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Important Dates
September 20-21: Underclassmen Portraits (Picture Day)
September 23: Senior Panoramic
September 26: Student Holiday/Teacher Workday, Rosh Hashanah
September 30: Homecoming Football Game
October 1: Homecoming Dance
October 5: No School, Yom Kippur
October 10: Student Holiday/Staff Development Day - Indigenous Peoples' Day
October 11: Community Conversation with Dr. Reid
October 12: PSAT/SAT Day (10th-12th Grade)
October 24: No School, Diwali
October 28: End of 1st Quarter; 2 Hour Early Release
October 31: Student Holiday/Teacher Workday - Happy Halloween
General Information
Community Conversation with Dr. Reid - Save the Date
Please save the date for a very special event! Dr. Michelle Reid, FCPS superintendent, will host a Community Conversation at Oakton High School on Tuesday, October 11 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. This event will be a unique opportunity to help Dr. Reid get to know the Oakton Pyramid school community and learn more about her vision for our district.
Language interpretation will be provided, as available, as well as child care and light refreshments. Please register here to attend.
Attendance Protocols & Policies
Please take a moment to review our attendance protocols and policies.
Calendar Adjustment
The https://www.fcps.edu/calendars/standard-school-year-calendar has been slightly updated for this school year. April 13, the last day of Passover, should have been marked as a Religious and Cultural Observance day from the beginning of the year. This remains a school day for students, however we will follow protocols for religious and cultural observance days.
Parent Information Line
Parents who speak Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, or Vietnamese can call a telephone information line for general information about FCPS and to receive support if they are having difficulty communicating with their children's schools due to a language barrier.
Back to School Curriculum Website - September 8, 2022
Our Back to School Curriculum Site is now available. It was emailed directly out to all families on September 8. However, it is also easily accessible on the Oakton HS website, under announcements "Back to School Available." We hope you find this to be a helpful resource.
https://oaktonhs.fcps.edu/announcements/back-school-website-available
Picture Day
School Picture Day is coming for 9th, 10th, and 11th graders on Tuesday September 20th & Wednesday September 21st 2022 . Pictures will be available approximately two weeks following our school's photo day. Save time and Pre-order online here:https://vando.imagequix.com/g1000942285
For questions about ordering please email underclass@vosphoto.com
Oakton NHS New Member Application Process 2022-2023
The 2022-2023 NHS New Member Application process for this school year will begin soon. We encourage all our qualified 11th and 12th grade students to pay close attention to their school emails in the coming weeks. Qualified applicants will receive an email to their FCPS account regarding the procedures and process, dates, and expectations for the application process. If you would like to review the information for Oakton NHS on our website you may click here to take a look. https://sites.google.com/fcpsschools.net/oaktonnhs/home
Please wait to contact Mrs. Stewart, NHS Advisor, until after the applicant invitations have been sent out, September 9th 2022, with any of your questions concerning NHS and our application process. Current members will be receiving updated information for the coming school year soon. Thank you for your support and cooperation as we start a new school year. Keep working to complete any volunteer hours you might have and remember to upload in the X2VOL Service Learning system.
Oakton NHS Officer Application 2022-2023
Current Members of Oakton NHS will have the opportunity to apply for one of the leadership positions available this school year. If you are a current member of Oakton NHS please pay attention to your FCPS school email in the coming weeks for more information about the application and review process. Please wait to contact Mrs. Stewart, NHS Advisor, until after the email and information has been released to students. We expect the information to be sent the week of September 9th, 2022. All current members are reminded to continue their Service Learning and add hours to the X2VOL system.
College Visits
Every year our College and Career Center hosts a wide variety of colleges and universities for students. These visits are open to all junior and senior students. They can review the list of who is visiting and register by logging in to their Naviance account. Once logged in students can see upcoming visits by looking under the "What's New" portion. They may also select the "Colleges" tab on the top of the screen and select "College Visits." If you have any questions you may reach out to our College and Career Specialist, Mr. McClam (emmclam@fcps.edu).
Save the Date - Graduation
Class of 2023, please save the date for graduation! We are excited to celebrate our senior class on Friday, June 9, 2:00pm at Eagle Bank Arena. At various times throughout the year we will send out senior newsletters with a great deal of information. The first one will come out in October.
Testing Updates
PSAT/NMSQT and SAT School Day: October 12
Current Oakton-enrolled sophomores and juniors are eligible to take the PSAT/NMSQT on October 12, 2022. Only Oakton seniors who have registered for testing may participate in SAT School Day. All freshmen and unregistered seniors will participate in asynchronous activities at home.
Learn more about PSAT/NMSQT and SAT School Day On October 12th here.
Seniors who wish to register for the SAT test on October 12 had to complete the intent form by September 7, 2022.
Student Services Updates
Schedule Changes
Open schedule change requests are now paused until the end of first quarter. At that time, we will consider schedule changes again if there is a demonstrated need.
Post- Secondary Planning, 12th Graders
School counselors met with seniors through US/VA Government classes on August 30 & 31. Beginning on September 6, counselors began meetng individually with each senior to discuss graduation requirements and post-secondary planning.
Save the Date: Virtual Senior Parent Night – September 12
We welcome you to attend our virtual Senior College Planning Parent Night Presentation on Monday, September 12th 6:30 – 8:00 pm. A webinar link will be emailed to all 12th grade families. If you are unable to attend the event, we will be adding the presentation to our website.
You can also use this form to ask general college application questions. We will do our best to answer these questions during our presentation. If you have specific questions about your student, please reach out to their counselor.
Save the Date: Virtual Freshman Parent Night – September 21
Welcome Freshman Parents and Guardians! Please join Student Services on September 21 at 6:30pm to gain insight into Oakton High School and Student Services, resources and freshman year events. A webinar link will be emailed to all freshman families and the recording will be available following the event.
Service Learning Updates
9/11 Day of Service and Volunteer Fairfax’s VolunteerFest 2022
Volunteer Fairfax will be facilitating VolunteerFest 2022, a countywide day of service, on September 17, 2022. This is a great way for students and families who want to engage with local nonprofits and volunteer. The event will officially kick-off on September 11, Patriot’s Day, with Volunteer Fairfax sharing donation needs and upcoming volunteer opportunities. More information about VolunteerFest 2022 can be found at Volunteer Fairfax’s website.
Additional 9/11 Day of Service information can be found at 911Day.org and an FCPS Google Site with instructional considerations for 9/11 should be shared with schools in the coming weeks.
Other Service Learning Enrichment Opportunities
In an effort to highlight enrichment experiences that can connect service learning for students, FCPS has put together a brief one page document with various enrichment experiences. All of these experiences are posted in the Naviance Enrichment Database, but we also wanted to highlight them for our community in case any students might be interested.
Service Learning and X2VOL
All students at Oakton are encouraged to use X2VOL via their Naviance account to record and continue to record all Service Learning completed throughout the school year. Students may access information and help for X2VOL via Naviance using the following link https://help.x2vol.com/knowledge/for-naviance-schools
Health and Wellness Updates
International Overdose Day
Please see this information from our Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist, Mr. McNulty.
COVID Diagnostic Testing Dates
COVID-19 diagnostic testing is available at no cost for all currently enrolled FCPS students on select dates throughout the year when transmission may be highest. Diagnostic testing is provided at designated times and locations for those who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19.
Testing will be available September 6-8 and 12-14. Visit the testing website for information on locations and how to register for an appointment.
Health and Safety Guidance Document
The FCPS Health and Safety guidance document has been updated for this school year. Please see this site for more information.
Emergency Resources
Crisis Link Regional Hotline 703-527-4077
Crisis Text Text NEEDHELP to 85511
Dominion Hospital Emergency 703-536-2000
INOVA Emergency 703-289-7560
Merrifield Center Emergency 703-573-5979 TTY dial 711
Life Threatening 911
Safety and Security Updates
Safety Drills
Keeping students and staff safe is a priority for all of us. Each school has an emergency preparedness plan to respond to incidents such as fires and tornadoes. Schools are required by state law to practice emergency drills, including lockdown drills, each year. Schools are required to notify parents and guardians at least 24 hours before a school conducts a lockdown drill. However, schools are not required to give the specific date and time of the drill in advance.
The first lockdown drill of the school year must take place within the first 20 days of school. Oakton's first lockdown drill will be this week.
Your child may come home and talk about their experience during the drill. We encourage you to talk with your child about the importance of being prepared for emergencies. Here are some helpful tips for families to use to support their students before and after school lockdown drills.
Working together, we create a safe, secure environment for students to learn and grow in our schools.
Anonymous Tip Line Puts Safety First
If you or your child have concerns or information relating to feeling unsafe in any way at school, we encourage you to reach out to a member of the security or administrative team so that we may quickly address the issue. Students and parents may also utilize the FCPS Office of Safety and Security safety tip line, that you can access anonymously online, by text (888-777; Keyword TIP FCPS), or by phone (571-423-2020).
If your tip is an emergency and immediate assistance is necessary, please dial 911.
Students, staff, and community members should report school safety issues such as threats, unsafe or dangerous situations, illegal drug activity, theft, gang activity, the existence of weapons, vandalism, and concerns about student wellness. Tip line users may identify themselves or remain anonymous.
Concerns that do not impact the safety of our schools—concerns or information about programs, regulations, or policies—can be sent to the FCPS ombudsman online, at 571-423-4014, or ombudsman@fcps.edu.
Volunteer Opportunities
Cougar Canteen
WHAT IS THE COUGAR CANTEEN?
The Cougar Canteen is returning this fall to Oakton! The Canteen is an after-school concession stand giving ALL OHS students an opportunity to grab a snack before after school activities. The Canteen was an Oakton staple years ago and is back by popular demand! The Canteen is in Cougar Hall. It will be open daily at dismissal for approximately one hour. The Canteen will offer a variety of grab and go snacks and drinks. On alternating days, the Canteen will offer pizza or subway sandwiches. All items are cash only. The Canteen is a huge benefit to students not heading home directly after school.
WHAT WE NEED!
The Canteen is operated by non-staff, adult volunteers. Your time commitment is about one hour. If you have volunteered at any OHS concession stand you already know what to do. If not, it is very easy to learn, and directions will be provided. A sign-up genius is available now for volunteers. The SUG is only for September and October currently. The Canteen must have 2 to 3 adults per shift to run efficiently. If we have less than 2 persons, we will not open that day. This is a great opportunity to improve our student life. Please sign-up ASAP so we know how soon we can open the Canteen! The goal is to open on Tuesday, September 6th!
Questions? email Cougarcanteen@gmail.com
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C4CAEAE2FAA8-ohscougar
PTSA News and Information
Oakton Pantry
Thank you to everyone who continues to donate so generously to the Pantry. We are incredibly grateful for your support. Because of you we are able to keep the doors open and provide regular snack packs and groceries to students in need.
We'd also like to give special recognition to Rustic Love Vienna. For the third time in less than a year, Rustic Love has chosen to give one of their valuable grants to the Oakton Pantry. To say that we are honored, grateful, and emotional about this gift would be an understatement. To know that Rustic Love believes in us and values our Pantry is amazing and inspires us to work even harder for our students. As one member of Rustic Love said, "Food is the most important school supply."
For any questions about the Pantry, please send an email to oaktonpantry@gmail.com. Students interested in joining the Pantry Club should send an email to oaktonpantryclub@gmail.com.
 Parent Resource Center
The FCPS Parent Resource Center offers a wide variety of information and resources to support the success of all students. This includes monthly workshops and webinars. More information can be found on the FCPS website, including registration information.
September 2022
Signs and Symptoms of Eating Disorders: What Families and Schools Need to Know
Join Katie Maki as she shares her experiences highlighting the following topics:
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Signs and symptoms of eating disorders and how they differ in age groups
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Facts and myths about eating disorders
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How to avoid negative messaging on body image and food in education
- What parents need from school staff to support families fighting eating disorders
September 16, 2022 10 -11:30 a.m.
Gang Prevention: A Webinar for Families and Community Members (Presented in Spanish)
Topics Include:
- What is a gang and why do youth join gangs?
- Common gang activities
- Risk factors associated with gang involvement
- Protective factors that reduce gang involvement
- Supports available in Fairfax County and FCPS
Presented by:
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Stefan Mascoll: Coordinator Student Safety and Wellness, Fairfax County Public Schools
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Liliana Janssen-Checa: Program Manager of Youth Initiatives, Northern Virginia Family Service
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Francisco Klockner Gonzalez: Gang Prevention Coordinator, Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court
September 27, 2022 6-7:30 p.m.
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 High School Athletics list!) you can manage your subscription to Oakton HS messages online.
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