Principal Updates - March 3

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 03/03/2025 05:30 PM EST

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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!

Important Dates

You can access the FCPS 2024-2025 school year calendar here.

March 5 - Staff v. Student Basketball Game; Spring Sports Meet the Teams Parent Night

March 6 - Talent Show

March 12 - Spring Sports Pictures

March 19 - The Center Tutor-a-Thon; Partners for Safe Teen Driving Presentation

March 28 - End of 3rd Quarter

March 31 - No School, Eid-al-Fitr

April 1 - Student Holiday, Teacher Workday

April 14-18 - Spring Break

Please note the Tutor-a-Thon has been moved to March 19th (same time, same place) to avoid conflict with the Student vs. Staff Basketball game on March 5.

General Information

📑 Varsity Tutors Provides On-Demand Support at No Cost

FCPS is partnering with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with extra learning resources. Every student can take advantage of Varsity Tutors’ services at no cost, including weekly live online classes; on-demand 24/7 chat tutoring; essay editing; and study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests. Learn more about online tutoring with Varsity Tutors.

Upcoming Safety Drills

In the month of March we will practice two safety drills in addition to our monthly fire drill. More information can be found below.

Tornado Drill: The Code of Virginia § 22.1-137.1 requires all public schools to participate in at least one tornado drill each year. Additionally, FCPS Regulation 8625 requires the tornado drill be completed during the school year in March.
Lockdown Drill - We will hold our second lockdown drill of the school year. The specific date and time of the drill will not be announced. However, parents will be notified via email in a minimum of 24 hours in advance of the drill. Parents will also be notified at the conclusion of the lockdown drill on the day it is held.

Student Fasting Meal Kits for February 28 - March 28, 2025

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has issued a new, first-time waiver allowing students fasting during the school day from February 28 to March 28, 2025, to request take-home breakfast and lunch meal kits. The Office of Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) will provide meal kits reflecting the school menu. Meals will be kept cold and must be heated at home. Students may claim one breakfast and one lunch kit per day. If a student purchases breakfast or lunch at school, they cannot pick up a kit that day. Meal kits must be picked up by students at the end of the school day—adults cannot collect them. Parents or guardians must submit a weekly request form via the FCPS FNS website by the deadlines:

February 24, 2025, for February 28 and the week of March 3, 2025
March 3, 2025, for the week of March 10, 2025
March 10, 2025, for the week of March 17, 2025
March 17, 2025, for the week of March 24, 2025

Forms must be submitted on time to receive meal kits for the following week.

Spring Sports - Important Dates

If your student wishes to participate in tryouts for spring sports, they MUST have a current VHSL physical on file with us and be registered online for the season. Please reach out to individual coaches for any questions regarding green day schedules.

Monday, February 24th thru 28^th – Spring sports tryouts.
Wednesday, March 5th - Meet the Teams parent night 6pm
Wednesday, March 12th - Team photos afterschool (times TBA)

Bookmark our website so you can easily find out important sports information www.oaktonsports.net

Make Sure Your Children Are Up-to-Date on Immunizations

Please make sure your child has all of their necessary immunizations. Remember, all students are required to be immunized against certain diseases to attend school in Virginia. This is an important part of keeping children healthy!

Starting Monday, May 19, students who have not provided proof of immunization may not be allowed to attend school. You can check your child’s immunization status and submit updated immunization information by accessing SIS ParentVUE.

Please check with your healthcare provider to make sure your child is up to date on required immunizations for the 2024-25 school year. If your child needs an immunization, make an appointment with your healthcare provider, visit the Fairfax County Health Department website for a list of child immunization clinics, or view other Immunization Resources. Be wise and immunize!

2025 Family Summit - Beyond Labels: Nurturing a Culture of Belonging! (an Extension of the Special Education Conference)

Families, educators, and community members are invited to the 2025 FCPS Family Summit: Beyond Labels: Nurturing a Culture of Belonging. Fairfax County Public Schools will be hosting the free, in-person event in collaboration with valued community partners. The summit will be held Saturday, March 15, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at South Lakes High School.

This event will feature:

Opening Session: Julie Causton and Kristie Pretti-Frontczak — best-selling authors, motivational speakers, and advocates for inclusion — will share practical tools and evidence-based strategies to empower and assist all families, with a special emphasis on parents of students with individual education programs (IEPs) and 504 Plans.
Breakout Sessions: Learn more about special education and global topics that benefit all families.

Student Showcase: FCPS students will share their efforts in fostering inclusivity through posters, essays, videos, songs, art, and other mediums.
Exhibitor Hall: Discover valuable resources and services in the community to support families.
Networking Opportunities: Connect with other families, staff, and community partners.

Childcare will be provided. Special education staff will be available to care for children with high support needs. You may sign up for childcare during the registration process.

Learn more about this event and register today! Contact FamilySummit@fcps.edu for more information.

Hidden in Plain Sight (HIPS) Presentation - New Date

Please note we have moved the date to May 21 due to inclement weather on February 11.

HIPS is a community awareness program designed to enlighten parents through a unique learning experience encompassing insights into trends and indicators of potentially risky behavior. This allows parents the opportunity to interact with police officers and various props.

If you are interested in attending on May 21, please register for the event using this link (https://bit.ly/hipsohs021125).

The presentation will be run by Fairfax County Police Department and our Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist for the Oakton and Madison Pyramids, Mr. Michael McNulty.

K-12 Mathematics Basal Public Review

Fairfax County Public Schools will adopt new Mathematics Instructional Resources for the 2025-2026 (secondary) and 2026-2027 (elementary) school years. A review committee composed of community members, administrators, and teachers will be meeting to review materials submitted by vendors. The public is also invited to review materials and provide comments.

Mathematics basal instructional resources may be accessed in-person and online from February 14, 2025 – March 21, 2025, for public feedback. Those reviewing instructional materials in-person or on-line will give feedback via a digital input form.

Hard copies of instructional materials will be available for review at Willow Oaks Welcome Center Monday - Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Note: If review hours are needed outside of these hours please email mathbasalreview@fcps.edu

FCPS Administrative Building

8270 Willow Oaks Corporate Dr.,

Suite 100

Falls Church, VA 22031

Electronic materials for public review will be available on the FCPS Mathematics web site.

All community feedback will be shared with the review committee and with School Board members before a vote at the School Board regular meeting in 2025.

Senior Deadline for X2VOL Hours

All Senior Service-Learning hours for Seniors must be submitted no later than April 25^th at 3pm to guarantee they are approved for graduation accomplishments. Hours posted past the deadline will not be guaranteed to be counted toward awards and recognition for Seniors. Please submit all hours into X2VOL for approval no later than April 25^th at 3pm.

To learn more about Senior awards and recognition for graduation click HERE. This includes all Service-Learning Recognitions for graduation and their requirements. Any questions regarding this information can be forwarded to Mrs. Kimberly Stewart, the Service Learning Liaison, at OHS at kastewart@fcps.edu

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

Virtual Presentations on Financial Aid for Military Families

College Access Fairfax will hold two sessions on financial aid hosted by the Navy Mutual Aid Association’s lead financial educator and military benefits liaison.

Topics will include:

Residency Requirements
Using the GI Bill
The Yellow Ribbon Program
Using Chapter 35 (DEA benefits)
Military scholarships and grants
Virginia Education Programs

Sessions will be held Tuesday, March 18, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 22, at 10 a.m. Click on the date to register. Contact info@CollegeAccessFairfax.org to learn more.

Virtual FAFSA Workshops

uAspire is hosting free FAFSA Walkthrough for students and families. This session will give them an overview of the new FAFSA and walk them through the steps required to receive federal financial aid at colleges nationwide.

Tuesday March 4 - 7:00PM
Thursday April 3 - 5:00PM

Student Course Registration - 2025-2026 School Year

Student course registration is here! Students will register for their courses January 13-March 5.

All course registration change requests must be received by the st

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.

Summer 2025 Online Campus Courses

Registration for the Summer 2025 Online Campus courses started Friday, February 14, 2025, and ends Friday, June 6, 2025. Courses are open to middle and high school students who meet prerequisites.

Courses may be cancelled if they are under-enrolled. If a course is cancelled, students will be notified using the registration contact information and a full refund will be given.

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 1^st quarter grading window): No schedule changes
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 3^rd 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

💻 Hazel Health: Virtual Therapy for High School Students

Teletherapy services are available for all FCPS high school students at no cost. Sessions can be scheduled Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Hazel Health’s highly qualified therapists specialize in working with teens. Learn more on FCPS’ teletherapy webpage.

Oakton Pantry Update

The Oakton Pantry continues to provide support for families in our community with food insecurities. On a weekly basis our student shopping and curb side delivery serve approximately 50 families. We appreciate all who donate food, money and time to keep the pantry up and running! If you would like to donate food items please consider something from the list below. These are items that are in greatest demand and shortest supply. Thank you.

Beans- 1 pound bag
Rice- 1 pound bag
Canned Tuna
Canned Chicken
Mac and Cheese- boxes, preferably not easy mac
Instant Oatmeal- individual packages or cups
Crackers- individual packs
Jelly- jars
Ramen
Cup of Noodles

FCPS News

In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics and others:

Summer Camps and Learning Opportunities
Supporting Academic Growth
Preparing for Tough Conversations With Your Child

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.

FCPS Budget

🌟 Your child deserves the best teachers, safe schools, and the resources to achieve their highest academic potential! On Feb. 20, the School Board unanimously approved the FY 2026 Advertised Budget to invest in what works: competitive salaries to attract top educators, expanded learning opportunities, and school safety improvements.

Now, it’s time for the next step! The budget moves to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, with opportunities for the community to provide feedback from Feb. 24 through April, before a final vote in May.

📖 Learn more about the FY 2026 Advertised Budget: bit.ly/26AdvBudgetFCPS

📊 See the budget documents and timeline: bit.ly/FCPS-FY2026-Budget

#InvestInExcellence

Become Unskippable - Fentanyl Awareness Campaign

🗣️ Connect With Your Kids: Simple Steps to Stronger Communication

Teens skip things that don't interest them, including lectures from their parents. How do you connect with your children and really know what's going on in their lives? How can you become “unskippable”?

Effective communication can build trust and understanding, but it takes thought, planning, and effort.

The latest Healthy Minds Blog offers practical strategies to improve communication and build strong, lasting relationships:

Ditch distractions and create a safe space where your child feels comfortable opening up.
Listen actively and validate their feelings, even if you don't agree.
Ask "how" questions instead of "what" questions to get them talking about their experiences.

For more tips and techniques, read the full article on the Healthy Minds Blog, which shares information related to youth mental health and wellness.

For support on talking with your teen about difficult subjects like fentanyl, discover how to Become Unskippable.

🚀 Prepare for a Summer of Learning and Fun

Registration is open or will be available soon for summer camps and learning opportunities offered by Fairfax County Public Schools for all students.

Career and Technical Education and Institute for the Arts Summer Camps

Career and Technical Education camps and Institute for the Arts camps will be held in July at Lake Braddock Secondary School from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bus transportation will be available from select FCPS middle and high schools. Registration begins for these programs on Monday, March 10, and ends Friday, June 6.

CTE Summer Academy (CSA) is a week-long enrichment program that allows students in grades 6-11 to dive deeper into CTE program areas, develop skills, and begin career exploration. Watch this video about CTE camps.

IFTA is a two- or three-week summer enrichment program for students currently in grades 6-11. Students select from nearly 90 classes in art, dance, Health and Physical Education 9 (graduation requirement), music, and theater.

Earn Credit Toward Graduation This Summer

Take advantage of the opportunity to earn a high school course credit via this summer’s online campus program. Registration is now open. Students must register by Friday, June 6. Mathematics, health and physical education, career and technical education, English, science, social studies, and world language courses are available to eligible middle and high school students.

Summer is a great time for high school students to fulfill the Economics and Personal Finance course requirement. This is a self-directed course where students work independently. The course is available between Monday, June 23, and Friday, July 25. Registration is now open. Students must register by Friday, May 23. For more information, visit this Summer Learning page.

PTSA Updates

Senior Student Families

The PTSA is seeking a dedicated volunteer to chair the All-Night Grad Party (ANGP) Chair position. Without someone stepping up, this cherished event will be canceled. If you’re organized and passionate about giving our graduates the celebration they deserve, please consider taking on this rewarding role. Training and support will be provided.

Winter Fundraiser

The Winter Fundraiser is also underway. You can send checks ( made out to - Oakton High School PTSA) or donate on our website. All donations are tax deductible!

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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