Cougar Connection
Oakton HS Student Services Newsletter: April 2021
As the school year draws to an end, testing has intensified for both SOLs and AP Exams. Please remind your students to read their emails thoroughly for important details about the exams such as what to bring, transportation, and testing locations. Read below for additional tips on test days as well as this month's Mental Health Moment.
Hang in there Cougars; we can do this!
Student Services Highlights
Counseling Lessons
Freshman & Sophomore Parent Night
Join us for Freshman & Sophomore Parent Night on Thursday, May 6, 2021 at 6:30pm. Learn more about the Counseling Department's Resources, Graduation Requirements, and Post-secondary Planning. The meeting will be virtual so registration is required here. We will send out a BBCU link to the email that is entered on the form on May 5. Due to limited space, we ask only sign up per household. The meeting will be recorded and posted online after the event.
We hope to see you there!
Course Selections for Next Year
As we are preparing for 2021-2022 staffing, all course request changes are currently on hold. There will be a window of time between June 14 and June 17 when course request may be granted, based on availability. If you wish to make a change to your course request for next year, please email your counselor during this time period.
ParentVue Resource
The Pantry Updates
Mental Health Moment
Spring Testing
Standards of Learning (SOL) Tests
In an effort to answer questions surrounding the SOL this year Assessment Coach, Molly Brady, and School Counselor, Elizabeth Chase-Kang filed this SOL Informational Video to address many questions you may have.
- AP Testing: Information regarding AP Testing including the schedule, FAQs, and resources are on our OHS AP Exams webpage. (See more below)
- SOL Testing: We are in the final process of putting together specific schedules for SOL testing hosted in person at Oakton. Please visit our OHS SOL testing webpage regarding more information. Students will be sent their individual testing schedules to their FCPS email accounts closer to the testing window. The schedules will include specific dates, locations, and materials needed for testing (time frames are below). Students will need to bring their FCPS-issued laptops and chargers to testing. Please encourage your student to use their device consistently leading up to testing. If your student needs IT support, please submit an IT ticket.
- SOL Testing Schedule:
- April 26: Senior SOLs
- April 27-30: Reading SOLs
- May 4-7: Math (Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2) SOLs
- May 10-14: Science (Biology, Chemistry, Geosystems: Earth Science) SOLs
- May 12-13: Asynchronous Dates
- Due to space capacity limitations and high volume of testing on these dates, we will be having school asynchronously on these dates.
- Any student who has a cultural or religious observance conflict with the SOL schedule is encouraged to reach out to our Assessment Coach so that we may discuss alternative dates offered within the testing window. Please reach out directly to Ms. Molly Brady (mpbrady1@fcps.edu).
AP Exams
- Please check out Oakton’s AP Exam Information page for updated FAQ’s.
- To request a refund for a cancelled AP Exam(s), students need to fill out this form by May 3.
- If you wish to cancel your student’s AP Exam(s), please email AP Coordinator Katie Warehime kjwarehime@fcps.edu
- Students can log in to the AP Classroom account and view their AP exam schedule.
- The AP Digital Testing App has been successfully installed on FCPS student computers
- The Digital Testing App on students FCPS computer needs to be updated! Please follow the instructions here. Students must be logged into their fcpsschools email to access. The update will be available starting May 4, 2021.
- If the app is not working, please fill out a ticket to get support from our Technology Support team. Please do this as soon as possible!
- AP Students will be invited to an information session on Digital AP Exams on Monday, May 10th at 1:00 pm hosted by Ms. Warehime
- Please join us on Thursday, May 13 at 8:30 am for a parent coffee focused on Digital AP testing. A link was emailed to families of AP Students on Friday, April 30th as part of the Upcoming AP Testing email. If you need the link, please reach out to Katie Warehime at kjwarehime@fcps.edu
Stay Sharp on Test Day
Prepare the night before with everything you need on test day (i.e. fully charged laptop, number two pencils, snacks, sweater etc.) Wake up early Do a physical warm up Do a mental warm up Eat breakfast Relax on a break Practice - use that muscle memory on test day Apply self-compassion Use grounding techniques
College & Career Center Updates
Senior Survey
The Senior Survey is a requirement for each senior. It is a short survey in Naviance in wich students indicate their plans for next year. It is crucial that each senior complete this step because this is how we know to submit final transcripts, which is a requirement for most two-year and four-year institutions. Students can select to submit final transcripts to the one school they have indicated they will attend as well as to any waitlisted schools.
We need ALL seniors to complete the Senior Survey regardless of post-secondary plans.
Students can access the survey by logging into Naviance:
- About Me
- My Surveys
- Surveys Not Started
- FCPS Senior Survey – Class of 2021
For any senior who has not previously requested a transcript, please complete the transcript request form and submit it to our transcript secretary, Ms. Magda Milkowska, at mmilkowska1@fcps.edu. An example would be students attending a two-year institution who have not applied to any four-year institutions.
The deadline is May 26, 2021.
Grading Policy Updates
During the current 2020-21 school year, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has adopted a grading policy change to provide flexibility for students in high school to designate up to two of their current school year courses as “Pass” status instead of a passing grade for their final mark.
As you review your high school student’s third quarter report card, please consider the flexibility that will be applied to final marks:
- Students receiving a final mark of “F” in any course will be automatically assigned a mark of “NM” (no mark) as the final mark at the end of the school year. A “NM” awards no credit for the course, and students will not be eligible for the next level of the course; however, the “NM” will not factor into a student’s grade point average (GPA).
- See more information below on our summer credit recovery program.
- Students may select a mark of “P” (pass) for up to two courses for which a passing grade is earned for the final mark. A mark of “P” indicates that a student has earned credit for the course, but the mark of “P” will not impact that student’s GPA.
- Action Needed: Should you wish to designate one or two courses as Pass status for anticipated grades of “A” through “D”, the Pass-No Mark Status Form must be submitted to your child’s school counselor Deadline: TBD (The school division deadline was May 10, 2021, we have requested that this deadline be extended. Once the new deadlines have been posted, we will provide an update.)
- Students and families are encouraged to carefully consider the option to request a Pass instead of a passing letter grade or final mark. Additional information including considerations and frequently asked questions are available here.
Summer Learning Opportunities
Credit Recovery
This summer, Oakton High School will be offering credit recovery for our students who receive a final grade of No Mark (NM). NM is being used this year in lieu of an F to limit the impact of virtual learning on a student’s grade point average. However, students will still need to recover the course credit. We have joined with McLean High School and Langley High School for our summer credit recovery program, with McLean High School serving as the host site. By combining sites, we hope to be able to offer all courses our students would need.
Credit Recovery offers opportunities for students to recover course credit(s), prepare to retake an SOL test, prepare to take a WorkKeys test, or develop academic language and skills necessary for success in future credit-bearing English and mathematics classes.
Each school day starts at 8:00 am and ends at 1:00 pm. Grab and go breakfasts and lunches will be available and free for all students who attend credit recovery. Transportation will also be provided for those who require it.
Additionally, we will be offering ESOL Numeracy and Literacy courses for our English Language Learners who may need additional support after the past school year.
There are two sessions offered this summer:
First session: Monday, June 28 - Friday, July 16
Second session: Wednesday, July 21 - Friday, August 6
Registration closes June 21 (first session) and July 12 (second session).
Oakton counselors will reach out to families of students who may need to sign up for credit recovery this summer. Any questions, please reach out to your student's counselor.
Online Campus
Students need to have a computer and make sure their computer is ready for the online course. Students will not be able to take online courses using tablets and smartphones.
For more info on available courses, costs, and course info, please check out the online campus site.
Please contact your student's counselor to confirm students register for the appropriate class. Registration deadline is June 11, 2021.
Self-Directed Economics/Personal Finance
Summer Self-Directed Economics/Personal Finance 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.
Session 2 is still open for registrations:
Monday, June 28 – Friday, July 30, 2021
Registration Deadline: June 11, 2021The 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.
Additional Summer Learning Events
Upcoming Events
May 12-13 - Asynchronous School Days (SOL Testing, see information below)
May 15 - Senior Prom
May 31 - Memorial Day, No School
June 8 - virtual synchronous day
June 9 - Graduation, 9:30am - Jiffy Lube Live - No School
June 11 - Last Day of School, Early Release (Underclassmen)
Mental Health Awareness Month
Learn more:
National Alliance on Mental Health