Students and staff were happy to see each other! We spent time building relationships, morning meetings and learning school routines. We will continue this learning to establish our community and sense of belonging.
Dear Families,
Our first week of school is off to a great start, thanks to your partnership! Teachers, students, and families are coming together to build relationships and support each other, working on setting our year off on a great note of collaboration and community.
At the same time, we acknowledge that the road ahead is not easy -- that this Back to School season will contain squalls of stress along with rainbows of connection for us all. We are so happy to be back together again.
It is important that we communicate openly as we take this journey together and enter into it with grace, understanding, and flexibility. It is important that we focus on the positive for our children while acknowledging their feelings of the differences in how we operate this fall. We hope that your child was excited to see their teachers and classmates, to engage in learning, and to have a school routine once again.
During the beginning of school, we focus on the following, to support students’ connection and sense of belonging.
Building Relationships:
Orange Hunt follows the Responsive Classroom approach. Responsive Classroom is a student-centered, social, and emotional learning approach to teaching. It is designed to create safe, joyful, and engaging classrooms and school communities for both students and teachers. At the beginning of the year, a large focus for our teachers and staff is building relationships. You may notice that the first few days of school have lessons that revolve around community building rather than jumping into complex mathematical equations and book studies. We believe that it is essential to put a strong focus at the beginning to sustain our studies throughout the school year. We continuously use the motto: “Go slow now, to go fast later.”
Morning Meetings:
Morning Meetings are an engaging way to start each day, build a strong sense of community, and set children up for success socially and academically. Each morning, students and teachers will gather together for twenty to thirty minutes and interact with one another during four purposeful components: Greeting, Sharing, Group Activity, and the Morning Message.
School Routines:
Similar to when we build relationships with students, we use the motto “go slow now, to go fast later” with routines. During the first weeks of school, our teachers and students will walk through the different routines of learning for students. It will include helping students how to use school supplies, navigating different transitions, and developing skills to work independently. This work will help our students to become more independent at home and school.
Here's to a strong start and a stronger OHES community!
Warm regards,
Karen Tuttle, Kate Austin, and Heather Mathews
Important Information about the 2021-2022 School Year
Orange Hunt's Bell Schedule
8:45 a.m. -3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
Breakfast and Lunch
All students may receive one (1) no-cost breakfast and one (1) no-cost lunch meal each school day. This never-before implemented benefit combined with all students returning to school buildings has the potential to significantly increase participation in the meal programs. Menus, allergens, and nutrition information are all available online at https://fcps.nutrislice.com/menu/spring-hill-elementary. Students should bring a water bottle with them to school which can be refilled at hydration stations. Students will not be permitted to drink from water fountains. Students will be able to remove their masks at lunch while eating, but will be required to put them back on when they are finished.
Please note that with our older students often times need more food than is provided. Students will be given the 1st lunch for no-cost. If your child wants a second lunch, please put money on their MySchoolBucks account for them to purchase.
Kiss & Ride Reminders
Please follow the signals of the staff working in the Kiss & Ride line. They will often ask you to pull all the way forward. We will be sure students get to your car safely. It is important that students exit from the passengers side of the car. Also for safety, parents are expected to remain in their car. Thank you for your grace and patience as we supports students with this process.
Bus Transportation
Many of our students will be riding the school bus. Bus stops and route information were sent to families via the ParentVue accounts on August 10.If you are not new to FCPS, but never activated your ParentVue account, please refer to this link for more information. All staff and students riding a bus will be required to wear a mask. For more information about bus transportation, including how to access the Bus Delay Notification System, visit the Transportation page. Remember to arrive at the bus stop a few minutes early in the morning. Please notify the office of morning and/or afternoon childcare arrangements as soon as possible.
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We Need Your Consent for Select Digital Resources
At Orange Hunt Elementary School, our teachers will use a variety of digital resources to support student learning and promote communication and collaboration with students and families. Some of the digital resources your child may use this year will require your consent before they can be used. You can find our school’s list of the resources that require parental consent here: https://orangehuntes.fcps.edu/adopteddigitalresources. Additionally, you can find more information about approved digital resources in FCPS here: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/technology/digital-resources.
Included on this page is also a link to a form where the enrolling parent or guardian will need to indicate whether or not their student is allowed to use the list of digital resources this year. This page also provides more information about how FCPS carefully reviews digital resources for approval and why we must request your consent before using certain tools. We encourage you to complete the parental consent for digital resources form as soon as possible, as your child will not be able to use the digital resources until we have received your permission. Please reach out to your child’s teacher if you have questions or concerns about the digital resources we’ve chosen to use this year.
Emergency Care Forms
New Families - We are working through entering Emergency Care Information, we have the forms that you completed at registration but parents can help by updating through their SIS ParentVUE account here: https://sisparent.fcps.edu/PVUE/PXP2_Login_Parent_OVR.aspx?regenerateSessionId=True New families should have received their ParentVUE activation letter by post end of last week but if you did not receive one, please contact the office on 703-913-6800 or email laakofiohite@fcps.edu
For returning families, you can also view/update/change Emergency Care contacts to make sure that we have updated contact information for your student(s).
More info here: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/parent-communication-overview/wecareschool
School Menu is available here: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/food-and-nutrition-programs
Health Information Form: All students must have an updated health form with the school health room. New families have submitted theirs with their registration but returning students should complete here
Forms can be returned to your student’s teacher, or dropped off in the Front Office. If you feel more comfortable returning the forms in an envelope, please put it to the attention of Front Office, Attn: Registrar.
Upcoming Events
September 3 -September 6: Labor Day HOLIDAY (No School)
September 8: Back to School Night Grades K--6 (5:30 - 7:15pm) (There will be two virtual, synchronous sessions)
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Save Money on Technology Products
FCPS' Technology@Home program provides an opportunity for FCPS students and staff to purchase technology products at discounted rates. See how to save.
Your Partners In Education
We are in this together!! We are thankful to have the opportunity to work with your family this year and will work every day to ensure a safe and positive learning environment for your child. Please contact us when there is a question or concern. Thank you for your support and being part of our team!
Your Partner Principals,
Karen Tuttle kmtuttle@fcps.edu
Kate Austin kbaustin@fcps.edu
Heather Mathews HMMathews@fcps.edu
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Want To Be Involved?
Visit the Orange Hunt PTA website for all sponsored events and activities.
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