OES Weekly Message

Dear Oakton Elementary Families:

Distance Learning begins Tuesday, April 14.  Hooray! Please review the information below and continue to communicate with your child’s teacher, counselor, and administration about any questions you might have. Teachers will post their daily schedule on their Blackboard site on Monday, April 13. Thank you for your continued flexibility and understanding as we continue to navigate these unchartered waters together.

Our entire OES staff is looking forward to reconnecting with students next week online! 

Sincerely,

Chris Kelley

Principal

TEACHER INSTRUCTION

What’s most important to remember is that this instruction will never be as powerful as our classroom experiences. Students have moved from a highly structured daily schedule at school to a fluid, more self-directed schedule. Our expectation is that families will continue to work in ways that best meet the needs of their family. 

Please expect adjustments as teachers are learning to teach in this new “classroom.” One day may look different from the next as teachers figure out how to meet the many needs of students and families. Here are some ways your child’s teacher will be providing instruction and learning activities:

• Sharing instructional activities. Instruction might be a discussion or a morning meeting or reading a story together or solving a math problem together. These sessions will be recorded and can be watched at whatever time works best for the child.
• Posting tasks & activities on the Blackboard website that support learning. Specialists in Art, Music, Spanish & PE will also be posting activities. Your child’s specialist teachers will be available during posted office hours for questions/check-ins. To access Blackboard: https://fcps.blackboard.com/
• Some teachers have set up Google Classroom for their students. If your child has tasks to complete in Google Classroom, they will post that in Blackboard first.
• Here are the office hours for each grade level/teacher.  Please feel free to reach out to the teacher during this time via phone or email with any questions or concerns you have.  During this time, teachers may be working with students in small groups via Blackboard.

GRADING & PROMOTION TO THE NEXT GRADE LEVEL

The Virginia Department of Education has made clear to school divisions that students will not be repeating their current grade level next year due to school closures.  Your child will not be retained (repeating his/her current grade), unless there was a significant concern prior to school closures.  In such cases, your teacher would have been communicating concerns to you. 

CABLE LESSONS

Content lessons in math & literacy are available on FCPS Cable Channel 21. Families can also access these programs online at www.fcps.edu/tv. Read alouds will be available in different languages. 

STUDENT BELONGINGS

Many of you have asked about retrieving student belongings from classrooms.  At this time, due to the Governor’s Stay at Home Order, we are not able to allow students or families to enter the school.  Mr. Eck and I will coordinate a day in the near future for parents to pick up instruments that were left.

SCHOLASTIC ONLINE BOOK FAIR

We are excited to announce that we will be hosting an online Scholastic Book Fair from Monday, April 13-Friday, April 24. The Book Fair is one of our students' favorite events of the year so we have worked with Scholastic to offer an opportunity for students to order and receive books while at home.  Keep an eye out for a live shopping link.  Book orders that total $25+ ship free to your home.

3000 Chain Bridge Road Oakton, VA 22124  | Main Office: 703-937-6100
Attendance: 703-937-6161 | Web | Twitter