Mantua PTA News 2019, Issue 18


January 8, 2019 | Issue 18


Important Upcoming Dates

January 11 (Friday): PTA Meeting, 9:30-10:30am, Cafeteria.
January 16 (Wednesday): 
Winter 5th and 6th Grade Strings Concert, 7pm, Mantua Gym.
January 18 (Friday): 3 Hour Early Release. Ninja Warrior Night PTA Fundraiser, 6:30pm, Incourage Martial Arts.
January 21 (Monday): No School, MLK Holiday.
January 25 (Friday): No School, Student Holiday.


Rocky on Couch

New Delivery System for Mantua School and PTA News

 

The Alert News will be transitioning over to a new delivery system over the next four weeks and will be newly coined Mantua PTA News.

During this time you may be receiving two newsletters. January 29th will be the last issue of the Alert News, so if you do not receive an email with the above header, please follow the steps below to subscribe to the Mantua PTA News.

 Subscribing to Mantua PTA News

  • From the FCPS.edu main website, scroll down to the bottom on the page where it says, “Stay updated with what’s happening at FCPS with News You Choose – Sign Up Now”, click Sign Up Now
  • Enter your Email address and click SUBMIT
  • Agree to the Privacy Agreement and click SUBMIT
  • On the Subscription Topics page you need to scroll all the way down to Mantua ES and select both News and announcements & Mantua ES PTA and click SUBMIT
  • You will see a confirmation page that your subscription has been updated and you will also receive an email from FCPS News You Choose

New Attendance email and Form!


Please use  MantuaElem.Attendance@fcps.edu to report any attendance changes.

Submitting a student absence has never been easier thanks to the new online attendance form!


Ninja Warrior Night PTA Fundraiser


Parents, enjoy some well-deserved downtime while your child gets exercise, meets new friends, and has a great time. Kids will have plenty of fun with organized games and a pizza dinner. Ninja obstacle courses, board breaking and dodgeball are just a few of the fun activities they will be running.

  • Appropriate for ages 5 through 12.
  • When: January 18, Friday, 6:30pm-8:30pm Drop off time: 6:30pm-6:45pm Pick up time: 8:15pm-8:30pm
  • Cost: $15/child
  • Location: Incourage Martial Arts 3013 Nutley St SW, Fairfax, VA 22031 (next to Safeway in Pan Am Shopping Center)

Please register by clicking on the link below and type "Mantua Elementary" as your child's school so the proceeds can go to our school.

https://www.incouragemartialarts.com/pan_am

The best part is 100% of the proceeds go to our school. 


CWES January Scholastic Chess Tournament


Saturday, January 26, 2019
This is a Rated Tournament. Membership in USCF is required. If not a member, use this link for
membership options: https://secure2.uschess.org/webstore/member.php
Pre-Registration Fee (Register by Tuesday, January 22): $20.00
On-Site Registration Fee (Day of Tournament): $30.00
To register online go here http://www.uschess.org/tlas/10602.tla
Any questions, please contact us at cweschessclub@gmail.com


Advanced Academics Level IV Referral Form for Grades 2-6 due Thursday, January 10th by 4:30pm (hard copies only). 

 

Fairfax County Public Schools provides a continuum of gifted services for students. While some levels of these services are provided to all students, other students must be considered eligible through a school/district committee. County Public Schools provides a continuum of gifted services  to all students, other students must be considered eligible through a school/district committee. If you wish to refer your child for consideration for these additional services, the deadline is Thursday, January 10th for submitting the form to the Mantua office by 4:30pm (hard copies only). More information and a link to the referral form is located at https://www.fcps.edu/index.php/registration/advanced-academics-identification-and-placement. If you wish to have a paper copy of the referral, please contact the school office. Please submit any questions to Eva Bousbouras (vsbousbouras@fcps.edu), Advanced Academics Resource Teacher at Mantua.​

 


Yearbook Photo Submissions Open to All


We are working with a new vendor this year. They have provided an area for us to allow anyone to upload images (families, volunteers, etc.). The link below has the links for drop boxes for each homeroom and for special events. 
Once you are in the drop box area, there is an “Add images” to the far right. You click on that and then go to the area where the images are. We will be adding more drop boxes as they happen, such as for spirit week next week. Please share the link I am posting here with your parents. Everyone will be able to upload, but not delete images. 

We prefer images that have medium (not low) quality/resolution (the medium selection from a smartphone). We also prefer images that are not using bunny ears (fingers over someone’s head), have more than one student in the photos and that the people in the image are facing us, not where we have the back of their heads. Feel free to request an event drop box if one isn’t there and I’ll add it or email me if you have questions. 

Summary on photo preferences 
1. Medium resolution/quality or higher 
2. Includes more than one student 
3. Students are NOT using bunny ears, sticking out their tongues or using crazy faces their parents might not like printed 
4. We see the majority of people’s faces and not the back of their heads 
5. It isn’t blurry Thanks everyone. 

Link: http://TinyURL.com/y77h2n2y


New Scouts BSA Girls’ Troop Forming at Mantua!


The Mantua PTA is charting one of the first Girls’ Troops under the Boy Scouts of America programming that is now welcoming families to participate in scouting together. Our Troop 1533 Girls’ Troop will officially start on February 1, 2019 and it’s time to sign up to be a part of this exciting program. If you have a daughter in Grades 5-12 that wants to camp, participate in other outdoor and STEM activities, grow in citizenship and leadership skills, earn merit badges, and progress towards the Eagle Scout rank, this is the group for her! There will be another informational meeting on Tuesday, January 8, 2019 in the Mantua Cafeteria at 7:30 pm to sign up. For more information, contact Scoutmaster Bob Phillips, girltroop1533@gmail.com


Pre-order Your Yearbook!!!

 

We are partnering with Scherling for our yearbook this year. Yearbooks are just $25!

Order yours today! www.virginia.preorderphotos.com 

​**click the link then enter the code: T79YW4. Add Yearbook to cart. Choose background A then add to cart again. Click next and follow the rest of the instructions!!**​


Link Your Grocery Loyalty to Raise Money for the School

 

You can easily help our school by linking your grocery loyalty cards from Harris Teeter and Giant. Based on your purchases those merchants then send checks to the school. WOW! Please see flyer for details.
http://www.mantuapta.org/documents/dtf/2018-19/flyers/fundraisers/passive/grocery.pdf 

 


2019-20 School Year Calendar Announced


In case you missed the announcement over the summer, the School Board adopted the calendar for the 2019-20 school year. The first day of school will be Monday, August 26, 2019, and the last day will be Friday, June 12, 2020. Notable dates include a three-day break for Thanksgiving (November 27-29, 2019) a two-week winter break (December 23, 2019 to January 3, 2020) and a one-week spring break (April 6-10, 2020). See the complete 2019-20 school year calendar
https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/forms/19-20-standard-school-year-calendar.pdf


New this year: Looking to buy a Chromebook?

 

New this year! Looking to buy a Chromebook? Dell will donate 5% of your purchase to Mantua Elementary, plus free shipping and price match guarantee! Just use this special link: www.dell.com/MantuaPTA

http://www.mantuapta.org/documents/dtf/2018-19/flyers/fundraisers/passive/dell.pdf


Reminder About Early Dismissals


As shared in the first day folders, children will not be called
out of class for early dismissal after 3:40pm and cannot be
released to anyone other than a parent unless that person is
on the emergency care card. The exception to the emergency
care card requirement would be a release authorized by the
parent through an email to
MantuaElem.Attendance@fcps.edu received prior to 1pm that day.
For “play dates” notes from parents of both the visitor and the
host will be required for students planning to go home with a
friend or neighbor after school. Students without
corresponding notes will follow their typical dismissal plan.
 
There is a new direct email link on the Mantua ES Website for reporting dismissals and absences  to https://mantuaes.fcps.edu/attendance-form


Translators

 

Translators comprise another vital part of our outreach efforts. We want every Mantua ES family to feel included and connected—should families need to have a document translated into their native language, our volunteers are here to help!

  • للحصول على نسخة مترجمة للغة العربية، نرجو الإتصال بالأخت بدرية كفالة على هذا الإيميل: cbn@mantuapta.org . If you need to have a document translated into Arabic, please email cbn@mantuapta.org .
  • Если вам необходимо перевести документ на русский язык, пожалуйста обращайтесь к Анне Жердецкой или Виктору Жердецкому по электронной почте: cbn@mantuapta.org  или cbn@mantuapta.org . If you need to have a document translated into Russian, please contact Hanna Zhardzetskaya and Viktar Zhardzetski.
  • 혹시 한국어로 번역된 자료가 필요하시면 좌승관씨에게 연락주세요(cbn@mantuapta.org.) If you need to have a document translated into Korean, please contact Lisa Libby.
  • Para obtener una copia en Espanol favor de contactar a Lisa Libby at cbn@mantuapta.org. If you need to have a document translated into Spanish, please contact Lisa Libby.

Email Lisa Libby at cbn@mantuapta.org if you have any questions or would like to volunteer as an ambassador or translator with Mantua ES’s Community Building Network.​