Kindergarten Information

The most helpful skills are "self-help" skills: being able to zip their own coat, open their lunch containers, and manage bathroom needs independently. Academically, you can help your child by reading together daily and practicing letter and number recognition. Other important skills include:

• Self-control
• Independence and self-help skills
• Listening and communicating
• Sharing and taking turns
• Patience and waiting
• Engaging in less preferred activities
• Following directions and respecting limits
• Handling disappointment 

Talk positively about school! Practice a "school routine" by having a set bedtime and wake-up time. You can also visit the Oak View playground to help your child feel comfortable with the school grounds. 

• Developing Independence
  Opening food containers, picking out clothes and dressing themselves, tying shoes, zipping zippers, making simple decisions, and self-care (toileting, blowing nose)
• Promoting Focus
  Playing “I Spy”, “Simon Says”, memory games, board games, games with dice, simple card games, read to your child
• Improving Fine Motor Skills
  Practice cutting and coloring, playing with Play-Doh, buttons, zippers, Legos, snap cubes
• Improving Gross Motor Skills
  Running, jumping, swinging, bike riding, monkey bars, etc.
• Reading
  Listening to stories read aloud and answering open-ended questions
  Looking at books independently and thinking/talking about the pictures
• Engaging in Less Preferred Activites
  Chores (making bed, feeding pets, etc.)
  Yard work
  Cleaning up after themselves
  Helping parents and/or siblings

Yes! Oak View holds an Open House several days before school starts. This is a wonderful time for children to see their classroom and meet their teacher. Keep an eye on your email for the specific date and time.

You can view the  FCPS Year at a Glance on the district website for a full overview of the subjects covered. More specific details regarding progress expectations and our daily schedule will be shared during Back to School Night in the fall.

Under the updated FCPS policy, kindergarten homework is provided weekly via our email update. These assignments are directly aligned with the content we are teaching at school. We also strongly encourage you to read with your child for 15–20 minutes daily. Occasionally, students may bring home a special "family project" to complete and return for a classroom celebration.

Kindergarten students enjoy 30 minutes of outdoor recess each day, weather permitting. On days with inclement weather, recess will be held indoors.

In Fairfax County, Kindergarten classes can have up to 29 students.

Our team looks at many factors to create balanced classrooms, ensuring a balance of boys and girls and an even number of students. While we love our neighborhood connections, students from the same street may or may not be in the same class.

Yes, classes are supervised. Once students are very familiar with the building and the staff, they may occasionally travel in pairs to the clinic or the restroom.

To prevent lost or broken items and to keep our focus on learning, toys and stuffed animals are not permitted unless specifically requested by the teacher for a special event (like Pajama Day).

You can view the  FCPS Year at a Glance on the district website for a full overview of the subjects covered.

A Day in the Life of an OV Kindergartener:

• Arrival/Choice Time
• Announcements
• Morning Meeting
• Math
• **Small group, whole group,  independent**
• Snack
• Language Arts
• **Small group, whole group, independent**
• Specials (art, music, or PE)
• Language Arts
• **Small group, whole group, independent*
• Lunch
• Brain Break
• Science/Social Studies
• Intervention
• Recess
• Choice Time
• Dismissal
  
  

Creating a safe and secure environment for all students is a top priority in our classrooms. A big part of kindergarten is learning important social-emotional skills. We spend time modeling and teaching children how to solve problems using their words, express their feelings, and work through challenges with others.

Because kindergarteners are still developing these skills, it is normal for conflicts to happen in friendships. These moments are valuable learning opportunities as children practice communication, empathy, and problem-solving.

Click  here to learn more about kindergarten friendships and conflicts.

• Lunch:Available for purchase in the cafeteria daily, or you may pack a lunch from home.
• Snack:The school does  notprovide snacks. Please send a healthy snack and a water bottle with your child every day.
• Free and Reduced-Price Mealsare available for qualified families. You must apply each year to remain eligible.  The forms and information are completely confidential and will not be shared with teachers, and no other children will ever know. The children use PIN numbers to purchase their food, and only the food services manager knows how much each child pays for the meal.  Read more about Free and Reduced-Price Meals .

Yes! Our Kindergarten Instructional Assistants (IAs) attend lunch with the classes to help children navigate the line, enter their lunch codes, and open containers at the tables. We recommend looking at the monthly menu with your child to help them make healthy choices. This can be found at the top of our Oak View website.

Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services offers  School Age Child Care (SACC) on-site at Oak View. Registration can be competitive, so you may want to register your child as soon as possible to reserve a spot or join the waitlist. Other after-school programs in the area provide drop-off and pick-up services to Oak View. If you need the names of any daycares in the area, the Oak View office has a list they can share with you.

You must inform the school of your child’s specific aftercare plans. For bus riders, you will receive information regarding routes and stops from FCPS Transportation shortly before the first day of school. For more information about transportation, including information about the Here Comes the Bus app, see the FCPS Transportation website .

If your child already has an IEP, the school will contact you to schedule a Transition IEP Meeting. During this meeting, we will discuss specific supports and goals for the Kindergarten setting.

If you have concerns, please share them with your child’s teacher at the start of the year. The teacher will work with you and our support team to determine the best way to assist your child.

The Kindergarten team sends a weekly email update with highlights, important dates, and curriculum details.

Absolutely! Parents are invited to volunteer for field trips, special events, and as Room Parents. Additional classroom volunteer opportunities are based on the specific needs of each teacher.

The Health Room is managed by a partnership between the Fairfax County Health Department and FCPS. It is staffed by:

• Public Health Nurse (PHN): Identifies health concerns, trains staff, and promotes healthy lifestyles.
• School Health Aide: A paraprofessional who provides care for sick or injured students and facilitates medication. Note: The aide is not a nurse and cannot diagnose or give medical advice.

Students generally stay in the Health Room for about 20 minutes. After that time, a decision is made to either send them back to class or call a parent to take them home.

Children will be sent home if they have:

• A fever of 100.4°F or higher.
• Vomiting or diarrhea.
• Red, itchy eyes with discharge.
• Undiagnosed rashes.

To keep our community healthy, your child must stay home until they are symptom-free for 24 hours without the use of medication. This includes being free of:

• Fever
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

When calling the school's Attendance Line, please state the specific symptoms your child is experiencing rather than just saying they are "sick".

No. Students are not allowed to bring medications to school. All medications must be dropped off at the Health Room by a parent or guardian. 

Every medication requires a specific FCPS form, which can be found on the FCPS website or in the Health Room:

• General Medication: SS/SE-63 Medication Authorization Form.
• Anaphylaxis/Allergies: SS/SE-64 Authorization for Anaphylaxis Action Plan.
• Asthma: Virginia Asthma Action Plan (VAAP) and form SS/SE-65.

• Complete Paperwork: Ensure the Health Information Form and Emergency Care Card are filled out completely.
• Update Contacts: Keep your emergency contact information current so we can reach you quickly.
• Communicate: Notify the health room staff immediately if your child’s health needs change during the year.
• Pack Extra Clothes: Kindergarteners sometimes have accidents! Please pack a change of clothing in their bag, as the health room does not stock extras.

If you have questions, please reach out to the Oak View Health Room:

Phone: 703-764-7110
Public Health Nurse: Kelly Scheider