Cougar Connection

Fall is here! It's been an exciting month for the Oakton community as we established new routines and settled into the school year. School counselors have focused on seniors in September, helping students review graduation requirements and prepare for their post-secondary goals. The college application season is definitely in full swing now as Early Decision and Early Action deadlines approach. As we move into October, we will look forward to continuing wellness opportunities for students, meeting with students and parents, and planning curriculum lessons and programs.

Have a great October Cougars!

We have now passed the open window for students to make schedule changes. We ask that students use available strategies and resources during the rest of first quarter. Students are encouraged to work directly with their teachers on developing a plan of action. School counselors are also available to support students. Another support that is available is peer tutoring through The Center. Students can request a free tutoring session at https://ohsthecenter.wixsite.com/thecenter.

Please see the timeline below regarding schedule changes for the 2024-25 school year.

• September 9-November 8 (end of 1st 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 3rd Quarter.

To find out who your child's school counselor is, please visit our website.

Below is a link to the recorded presentation from our virtual Senior Parent Night that was held September 19. This presentation includes detailed information about the college application process.

https://youtu.be/pljbYwWcKD4

The slide deck is also available on the Student Services Programs & Presentations site: https://oaktonhs.fcps.edu/student-services/programs-presentations-forms

Attention all Juniors and Seniors:

September began college representative visits and we've welcomed about 50 colleges so far. October is another busy month. All college visits will be in the Career Center (unless otherwise noted). Juniors and Seniors must be registered for visits in order to attend and will be required to sign in for attendance. Students will use this time as a resource to find out about all the amazing things that colleges have to offer.

Instructions to register for visits:

• Log in to Naviance
• Click the colleges tab
• Click Visits
• Register for the college visits of interest.

Registration closes eight hours before the scheduled start time. Please register on-time and check regularly as colleges may change their dates and times for visits. If you have any questions, please reach out to Oakton's College and Career Specialist, Eddie McClam (emcclam@fcps.edu).

Naviance Student provides middle and high school students with individual Academic and Career Plan (ACP) resources and tools to explore and prepare for postsecondary college and career planning options.

Students

Middle and High School students can:

• Explore their strengths and interests.
• Research colleges.
• Investigate career pathways.
• Access x2VOL for Service Learning
• Look up enrichment activities and scholarship opportunities.

Parents/Guardians

Parent/Guardians can login to:

• View information about students' academic and postsecondary plans, interests and opportunities.
  • After logging in, click on About Me at the top of the page.
  • Choose Portfolio to view the data entered by your child through their Academic and Career Plan.
• Research colleges and careers.
• View available enrichment and scholarship opportunities.
• Users can access key Naviance content translated into more than 70 supported languages.
  • After logging in, click the globe icon in the top right corner and select your preferred language.

Parent Access

• Naviance and SIS Parent use the same credentials (username and password)

Seniors, a number of scholarships have been posted in Naviance including the Harry F. Byrd Leadership Award and ROTC/Military Scholarships. Please login to Naviance, Colleges, Scholarships & Money, and Scholarship Search. These scholarships will also be posted in the Class of 2025 and Student Services Schoology pages.

FCPS also has posted a list of scholarships here: https://www.fcps.edu/scholarships-fcps-students

College Access Fairfax offers a variety of resources available to Fairfax County students including assistance with the FAFSA. The FAFSA is expected to open for the 24-25 year in December 2024. For more information, check out their site: https://collegeaccessfairfax.org/.

Oakton High School will be hosting an Internship/Job Seminar on October 23rd at 10am in the Lecture Hall (Rms. 2240 & 2242). This event will be open to Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors. If you are interested in learning more about:

• Finding internships
• Resume writing
• Job applications and applying

Please complete the form on this LINK if you are interested in attending.

Oakton High School will be hosting it’s 2nd annual HBCU Fair. Oakton had the amazing fortune of experiencing HBCU culture and having representatives from numerous schools attend last year and our students and faculty have expressed excitement in this upcoming year’s event. We are looking to have even more representatives of the HBCU community visit Oakton in order to share the tradition, legacy and benefits of attending an HBCU. It will again be a college fair style of event where we set up in our atrium and allow our students to come and inquire about your respective universities.

October 9 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 4, 2024.
• 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 9 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.

If any student wants to take an AP exam in a course that he/she is not enrolled in, registration is now open. Each exam costs $99. You can use this google form to register. Students currently enrolled in an AP course at OHS are automatically registered for the corresponding AP exam and do not need to complete any additional form. The deadline to register is October 20th. Payment can be submitted through My School Bucks or check made out to Oakton High School. Payment is required before the exam space will be reserved.

My School Bucks Link

Other AP related information can be found in our AP Testing FAQs on the Oakton website. If you have any other questions about AP testing in general, please contact AP Coordinator Kim Stewart at kastewart@fcps.edu.

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) commits to supporting all students’ mental wellness and social and emotional learning (SEL). The School Board has approved a screener to review students’ skills and experiences in these areas. FCPS staff will use the screener to identify strengths and needs for students in grades K-12. The screener provides information regarding students’ experiences and how staff can support their needs.

SEL skills include self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. The screener will review these skills, as well as students’ relationships, feelings of belonging, feelings about their school environment, and mood. These factors are critical to positive academic, social, and emotional success.

Students in grades 3-12 will be screened in the fall, winter, and spring. In these grade levels, students will reflect and report on their own skills and experiences. Screener data will only be accessible to teachers, administrators, and staff with legitimate educational interests. Results will be maintained in secure files and databases accessible only to these individuals. Screener results will be used with other data to inform practices for SEL skill development and mental wellness. Screener data will also help staff plan interventions for students with identified needs. Parents and guardians will receive an individualized report regarding their student’s screener results following each assessment window. School staff will be available to discuss results with families on planned support.

Oakton High School will administer the screener through Cougar Connect on October 10. If you do not want your student to take part in the SEL screener, please return the opt-out form below to the school. More information, including a short video about the SEL screener in FCPS and the screener questions, can be found on the SEL Screener webpage (https://www.fcps.edu/node/43892). Please contact your student's school counselor with questions.

If you wish to opt your child out of participating in the SEL Screener, please complete this form and return it to Dr. Jessica Vilbas (javilbas@fcps.edu) by October 7, 2024. PLEASE NOTE: You do not need to return this form unless you do not want your child to participate in the SEL screener this year.

Freshman Parent Night will be taking place on October 10th at 5:30pm. Join us to learn about the different ways our counselors support our students. Learn how to keep track of attendance, review our school’s resources, how to help your students find success and go over graduation requirements. A zoom link will be provided to join the presentation.

On October 15, we will be celebrating Oakton's National Merit Semifinalists and Commended Scholars. Students and parents are invited to attend the reception starting in the auditorium at 10am. Students were notified via email from Ms. Tran.

Brain breaks are back in October. On October 21 and 23, students will be invited to partake in an outdoor brain break at the stadium. We will be hosting grade level outdoor games during return periods. Announcements will be made to students through Cougar Connect and email.

The World Languages Credit Exam assesses reading and writing language proficiency in languages other than English. Students who take the exam may earn up to three World Languages credits for levels one, two, and three for the language of the exam.

The exam is offered one time per school year. A student may participate in the exam two times per language, once per year, between grades 7 through 12. Students have two chances per language to earn credits by taking the exam. The exam is available in 30 languages.

This year, students will be testing at Oakton during the school day. Information about the date will be forthcoming to students. The anticipated test date will be early November.

Registration Info

Students may register for the exam with their school counselor beginning September 4 to October 4.

All students must complete a parent permission form prior to registration. School counselors can provide a printed copy to families.

To view the registration form, please click below:

English Permission Form

FAQs for Students and Parents

The 2024 College Fair will be held on Sunday, October 20, 2024, at George Mason University’s Eagle Bank Arena from 4:00 - 6:30 pm. Approximately 220 colleges and universities will be represented, including two and four-year colleges and US Service Academies.

Following the fair, the Two-Night Postsecondary Virtual Event will be held on Monday, October 21, and Tuesday, October 22, 2024, from 5:00 - 8:00 pm.

Students must register to attend: https://www.fcps.edu/academics/college-career-planning/college-education-planning/events-college-and-career-planning

Students interested in the military or who would like to take an interest inventory test are welcome to register for the ASVAB. The ASVAB is a multiple-choice test that the United States Military Entrance Processing Command uses to assess potential for military training and enlistment. The ASVAB also helps identify careers that may be a good fit for applicants.

In collaboration with Madison High School, we will offer the exam this fall on December 4 at 8:30am at Madison High School. Mr. McClam will be sending more information about registration.

Alfred Street will host their 22nd HBCU Festival on November 8 and November 9.

Please register via the following link: https://hbcufest.alfredstreet.org/e/u/checkout/22nd-Annual-Alfred-Street-Baptist-Church-HBCU-Festival/tickets/order.

2024 HBCU Festival

Each fall, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB), and the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) sponsor Moving on to Life in the Community: A Resource Fair. This event is designed for students with disabilities and their families to speak to adult agency and vendor representatives to gather information about available services for adults in need of ongoing support once they transition from FCPS. Agency representatives will be available to share information on adult service providers, employment and training programs, Medicaid, Social Security, residential options, and The Arc of Northern Virginia.

When: Wednesday, November 13th, 2024, from 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Where: Fairfax High School Cafeteria

3501 Lion Run

Fairfax, VA 22030

What: Exhibitor Fair

Learn about: supported employment options, day support programs, recreation/leisure activities, residential living options, travel training supports, advocacy, funding, and more!

Register online: https://tinyurl.com/ycx4bwec

2024 CTS Moving on to Life in the Community Resource Fair

CTS Resource Fair 2024 Flyer - Spanish

CTS Resource Fair 2024 Flyer - Chinese

CTS Resource Fair 2024 Flyer - Vietnamese

CTS Resource Fair 2024 Flyer - Arabic

CTS Resource Fair 2024 Flyer - Korean

CTS Resource Fair 2024 Flyer - Urdu

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.

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