Dear Parents and Guardians,

The staff of Odenton Elementary and Anne Arundel County Public Schools encourages and welcomes your involvement in your child's education, in school activities, and in county-wide planning. First and foremost, we encourage you to read with your child regularly--if not daily--and engage your child in discussions about material they have read. Second, stay in regular contact with your child's teacher through phone calls, emails, Class Dojo messages and parent-teacher conferences. This open communication is key to your child's success at school. Listed below are resources for getting the most out of reading with your child and having productive parent-teacher conferences as well as several other ways that you can get involved at the school and county levels. Anything you can do to support your child's education is important!

Five Goals for Reading with Your Child

Making the Most of Your Parent-Teacher Conference

ODENTON ELEMENTARY PARENT-TEACHER ASSOCIATION (PTA)

Hello O.E.S. Families and Staff!

If you are not a member yet, please consider joining the PTA! We are always looking for new committee members and volunteers, but you do not have to volunteer to be a member of the PTA. There is no wrong way to PTA - you choose how you would like to support our school!

To become a PTA member--and to take advantage of our many fundraising opportunities--join our PTA today! Annual Individual Membership for the 2023-2024 school year is $6, Family Membership (2 adults) is $10, and Staff is $5. Join now at https://odentonespta.memberhub.com/store.

Your yearly membership supports our students and our school community, keeps you up-to-date on PTA events and activities, connects you to other Odenton families and allows active participation at PTA membership meetings and a right to vote on any business brought before our membership.

As an O.E.S. PTA member, you automatically join the Maryland PTA, and you can also access a wealth of resources and benefits for PTA members at the National PTA web site.

If you have any questions about membership, email membershipodentonpta@gmail.com

Thank you for your support. We look forward to growing our PTA with you!

Odenton Elementary PTA

2023-2024 Executive Board
President: Charleigh Poulin – odentonpta@gmail.com

Vice President: Shariva Smith – odentonpta@gmail.com

Treasurer: Renee Coleman – treasurerodentonpta@gmail.com

Secretary: Lacy Woods – secretaryodentonpta@gmail.com 

Membership - membershipodentonpta@gmail.com

WHAT WE DO
The Odenton Elementary PTA is a partnership between our dedicated teachers, staff and parents. It is a non-profit corporation that supports and enriches the educational experiences of all Odenton Elementary students. PTA dues and fundraising revenues support numerous programs and activities to further enrich our children's school experiences. For more information about what the PTA can do for your child, our school, and our community, check out the FAQs page.

VOLUNTEER! YOUR INVOLVEMENT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
The PTA committees are staffed by dedicated parent volunteers who work to create, organize and coordinate funding and staffing for the excellent programs and enrichment opportunities offered to our children. The PTA could not bring all of the amazing programs and events to our children without your assistance. We encourage you to volunteer and get involved, with whatever time your schedule allows.

STAYING INFORMED
The Odenton Elementary PTA holds meetings throughout the school year. The meetings are open to all O.E.S. community members and provide the opportunity to become informed about what is going on at Odenton Elementary beyond the classroom. The meetings also provide the opportunity for members to be part of the decision-making process, collaborate with the Executive Committee and discuss ideas and issues. For your convenience, PTA has a mailbox in the main office for correspondence. You can also get the latest O.E.S. PTA news through our Odenton PTA Facebook page and Odenton PTA Twitter feed.

JOIN THE PTA HERE

VOLUNTEERS AND FIELD TRIP CHAPERONES: BACKGROUND CHECKS REQUIRED

AACPS is committed to providing safe and secure learning environments for all students and employees. Successful completion of a Fingerprint-Supported Background Check is required before any intern, volunteer or chaperone has unsupervised access to students either on or off school property (e.g., during the Drownproofing trip in 5th grade).  Fingerprint-supported background checks must be scheduled through the Fingerprinting Office at 410-222-5045.

Volunteers who will have supervised access to students are required to complete a Commercial Background Check. To volunteer, complete the online COMMERCIAL BACKGROUND CHECK APPLICATION.

WATCH DOGS

This is a volunteer program for dads, granddads and other important men in our students' lives. Our Watch Dogs activities can include patrolling the hallways and checking doors to make sure the school is secure, reading with students and helping out in the cafeteria. 

BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS

The Anne Arundel County Board of Education meets in public session once or twice a month at 10:00a.m. or 7:00p.m., and these sessions are open to the public. Meeting dates and times are posted on the Board of Education calendar, and all meetings are held at the Board of Education Carol S. Parham Building, 2644 Riva Rd, Annapolis, MD 21401. Public budget hearings will be held in January. Check the calendar for dates/times/locations. 

CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) functions in an advisory capacity to the Board of Education. It acts as an active sounding board when the Board of Education seeks advice on any given issue. The CAC provides a forum for public discussion of educational concerns. It informs the school and school board of differing interests and needs of the community it serves. The community is also informed by the CAC of different educational issues. Meetings are generally held several times a year, usually at the end of a PTA board meeting, and are open to all parents. People interested in serving on the committee should contact Ms. Ahern at school.

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY SPECIAL EDUCATION CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE (AA-SECAC)

AA-SECAC is an advisory committee to AACPS made up of AACPS staff, community members and parents like you! AA-SECAC partners with community leaders, service providers, AACPS educators and administrators on issues related to ensuring a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) for students with special needs and disabilities. They advocate for positive changes in special education in the Anne Arundel County Public Schools.

SUPERINTENDENT'S PARENT INVOLVEMENT ADVISORY COUNCIL (PIAC)

The Superintendent’s Parent Involvement Advisory Council (PIAC) advises the Superintendent on issues related to parent and family involvement in their children’s education. The Council reflects the diversity of our school system. It meets six times a year and provides recommendations to fulfill the goals for parent and community involvement contained in Board of Education Policy KH-Parent/Family/Community Involvement.