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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.
Để đọc bản tin này bằng ngôn ngữ khác, xin quý vị truy cập vào trang mạng của chúng tôi.
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 Check out these Bears hard at work! Proof that winter break can't dampen the learning spirit!
Important Upcoming Dates
January 8-12: Virtual Math Week
January 9: Winter Concert for 6th Grade Advanced Band, 5th/6th Grade Strings, and 5th & 6th Grade Chorus - 7:00PM, Gym
January 10: PTA Meeting - 6:30PM
January 15: Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday
January 16-19: PAWSitivity Spirit Week
January 17: Frost Middle Rising 7th Grade Orientation - 6:30-8:30PM
January 18: Club and Candid Pictures
January 18: Family Engagement Night
January 19: Religious/Cultural Observance: Orthodox Epiphany
January 25: Second Quarter Ends; 2 Hour Early Release (1:15PM)
January 26: No School for Students - Teacher Workday
Overview of this Issue
New This Week
1. Message from Mrs. Miller
2. Olde Creek’s Outstanding Employee Award Winners
3. Safe Students, Safe Schools
4. Olde Creek Opportunities
5. Help FCPS Reach 1 Million Minutes of Math
6. PAWSitivity Spirit Week - January 16-19
7. Family Engagement Night - January 18
8. Upcoming Webinars and Events for Families
9. Calendar Reminder: Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday
10. Frost Middle School-Rising 7th Grade Parent Orientation
11. Conversation to Raise Awareness of Fentanyl and Other Drugs
12. Dual Language Immersion Program Registration
13. National Mentoring Month
Reminders
14. Bears in the Spotlight
15. OC Staff Spotlights
16. Contacts
17. Be Informed, Stay Involved!
Updates
1. Message from Mrs. Miller
Dear Olde Creek Families and Friends,
The echoes of laughter and footsteps in our halls tell the most joyful story of our Bears being back in the building! Our students were excited to return to school, share their adventures, and to be reunited with teachers and friends. Our exceptional teachers have already set the stage for growth and discovery by igniting our students’ curiosity through positive and engaging learning experiences. We have many exciting opportunities throughout this month, including our Family Engagement Night, we hope to see you there!
We are 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! Please see the section below for additional information.
As we turn the page to this new year, my heart brims with hope for each of our Bears to have a year filled with success and joy. So let’s hold onto this energy, let’s be fearless in our learning, kind in our interactions, and unwavering in our belief in each other. Together, we can make this year something truly extraordinary.
With warmest wishes,
Melissa Miller, Principal
Alison Butler, Assistant Principal
Stephanie Kaminsky, Assistant Principal
2. Olde Creek’s Outstanding Employee Award Winners
Congratulations to our Olde Creek Outstanding Employees! Thank you to all of our staff and community members who nominated our incredible staff.
Outstanding Teacher: Katie Piermatteo (Kindergarten)
Outstanding New Teacher: Rachel Cameron (Fifth Grade)
Outstanding Professional Employee: Kristin Judy (School-based Technology Specialist)
Outstanding Operational Employee: Rozina Naseem (Special Education Instructional Assistant)
Outstanding Leader: Emma Hamilton (Special Education Department Chair)
3. Safe Students, Safe Schools
Fairfax County Public Schools believes that academic success is built on the foundation of a safe learning environment. This includes physical safety, and mental health and wellness.
FCPS has a comprehensive approach to safety that involves physical security measures, online monitoring by security staff, and crisis intervention support. The division has created the Safe Students, Safe Schools Brochure (PDF) to enhance your awareness of potential hazards and to equip you with practical tips for how you can help. Visit the FCPS website for more information.
4. Olde Creek Opportunities
Olde Creek is looking for energetic family members, friends, grandparents, or adult siblings, who may be looking for an opportunity to join our Olde Creek Elementary staff. Olde Creek is a positive work environment, and we are ready to fill the following opportunities with members of our community. Applicants must be 18 or older.
Dining Room Assistant
Hourly - Daily - 10:45AM-1:45PM, $12.39 per Hour
Description: Assists students during lunch time. Supervises student clean-up, keeps order, and dismisses students to their teachers.
Qualifications: Friendly, energetic, and assertive in maintaining expectations of cafeteria behavior, and loves working with children.
Please pass this information along to anyone you may know. Interested applicants should contact Mrs. Butler, ajbutler@fcps.edu or at 703-426-3100.
Student Monitor
Hourly 8:00AM - 3:30PM, Monday-Friday, $16.36 per Hour
Description
Provides supervision of students throughout the school day, including but not limited to the classroom, hallways, lunch, recess, specials, and at arrival/dismissal; helps maintain order and discipline and assists in managing the behavior of students; operates technology; performs administrative and non-instructional duties; ensures all layered prevention/safety protocols and procedures are implemented and followed; works with individual and small groups of students.
Qualifications
Any combination of education and experience is equivalent to graduation from high school. Must be comfortable managing student behaviors in large and small groups, ensuring all layered prevention/safety protocols and procedures are implemented and followed, and have general familiarity/skills with basic office technology in support of teachers, students, and the classroom.
Please pass this information along to anyone you may know. Interested applicants should contact Mrs. Butler, ajbutler@fcps.edu or at 703-426-3100.
5. Help FCPS Reach 1 Million Minutes of Math
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FCPS Family Math Week starts on Monday, January 8! Join us online for games and stories. FCPS is working toward a total of 1 million minutes logged by families. Participation is free, with activities from ST Math geared toward students in grades K-6 and their families.
Math Week offers families an opportunity to experience math, literacy, history, and geography in a fun and positive way. All content will be available for families in English and Spanish beginning Monday, January 8. Visit the Math Week website for games, stories, and other activities.
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6. PAWSitivity Week - January 15-19
7. Save the Date: Family Engagement Night - January 18
Click here to RSVP! We hope to see you there!
8. Upcoming Webinars and Events for Families
The Family Resource Center offers free webinars for adults to support the success of all students, including those with learning challenges, special needs, and disabilities. The following events are currently scheduled for January:
For more information and to register for the webinars, click on the linked titles above.
9. Calendar Reminder: Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday
FCPS schools and offices will be closed on Monday, January 15, for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. Learn more about Martin Luther King Jr.
Volunteer with Give Together
FCPS students continue to find incredible ways to serve their community while building Portrait of a Graduate skills such as becoming an ethical and global citizen. The school division is excited to collaborate with Volunteer Fairfax for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
Students and families can volunteer on Monday, January 15, at Volunteer Fairfax’s Give Together event. It is designed to engage families with children (ages 5-12) in service learning.
Projects will include a food drive, assembling caring kits for community members who need support, making no-tie fleece blankets for veterans, environmental stewardship, and support for animal welfare.
Students ages 13 to 18 are welcome to serve as teen event volunteers. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
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10. Frost Middle School - Rising 7th Grade Parent Orientation
Please join us for our upcoming Rising 7th Grade Parent Orientation Night on Wednesday, January 17th at 6:30 PM at Frost Middle School. At this event, parents and guardians who will have students at Frost during the 24-25 school year will hear specifics about Frost Middle School, the 7th grade curriculum options, and the course selection process. Due to space restrictions, students will have a separate opportunity at each individual elementary school to hear this information and will also have a school visit to Frost! A list of all upcoming events can be found here. If you are unable to attend on the 17th, the materials for you to access will be placed there.
If you need language translation services for the 17th, please email Ms. Kim at hkim22@fcps.edu or complete this survey by January 4th.
If you have specific questions you are hoping will be addressed at the Parent Orientation, please submit those here.
11. Conversation to Raise Awareness of Fentanyl and Other Drugs
In this video, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid interviews the Fosters, a family who tragically lost their son Cayden to a half pill of fentanyl mistaken for Percocet. This heart-wrenching yet eye-opening video of their experience is essential to raise awareness among parents/caregivers and students about the dangers of fake painkillers.
Please join Dr. Reid on Wednesday, January 10, at 6:30 p.m., at Edison High School for a community conversation about opioid awareness. You may register to attend. However, registration is not required; it is simply for space considerations.
The evening’s program is appropriate for parents/caregivers and students in grades 6-12. All attendees will receive free REVIVE! Narcan training during the event and learn about support services currently available within FCPS and Fairfax County.
FCPS’ website also has resources to help you to start the conversation and additional support for families struggling with substance misuse.
12. Dual Language Immersion Program Registration
Registration for the countywide lottery for Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs will open on Monday, January 22. Current pre-K students may apply for the kindergarten immersion program, and current kindergarten students may apply for the first grade immersion programs for the 2024-25 school year. Programs are available in French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.
Parents/caregivers who are interested may want to attend an informational meeting. Meetings are held at the school site. Check the FCPS events calendar for the most current information. Meetings will begin on Tuesday, January 16.
A virtual meeting hosted by the World Languages Office will include general program information. Access to this virtual meeting will be made available on the FCPS events calendar and the Dual Language Immersion registration site on the day of the meeting.
Get more information on the immersion program webpage and registration page.
13. National Mentoring Month
Imagine a world where young people feel empowered, encouraged, and understood. Mentors can make that world a reality by helping young people find and follow their passions, excel in school, and thrive wherever they are.Learn more about Mentoring Month.
Research has shown that young people with at least one trusted mentor are less likely to skip school, less likely to use illegal drugs or drink alcohol, and more prepared to enter college or the workforce. Yet one in three children lack a mentor.
All it takes is one person to serve as a trusted adult to help change a young person’s path in life. Mentors provide attention, support, and enrichment, and help connect their mentees to resources that may help them on their journey in life.
FCPS’ MentorWorks program matches mentors with students in schools near where they live or work. They meet for at least 30 minutes a week. Learn more about how to become a mentor for an FCPS student. Please contact Martha Macdonald, mentoring specialist, for additional information at mmacdonald@fcps.edu.
14. 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. You can find the form here.
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!
15. OC Staff Spotlights
We're excited to highlight our incredible staff members in our Staff Spotlights! In these features, our staff shares their love of working at OC and their hobbies and interests. To browse more staff spotlights, visit the Features section of our Olde Creek website!
16. 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
17. Be Informed, Stay Involved!
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