Olde Creek Weekly Update
 Important Upcoming Dates
February 6-10: National School Counseling Week
February 8: PTA Meeting (Virtual) - 6:30PM
February 9: Rising 7th Graders: Frost Family Festival - 5:30PM
February 13: 100th Day of School
February 15: Woodson Pyramid Virtual Parent Substance Use Education Night - 7:00PM
February 20: Presidents Day - No School
February 21: Woodson Math Enrichment Session (2nd & 3rd Graders)
February 24: Woodson’s International Night - 5:00-9:00PM
New This Week
1. Black History Month
2. National School Counseling Week
3. FCPS Equitable Access to Literacy Plan
4. Math Enrichment Session (2nd & 3rd Graders)
5. Yearbooks Now on Sale
6. SCA and Girl Scout Pop Tab Collection
7. Rising 7th Graders: Frost Family Festival
8. Our PTA Needs You in 2023-24!
9. PTA: Magnus Chess Club
10. FCPS News
11. Tutor.com
12. Text-to-Speech Available on FCPS Websites
Reminders
13. Bears in the Spotlight
14. Olde Creek Green Team
15. OC Staff Shout-outs
16. Substance Use Presentations
17. Woodson’s International Night
18. Magnet School Application and Lottery Information
19. Summer Camps Registration
20. Reading Fitness Quest
21. Contacts
22. Be Informed, Stay Involved!
 |
|
1. Black History Month
Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS.
|
2. National School Counseling Week
February 6-10 is National School Counseling Week and highlights the tremendous impact school counselors have in helping students achieve academic success and planning for a career.
School counselors work with students in a variety of different capacities, whether it is through classroom lessons, group sessions, or individual counseling. Learn more about the role of school counselors in FCPS.
We are very thankful for our school counselor, Jeanna Squif, who provides wonderful support and care for our students and families.
3. FCPS Equitable Access to Literacy Plan
We wanted to share an overview of the vision of the FCPS Equitable Access to Literacy Plan with you since you might have heard the term Science of Reading.
- FCPS is unified in our commitment to a division-wide, comprehensive, and culturally responsive PreK - 12 literacy program that uses evidence-based practices, is grounded in science-based reading research, and intentionally expands learning opportunities in accordance with students’ needs.
- FCPS ensures students receive explicit instruction in reading and writing to achieve proficiency in literacy and eliminate disproportionate outcomes based on race, gender, zip code, ability, socioeconomic status, or languages spoken at home.
At FCPS' approach to literacy acquisition is grounded in science-based reading research, implemented through a structured literacy model, and guided by three anchors; The Simple View of Reading (Gough, P. B., & Tunmer, W. E. 1986), The Four-Part Processing Model (Seidenberg & McCLelland 1989), and The Reading Rope (Scarborough, 2001). For more information please click HERE.
Our Reading Specialist will present at the next PTA meeting (2/8) and provide information about literacy instruction at OCES.
4. Math Enrichment Session (2nd & 3rd Graders)
The Woodson Math Honor Society is hosting a Math Enrichment session at Olde Creek on Tuesday, February 21st after school in the cafeteria. All second and third graders are invited to attend! There will be fractions, adding and subtracting, place value and rounding activities. They will also have a chance to interact with great Woodson students! The permission slip will be coming home in Friday Folders.
5. Olde Creek Yearbooks Now on Sale!
It’s time to order your copy of the 2022-23 Olde Creek Yearbook. Order early and reserve your copy for $16 at this website: www.strawbridge.net.
School Code: YB26259
For more information, view the yearbook flyer here.
6. Olde Creek SCA and Girl Scout Pop Tab Collection
For more information, see the flyer that went home in Friday Folders today!
7. Rising 7th Graders: Frost Family Festival
Rising 7th grade students and their families are invited to the upcoming Frost Family Festival on February 9th from 5:30-7:15 PM.
This is an open house format with no formal presentations, so come anytime to explore the building, participate in activities, and see firsthand the classrooms, library, and elective options available at Frost! Staff will be present in each of the locations to answer questions and share information. More information can be found here: 2023 Frost Family Festival 2023 School.pdf
The Frost PTA is hosting a pre-paid pizza dinner, so check out their flyer, below, on how to order.
Frost Family Festival 2023 PTA Pizza Flyer.pdf
We look forward to seeing you there!
8. Our PTA Needs You in 2023-24!
As the end of another school year approaches, students are not the only ones moving on. Parents that have been key leaders are also moving onto other places and responsibilities. The OCES PTA plans and funds events like the Halloween Howl, Laps for Learning and the Sock Hop, to name a few. Our PTA buys books, playground equipment, classroom supplies, helps pay for field trips and more!
See this flyer for more information about how to get involed during the 2023-2024 school year!
9. PTA - Magnus Chess Academy
Check out this flyer for more information about a great after school opportunity for our Olde Creek Bears!
10. FCPS News
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- FCPS Building and Renovation Plans
- Upcoming Webinars for Parents/Caregivers
- Dual Language Immersion Program Registration
- Academy Open Houses
- Resources for Families of Students with Disabilities
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving the weekly newsletter, sign up today.
11. Tutor.com: Extra Help for Students at No Cost to Families
With Tutor.com through Schoology, FCPS students are able to get learning help at any time, even from bilingual tutors! Students in FCPS meet with tutors thousands of times each week to practice reading, prepare for an upcoming math test, write computer programs, study for the SAT, or to get feedback on scholarship essays–all at no cost to their families! If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take just a few minutes to connect with a tutor with your child. More info about Tutor.com in FCPS is available here.
12. Text-to-Speech Available on FCPS Websites
FCPS is introducing an innovative way to address the diverse needs of the community. A new text-to-speech feature, available on the FCPS website and each school website, will read the words aloud from webpages.
The feature will help those with accessibility needs, such as visual impairments, dyslexia, or other difficulty reading large amounts of online text. The text-to-speech feature is available for English, Spanish, and Korean. Learn more and try out the new feature.
13. Bears in the Spotlight
We are excited to continue our News Show segment titled Bears in the Spotlight this year! If your student is interested in sharing what they did over the summer and/or their skills and talents outside of school, please complete this Google form. We can’t wait to feature our OC Bears on the News Show!
14. Olde Creek Green Team
The Olde Creek Green Team is made up of teachers and students from grades 3-6 that meet 1-2 times/month before school. Each year, we pick a different environmental focus for our group to take on. This year, we have chosen Water Conservation. This fall students have been working on ways to spread the word about the importance of saving water by: making a video for the news show, displaying posters around our school, and visiting classrooms to demonstrate water conservation methods in each room. Green team members were also able to participate in an optional home audit to see how much water was being used at their homes, and make a plan for the future. We hope that the entire OC community will join us in being global citizens who care for our Earth.
15. OC Staff Shout-outs
Our Olde Creek staff is outstanding and we are grateful for all they do every day! We want to celebrate the extraordinary efforts of our teachers and staff during the 2022-23 school year. If your family would like to give a shout out to an OC staff member, please complete this survey. We recognize our staff in our weekly staff messages, on the morning news, and at staff meetings. Our students have also been sharing great stories and experiences to highlight the exceptional work of our staff.
FCPS CARES
The FCPS CARES Program is an opportunity for families, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story, so we can all acknowledge the good work of FCPS employees at Olde Creek. We love our staff members; let's tell them how we feel!
16. Substance Use Presentations
FCPS is dedicated to providing parents and community members with the most accurate and up-to-date information on youth substance use, prevention, addiction, interventions and available supports. Please join us and our partners from the Fairfax County Police Department and Community Services Board as we discuss these topics as well as the ongoing opioid crisis. Attendees will walk away with an understanding of:
- Alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, and opioids.
- List what you can do as a caregiver.
- How to identify and connect with community resources.
Woodson Pyramid Virtual Parent Substance Use Education Night - February 15
Please see the linked flyer to RSVP and for more information.
17. Woodson 2023 International Night
18. Magnet School Application and Lottery Information
The Magnet Program registration window will be open from Wednesday March 1, through Wednesday, April 12, 2023. No late applications are accepted.
To learn more about the programs and the registration process, families are encouraged to attend one of the Parent Informational Nights:
- Hunters Woods Elementary, February 13, 2023, at 6:00PM - In-person
- Snow date: February 21, 2023, at 6:00PM
- Bailey’s Upper, February 15, 2023, at 6:00PM - Virtual only
- Bailey’s Primary, February 16, 2023, at 6:00PM - In person
- Snow date: February 23, 2023, at 6:00PM
Click this link for additional information.
19. Summer Camps Registration
Summer Learning Programs Registration: Opening Soon! FCPS’ Career and Technical Education (CTE) camps and Institute for the Arts (IFTA/E-IFTA) camps will open for registration on Wednesday, February 1.
Career and Technical Education (CTE)
Tech Adventure Camp (TAC) is a week-long exploratory camp designed to give current K-6 students an opportunity to explore STEAM, culinary, health, trades, and business and marketing areas. Visit the TAC webpage for more information.
CTE Summer Academy (CSA) is a week-long enrichment program that allows students in grades 7-11 to dive deeper into CTE program areas, develop skills, and begin career exploration. Visit the CSA website for more information and registration.
Institute for the Arts Camps (IFTA)
IFTA is a two- or four-week summer enrichment program for students currently in grades 6-11. Students select from nearly 90 classes in art, dance, health and physical education 9, music, self-directed economics and personal finance, and theater. Visit the IFTA website for more information and registration.
E-IFTA is a weekly arts camp for students in grades 2-5 who love to sing, dance, act, perform, make, and create. Students take part in four classes every day related to dance, music, theater, and visual art. They work with FCPS fine arts teachers who create classes that are fun and engaging. Visit the E-IFTA website for more information and registration.
20. Reading Fitness Quest
If your family needs an incentive to stay active and practice reading don’t forget about Olde Creek’s Reading Fitness Quest! Your child can earn 1 point each day (school day or not!) that they read for 20 minutes AND log any type of physical activity for 20 minutes. Both reading and exercise should be done in a single day for a point. The reading and exercising must be done before school, after school (this includes SACC, jump rope club, etc.), on weekends and holidays. The reading needs to be beyond regular daily homework assignments. It can be fiction or non-fiction. The exercise should be heart healthy. Examples of heart healthy exercises are jump rope, jogging, swimming, biking, soccer, and basketball. You or another adult should sign and date a box for each day your child reads and exercises for 20 minutes.
Yellow papers went home in Friday Folders to get your child started with the first 50 days of Reading Fitness Quest. When your child completes the first 50 days, return the paper to Mrs. Chapman or Ms. Alonso for the next paper. Prizes are awarded as students finish each level of Reading Fitness Quest.
They are as follows:
50 points (one sheet) you will earn a white ribbon
100 points (two sheets) you will earn a red ribbon
150 points (three sheets) you will earn a blue ribbon
200 points (four sheets) you will earn a trophy
We will discuss Reading Fitness Quest further in PE classes this week and please reach out to Mrs. Chapman (emchapman@fcps.edu) or Ms. Alonso (amalonso@fcps.edu) with any questions. Reading Fitness Quest will run through May 17, 2023 with that being the last day to turn in any completed sheets! Have fun!
|
21. 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
Stephanie Kaminsky, Assistant Principal, sjkaminsky@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
Maria Ruiz, Family Liaison, miriuiz@fcps.edu
22. Be Informed, Stay Involved!
|
