 Important Upcoming Dates
March 16: Bears Bedtime Stories - 7:00 p.m. (Virtual)
March 21: PTA Family Dinner Night-Noodles & Company
March 31: Third Quarter Ends/ 2-Hour Early Release for Students-Dismissal at 1:15 p.m.
March 31: Kindergarten Orientation
April 1: No School for Students/ Teacher Workday
April 4-April 8: Spring Break
New This Week
1. National School Social Work Week
2. Bears Bedtime Stories
3. Family Engagement Survey
4. It’s Daylight Savings Time: Spring Forward!
5. Updated: Spring SOL Testing Dates
6. OC Staff Shout-outs
7. Pediatric Immunization Clinic - March 12
8. FCPS Virtual Special Education Conference - March 26
Reminders & Updates
9. Save the Date for Kindergarten Orientation
10. Order 2021-22 Yearbooks
11. Woodson Band Camp
12. Bears in the Spotlight
13. Summer Arts Education
14. Bears Care Outreach
15. Contacts
16. Be Informed, Stay Involved!
1. National School Social Work Week
This week is National School Social Work Week! We deeply appreciate our school social workers, Kimberly Close-Jensen and Margaret Seneca, for the extraordinary work they do at Olde Creek. We are incredibly grateful for the outstanding support that they provide for our students, staff, and families. Please help us celebrate Ms. Close-Jensen and Ms. Seneca!
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2. Bears Bedtime Stories
3. Family Engagement Survey
Our Family Engagement Survey is coming to your email the afternoon of Sunday, March 13. Please participate—your feedback is critical in helping to inform and improve FCPS’ practices to best support our students.
Taking this survey will also help strengthen the partnership between your family and your school. When that partnership is strong, students can experience a range of benefits including improved school readiness, higher student achievement, and better social skills and behavior.
FCPS is partnering with independent firm K12 Insight to administer the survey, and it will be available in eight languages. For more information, please watch this short video from Superintendent Brabrand and visit the Family Engagement Survey webpage. Your voice matters!
4. It’s Daylight Savings Time: Spring Forward!
Daylight Saving Time starts Sunday, March 13, 2022 and is a reminder that Spring will soon be here. We set our clocks forward one hour. While we may have sunnier days, the change in time can interrupt your child’s sleep rhythm. Losing an hour of sleep when we "spring forward" can take a toll on children, especially teens, leaving them sleepier during the day. Happy Spring!
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5. Updated: Spring SOL Testing Dates
Students in grades 3-6 will be taking the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) Tests beginning in May. Please avoid appointments and trips which may take your child out of school during this time period. Make up testing will occur throughout the window based on staff availability to administer tests. If you have any questions, please reach out to your child’s teacher, or School Testing Coordinator, Alison Butler (ajbutler@fcps.edu).
3rd Grade
Thursday, May 5: Reading
Monday, May 16: Math
4th Grade
Tuesday, May 10: Reading
Tuesday, May 17: Math
5th Grade
Updated: Wednesday, May 4: Reading
Updated: Wednesday, May 11: Math
Updated: Wednesday, May 18: Science
6th Grade
Updated: Thursday, May 12: Reading
Thursday, May 19: Math
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6. OC Staff Shout-outs
Our Olde Creek staff continues to be incredible throughout this pandemic with each challenge that comes their way! We want to celebrate the extraordinary efforts of our teachers and staff during the 2021-22 school year. If your family would like to give a shout out to an OC staff member, please complete this survey.
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7. Pediatric Immunization Clinic-March 12
The State of Virginia requires immunizations for entry into kindergarten, 7th grade, 12th grade, and when transferring into FCPS. The Fairfax County Health Department will be offering a special immunization clinic for Fairfax County students to complete their school vaccine requirements (the COVID-19 vaccine is not a required vaccine).
The clinic will be held on Saturday, March 12, 8 a.m. to noon, at the Annandale District Office, 7611 Little River Turnpike, #400-E, Annandale, VA 22003. Appointments are required.
To make an appointment, call 703-246-7100.
8. Register Now for the FCPS Virtual Special Education Conference on March 26
FCPS’s 17th Annual Special Education Conference will be held virtually on Saturday, March 26, with a combination of synchronous (live) and asynchronous (recorded) sessions supporting the conference's theme: Bringing our Inclusive Community Together: Affirming, Assessing, Advancing. Welcoming ceremonies, guest speakers, FCPS presentations, and an exhibit hall are included. Registration for this free conference is now open online.
- Parents and community members will be able to register online.
- FCPS educators, administrators, and preservice teachers will be able to register online and earn recertification points for attending the conference.
- Individuals needing foreign language interpretation (Spanish, Amharic, Arabic, and Korean), American Sign Language (ASL), or Cued Language Transliterator (CLT) interpreters for the live sessions may request this on the registration form.
For questions please contact specialedconf@fcps.edu.
Visit the Special Education Conference webpage for more information and to register.
9. Save the Date for Kindergarten Orientation
We are excited as we start to prepare to welcome our youngest Bears to the 2022-23 school year! We will be hosting two events on Thursday, March 31.
Thursday, March 31, 2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.: Rising kindergartners and parents will come to Olde Creek for an in-person orientation. We will begin in our cafeteria at 2:30 p.m. (NOTE: This is an early release day for current students). After a few minutes, our rising kindergarteners will have the opportunity to visit our classrooms for fun learning activities. Our parents will have a presentation of our kindergarten program and meet our incredible kindergarten team. This event will finish at 3:30 p.m. at the playground should families wish to stay and play!
Do you know a neighbor with a rising kindergartner, or a family with a rising first grader who isn't attending Olde Creek yet? Please encourage them to register so we have accurate numbers for staffing our classes for next year!
Visit the Olde Creek ES website and fill out the electronic new student registration form: https://oldecreekes.fcps.edu/student-services/new-student-registration
Thursday, March 31, 6:30 p.m.: If parents are not able to attend our in-person orientation, parents can join our team for a virtual presentation of our kindergarten program at 6:30 p.m. A link will be sent prior to the event.
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10. Order 2021-22 Yearbooks
 Order your yearbook online today at strawbridge.net using the online code: YB111582
11. Woodson Band Camp
Attention all current 4-6 grade families! This summer there will be a wonderful band camp offered at Woodson High School. The camp dates are June 14th-July 1st 8:30-12:00. This camp works with all levels of players from beginners (never played before) to advanced (middle school students). Students attending any middle school are welcome, including Frost or Robinson. Please let Holly VanValkenburg know if you have any questions at hjvanvalkenb@fcps.edu
https://www.rbopomusic.org/central-fairfax-band-camp.html
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12. Bears in the Spotlight!
We wanted to remind everyone about our program that highlights the incredible skills and talents of our Bears! On a daily basis, we have the opportunity to see our Bears’ strengths in school but we want to showcase the skills and talents our students demonstrate outside of school as well.
Each week on the morning news, we will have Bears in the Spotlight to share these skills and talents with our school community. Our students can sing, dance, share artwork, or videos of them playing sports or clips of other performances.
To submit one of our students to participate in Bears in the Spotlight, please utilize the below form.
https://forms.gle/um6VHjy6KKYLhMxJ6 - Please note: this form must be accessed using your child’s FCPS username & password.
If your student would like to submit a video instead, you can utilize the Flipgrid link with the password below.
https://flipgrid.com/bfa686dd
Password: BearsSpotlight
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13. Summer Arts Education
All students with an interest in continuing to explore the arts are eligible for two summer enrichment programs. Registration opens on March 1 for the Elementary Institute for the Arts (E-IFTA) and Institute for the Arts (IFTA) Summer enrichment programs.
Elementary Institute for the Arts (for rising 3rd through 6th graders) and Institute for the Arts (for rising 7th through 12th graders) will be held July 5-29 at Lake Braddock Secondary School from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Classes are offered every day related to dance, music, theater, and visual art. Both programs have fees, waivers are available for students eligible for free and reduced-price meals.
For more information or to register, visit the Summer Learning webpage.
14. Bears Care Outreach
As always, the Olde Creek community showed tremendous generosity and support to the Bears Care food pantry for the winter break. Thank you!! Please use this sign up for much needed continued support through food items that can either be dropped off at the school or sent through this Amazon Wish List. (Email Lisa at lisamarm@gmail.com for any questions.)
You can also show your support by donating through the OC PTA PayPal account. The funds will be used to purchase items and gift cards based on the greatest needs of our families. Access the OC PTA PayPal account here: https://paypal.me/OldeCreekPTA.
Thank you, as always, for your kindness and generosity!
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15. Contacts
Olde Creek Attendance Phone Line: 703-426-3192
Olde Creek Attendance mailbox: OldeCreekElem.Attendance@fcps.edu
Technology Support for Families/Parent Help Desk: 1-833-921-3277
Parent Information Phone Lines/Support for parents who do not speak English as their first language: Parent Information Phone Lines
Parent and Student technology support: IT Support Portal
Melissa Miller, Principal, mhmiller@fcps.edu
Alison Butler, Assistant Principal, ajbutler@fcps.edu
Kelly Durso, Assistant Principal, kldurso@fcps.edu
Sylvia Alverson, Administrative Assistant, sjalverson@fcps.edu
Ann Platenkamp, Administrative Assistant, amplatenkamp@fcps.edu
Lizardo Santos, Student Information Assistant, LISantos@fcps.edu
Sandy McCulloch, Office Assistant, slmcculloch@fcps.edu
16. Be Informed, Stay Involved!
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