 Apple and caramel baskets were handed out to our staff for being "Awesome to the Core."
Dear Families,
My Thanksgiving message will be a bit different this year. I am not on my way to Pennsylvania to spend the holiday with my family in the barn. Looking back, I have only missed one Thanksgiving in 49 years. I will miss the hot cider, the fire, my mom’s stuffing and moist turkey, creamed corn and the conversations and memories of past Thanksgivings that we always share. But in order to keep us all at the table next year, we will pause. I know that some families will be missing a seat at the table forever and I am extremely fortunate that my family is not in that category. Instead, we came up with an idea that we would do a Family Zoom call at a predetermined time and we could all enjoy our pie or dessert together. And, at my age….it is time I learn how to cook a turkey and make a homemade pie (and crust) so that I can keep traditions like this alive for years to come! It won’t be the same, but it will work. I hope you find a new tradition this holiday or can take an old one, add some creativity and make it seem pretty awesome after all!
Sincerely,
Holly DeVore, Principal
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Superintendent Scott S. Brabrand will be holding another Return to School Town Hall tonight from 6-7 p.m. The Town Hall will be available on FCPS cable channel 99 (Verizon channel 11) or on the FCPS website. Submit your questions in advance by email to returntoschool@fcps.edu or call in during the Town Hall at 1-800-231-6359.
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As a reminder, schools and offices will be closed Wednesday, November 25 through Friday, November 27, for the Thanksgiving holiday. Please note that like last year, Wednesday, November 25 , is a holiday. Synchronous learning and in-person classes will resume Tuesday, December 1. See the complete 2020-2021 school year calendar.
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As mentioned in an earlier Wolf News, Oak Hill staff members and parents completed our School Wide Equity Audit. The Equity Audit tool is used to reflect on equity and culturally responsive practices at our school. We used the information from our audit to write an Equity Goal. Our goal for 2020-2021 school year is "Oak Hill staff will be intentional with their planning and teaching to expose students to multiple perspectives, celebrations, and global accomplishments from a variety of different cultures." We are excited about working on this goal and would like to thank everyone who had a voice in creating this goal.
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Due to the FCPS' decision to delay grades 1 & 2 return, there will be no more asynchronous dates until a new Return to School date has been established. Teachers will continue to see students for Morning Meeting and small group work on Mondays.
As a result of this we have cancelled the Grades 1 & 2 Parent Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 3. We will let you know when we reschedule this meeting.
Update on Advanced Academic Screening Pool
Tuesday, December 1 is the close of the window (Sept 8-Dec 1) for parents to submit a referral form for their student to be screened for full-time Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) Level IV. The parent referral form, submitted to the school, is one pathway to have a student screened for AAP Level IV. Parents should not wait for an announcement of the second grade screening pool if they want to make sure their student is screened for AAP Level IV in the coming cycle. Parents of students in grades 2-7 will need to submit the referral form by December 1.
Referrals will not be accepted after December 1. For more information about AAP Level IV or the screening process, please click here.
Please email your referral and any optional document (questionnaire and 4 pages of work samples) to Cathy Lahr by December 1st at cclahr1@fcps.edu. Please feel free to contact Mrs. Lahr with questions.
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The playground and fields are closed to the public Tuesdays-Fridays between 8:30 and 4:00pm because we have students in the building.
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Oak Hill's office is open daily, but by direction from FCPS, visitors to the school must be scheduled by appointment only. No walk-in visitors are permitted. If you would like an appointment, please contact the school at 703-467-3500 or email Michelle Coyne at mkcoyne@fcps.edu and we will be happy to schedule one.
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Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) buses are delivering grab and go meals at the Oak Hill bus loop from 11:42-11:52am Monday through Friday. There will be no deliver of meals between November 25-27 due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Next week Meal Kit Distribution will take place on Tuesday, November 24 due to schools being closed on November 25.
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Former Oak Hill student Nila Elangovan published a children's fiction novel titled The Adventure to the Ancient City. The fantasy novel is available on Amazon.
Congratulations to Nila on this extraordinary accomplishment!
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FCPS schools and centers will be hiring classroom monitors to provide in-person classroom assistance for students when a staff member remains virtual. If you would like more information about the position, please review the job description and qualifications online and apply if interested. You may also call Oak Hill at 703.467.3500 and speak to Administrative Assistant, Katherine Anderson to voice your interest for this position at Oak Hill. Please feel free to share information about this opportunity with anyone else you think may be interested.
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Are you or somebody you know interested in substitute teaching with FCPS? Apply here or attend one of our Friday information sessions to learn more! To sign up for a session visit our substitute information page here. Say Yes 2 FCPS! If you have an interest in subbing at Oak Hill, please call the Oak Hill office at 703.467.3500 and ask to speak to Denise Russ.
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FCPS has launched a COVID-19 dashboard to share weekly COVID-19 cases that have been self-reported to us. The FCPS COVID-19 dashboard will be disaggregated and will present case data by school and case type (student, staff, visitor) and data will be updated daily.
This data should be interpreted with caution as it only reflects cases that have been shared with FCPS through self-reporting and may not be aligned to future epidemiological investigations. Case reports indicate the total number of COVID-19 cases self-reported to principals, administrators, and program managers. Reports were shared with the Fairfax County Health Department to initiate contact tracing.
Updated information is available on the FCPS website.
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Attention all members of the Oak Hill Community! Do you know an Oak Hill staff member that has gone above and beyond during distance learning? Does your child have an exceptional teacher who highly motivates students, understands individual needs, and instills a love for learning? Then please take the time to nominate an Oak Hill staff member for an Outstanding Employee Award in the categories below.
Outstanding Principal
Outstanding Leader (Assistant Principal)
Outstanding Professional (speech, counselor, psychologist, instructional coach, social worker, OT/ PT)
Outstanding Teacher: classroom teacher (3+ years teaching altogether, could include being in different county/school), librarian, ESOL, Reading, Chinese, Art, Band, Strings, Music, PE, Chinese, AART, Sped teacher)
Outstanding New Teacher: (less than 3 years teaching)
Outstanding Operational: IA, cafeteria worker, custodian, parent liaison, etc.
To submit a nomination, please complete this Community Staff Award Form no later than this Friday, November 20th.
If you have questions, please contact Christy Ryder, CLRyder@fcps.edu or Pam Bennett, PSBennett@fcps.edu
Thank you in advance for taking the time to recognize an outstanding staff member!
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Tired of Thanksgiving leftovers? Stop by the Chipotle at 13354 Franklin Farm Rd. in Herndon on MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30th between 4:00 and 8:00 pm to get some delicious food and support Oak Hill at the same time! Bring in this flyer, show it on your smart phone or tell the cashier you’re supporting the cause to make sure that 33% of the proceeds will be donated to Oak Hill Elementary! Online orders through chipotle.com or the app can be credited to our fundraiser by using the Promo Code J42RQ4M on the Chipotle app or website. We will see you then!
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Heartbeat Exercise
Oak Hill students have been continuing their learning about the relationships between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors during Social Emotional Learning (SEL) small group time. Another activity that you could try at home is the heartbeat exercise, outlined in “5 Fun Mindfulness Activities for Children” by Alexandra Eidens.
The heartbeat exercise is a wonderful grounding activity because it allows your child to focus on the sensations in the body. This exercise is a helpful activity to do if your child is feeling stressed or anxious. For example, if your child is working on a project for school and is getting frustrated or feeling stuck, you can gently redirect them by asking them to STOP what they are doing and take a break.
Ask your child to stand up and either jump up and down or do jumping jacks for one minute. At the end of that minute, have them place their hand on their heart and pay attention to how their heartbeat and their breathing feels.
Tuning into the physical body is a wonderful way to redirect the focus. With this new burst of energy, your child will feel a new motivation to complete the previous task.
Kim Gallagher, School Counselor at kagallagher1@fcps.edu
Cammy McCleskey, School Social Worker at clmccleskey@fcps.edu
Ginny Phinney, School Psychologist at vgphinney@fcps.edu
Christy Ryder, School Counselor at clryder@fcps.edu
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Keeping Kids Motivated for Online Learning
Are you having trouble keeping your child motivated for online learning? This short video from Common Sense media has 6 tips for encouraging and motivating your student to stay engaged. For additional information and more helpful tips check out this article, Keeping Kids Motivated for Online Learning by Caroline Knorr.
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Join the PTA
Oak Hill Elementary School PTA membership dues support your child by funding essential educational and curriculum needs. Don't miss out on early access to PTA clubs. Please be on the lookout for announcements and if you are not a member, please consider supporting our students. To get information and join our PTA, click here and use the code 8HSEEV. The pledge membership is $30 per family.
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November 23: Library Curbside Pickup, 1:30-4:30pm
November 24: Meal Kit Distribution at Oak Hill, 8:00am-12:30pm
November 25-27: Thanksgiving Holiday, no school
November 30: Chipotle Fundraiser, 4-8pm.
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