Dear Olde Creek Families and Friends,
We want to thank all of our families who joined our PTA meeting and our Advanced Academic Program overview this week. It is always wonderful to have the opportunity to connect with our families!
As you read in Dr. Brabrand’s message, we are beginning to work on phasing students back into the building according to the plans approved by our School Board. At this time, our students who have selected in-person learning and receive a majority of their daily services through the comprehensive service site or the enhanced autism program will return on Tuesday, October 27. We are excited to be taking steps toward having some of our students back in the building. As additional information is available about other students returning to the building, we will be sharing information through this weekly message and hosting parent information sessions as we did throughout the summer.
As a reminder, Monday, October 12, Indigenous People’s Day, is a school planning day and a student holiday. Here is a list of books to consider reading to reflect on this important day. Teachers will participate in a variety of professional development and planning activities and will not be available throughout the day. Students are not expected to complete asynchronous assignments on this student holiday. Classes will resume on Tuesday, October 13.
Stronger Together,
Melissa Miller, Principal, mhmiller@fcps.edu
Alison Butler, Assistant Principal, ajbutler@fcps.edu
Kelly Durso, Assistant Principal, kldurso@fcps.edu
- OC Staff Shout Out
- Library Curbside Check-out
- Check out OC’s Dr. Goldberger!
- Virtual Parent Coffee
- Message from OC Specialists
- Free and Reduced Priced Meals
- Advanced Academics Program Information
- Progress Reports- “Go Paperless”
- Olde Creek Bears Care Program Outreach
- Reading Fitness Quest
- PTA Corner
- Upcoming Dates
- Contacts
- Be Informed, Stay Involved!
1. OC Staff Shout Out
We want to continue to celebrate the extraordinary efforts of our teachers and staff in our virtual learning environment. If your family would like to give a shout out to an OC staff member, please complete this survey.
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2. Library Curbside Check-out
Curbside Pick-Up will not take place on Monday, October 12 due to the student holiday. Curbside Pick-up will resume again starting Monday, October 19th. For information on how to place books on hold for curbside pick-ups on Mondays, click here. Subtitled versions of this video are available on the Library page of the OC website.
Our students have access to eBooks and audiobooks through the MackinVIA system. Many books have recently been added to this system and are only available to OC students. Use this link to find out how to use the MackinVIA system.
3. Check out OC’s Dr. Goldberger!
We are so proud that our very own, Dr. Goldberger was featured in one of FCPS’ Healthy Minds Podcast! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise with our FCPS community! Way to go, Dr. G!
Meet Olde Creek Elementary School psychologist Ellen Goldberger in this week's Healthy Minds podcast. Dr. Goldberger addresses the important issue of self-control; knowing how to recognize when children (and adults) are losing self-control and tips on how to regain it. These strategies can also help families during the ongoing virtual learning days and into the future.
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4. Virtual Parent Coffee
Join Mrs. Miller, Mrs. Durso, and Mrs. Butler for a virtual Parent Coffee! We want to continue to find ways to connect with our families and share important updates, information, and resources that will support our community. We will begin hosting monthly parent coffees on Wednesday, October 21 at 4:00pm. We will be sharing updates and celebrations as we have kicked off the 2020-21 school year! We will also provide an opportunity for questions and any celebrations you may want to share. Moving forward, our future sessions may feature a specific topic or guest speaker, but we also want to ensure that there is dedicated time to address questions and concerns from our families. If you have specific topics or questions that you would like to ensure that we cover in October, please complete this brief survey. This survey also includes a question about future topics you are interested in hearing about. We look forward to connecting with you soon!
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5. Message from OC Specialists
Our specialist teachers wanted to share a reminder that Art, PE, and Music are being graded throughout this school year. It is important that students attend specials each day. Specials classes are being recorded if you are unable to attend for any reason. We greatly appreciate your support from home!
Please let Mrs. Alonso (AMAlonso@fcps.edu), Mrs. Chapman (emchapman@fcps.edu), Mrs. Cavanaugh (amzientek@fcps.edu), or Mrs. Henry (ehenry3@fcps.edu) know if you have any questions!
6. Free and Reduced Priced Meals
If you submitted an application for Free or Reduced-Price Meals last school year for your child(ren), please remember to submit a new application for this school year. The current eligibility status will expire on October 20, 2020.
Apply for free and reduced-price meals by visiting www.MySchoolApps.com. Eligibility may also provide your child(ren) other important benefits. Be sure your child(ren) are approved for the 20-21 school year.
The online application is available in the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, Tagalog, French, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Korean. Paper applications are available to complete and submit in English upon request at food distribution sites.
7. Advanced Academics Program (AAP) Information
Due to the ongoing pandemic, there are some adjustments to the Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) Level IV screening processes for the 2020-21 school year. Click here, select your preferred language, and then choose the “testing updates” button.
Important dates:
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September 28th-October 26th- This information is for families of students in grade 2-6 who would like to learn more about the referral process and required and optional materials for full-time Level IV AAP services. At your convenience watch the Advanced Academic Screening and Identification Video. Come to our October 26th Virtual Parent Question and Answer Session
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October 26th- Join us here for our Virtual Parent Question and Answer Session @ 7 pm- Level IV Screening and Identification – 2nd-6th Grade parents, join us and have your level IV Screening and Identification questions answered. If your family is in need of an interpreter, please email Marisa Powell (empowell@fcps.edu) by October 20th.
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September 8th-December 1st- Window for Level IV referral submission. We are ready to take your referrals for service now.
8. Progress Reports - “Go Paperless”
The “Go Paperless” option is now available to all parents with elementary-aged children to only receive online progress reports starting the first quarter of SY 20/21. This will not impact any other mailings from FCPS other than the progress reports for students and report cards for secondary students.
To take advantage of the paperless options, parents and/or guardians will need to log into ParentVUE, then go to “My Account” and select "Go Paperless" All parents and/or guardians who live with the student and share the same address must have a SIS ParentVUE account and must select the paperless option to prevent mailing of the printed progress reports. The “Go Paperless” option will apply to all their associated students, no matter what school level. If the associated parent and/or guardian has already selected “Go Paperless” for their secondary student, the option will now apply to any ES siblings as well.
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9. Olde Creek Bears Care Community Outreach Program
Help! Donations Needed for Bears Care Community Program
The pantry distributes food provisions to Olde Creek students and their families in need for the week. Use this link to sign up for any donations you are able to provide during this extraordinary time! Please email Lisa Goodwin at lisamarm@gmail.com about a drop off or for pick up time and date.
Check out our list of item ideas on our PTA website. Most food items are welcome at this time. Gift cards are also greatly appreciated for families right now! Stores, such as Walmart, can mail gift cards without even having to make a trip to the store! Or, order food items from our Bears Care Amazon Wish List and have it delivered directly. (Use Amazon Smile and have a percentage donated to OCE!).
Thank you, as always, for your kindness and generosity!
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10. Reading Fitness Quest
Do you want to earn ribbons for keeping your mind and body in shape? You can participate in Olde Creek’s Reading Fitness Quest and do just that! To make it easier on students and families, we will be trying Reading Fitness Quest digitally this year!
All you have to do is exercise for 20 minutes and read for 20 minutes in a single day and that counts as 1 point. Accumulate 50 points and you will get your first ribbon!
Please see the Olde Creek PE website for more information and join the Reading Fitness Quest Google Classroom to get started tracking your points! (You will need to be logged into your child’s @fcpsschools.net account to access both links).
Let’s get moving and reading and keep our minds and bodies in shape!
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11. PTA Corner
This week you'll have another opportunity to support the OCES PTA with our Family Dinner Night at Noodles & Co. on October 14 from 4-8 PM. Don't forget to use the code GIVING50 if you order online or through the app. 50% of the proceeds will go to the PTA! Please see this flyer for additional information.
Sadly, we have to cancel the traditional Halloween Howl event this year as we are unable to hold any PTA events on school grounds at this time. We know how fun the Halloween Howl is for all of us.
As always you can sign up for the PTA and get information at the Olde Creek PTA website and do contact the PTA (board@oldecreekpta.com) with any questions.
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12. Upcoming Dates
October 12: Student Holiday-Indigenous Peoples’ Day/School Planning Day
October 14: PTA Family Dinner Night: Noodles & Company-4:00PM-8:00PM
October 19: Library Curbside Check-out-12:00PM-3:00PM & 4:00PM-7:00PM
October 21: Virtual Parent Coffee-4:00PM
October 26: AAP Virtual Parent Q & A Session for Level IV Screening (Grades 2-6)-7:00PM
October 30: End of the First Quarter - 2 hour early release
November 2: No School for Students/School Planning Day
November 3: No School for Students/Teacher Work Day
13. Contacts
Olde Creek Attendance Phone Line: 703-426-3192
Olde Creek Attendance mailbox: OldeCreekElem.Attendance@fcps.edu
Technology Support for Families/Parent Help Desk: 1-833-921-3277
Parent Information Phone Lines/Support for parents who do not speak
English as their first language: Parent Information Phone Lines
Parent and Student technology support: IT Support Portall
Melissa Miller, Principal, mhmiller@fcps.edu
Alison Butler, Assistant Principal, ajbutler@fcps.edu
Kelly Durso, Assistant Principal, kldurso@fcps.edu
Sylvia Alverson, Administrative Assistant, sjalverson@fcps.edu
Ann Platenkamp, Administrative Assistant, amplatenkamp@fcps.edu
Lizardo Santos, Student Information Assistant, LISantos@fcps.edu
Sandy McCulloch, Office Assistant, slmcculloch@fcps.edu
14. Be Informed, Stay Involved!
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