Welcome Back Letter

August 2026

Greetings, Oaklands Falcon Families:

Welcome to the 2026–2027 school year!  We hope your summer gave you time to rest, recharge, and enjoy family and friends.  We are so excited to welcome our students and families back for another year of learning, growth, and partnership.

Our theme for this school year is IGNITE: Lighting the Path to Excellence ~ Every Child. Every Classroom. Every Day.

At Oaklands, we work to ignite excellence by ensuring every child experiences belonging, every classroom delivers high-quality instruction, and every day moves us closer to excellence through intentional teaching and continuous improvement. This theme shows our commitment to creating a welcoming, engaging, and rigorous learning environment where ALL students can thrive. 

Throughout the year, we will work together to:

• Ensure every child feels known, valued, challenged, and supported.
• Provide high-quality, standards-aligned instruction in every classroom.
• Use each day as an opportunity to learn, improve, and move closer to excellence.

The first day of school for all students is Tuesday, August 25, 2026.  Our school hours are 7:30 a.m.–1:45 p.m. Doors will open for students at 7:15 a.m.  Please do not drop off students before 7:15 a.m., as staff supervision is not available prior to that time.

To help students and families begin the year prepared, welcomed, and connected, we will host Orientation Day on Monday, August 24, 2026:

• Prekindergarten & Kindergarten: 9:00–10:00 a.m.
• All New Students to Oaklands (Grades 1–5): 10:00–11:00 a.m.
• Sneak-a-Peek for All Students: 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

During Sneak-a-Peek, students will have an opportunity to meet their teachers, visit their classrooms, and drop off school supplies.

Our Building Services team has worked very hard over the summer to ensure that Oaklands is clean, safe, and ready for learning.  Our office staff team has also been busy enrolling students, preparing materials, supporting families, and ensuring that everything is in place for a successful opening.  We cannot wait to see our hallways filled once again with the smiles, laughter, and energy of our students.

Please carefully review the important back-to-school dates and information below.

Important Dates

Important Information

• Oaklands Website: Visit our website at https://www.pgcps.org/schools/oaklands-elementary for the school supply list, staff email addresses, important dates, policies, procedures, and more.
• Family Handbook: For more information about Oaklands, including our policies, procedures, expectations, and important school information, please take a moment to review our Family Handbook here.
• School Uniforms: Oaklands has a mandatory uniform policy.  Students are expected to wear light or navy blue tops with navy blue bottoms.  You can learn more about our uniform policy here.
• Teacher Assignments: Teacher assignments will be posted in Synergy ParentVue by Friday, August 21.  To learn more about Synergy ParentVue, please use this link or visit: https://md-pgcps.edupoint.com/PXP2_Login.aspx. 
• Transportation: Please visit the PGCPS Transportation Infofinder at https://www.infofinderi.com/ifi/?cid=PGCPS5UR2GLJ6U to view your bus stop information.
• School Breakfast: Free breakfast will be provided for all students this year.  
• School Lunch: We encourage all families to apply for free and reduced-priced meals at https://www.myschoolapps.com/ as free lunches are not guaranteed for school year 26-27.  Your participation helps us receive supplementary Title I funds for additional resources, including classroom teacher positions.
• ClassDojo: Sign up for ClassDojo with your child’s teacher for important information and announcements throughout the school year.  
• Health and Safety: Health and safety remain a top priority at Oaklands.  Please ensure your children are up-to-date with their immunizations.  Please visit here (https://www.pgcps.org/offices/school-health/immunizations) to learn more about immunization requirements and upcoming immunization clinics.

We look forward to partnering with you to make the 2026–2027 school year filled with belonging, high-quality learning, continuous growth, and excellence.  If you need assistance as we prepare for the opening of school, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Together, we will IGNITE excellence and light the path forward ~ Every Child. Every Classroom. Every Day.

Warm Regards,

Nicole Abdullah 

Principal 

Leah Taylor, Ed.D.

Assistant Principal

Please click the link to read the full letter:
Principal Welcome Letter