September 16, 2026 | Issue 188

The annual Oakland Mills Fall Festival is Saturday, October 3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the OM Village Center, and we're so excited that so many of our schools are going to be participating! Come on out and meet your neighbors, enjoy some great food trucks and rockin' entertainment, shop local craft and community vendors, and support our schools! Here's the lowdown on which school orgs will be doing what (scroll down for the flyer):

• OMHS Marching Band performs at 11:00 a.m. in front of The Other Barn (arrive early so you don't miss it!)
• SFES PTA Hot Dog Stand in the Courtyard (all proceeds go directly to the PTA)
• OMHS Food Pantry - bring donations and drop them off at the food pantry's table!
• THES PTA will have crafts and small pumpkins (ages 12 and under only) to decorate with safe, no-mess supplies (while supplies last)
• TSES PTA is back with face painting and other fun stuff
• OMHS Fine Arts Boosters will have some giveaways, and students will be showing off their instruments

Can't wait to see you!

Brigitta Warren, Village Manager

Amy Carpenter, Events & Administrative Coordinator

OMHS Food Pantry

September 23, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

OMHS Front Entrance

Hispanic Heritage Celebration

September 25, 5:30 to 9:00 p.m.

The Barn & The Other Barn

5851-53 Robert Oliver Place, Columbia

Hosted by the OMHS Hispanic Committee with Multicultural Programs of Columbia Association and Oakland Mills Community Association. See fliers below for more info. Register HERE.

OMHS Homecoming Weekend

Homecoming Game

October 9, 6:00 p.m.

vs.Guilford Park HS

Homecoming Dance

October 10, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.

More info

Fall Band & Orchestra Concert

October 13, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.

OMHS Auditorium

Fall Choral Festival

October 15, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.

OMHS Auditorium

FAB Mattress Sale

October 25

OMHS

OMHS Craft Fair

November 7, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

OMHS

Vendor registration now open! Email omhscraftfair@yahoo.com or visit the PTSA's Givebacks page.

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 PTA Main Event Fun Card Fundraiser

The PTSA is raising funds to support student activities, including field trip scholarships, PBIS initiatives, and teacher appreciation events. Please purchase your Main Event passes HERE, share the page with friends and family, and enjoy a fun day out while supporting OMMS!

TSES Restaurant Night at Wendy's

September 29, 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m.

Check back with the PTA's Facebook page for location and details.

TSES School Hours

8:45 a.m. - arrival

3:15 p.m. - dismissal

TSES Sunshine Committee "Giving Thanks" 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.

Help Wanted at THES!

Student Assistant (K-5)

Thunder Hill is seeking a well-qualified individual to support students who receive special education services. The days and hours are 9:25-3:55, Monday through Friday. The starting hourly rate for this position is $18.81 and includes a comprehensive benefits package.

Application and more information can be found on the HCPSS Careers and Opportunities page and contact Assistant Principal Brian McMahon and/or Assistant Principal, Katie Lee at 410-313-6922 when you have completed the application. 

Temporary Employee (TE)

THES 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 Chick-fil-A

September 28, 5:30 to 7:30

4905 Executive Park Dr, Columbia

All orders must be made on the Chick-fil-A app. Tap the "Support Community Care Event" toggle button at checkout.

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

September 21: No school

September 30: 3-hour early dismissal

October 16: No school

October 28: No school

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:

• September 24, 4 & 7 p.m. – Regularly Scheduled Meeting
• October 29, 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.

Come on out to the Oakland Mills Fall Festival! Several OM schools will participating, including a performance by the OMHS band (11 a.m.), the Stevens Forest ES hot dog stand, and Talbott Springs ES face painting and crafts. Admission is free, and we'll have lots of family-friendly activities. Visit the festival website for updates and info!

If you'd like to be a vendor, visit our vendor page to start the process. Applications are due THIS FRIDAY, September 18. Vendors under 16 don't need to pay a vendor fee!

Enrollment for the CA Points Program 2026-27 school year is now open!

Since the CA Points Program established a partnership with Howard County Public Schools in 2001 it has given students at participating schools the opportunity to earn a free CA membership for themselves and their immediate family by meeting goals for grades and attendance. Find out more about the CA Points Program at CA Points Program - Columbia Association.

To participate in the CA Points Program, you must complete a FARMs application and complete the CA Points Enrollment Form. Online enrollment will close on September 27, 2026.

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

September 23, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Free, no contact.

Free Student Meals

Click HERE to learn more and apply.

HC DrugFree Teen Advisory Council

HC DrugFree invites all Howard County students in grades 8-12 to join its Teen Advisory Council (TAC.) Members of TAC meet once monthly during the academic year and act as student ambassadors in their schools and in the community.

Why join TAC?

• Earn community service hours
• Gain experience for job & college applications
• Volunteer opportunities year round
• Be a leader and role model in Howard County!

Previous (and new) members, please remember to submit your 2026-2027 TAC Registration so your contact information can be updated.