April
2021
A Letter from Mrs. Anderson, Principal of Ola Middle School:
OMS GMAS 2021 Parent Letter.pdfUpcoming Events
April 13- GA Milestones Parent Rally @ 10:00 a.m. & 6:00 p.m. (on Google Meet)
April 26-April 30- Milestones testing for 8th graders
May 4-May 6- Milestones testing for 7th graders
May 10-May 12- Milestones testing for 6th graders
Attention Parents!
ALL OMS families: Please complete the survey to indicate if your child will or will not be taking the Georgia Milestones Assessment. If you have more than one child, complete a survey for each child. Completing the above survey will serve as notification to OMS for any students that choose to Opt out.
Attention Parents of 6th Grade Students:
6th Grade students who are interested in the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of joining beginning band in 7th grade can sign up with the links below. If they have questions or need more information they can email Mr. Holley-Turner (robert.holley@henry.k12.ga.us) or Mr. Casey (thomas.casey@henry.k12.ga.us), visit the websites below, or stop by the band room.
Parent Information Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1z_wA4UZNZH_uGdZST9KZnBPymRIRrTwa?usp=sharing
Keeping Henry Healthy
Click here for helpful guidance on "How to screen your child for COVID-19 Symptoms".
PTO Update
PTO is collecting gift cards for teacher appreciation week. Click here to sign up to help!
Technology
Testing is just around the corner!
Make sure you are fully charging your Chromebook at home each night,
so your battery lasts through the tests!
Technology Helpdesk News
1. The Chromebook Issues – What YOU can do guide https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G-GfI_nNO5LslHu1oJ-Quh4sHiOWdGrA/view?usp=sharing (this is in My Drive as a link available to anyone on the internet )
2. Please remember, for any Chromebook issues, go to the Ola Middle School website and click on the Student Chromebook Support link on the main page and complete the OMS – Technology Help Request Form https://forms.gle/aWkFeFxcAn3pYYmE8 and one of our tech will reach out to you.
3. Respect the Tech tips:
· Charge your chromebook every night—it is preferred that you leave your charger at home
· Keep your chromebook inside the case ALWAYS!
· Do not put anything else in your case—NO PAPER, NO EARBUDS, NO PENCILS
· CLEAN YOUR CHROMEBOOK!! You can use a squeezed out disinfectant wipe to clean your screen, keyboard and touchpad. It’s the best way to Respect your Tech!!
COUNSELING CORNER
Rising 8th Grade
21-22 High School Course Offering
Sign-Ups
Rising 8th grade parents/guardians, please review the following presentation to learn about the HS course offerings at OMS for the 21-22 school year and complete the sign-up form between Monday, April 12th-Friday, April 30th
**Form link will become active on Monday, April 12th and inactive after Friday, April 30th**
Athletic Department Update
Come cheer on the OMS Girls Volleyball teams this week. OMS is hosting the championships on Apr. 13th (Tues.) and Apr. 14th (Wed.)
https://events.ticketspicket.com/agency/f5e9ca45-20c3-4aa9-be0e-3cd6e616c9d6
ACCESS CODE: FUGHYM
Visitor Code LZMBWB
Be in the know about everything that is going on with OMS Athletics! Follow OMS Athetics on Instagram at athletics_oms and on Twitter at athletics_oms.
Media Center Updates
Thank you to everyone who supported our Scholastic Book Fair! Our Chess Tournament has been going strong for a few weeks and will continue in April. Students should check their email to see what days to report to the MC. Students should keep logging their books they have read this semester on their reading logs. You can get a reading log here or students can pick up a hard copy in the MC. Don't forget, remote students have drive thru checkout every Wednesday. If students cannot come to OMS to pick up library materials, delivery can be arranged. Email Ms. Harp for more info.
Upcoming events:
Monday, 4/12- Chess B Bracket tournament
Tuesday, 4/13- Chess Team Tournament round 3
Wednesday, 4/14- Chess Team Tournament round 4
Thursday, 4/15- Book Club "Don't Tell the Nazis"
Friday, 4/16- Reading Bowl meets
Digital Citizenship at Home
Shout Outs!
A big shout out to OMS's 5203G robotics team! The did great at the Georgia Vex Robotics State Competition in March. This team is Carson Schmitt, Conner Middlebrooks, Dustin Pouliot, Lincoln Durden, and Kenneth Clay and they won the Middle School Excellence Award and Middle School Skills Champion Award. They will go on the the Vex Worlds Competition in May.
Congratulations to our OMS Vex Robotics team 5203B. They won the Design Award at the 2021 Georgia Vex Robotics Competition. They will go on to the Vex Worlds Competition in May. (Makenzie Middlebrooks, Jayla Brown, Kate Mangual, Hannah Mock, Asha Pandya and Karina Pandya
Congratulations to 8th grader Carson Schmitt for being selected as a Georgia State TSA Officer.
Yearbook Info
Yearbook order quantity has been reduced! To be sure you do not lose the chance to order this year’s book, you need to order ASAP online at www.jostens.com Please email Coach Fowler at bfowler@henry.k12.ga.us if you have any questions,
From the Graduation Coach:
Ms. Diane Wright( diane.wright@henry.k12.ga.us)
Homework taking forever....
Frequent distractions also have a quantifiable effect on students’ grades. Studies have shown that students who spend more time on social media tend to spend less time studying, and have lower grades, than their peers. Sending text messages while studying has also been associated with lower grades.
What can I do....
Turn off or place electronics in another room
Drink more water and exercise before starting homework
Try a different location where there are less distractions
Meet the Mustangs
Ms. Harvil
What do you do here?I teach our fantastic OMS Chorus students!
Education/colleges/degrees:
I graduated from Clayton State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education.
Favorite subject when you were in middle school- Math and of course, Chorus!.
Favorite hobbies- Playing with my dogs and organizing.
Favorite quote:- "Where words fail, music speaks." Hans Christian Andersen
Why I teach- I teach because of my love for students and my passion for singing.
Mr. Carmichael
What do you do here? I teach 7th grade Global Studies.
Education/colleges/degrees: BRE from Grace Christian University Grand Rapids, MI, 2 years at Western Theological Seminary – Holland, MI
Teacher Certification from Western Michigan University, the College of Education and Human Development – Kalamazoo, MI, MA in Teaching and Education from Kaplan University, online
Favorite subject when you were in middle school- Wood Shop
Favorite hobbies- Learning Hebrew, cooking and grilling, and searching for rusty-gold
Favorite quote- "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
Ben Franklin – 1759
Why I teach-I have a servant’s heart and want to contribute positively to society.
Ms. Benefield
What you do here? I am one of the Speech-Language Pathologists at Ola Middle school.
Education/colleges/degrees I have a Bachelor’s degree from University of West Georgia and a Master’s degree from Georgia State University.
Favorite subject when you were in middle school-
When I was in middle school I enjoyed Math and Science.
Favorite hobbies- I love to read!
Favorite quote- Nothing is impossible the word itself says “I’m possible.” – Audrey Hepburn
Why I teach- I teach because kids are awesome! I love to see it when a student grasps a concept we’ve been working on. You can see it in their eyes and you know that they get it. It’s very exciting being able to watch that and see where knowledge takes them.
Ms. Lanham
What do you do here? I teach 6th grade English Language Arts
Education/colleges/degrees-
B.A. in English from Valdosta State University
Favorite subject when you were in middle school- Math
Favorite hobbies- Sewing, Reading, Paper Crafts
Favorite quote- “Be the Change You Wish to See in the World” - M. Ghandi
Why I teach- I teach because I want to be an inspiration to the students who are faced with obstacles. I want to remind them to push through challenges and to never let up on the things they want. It’s okay to stumble and fall short. It’s not okay to give up completely.
Ms. L. Smith
What do you do here? I teach an adapted curriculum that assesses all subjects including, Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies.
Education/colleges/degrees-
Mercer University
Favorite subject when you were in middle school- Social Studies
Favorite hobbies- Tennis
Favorite quote- Teachers who love teaching, teach children to love learning.
Why I teach- Even as a little girl, I knew I wanted to grow up and become a teacher. It wasn’t until later in life that I found my true passion for teaching and that was teaching students with special needs. I teach because these students inspire me every single day to the be the best that I can be in every given situation.
Ms. Harp
What do you do here? I am the media specialist at OMS.
Education/colleges/degrees - I have a Bachelor's in English from Georgia Southwestern, a Master's of Library Media Technology from Georgia State, and a Specialists in Instructional Technology from Kennesaw State.
Favorite subject when you were in middle school- Language Arts
Favorite hobbies- Watching movies, traveling, going to the beach and of course, reading.
Favorite quote- "It always seems impossible until it's done."- Nelson Mandela
Why I teach- I love helping people and sharing the love of reading with others.
Connect with Ola Middle School and be in the know!
Twitter: @OMS_HCS
Website: https://schoolwires.henry.k12.ga.us/oms/domain/5234