Oakland Mills School Happenings | November 17, 2025 | Issue 170 | | |
URGENT: While renovations are moving forward for OMMS, renovations for OMHS have hit a snag. The Board of Education suddenly voted to remove OMHS renovations from the FY2027 HCPSS Capital Budget. TONIGHT, the County will hold a public hearing and work session/vote on the issue. Find more info on that meeting and how to participate HERE.
For other ways to advocate for OMHS renovations, visit our Facebook page and scroll down for posts about the issue.
In other news...
This Friday, November 21 at 10:30 a.m., we have our Lively Arts for Little Ones performance with Mr. Jon & Friends at The Other Barn. Scroll down for the flier and a ticket link.
And coming up in December, we have two family-friendly holiday favorite events coming up: Breakfast Snacks with Santa on Saturday, December 6 and Gingerbread House Decorating on Wednesday, December 10. Tickets are going fast, so buy them soon to secure your place. Fliers & ticket links below.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Brigitta Warren, Village Manager
Amy Carpenter, Events & Administrative Coordinator
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Oakland Mills High School
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OMHS Food Pantry
November 19, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
OMHS
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OMHS Shredheads Fall Concert
November 19, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
OMHS Auditorium
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WBAL Concert for Kids
December 6, 1:00 & 7:00 p.m.
OMHS
See flier & button below for more info and a link to get tickets.
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OMHS Winter Dance Concerts
December 12 & 13, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
OMHS
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OMHS/OMMS Winter Band Concert
December 16, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
OMHS
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OMHS/OMMS Winter Orchestra Concert
December 17, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
OMHS
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OMHS/OMMS Winter Choir Concert
December 18, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
OMHS
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Be Part of Mock Interview Day!
December 18
Join the OMHS Counseling team for this day as a volunteer. If you are interested in being an interviewer, please complete the Google Form.
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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.
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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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PTSA "Donation Day" at Shake Shack
November 24, 11:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
The Mall in Columbia
Mention "Donation Day" at the register or use the promotion code DONATE online or at the kiosk. See flier for more info.
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OMHS/OMMS Winter Band Concert
December 16, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
OMHS
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OMHS/OMMS Winter Orchestra Concert
December 17, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
OMHS
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OMHS/OMMS Winter Choir Concert
December 18, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
OMHS
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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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OMMS PTSA Givebacks
Want to donate to the OMMS PTSA? Visit the PTSA's Givebacks page to find out how.
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Stevens Forest Elementary School
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Donations Needed for cOMmunity Table Event
Event date:
November 21, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
At SFES
Dinner/distribution for SFES families only
Find out how to donate
All Stevens Forest Families are invited to come to the school for a dinner presented by Community Schools/SFES 5th Grade Leadership Class, followed by a food distribution. SFES families can RSVP at this link. Additional details can be found here.
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SFES PTA Turkey Trot
November 22, 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
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SFES PTA Movie Night
December 19, 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.
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SFES Judy Center
The Judy Center at SFES is now open! Learn more about the Center and what it offers.
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Talbott Springs Elementary School
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TSES Restaurant Night at Noodles & Company
November 20, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.
6191 Old Dobbin Ln, Columbia
Mention TSES PTA when ordering in the restaurant. Online & app coupon code: “GIVING25”.
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Trot for Talbott
November 21
During Related Arts Classes
TSES
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Thunder Hill Elementary School
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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
November 24 & 25: 3-hour Early Dismissal
November 26 - 28: Schools closed for Thanksgiving
December 24 - January 2: Winter Break
Emergency/weather closings info
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Board of Education Meetings
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November 20, 4:00 p.m. – Regularly Scheduled Meeting (no evening session)
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December 4, 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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Oakland Mills United (OMU) is a community group started by recent OMHS graduates that advocates for the OM community and its schools and offers tutoring and college help. OMCA is a proud partner with OMU.
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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
November 19, 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 United
Free tutoring and help understanding the college process HERE.
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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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Oakland Mills United
Tutors needed! More info HERE.
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