 |
|
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.
|
 Behold our mighty Bears! They're flexing their brains, pumping their hearts, and unleashing their creative superpowers!
Important Upcoming Dates
January 15: No School - 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 - 6:00PM
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
January 26 & 27: Woodson High’s Dessert on Broadway
January 30: Rescheduled: Winter Concert for 6th Grade Advanced Band, 5th/6th Grade Strings, and 5th & 6th Grade Chorus - 7:00PM, Gym
February 2: SCA Spirit Day - Jersey Day
February 2: PTA Family Bingo Night - 6:30-8:00PM
February 7: Principal’s Walking Club - 8:00AM
February 7: PTA Meeting - 6:30PM
February 17: Woodson Pyramid Stringapalooza - Woodson High School - 2:15PM
February 19: No School - Presidents’ Day
Overview of this Issue
 These junior librarians are on a PAWsome mission to return books and re-shelve stories! Thanks for cheking in books and spreading your reading cheer!
New This Week
1. Calendar Reminder: Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday
2. Woodson Pyramid Outstanding Leader
3. PAWSitivity Spirit Week
4. Club and Candid Pictures
5. Olde Creek Opportunities
6. Personal Electronic Devices
7. PTA Bingo Night
8. Woodson’s Dessert on Broadway
9. Magnet School Application and Lottery Information
10. Tutor.com Can Help With More Than Homework
11. Free Resources for Families
12. Frost Middle School - Rising 7th Grade Parent Orientation
13. National Mentoring Month
14. Dual Language Immersion
15. Bears in the Spotlight
16. OC Staff Spotlights
17. Contacts
18. Be Informed, Stay Involved!
Updates
1. 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.
Orthodox Epiphany (Observance Day)
In the Orthodox church, Epiphany is celebrated on January 19 and commemorates the baptism of Jesus.
The school calendar recognizes many religious and cultural observances during the school year. There is school on these days, however, the School Board has directed that tests, quizzes, field trips, graduation, homecoming, or FCPS-scheduled athletic events will not be held on these observance days.
See the complete school year calendar and the employee calendar.
|
2. Woodson Pyramid Outstanding Leader
We are thrilled to share Emma Hamilton, our Special Education Department Chair, has been selected as the Woodson Pyramid Outstanding Leader! Her leadership talents and impact on students and families is being recognized beyond the walls of Olde Creek. This award is extremely well-deserved and we are honored to have Ms. Hamilton representing Olde Creek and the Woodson Pyramid in the Region 5 selection process. Congratulations, Ms. Hamilton!
3. PAWSitivity Week - January 15-19
Olde Creek is excited for our second PAWSitivity spirit week from January 15-19. Our spirit week is focused on our four expectations that we want to see our students continue to practice. These include practicing kindness, acting responsibly, working and playing safely, and showing respect. Check out the flier for what to wear and do for our upcoming PAWSitivity week.
4. Club and Candid Pictures - January 18
Photographers from Strawbridge Studios are coming to Olde Creek on Thursday, January 18 to take club and candid pictures for the yearbook. If your child is in a school club/activity, they will be called as a group to report to the location where the picture will be taken.
Candid photos will be taken throughout the school building.
5. 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.
6. Personal Electronic Devices
We want to share a friendly reminder to review the SRR guidelines with your students. In elementary schools, phones must be silenced and in backpacks for the duration of the school day.
Please note: Watches that serve a dual purpose (e.g., smartwatch) may be worn; however, phone features (e.g., texting, Internet, calls, etc.) are to be off when phone use is prohibited. Please reach out to the administrative team if you have any questions.
7. PTA Bingo Night - February 2
BINGO Night will be Friday, February 2nd from 6:30-8:00 in the Olde Creek Cafeteria. For more information click here.
8. Woodson’s Dessert on Broadway
Save the Date: Woodson’s 35th production of Dessert on Broadway will be coming January 26-27, 2024. Bring your friends and enjoy a great evening of desserts and music! Tunes from a variety of Broadway shows will be performed by the award winning Woodson Choral Department.
To purchase tickets in advance use this link.
9. Magnet School Application and Lottery Information
The Magnet Program registration window will be open from Tuesday, March 5, through Friday, April 12, 2024. No late applications are accepted.
To learn more about the programs and the registration process, families are encouraged to attend one of the Parent Information Nights:
- Bailey’s Upper, February 6, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. (Virtual only)
- Hunters Woods Elementary, February 12, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. (In-person)
- Snow date: February 26, 2024 at 5:30 p.m.
- Bailey’s Primary, February 13, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. (In-person)
- Snow date: February 21, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.
Information about the programs, who is eligible to apply, etc. can be found at the Magnet School Lottery link.
10. Tutor.com Can Help With More Than Homework
Tutor.com offers more than help with homework! This on-demand tutoring service also provides a comprehensive range of resources including exam prep for AP, SAT, and ACT tests at no cost to families.
Students can take practice quizzes at any time. If they struggle in particular areas, they can immediately connect to a live tutor for help through voice or chat options. Learn more on the FCPS Tutor.com webpage.
11. Free Resources for Families
Did you know that caregivers can access 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?
Learn more about FCPS’ Family Resource Center (FRC). Be the first to learn about new workshops by signing up for the FRC newsletter.
12. 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.
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. 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.
15. 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!
16. 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!
17. 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
18. Be Informed, Stay Involved!
|
