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To read this newsletter in other languages, please visit our website.
Para leer este boletín en otros idiomas, visite nuestro sitio web.
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Dear Oak Hill Families,
As we approach Winter Break, I want to take a moment to thank you for your continued support of our school. We all love seeing how our students are growing and learning more and more each day. We have had a wonderful year so far, and I am so proud of our students and staff for their hard work and dedication.
Several observances begin or occur this week. Chanukah, an 8-day Festival of Lights, is a Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple and the miracle of a small quantity of oil that lit the Temple’s menorah for 8 days. This year, Chanukah begins at sundown on Thursday, December 7. Chag Sameach to all who celebrate! Additionally, Bodhi Day is the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama (Shakyamuni), experienced enlightenment, also known as bodhi in Sanskrit and Pali is celebrated on Friday, December 8. We wish all who celebrate a peaceful day.
Our Oak Hill Outstanding Employee nominees will go on to the Chantilly Pyramid Round, and we need your input!
Any thoughts you can share are greatly appreciated! Please complete this Google form to provide your thoughts and personal experiences that support these nominees' outstanding deeds. You can fill out the form multiple times to provide input for different nominees. Please see all our nominees for outstanding employee awards below.
Power of the Pack!
Kelly Durso, Principal
Cali Loewenberg, Assistant Principal
 Third graders demonstrate their POG Collaborator and Creative & Critical thinking skills redesigning an Egyptian shaduf. A shaduf is a hand-operated device for lifting water, invented in ancient times and still used in India, Egypt, and some other countries to irrigate land. Typically it consists of a long, tapering, nearly horizontal pole mounted like a seesaw
- If your student had his/her picture taken on our initial picture day, Barksdale printed a "funpack" that is coming home on Wednesday.
- If you would like to purchase, it, please pay online at www.barksdalephoto.com or send a check to school payable to Barksdale School Portraits.
- If you do not want to purchase it, please return it to school before Winter Break.
This week is Inclusive Schools Week. This week highlights and celebrates the progress that schools have made in implementing inclusive practices to ensure a quality education for an increasingly diverse student population.
Thursday, 12/7 - Pajama Day - Come as You Are - We respect and support our fellow classmates and recognize that individual differences are what make us special
Friday, 12/8 - Workout Clothes- Show your Strengths Day. We all have strengths that we contribute to our community.
Mrs. Durso & Mrs. Loewenberg looking sharp for Kaleidoscope Day and Life is Bright Day!
As a reminder, students are late if they are not in the building at 8:45 am.
- Please allow extra time in the morning to meet this deadline (plan to arrive between 8:25 and 8:40).
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Please pull your car all the way up. This will allow many students to exit cars at the same time, so that the line will not back up.
- Doors open to students at 8:30 am. If your student is not in the building at 8:45, you will need to park and sign your student in at the office (door 1).
Thank you for your cooperation!
We are excited to honor five of our staff members by completing nomination packets as they move onto the pyramid level. We would love to hear from our school community their thoughts on these wonderful educators. Any thoughts you can share are greatly appreciated! Please complete this Google form for any of the candidates below to provide your thoughts and personal experiences that support these nominees' outstanding deeds. You can complete the form multiple times to provide input for different nominees.
Outstanding Teacher: Rebecca Fredericks
Outstanding New Teacher: Samantha Lowe
Outstanding New Principal: Kelly Durso
Outstanding Professional Employee: Andy Mitchell
Outstanding Operational Employee: Wendy DeVight
Please Note: The deadline to provide input for a nomination packet is Friday, December 15th.
If you have any questions, please contact Melissa Hoffman at mahoffman@fcps.edu
We would also like to congratulate all of our outstanding staff nominated through this process!
Outstanding Teacher
Rebecca Fredericks
Anna Schoenberg
Cathy Lahr
Erica Giovanini
Hadley Payne
Katy Wright
Melissa Degnan
Melissa Dolenc
Pam Bennett
Rachel Djuric
Rachel Powell
Sara Horn
Outstanding New Teacher
Samantha Lowe
Kate Xenos
Laila Jan
Outstanding Professional Employee
Andy Mitchell
Melissa Hoffman
Outstanding Operational Employee: Wendy DeVight
Outstanding Leader: Cali Loewenberg
Outstanding New Principal: Kelly Durso
Level IV/Full Time AAP Referrals
November 6th- AAP Full Time/Level IV Parent Meeting
If you were unable to join the meeting, you can access the recording here using the passcode: @u.0g$.HzV
- Parents whose children are in grades 2-6 can submit level IV Referrals and optional documents electronically to cclahr@fcps.edu by December 15th labeled “AAP Referral” in the subject line.
- Please submit all documents as separate attachments in one email.
- Click Level IV Referral Form to access the Referral Form. In addition to the referral form, parents are also able to submit the following optional documents electronically. No word documents, paper copies, or animated samples will be accepted.
Optional Documents:
-Parent Questionnaire - click here (It must have examples and be signed).
-2 work samples (PDF only), 8 ½ x 11 single sided. The AAP office would prefer only 1-2 samples per page.
-No letters of recommendation or awards certificates will be accepted.
Eligibility Notifications for level IV
Parents will be notified in the spring of their children’s eligibility. Children who are found eligible can receive full time, level IV services, beginning in the fall of 2024.
Please feel free to address any additional questions directly to Cathy Lahr, cclahr@fcps.edu.
 First graders moving to the music of the Nutcracker.
One of the ways FCPS supports the mental wellness of all students is through the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener. In October, students in grades 3-12 took this screener in October, which gives information about their skills such as achieving goals, handling emotions, building relationships with adults and peers, and making good choices.
The screener also helps students evaluate their school community’s efforts to make them feel valued, included, and supported. Screener data is used to create learning, experiences, and environments for students to succeed.
In early December, families will be able to view student SEL Screener results in SIS ParentVUE. For families who do not have an active ParentVUE account, results will be sent by mail.
For more information about the screener please visit the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage. For help understanding your child’s results or ideas to support them at home, review the Family Guide or contact your child’s school.
Winter Break begins on Monday, December 18th. Students and staff return to school on January 2nd. The Oak Hill Office will be closed during that time and will reopen at 8 am on January 2nd. We wish all of our families a happy and relaxing Winter Break!
Fairfax County Public Schools is considering expansion of our Dual Language Immersion programs to include new languages and school sites, as well as an expansion of new languages for our Foreign Language in the Elementary Schools program.
Parents/caregivers, please share your thoughts about expanding World Languages elementary program offerings. An FCPS survey is available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Urdu, and Vietnamese. It should take less than 10 minutes to complete, and all responses are anonymous. The survey is optional and will close on Friday, December 8.
FCPS is asking all families to fill out a Federal Impact Aid Survey. The form is available online in SIS ParentVUE. The electronic form will continue to be available in SIS ParentVUE until January 2024.
Completing this form for each school-aged child in every household is important, because information from this survey results in an additional $3 million in grants each year from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.
Please watch this video and visit the Federal Impact Aid Survey page for more information.
12/6 Band/Strings Concert @ Franklin Middle, 7 pm
12/7 First night of Chanukah
12/8 Bodhi Day
12/13 Chorus Concert @ 7pm
12/18- 1/1/24 Winter Break - Office Closed
12/25 Christmas
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- How FCPS Announces Weather Closings
- Keeping Your Child Warm
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