Principal Updates - Week of December 1

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Important Dates

December 1-4 - SOS Survey, 11th Grade

December 8 - Religious & Cultural Observance Day, Bodhi Day 

December 10 - FCPS Youth Survey 10th/12th Graders 

December 12 - Cougar Commendations; Brain Breaks (9th/10th Grade)

December 16 - Brain Breaks (11th/12th Grade) 

December 22 - January 2 - No School, Winter Break

January 8 - Curriculum Night

The FCPS School Year Calendars are available below by school year for your planning purposes. 


General Information

Fall Cougar Commendations

It is time for us to celebrate our Fall Cougar Commendations! Students will be nominated by Oakton Staff. If you would like to help us recognize our amazing faculty and staff, please consider nominating a deserving member of our team!  

To nominate a faculty member: So often faculty and staff members’ hard work, passion, and innovation go unnoticed. Cougar Commendations for faculty/staff allow us to recognize a staff member for their work towards Oakton’s Core Values. Please use this link to nominate faculty/staff members for their noteworthy endeavors.

ALL nominations are due by the end of the day on Friday, December 5th.

Nominated students will be recognized in a ceremony on December 12, 2025 during CT 5. 

Action Required! Update Your Permission for Google Tools

Google recently made changes to how educational applications are managed and accessed on the Chrome Browser and Chromebooks. Many applications are moving from the Chrome Web Store to the Google Play Store. 

To ensure your student(s) can continue accessing all approved instructional tools, FCPS has updated its digital consent platform to include both the Chrome Web Store and the Google Play Store.

Please review and provide your consent for these two new options through our easy-to-use Parent Digital Consent system:

  • Additional Google Services – Chrome Web Store
  • Additional Google Services – Google Play Store

Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting safe and effective digital learning experiences for all students. 

For questions or support, please visit FCPS’ Family Technology Resources page or open a ticket with the Technical Support desk.

Manage Your Child’s Screen Time on FCPS Devices

FCPS offers the Lightspeed Parent Portal to help you manage screen time on your child's FCPS device at home. With a Parent Portal account, you can control your child’s access to YouTube and pause website browsing during after-school hours.Please note that parent controls are active only during after-school hours, defined as Monday through Friday from 3:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. (including student holidays) and all day Saturday and Sunday. 

If you haven't signed up for the portal yet, use the link at the bottom of your weekly Lightspeed Online Student Activity Report email. To learn more, please visit the Lightspeed Parent Portal page on the FCPS website.

❄️ Prepare for Winter Weather

Winter weather will be here before you know it! Watch this video to see how weather closing decisions are made at FCPS. 

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, the new FCPS mobile app, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated.

Be sure to plan for the winter season. Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, bookmark the FCPS website, and arrange emergency child care if needed.

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 Remaining Dates:

  • 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.


Yearbook Flyer

Student Services

Graduation Status Now Available in ParentVUE & StudentVUE

A new Graduation Status section is now available in ParentVUE and StudentVUE. The Graduation Status is a tool that helps parents and students monitor and track their progress in meeting graduation requirements. This feature includes progress towards the Standard or Advanced Studies diploma for high school students and middle school students who have enrolled in one or more high school courses. This new graduation status section is available in addition to the course history and unofficial transcript options in ParentVUE and StudentVUE. To view the graduation status section, please take the following steps:

  1. Login to your SIS ParentVUE Account
  2. Go to “Course History” for your middle or high school student
  3. Go to “Graduation Status” and toggle “on” 

For questions about graduation requirements, please contact your school counselor. Additional information about ParentVUE is available on the following website, see Course History under ParentVUE Menu. . 

Financial Aid Parent and Student Information Session

Join us for a “Paying for College” Information Session on Thursday, December 4th at 6:30 PM in the Lecture Hall (upstairs by the library). Learn about the Cost of Attendance, types of financial aid, the Student Aid Index (SAI), FAFSA/VASA, and more.

Questions? Contact Mrs. Hosken in the College & Career Center or via email at echosken@fcps.edu.

Social and Emotional Learning Screener: Parent Reports

Students in grades 3-12 took the SEL Screener last month, providing information on skills like achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships, and making responsible decisions. The screener also asks students how well their school community makes them feel valued, included, and supported. 

Individual student SEL Screener results will be available to families in the Documents section of SIS ParentVUE the week of November 17. For families who do not have an active ParentVUE account, results will be shared by our school.

For support in understanding your individual student’s results or for ideas on how to support them at home, please review the Family Guide or reach out to your child's counselor. 

Tutoring Resources for Families

Some families may be looking for additional resources to help support their child’s academic success. The FCPS Family Resource Center (FRC) maintains a list of FCPS employees who hold a valid Virginia teaching credential and who are available to hire as tutors. This list is a resource offered by the FRC, but families are responsible for contacting and working directly with the tutors. This list is not approved by FCPS and is only meant to be a resource to families.

FCPS also partners with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with extra resources for learning. 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.

Class Schedule Change Requests  

Timeline for Schedule Changes

  • November 10 - March 27: 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.
  • April 7 - June 17: 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

💻 No-Cost Mental Online Therapy for All High School Students

Is your student experiencing anxiety, behavior changes, or challenges with peer and family relationships? Do they seem withdrawn or uninterested in their usual hobbies? 

Parents/caregivers can refer their children for free weekly therapy with a licensed therapist through Hazel Health. Visit the FCPS’ Teletherapy webpage for information about this service.

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

Volunteer FCPS Helps Community Members Connect With Schools

The new volunteer management system, Volunteer FCPS, allows individuals to search and register for volunteer opportunities at our school or across the school district. 

Volunteer FCPS is how FCPS provides a safe, consistent, and welcoming environment at all of our schools. Anyone interested in volunteering with FCPS must:

  • Create a profile in Volunteer FCPS. 
  • Register for opportunities through Volunteer FCPS. 
  • Sign in and out of schools using the visitor kiosk on EVERY visit – no exceptions.  

Recent Updates to Volunteer Opportunity Levels

Due to the overwhelming response, FCPS is temporarily pausing fingerprint requirements for most Level 3 volunteers. Those who have already been fingerprinted will be processed to be eligible for all Level 3 opportunities. ​​​​​​​

Field trip chaperone opportunities will now be classified as Level 2 (not requiring a comprehensive background check that includes fingerprinting). 

To ensure continuous safety, all new volunteers are required to sign a Volunteer Certification Statement. This statement is a legal confirmation that you have no history of violent felonies, physical or sexual crimes against children, or crimes of moral turpitude (dishonesty, fraud, things that are immoral by society’s standards).

Visit the Volunteer FCPS website to complete a volunteer orientation. View Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about the volunteer levels.


PTSA News

It’s not too late. You can still join the PTSA!

Visit https://oaktonhsptsa.ptboard.com/formvw/store?store=6898 to complete your annual PTSA membership form. You can also follow ' oaktonhs_ptsa' on Instagram to see what’s happening with the PTSA. 


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