Oakland Mills School Happenings

January 21, 2026 | Issue 174

We hope you are having a nice January. The OMHS Chamber Choir has the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall in March, but financial support is needed. See how you can help in the box below.


Good luck to OMHS students as they power through mid-terms this week!


Stay warm and safe this weekend! (We heard there's going to be lots of snow!!)


Brigitta Warren, Village Manager

Amy Carpenter, Events & Administrative Coordinator

Oakland Mills High School

Chamber Choir Opportunity - Donations Needed!!

The OMHS Chamber Choir has an unforgettable two-day performance opportunity at the legendary Carnegie Hall in March 2026, led by nationally renowned conductors, Dr. Edryn Coleman & Marques Garrett, and World Premiere Composer-in-Residence, Kahan Taraporevala.


This event includes two rehearsals, a sound check, and ends with a public concert. We are seeking financial support for our students to attend, estimated in total at $42,000, including hotel, food, a Broadway show & museum tickets. Bus transportation for all students is an additional $4,000.

Your generous donation will bring us one step closer to this great honor. More details: Chamber Choir Donations - Performance at Carnegie Hall, NYC


Link: https://www.nationalconcerts.com/products/national-concert-chorus-23

FAB Restaurant Night at The Green Turtle
TONIGHT! January 21

8872 McGaw Rd, Columbia

More info & flier

OMHS Food Pantry

January 28, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

OMHS

Tri-M Concert at Savage Mill

February 21, 1:30 p.m.

Savage Mill

8600 Foundry St, Savage, MD

Save the Date! OMHS Spring Musical

March 5-6, 7:00 p.m.

March 7, 2:00 & 7:00 p.m.

OMHS Auditorium

More info & tickets to come soon!

Class of 2026 Domino's Pizza Fundraiser

Ongoing

Help OMHS's Senior Class raise money for their senior picnic, prom costs, movie night, the senior class trip, and other senior activities! Buy a $20 Slice-the-Price card (unlimited BOGO large pizzas) through the fundraiser and use it as many times as you want until 6/30/2026. More info.

Help with Winter Sports Concessions!

The OMHS Boosters need people to held with concessions during games. Sign up HERE!

Sports Schedules

Visit County Sports Zone for schedules and results.

Oakland Mills Middle School

OMMS Construction Update

During the PTSA meeting, Mrs. Rust gave the following update:

"The move out to the villas has been good but muddy. The muddy travelled path that the kids have chosen to walk will soon be the permanent path and rubber stoppers on the metal stairs will help with how slippery it is."

OMMS PTSA Givebacks

Want to donate to the OMMS PTSA? Visit the PTSA's Givebacks page to find out how.

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. 

Stevens Forest Elementary School

SFES Winter Concert

January 21, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

OMHS

PTA Art Night

January 29, 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
For SFES students & families only. Movie - Lilo & Stitch. Wear your PJs, bring your blankets, and get cozy!

Valentine's Dance

February 12, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

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

Talbott Springs Elementary School

TSES Raising Cane Restaurant Night

February 10, 3:00 to 9:00 p.m.

9071 Snowden River Pkwy, Columbia

Thunder Hill Elementary School

Winter Chorus Concert

January 21

Winter Orchestra Concert

January 22, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

THES Restaurant Night at Chick-fil-A

January 28, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

4905 Executive Park Dr, Columbia

More Info (Facebook)

Thunderbird Night at Main Event

February 3, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Columbia Mall

Drop your receipt off at the THES PTA table before you leave. See flier for more info.

KidzArt Parents Night Out

February 13, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

THES Cafeteria

$35. Pizza included. See flier for more info.

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.

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

Howard County Public School System

School Closure Dates

January 22: 3-hour Early Release

January 23: Middle/High Schools ONLY 3-hour Early Release

January 26: Schools Closed

February 4: Schools Closed

February 5 & 6: Elementary Schools ONLY 3-hour Early Release

February 16 & 17: Schools Closed

Emergency/weather closings info

Board of Education Meetings

  • January 29, 4 & 7 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.

Oakland Mills Board of Directors
Education Committee

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.

Oakland Mills Online (OMO) is an online social learning platform founded by Oakland Mills families to keep our community connected.

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.


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.

Need Help?

The Grassroots Day Resource Center at Leola Dorsey is located at:

10390 Guilford Road, Suite A
Jessup, MD

FindHelp.org's Listings of Food Pantry Programs in Columbia

Click HERE

CAREAPP

Find services for food, health, housing, transportation, education, employment assistance, and more. Click HERE for info.

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.

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.

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

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. 

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.

Oakland Mills High School Food Pantry

January 28, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Free, no contact.

Free Student Meals

Click HERE to learn more and apply.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Donate or Volunteer

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.

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.