Cougar Connection
Oakton HS Student Services Newsletter: January 2021
January also began our preparations for the next school year. It's hard to believe that we are already in the planning mode but course selection is an important step. As counselors, we enjoyed meeting with our juniors individually and learning more about their virtual experiences as well as future plans. We also just began meeting with our sophomores and will continue to meeting until mid-February when we switch to our freshmen. It's exciting for us to see our students and to have these valuable conversations.
Student Services Highlights
Course Selection Information & Resources
As a reminder, both students and parents can access course selections in their SIS accounts under the tab called Course Requests. Students are able to make changes to their courses until March 1st. Please reach out to the student's counselors with questions.
Resources:
Oakton's Academic Advising Resources (including teacher videos about Oakton's courses as well as the course selection sheet)
FCPS Academy Open Houses:
Chantilly Academy - February 4, 2021 at 6-7pm
Fairfax Academy - February 2, 20201 at 6:30-7:30pm
Falls Church Academy - February 11, 2021 at 6:30-8pm
Marshall Academy - February 4, 2021 at 6:30-7:30pm (pre-registration required at this link)
Student Yoga Sessions
Shake Off the winter blahs and energize and balance yourself with our upcoming yoga sessions. Come join us for a window of relaxation and energy boosting yoga routines with a few of counselors! Click here to sign up.
Upcoming Yoga Dates
February 1st (12:00-12:45)
February 8th (12:00-12:45)
February 22nd (12:00-12:45)
Mental Health Moment
College & Career Center Updates
Junior Family College Night - February 10, 2021 at 6pm
Attention Junior Families,
Please mark your calendars for Junior Family College Night. This event is for both junior students and their families to hear directly from college admissions representatives in a panel format. There will be a 30 minute Q&A session at the end.
Topics include:
- Finding the Right Fit
- Components of the College Application
- How Colleges Make their Decisions
- Starting the College Search
This event will take place virtually. Please RSVP to the event using this form. You will receive an email on February 9th with a link to the presentation.
College Partnership Program
Applications to join the College Partnership Program are now OPEN! All students are welcome to apply. Students can apply online. The application deadline is March 19, 2021. Students can read more about CPP here.
Students will need to log in to their G Suite account to complete the online application: http://tinyurl.com/CPPApp2021. Please contact the CPP Advisors if you have any questions.
Ms. Stanley – trstanley@fcps.edu
Mr. McClam – emcclam@fcps.edu
Family Resources
Summer Learning Opportunities
Summer Self-Directed Economics/Personal Finance, however, is open for registration now. This course is a graduation requirement and it is offered in the school building during the normal school day. Students who wish to take it in the summer can.
Two sessions will be offered:
- Session 1: Monday, April 19 – Friday, June 18, 2021
- Session 2: Monday, June 28 – Friday, July 30, 2021
The Self-Directed Economics and Personal Finance course requires students to complete work without direct teacher instruction. Beginning in September 2020, the content and material for this course was updated. The new course features include: updated curriculum, interactive modules, and exit tickets. Students will read through 14 modules, complete 140 exit tickets, 14 module tests, and a final exam.
Oakton Pantry
World Language Credit Exam
The 2021 Credit Exam for World Languages will take place in March of 2021. Students who take the credit exam have the opportunity to earn up to three (3) credits, based on demonstrated proficiency.
Thirty (30) languages will be assessed via the FCPS Credit Exam. In order to offer the test in all languages while maintaining a safe testing environment, some languages will be tested online and some will be tested in person.
- These languages will be tested online between March 2, 2021 and March 10, 2021: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
- These languages will be tested in person on March 13, 2021 and March 20, 2021 (Saturdays): Amharic, ASL, Bengali, Farsi, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Nepali, Pashto, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Somali, Tagalog, Tamil, Telugu, Tigrinya, Turkish, Twi, Urdu and Vietnamese.
The PSAT offered for Sophomores Only - April 19
On Monday, April 19, 2021, Oakton High School tenth graders will have the opportunity to take the PSAT 10. FCPS will cover the cost for any tenth grade student to take this test. The test will be held in person at Oakton High School. This version of the test is not for National Merit Scholarship Qualification.
To help the school prepare for testing, families are asked to complete the form below by Friday, March 19 through the students’ fcpsschools.net email address accounts. Survey participation must be done through the student FCPS email account to verify the student’s enrollment in FCPS and appropriate grade. This form asks about participation in the test, the need or bus transportation, and interest in free breakfast or lunch on the day of the test.
Oakton High School: PSAT 10 Intent to Participate Form
A translated version of the form content may be found on the PSAT 10 Intent webpage. Due to health and safety protocols, FCPS sites cannot accept walk-ins on the day of the exam.
General information about the PSAT 10 test format is available on the College Board webpage.
Monday, April 19 has been designated for independent learning in FCPS high schools, so students who choose to take the PSAT 10 will not miss synchronous instruction or intervention with their teachers.
We will share more details about test day schedules and bus transportation in the coming weeks. FCPS health and safety protocols for PSAT 10 administration are available online.
If you have questions about the PSAT 10 administration at Oakton High School, please contact us at mpbrady1@fcps.edu.
Latinas Leading Tomorrow: ELITE Academy
Latinas Leading Tomorrow is a nonprofit organization that seeks to support and address the growing needs of young, first generation, college bound Latinas. LLT provides exposure and experiences to Latinas by connecting them to Latina role models and professionals to help guide them in their academic, personal and professional endeavors.
LLT is pleased to invite high school girls to participate in the ELITE (Exemplifying Leadership in a Team Environment) Academy. ELITE is a 6-week virtual personal branding and leadership development program. The academy promotes personal and professional development through interactive workshops and mentoring supported by an extensive network of professional Latinas. All high school girls in 9th-12th grade are encouraged to apply.
The academy kicks off on Saturday, March 13th from 10am-12pm ET via Zoom.
E.L.I.T.E. Academy Program Dates & Topics:
- March 13: Orientation
- March 20: Myers Briggs & Leadership Dynamics
- March 27: N'etiquette & Personal Branding
- April 10: Resumes & LinkedIn
- April 17: Sharing Your Story: Personal Statements 101
- April 24: ELITE Academy Graduation Ceremony
Attendance to all sessions is mandatory in order to receive a certificate of completion.
Students can apply online by filling out the application and sending this letter of recommendation link to the recommender. Recommenders can be a high school teacher, counselor, mentor or current/former employer).
Space is limited. To be considered, students must apply by the application deadline of Monday, March 1, 2021.
If you have any questions, please contact Isela Melendez-Carpio at isela@latinasleadingtomorrow.org or elite@latinasleadingtomorrow.org
Upcoming Events
African American History Month
Celebrate African American History Month this year by becoming more aware of all of the accomplishments African Americans have made throughout history. To learn more, check out the African American History Month resources here and through all of the National Park Service videos, news articles, and podcasts. The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture is also providing several webinars, programs and events this month.
In addition, Oakton students will examine Black History Month through advisory on February 11.
National School Counseling Week
National School Counseling Week 2021, “School Counselors: All in for All Students,” sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), will be celebrated from Feb. 1–5, 2021, to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems and how students are different as a result of what school counselors do. National School Counseling Week highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career.
“School counselors work with all students to remove barriers to learning by addressing students’ academic concerns, postsecondary options and social/emotional skills,” said Jill Cook, ASCA executive director. “School counseling programs help to increase student achievement and provide a much-needed resource for students, parents, teachers and administrators. School counselors are integral to student success.”
About the American School Counselor Association
The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) promotes student success by expanding the image and influence of school counseling through leadership, advocacy, collaboration and systemic change. ASCA helps school counselors guide their students toward academic achievement, career planning and social/emotional development to help today’s students become tomorrow’s productive, contributing members of society. Founded in 1952, ASCA has a network of 50 state and territory associations and a membership of approximately 40,000 school counseling professionals. For additional information on the American School Counselor Association, visit www.schoolcounselor.org.
Virginia Kindness Week
Take a look at the Virginia Department of Education's Random Act of Kindness ideas to celebrate the week!