Dear Parents and Guardians,

As the principal of Odenton Elementary, I want to share my heartfelt commitment to ensuring that every child in our school reaches their fullest potential. We are blessed to have a vibrant community of students and families, and I truly believe that, together, we can create a nurturing and productive learning environment for all.

We need your help. Our school is currently facing challenges with student attendance, behavior, and academic performance. To be honest, data shows that OES has the lowest proficiency data in all of these areas based on other districts. These are areas that deeply impact not only individual students but also the entire learning community. Here are three areas where your partnership is essential:

1. Attendance: Regular attendance is the foundation of student success. Each day a child misses school, they lose out on valuable learning and social development. Please ensure your child arrives on time and attends school consistently. If challenges arise, reach out to us—we are here to support you.

2. Respectful Behavior: We are working to foster a school culture built on kindness, respect, and responsibility. I kindly ask you to talk with your child about the importance of respectful behavior toward peers, teachers, and staff. With your reinforcement at home, we can ensure that our school is a safe and positive place for everyone.

3. Academic Performance: Your child’s academic success is our shared goal. Encouraging reading at home, monitoring homework, and asking questions about their day go a long way in supporting their learning. We are also here to offer additional resources if needed.

If possible, please email me about volunteer opportunities to support academics as well as social development. Some of the best teachers in AACPS are at OES and are committed to your children but they (we) need full partnership to help our students thrive. I am open to meet with parents to discuss initiatives to support our school.

When home and school work hand in hand, children benefit. Your child’s success matters deeply to us, and we are committed to making every day a step toward brighter futures for all.

Thank you for your partnership and support. Together, we can make Odenton Elementary a place where every student succeeds.

Warm regards,

Mrs. Davis (ddavis2@aacps.org)

School Information

1290 Odenton Road

School Phone - 410-222-6514

Fax -410-222-6516

School hours: 8:00 a.m. - 2:25 p.m.

full steam ahead train with Odenton Elementary shown

At Odenton Elementary, we expect all students to show respect for their peers, teachers, and school property. Disruptive behavior takes away valuable learning time—not only for the student causing the disruption but for their classmates as well. When students are not focused on learning, their academic progress suffers, and this is something we simply cannot afford.

To address behavior concerns, we will enforce clear and consistent consequences with documentation. These may include time in reflection areas, loss of privileges, or, if necessary, more serious measures in line with school district policies. Our goal is not to punish, but to help students understand how their actions impact themselves and others, and to provide them with the tools to make better choices in the future.

Please join us in reinforcing these expectations at home, and let’s work together to make sure that all of our students can focus on what matters most—learning and growing.

Thank you for your support. Mrs. Davis, principal

Unattended children left at school without permission may be subject to a Visit from our supportive AACPS Police Department. The front office closes at 3:00 on normal days and at 1:00 on early dismissal days.

FEDERAL IMPACT PROGRAM SURVEY

Parents who are active military or who live or work on Federal Property in Maryland are

asked to complete this year’s Federal Impact Aid Survey that became available on

September 30, 2024.

You will be asked to verify your home address and identify if it is located on federal

property. You will also complete sections identifying if a family member is in the military

or works on federally owned property in Maryland. The survey should only take a couple

of minutes to complete and, be assured, all data collected is kept completely confidential.

Why Complete This Survey

Anne Arundel County Public Schools, like many local school districts across the United

States, include within our boundaries parcels of land that are owned by the Federal

Government or that have been removed from the local tax rolls by the Federal Government.

Federal property is exempt from local property taxes. By submitting an application to the

Department of Education each January, AACPS receives approximately $2 million to assist

in educating all our students.

Kindergarten at OES

Mobile App

Anne Arundel County Public Schools has a new mobile app that makes staying informed easier than ever before. You will also be able to communicate with your child's teacher! Download the app in the App Store or on Google Play today!

Have you seen our school website lately? We have a whole new look and it has great features to keep you informed. Make sure you check it out!

OES School Website Link

If you are looking for information about how to sign up for free/reduced lunch, menu, or setting up a lunch account, click on the link provided! Meals Information Link

Family Assistance/Holiday Meals

For anyone who might still be interested, here is the sign-up for our family assistance program: Family Assistance (English) Asistencia Familiar (Spanish). These forms went out at the beginning of the year. Nichols Bethel is the community agent that we primarily run our assistance program through. They were only able to take the first 20 families that signed up this year for the Thanksgiving meals, Christmas/Holiday meals, and Christmas Angels (presents). If your family signed up using this form earlier this year, be on the lookout for communications soon regarding deliveries and alternative options for families who signed up. Mr. Montgomery encourages families to still sign up using these forms as we will likely have some other agencies who we will be partnering with for additional support for meals and presents this year. Any specific questions can go to Mr. Montgomery (tlmontgomery@aacps.org) who coordinates this program at our school.

OES is looking for lunch & recess volunteers (and paid lunch monitor)!

Approved Volunteers Needed

Contact Mrs. Davis at ddavis2@aacps.org if interested.

In support of our county-wide initiatives on wellness, families are not permitted to drop off or send in sweet treats for classmates during lunch. If you’d like to celebrate your student's birthday, please contact the classroom teacher and send in non-edible items like pencils, erasers, or stickers for the class as an alternative to food items. Balloons are not allowed in classrooms. We will not be permitting families to come into the building or cafeteria at this time for birthday celebrations or lunch.

ALSO, students are unable to take fast food into the school cafeteria. Please do not drop off food in fast food bags for students.

ODENTON OBSERVER

Kindergarten at OES

OES is looking for lunch & recess volunteers (and paid lunch monitor)!

Approved Volunteers Needed

Contact Mrs. Davis at ddavis2@aacps.org if interested.