April 2, 2019 | Issue 30
Important Upcoming Dates
April 4 (Thursday): PTA Meeting, 7-8pm, Mantua Library.
April 5 (Friday): No School, Student Holiday; kindergarten orientation, 2-3pm.
April 15-19: No School, Spring Break.
FCPS Family Engagement Survey
The FCPS Family Engagement Survey will be administered to all parents from March 24-April 12, 2019. The purpose of the survey is to provide data to inform the Strategic Plan goal of Caring Culture: FCPS employees will demonstrate cultural responsiveness when supporting families, students, and other staff. Results of the 2019 survey will be considered baseline, and it is anticipated that another Family Engagement survey will be administered in two years. Eight language translations of the survey will be made available, including Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese. Parents will receive an email from FCPS about the survey, which they will be able to complete on most electronic devices, including smartphones.
Paper copies and at-school access for parents will be made available as needed by contacting Nick Rousos, Assistant Principal, at Mantua ES at nbrousos@fcps.edu.
Mantua Kindergarten Orientation
Mantua's Kindergarten Orientation will be on April 5, 2019, from 2:00 - 3:00 PM
All 2019/2020 kindergarten students must be registered by Thursday 4/4/19 to be eligible to come to orientation.Please refer to www.fcps.edu for registration requirements and contact Mantua Registrar Mergie Kakouris mbkakouris@fcps.edu when you are ready to register.
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Lost and Found
All items left in the Lost and Found at the end of the each quarter will be donated charity. If your student is missing a lunch box, water bottle, coat, sweater or any other article, please find time to check the lost and found before it is donated on 4/5/19. All items brought to school should be labeled with at least the student’s last name, including coats, lunch boxes, instruments and water bottles.
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Hinton in the front office.
Author Visit
On April 12, students in grades K-2 will be listening to a presentation by award winning author Barney Saltzberg. He has written many children’s books including Crazy Hair day, Star of the Week, and Beautiful Oops! Our Art teachers are collaborating with the library to offer this exciting opportunity. In advance of his visit, students are able to purchase one or more of his books to have signed by the author that day. We are working with Barnes and Noble as a fundraiser to support the library. 20% of the profits from the sale of these books will go directly to the library. Please consider making an order today!
Questions? Contact your librarians. Kimberly Adams:kmadams@fcps.edu or Katie (Graap) Marmol: kegraap@fcps.edu; or call 703-645-6322
http://mantuapta.org/documents/dtf/2018-19/flyers/geninfo/saltzberg.pdf
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Science Olympiad
Division B
On Saturday March 23rd, the Mantua Science Olympiad team was at UVA competing in the Virginia State Science Olympiad tournament.
Congratulations to all the students! They've been preparing for this since October. Mantua placed first in Amazing Mechatronics and second in Roller Coaster.
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Color Cycling
Starting next week, Mrs. Amaya and Ms. Páez will be collecting used markers (can be dried out or just not being used anymore). At the end of the year, they will be sending them to Crayola who will recycling them. Boxes will be setup around the school to collect markers. Markers will be collected through June 7 since we will have to pack them and send them off. Thank you for your help.
Spring Fling Poster Contest
Enter to win the Mantua Spring Fling Poster Contest!!! WIN ENTRANCE AND TICKETS to use at the SPRING FLING
CONTEST RULES
Eligibility: All Mantua Students
Poster Must: Be student's own work. (one entry per student) Be on poster board measuring 14" x 22" (half of standard 28"x22" poster Include Spring Fling date and time: April 27th 11 am - 3 pm Have student's name, grade, and teacher on the BACK of poster. Winners will be awarded to in each group: K - 2nd and 3rd - 6th
Submit posters to the Poster Contest Box, located in the front office.
Deadline: 9:10am, April 1st.
Questions, contact: programs@mantuapta.org
http://www.mantuapta.org/documents/dtf/2018-19/flyers/fundraisers/spring-fling/contest-entry.pdf
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Communication to Parents and Students about the Momo Challenge and Digital Citizenship Resources
In Fairfax County schools, county agencies and families are working together to create an environment where children and youth can safely learn, work, and play. Similar to our message containing information about the 13 Reasons Why NETFLIX program and the Blue Whale Challenge, we are sending this communication to alert you to a recent rise in new games and social media challenges that encourage young people to participate in harmful behavior.
One example of this is a potentially harmful game called the “Momo Challenge" that has reportedly been posted on different social media platforms to include WhatsApp and assigns players a series of progressively more intense tasks, to include self-harm. It is important to note that the Momo Challenge is a hoax that has received a significant amount of media attention.
This hoax has been seen across the United States in recent months, targeting primarily elementary aged children. Vigilant parents and guardians in Fairfax County have also reported seeing information about the Momo Challenge or similar games on their children's phones and have alerted school authorities.
Please talk to your child about this type of internet hoax, and check his or her phone or other device for signs of an app or communications with anyone telling them to do specific tasks. This provides an excellent opportunity to remind your child of best practices for internet safety and digital citizenship:
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Remind your child information shared on social media is not always true and how quickly misinformation can create a panic online.
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Children should never engage in conversations with strangers online.
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Be aware of the sites and apps your children are using and know their usernames and passwords.
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Turn off suggested autoplay on videos to stop children from viewing content they have not selected, and you have not approved.
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If appropriate, tell your children that Momo is not real and will not hurt them.
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Encourage open dialogue with them around any concerns.
FCPS has additional resources available on this website: https://www.fcps.edu/node/32086. If you have concerns about your child, please contact your school counselor. Please be aware that a number of mental health resources are available, including Fairfax County Public School resources: School Counseling Services at 571-423- 4420, School Psychology Services at 571-423-4250, and School Social Work Services at 571-423-4300 and Fairfax County resources: Crisis Link Hotline at 703-527-4077, Merrifield Emergency Services 703-573-5679 (available 24/7) or Entry and Referral during business hours at 703-383-8500. The Fairfax County Police Department non-emergency number is 703-691-2131.
More information about the Momo Challenge and other internet challenges or hoaxes is available at these links:
Contact
School Counseling Services 571-423-4420
School Psychology Services 571-423-4250
School Social Work Services 571-423-4300
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SAVE THE DATE Mantua Spring Fling!
The Spring Fling will be held Saturday, April 27th from 11am - 3pm. Join us for bounce houses, jousting, a velcro wall, tons of games with prizes, snacks, pizza, popcorn, a dunk tank, the ever popular Cake Walk, our Silent Auction, and our Mantua Marketplace!
More info will be posted in the coming weeks on how to volunteer your time to help make this event a success!
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The Mantua Spring Fling Silent Auction Committee Needs Your Help!
The committee is seeking exciting donated items for the Spring Fling Silent Auction! We are looking for vacation/beach house stays, sports and theater tickets, restaurant gift cards and other special items. If you have something you would like to donate, all proceeds go directly back into our school, please contact the Spring Fling Silent Auction Committee chair, Emily Mosso, at mossoem@gmail.com Thank you!
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GLOBALPlus Spring Break Culinary Camp
Kids in Grades 2-5 can explore the world through language, culture, and cooking this Spring Break. During the morning session, children will have French, German, or Spanish language and culture lessons. In the afternoon session, children will learn to cook an assortment of international foods. Parents can choose the morning session only, afternoon session only, or the full day camp.
Dates: Monday, April 15 - Friday, April 19
Cost: Morning Session only (9am-12pm) $249 Afternoon Session only (12:30pm-3:30pm) $279 Full Day (9am-3:30pm) $499 10% sibling discount available
Location: Plum Center, 6815 Edsall Rd., Springfield, VA 22151
Register at http://bit.ly/GLOBALPlus and click on "Spring Break Camps" from "Classes Offered In" menu on left, or call 703-658-1201 Questions? Contact Susie Eister at globalplus@mantuapta.org
http://mantuapta.org/documents/dtf/2018-19/flyers/geninfo/gpsb.pdf
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Frozen Treats
The weather is warming up and some students want to bring frozen treats to share with their class for their birthday. The school is not prepared to store frozen treats. If you wish to bring frozen treats for your child’s birthday, please pack them in a cooler and be sure the cooler is labeled with your name. Please coordinate with your student’s teacher any time you are bringing in birthday treats.
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A School Bus Safety Reminder!
All vehicles MUST STOP when a school bus has its lights flashing, the stop sign and safety arm extended, and students loading or discharging. Recently, I’ve visited several communities where motorists are violating the law and jeopardizing our students’ safety.
Our FCPS Office of Transportation Services (OTS) just completed a two-week bus driver survey designed to identify areas in the county where motorist violations are prevalent. OTS has begun piloting the use of extended stop arms to increase visibility to motorists and create a longer barrier across the road.
School Bus with Extended Safety Arm
Fairfax County Elementary and Middle School Science Fair
The 6th Annual Fairfax County Elementary and Middle School Science & Engineering (FCSE) Fair will take place on Saturday May 11, 2019 at George Mason University.https://www.fcsefair.com The FCSE fair will accept projects in the areas of Life & Earth Sciences and Physical Sciences & Engineering.
The divisions are:
Division I (grades 1-3)
Division II (grades 4-5)
Division III (grades 6–8) Students are encouraged to begin working on their projects now so that sufficient time is allowed for planning, data gathering, and final presentation of results.
Students are expected to keep a journal documenting the progress of their investigation. Students must prepare a trifold poster board of their project for the fair. Rules & Guidelines can be found at https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/d54dde_7bfe491853294c92b4c088b054153cfc.pdf The FCSE fair has several requirements in advance of project start and submission this year, including a checklist, research plan/project summary, and an approval form. The FCSE fair will be following the rules of Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF); more information about Intel ISEF is available at: http://student.societyforscience.org/intel-isef. All projects that require additional approvals must have forms submitted to mantuasciencefair@gmail.com and Ms. Sullivan (5th grade AAP teacher) before starting on such projects. If there are more interested students than available slots allotted to Mantua (which we will find out in early April), we will have to decide which projects will go to the fair based on scientific merit. Please email mantuasciencefair@gmail.com if your child is interested in participating in the science fair. Please indicate:
- Child's name:
- Child's grade:
- Child's teacher:
- Child's interested project area:
- Child's proposed project topic (if known):
Additional paperwork as noted above will be necessary prior to enrolling in the county science fair. Project registration occurs in late March-early April. Cost is typically $120 divided evenly by all school participants.
19th Annual Raccoon Run
The Annual Raccoon Run is a 5K Race and Mile Fun Run. Saturday, May 11 at 8am. Join Rocky and the Kids Care for this annual event to benefit Inova LIFE with CANCER.
Details and REGISTRATION:
www.raccoonrun.org or contact Jennifer Lewis-Cooper, jalcooper@aol.com, 703.966.8304 if you have questions or would like to volunteer.
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Summer Camp
Camp at The Fieldhouse
Fieldhouse camp is a great way to keep kids active throughout the summer. They provide a safe and enjoyable place for parents to leave their children during the day while they work. Kids will have the opportunity to try a new sport or continue playing the ones they love. Camps are for kids ages 4-14 years old and run from 9a-5p.
http://mantuapta.org/documents/dtf/2018-19/flyers/geninfo/fieldhouse.pdf
West Springfield High School
Girls Basketball Camp
West Springfield High School will be hosting a girls basketball camp June 17 – 21 for rising 3rd thru 9th graders. All levels of play and camp runs 9 AM – 3PM. Any questions contact Coach Gibson at: wrgibson@fcps.edu or 703-913-3873.
https://westspringfield.rschoolteams.com/page/3037
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Shopping Online?
Anyone (parents, family and friends) who shops on Amazon can effortlessly earn money for Mantua ES by simply using a special Amazon link on Mantua PTA website. No sign-ups or codes required, no loyalty cards to manage - just click, shop, and watch the contributions to Mantua ES come in! Help us cast a wider net by sharing the links with friends and family. Go to http://www.mantuapta.org and click the Amazon link before beginning your shopping and Amazon will donate to our school. The link is located in the upper right corner of PTA website and also further down under "passive fundraising".
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” email or 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 email or 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.
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