Welcome Back, McNair Mustangs!
The new school year is just around the corner and we hope you are ready to meet your new teacher and enjoy time with classmates. We are thrilled that we will be returning strong in FCPS for 5 days a week with in-person instruction! Our McNair team is excited to partner with you to make this transition back to school seamless and successful for your child and family. Our goal is to ensure that all our students feel welcomed, loved, and that their learning is kept at the forefront for an amazing year!
Saddle up, McNair! Our teachers and staff are excited to meet you and we have planned lots of exciting opportunities for you to learn and grow in the 2021-2022 school year. We will see you on Thursday, August 19, 2021 from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. for Open House!
It’s going to be great year, Mustangs!
Kind Regards,
Ms. Dade
School Hours
The first day of school is Monday, August 23, 2021, and every minute counts! Our students should be in their classroom seats no later than 8:45 a.m. Our day begins with connecting with each other and building relationships among staff and students for productive learning! This is especially important as we begin in-person instruction this school year!
Masks for All
As adults and students return to the school building, all will be required to wear masks. If your child is not used to wearing masks for extended periods, now is the time to practice!
At this time, students will be allowed to take off their masks when they are actively eating and drinking and during outside activities. Click here for more information regarding the FCPS' Return to School Mask Guidance.
Social Distancing and School Supplies
When at school, social distancing between students of 3 feet will be encouraged to the extent possible with full class sizes. It’s important to realize that there will be times in which our young Mustangs will be closer than 3 feet. Hence, mitigation measures of mask wearing and frequent handwashing will be in place.
Students are encouraged to use their individual school supplies on a daily basis. There may be times when students will need to share instructional materials. In those instances, students will be asked to wash or sanitize their hands before and after use.
Students will not have access to drink from communal water fountains. Instead, students should bring a water bottle to school daily. Students may fill up their water bottle at classroom sinks.
To find out more about FCPS' plans to return strong and keep students safe, click here.
Your Child’s Health
Your child’s heath at school is a priority. School health room services, including the administration of medication and modified first aid, are performed by the health room aide. When we return to school, prescription and most over-the-counter medications require strict adult supervision and should not be in the child’s possession. Please let us know if your child has special health needs that may impact learning in school as soon as possible. We will connect you with our Public Health Nurse, Nicole Morales, to develop a school plan. A letter regarding school health services will be sent home with your child on the first day of school.
Like all schools in FCPS, McNair has a Care Room (separate from the Health Room) for students who display symptoms of COVID-19 during the school day. When a student is moved to the Care Room, parents will be contacted. We will work with families to follow established FCPS protocols for student health and safety.
For more information about School Health Services, click here.
Daily Health Screening
Parents/guardians are required to complete the daily health screening questionnaire prior to sending their student to school each morning. The required screening must be completed for all school-aged children in the household. In order to reduce the spread of communicable disease to student and staff, it is critical that parents/guardians accurately complete this screening daily and keep their student home from school when exhibiting any symptoms. The daily health screening questionnaire will be completed on an honor basis and will not be required to be submitted to the school.
The daily health screening questionnaire is available in the following languages: English, Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
For more information about FCPS' Health and Safety Guidance for 2021-2022, click here.
Meals at School
When eating at school, students will be asked to wash/sanitize their hands before and after eating. We will work with our young Mustangs to make sure they understand that masks are removed only when they are actively eating or drinking. When in the cafeteria, we are assigning seats and filling tables at half-capacity to allow for more space between students when eating and drinking.
We are pleased to announce that FCPS has received a waiver from the USDA that will allow all students to receive breakfast and lunch at school free of charge. Students have the option to decline breakfast or lunch if they choose to eat at home or bring a lunch to school. Breakfast and lunch begin on the first day of school.
For further information regarding Food and Nutrition Services, to include menu options, click here.
While students will receive free meals this year, it’s important that families continue to apply for and update their Free and Reduced-Price Meal status yearly, if eligible. Applications for free and reduced meals are mailed directly to families and must be completed and returned each school year. Applications can also be completed and submitted online at https://www.myschoolapps.com.
Please remember, it can take up to two weeks to process an application once it is received at the Office of Food and Nutrition Services. A letter will be sent home confirming approval or denial of the application. Parents may use approval letters to qualify for other benefits. Requests are confidential and should be submitted as soon as possible.
Keeping Your Child Safe
All exterior doors are locked during school hours. To enter the building, go to Door #1, push the doorbell, and the front office will remotely unlock the door. Upon entering, please report to the office. To maintain the momentum of instruction, forgotten lunches and materials will be delivered by office staff, or students will be called down to the office to get their forgotten items.
For any change in a child’s typical transportation arrangements, send a note to the teacher indicating the date of the change, the duration of the change, and the reason for the change. Students may not ride a non-designated school bus home with a friend as buses are filled to capacity. For safety, we also ask that students get off at their designated stop only.
If picking up a student before the end of school, provide notice to the teacher and school office whenever possible to avoid confusion for your child. If a student must leave unexpectedly, alert the office at least one hour ahead of time.
During arrival and dismissal, please follow the NEW established rules and travel routes for the safety of all. This year, both McNair Elementary and McNair Upper have new procedures for arrival and dismissal. For everyone’s safety, we ask that parents follow the new procedures for arrival and dismissal. This will allow you to get your little Mustang to school as quickly and as efficiently as possible. Modeling safe procedures is critical and teaches our young students to stay safe when adults are not with them.
Parents who plan to use Kiss & Ride must register their child here. Please review the McNair Arrival and Dismissal Procedures and map.
As a final reminder, taking the bus is a very safe way to travel to and from school. If you plan to have your child take the bus during the school year, put them on the bus the first day of school. It will help establish the school year routine, and students will be learning the rules and expectations along with peers from day one!
Communicating with McNair Elementary
On the first day of school, all students will receive a Take Home Folder with critical back to school information. We ask that parents complete the forms if they haven’t done so electronically and return those forms in the same folder to the classroom teacher.
McNair uses News You Choose to distribute the parent newsletter, The Mustang News, every two weeks. News You Choose is an electronic communication platform that allows community members the ability to select what information they want to receive and how often from individual schools, the School Board office and members, departments, programs, and PTA/PTO and booster organizations. Subscribers can change their settings or unsubscribe at any time.
Make sure we have your current email so that we can send you updates. Or, you can go to https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/VAEDUFCPS/subscriber/new to subscribe! Our first newsletter will be sent home on September 2, 2021!
eNotify
Parents of Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) students are automatically enrolled to receive eNotify Communications. FCPS central offices and schools use this system to communicate emergency, delayed opening and school closing information, attendance, and other essential communications. Contact information from the student information system are uploaded to eNotify. It is important that parents keep their child’s emergency contact information up-to-date. To update, email Afkham Hosseini at ahosseini@fcps.edu, fill out an emergency care card, or update through your SIS ParentVUE account.
SIS ParentVUE
Parents can access information about their child’s attendance, class performance, and manage emergency communication and FCPS forms via a SIS ParentVUE account. Go to https://www.fcps.edu/resources/technology/student-information-system-sis-fcps/sis-parent-account-overview for more information. If you need an activation code, please call the school at 703-793-4800.
Schoology /SKOO-luh-jee/
In June FCPS retired Blackboard and our new Learning Management System is Schoology. In Schoology, parents will find teacher schedules, information about the curriculum, and other important information. It’s also a great platform for teachers to communicate with families. Parents will receive information about accessing classroom sites from their student's teacher. To learn more, parents can go to https://www.fcps.edu/schoology/why.
Communicating with the Teacher
Parents may contact the classroom teacher by leaving a message with the office staff or by emailing the staff member directly. It is best to always start with the classroom teacher if you have a question or a concern, as they are often the person with the most knowledge regarding your child. Staff email addresses can be found on the school website at https://mcnaires.fcps.edu/about/staff-directory.
Follow Us!
Don’t forget to take a look at us on Twitter! Follow us @FCPSMcNairES You can also join our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/McNairES
Volunteering
At McNair, we love our volunteers and would like them to participate as much as possible. As we begin the school year and navigate safety protocols and space limitations, we are not opening for volunteers or visits during lunch, at this time. We will keep families informed of any future changes.
For Your Calendar
August 16
The school office will close from 8-11:00 a.m. for staff professional development.
August 18
Teacher assignments emailed to parents at 4 p.m.
August 19
Open House - Come see your classroom and meet your teacher. Doors open at 11 a.m. Drop off your school materials. Supply lists can be found on our school website at https://mcnaires.fcps.edu/academics/school-supply-lists. Families may enter the building through Doors 1, 2 or 9 on Open House day. We will be welcoming families until 12:30 p.m.
August 23
School Begins - You do not want to miss a minute! The doors open at 8:35 a.m. and school begins promptly at 8:45 a.m. Students will be dismissed at 3:30 p.m.
New to Kindergarten Parent? Join us under the tent by Door 9 for a PTA sponsored Meet & Greet at 8:45 a.m.
September 1
Back-to-School (BTS) - McNair Elementary will hold its annual PreK-2 Back-to-School evening on Wednesday, September 1 from 6:30 -7:30 p.m. with a bit of a twist!
By August 31, 2021, teachers will send home information about school expectations and grade-level curriculum for parents to preview. On Wednesday, September 1, parents are invited to stop by the school for a “Drop In & Chat” from 6:30 -7:30 p.m. This chat will allow parents and teachers to use their time together to provide clarification regarding the upcoming year and to delve deeper into topics of interest and importance. More information to come.
September 3-6
Labor Day Holiday, No School
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