November 11, 2026 | Issue 191

We hope your Halloween was fun and that school is going well for all our OM students! OM schools continue to rock at sports, academics, music, and other endeavors. Keep up the good work!

A few school orgs are having restaurant nights in the next few weeks. And many are trying to raise funds for various programs. Scroll along to see how you can help!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Brigitta Warren, Village Manager

Amy Carpenter, Events & Administrative Coordinator

Rockettes Workshop - donations needed!

OMHS Dance students have the opportunity to not only watch the Rockettes perform live at Radio City Music Hall, but to also engage in a workshop with the Rockettes backstage on Tuesday, December 15, 2026!! OMHS is seeking donations to support students needing financial assistance to participate in this experience. The field trip price of $475.00 per dancer includes a charter bus, show tickets and lunch. Thank you for your consideration and generosity! Donate HERE.

OMHS Shredheads - donations needed!

The OMHS modern band Shredheads has been selected to perform at the Maryland Music Educators Association (MMEA) State Conference in Baltimore on February 5, 2027!

Donations are needed to help with the charter bus and day-of lunch. If you'd like to donate, click HERE.

Support Junior Interviews!

Junior Mock Interviews are coming to OMHS on Thursday, December 17th, 2026, and interviewers are needed. Your contributions can make a tremendous impact by helping students build confidence and interview skills. If you’re interested in participating, please complete the Google Form by clicking HERE.

Congratulations to Senior Devin Gomez-Lopez on being named Howard County's Player of the Year!

OMHS Fall Play: Puffs

November 12-13, 7:00 p.m.

November 14, 2:00 & 7:00 p.m.

OMHS Auditorium

Tickets $10, available Nov. 1 on BookTix

OMHS Football - MPSSAA Regional Playoff Game vs. Glenelg 

November 13, 6:00 p.m.

OMHS

Bring your energy and Pack The Mill!

Get your tickets in advance on GoFan when they become available. Volunteers for concessions still needed. Sign up HERE.

OMHS Food Pantry

November 18, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Open to all community members; having a student at OMHS is not required. More info.

OMHS Shredheads Concert

November 18, 7:00 p.m.

OMHS Auditorium

Winter Sports Tryouts

November 14 to 17

More info

FAB Restaurant Night at Big Greek Cafe

November 30

Details to be posted HERE.

WBAL Concert for Kids

December 5, 1:00 & 7:00 p.m.

OMHS

Tickets & Info

Winter Dance Concerts

December 11 & 12, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.

OMHS Auditorium

Fall Sports Concessions Sign Up

Want to help staff concessions during fall sports? Sign up here!

County Sports Zone

Get sports schedules on County Sports Zone! This year, OMHS has girls flag football, in addition to all the other sports!

Get tickets to OMHS games HERE.

OMMS Celebrates Hispanic Heritage

November 19, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Dinner served at 5:30 p.m.

OMMS Gym

For OMMS families. Must register to receive a ticket. Prizes, family fun, music, and more! Register.

OMMS Restaurant Night at Burger Fi

December 1, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.

6181 Old Dobbin Lane, Columbia

OMMS Restaurant Night at Panda Express

December 9, 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

6455 Dobbin Rd, Columbia

Info & flyer

Donations needed for OMMS Music Uniforms

OMMS choral, band, and orchestra students wear polo shirts for their performances. Those shirts cost $22 each. If you'd like to help fund the cost of their shirts, click HERE.

Trot for Talbott

November 20

TSES

TSES Restaurant Night at Panda Express

November 25

Available at Panda Express restaurants nationwide

Place your order for pickup or delivery on Wednesday, November 25! Apply code 9016634 in the

Fundraiser Code box during online checkout. Online orders only.

TSES School Hours

8:45 a.m. - arrival

3:15 p.m. - dismissal

TSES Sunshine Cart

The TSES Sunshine Committee would love your help in showering TSES's amazing staff with monthly treats! The goal is to provide each staff member with a sweet or salty snack and a beverage each month as a small token of appreciation.

Please consider donating individually wrapped snacks and/or drinks. Donations can be dropped off at the front office.

Prefer not to shop? Monetary donations are also welcome. Please send checks or money orders (payable to Talbott Springs Elementary School) in a sealed envelope marked Attention: Sunshine Committee.

If you have any questions, please contact patricia_cristiani@hcpss.org.

Job Opportunity at THES

THES is looking for someone who is compassionate and able to assist students with disabilities who require direct adult supervision throughout the school day. The position works under the daily supervision of the school administration and under the direction of a special education teacher and/or a classroom teacher. Some experience working with children is preferred. Below are details regarding the position.

• Temporary Employee (TE) positions are with Social Service Consultants, Ltd. 
• Compensation is $15.87 per hour
• The hours are 9:25 AM – 3:55 PM Monday-Friday 

To apply for the TE position, please email Robert Tencher at rtencher@gmail.com to request an application packet. Please specify that you are interested in working at Thunder Hill Elementary School. Contact Assistant Principal, Brian McMahon at brian_holcombmcmahon@hcpss.org and/or Assistant Principal, Katie Lee at katherine_lee@hcpss.org when you have completed all parts of the application.

THES Restaurant Night at Chipotle

November 18, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.

6181 Old Dobbin Lane, Columbia

Mention THES PTA when ordering.

THES Holiday Market

November 21, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

THES

Free! All are welcome!

THES Arrival & Dismissal

9:10 a.m. - arrival begins

9:25 a.m. - students must arrive by this time

3:55 p.m. - dismissal

HCPSS Free RTA Bus Pass Program

Thanks to a continued partnership between HCPSS, Howard County Government, and Regional Transportation Agency (RTA), all HCPSS middle and high school students have access to free RTA bus passes through summer 2027. Students have full access to the RTA system and are not limited to transportation to and from schools or to school-related activities.

If your child is interested, they can visit the front office to request a free pass. To obtain the free student bus pass, students must agree to: ​

• Provide name/student ID, address, and grade to school staff​
• Maintain possession of the pass ​
• Not transfer or share the pass with others​
• Abide by Howard County Public School System rules while on-board.

Note: If the pass is lost or misplaced, only one replacement pass will be provided to the student.

Howard County government and the Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland also have a digital bus pass program, enabling students to access free RTA bus passes directly from their phones or smart devices using a mobile app. Students who do not have access to a smart phone may still receive a free, printed bus pass from their school office.

For more information on RTA and detailed schedule information, please call 1-800-270-9553 or visit Transit RTA.

School Closure Dates

November 23 & 24: 3-hr early dismissal

November 25-27: Schools closed

December 9: 3-hr early dismissal

December 24 - January 1: Schools closed for Winter Break

Full HCPSS Calendar

Emergency/weather closings info

Update Your Family File Today!

HCPSS utilizes Family File for parents/guardians to supply emergency information. Parents/guardians must verify and/or update information for each child every year.

Free & Reduced Meals

Changes to federal law may have impacted students’ Free and Reduced Meals Program (FARMs) eligibility for the 2026-2027 school year, and families that previously received direct certification may not be automatically enrolled this year. All eligible families are urged to complete a FARMs application, available online or via paper form.

Get the Scoop on the 2026-27 School

Year

See a general list of resources on HCPSS's 2026-27 School Year page.

Board of Education Meetings

Upcoming Regular Meetings:

• November 12, 7 p.m. – Capital Budget Public Hearing & BOE Work Session
• November 19, 4 & 7 p.m. – Regularly Scheduled Meeting

The BoardDocs website has transitioned to Diligent Community. The Board’s Community website houses Board reports, presentations and related documents. It additionally is home to the Board’s document library and all pertinent Board information. School Board announcements/meetings can still be found on HCPSS's Board of Ed page.

Safe Schools Maryland

Safe Schools Maryland is an anonymous and free reporting system available to students, teachers, staff members, parents, and the general public to report any school or student safety concerns, including mental health concerns. 

Safe Schools Maryland is Maryland’s only official anonymous reporting system. Safe Schools Maryland operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. Your anonymous report can be submitted by calling the tip line (1-833-MD-B-SAFE / 1-833-632-7233), completing an online form or downloading the free Safe Schools Maryland app from the App Store or Google Play.​ 

All students should feel comfortable in Maryland’s schools. Children and young adults are stronger students when they feel safe and secure. Strong students go on to serve as the foundation for strong communities. 

Safe Schools Maryland exists to ensure that our schools and our students remain safe and secure. With Safe Schools Maryland, all interested members of our communities are able to report their school and student safety concerns anonymously and sec​urely.  

Oakland Mills High School Food Pantry

November 18, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Free, no contact.

Free Student Meals

Click HERE to learn more and apply.