Check out what is happening at Orange Hunt:

When students have a day off, our staff is still hard at work! Teachers and teams spend the day collaborating, planning, and preparing lessons and activities to make learning engaging and meaningful. Every planning session helps ensure we’re ready to give each child the very best when they return. It’s all part of our commitment to continuous growth and excellence for our students.

Click here to nominate an OHES Staff Member for their outstanding performance.

Fall Festival Fun! 

Friday, October 17th 6-8p.m.

(Rain or Shine!)

Join us for games, crafts, food & a Silent Auction

Avoid the lines and pre-order by 10/10/2025. You must be logged in to order.

Entrance fee: $5/ person. Children 3 and under are free. Maximum $20/family. OHES Staff and Families $5 for your family.  Admission costs are higher at the door.

Pizza: $5/slide or $30/whole pizza

Cotton Candy: $2

Popcorn: $2

Drinks:$1

& more

In order to have a successful event, we need donations and volunteers!

Donations & Volunteers needed. Sign up here.

This is a Family event.

Children must be accompanied by an adult.

No drop offs.

School Pictures are Still Available!

Early Release Wednesdays - Dismissal Info

As we look toward the next early release Wednesday on 10/29, we want to share some information on how dismissal differs from the normal time.  Students staying for childcare hardship are gathered and attendance is taken to ensure they are accounted for BEFORE students are dismissed to buses, SACC, Kiss & Ride and walkers.  This may result in students being dismissed a bit later than 12:30. Please be patient as we ensure all student safety! 

Our lists of students staying for childcare hardship have been finalized. Parents may not opt-in to staying any longer as we have set our staffing needs based on family responses. Parents can opt to have their children leave at 12:30 p.m. by calling the school prior to the next early release day – doing so will change your status for ALL the remaining early release days.  

For students staying after 12:30 p.m., please limit picking your child up early between 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. to appointments only. 

As a reminder, the following is a list of the remaining early release days this school year. Students are provided a lunch break prior to dismissal.  

• October 29
• November 12
• December 10
• February 18
• March 18
• April 22
• May 13

Webinar Offering for Parents

• Supporting Your Child with Dyslexia: October 15, 10-11:30 a.m.
• Join us for an informative webinar on Dyslexia Awareness, designed for Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) families. This session will provide essential information about dyslexia and the resources available within FCPS to support students with this learning difference.
• What You'll Learn: 
• Understanding Dyslexia: Gain a clear understanding of what dyslexia is, its common signs, and how it can affect students' reading, writing, and spelling.
• FCPS Support Systems: Learn about the various supports and interventions FCPS provides, including evidence-based, structured literacy approaches and the role of reading specialists.
• Virginia Literacy Act: Discover how the new Virginia Literacy Act (VLA) and FCPS's Equitable Access to Literacy (EAL) Plan are changing literacy instruction to benefit all learners, especially those with dyslexia.
• Resources for Families: We'll share practical tools and strategies you can use at home to support your child's literacy development and partner effectively with their school.
• This webinar aims to empower families with knowledge and resources to help their students with dyslexia succeed.
• Register here
• Reading Plans and Your Student: October 22, 10-11:30 a.m.
• This 1.5-hour webinar is designed to help parents and caregivers understand the new reading plans in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). Parents will learn about:
• What a reading plan is: A reading plan is a support system for students who are not meeting literacy benchmarks. It outlines specific, evidence-based instruction and interventions to help them improve their reading skills.
• Who requires a reading plan: All students from kindergarten through eighth grade who are identified as needing additional support based on literacy assessments will receive a reading plan. This is part of a broader effort by FCPS to implement the Virginia Literacy Act.
• How schools will support students: The webinar will explain how FCPS is using a science-based reading approach and will discuss the role of reading specialists, the curriculum used, and the assessments to monitor student progress.
• Resources and tools for parents: Parents will leave with practical resources and tools they can use at home to support their child's literacy development. The webinar aims to empower families to be active partners in their child's reading journey.
• Register here

Advance Academic Program Parent Info 

Important dates:

October 15, 2025 – Full-time AAP Referral form due – New to county students 3^rd – 6^th grade ONLY

November 20, 2025 – Parent Information Meetings (All families welcome – focus on full-time referral) – 9AM at OHES and 6PM – Virtual

December 15, 2025 – Full-time AAP Referral form due – Any student 2^nd – 6^th grade

Lightspeed Student Online Activity Report

• Beginning October 12, 2025, all parents and caregivers with Records Access in SIS will automatically receive a weekly email report summarizing their student’s online activity.  These reports will be sent to the email addresses on file in SIS.
• The Student Online Activity Reports are designed to support families in having meaningful conversations with their students about responsible technology use and digital citizenship. Families who prefer not to receive these weekly emails may easily opt-out by selecting the Unsubscribe link at the bottom of the weekly email.
• Each weekly report also includes a link to register for the Lightspeed Parent Portal, which provides more detailed browsing information.
• For more information and to help answer common questions, FCPS has added a new FAQ section to the Lightspeed Parent Report page on the FCPS website. 

PTA News

Visit the PTA website below for all things PTA related, including activities, membership and spirit wear!  https://orangehuntpta.membershiptoolkit.com/

Upcoming events: Fall Festival, October 17th, see website for details. 

Please check the PTA website for upcoming events. 

Reflections Contest - PTA offering

Here is a fabulous opportunity for students to challenge their thinking and share their talents. The Orange Hunt PTA is offering students the opportunity to participate in the Reflections program. They are accepting visual arts entries until 31 October 2025. Please review the theme and guidelines with your student. Discuss with them how they would respond and represent their views. Offer to help them collect supplies for their presentation. Then, set them loose to create! 

Guidelines and Forms can be found on: https://vapta.org/reflections/  Any questions? Email the parent coordinator, Heather Timms, at reflections@orangehuntpta.org (or h_timms@yahoo.com) for more information.  

Ensuring Student Safety: Register for Volunteer FCPS 

Volunteer FCPS ensures a safe, consistent, and welcoming environment at all of our schools. All volunteers must be registered in Volunteer FCPS prior to volunteering. 

Our intent is to ensure that our students feel safe and supported with each and every person they encounter at school.

As a reminder, all volunteers — and visitors to a school — are required to sign in by scanning their ID at our visitor kiosk. Visit the Volunteer FCPS Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more. 

Click here to begin the process. You MUST be registered and cleared as a LEVEL 3 volunteer to go chaperone field trips.  If you think you may want to chaperone a field trip, please register and sign-up as Level 3.  

Click here to order your yearbook. 

What's for Lunch?

Click here to see what our wonderful cafe staff is serving for breakfast and lunch each day.  Be sure to create a MySchoolBucks account to add money to your student's lunch account.  Even if you pack a lunch every day for your child, it's a good idea to have a few dollars on their account in case a lunch is forgotten at home.  Student lunch cost is $3.25. If you need assistance, FCPS offers a free or reduced-fee lunch for students who qualify.  Please see the Family Liaison section below for further information. 

Cell Phone Policy - BELL TO BELL

We are a Phone-Free School! Parents and students should not be texting each other throughout the school day.  Please call the office to have messages sent to your student if necessary.  

Please remind your student that cell phones and personal devices (smart watches, air pods, earbuds, headsets, other items connected to the internet) must be off and away for the entire school day (bell to bell). Cell phones are also not permitted to be used as an instructional tool. If you need to contact your student during the school day, please call our front office at 703-913-6800. Learn more about FCPS’ cell phone policy, which helps students stay focused, safe, and engaged at school. 

Family Fun at Lake Braddock's Theatre Dept

Looking for something fun and family-friendly to do with you and your family? Look no further than Lake Braddock Theatre's fall production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream! Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night’s Dream follows the love story of four confused Athenians, a wacky bunch of actors preparing their play for the upcoming royal wedding, and a forest full of magical fairies who tend to disrupt the natural order of the human world. This show is set around a PG-rating and will perform on October 30th, 31st, and November 1st! A special addition, those who come on October 31st, Halloween, will be able to get a photo with their favorite cast members! Costumes are encouraged. Tickets can be purchased at lbtheatre.com. We hope to see you there!

Weekly School Spirit Day

10/17 Friday: Wear orange and Blue

IMPACT AID - Coming Soon, Stay Tuned (10/21)

The Impact Aid Program is a federal program designed to directly compensate local school districts that have been financially impacted by federal activities. The program’s mission is to reimburse local school districts for local revenues lost due to the presence of federally owned, and therefore tax exempt, property.

FCPS is pleased to announce that the Federal Impact Aid Survey will once again be available electronically through your ParentVUE account. For families that do not have access to ParentVUE or prefer to complete a paper form, a printed form will be provided by the school.

Flu Shots & School Immunizations

Inspire Health Alliance, in partnership with FCPS, will be providing school-required immunizations and optional flu shots for all FCPS students.

• Immunizations will be provided at no out-of-pocket cost to families. 
• Registering families will be required to provide insurance information, if applicable, but students without insurance may still participate.
• Participation is voluntary and additional Immunization Resources are available. 

Current event dates are listed below. Additional dates will be made available throughout the school year 4-5 weeks prior to the event.

• Thursday, November 6, 3-6:30 p.m. - Willow Oaks Administrative Center
• Saturday, November 15, 9 a.m-6:30 p.m. - Frost MS
• Tuesday, November 18, 3-6:30 p.m. - Willow Oaks Administrative Center
• Wednesday, November 19, 3-6:30 p.m. - Willow Oaks Administrative Center
• Thursday, November 20, 3-6:30 p.m. - Willow Oaks Administrative Center 

For more information, or to help families schedule an appointment for their student, please visit our Inspire Immunization Events Student Registration webpage.  

Upcoming Events October 14 - Outstanding Employee Nominations Open!  October 20 - Diwali (school closed) October 21 - Federal Impact Aid Survey - The electronic version of the Federal Impact Aid Survey will open to parents in ParentVUE. More info will follow for this important survey.  October 29 - Three Hour Early Dismissal (12:30 p.m.) October 31 - Two Hour Early Dismissal (1:30 p.m. - there is no FCPS optional childcare hardship for this early dismissal ALL students will go home at 1:30 p.m.!) End of Grading Quarter

Your Partners In Education We are in this together!!  We are thankful to have the opportunity to work with your family this year and will work every day to ensure a safe and positive learning environment for your child. Please contact us when there is a question or concern. Thank you for your support and being part of our team! Your Partner Principals, Karen Tuttle                     kmtuttle@fcps.edu Kate Austin                      kbaustin@fcps.edu Heather Mathews            HMMathews@fcps.edu

Want To Be Involved?

Visit the Orange Hunt PTA website for all sponsored events and activities.

6820 Sydenstricker Road, Springfield, VA 22152 | Phone: 703.913.6800

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