Principal Updates - January 19

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Important Dates

January 19 - No School, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; Orthodox Epiphany

January 28 - End of 2nd Quarter; 2 Hr. Early Release

January 29 - Student Holiday, Staff Development Day

January 30 - Student Holiday, Teacher Workday

February 16 - No School, Presidents' Day

February 17 - Student Holiday, Teacher Workday, Lunar New Year

Save the Date:

April 17 - Junior/Senior Prom, Westwood Country Club

June 3 - Class of 2026 Graduation

June 17 - Last day of school

The FCPS School Year Calendars are available below by school year for your planning purposes.

Attendance Spotlight

When Should Your Child Stay Home?

Help your student succeed in school by encouraging them to miss as few days as possible. However, do make sure your student stays home if they are sick. Visit the FCPS website for helpful insights regarding absences and how to work with your child and our school to minimize impacts on learning.

If your child has a chronic illness, make sure to let us know so we can provide assistance, if needed.

General Information

Course Selection for 2026-2027 School Year

When students return in January we will begin the course selection process for next school year. To help students and families in their decision making, we have compiled all of our course registration materials in one easy location.

On the Oakton HS website you will find:

Course Selection Dates by grade level
Curriculum Night Date and Information
Course Catalog and Course Selection Sheets
General Academic Advising Information
Graduation Requirements
Oakton Course Maps and Information
Virtual Course Offerings Fair
Oakton Courses with Applications
Academies and Specialized Programs

If you have any questions or need any assistance related to academic advising during this time you are welcome to contact your school counselor or the appropriate department chair/teacher/content area administrator.

Meal Accommodations Provide Safe, Nutritious Meals

FCPS’s Office of Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) works to ensure every student has access to school meals that are safe, nutritious, and meet their individual dietary needs.

FNS works closely with families to provide reasonable meal accommodations for students whose medical needs affect what they can eat at school. To support students appropriately and safely, families are asked to submit medical documentation to FNS from a U.S. licensed health care provider so we can tailor meals to each child’s needs.

Learn more about the documentation required and the steps to develop a menu for your child.

Did Your Student Get a New Phone or Device?

For a distraction-free start to the New Year, please remind your student about FCPS' policy for cell phones and personal devices. This policy helps students focus, interact more with their peers and teachers, and build independent problem-solving skills.

Visit FCPS’ cell phone policy webpage for more information and answers to frequently asked questions, including:

Exceptions for students with medical conditions or IEP/504 plans.

Cell phone use on buses and field trips.
Consequences for cell phone policy violations.

If you need to reach your student during the school day, please call our main office.

Access Schoology to Support Your Child

Schoology is the learning management system used in FCPS. Parents and students can use Schoology to view assignments and messages from teachers. Learn more about how to access and navigate Schoology.

Visit the Schoology Snippets YouTube playlist to watch short tutorials that walk you through how to use Schoology.

Need help logging in or accessing Tech Support? Visit the Schoology for Parents page.

Senior Deadline for X2VOL Service-Learning Hours

All Service-Learning Hours for Seniors must be submitted no later than April 24^th 2026 to be approved and considered for graduation recognition and awards. FCPS does not have a Service- Learning graduation requirement. Seniors can earn special recognition and distinguishments for their approved hours of Service-Learning. Please see the OHS Service Learning website for more information.

Partners for Safe Teen Driving Presentation

All students enrolled in Classroom Driver Education during the 2025-2026 school year must attend an in-person Partners for Safe Teen Driving (PSTD). The presentation is connected to successful classroom instruction and must be completed to receive a DEC-District 8 card (pink card). The parent-teen traffic safety presentation (PSTD) will be offered multiple times during the school year at Oakton. Students and their parents/guardians should plan to attend the presentation at Oakton at your earliest convenience.

All PSTDs begin promptly. Late admission will not be allowed.

2025-2026 Remaining Dates:

March 16, 2026 6:30-8:00pm
May 18, 2026 6:30-8:00pm

These sessions are intended for Sophomores. Juniors and Seniors can attend a session through Adult and Community Education.

PSTD nights are not available to freshmen.

Please find more information about driver education for parents by accessing this flyer.

Testing Information

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

Oakton High will participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) on Thursday, March 5, 2026. NAEP is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what students know and can do in various subjects. NAEP is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics, within the U.S. Department of Education. NAEP is different from our state assessments because it is a common measure of achievement across the country. The results are released as The Nation's Report Card, which provides information about student achievement to educators, parents/guardians, policymakers, and the public. Families of students selected to participate will be notified via email.

WIDA Assessment Testing (February 9^th-20^th)

Beginning February 9^th, all students identified as multilingual learners (MLs) will be assessed to monitor their progress and proficiency in English as required by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). WIDA ACCESS consists of the following parts (domains): Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking. Each domain is a separate test, and students must complete all four domains to meet the testing requirement. This assessment is used to determine a student’s English Language proficiency level, eligibility for ESOL services and testing accommodations. It also provides teachers with information they can use to plan for and support their students’ learning. Participation in this assessment is a critical part of how we measure our students’ growth and progress as well as plan for their continued success. The majority of WIDA testing will take place over 2-days, February 19^th, and 20^th. Students and parents/guardians of those participating will be notified of testing schedules via email.