Blue Star Welcome Week This week was Blue Star Welcome Week, which is an annual nationwide campaign that helps military-connected families build strong ties and feel a sense of belonging in their communities. Oak View proudly hosted a pancake breakfast to celebrate its military families and kick off the school year together. It was a wonderful morning filled with food, conversation, and community spirit for all who attended.

Calendar Change: Eid al-Fitr

FCPS will mark the beginning of Eid al-Fitr with an evening-only observance day on Monday, March 8. There will be school on this day, but major school-sponsored events and activities (such as auditions or tryouts) will not take place. 

Tuesday, March 9, will be a holiday for students and staff. 

Wednesday, March 10, will be an observance day. There will be school on this day, but certain activities that cannot be made up (major tests, field trips, or mandatory events) will not take place on this day. 

A new school year calendar has been published, which includes this change. Please note that holidays and observances on the calendar may shift due to anticipated lunar sightings.

Authors Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko speak to excited students during a special school visit. The authors shared insights about their books and writing while answering questions from the attentive audience.

Safe Routes to School Parent and Caregiver Survey

As part of the Fairfax County School Board’s Annual School-Based Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Assessment, the FCPS Office of Safety and Security and Safe Routes to School program are inviting parents and caregivers to share their experiences traveling to and from school.

The Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Survey asks about walking and biking routes, traffic near schools, kiss and ride experiences, accessibility, and other safety concerns. 

Your feedback will help FCPS identify common issues. Your responses will be kept confidential and shared with school administrators and the Office of Safety and Security. The five-minute survey is open through Thursday, October 15. 

Be sure to identify the school related to your feedback and include specific locations where you have observed a safety issue. If you have students at different schools in FCPS, please complete a different survey for each school. 

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact SafeRoutestoSchool@fcps.edu. 

Oak View PTA Fall Festival

October 17 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Enjoy food trucks, face painting, a Mad Scientist, balloon art, arts and crafts, and trunk-or-treat! This is a family event, not a drop-off event. Costumes are welcome, but no weapons, please! 

School Picture Day is Coming!

Picture day will be on Monday, October 5. Pre-order online.  Questions about ordering? Email Victor O'Neill Studios at underclass@vosphoto.com. 

FCPS Seeks Community Input on Middle School AAP Centers

FCPS is exploring a plan to offer Full-Time Advanced Academic Program (AAP) services at every middle school. Under the proposal, students who qualify could attend their neighborhood middle school and take advanced classes with other AAP students. The School Board has approved community engagement at Franklin, Hayfield, Holmes, Key, and Whitman middle schools, where programs could open for the 2027-28 school year. The proposal is still under consideration, and the School Board is expected to make a decision in December.

Each community meeting offers in-person and virtual participation. Upcoming meetings are scheduled for:

• Franklin Middle: Monday, October 5, at 6 p.m.
• Holmes Middle: Thursday, October 15, at 6 p.m.
• Whitman Middle: Thursday, October 22, at 6 p.m.

Current middle school students will remain at their assigned AAP centers through middle school. Learn more and find meeting sign-up forms on the Middle School AAP Centers page.

Kiss and Ride Reminders

For safety and to prevent a backup, please follow these Kiss and Ride procedures as staff are not permitted to direct traffic on Sideburn Road:

• Do not turn left from Sideburn Road into Kiss and Ride.
• Do not make a U-turn on Sideburn Road.
• To access the Kiss and Ride line, use Portsmouth behind the school and turn right onto Sideburn Road.
• Students may only be dropped off in the designated Kiss and Ride area on school grounds.
• Remember, enter the school by turning right, and exit by turning right.

Thank you for all the right turns…it keeps us all safe!

FCPS News

In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:

• Life in the Community Resource Fair
• Growing Together: Talking About Social-Emotional Learning at Home
• Learn About Applied Behavior Analysis and Teaching New Skills at Home

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today. 

Superintendent Community Conversations

Join Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid for a Community Conversation. Students, families, staff, and community members are invited to ask questions, share concerns, and discuss what matters most to them. Everyone is welcome! Click on the date to register for any of the following events:

• Thursday, October 29, at 6:30 p.m., at North Springfield Elementary School
• Tuesday, December 1, at 6:30 p.m., at Powell Elementary School (note date change)

Registration is not required, but it helps with planning.

Friday Folder Contents Oak View uses Schoology for all Friday Folder contents. All flyers are posted to Schoology Course: Oak View All Parents and contents are listed below. Fall Picture Day Burke Basketball

Upcoming Events Oct 5: Fall Picture Day Oct 12: No School for Students, Indigenous Peoples' Day Oct 13: AAP Full-time ID Process Meeting, 6 p.m. Oct 13: PTA Meeting, 7 p.m. Oct 21: Early Release, 12:15 p.m. Oct 22: FLE Preview Night, 6 p.m. Oct 23: Field Day