An ice cream truck blasts its festive music in front of Oklahoma Road Middle School in Eldersburg, but an email sent out to parents provides no cause for celebration.
It warns of "an increase in white supremacist behaviors", students drawing swastikas on their papers and some raising their hands in what's referred to as "the heil salute" reminiscent of Nazi Germany.
The message calls on parents to talk to their children, and many believe, for better or worse, that's the best place to start.
"If you do not accept that sort of thing at home, then most likely, not necessarily that it will never happen, but most likely they will not exhibit that type of behavior when they're away from their parents," said Claudia Montgomery of Eldersburg.
Others say children, like some of their parents, have abandoned civility taking their cue from the most powerful leader in the world, President Donald J. Trump.
"Our fearless leader in the White House and the type of behavior that he displayed, and he kind of gives these kids a kind of credence and lets them go with that,” said Al Bimbiras of Winfield, “It's a sad story."
Whatever their story is, the Carroll County Schools Superintendent Stephen Guthrie already sent a message to all students a few months ago when he banned symbols, which could offend others like the Confederate flag and Nazi swastika.
"While we were getting complaints from students who were not only offended. It goes much deeper than offense,” Guthrie said at the time, “They really were losing the ability to do their work. This represented hatred to them."
In the email, parents also learned some students have already received Saturday school as a consequence for their actions and repeated offenses could result in their suspension.
For their part, top school administrators at the district level are withholding any comment.
