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We had a wonderful opening and it was great to see so many smiling faces. Teachers, children, and parents all appeared to be happy to be back. Click on the picture below to see first day arrivals.
 A new year always brings new staff and other changes. Please help us welcome the following new staff members to Union Mill.
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Mary Holdsman and Sarah Mantel have joined our staff as first grade teachers. Mary is a graduate of Penn State University and is from outside Philadelphia. Sarah is a graduate of Ohio State University and is from Pittsburgh. |
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In second grade, Julia Taylor and Emmalee Strosnider have joined us. Julia is from Connecticut and is a recent graduate of Elon University. Emmalee graduated from George Mason University, did her internship at Coates Elementary in Fairfax County, and is from Winchester. |
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We also want to give a warm welcome to Stephanie Proctor, general music teacher, and Kasey Fuller, 4th grade teacher. Stephanie is a product of Fairfax County, having graduated from Chantilly High School, and is a recent graduate of Shepherd University. Kasey is a recent graduate of SUNY Oswego and is from Watertown, New York. |
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Betsy Gross is a special education teacher and transferred to Union Mill after teaching at the Burke School in Fairfax County. Katy Kownacki joins us teaching language arts and social studies in 6th grade. Katy has taught English at Robinson Middle School and creative writing at Thoreau Middle School. |
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Robin Hadsell joins us as a special education teacher after teaching at Paul VI High School. Robin is very familiar with Union Mill as she had three children attend our school. Katie Kada transferred to Union Mill from Marshall Road Elementary where she taught kindergarten, first grade, and special education. She joins us as a special education teacher. |
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We also had two staff members join us as Special Education Instructional Assistants. Emily Anderson returns to Union Mill after a year at Centre Ridge Elementary. Emily previously worked in different capacities at Union Mill. Roxsanne Pollard transferred to Union Mill from Deer Park Elementary. We are excited to have both ladies on our staff. |
Be sure to read the Parent Handbook that was in your original Take Home Folder. It contains important information about the procedures and policies of our school. Remember that parents are no longer walking children to the classroom in the morning so those morning routines can be established. Also remember, anytime you are in the building, you must bring your license and sign in and only go to the area you are supposed to go to. Due to safety and instructional considerations, visitors may not sign in for one activity and then wander around the building. Please feel free to contact the office if you have any questions or need information that is not included in the handbook. In today's Friday Folder (which will normally go home each Friday), you will find a picture envelope for Picture Day next Friday, the PTA newsletter, information for fall PTA after school activities, the Students Rights and Responsibilities booklets, and an important form that describes how to update your child's Emergency Care Form. If you plan to make use of our Kiss and Ride in the afternoons this year, please be sure to sign up for a number by clicking on the following link: Kiss and Ride.
Our Lost and Found already has many items. Please help us help you hang on to your hard-earned money by labeling your child's clothes, lunch boxes, and water bottles.
Remember there is no school tomorrow or Monday for the Labor Day weekend. Next week will bring picture day on Friday as well as our Back to School Picnic in the evening from 5:00 - 7:00. Families are welcome to bring their own dinner or purchase food from the food truck the PTA has arranged. They will also have other food for sale. Please be sure to bring a blanket or chairs as everyone will gather on the blacktop for a time to meet new friends and reconnect with old. All children must be accompanied by their parents or responsible adult.
We have had a great first week of school. Click on the photo below to see more from the week including a visit from the Centreville HS band. Do you recognize any of our former students?
 Have a great 4-day weekend!
Kathy
Family Life Education Instructional Program Information
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) provides a comprehensive, sequential Family Life Education (FLE) program for students in grades kindergarten through grade twelve. Instruction is seen as a partnership among parents and guardians, the school, and the community in supporting the learning essential to the development of strong families, positive relationships, and a healthy community.
Parents/guardians may choose to opt their child out of all or part of the Family Life Education program. Students who are opted out are provided with age-appropriate, nonpunitive alternative health instruction, and every effort is made to foster respect for family choices. If you wish to opt your child out of all or part of FLE for this school year, opt-out forms were included in your child’s back-to-school/orientation packets and are available online for Elementary (K-6) https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary-school-academics-k-6/elementary-family-life-education. Please fill in the opt-out form and return it to your child’s teacher prior to Family Life Education instruction.
Detailed grade-level program descriptions are available online at Elementary (K-6). FLE grade level-specific lessons and media that FCPS has streaming rights for are available for parents online in FCPS 24-7 (Blackboard) Parent View https://fcps.blackboard.com/. Account information is available by contacting our office or online at
http://www.fcps.edu/is/instructionaltechnology/247help/parents.shtml. Grade level-specific lessons are also available at the Fairfax County Regional Library in the City of Fairfax (this location does not have media). Grade level-specific lessons and media that is not streamed online are available for review in our school library. Due to copyright permissions, we are unable to stream all media online.
Program questions may be addressed by contacting your child's teacher, Assistant Principal Hallie Dillon, Instructional Services at 571-423-4550, or by contacting Elizabeth Payne, Health and Physical Education Coordinator at etpayne@fcps.edu.
Band and Strings Signup
Our 5th and 6th grade students have the option of playing an instrument in Strings or Band as well as singing in chorus. Students may participate in Band and Chorus or Strings and Chorus, but not both Band and Strings as class times conflict. Registration for Chorus will happen in the fall. Please complete this form if your child(ren) would like to sign up for Band or Strings.
Fourth grade students have the opportunity to participate in the Strings program for the first time! Students can learn to play violin, viola, cello or bass. Please click on the link below to sign up and for a detailed information letter with tons of great information about the program including renting instruments. https://forms.gle/XoE1niLUmi9VDavS6
The deadline to sign up for Band or Strings is Friday, September 6.
What Do Parents Think About Our Schools?
The Fairfax County School Board recently released the results of FCPS' 2018-19 Family Engagement Survey. The survey solicited parent opinions and feedback on a variety of topics that impact student achievement. More than 29,000 family members participated. Survey highlights include:
- More than 92 percent of participating parents agreed or strongly agreed that their child's school welcomes families of different backgrounds and cultures.
- 91 percent agreed or strongly agreed that their child feels safe at school.
- 87 percent agreed or strongly agreed that their school provided a welcoming environment.
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Find out more about the Family Engagement Survey results.
New App - "Here Comes the Bus"
Over this past school year, the Office of Transportation Services has been working to integrate multiple electronic systems, such as student information data, routing data, and GPS data from school buses into the Here Comes the Bus application. Here Comes the Bus application was piloted during summer school in anticipation of the roll out for the 2019-20 school year.
Get more information about Here Comes the Bus
FCPS also has another system that provides timely notification of late bus route information. Parents may access the Bus Delay Notification System or utilize the FCPS Mobile App to receive the delayed bus report. Morning route information is available through 12 noon and afternoon route information is available from 1:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Real Assistive Technology for Everyone (RATE) Conference 2019
The Real Assistive Technology Conference for Everyone (RATE) will be held on Saturday, October 19, 2019 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Rachel Carson Middle School. More information to come soon!
Upcoming Events
Friday, August 30 - No School, Labor Day Weekend
Monday, September 2 - No School, Labor Day Weekend
Tuesday, September 3 - PTA Meeting in Library - 7:00 PM
Friday, September 6 - Picture Day
Back to School Event - 5:00 - 7:00 PM
Last Day to Register for Band and Strings
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