Cougar Connection
Oakton HS Student Services Newsletter: April 2024
Course selections are now locked as we begin building our master schedule for next school year. If you have any questions, please reach out to the appropriate school counselor. In June, we will begin taking schedule change requests for a set period of time. At that time, changes will only be approved based on space availability and finalized course offerings.
Have a great month Cougars!
Student Services Highlights
Junior Curriculum
On April 15 through 19, school counselors will present College and Post-Secondary Planning Presentations to juniors sharing information about researching and planning for college as well as other postsecondary options. Juniors will attend one session, either during 4th or 7th period, with their school counselor. Juniors will report directly to the auditorium on the day their counselor is presenting, and attendance will be marked accordingly. Because juniors will miss class to attend a presentation, they are expected to make up work that is missed.
Virtual Junior Parent Night
Junior Parents and Guardians, please join us on Tuesday, April 30th from 6:00-7:30pm for Junior College Planning - Parent Night. Counselors will be sharing information about the college planning and search process. This will be a virtual webinar, and a link will be emailed to all Junior families a day before the webinar. We hope you are able to join us, but if not, the session will be recorded and posted on the OHS website.
Stress Less Week April 29 - May 3
Stress Less Week is coming the week of April 29. During this week, school counselors will host a variety of activities to help students de-stress before AP Exams begin on May 6. More information to come.
Testing Information
Spring standardized testing is coming up in April and May. Please check out the Oakton HS testing page for more information.
• SOL Testing Information: https://oaktonhs.fcps.edu/academics/testing/sol-testing
• AP Testing Information: https://oaktonhs.fcps.edu/academics/testing/ap-exams
Spring SOL testing is coming. Families of students who are testing will be receiving notification of testing soon, and students will be emailed their testing schedules close to our testing window of April 22 – May 24, 2024.
Class of 2024 Information
Senior Service Learning Hours and x2vol
The last day for Seniors to submit Service Learning hours to X2Vol for approval will be April 19th at 3pm. All Seniors must have submitted any hours prior to this date if they wish to have them approved for graduation awards and recognition. Please see the information provided below regarding graduation awards and recognition tied to Service Learning in FCPS. If you have any questions please reach out to Kimberly Stewart, our Service Learning Liaison, with your questions kastewart@fcps.edu. This date is for Seniors ONLY. All other underclass students may continue to submit Service Learning hours in X2VOL. Oakton High School Service Learning information can be found HERE.
Service Learning Hours Cord: 40 hours
This is separate from government. Students can use the hours that they used for government, but they will need a total of 40 hours from the past 4 years in order to earn a service cord at graduation.
- Note to Underclassmen: Hours/Reflections will be recorded by the student on x2VOL website.
- Note to current Seniors: You will not get the actual cord until graduation rehearsal.
Civics Seal Application: 50 hours
This is an application approved by the state of VA, and requires 50 hours of service, as well as a B average in History/Government. It will allow students to be eligible to receive a civics seal on their diploma.
- Please talk to your Social Studies teacher for more information.
Senior Letter (sent on January 26)
An updated senior letter was emailed out on January 26. That information has also been uploaded to the Oakton website and can be found here. This letter includes many updates from the September senior letter. It also provides more information on how to pay senior dues and order a Class of 2024 t-shirt.
FAFSA Updates
Senior families, it's not too late to complete the FAFSA. Here are helpful resources for the new FAFSA:
- Social Media
- https://studentaid.gov/notices/social
- YouTube – How to videos
- YouTube – Webinars
- Helpful Links
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.
HBCU Fair - April 24
On Wednesday, April 24, Oakton will host it's first Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU) Fair during Cougar Time. More information will be forthcoming about the colleges that will be attending. Please reach out to Mr. McClam with questions at emcclam@fcps.edu.
Upcoming Events
The Institute for Excellence (IFE) at George Mason University
The Institute for Excellence (IFE) at George Mason University’s Fairfax campus is offering a free 5-week hybrid program for rising 11th and 12th graders. Students will have a chance to dive into college-level courses across STEM, Humanities, Health Sciences, Education, Sports Management, Policy, or Business while earning college credit — all at no cost! This program, which is part of the Building Hispanic Talent Initiative, is designed for college-bound, first-generation students who are eager to earn college credit, engage with faculty, meet motivated peers, and have a fantastic time! Daily transportation will be provided from selected FCPS schools to the GMU campus. To learn more about the eligibility criteria and how to apply, interested students can visit https://eip.gmu.edu/about/our-programs/institute-excellence or explore the program flyer.
Dates: June 24th – July 5th (Virtual)
July 8th – July 26th (In-Person)
Priority Application Deadline is April 5, 2024.
Northern Virginia Regional College Fair
The Office of Admissions at George Mason University invites your students to join us for the 37th annual Northern Virginia Regional College Fair (NVRCF)! Your students will have the opportunity to meet with admissions representatives from more than 200 colleges and universities. This will be a great opportunity to get your students motivated and excited about their post-secondary plans while equipping them with the tools and information necessary to successfully navigate the college search and application process.
Northern Virginia Regional College Fair
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
George Mason University – Fairfax Campus
We are a StriveScan Fair. Please encourage students to pre-register for a barcode at https://app.strivescan.com/registration.
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Parking is available, free of charge, in Parking Lots A and L, directly across from EagleBank Arena. To view a campus map, click here.
If you have any questions about this event, please email the Mason Admissions Events Team directly at admevent@gmu.edu.
NOVA Vision 2024
FCPS and NOVA are offering an opportunity for students with disabilities interested in attending NOVA to learn about available options. The orientation will include presentations from Accommodations and Accessibility Services and Counseling Services, a mock NOVA classroom experience for students, and a NOVA student panel with Q&A session.
Date: Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Time: 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Location: Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), Annandale Campus
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/APmHVBU7bBko6Fvs8
Senator Warner's Academy Day 2024
Senator Mark R. Warner invites high school and middle school students, their parents or guardians, and school counselors to Academy Day 2024.
The event will include a seated program that will provide a comprehensive overview of the United States service academies and their admission processes. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions during both the interactive service academy panel and the panel of other military-related options that exist at higher education institutions in Virginia. Information will also be shared regarding application procedures for congressional nominations and medical requirements for the Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board (DoDMERB).
Following the program, attendees will be able to meet with officials from all five academies as well as representatives from DoDMERB, Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Richmond, ROTC programs at Randolph-Macon College and the University of Virginia, the United States Marine Corps, the Virginia Military Institute, the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, and the Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership at Mary Baldwin University at their resource tables. Staff from Virginia congressional offices will also be available to answer questions.
As the event concludes, Randolph-Macon College will be offering campus tours. To participate, please meet in the bricked courtyard area in front of the Center for the Performing Arts at 1:30pm.
Date: Saturday, April 20, 2024
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., doors open at 9:00 a.m.
Location: Randolph-Macon College Center for the Performing Arts, Blackwell Auditorium, 205 Henry Street, Ashland, VA 23005
Register: https://senwarner.ticketbud.com/acadday24
If you have any questions about the event, please email academy_noms@warner.senate.gov
Academy Day 2024 (Flyer)
NOVA's E-Summer Program
We are excited to announce the return of NOVA’s E-Summer program! This program is sponsored by the Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities (HACU) and Dominion Energy and is designed to introduce students to STEM and the energy industry and is open to any rising high school juniors and seniors who meet qualifying GPA or test score requirements. Important program details, including a flier, can be found here. The application will open on Friday, March 1 and the deadline to register is Wednesday, May 1 at 5 PM EST.
Jumpstart2NOVA 2024
NOVA is pleased to announce the return of JumpStart2NOVA for summer 2024! This program is available to seniors graduating this spring and considering NOVA for the fall. Students may select one 3 or 4-credit approved course plus SDV 100. The application for JumpStart2NOVA is now open and closes at 5 pm on Friday, May 10, 2024. Courses begin on Monday, June 3, and end on Monday, August 12.
JumpStart2NOVA Information Sessions:
Wednesday, March 13 from 6 pm – 7 pm
Tuesday, April 30 from 6 pm – 7 pm
All classes will be offered through NOVA Online and run June 3 through August 12, 2024.
The application is now open and will close at 5PM on May 10, 2024. First-time NOVA students will need to apply to NOVA and create an account to request the course in nvcc.dualenroll.com. Current DE students can skip the NOVA application and go straight to nvcc.dualenroll.com, selecting term “JumpStart2NOVA 2024.” All students will be required to upload a current high school/home school transcript and qualifying test scores if they do not have a 3.0 GPA.
To learn more about JumpStart2NOVA, including course offerings, minimum qualifying scores, and details on how to apply, please visit http://www.nvcc.edu/jumpstart/.
FCPS Student Pilot Program with Coursera
The Department of Information Technology still has a limited number of seats available for the Student Pilot Program in collaboration with Coursera's Career Academy. The program is FREE for all interested FCPS high school students and provides participants with the opportunity to explore over 29 Professional Certificates offered by the industry's leading global companies.
3 Easy Steps to Join Program:
Step 1: Complete this form: Coursera Student Interest Form.
Step 2: Your parent/guardian will be notified and asked for permission for you to access Coursera.
Step 3: Once parental/guardian permission is received, your free Coursera account will be created.
Here's what you can expect after joining this program:
🚀 Explore Career Paths: Dive into sought-after digital professions, from Cybersecurity Analyst to Data Science Analyst.
🌟 Learn from Industry Titans: Gain invaluable insights from experts at companies such as Google, Meta, Microsoft, and IBM, learning directly from the best in the business.
🏆 Earn Valuable Micro-Credentials: Acquire industry-recognized micro-credentials that can open doors to exciting opportunities in the digital landscape.
📃 Access 29+ Professional Certificates: Get full access to an extensive array of professional certificates that could redefine your future career trajectory.
Please note: These courses are not VDOE recognized industry credentials and do not contribute to high school graduation requirements. This limited pilot program operates on a first-come, first-serve basis. Act quickly to secure your spot!
If you have any questions, please reach out to the Program Manager, Scott Simmons at sfsimmons@fcps.edu.
National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day
On May 3, 2024, the CSB’s Equity and Youth & Family Divisions will lead the march in celebrating National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day. The event will highlight the rich diversity in our community with a focus on celebrating inclusion and awareness of LGBTQ+ and all youth that experience disparities related to discrimination, exclusion, and bullying. More information can be found in the attached flyers.
Fairfax County Youth Mental Health - Inclusion Awareness Event
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 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 ends May 24
Class dates: June 14 - July 26, 2024
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.