Principal Updates - February 14

Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@OaktonHS), and Instagram @oaktonhs!   All Back to School Information can be found here.  

The Oakton Pantry is available to support all Oakton families.  See below for additional information and our website!  

Important Dates

February 16: Springs Sports In-Person Registration, 3:00pm 

February 21: No School, Presidents' Day; Spring Sports Tryouts begin 

March 3: 2 Hour Early Release

March 4: Student Holiday, Staff Development 

March 25: Rising 9th Grade Activities Fair

March 31: 2 Hour Early Release; End of 3rd Quarter

April 1: Student Holiday, Teacher Workday

April 4-8: Spring Break, No School 

Happy Valentine's Day! 

General Information 

Welcome Mrs. McCord

We are excited to welcome Mrs. Kelly McCord to our administrative team!  She will be filling in for Mrs. Lisa Beskenis who is currently out on maternity leave.  Mrs. McCord is a member of our Social Studies Department so she is very familiar with our students and school.  Mrs. McCord will take over supervising the social studies and fine arts departments.  In addition she will be working with students who have the last names in the A-C range.  Mrs. Beskenis will be returning following Spring Break.  

How to Report a COVID Related Absence

Please use our regular attendance line to report any COVID related absences.  An administrator will then follow up with the family to provide more details and an anticipated return to school date.  

Buy a Yearbook

Yearbooks are selling quickly, so buy yours now! Yearbooks can be purchased for $75 via MySchoolBucks or through yearbookordercenter.com with the code 4770. Prices will increase at distribution, so buy your copy today. Contact ohsparagon@gmail.com with any questions.  

2022-23 School Year

The Fairfax County School Board approved next year's school calendar last week.  Please see the basis for their decision and the approved calendar below. 

Fairfax County School Board Approves Calendar Based on Data and Community Input: https://www.fcps.edu/news/fairfax-county-school-board-approves-calendar-based-data-and-community-input

2022-23 School Year Calendar: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/2022-2023-standard-school-year-calendar.pdf 

AVID Applications

Applications are currently being accepted for the 2022-2023 AVID elective course.

The Oakton AVID program is a unique program for 9th– 12th  grade students.  It is a program that truly will help students “Advance Via Individual Determination.” AVID at Oakton is designed to help students get the most out of their abilities and develop skills that translate directly into success in high school, college/university, and 21st Century jobs.  The skills include: organization, public speaking, critical reading/writing, and creative problem solving.

AVID at Oakton intends to foster leaders in the classroom and in the community.  Our goals are that each AVID student graduate high school with an Advanced Academic Diploma and receives acceptance into a four-year college or university. Oakton AVID students are known as students that push themselves in the classroom, work diligently towards their goals, and motivate others by being an example of scholarship.

Students interested in this course next year should complete this application.

https://forms.gle/tkPGHSaDzzeHVgU28

Questions can be directed to Katy Byrd kkbyrd@fcps.edu.

Partners for Safe Teen Driving

All students enrolled in Classroom Driver Education during the 2021-2022 school year must attend a virtual Partners for Safe Teen Driving (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 multiple times during the school year at Oakton. Students and their parents/guardians should plan to attend the presentation at Oakton (virtually) during the 1st quarter. 

All PSTDs begin promptly. Late admission will not be allowed. 

Students, please complete this google form to pick the date you will attend.

Dates 2021-2022 

  1. Tuesday March 29      6pm
  2. Wednesday May 4      6pm

These sessions are intended for Sophomores. Juniors and Seniors can attend a virtual session through Adult and Community Education.

PSTD nights are not available to freshmen.

Testing Updates

AP Test Fees 

Students who are enrolled in AP classes at Oakton were assessed AP exam fees recently by Fairfax County Public Schools through their My School Bucks account. These fees are expected to be paid in full the end of 2022 school year. Students who no longer wish to take one or more of their AP exams can reach out to AP Coordinator Katie Warehime kjwarehime@fcps.edu for further instructions, though there are fees associated with canceling or not taking AP Exams after the October opt-out window; all students received opt-out information at that time. More information regarding those fees and all AP exam fees, as well as deadlines associated, can be found on the FCPS AP exam Fee Matrix. If you have any questions, reach out to AP Coordinator Katie Warehime kjwarehime@fcps.edu

Student Services Updates

Course Registration for 2022-2023 School Year

We have begun registration for next school year.  The dates below are tentative and may be adjusted as needed.  All students will have presentations from the counselors and then an individual meeting to confirm the classes they wish to take.

It is incredibly important that students sign up for the classes they want to take.  We base our staffing decisions on these initial numbers.  

Families and students are encouraged to visit the sites below to learn more about Oakton's course offerings.  

The deadline to make any course request changes is March 4, 2022.  

Academic Advising and Course Offerings: https://oaktonhs.fcps.edu/student-services/academic-advising-and-course-offerings

Oakton Course Offerings Fair: https://sites.google.com/view/oakton-course-offerings/home  

Updated Schedule: 

Rising Seniors - Class of 2023

  • Classroom Presentations: Jan. 5 & Jan. 6 through Social Studies classes
  • 1:1 Registration with counselor: January 7 – 20 through English classes

Rising Juniors - Class of 2024

  • Classroom Presentations: Feb 2 & 3 through PE classes
  • 1:1 Registration with counselor: February 4 – February 15 through PE classes

Rising Sophomores - Class of 2025

  • Classroom Presentations: Feb 16 & 17 through PE classes
  • 1:1 Registration with counselor: February 18 – February 28 through PE classes

The deadline to make any course request changes is March 4, 2022.

Rising Freshmen - Class of 2026

  • Will be determined by middle school; dates will vary by school.  

Monthly Newsletter 

Happy February Cougar Families!  Check out February’s newsletter to stay connected with course selection information including summer school and other important resources. 

Mental Health Moment

This month’s Mental Health Moment focuses on defining success, which aligns with an upcoming advisory lesson. 

Oakton Athletics 

Spring Sports In-Person Registration - February 16 

The Spring Sports Registration is scheduled for Wednesday, February 16 at 3pm in the cafeteria.  At this time athletes will be able to check in with the coach to make sure they have all of the necessary paperwork on file including VHSL physical, online registration, and vaccination information.  If athletes have the forms or cannot attend on the 16th they may drop their forms at the Activities Office (Trailer 31).

Spring Sports Tryout Dates 

All tryouts (except track and field) begin on Monday, February 21, 2022 for spring sports.  Please note that is Presidents' Day and a student holiday from school.  Track and field will begin on Tuesday, February 22, 2022.  

Spring sports include baseball, softball, boys and girls lacrosse, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls tennis, track and field, and crew.

Tryout times will be posted on www.OaktonAthletics.org next week.

**All times are subject to change so please check back closer to the tryout dates.

Please reach out to the Activities Office if you have any questions! 

Class of 2022 News & Updates

Senior Letter

On Friday, February 11 an email was sent to all senior parents outlining the rest of the year and details around graduation.  That letter will be posted this week on Oakton's website for ease of access.  Please reach out to Mr. James Oberndorf, assistant principal, with any questions.  He can be reached at jpoberndorf@fcps.edu.  

Senior Dues

In order to be sure we have the funds to pay for graduation and senior events, we assess senior dues to cover costs.  This year senior dues will be $75.  We are very fortunate that FCPS has contributed to the cost of renting EagleBank Arena which substantially reduced the amount we are asking form each family.  Senior dues cover the costs for the day of graduation and events throughout the school year.  This includes: EagleBank Arena rental, caps and gowns, diploma covers, programs, senior t-shirts, senior events (senior sunrise, senior sunset picnic - June), etc.  

Dues should be paid using My SchoolBucks and can be found in the school store. 

Please reach out to our senior class administrator, James Oberndorf, if you have any questions.  

Senior T-Shirts

Senior t-shirts were distributed to seniors on December 16 and 17.  If your student has not yet picked one up, they can stop by and see Mr. Oberndorf in the main office.  

PTSA News and Information

Special Guest This Wednesday 2/16  - PTSA General Membership Meeting

Parents, teachers, and students: come and join the Oakton HS PTSA General Membership meeting at 7:30pm on Wednesday 2/16.

We have representatives from the George Washington University to talk about the Scholarship Opportunity at GW.

Please check your email for the Agenda and Zoom meeting information that will be sent out directly from OaktonHS PTSA.

Apply by 2/28 - Teacher and Club Mini-Grants Program

The Oakton HS PTSA recognizes that there are activities, supplies, and educational materials that would enhance and further enrich classroom and club activities that may not be in the school budget or too high to supplement by staff or parents.

Teacher and Club mini-grants will be offered this Spring 2022- Apply by Monday, February 28, 2022.

To apply, select the proper online application form to submit your mini-grant request.  

Oakton HS PTSA Teacher Mini-Grants

Oakton HS PTSA Club Mini-Grants

Any questions, please contact Jeannie Reyes at jvsreyes@gmail.com.

Oakton Pantry

Oakton Pantry - Request General Donations

We are serving more students and families each week! We encourage everyone to visit our Pantry website: https://oaktonpantry.com/needed-items (please copy and paste link). Here you will find an updated list of our most needed items, a link to our Amazon Wish List, and a link to a new Sign Up Genius for filled backpacks.

The Pantry completely relies on donations from the community to keep our shelves well-stocked. Right now our shelves are very bare. Donations can be dropped off at the main office (Door 1) any time during school hours. If you have a large donation and need assistance getting it to the school, please contact us at oaktonpantry@gmail.com.

Finally, a note about our Amazon Wish List: Amazon is getting to be less convenient and more expensive for our needs. For this reason, we have limited the number of items on the Wish List. 

If you able to give a monetary donation, we would greatly appreciate it. All monetary donations go directly towards buying groceries and often times get us more because we are able to shop the cheapest prices and locations. Checks can be made payable to: OHS PTSA and PANTRY written on the memo line. You can drop checks at the main office or send them to: Oakton Pantry, OHS, 2900 Sutton Rd., Vienna, VA 22181.

Thank you for your continued support of the Pantry and our students!

Pantry Logo

Parent Resource Center 

The FCPS Parent Resource Center is has a wealth of resources to all.  

FCPS offers a welcoming and engaging environment for families, educators, and community members. We provide access to information and resources to support the success of all students, including those with learning challenges, special needs, and disabilities. FCPS staff is available by phone 703-204-3941 or email prc@fcps.edu to help!  

Workshops and Webinars

What should I do before my child grows up? Future Planning for Elementary and Middle School Students with Disabilities

Join Career and Transition Services (CTS) to learn about planning for life in and after high school!

It’s never too early or too late to start preparing for your future. We want to help you start planning for a successful transition from school to life as a young adult. 

Ensuring the postsecondary success of our students with disabilities is dependent on what is known as transition planning. Please join CTS and other support service personnel for a month of webinars focused on planning for the future. 

Each week, webinar sessions will cover a range of 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 planning for their child’s future.

Wednesdays in February, 2022: 2/16, & 2/23 6:30-8:30 p.m.

February 16

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 special education programs and services 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 23

6:30 – 7:15     Session 1

Middle School Support: This session will provide an overview of planning for your future within the IEP and a discussion about why it’s important to start that planning early. 

7:15 – 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 What should I do before my child grows up? Future Planning for Elementary and Middle School Students with Disabilities

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.  

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