Olde Creek Weekly Update
Important Upcoming Dates
May 29: No School - Memorial Day
June 1: Night of the Arts - 6:00PM
June 2: Senior Grad Walk - 2:30PM
June 6: Woodson High School Graduation - 7:30PM
June 7: Principal’s Walking Club - 8:00AM
June 7: Field Day-Grades 4-6
June 7: PTA Meeting - 6:30PM (Virtual)
June 8: Field Day - Grades K-3
June 9: College Day & Battle of the Books
June 13: Talent Show
June 15: 6th Grade Ceremony & Celebration
June 16: Last Day of School - 2 Hour Early Release (1:15PM), All Medications Picked Up from Clinic
June 16: Farewell Walk for our 6th Grade Bears
New This Week
1. Message from Mrs. Miller
2. Safety Reminders
3. Clinic Reminder
4. Night of the Arts
5. Senior Grad Walk - June 2
6. College Day - June 9
7. Let’s Finish the School Year Strong!
8. Student Testing Results Coming Soon
Reminders
9. Attendance: Impact of School Accreditation
10. Library News
11. Arrival Safety Reminders
12. Field Day Volunteers
13. Order School Supplies for Next Year
14. The Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award
15. OC Staff Shout-outs
16. Overtime Athletics Summer Camp at OCES!
17. Contacts
18. Be Informed, Stay Involved!
1. Message from Mrs. Miller
Dear Olde Creek Families and Friends,
As we get closer to the end of the school year, our Bears and staff remain focused on learning. Our Bears have been working hard on their SOLs and other end of year assessments. We are so proud of their progress and achievements!
Thank you to our incredible PTA for a fun Sock Hop last Friday! Our Bears had an amazing time dancing the night away!
All schools and offices will be closed on Monday, May 29, for the Memorial Day holiday. Classes will resume on Tuesday, May 30. Learn about the history of Memorial Day. See the complete school year calendar.
As a reminder, the last day of the 2022-23 school year is Friday, June 16, and students will be dismissed early at 1:15PM. We have many exciting events coming up as we close out this school year. We hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
Melissa Miller, Principal
Alison Butler, Assistant Principal
Stephanie Kaminsky, Assistant Principal
2. Safety Reminders
Our priority continues to be the safety of our students and staff. With many events coming up, we want to remind families to please bring your ID to school. We will be checking identification when coming for events, picking up students for appointments, or from the clinic. Please plan on showing your driver’s license or other proof of identity. We appreciate your help with this safety measure.
3. Clinic Reminder
The school health room is reminding parents and guardians that all medication stored in the health room must be picked up no later than 1:15 pm, student dismissal time, on the last day of school, June 16. Medications left in the health room after that time will be discarded. It is school policy that medications must be picked up by the parent or guardian. Medication cannot be sent home with your student.
Medication authorization forms for next school year may be obtained from the school or online at https://www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/school-health-services. A medication authorization form is required for any medication, prescription or over-the-counter, to be kept at school.
4. Night of the Arts - June 1
Please join us for a wonderful evening to view our Bears’ artwork and a concert featuring the 5th & 6th Grade Band, 4th-6th Grade Strings and the 5th & 6th Grade Chorus on Thursday, June 1st at 6:30 PM in the Olde Creek Gym. The doors open at 6:00PM to view the artwork. Our students have been working hard on their artistic talents and musicianship skills all year long and are excited to share their work with all of you! We know it will be a night you do not want to miss!
5. Senior Grad Walk - June 2
We invite our former Olde Creek Bears to the Senior Grad Walk on June 2 at 2:30PM. Wear your cap and gown and be celebrated by our current Olde Creek students and staff. We look forward to honoring each of you!
6. College Day - June 9
Students and staff are invited to wear their favorite college gear or school spirit wear on June 9th to celebrate “College Day” at Olde Creek Elementary. It is our hope that students will begin to explore their future and increase college awareness. We want to encourage our students to begin to dream of what could be, whether it be college or another post-secondary option!
7. Let's Finish the School Year Strong!
Student attendance at school is important all year long—up to the last day of school. Attendance has an effect on student performance and on school accreditation. See how to:
- Check your child’s attendance record.
- Help your student stay engaged at school.
- Report future absences.
- Understand the FCPS school calendar.
Learn more about attendance resources.
8. Student Testing Results Coming Soon
Starting in late May, parents/guardians will receive reports for assessments their students completed this spring. Not sure what assessments your student took this year? A list of tests by grade level is available. Scores will be delivered in SIS ParentVUE, by mail, or from the school or testing organization. Learn what to expect regarding assessment reporting practices and timelines.
Some families will also receive a Virginia’s Visualization and Analytics Solution (VVAAS) Student Assessment Summary report with historical Standards of Learning (SOL) test results from 2015-2022.
Go online or contact your student's school for additional information about student assessments.
9. Attendance: Impact on School Accreditation
 Did you know that federal initiatives to reduce chronic absenteeism began during the Obama Administration with the Every Student, Every Day initiative? The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA; 2015) requires states to broaden school accountability beyond achievement on standardized tests and high school graduation rates by requiring at least one measure of “school quality or student success.” The state of Virginia chose chronic absenteeism as a measure of accountability and improvement. Students who are absent 10% or more of the school year (18 days or more) are considered chronically absent.
At Olde Creek – 13% of students are noted as having chronic absences.
https://wtop.com/virginia/2023/05/how-a-rise-in-virginia-student-absences-may-impact-school-ratings/
Plan ahead for next year with the 2023-24 school year calendar.
10. Library News
All OCES library books are due back by June 2nd. Students will be bringing home a final list of their check-outs on Friday, May 26th. Please help your child find and return all books they are currently done reading and make sure all books are back by June 2nd. Feel free to contact the librarian, Amy Talbot, at aetalbot@fcps.edu with any questions.
*Students participating in the June 9th Battle of the Books may keep their BOB books until that day!*
11. Arrival Safety Reminders
There has been an increase in unsafe arrival practices. We ask that our families be mindful of safety measures to keep our students and staff safe.
Please make sure that you are driving our students through the Kiss and Ride line at arrival versus dropping off students on the street. As other cars are unloading, we kindly ask families to not speed around other cars that are in line.
As you are dropping off or picking up our Bears at school, please be mindful of the driveways in our neighborhood. When parking, please ensure that you are not blocking the driveways of our neighbors. Thank you for your cooperation.
12. Field Day Volunteers Needed!
 Sign up to volunteer using the QR code above, or the link here.
13. Order School Supplies for Next Year
Click here to order your School Supplies now!
14. The Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award
The Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee (MSAOC) is sponsoring an award to honor the legacy of Dr. Lawrence "Larry" Bussey by celebrating the efforts and impact of those who work to redress inequitable systems and practices in FCPS. This award recognizes staff or community members who have demonstrated significant and impactful efforts to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of students from groups who are marginalized or underserved.
Any FCPS employee, student, or community member can nominate an individual or group for the award. All nomination materials must be submitted by June 15, 2023. The winner will be recognized at the FCPS Equity Symposium.
More information and the nomination form can be found at the Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award website.
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. PTA Sponsored: Overtime Athletics - Summer Camp at OCES!
Looking for summer childcare? Overtime Athletics is offering a weekly summer camp for rising students in grades 1-7 at Olde Creek this summer. When registering, select “Camp” and then select Olde Creek.
Registration Link: https://otamanage.azurewebsites.net/office/nova
 
17. 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
18. Be Informed, Stay Involved!
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