 Oak Hill's staff members wearing pajamas as part of Spirit Week.
Dear Families,
The first week back to school is always tough for students and staff after Winter Break. The events that unfolded Wednesday in our capital made this week really hard! We welcomed our students with smiles and warm hearts and let them know they were safe. I am proud of our staff and the support they gave to each other and to our students. If you find your child needing more supports, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our school clinical team. We are here for your family!
At the January 5 Fairfax County School Board Work Session, Dr. Brabrand provided an update on our plan to bring students and staff back for in-person instruction. He shared a proposed timeline for a return to in-person learning that would bring back those staff and students who were already in buildings first, followed by a phased and measured approach to bringing in new groups of students and staff in January and early February.
Current community transmission of COVID-19 in Fairfax County remains high. After discussing the plan with the School Board and hearing from many parents and staff, Dr. Brabrand and the School Board made the decision to pause the plan to bring students and staff back into school buildings. Dr. Brabrand will provide an update on the Return to School plan to the School Board on Tuesday, February 2.
Please let me know how I can support your family.
Sincerely,
Holly DeVore, Principal
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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
Because the county is going to pause the plan to bring students and staff back into school, we will not be moving to the new bell schedule on January 12. We will continue to use the current bell schedule until we have a revised Return to School schedule.
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As additional student groups return to school in person, parents and caregivers are asked to complete a Health Screening Commitment form before student(s) return to school buildings. This document confirms that a parent, caregiver, or guardian will complete a daily health screening and will keep their students home should they become ill.
The Health Commitment form can be submitted electronically through in ParentVUE (PVUE) beginning January 4, or via hard copy. Please contact Katherine Dillard at kjdillard1@fcps.edu if you need a hard copy sent to you.
Rachel Carson and Franklin Middle Schools will be having Virtual Curriculum Nights this year. Please see below for further information. Please have your child log into their FCPS account to access the links.
Rachel Carson Middle School: Thursday, January 14th at 6pm: Rising 7th Grade Virtual Curriculum Night (please click the link to register). Carson MS Presentation.
Franklin Middle School: Thursday, January 21st at 6pm: Rising 7th Grade Virtual Curriculum Night and Electives Fair (more information coming soon). Franklin MS Presentation.
**Please note that if your child is a Level IV AAP student zoned for Franklin, they will automatically be designated to Franklin. If you would like your child to attend Carson instead, please complete and submit this form to the AAP Office by April 1, 2021. Please also inform Oak Hill’s Registrar, Katherine Dillard, at kjdillard1@fcps.edu. **
We are ready for our second Spirit Week of January. Take our spirit day challenge with a different theme for every day in January. We encourage you to take pictures of your students participating in the fun challenges throughout the month and send them to oakhillesmedia@gmail.com. Have a blast! Go Wolves!
Monday, January 18 is the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. To honor him, there will be no school that day. Who was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? Martin Luther King, Jr. was an African American minister who advocated so that all people would be treated fairly. He led peaceful marches (a gathering of people who walk together to bring attention to something important) and gave speeches. He was an important leader in the Civil Rights Movement who fought to end racial segregation. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a day to remember how he advocated to end racial segregation and promote racial equality.
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Parenting can be difficult, even under the best of circumstances. Now the coronavirus pandemic has brought major changes to every aspect of our lives – how we live, work, teach, and play – making parenting more stressful. Many of us are worried about how our children are handling the social isolation of distance learning, alongside the usual trials and challenges of growing up.
"Just as you are looking out for your child’s physical health during the pandemic, keep an eye on their mental health too," recommends James M. Gillespie, Healthy Minds Fairfax Director and CSB Youth and Family Services Director. He adds, "Having less contact with friends and family and not being able to do enjoyable activities can increase stress and lead to emotional or mental health concerns in children."
If you’re worried about your child, have a talk with them to find out how they are doing. Give them your full attention. Listen carefully, repeat what you heard and ask if you got it right. When they feel heard and understood, they’re more likely to share with you. Learn more here.
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The PTSA Diversity Committee of the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) is launching a series of Diversity Talks webinars in January! This series is especially for elementary and middle school students in grades 4-8. Join us to hear from people working in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields. What sparked their interest in STEM? What did they study in school? What kinds of jobs do they do? What else would you like to know?
Mark your calendars for Monday, January 11, at 6 p.m. to hear the first speakers of our Diversity Talk series. The speakers will be Suresh Shenoy, Neena Shenoy and Nikhil Shenoy. For more information click here.
Parents, register at this Zoom link: https://bit.ly/TJDiversityTalk1
Submit questions in advance here: https://bit.ly/tjdiversitytalks
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The Office of Food and Nutrition Services will also be distributing fresh, local fruits and vegetables at the bulk meal kit sites throughout January and February. Families that pick up no-cost meals from these sites will also be provided a whole, fresh fruit or vegetable sourced from a local farm for each child, along with an activity sheet and recipe for that item. This item will vary each week, and will be available on the following dates: 1/13, 1/19 (please note that distribution will be on Tuesday 1/19 as Wednesday 1/20 is a school holiday), 1/27, 2/3, 2/10, and 2/17.
For a full list of bulk sites where these fresh fruits and vegetables will be served, please visit here.
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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 Andersen 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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While this school year might look different, we still want to help you celebrate your child’s most important milestones, including school picture day! These pictures will go in our 2020-2021 yearbook. Picture days will be held on February 1st, 2nd, and 4th. A sign-up genius for time slots will be provided later in January. An Electronic Flyer (PDF) will be provided in the weeks to come and all orders should be placed online. Rest assured that we at Oak Hill and the staff from our photography company are taking extra precautions to ensure the safety of your student and your families! More details will be provided closer to the picture dates.
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As adults we have learned during our own schooling that in Math it is important to be speedy and get to the right answer. As mathematicians have learned more over time, they have noticed that speed isn’t what helps us get to the correct answer and mistakes are a powerful tool for helping us to learn. At Oak Hill, we are teaching our students to embrace a growth mindset and to keep persevering when tasks are hard. Here are a series of videos from Jo Boaler at Stanford University that you can watch together as a family to help build your growth mindset in math.
Brains grow and change
Mistakes are powerful
Believing in yourself
Speed is not important
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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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January 11: Asynchronous (independent) day
January 11: IOWA Testing for certain students
January 11: Library Curbside Pickup, 1:30-4:30pm
January 11: Diversity Talk Webinar, 6pm
January 12-15: Spirit Week
January 14: Rachel Carson MS rising 7th grade Virtual Curriculum Night and Electives Fair, 6pm
January 18: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, no school
January 20: Inauguration Day, no school
January 21: Franklin MS rising 7th Grade Virtual Curriculum Night and Electives Fair, 6pm
January 22: End of Quarter, 2-hour early release
January 25: Teacher Workday, no school
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