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Important Upcoming Dates
September 22: Woodson “Feeder Night” Football Game - 7:00PM
September 25: Yom Kippur - FCPS Schools and Office Closed
September 26-29: PAWS-itivity (Spirit) Week
September 28: Fall Picture Day
September 29: Blue Star Welcome Week - Breakfast for Military Families
September 29: SR&R Acknowledgement/Signature Due
September 30: PTA Laps for Learning - 8:00 AM
October 4: Walk, Bike, & Roll to School Day & Principal’s Walking Club - 8:00AM
October 4: PTA Meeting - 6:30PM
October 9: No School - Staff Development Day
October 12: Advanced Academics Program Information Night - 6:00PM - Library
Overview of this Issue
New This Week
1. Message from Mrs. Miller
2. Woodson Feeder Night - September 22
3. Yom Kippur - Schools & Offices Closed - September 25
4. PAWS-itivity Spirit Week
5. Student Rights & Responsibilities Acknowledgment Due
6. 4th-6th Graders: Recorders
7. 5th & 6th Graders: Invitational Science Fair
8. Back to School Preventative Health Practices
9. 2023-30 FCPS Strategic Plan- Goal 5: Leading for Tomorrow’s Innovation
10. October Events Hosted by the Family Resource Center
11. September is Suicide Prevention Month
12. Bears in the Spotlight
13. Blue Star Welcome Week
14. Donate to Laps for Learning
15. Fall Picture Day
16. Advanced Academics Program Information Night
17. Attendance Awareness Month
18. National Hispanic Heritage Month
19. Fall for the Book Fall Festival
20. STEM Fest - October 14
21. Contacts
22. Be Informed, Stay Involved!
New This Week
1. Message from Mrs. Miller
Dear Olde Creek Families and Friends,
Our Back to School Night last evening was filled with excitement and joy! What a wonderful evening we had connecting with our families and sharing important information as we continue a great start to the year. Thank you again for attending and partnering with us to make this an exceptional year for each of our Bears. Team OC is here to support our students and families, please reach out to us.
We hope to see many of our students at Woodson’s Feeder Night tonight! All of our Bears are invited to join us running the field at 6:45PM. We will start lining up at 6:30PM. Woodson students will have games for the elementary students beginning at 5:30PM. Olde Creek will also have our chorus joining our other feeder schools to sing the National Anthem. It is going to be a fun night!
As a reminder, all FCPS schools and offices are closed on Monday, September 25, for Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism. Please see below for more information and the complete school year calendar.
Our Best,
Melissa Miller, Principal
Alison Butler, Assistant Principal
Stephanie Kaminsky, Assistant Principal
2. Woodson Feeder Night - September 22
For tickets, visit https://www.woodsonsports.com/
4. PAWS-itivity Spirit Week
What? Olde Creek is having a PAWS-itivity week to showcase our school-wide expectations. Please see the graphic for more information about what students should wear each day!
When? September 26-29
Who? Everyone can participate! Participation is optional 😊
5. Action Item: Student Rights & Responsibilities Acknowledgement Due
FCPS’ updated Student Rights and Responsibility (SR&R) booklet is available online and in SIS ParentVUE. The SR&R booklet explains expectations for student behavior, and adult responses to enhance school safety and to create a fair, equitable, and supportive school environment.
Each year, we ask parents/caregivers to review and sign the SR&R. The SR&R will be visible upon logging in to SIS ParentVUE until the SR&R acknowledgment has been completed.
Signatures are due by Friday, September 29. Please contact our front office if you are having difficulty accessing the booklet. Visit the SIS ParentVUE Account Overview webpage for help logging in to your account.
6. 4th-6th Graders: Recorders
4th- 6th grade students, please bring your recorders back to school as soon as possible! We will be playing them in music class throughout the year and will be stored in the music classroom. If you do not have your recorder from last year, please pay $4.35 on My School Bucks to purchase a new one. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Mrs. Cruse- mlcruse@fcps.edu. Thank you!
7. 5th & 6th Graders: Invitational Science Fair
8. Back-to-School Preventative Health Practices
Flu season is quickly approaching, and communicable diseases continue to be present in our schools. We are committed to providing students with the education and support to help them succeed while maintaining a safe environment for in-person learning. Families and staff are encouraged to engage in the following health practices to prevent the spread of illnesses.
- Make an appointment to get a flu vaccine as soon as possible. Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine (with rare exceptions). Flu vaccines are widely available at doctors’ and pediatricians’ offices, grocery stores, and pharmacies.
- Get vaccinated against COVID-19 if you have not done so already. An updated COVID booster for the 2023-2024 season should be released in the coming weeks and will more effectively target the current circulating strains of the virus. Find out where you can get a COVID-19 vaccine or booster in your community by visiting: vaccinate.virginia.gov or call (877) VAX-IN-VA or (877) 829-4682.
- Check with your students’ healthcare providers to make sure they are up to date on their required school entrance immunizations. Immunization records can now be updated online in SIS ParentVUE through the Online Verification Update form.
- Check for mild, cold-like symptoms each day, such as fever, runny nose, cough, or shortness of breath. Parents/caregivers are advised to keep their children home if sick and get them tested for COVID-19 to stop further spread from occurring. Employees are also advised to stay home and get tested when feeling sick.
- Don’t forget to wash hands regularly, avoid touching the face with unwashed hands, cover the mouth when coughing or sneezing, and limit the time children spend in large group settings with contagious individuals whenever possible.
The most up to date information regarding COVID-19 school health practices is available on the Health and Safety Guidance Document webpage.
Thank you for your continued partnership in keeping our schools safe and healthy.
9. 2023-30 Strategic Plan - Goal 5: Leading for Tomorrow’s Innovation
The 2023-30 strategic plan sets five student-centered goals to create positive change in FCPS. These five goals show where we should focus our attention and will help us align our efforts.
Under Goal 5, every student will graduate ready to thrive in life after high school with the skills they need to navigate, adapt, and innovate for a sustainable future. Using data gathered from students, we will ensure they are ready for a wide variety of options for their futures.
Visit the Strategic Plan webpage to learn more about how we will measure the success of Goal 5.
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10. October Events Hosted by the Family Resource Center
The Family Resource Center offers free webinars, confidential consultations, a lending library, and resources to help adults support the success of all students, including those with learning challenges, special needs, and disabilities. The FRC is hosting the following events in October:
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Building Family and School Partnerships for Twice Exceptional (2e) Students, Friday, October 6, at 10 a.m.
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Sibshops: An Exciting, In-Person Workshop for Brothers and Sisters of Children with Special Needs, Monday, October 9, 9 a.m. to noon, at Providence Community Center.
- What Your 11th and 12th Graders Are Learning in School About Drugs and How You Can Talk with Them
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Coping Strategies for Anxiety, Depression, and Stress: A Two-Part Series, Friday, October 27, at 10 a.m. and Friday, November 10, at 10 a.m.
Click the links above to register for the events. For more information, visit the Family Resource Center webpage.
11. September is Suicide Prevention Month
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide is one of the leading causes of death for young people aged 10-24. When school personnel, families, students, and community members take an active role in suicide prevention, lives can be saved.
Students in FCPS learn about suicide prevention using the Acknowledge, Care, Tell model (ACT). We can all support someone in need of help by ACTing. First, acknowledge signs of suicide. Next, show the individual that you care about them. Then, tell a trusted adult or support the person by connecting them with help.
If someone indicates that they are experiencing thoughts of suicide, emergency services can be accessed by visiting the nearest emergency room or by contacting emergency services at the Sharon Bulova Center for Community Health at 703-573-5679, 24 hours a day, seven days per week. You can also call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free 24/7 support.
Learn more about suicide prevention.
12. Bears in the Spotlight
We are excited to announce that we will be continuing to feature students on the OC News Show in our Bears in the Spotlight segment! This is a way for students to share their hobbies and after school activities with the school community. We want to highlight all the amazing things that our students are passionate about!
To submit your student's information, please fill out the Bears in the Spotlight Google Form.
The information that you submit will be used to create a slide that will be shared on the News Show. The slide will include any photos or videos that you include as well as a description of your student's hobby/activity.
We appreciate your help in spotlighting the awesome talents and interests of our OC Bears!
13. Blue Star Welcome Week
Every year, approximately 600,000 military-connected families relocate. Most of these families move to new duty stations, while some transition out of the military and others transition in. Most of these moves take place over the summer, and Fairfax County Public Schools is committed to ensuring our military families feel welcomed and a sense of belonging to their local community.
Blue Star Welcome Week is an opportunity for our community to welcome our military-connected families and show them our appreciation for their service and sacrifices. Throughout the week, FCPS will help ease their transition through events, messages, actions of welcome, and opportunities to make meaningful connections.
At Olde Creek, we are hosting a welcome breakfast for military kids and families on Friday, September 29 to get connected with each other and our school community. We invite our military families to join us in our cafeteria from 7:45-8:15AM. An invitation is being sent to families with RSVP information.
14. Donate to Laps for Learning
Olde Creek Elementary School PTA will hold our annual fundraiser Laps for Learning on Saturday, September 30th. At this family-friendly event, we run, walk or cheer on others to raise money for our school. The run/walk begins at 8:00 a.m.
Laps for Learning is the PTA's main fundraiser. We promise we won't ask you to sell wrapping paper one month, candy the next, and candles after that. Just click here to donate and click here to register to attend Laps for Learning.
Our goal is to raise $15,000. As we get closer to that goal, our students will enjoy these fun prizes:
$2,500: Bubble Greeting for Students (Achieved!)
$5,000: Crazy Hair Day for Students (Achieved!)
$7,500: Silly string Principals and Teachers (Achieved! - Coming soon!)
$10,000: Pie Principals in the Face
$12,500: Principals will serve lunch in the cafeteria
$15,000: Pajama Day and movie for students
$17,500: Glow Stick Dance Party
*Grades that raise $1,500 will receive a “Popsicles on the Playground” party!*
*The grade that raises the most money gets ice cream party!*
Money raised at Laps for Learning funds field trip transportation, classroom supplies for teachers, Math and Literacy Nights, and fun events, like the Halloween Howl or Sock Hop. Thank you for supporting OCES PTA!
15. Save the Date: Fall Picture Day
September 28th will be Olde Creek's Fall Picture Day!
Order forms will be going home next week in Friday Folders.
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16. Advanced Academics Program Information Night
Any interested parents are invited to join us on Thursday, October 12 from 6 – 7pm in the Olde Creek Library. Our Advanced Academic Resource Teacher, Wendy Stobbe, will share an overview of available Advanced Academic Programs at Olde Creek and within Fairfax County Public Schools.
17. Attendance Awareness Month
The beginning of the school year is the best time to develop strong attendance habits! Students who attend school regularly are more likely to perform well in reading and math, develop strong social and emotional skills, and graduate from high school on time. Help prepare your child for future success. Visit FCPS’ Attendance web page for tips and strategies.
As you plan upcoming trips and other family events, please remember the importance of sending your child to school every day. Review the FCPS School Year Calendar and try to plan any time away during long breaks from school.
Children who show up for school regularly develop fundamental reading and math skills while building a habit of good attendance that will carry them into college and careers. Research shows that children who were chronically absent (missing 18 days or more) in kindergarten and first grade were far less likely to read proficiently at the end of third grade.
Read more about how families can help form good attendance habits.
18. National Hispanic Heritage Month
From September 15 to October 15, FCPS recognizes and celebrates the histories and cultures of the members of our community who trace their heritage to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS. Learn more about National Hispanic Heritage Month.
Fairfax Fiesta
Fairfax County's inaugural Hispanic Heritage Celebration, the Fairfax Fiesta, is taking place on Saturday, Sept. 23, from noon to 5 p.m., at the PARC at Tysons (8508 Leesburg Pike). The free event, presented by the Fairfax County Government and Celebrate Fairfax!, aims to provide an extraordinary experience for all ages and backgrounds. Learn more about Fairfax Fiesta.
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19. Fall for the Book's Festival
Check out the flyer about the Fall for the Book's Kids' Events happening on October 14th!
20. STEM Fest - October 14
Students are invited to participate in STEM FEST, Saturday, October 14, at South County High School.
Participate in STEM FEST: Students in kindergarten through eighth grade can participate in robotics demonstrations, coding experiments, and other activities. High school students are invited to volunteer. Visit the STEAMOLOGY website for more information!
21. Contacts
Olde Creek Main Office: 703-426-3100
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
Christie Armstrong, Administrative Assistant, cparmstrong1@fcps.edu
Lizardo Santos, Student Information Assistant, LISantos@fcps.edu
Sandy McCulloch, Office Assistant, slmcculloch@fcps.edu
22. Be Informed, Stay Involved!
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