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 Important Dates
For your planning purposes, you can access the FCPS 2025-2026 school year calendar here. We ask every effort is made to consider the school calendar when planning trips and events that take students out of school.
September 9 - No School, Teacher Workday (Special Election)
September 8-12 - Homecoming Spirit Week
September 12 - Pep Rally (4th pd.); Homecoming Game
September 13 - Homecoming Dance
September 18 - Senior Parent Night (Virtual)
September 23 – No School, Rosh Hashanah
September 24-25 – Underclassmen Portraits (through English classes)
September 26 - Senior Panoramic (Cougar Time)
September 29 - Partners for Safe Teen Driving, Night 1
September is Attendance Awareness Month
Every Day Counts: Setting Your Child Up for Success
September is Attendance Awareness Month. There are many ways parents and caregivers can help their children create healthy routines and make a habit of getting to school on time every day. Some examples include:
- Set a regular bedtime and morning routine. (Need help? Download this checklist in English or Spanish.)
- Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.
- If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors, or other parents for advice on how to make them feel comfortable and excited about learning.
- Develop back-up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor, or another parent.
- When possible, avoid medical appointments or extended trips when school is in session.
Visit the FCPS website for more attendance tips and resources. Attend today, achieve tomorrow!
Homecoming 2025
This week is Homecoming Week! We are excited for a spirted week at school. See below for more information:
Homecoming Spirit Days
- Monday 9/8 Jersey Day (Wear Sports Jerseys)
- Tuesday 9/9 NO SCHOOL
- Wednesday 9/10 NEON Day (Wear Neon)
- Thursday 9/11 USA Out (Wear Red, White, & Blue)
- Friday 9/12 Lights Out (Wear Black)
- Students will enjoy the Homecoming Pep Rally during part of 4th Period
- All are welcome to come out for the Homecoming Football Game where the Cougars will face the Cavaliers! Kickoff is at 7:00pm!
Homecoming Dance
All 9th-12th Oakton students are invited to attend the “Dis-Glo” Homecoming Dance on Saturday, September 13 from 8pm-11pm. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased during all lunches Monday, Wednesday - Friday. No tickets will be sold after lunches on Friday, September 12 or at the door on Saturday, September 13. Tickets can also be purchased through MySchoolBucks. The attire for the dance is semi-formal.
Students wishing to bring a guest to the dance, must turn in a guest form to be reviewed and approved in advance of the dance. Forms can be picked up at lunch or in Mr. Farrell’s room throughout the school day, room 1247. Only one guest per student will be considered.
Students will enter and exit the dance through Door 7. All students must be picked up promptly at 11:00pm.
General Information
Back to School Night Resources
It was wonderful to see so many families at our in-person back-to-school night on August 27. All families are invited to see the recorded videos available in the All Parents/Guardians: Oakton High School Schoology course. Under materials you will find the "Digital Back to School Night Information" folder. Here you will find:
- Welcome Messages from the FCPS School Board
- Videos from Principal Lane
- Welcome Back Message
- Cell Phone Policy
- Important Back-to-School Forms
- Weapons Detection Screener Overview & Update
- Schoology Learning Videos
- Volunteer to Chaperone & Digital Consent Forms
Teachers uploaded their back-to-school night videos under "Course Materials" in their individual schoology courses. To access these videos, please click on the blue circle/down arrow next to your name in the top right corner. You will then see your child's name. Click on your child's name. You will now see all of the schoology courses your student is enrolled.
September 9 - Student Holiday
As a reminder, FCPS updated the school year calendar to make September 9 a student holiday. This is in response to the special election being held that day. The Oakton HS main office will also be closed on September 9.
Arrival Reminder
We are getting reports that some students are being dropped off in the middle of the road during arrival. We want all students to arrive to school safely and encourage all families to follow our kiss & ride traffic patterns to allow students to be dropped off on campus.
Free & Reduced Meals - Consent to Share Information Forms
Families must submit an application and be approved to be eligible for free and reduced price meals for the 2025-26 school year.
Eligible families are encouraged to submit the Free and Reduced-Price Meal application before the first day of the 2025-26 school year. More information is on the FCPS website, including forms to apply for Free or Reduced Lunch.
Please Note: If you have children eligible for the federal Free and Reduced-Price Meals program, they may also be eligible to participate in other Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) fee-based programs without paying a fee or by paying a reduced fee to include: course fees, senior dues, etc.. You are also eligible to receive information about scholarships, classes, and services that are provided by agencies and organizations other than FCPS.
If you want your children to participate in FCPS fee-based programs on a free or reduced fee basis and receive information about other benefits for your children, you must provide written agreement allowing FCPS staff to share information about your children's meal eligibility status.
You can scroll to the bottom of the FCPS page to access “Consent to Share Information” in a variety of languages. Without the “Consent to Share Information,” school officials will not be aware of your child’s eligibility for free and reduced meals and will not be able to consider reducing or waiving other school related fees.
Safety Drills During the School Year
Keeping students and staff safe is a priority for FCPS. Each school has an emergency preparedness plan to respond to incidents such as fires and tornadoes. Schools are required by state law to practice emergency drills, including lockdown drills, each year. Schools are also required to notify parents and guardians at least 24 hours before a school conducts a lockdown drill. However, schools are not required to give the specific date and time of the drill in advance.
The first lockdown drill of the school year must take place within the first 20 days of school. Oakton High School will have our first lockdown drill during the week of September 15.
Your child may come home and talk about their experience during the drill. We encourage you to talk with your child about the importance of being prepared for emergencies. Please review these frequently asked questions to support your students before and after school lockdown drills.
⚠️ Know Our Security Terms
FCPS uses specific terminology to describe the actions school staff and students should take to ensure safety in a variety of situations. It is important for staff, families, and students to understand what the different terms mean and how they impact school operations.
Watch this video to learn about safety terms including lockdown; secure the building; and stay put, stay tuned.
If students, staff, or families have a safety concern at school (that is not an immediate emergency), they should submit a tip to the FCPS Safety Tipline. In an emergency, please call 9-1-1.
Cell Phones Off, Learning On
Thank you for helping to support the FCPS cell phone policy by waiting to call or text your child about non-urgent matters until the school day is over. In case of an emergency, it is always best to contact our school’s front office to reach your child during class time.
Visit the FCPS Cell Phone Policy webpage to read more about usage policies by grade level.
Partners for Safe Teen Driving Presentation
All students enrolled in Classroom Driver Education during the 2025-2026 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.
2025-2026 Dates:
- September, 29 2025 6:30-8:00pm
- January 12, 2026 6:30-8:00pm
- March 16, 2026 6:30-8:00pm
- May 18, 2026 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.
Please find more information about driver education for parents by accessing this flyer.
Testing Information
SAT School Day and PSAT/NMSQT 2025
PSAT/NMSQT and SAT Information
October 8 we will be giving the PSAT/NMSQT to all 10th and 11th graders, no registration needed. Any 12th grader who registered prior to September 4 will have the opportunity to take the SAT. Students must be on time the day of the test. Students will not be admitted once the test has begun.
- Students will receive testing locations via their fcpsschools.net emails on October 3, 2025.
- All non-testers (to include 9th graders and seniors who did not register for the SAT), should stay home for an unscheduled day. Students have the opportunity to work on assignments and/or prepare for upcoming assignments and assessments.
- Adapted curriculum students will still attend school and have their regularly scheduled classes. If you have any questions, please reach out to your case manager.
- We will have a two hour early release on October 8 for all students who report to school. The only exception will be for students whose college board accommodations provide them with extended time that runs beyond our release time of 12:55pm.
For more information about the PSAT/NMSQT or SAT, please visit our website: https://oaktonhs.fcps.edu/academics/testing/psatsatact
Student Services
Student Services Newsletter
Check out Student Services’ September Newsletter that features updates on:
- Class of 2026 Programming
- College & Career Center Information (including Naviance)
- X2VOL
- Paying for college
- College representative visits
- Upcoming Events
- World Language Credit Exam
- PSAT
- SAT
- AP Exams
- National Honor Society applications
- FCPS College Fair
- Welcome our new school counselor, Ms. Bacigalupo
Virtual Senior Parent Night
The School Counseling team is hosting a Virtual Senior Parent Night on Thursday, Sept. 18 from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. This presentation will include detailed information about the college application process. A recording of the presentation will be posted on the Oakton HS website for you to access at your convenience if you are unable to attend.
School counselors presented this information to seniors in their classrooms on Aug. 27 and 28, and they are meeting with each senior individually during the month of September to support them with the college application process.
The event link will be shared via email on Sept. 18.
We hope to see you there!
College Fair and Postsecondary Virtual Night (MS, HS)
Fairfax County Public Schools high school students and their families are encouraged to participate in the 2025 College Fair and Virtual Postsecondary Night. The College Fair will be held on Sunday, October 19, 2025, at George Mason University’s Eagle Bank Arena from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Approximately 200 colleges and universities will be represented, including two and four-year colleges and U.S. Service Academies. The Virtual Postsecondary Night will be held on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. More information about the Virtual Postsecondary Night will be posted at the link below soon.
Please visit this FCPS website for more information and a link to register for both events.
Class Schedule Change Requests
Timeline for Schedule Changes
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August 1-7: Schedules will be adjusted if there is a school error or summer school adjustment needed.
- August 8-September 5: School counselors will make requested schedule changes based on space availability
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September 8-November 7 (end of 1st quarter grading window): No schedule changes
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After November 10: 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.
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After March 27: There will not be any schedule changes, regardless of space availability. This date aligns with the last day of the 3rd Quarter.
For any questions you may have, contact your child’s school counselor.
Health and Wellness Updates
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 Tuesday, November 18, students who have not provided proof of immunization may not be allowed to attend school. Visit the How To Submit Immunization Documents webpage for step-by-step guidance on how to check your child’s immunization status and submit updated immunization information
Please check with your health care provider to make sure your child is up to date on required immunizations for the 2025-26 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!
No-Cost Virtual Therapy for High School Students
Virtual therapy sessions are available to FCPS high school students at no cost to provide 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. Visit the FCPS Teletherapy webpage for more information.
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
FCPS News
FCPS This Week
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- Safety Drills During the School Year
- Cell Phones Off, Learning On
- Attendance: Every Day Counts
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
No-Cost Meals Available for Students on September 9
As a reminder, all FCPS schools will be closed for students and school staff on September 9 due to a special election in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District. FCPS will provide student meals at a select number of schools at no cost. Please keep in mind that:
- Lunch and a snack will be served together from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Meals must be eaten on site at participating schools.
- Enrichment activities will be available for children. Participation is encouraged but not required.
- Only children 18 and under may receive meals.
- Each child may receive one lunch and one snack.
View a list of school sites that will be providing meals for children on September 9. If you have questions, please contact the Office of Food and Nutrition Services at 703-813-4800.
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