Samuel Ogle Middle School
4111Chelmont LaneBowie, Maryland 20715
Phone: 301.805.2641
FAX: 301.805.6674Kathleen R. Brady, Principal
August 1, 2008
Dear Families,
Welcome to the 2008-2009 school year at Samuel Ogle Middle School. The middle school years provide a challenging and exciting learning opportunity for students. The Samuel Ogle Middle School faculty will provide a rigorous academic program, enriching extracurricular activities and high expectations for all.
Sixth grade student orientation will be held on Thursday, August 21, 2008 from 9:30 AM to 12:45 PM. This will be a great opportunity for students new to Samuel Ogle to become familiar with the school, their teachers, and their daily schedule. Bus transportation will be provided for bus riders, and the bus will pick up students according to the bus schedule mailed to students’ homes from the Prince George’s County Public Schools Department of Transportation. If you do not receive a bus schedule by Monday, August 18, 2008, please call the PGCPS Department of Transportation at 301-952-6570. Transportation information is also available on the PGCPS website at www.pgcps.org. Walkers should arrive at the orientation by 9:30 AM and will be dismissed before bus riders at 12:45 PM. Parents who drive their children to orientation are asked to return to school by 12:45 for pick up. During orientation, students will receive their schedules and will follow that schedule as they transition from class to class, meeting teachers and becoming familiar with the school layout. During their lunch Mod, they will meet with the Guidance Counselors in the Multi-purpose Room. Lunch will not be served on August 21st. Agenda books will be on sale for $5.00 during the day.
New seventh and eighth grade student orientation and ESOL student orientation will take place on Thursday, August 21, 2008 from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM. Parents are asked to provide transportation to and from school, and students will meet with professional school counselors, tour the building, and receive information about academic expectations and extracurricular activities. This is a nice way to learn about their new learning environment prior to the first day of classes.
The first official day of school for all students will be Monday, August 25, 2008. Our school hours are 9:30 AM – 4:10 PM, and our doors will open at 9:10 AM daily. Children may not be dropped off at school prior to 9:10 AM, as there will not be adult supervision until that time. Breakfast will be served from 9:10 AM – 9:25 AM, and all students must be seated in class promptly by 9:30 AM to begin their first academic Mod. Returning seventh and eighth grade students’ homeroom assignments will be posted in our front window on Friday, August 22nd, at 4:00 PM, and they will receive class schedules on Monday, August 25th during homeroom.
Each student who attended Samuel Ogle Middle School last year was assigned a PIN number in order to purchase food and milk in the cafeteria and will continue to use the same PIN number this year. All students new to Samuel Ogle Middle School will be assigned a PIN number during the first week of school. Money may be deposited into your child’s account weekly, monthly, or in sums up to $99.00 when needed. Checks should be made payable to Food Service and Nutrition. A carton of milk costs 50˘, breakfast meals cost $1.25, and lunch meals $2.25. Free and reduced price meal applications are available in the main office.
If your child rides a bus, please watch your mailbox for information about the bus routes and times. I recommend that students be at the bus stops ten minutes before the listed times. Please complete the enclosed purple transportation form and ensure that your child brings it with him/her as a reference during the first week of school. Walkers will be directed to the door through which they will enter the building on a daily basis. Children who arrive by car will exit the car on the right side of the car in our drop off area and enter the building through the walkers’ entrance. Parents may not park in the drop off area, and those who park in the parking lot must escort their children into the building. To ensure all students’ safety, no child may walk across the driveway during arrival or dismissal unless accompanied by a parent.
Our 2008 MSA scores in Reading and Mathematics have been released and reflect the dedicated efforts of our teachers, students, and families. Overall, we have a school score of 84.1% in Reading and 77.8% in Mathematics. The MSA Science scores have not yet been released. Please log on to www.mdreportcard.org to access detailed grade level and subgroup results. Once at the site, click on SCHOOL. select Ogle and then choose ASSESSMENTS. Scroll down the page to find the MSA Snapshot. The Snapshot includes scores disaggregated by grade levels and subgroups. I am very proud of our 2008 academic accomplishments and look forward to reviewing this data in detail with you soon.
During the first week of school, all students are required to purchase an Agenda Book for $5.00. Students will use the Agenda Book to review The Code of Student Conduct as well as school policies and procedures. In addition, students will be required to write their homework assignments in the Agenda Book for all classes daily. Homework is a key component of our academic program and will be assigned every night. The Agenda Book serves as a major communication tool between the teachers and parents. Please read through your child’s Agenda Book and refer to it often.
We are currently looking for substitute teachers for the school year. If you or someone you know is interested in subbing, please come in and apply directly at the school. We need caring individuals to fill this important role at Samuel Ogle Middle School.
This school year will be filled with rigorous academic instruction and high levels of student achievement. I look forward to working with you as we begin the school year, and I hope to see many of you at Back To School Night on Tuesday, September 9, 2008 at 6:30 PM.
Please call me at 301-805-2641 if I can be of assistance as we begin the school year.
Sincerely,
Kathleen R. Brady
Principal
