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Be sure to follow us on X (@OaktonHS), and Instagram oaktonhs ! Be sure to check out our Oakton Accolades section on our website as we celebrate student achievement!
 As a reminder, winter break will be held Monday, December 23, to Friday, January 3. To help make sure you and your children have a restful break, we have asked that no homework be assigned during this time. Teachers may assign long-range assignments in the weeks ahead of the break, allowing students to practice time management skills, but no assignments will be due immediately following the break. We look forward to welcoming students back in the new year.
From the Oakton family to yours, have a wonderful winter break! For those celebrating, enjoy the holidays and Happy New Year to all! School will resume for students on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025.
 Important Dates
You can access the FCPS 2024-2025 school year calendar here.
December 23 - January 3 - Winter Break (No School)
January 6 - Assessment Blackout Date; Religious and Cultural Observation Day (Three Kings Day/Epiphany)
January 7 - Assessment Blackout Date; Religious and Cultural Observation Day (Orthodox Christmas); Rising Senior registration begins
January 9 - Curriculum Night (4:30-6:30pm) - Save the Date
January 14 - Sense of Belonging Parent Feedback Meeting
January 28 - Rising Senior registration ends; Second Quarter Ends
January 29 - Student Holiday, Teacher Workday, Lunar New Year
January 31 - Rising Junior registration begins
Oakton Accolades
Please check out our updated Oakton Accolades section! This portion of our website seeks to highlight various celebrations throughout the school year. We update this sight every few months.
If you have an achievement you would like to share regarding your child, please send to Mrs. Lane at jslane@fcps.edu!
General Information
Winter Break
Students will be on Winter Break from December 23 to January 3. During that time, the main office will be closed.
Upon student return, no assessments will be given, nor assignments due on January 6-7 so that all can fully enjoy the break! New material can be covered on those days.
Wishing all who celebrate holidays during this time a wonderful holiday season!
⛄Student and Family Resources
Fairfax County Public Schools has compiled a list of resources for students and families in case they need assistance while schools are closed for winter break. Please visit FCPS’ winter resources webpage for information on academic support, mental health support, and county resources related to food, clothing, housing, and other needs.
School’s Closed, Learning Can Continue!
FCPS encourages students to take advantage of fun learning opportunities during winter break and snow days. Consider these winter activities to blend education and play for your students during winter break or weather-related school closures.
❄️ Be Among the First to Hear About School Delays/Closings
Watch this video to see how FCPS makes weather closing decisions.
FCPS’ website is generally the first place to find out about emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible, including email, text, social media, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated.
Be among the first to hear about weather delays and closings! Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE. Emails and text messages are sent to parents and caregivers based on the addresses and cell phone numbers entered on this platform.
Sense of Belonging Parent Feedback Meeting
This year we created a School Improvement and Innovation Goal around increasing student sense of belonging. We made this decision as we felt it directly connected with the work we did last school year around establishing school core values and rewriting our school mission and vision.
To enhance our plans around increasing student sense of belonging, we would love to hear from our parent community. We want to offer the opportunity to hear your perspective as the individuals who know your children best. We also want to ensure that Oakton High School is also a place where our parents feel a sense of belonging.
If you are interested, we would love to have you attend on January 14, 2025 at 5:30pm -6:30pm in the Lecture Hall. We will review Oakton data from the SEL Screener around “Sense of Belonging”. We will also spend time discussing the potential “why” behind the data and recommendations for how we might better ensure a deeper sense of belonging among all students at Oakton High School. We will also share what the students who are involved in the Principal’s Advisory Committee identified going through this same exercise in the fall.
Don’t Miss Out, Order Your Yearbook Today!
The time to purchase a yearbook is now. The 300-page book cost $67 until December 31, at which time prices increase. To reserve your copy, go to yearbookordercenter.com and use the code 4770. Each year, there are a limited number of copies available so don’t miss out.
Partners for Safe Teen Driving Presentation
All students enrolled in Classroom Driver Education during the 2024-2025 school year must attend an in-person Partners for Safe Teen Driving (PSTD). The presentation is connected to successful classroom instruction and must be completed to receive a DEC-District 8 card (pink card). The parent-teen traffic safety presentation (PSTD) will be offered multiple times during the school year at Oakton. Students and their parents/guardians should plan to attend the
presentation at Oakton at your earliest convenience.
All PSTDs begin promptly. Late admission will not be allowed.
2024-2025 Dates:
- October 28, 2024 6:30-8:00pm
- January 21, 2025 6:30-8:00pm
- March 19, 2025 6:30-8:00pm
- May 19, 2025 6:30-8:00pm
These sessions are intended for Sophomores. Juniors and Seniors can attend a session through Adult and Community Education. PSTD nights are not available to freshmen.
Student Services Updates
Student Course Registration - 2025-2026 School Year
Student course registration is right around the corner! Students will register for their courses January 6-March 5. We will provide students with an overview regarding registration on Thursday, December 19 during Cougar Connect. We also invite students and parents to our Curriculum Night on January 9.
More information on course registration can be found on the Oakton HS website.
As students choose courses, it is important to remind them to consider the following:
- Current academic strengths and habits.
- Graduation requirements
- Interests and career and postsecondary goals.
- Personal well-being.
- Extracurricular activities and other commitments that may impact students’ time and energy.
School-life balance is an important consideration as students strive for academic and personal success.
Curriculum Night - January 9, 2025
Save the Date for Oakton's Curriculum Night: Thursday, January 9, 2025 from 4:30-6:30 pm. See our flyer here!
Parents and students are welcome to come learn more about our course offerings for the 2025-2026 school year.
We will have a few optional parent presentations that you can attend. In addition, we will have a fair style event with teacher representatives for elective and core classes. Staff will be able to answer questions and you will have the opportunity to learn more about Oakton’s course offerings. The itinerary is as follows:
- Curriculum Fair: 4:30 - 6:30 pm (Various Locations)
- Registration Overview Presentation: 4:30-5:00 pm (Auditorium)
- Special Education Session: 5:15 - 5:45 pm (Auditorium)
🗓️ Save the Date: Academy Open Houses Begin in January!
FCPS high school academies will hold open houses for interested students beginning in January.
A high school academy is a center within a high school that offers advanced technical and specialized courses to prepare students for postsecondary education and/or career fields. Students enrolling in academy elective courses will be provided with opportunities to participate in a variety of career experiences including shadowing, mentoring, or internships with local businesses.
Learn more and view the calendar of Academy Open Houses.
SAVE THE DATE - 2025 Gap Year Fair
FCPS’ School Counseling Services and Go Overseas are co-hosting the annual FCPS Gap Year Fair on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, at George C. Marshall High School from 6:00-8:30 p.m. This event is for high school students and parents who are interested in learning more about the growing array of gap year opportunities. The evening will begin with a presentation in the auditorium from 6:00-6:45 p.m. Immediately following, the program fair will be held in the cafeteria from 6:45-8:30 p.m., with representatives from over 30 programs offering gap year opportunities. Students and their families are encouraged to meet the representatives and learn about the variety of experiences available.
Students are encouraged to pre-register for this event. For more information, visit: USA Gap Year Fairs.
In the event of inclement weather on Tuesday, January 28, 2025: The Gap Year Fair will be held on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, at the same time and location.
Schedule Changes
Please see the timeline below regarding schedule changes for the 2024-2025 school year.
- August 8 – September 6: School counselors will make requested schedule changes based on space availability.
- September 9 – November 8 (end of 1st quarter grading window): No schedule changes
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After November 12: Any student requesting a schedule change will need to fill out the schedule change request form, with permission from parent, student, teacher, school counselor, and administrator. If approved by the administration, schedule changes will only be processed if there is space available.
- After March 28: There will not be any schedule changes, regardless of space availability. This date aligns with the last day of the 3rd Quarter.
Health and Wellness Updates
Emergency Resources
Crisis Link Regional Hotline 703-527-4077
Crisis Text Text NEEDHELP to 85511
Dominion Hospital Emergency 703-536-2000
INOVA Emergency 703-289-7560
Merrifield Center Emergency 703-573-5979 TTY dial 711
Life Threatening 911
No-Cost Virtual Therapy for High School Students
Virtual therapy sessions are available to FCPS high school students at no cost to provide them with a safe space to address concerns such as:
- Mood/behavior changes, motivation, grief/loss
- Anxiety, worry, fears
- Social skills, bullying, peer and family relationships
- Academic stress
You may refer your child by calling 571-749-2940 or by contacting our school counselor, social worker, psychologist, or director of Student Services. [Find contact information for Oakton staff on this webpage.
Visit the FCPS Teletherapy webpage for more information.
FCPS News
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics and others:
- Dual Language Immersion Lottery Registration
- Be Among the First to Hear About Closings/Delays
- Fall 2024 Sports Champions
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
📣 Sign Up and Speak Out: Fairfax County’s Pre-2025 Session Public Hearing
The Fairfax County delegation to the Virginia General Assembly will hold a public hearing regarding the upcoming 2025 session on Saturday, January 4, at 9 a.m., in the Board Auditorium at the Fairfax County Government Center.
As Fairfax County residents, you may sign up in advance to speak at the hearing and let the delegation know what matters most to you. To participate, register online using this form or contact the Department of Clerk Services at 703-324-3151 (TTY 711) by noon on Thursday, January 2. Find additional guidelines for speaking at the public forum on the Fairfax County Government website.
🖥️ Free Webinars and Events for Families
In January, the Family Resource Center (FRC) will host webinars for families on:
Sign up for the FRC newsletter or visit their webinar webpage.
Upcoming Family Academy Events
You are an important part of your child's education! The FCPS Family Academy compiles classes, webinars, workshops, and programs offered by FCPS to help you support your child's needs and learning at home. Browse Family Academy offerings.
📍 Comprehensive Boundary Review Update
The Superintendent’s Boundary Review Advisory Committee held its second meeting on December 16 at Gatehouse Administration Center. View key takeaways from that meeting and access the meeting agenda, slides, and other materials that committee members received. If you did not get a chance to attend an in-person Community Boundary Review Meeting, please consider participating in one of the following virtual meetings:
- Friday, January 10, 2025, 6-7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, January 16, 2025, 1-2:30 p.m.
- Saturday, January 25, 2025, 9:30-11 a.m.
- Monday, January 27, 2025, 6:30-8 p.m.
- Tuesday, January 28, 2025, 6:30-8 p.m.
- Monday, February 10, 2025, 6:30-8 p.m.
Language interpretation will be available.
All virtual meetings will follow the same format as the in-person meetings that were recently held, and the same information will be shared. Please stay tuned for details on how to register. Visit FCPS’ Comprehensive Boundary Review webpage to learn more. Sign up for FCPS’ School Boundary Review newsletter as well.
PTSA Updates
Fundraiser
This fundraiser allows 100% of your donations to be used in supporting the PTSA and its activities. Your donations are tax deductible as well! Please note that we depend on donations. Without your donations, the PTSA will be unable to financially support such programs and events as mentioned above. We only ask that you be as generous as your budget allows, no amount is too small. Together we can make a difference! Please join the PTSA & show support. Many companies participate in matching gift programs. You can double or even triple your generous donations! Donations are always kept confidential. You can also send us checks addressed to Oakton High School PTSA. It’s even easy to join and/or pay via credit card by clicking on this link and ‘Thank you’ in advance for your support and generosity. If you have any questions about the PTSA please email us at oaktonhsptsa@gmail.com
Stay Connected
Follow ' oaktonhs_ptsa' on Instagram to keep abreast of what's happening at the PTSA. Become a member, Join the mailing list and/or donate to the PTSA at PTBoard - Oakton High School PTSA.
Join the PTSA
Want to be part of PTSA? We are looking for an ANGP Chair (All Night Grad Party), Webmaster, Business Chair, Hospitality Chair and Treasurer. Email us at oaktonhsptsa@gmail.com.
Parent Resources
Parent Information Line
Parents who speak Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, or Vietnamese can call a telephone information line for general information about FCPS and to receive support if they are having difficulty communicating with their children's schools due to a language barrier.
Parent Resource Center
The FCPS Parent Resource Center offers a wide variety of information and resources to support the success of all students. This includes monthly workshops and webinars. More information can be found on the FCPS website, including registration information.
FCPS Cares
Do you know an Oakton High School or FCPS employee who does ordinary things in an extraordinary way or goes beyond what is expected? If so, then click here to share with everyone.
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