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Be sure to follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/OaktonHS), Twitter (@OaktonHS), and Instagram @oaktonhs! Visit our Oakton Accolades page to see our latest student accomplishments.
Important Dates
February 15 - No School, Presidents' Day
February 16 - Return for Groups 1-4; New Bell Schedule
February 17 - Picture Day
February 25-26 - Asynchronous Work Days (Concurrent Learning Preparation Days for Staff)
March 2 - Return for 9th and 12th Graders
March 5 - 2 Hr. Early Release
March 8 - Staff Development Day, Student Holiday
March 9 - Return for 10th and 11th Graders
March 16-17 - 3rd Quarter Catch-Up Days
March 26 - End of 3rd Quarter; 2 Hr. Early Release
 General Information
Oakton Accolades
Second quarter we had a lot of student successes that we want to celebrate. Check out the updated Oakton Accolades portion of our website here.
Return to In-Person Instruction Parent Coffees
On Friday, February 12, 2021 an in-depth presentation on our return to in-person instruction plans was sent out to the community. It can also be found here. Please click on "voiceover recording" on the first slide if you wish to hear the recorded version. We are also holding two parent coffees to answer any additional questions you may have. The meeting link will be sent out the night before.
- Wednesday, February 17, 2021: 8:30am
- Wednesday, February 24, 2021: 8:30am
Picture Day - February 17
We are holding another optional picture day this Wednesday, February 17 from 3-6 pm for grades 9-11. Students have to have an appointment, and you can sign up for your appointment through the link on your grade level google classroom. Walk-ins are not allowed. Thank you!
Black History Month
In recognition of Black History Month we will be posting weekly resources for students in grade level google classrooms. We encourage all students to take a look.
February 25-26: Asynchronous Work Days
In order for us to allow staff the time need to adequately prepare for concurrent instruction, February 25-26 will be asynchronous work days for students. These days had originally been scheduled for January. Students will not log-in to class, however, they will have assignments to work on independently.
Testing Updates
As we enter the spring semester, there are few testing opportunities that may impact your student. Please consult the links below, and reach out to Assessment Coach Molly Brady, mpbrady1@fcps.edu, with any of your testing questions.
WIDA: WIDA Testing for ELL students begins February 9, 2021 at Oakton High School. Eligible WIDA testing students have been sent their testing schedules through their FCPSschools.net email accounts. More information regarding WIDA assessments can be found here.
Writing SOL Testing: Students enrolled in English 11 and English 11 HN as well as opt-in AP Language and Composition students have the opportunity to take the Writing SOL during the week of March 1, 2021. More information can be found here. Families of Writing SOL testers should complete the OHS SOL Writing Test Parental Form by February 12, 2021.
PSAT 10: Current Oakton sophomores can register to take the PSAT 10 here at OHS on April 19, 2021. Students must use their FCPSschools.net account to register for participation through the PSAT 10 Intent to Participate Form by March 19. More information about PSAT testing can be found here.
Applications to join the College Partnership Program are now OPEN!
The goal of the College Partnership Program (CPP) is to increase the number of students, particularly first-generation and traditionally underrepresented students, that enroll and succeed in college. All students are welcome to apply. Students and parents can read more about CPP here.
Students will need to log in to their G Suite account to complete the online application. The application deadline is March 19, 2021.
Please contact the CPP Advisors, Tamarah Stanley (trstanley@fcps.edu) and Edmon McClam (emcclam@fcps.edu), if you have any questions.
Partners for Safe Teen Driving
All students enrolled in Classroom Driver Education during the 2020-2021 school year must attend a virtual parent-teen traffic safety presentation (PSTD). The virtual presentation is connected to successful classroom instruction and must be completed to receive a DEC-District 8 card (pink card). The parent-teen traffic safety presentation (PSTD) will be offered one more time this year at Oakton. Students and their parents/guardians who missed the meetings held during the first and second quarter should plan to attend our makeup session.
All PSTDs begin promptly. Late admission will not be allowed.
Make-up Date: MARCH 18th 6PM
Students, Please complete this Google Form to register for the makeup session. Students who register will receive the meeting link in their FCPS email account (1 week prior to the meeting).
The makeup session is intended for Sophomores or Juniors who still need PSTD for licensure.
Seniors who wish to attend must register online through the Adult and Community Education (ACE) or call 703-658-1201 and pay a $30 fee - or contact Ms. Walsh if you need more details.
PSTD nights are not available to freshmen.
Class of 2021 Information
Graduation Announcements
It's time to order the official Oakton High School 2021 graduation announcements!
Please click on or copy and paste the link below into your browser to order the announcements.http://www.balfour.com
Here is step by step instructions on how to order:
Step 1- Go to balfour.com
Step 2- Type in Oakton High School under "Shop my School"
Step 3- Select "Announcements"
Step 4- Complete your information
Step 5- Checkout
You can also order other "Grad Essentials" such as Class Rings, Diploma Frames, Souvenir Tassels, 2021 Apparel, etc. on the website. Orders will be shipped home.
If you have any questions please contact Balfour at 703-941-1436 or balfournova@yahoo.com.
Senior Valentine's Celebration
We had a great time with our seniors on Friday, February 12! Thank you to everyone who donated treats and all the seniors that came out. Looking forward to having more events in the future.
Graduation Update
Our graduation is tentatively scheduled for Friday, June 4, 2021 at 9:30am. We have reserved Eagle Bank Arena. The health conditions of the time will drive the type and size of our graduation ceremony. We are certainly committed to doing all that we can for the Class of 2021. All decisions on graduation will be made at a division level. Once I have an update, I will certainly provide more information.
 Renovation Update
The auditorium and several rooms in Phase 2 are nearing completion. We are hopeful we will be able to move into these spaces before or during Spring Break!
Please visit our website for more information on the scope of the renovation and the renderings of what the building will look like when completed.
Student Services Update
Junior Family College Night Information
Thank you to all of our junior families who attended the Junior Family College Night last week! The college admissions representatives provided a wealth of information and we were very lucky to have them with us. For those who were not able to attend, do not worry, we have linked the program on our website here or you can access the recording directly here.
Monthly Newsletter
Greetings Cougar Families! Please take a moment to check out this month’s Counseling Newsletter that contains information on course selection, academic advising, and upcoming events including Junior Family College Night, the PSAT, World Language Credit Exam and more. Additionally, this month’s Mental Health Moment focuses on Healthy Relationships in honor of Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.
Academic Advising
Our tentative schedule for academic advising is below. More information on our course offerings can be found here!
Registration schedule
- Rising Seniors:
- Jan. 6th-Jan. 22 - Individual meetings by appointment continued
- Rising Juniors: Tentative
- Jan. 26th - Academic Advising Lesson 3rd period
- Jan. 27th - Feb. 12th - Individual meetings by appointment
- Rising Sophomores: Tentative
- Feb. 16th - Academic Advising Lesson 3rd period
- Feb. 17th - March 1st - Individual meetings through PE
Student Yoga Sessions
Shake Off the winter blahs and energize and balance yourself with our upcoming yoga sessions. Come join us for a window of relaxation and energy boosting yoga routines with a few of counselors! Click here to sign up.
Upcoming Yoga Dates
February 22nd (12:00-12:45)
2021 Summer Self-Directed Economics and Personal Finance
Registration for the 2021 Summer Self-Directed Economics and Personal Finance course starts Monday, January 11, 2021. Two sessions will be offered:
- Session 1: Monday, April 19 – Friday, June 18, 2021
- Session 2: Monday, June 28 – Friday, July 30, 2021
The Self-Directed Economics and Personal Finance course requires students to complete work without direct teacher instruction. Beginning in September 2020, the content and material for this course was updated. The new course features include: updated curriculum, interactive modules, and exit tickets. Students will read through 14 modules, complete 140 exit tickets, 14 module tests, and a final exam.
This class does not require students to meet face-to-face. This course is only available with the grade option of pass/fail. A suggested schedule will be provided. This course is recommended for current FCPS students in grades 8-12 during the 2020-21 school year. Students who will be in grade 9 during 2021-22 may enroll with a recommendation to discuss the course with their school counselor and parent or guardian prior to registration. See the Summer Learning webpage for additional information.
World Language Credit Exam
The 2021 Credit Exam for World Languages will take place in March of 2021. Students who take the credit exam have the opportunity to earn up to three (3) credits, based on demonstrated proficiency.
Thirty (30) languages will be assessed via the FCPS Credit Exam. In order to offer the test in all languages while maintaining a safe testing environment, some languages will be tested online and some will be tested in person.
- These languages will be tested online between March 2, 2021 and March 10, 2021: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
- These languages will be tested in person on March 13, 2021 and March 20, 2021 (Saturdays): Amharic, ASL, Bengali, Farsi, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Nepali, Pashto, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Somali, Tagalog, Tamil, Telugu, Tigrinya, Turkish, Twi, Urdu and Vietnamese.
Registration opens Monday, February 8, 2021, at 8:00 a.m. and closes at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 26, 2021. All students must register for the exam through their school counselor by February 26, 2021. Late registrations will not be accepted.
Random Acts of Kindness Day
Wednesday, February 17 is Random Acts of Kindness Day! Let’s celebrate with a week of kindness challenges for students, staff, and parents to help spread kindness throughout our school and community.
 PTSA News and Information
Dating and Digital Violence Presentation - February 10, 2021, 7pm
Thank you for all the families that attended the DV presentation last week. If you missed the presentation, you can find it on our website.
Senior Yard Signs, Socks and Banners
We are happy everyone is enjoying the items back on our PTSA. The deadline to order is coming up soon this THURSDAY, February 18 - place your order Here!
March PTSA Meeting - March 10th, 7pm
Our next online PTSA meeting is Wednesday, March 10th at 7pm.
Spring Mock Tests and Bootcamps
The first online mock test for ACT is this upcoming weekend. If you want to sign up, please do so before Wednesday - SAT mock tests, ACT mock tests, PSAT mock tests and SAT bootcamps. This is a fundraiser for the PTSA and while helping our students.
Thank you for all your support!
The Pantry
We are always in need of donations to stock our shelves. Please consider donating items through our amazon wish list.
We have grocery pick-up hours at the front entrance of the school on Mondays from noon to 2pm. If you are a student or OHS family in need of groceries, please click here to request them.
Parent Resources
Parent Resource Center
Be sure to check out the FCPS Parent Resource Center here for resources available to all families!
This site includes registration and information about monthly parent webinars.
2020-2021 Webinars
Registration opens one month before each webinar. Sign up for our New You Choose newsletter to get an email when registration opens.
Strategies to Support Social Emotional Learning at Home: A Webinar for Families
Social and emotional learning starts at home. Parents and families are critical partners in helping their children develop social and emotional know-how. They can model the kinds of skills, attitudes, and behaviors we want all students to master.
This webinar will highlight:
- What is social-emotional learning?
- Strategies to use our children’s behavior and emotion as forms of communication.
- Strategies to create emotional safety.
- Strategies to recognizing and supporting personal and family strengths.
Join FCPS Social Worker, Jeanne Veraska & FCPS School Psychologist, Lisa Phifer for this important webinar.
February 17, 2021 6:30 - 8 p.m. or February 19, 2021 10 - 11:30 a.m.
Register for Strategies to Support Social Emotional Learning at Home: A Webinar for Families
Encouraging Positive Behaviors at Home Series
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02/18/21:Teaching your Children to Follow Directions
- Parents/guardians will be provided an overview of instructional control
- Parents/guardians will review strategies to support their students with following directions
- 03/18/21: Effectively Communicating with Your Child
- 04/22/21: Minimizing Prompts and Maximizing Your Child’s Independence
Thursday February 18, 2021, 10 - 11:30 a.m. and 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Register for Teaching Your Child to Follow Directions
Super Transition Week: K-12 and Beyond: Transition Planning for Elementary, Middle, and High School Students with Disabilities
*For families, caretakers, and educators of students receiving special education services*
It’s never too early or too late to start planning for a successful transition from school to life as a young adult. Ensuring postsecondary success of our students with disabilities is dependent on effective transition planning. Please join CTS and other support service personnel for a week of transition focused workshops. Sessions each night will cover a range of transition topics: CTS programming and services for students with disabilities, short- and long-term postsecondary supports, employment and postsecondary education considerations, Supported Decision Making, and student self-determination as an evidence-based predictor of post-school success. This event also includes two evenings of student/parent panels where members describe their firsthand experiences as they navigated Fairfax County Public Schools and the transition process.
February 22
6:30 – 6:45 Session 1A Event/Workshop Overview
6:45 – 7:30 Session 1B Middle School Transition Support
- This session will provide an overview of the Transition IEP process and a discussion about why it’s important to start planning early during the middle school years.
7:30 – 8:30 Session 2 CTS Programs and Services Virtual Exhibitor Fair
- Career and Transition Services (CTS) Overview
- Learn about the different course offerings, programs, and services available from CTS. Opportunity to ask questions and interact with teacher and staff representatives.
February 23
6:30 – 7:30 Session 1 ’m Determined: K-12
- Learn why it’s important for students with disabilities to understand and possess self-determination skills from elementary school to adulthood.
7:30 – 8:30 Session 2 Supporting a Student’s Transition to Adult Services
- Learn about how the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), the Community Services Board (CSB), and Career and Transition Services (CTS) work together to facilitate a successful student transition to adult service providers upon exiting FCPS.
February 24
6:30 – 7:30 Session 1 College and Postsecondary Education Options
- Understand the college planning process and learn how to find colleges/programs with the right support and services for your child or student.
7:30 – 8:30 Session 2 My Journey - Part I: An FCPS Graduate Student and Parent Panel
- Opportunity to hear from students and parents who navigated the transition process in FCPS. The panel for Part I will consist of individuals with disabilities who are pursuing competitive employment and higher education opportunities after exiting FCPS.
February 25
6:30 – 7:30 Session 1 The Arc of Northern Virginia: Transition Planning and Supported Decision-Making
- Learn how to successfully plan for the transition from school to the adult world, including how to empower your child or student to maximize independence and rights protection by utilizing a chosen team of supporters.
7:30 – 8:30 Session 2 My Journey - Part II: An FCPS Graduate Student and Parent Panel
- Opportunity to hear from students and parents who navigated the transition process in FCPS. The panel for Part II will consist of individuals with disabilities who are pursuing supported employment, group supported employment, or day support opportunities, and working with the Community Services Board (CSB) for on-going support after exiting FCPS.
Register for Super Transition Week: K-12 and Beyond: Transition Planning for Elementary, Middle, and High School Students with Disabilities
Is it Over Yet? How to Help your Child Cope with the Pandemic and the Eventual Return to Normalcy: A Webinar for Families
Join licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Lisa Bateman for a webinar focused on parenting strategies to help children cope with the challenges of the pandemic.
Strategies include:
- Coping with general stress, changes in daily life/routine, uncertainty about the future, loss of regular activities and social interaction, virtual school, etc.
- Executive functioning to assist with the challenges of virtual school
- Managing anxiety about health and safety
- Building resilience in children to reduce risk of separation anxiety, social anxiety, etc. once the pandemic ends
Friday, February 26, 2021 10 – 11:30 a.m.
Register for Is it Over Yet? How to Help your Child Cope with the Pandemic and the Eventual Return to Normalcy: A Webinar for Families
SIBSHOPS: An Exciting, Virtual Workshop for Brothers and Sisters of Children with Special Needs
The Sibshop workshops are for children in grades 2-6 enrolled in Fairfax County Public Schools who have siblings with special needs to:
- Meet other siblings in a relaxed, virtual setting.
- Celebrate the many contributions made by brothers and sisters of children with special needs.
- Share sibling experiences and receive peer support.
- Play games and have fun!
Presented by FCPS School Social Work Services
Saturday, February 27, 2021
Two time slots are available: 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. Sessions run 1-1.5 hours
Register for SIBSHOPS: An Exciting, Virtual Workshop for Brothers and Sisters of Children with Special Needs
Important Information About Meals During the School Year
Fairfax County Public Schools is currently offering all students nutritious meals at no cost. Meals are offered at school sites and along bus routes Monday through Friday (excluding holidays) with both breakfast and lunch being served at the same time. Breakfast and lunch meals for Saturdays and Sundays are distributed at all locations every Friday. Grab and Go Meal Sites and Bus Routes
Changes to bus routes are posted on the website by 5 p.m. each day. If there are bus delays while distributing meals, the information will be posted on the FCPS Bus Delay website.
Did you know that Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has Parent Information Phone Lines to support parents in our eight most common languages staffed by bi-lingual employees?
Parents, who would feel more comfortable communicating in their first language, can call the Parent Information Phone Lines Monday-Friday and access a live bi-lingual (sometimes multilingual) employees.
Our phone line staff is also available to FCPS staff who want to connect with parents in the parent’s first language.
Phone Line Staff can help with the following:
- Basic needs resources (food, utilities, shelter)
- Translating and interpreting of FCPS information and communications
- Contact with school personnel
 FCPS Cares
Do you know an Oakton High School or FCPS employee who does ordinary things in an extraordinary way or goes beyond what is expected? If so, then click here to share with everyone.
Translate our Website
Our Oakton HS website can be translated into multiple languages! To do this you will see a globe, flags and the word "language" in the top left corner of our website. Click there and you will be able to select your preferred language.
How to Modify or Unsubscribe to the Newsletter
To modify your membership to our messages (or to add yourself to the Oakton Athletics list!) you can manage your subscription to Oakton HS messages online.
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