Oakland Mills School Happenings | February 18, 2026 | Issue 176 | | |
The snow and ice is finally melting away, and soon we'll see the first signs of spring, reminding us that there is always hope even in the darkest, coldest seasons of life.
As many of you already know, OMHS renovations were removed from the FY27 HCPSS Capital Budget a few months ago. The budget has not been finalized, and there is still time to advocate. See the HCPSS block below for info about the budget process and upcoming Board of Education meetings.
Have a wonderful day!
Brigitta Warren, Village Manager
Amy Carpenter, Events & Administrative Coordinator
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Oakland Mills High School
| | | Congratulations to the OMHS Track and Field Teams. Both boys and girls teams are the 3A Central Regional Champions! | |
PTSA Paint Day-Date
February 21, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Pinot's Pallette
11105 Resort Rd., Suite 105, Turf Valley Town Square, Ellicott City
See flier below for more info.
Register HERE.
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Tri-M Concert at Savage Mill
February 21, 1:30 p.m.
Savage Mill
8600 Foundry St, Savage, MD
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OMHS Food Pantry
February 25, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
OMHS
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OMHS Spring Musical: Rogers & Hammerstein's Cinderella
March 5-6, 7:00 p.m.
March 7, 2:00 & 7:00 p.m.
OMHS Auditorium
More info & tickets to come soon!
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FAB No Limit Texas Hold'em Tournament
March 14, 5:00 to 11:00 p.m.
The Other Barn
5851 Robert Oliver Place, Columbia
Must be 21+ to register. See flier below for more details. Registration link
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Help with Winter Sports Concessions!
The OMHS Boosters need people to held with concessions during games. Sign up HERE!
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Sports Schedules
Visit County Sports Zone for schedules and results.
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Oakland Mills Middle School
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Spring Fling Sneaker Ball
March 6, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
OMMS Gym
For OMMS students only. Tickets cash only, $7 for entrance, $10 for VIP entry, pizza, & soda, on sale during lunch.
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OMMS PTSA Givebacks
Want to donate to the OMMS PTSA? Visit the PTSA's Givebacks page to find out how.
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Donate to the Falcon Store
The PTSA is looking for donations for the Falcon Store. Students are able to purchase items with the Falcon bucks they earn for good behavior. Email the PTSA for suggestions or if you are interested in staffing the store during student lunch periods.
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Stevens Forest Elementary School
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SFES Lunch & Recess Monitor Position Open
SFES is looking for a Lunch/Recess Monitor to join the Stevens Forest Elementary community! Seeking an engaging candidate to work with an amazing community and help create a safe, positive environment for our students during lunch and recess.
Hours: 10:00 AM – 1:50 PM (on full school days)
Pay: $16/hour
To learn more or express interest, reach out to Casey Schurman, Assistant Principal, at Casey_Schurman@hcpss.org
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SFES Family Science Night
February 19, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
SFES Cafeteria
Presented by the Maryland Science Center and sponsored by the Howard County Arts Council. More info
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SFES PTA Fundraiser: Mini Photoshoot & Cozy Cafe
March 14
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
SFES
$45/photoshoot session. Deadline to sign up: March 11. See details in flier below.
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PTA Steam Night
March 26, 6:00 p.m.
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SFES Judy Center
The Judy Center Early Learning Hub connects families with high-quality, comprehensive, full-day, full-year early education services, promoting school readiness for children ages 0 to 5. Its goals are to serve students and families within the schools’ boundaries. Would you like to learn more about the SFES Judy Center? Call 410-313-8245, or fill out this form or in Spanish - Spanish Interest Form
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Talbott Springs Elementary School
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TSES Black History Month Celebration
February 26, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
TSES Cafeteria
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Save the Date: TSES Sneaker Ball
March 5
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Thunder Hill Elementary School
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Winter Thunderland
February 19, 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
THES
Food trucks, music, games, activities, photo booth, and robotics team presentation. Children must be accompanied by a parent or adult caregiver at all times.
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THES Restaurant Night at BJ's Brewhouse
February 26, 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
6181 Columbia Crossing Cir, Columbia
See flier on the PTA's website.
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THES STEM Night
March 11, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
THES
For THES students and families
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Thunderbirds SOAR Cart: Donations Needed!
The THES Thunderbirds are working hard this year demonstrating THES's SOAR behaviors! They are earning many DOJO points for Showing Kindness, Including Others, Showing Respect to Others, and Being Responsible. They can use DOJO points to shop at the SOAR cart every other week. We are looking for creative ways to replenish items on the cart. If you would like to donate an item, you can use this Amazon Wish List to have items sent directly to our school.
Thank you for your consideration and generosity! -- THES SOAR Team
https://a.co/240ihGJ
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Howard County Public School System
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School Closure Dates
March 3: 3-hour Early Release
March 20: Schools Closed
March 30 - April 6: Spring Break
Emergency/weather closings info
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FY27 Operating Budget Process
*IMPORTANT FOR OMHS RENOVATIONS*
Brief budget updates may be found on the HCPSS website and will be shared each week in the HCPSS News email, as applicable. Complete budget information also is available online.
The Board of Education will hold its next budget work session Thursday, Feb. 19 at 1 p.m. Work sessions are open to the public, however members of the public may not participate.
The Board of Education will hold a regular meeting on Feb. 26. During the meeting, the Board is scheduled to hold budget deliberations & adoption of the FY27 Operating & Capital Budgets & FY27-32 Capital Improvement Program.
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Free County Transit Options for HCPSS Students
Through a partnership with the Howard County Government and Regional Transit Agency (RTA), HCPSS middle and high school students can ride RTA and HoCoRapid Ride transportation for free. The RTA provides fixed bus routes on a schedule throughout Howard County south of Route 40, and HoCo RapidRide offers on-demand rides in parts of Elkridge, Hanover, Columbia and Jessup.
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2026 Family Academy Conference
March 4, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Long Reach High School
6101 Old Dobbin Lane, Columbia
HCPSS families are invited to an evening of learning, connection, and access to resources that support student success. Families can look forward to a light dinner; community resource fair; and interactive workshops focused on academic achievement, well-being, and family engagement.
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HCPSS Special Education Parent Resource Fair
March 14, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Cedar Lane School
11630 Scaggsville Road, Fulton
The HCPSS Special Education Resource Fair provides families with information available from the community and HCPSS to support their students receiving special education and related services. Get connected to: Services within HCPSS, Recreational Activities, Camps, Community Groups, Service Providers, Transition Information, Assistive Technology, Behavioral Health, Howard County Government Resources, and much more!
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HCPSS Food and Nutrition Services Taste Test
March 20, 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Hammond High School
8800 Guilford Rd, Columbia
Register by March 4
HCPSS students, staff, and families are invited to try new meal items and provide their feedback about the taste and quality of the offerings to help make improvements to food service. Attendees will also receive information and resources about school food service. Capacity is limited, so register soon.
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Board of Education Meetings
Upcoming Regular Meetings:
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February 26, 4:00 & 7:00 p.m. – Regularly Scheduled Meeting
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March 26, 4:00 & 7:00 p.m. – Regularly Scheduled Meeting
Board meetings may be viewed live or on-demand online, and during and after each meeting on Howard County Comcast channel 95 or Verizon channel 42. Upcoming Public Hearings can be found online.
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Oakland Mills Board of Directors
Education Committee
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OMCA Education Committee meeting
Next meeting: TBA
The Oakland Mills Community Association's Education Committee advocates for and assists our schools to ensure students attending schools in the Oakland Mills Cluster have top-quality educational opportunities in diverse, enriching settings. New members always welcome!
For more information contact Oakland Mills Board of Directors, Jonathan Edelson at jledelson.omca@gmail.com.
| | | Community Resources & Announcements | | | |
Volunteers Needed to be Mentors
OhanaHC matches students from OMHS and three other Howard County high schools with adult mentors there to help them reach their chosen goals. More mentors are needed for OMHS students! Interested in helping? Click the button below to find out more.
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Oakland Mills Online (OMO) is an online social learning platform founded by Oakland Mills families to keep our community connected.
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HC DrugFree provides resources and education on prevention, treatment, recovery, and health and wellness to help Howard County residents develop knowledge and skills to understand and address behavioral health (substance use and mental health) disorders. HC
DrugFree website.
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CAREAPP makes it easy to find and connect with over 2,500 Howard County programs for food, health, housing, transportation, education, employment assistance, and more.
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The Grassroots Day Resource Center at Leola Dorsey is located at:
10390 Guilford Road, Suite A
Jessup, MD
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FindHelp.org's Listings of Food Pantry Programs in Columbia
Click HERE
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CAREAPP
Find services for food, health, housing, transportation, education, employment assistance, and more. Click HERE for info.
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Howard County Food Connections Map
Interactive tool to help you find low-cost, accessible food and nutrition resources in the County. Also find transit routes/stops. Click HERE.
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Howard County Food Bank
Shop for the Foods YOU want at the Howard County Food Bank. All shopping trips are family-choice. Fresh items such as milk, eggs, hygiene products, meats, produce are all on hand each time. Families who may qualify should visit www.CAC-HC.org (Community Action Council website) or call 410-313-6440 for more details.
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Howard County Multiservice Center Food Pantry
9900 Washington Blvd, Suite 1, Laurel
Mondays & Wednesdays
12:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Third Saturday
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
More info: English, Spanish
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What to Do If You Are Laid Off
Losing a job can be a devastating experience. What to Do If You Are Laid Off is a new resource from the Office of Consumer Protection which provides helpful tips and links for people facing job loss. Howard County is offering resources for people affected by federal job loss - reach out to hocohelp@howardcountymd.gov for assistance.
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Columbia Community Care
Free food and goods for those in need. Volunteers and donations welcome. For food distribution dates and location and other information please visit the CCC website for details.
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Oakland Mills High School Food Pantry
February 25, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Free, no contact.
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Free Student Meals
Click HERE to learn more and apply.
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Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland
Meals on Wheels provides nutritious meals once a week for seniors, as well as support and safety-net services. To learn more about services or to donate/volunteer, click HERE.
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Community Action Council Assistance
Community Action Council offers housing assistance, energy assistance, food assistance, and early childhood education. Visit www.cac-hc.org to learn more. Get support or get involved now by calling 410-313-6440.
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Discounts for Food Deliveries
This article by the Associated Press/WBALTV lists companies offering discounts and/or free delivery for SNAP beneficiaries, including free delivery from food banks.
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Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center
8990 Old Annapolis Road, Suite A , Columbia
Call: 410-531-6677 or 410-531-6006
24 Hour Hotline: Dial 988
grassrootscrisis.org
Telephone counseling, free walk-in counseling, a 24-hour suicide hotline, Mobile Crisis Team, and a Runaway Teen Program that provides crisis intervention for runaway youth and their families. The emergency shelter will still be open at its location, 6700 Freetown Road. All services are free. Marylanders with mental health or substance use issues are encouraged to call 988 to reach help.
National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988.
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Oakland Mills High School Food Pantry
Donations Accepted at The Other Barn, Mondays through Thursdays, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
See details, including a list of needed items HERE. Donations always welcome! No expired food please! Items can be dropped off in the front office during school hours, 7:30 am - 3:00 pm. Monetary donations are also welcome or order donations through the pantry's Amazon Wishlist. More info.
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AOK Mentoring & Tutoring: Tutors Needed!
Would you like to be a volunteer mentor-tutor who supports Howard County elementary and middle school students? Are you a trustworthy adult who can commit to one school year of service for a student? A-Ok would love to meet you! Find the next A-Ok info session on the A-Ok website.
AOK News: A-Ok Mentoring-Tutoring, Inc. has rebranded and has a name and logo! The new name is AOK Mentoring & Tutoring, with a new tagline for the AOK acronym: All Our Kids.
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