!
Low price of $27.00 until 9/14/16 Price increases on 9/15/16
Visit www.yearbooksforever.com
If you are an OMS family in need of either a sign language or foreign language interpreter for a school event or meeting this year, contact Lynn Harden at 240-236-5503 or lynn.harden@fcps.org. Lynn will arrange for interpreters for events such as plays, parent/teacher conferences, and meetings. Both sign language and foreign language interpreting offices REQUIRE AT LEAST 5 DAYS NOTICE to process a request.
Please urge your children to check lost and found in the cafeteria or in each of their classes for their items. We hold many smaller items such as jewelry, phones, and eyewear in the front office. Parents and guardians are welcome to stop in to check the lost and found, as well.
Unclaimed items will be donated to a local charity at the end of each term.
Students are expected in middle school to change during Physical Education classes. Students may bring in their own gray shirt and black shorts, or they may purchase a uniform through https://frederickcounty.schoolcashonline.com. The OMS uniform order will be placed on September 16. Uniforms usually arrive by the end of September.
Did you know that as an FCPS student, your child has access to free ebooks and audiobooks? With the free Axis 360 app (available for both iOS and android devices), students can browse the digital collection, check out books and read or listen to them in one app!
To access the free ebooks and audiobooks, please visit our library media center website at http://education.fcps.org/oms/mediacenter. Click on the link for Axis 360 directions under the Middle School Wall icon.
Or visit http://bit.ly/1royOLQ for the directions. This Google Doc will give you directions on how to download the app and access our free ebooks and audiobooks.
For questions, please contact Ms. Ralston at liz.ralston@fcps.org.
Each month the OMS newsletter will provide several “HAL Highlights” to showcase the variety of ways our teachers in our Highly Able Learner program are working with Ms. Shomaker, our Advanced Academic Specialist, to better meet the needs of our highly able learners. See the September HAL Highlights at https://fcps.ezcommunicator.net/edu/frederick/upload/9/5186.pdf.
Mrs. Horak, Ms. Corridon, Mrs. Anderson, Mrs. England, Mrs. Hajjar and Ms. Grassi are excited for the 2016-17 school year!
OMS 25 Book Challenge - Students planning to earn their 25 Book medallion must complete the online reading log for each book they read. The reading log is easily accessible through your child’s Language Arts Google Classroom. Students may include their summer reading. Final entries are due by May 26th .
Welcome to the 16-17 School Year! We are excited to begin another year and are off to a great start!! Students are working hard on the math curriculum and learning many very important math concepts. Many times we are asked:
How come the math my child brings home doesn't look like the math I remember?
This quote really speaks to this question: “We are preparing our students for jobs that do not yet exist.” Wow! What a thought! If you don't recognize the math in your child's homework, think about how the world has changed since you were in school. The math looks different because the world is different. Advances in science, technology, information processing and communication, combined with the changing workplace, make it necessary for all students to learn more math.
The basics are changing. Arithmetic skills, although important, are no longer enough. To succeed in tomorrow's world, students must understand algebra, geometry, statistics, and probability. Business and industry demand workers who can solve real world problems, explain their thinking to others, identify and analyze trends from data, and use modern technology. The mathematics students do in middle school should prepare them for the new basic skills necessary for their futures.
Problem Solving
A problem is something you do not immediately know how to solve. There is a gap between where you are and getting started on a path to a solution. This means that our students require thinking and playing-with-the-problem time. Students need to test out ideas, to make conjectures, to go up ‘dead ends’ and adjust their thinking in the light of what they learn from this, discuss ideas with others and be comfortable to take risks. When students are confident to behave in these ways they are then able to step into problems independently rather than immediately saying “I don’t know”!
We are working to help students learn Math and become great problem solvers. Problem solving is not always easy for students. You might hear your child say, “My teacher is not giving me the answer.” Or “My teacher won’t help me.” Teachers are helping students through the process of becoming a great problems by preserving through problems, using the resources they have to help them before giving students answers. Teachers will be asking guided questions, scaffolding instruction, and providing the students with the tools they need to be successful.
Instruction
Teachers are teaching different too. Teachers are using interactive notebooks, technology, stations, rotations, cooperative learning, real-life situation tasks to address many different learning styles and keep all students engaged in learning the language of math.
You might hear your child talk about gluing and folding paper. Students were creating a foldable of notes or adding to their interactive notebooks. I have seen many students use their interactive notes on different activities. How awesome for students to have a resource that they understand and can use after taking notes! This is not an everyday activity (and takes minimal time) but one that may be different for your child and stand out to them.
You might hear your child say they only did one problem all period. This is a real-life situational task that includes many different aspects of the math students are learning. Tasks are generally more complex and rigorous as the direct formula is not provided and students must decipher what is needed to solve the problem.
One of my favorite quotes is “Mistakes are proof you are trying.” Student mistakes are celebrated because we can learn from them. We all make mistakes and we want students to understand that you can grow and continue to learn math even through our mistakes.
Challenge Math Opportunities
Check out “A Tale of Two Classrooms” blog by Peter Cincotta, FCPS Math Curriculum Specialist, at http://whatssogoodaboutpubliceducation.blogspot.com. Mr. Cincotta highlights the changes in math instruction and shares research and data about the changes happening!
Thank you for your continued support as we embark on another wonderful year of learning with your children!
Kristen Herr, Oakdale Middle School Math Specialist & Department Chair
http://education.fcps.org/oms/ 5810 Oakdale School Road Ijamsville, MD 21754 240-236-5500 Fax 240-236-5501