Cougar Connection
Oakton HS Student Services Newsletter: February 2024
Happy February Cougar Families! We have made it to third quarter. It's been a journey to get to this point and, oftentimes, it seems like third quarter is the longest time period in the school year. Staying motivated can be a hardship as academic content can appear more intense. We encourage students to continue working with their teachers and to use their resources for academic support such as the Center.
Have a great February!
Student Services Highlights
Virtual Junior Family College Night
If you missed the virtual Junior Family College Night, please review the recording here: https://youtu.be/zE761QIb7ic
Admission reps from the following colleges attended: University of Virginia, Penn State, Gettysburg College, and George Mason.
Topics included:
- Finding the Right Fit
- Components of the College Application
- Starting the College Search
Senior Midyear Transcripts
Student Services will be submitting midyear transcripts to all colleges that have been requested thus far by February 13th. Students can check the status of their midyear transcript in their Common Application portal as well as in Naviance.
Course Registration for the 2024-2025 School Year
Course registration is underway! School counselors have met with their rising seniors individually and presented to rising freshmen at their middle schools. Counselors have also presented to rising juniors in the classroom and are currently meeting with rising juniors individually.
Oakton’s Academic Advising site is updated with the 2024-2025 school year information.
Students will be provided a classroom lesson and then will meet individually with their counselor to select courses. It is important that students make thoughtful decisions about their courses as course selections drive staffing and future changes may not be possible.
Rising Juniors
January 29 & 30: Classroom Lesson through English 10 Classes
January 31 - February 14: Individual Counselor Meetings through World History II/AP World Classes
Rising Sophomores
February 15 & 16: Classroom Lesson through English 9 Classes
February 20 – March 1: Individual Counselor Meetings through World History I Classes
Parents and students can access their course selections in ParentVue and StudentVue under Course Requests.
FCPS Academy Classes
A high school academy is a center within an existing high school that offers advanced technical and specialized courses that successfully integrate career and academic preparation.
Enrollments in the Academy elective course offerings will provide students with career and academic preparation for postsecondary education and career fields. Students enrolling in Academy elective courses will be provided with opportunities to participate in a variety of career experiences including shadowing, mentoring, and internships with local businesses.
Students may visit an academy class between January 30 and February 29. Students can arrange a visit with their counselor.
Deadline to register for on-time registration is March 1 (via Oakton counselor). Initial academy decisions will be released to students March 31.
Summer School Info
Summer Online Campus Information
Middle and high school students who meet the course prerequisites can take one online course. Students who have completed a high school math course may take an online campus math class. Middle school students who expunged a high school math or Spanish course or those wanting to recover a course credit may take the course again.
Registration for most classes begins January 16, 2024 and ends June 7, 2024.
Summer school info for the online campus is available here.
FCPS also offers enrichment summer options. Please check out the FCPS Summer Learning Opportunities site here.
Questions regarding Online Campus, Economics/Personal Finance, and Summer Learning can be directed to the appropriate student's counselor.
Self-Directed Economics and Personal Finance
Self-Directed Economics and Personal Finance requires students to complete work without direct teacher support. Students will
- Access content for this course through FCPS Schoology.
- Read through 14 modules, complete 140 exit tickets, 14 module tests, and a final exam.
This course does not meet face-to-face. Students may only take this course as "Pass/Fail".
Registration and Dates
Registration opened January 8 and ends May 24
Class dates: June 14 - July 26, 2024
Tuition
- Full: $130
- Reduced Lunch: $65
- Free Lunch: $13
Please note that taking this course over the summer is completely optional. Oakton offers Honors Economics/Personal Finance and AP Macro/Micro Economics which fulfill the required class for graduation.
College and Career Center Updates
Additionally, there are several summer enrichment and part-time job opportunities advertised in Naviance and in the College and Career Center. Students are encouraged to use Naviance and stop by Room 1102 for more information.
Upcoming Events
Instruction 2 Industry Career Expo Event
In February, school divisions across the region will team up with Virginia Ed Strategies to host the annual Instruction 2 Industry Career Expo event. This Northern Virginia regional event will allow high school students to connect virtually and in person, with more than 60 local industry professionals from in-demand career fields.
The purpose of these FREE career exploration events is to provide students with opportunities to prepare for tomorrow’s workforce today.
Virtual sessions will be held on February 5-8, from 4-7 p.m., and the in-person Career Expo and Job Fair event will be held on Saturday, February 17, from 1-4 p.m., in the North Hall of the Dulles Expo Center.
Students should register today on the Instruction 2 Industry Events Page
Spring SEL Screener
The Spring Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener will be administered to students during February 26 during Cougar Connect. Students take the SEL Screener twice a year to share their perspectives on how well their school and community help them develop skills they need to succeed. The screener works by asking questions or presenting statements that students can think about and respond to. More information is available about the SEL Screener by accessing this link:
If you have any questions please reach out to our SEL Screener Leads, Elizabeth Chase-Kang (epchasekang@fcps.edu) and Jessica Vilbas (javilbas@fcps.edu).
National School Counseling Week
National School Counseling Week, "School Counselors: Standards-Based, Student-Focused," sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), will be observed February 5–9, 2024, to focus attention on the unique contributions of school counselors within FCPS and highlighting the tremendous impact they have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career.
Who Are School Counselors?
School counselors are certified/licensed educator professionals with a master's degree and beyond. An integral part of the total education system, school counselors help students form healthy goals, mindsets, and behaviors; build relationship skills; and assist in planning their future career contributions to our world of work and community. School counselors improve student success for ALL students by implementing a comprehensive school counseling program based on the Virginia Department of Education Standards for School Counseling Programs (PDF) and the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) National Model (PDF).
The School Counselor's Role
As defined by ASCA:
School counselors design and deliver school counseling programs that improve student outcomes. They lead, advocate and collaborate to promote equity and access for all students by connecting their school counseling program to the school’s academic mission and school improvement plan. They uphold the ethical and professional standards of ASCA and promote the development of the school counseling program based on the following areas of the ASCA National Model: define, deliver, manage and assess.
School Counselors:
- help students manage emotions and apply interpersonal skills;
- are actively committed to helping students explore their abilities, strengths, interests, and talents as these traits relate to career awareness and development;
- help parents focus on ways to further the educational, personal and social growth of their children;
- collaborate with families/teachers/administrators/community to help students reach their full potential and set realistic goals for themselves to ensure success;
- seek to identify and utilize community resources that can enhance and complement comprehensive school counseling programs and help students become productive members of society;
- advocate for students at individual education plan meetings and other student-focused meetings; and
- assist with individual academic advising and planning for postsecondary options (higher education, military, workforce)
Comprehensive developmental school counseling programs are considered an integral part of the educational process that enables all students to achieve success in school.