Working Together as a McNair Community
This is certainly a challenging time for our McNair Community, and we at McNair Elementary and McNair Upper share parent concerns regarding the safety of students and the staff who support them. We have had many families reach out to us about how we are supporting the health of students and staff, particularly when a COVID case is identified, and we thought we’d dedicate this newsletter to delve deeper into our school practices.
First and foremost, we want our families to know that the safety of all is a priority. In the first weeks of school, we are learning, teaching, and modifying our practices to enhance safety. Additionally, both schools have the following mitigation measures in place:
- Washing/sanitizing hands frequently
- Cafeteria tables at half-capacity and strategically placed to increase distance between students when eating
- Increased time between classes for lunch to allow for thorough sanitizing of tables
- Decreased number of students in the cafeteria at one time
- Eating snacks in shifts or socially distanced in the classroom
- Wearing masks outside during recess (masks breaks are taken with social distancing in mind when outside)
- Custodians are cleaning and disinfecting high touch surfaces with a thorough cleaning at night of each classroom
- Seating charts within the building to identify close contacts should the need arise
- Increased staff vigilance around teaching students appropriate mask wearing and eating and drinking with purpose
- Daily Health Screening for children and staff
While we do not want to see any community spread of COVID at our schools, we know that cases will occur. In that event, each case will be assessed thoroughly and thoughtfully in conjunction with FCPS and the Fairfax County Health Department to determine next steps. Since each case is unique, each response will be as well. We will also work in collaboration to determine if we have any close contacts and act accordingly. Impacted families will be communicated with as quickly as possible and our actions will be for the benefit of all of our Mustangs. It’s important to note, if families don’t hear from us following community notification, the identified positive case was not a potential close contact to your child.
So, let’s take a deeper look at the steps we take when a case is identified and what families can do to support our efforts.
Parents: Complete the Health Screening Questionnaire daily.
Get familiar with the Health Screening Questionnaire and screen your child(ren) daily. Parents are to keep their child(ren) home if they present with any illness or symptoms that are associated with COVID, i.e., runny nose, coughing, headache, stomachache, etc. While we know this may be an inconvenience, our McNair families are the first line of defense when it comes to preventing community spread of COVID.
Parents: Communicate quickly with us.
As soon as you have information that your child has COVID or likely has it, please let us know. The sooner we have information, the sooner we can alert the health department to begin contact tracing. Information is kept confidential from other school families.
Parents: Send your child to school with a properly fitted mask.
Face coverings and masks that are properly used are essential to mitigate the spread of COVID. It’s important for parents to know that all masks do not provide the same protection for your child. Take a look at this document. It highlights the types of masks that are appropriate for students to wear at school. Please do not send your child to school with single layer gaiters, vented masks, or masks with gaps that are too loose. Parents may want to send an extra mask or two to school, just in case. Sometimes masks get lost or destroyed at school. While we have extras in the event of an emergency, we know that many families have worked hard to find the right mask for their child’s comfort.
The School: Responds immediately when someone tests positive.
If a student, staff member, worker or visitor tests positive and was at school during the infectious period (within 48 hours of onset of symptoms or 48 hours prior to a positive test if asymptomatic), we will alert the entire school community.
If the individual is a student or teacher, the school reviews seating assignments throughout the school day and identifies potential close contacts to the person who has tested positive for COVID. If your child is considered a potential close contact, we will notify you immediately. If your child is at school when identified, we will ask you to come pick your child up from school. Staff members are sent home.
The School: Determines potential close contacts to a known positive case.
The following are a couple examples of individuals who would be considered a potential close contact:
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Students wearing masks who were less than 3 feet of a Student case for a cumulative amount of 15 minutes or more in a school day
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Students who were less than 6 feet of a Staff case for a cumulative amount of 15 minutes or more in a school day
The School: Pauses instruction for individuals identified as potential close contacts
Out of an abundance of caution, any individual who is identified as a potential close contact by FCPS staff will have to stay home from school until the Health Department completes its contact tracing and closes the investigation. Please know that this may take several days. While your child is at home, your child’s teachers will provide assignments for paused students.
Please note: FCPS staff can only identify potential close contacts; we are not identifying students who are actual close contacts and have to quarantine. Only the Health Department can determine if your child needs to quarantine through their contact tracing investigation.
The School: Works in collaboration with the Health Department.
We cannot disclose details of the positive case to include the child's name, grade, class or any additional information; or the staff member's name or assignment. The Health Department will contact you directly and will direct the appropriate students to quarantine. The school will notify the entire community when the contact tracing is complete. Once the Health Department has completed their investigation, we will also invite any student who was staying home per FCPS staff direction and who has not been required to quarantine per the health department to return to school.
We recognize that the idea of your child being considered a potential close contact or having a classmate who tests positive for COVID can be upsetting and, at times, frustrating. The current FCPS protocols to prevent the spread in schools may impact families unexpectedly because they have to be home with their child. This process is one that requires quite a bit of patience and grace as we ensure all are as safe as possible.
It is our hope that sharing information about the current process will help alleviate some of the stress that is inherent in this situation. Ensuring our students stay healthy when at school is a community responsibility. If we all work together, we can minimize the impact of COVID in the McNair School Community. We appreciate your support, flexibility, and patience. Our partnership is key and we know we can support each other through this unprecedented time.
AAP in FCPS Parent Overview Night
(Grade K-6 families)
Come learn about the Fairfax County Public Schools Advanced Academic Program (AAP) for students in Fairfax County. Parents are invited to join us for a Parent Information Night to learn more about the AAP programs at both McNair Elementary and McNair Upper on Tuesday, September 14, 2021 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. We will provide a question and answer time for families regarding Level I-IV services as well as Young Scholars.
Get a jumpstart on the meeting by watching the following videos about the programs in FCPS:
Meeting Information for all families:
AAP Level IV Parent Information Night for Grades 2-6 Only
Families interested in learning more about the AAP Level IV screening process are welcome to join us for our Level IV Parent Information Night. During this meeting we will discuss the forms, documents and deadlines for applications. We will also review possible ideas for work samples, and provide a brief question and answer session for families.
Meeting Information for 2nd-6th Grade parents:
Parent Consent for Digital Resources
Like last year, we need parent consent for the digital resources students will use at school and at home. Please click here to read more about the resources your child may use in the course of a school year. Parents can provide consent here.
FCPS Multilingual Family Podcasts
Listen and subscribe to a FCPS Multilingual Family Podcast to hear timely, important information related to school news. The podcasts are produced in conjunction with the Office for ESOL Services and the Office of Professional Learning and Family Engagement. The goal of every podcast is to help families access key resources and understand how to best support their children’s education.
Listen and Subscribe:
Spanish Podcast: https://anchor.fm/enpocaspalabrasfcps
Arabic Podcast: https://anchor.fm/inafewwordsarabicfcps
Korean Podcast: https://anchor.fm/inafewwordskoreanfcps
For Your Calendar
September 3-6
Labor Day Holiday, No School
September 15
PTA Meeting, Look below for information
PTA Corner
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Join the McNair PTA!
McNair PTA membership for 2021-22 is now open. This year we reduced the membership fees for families and teachers. Family membership is $30 and teacher membership is $10 for the school year. Click here to join the PTA or use the QR Code.
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PTA General Meeting
Our first PTA meeting of the school year will be on Wednesday, September 15, 2021 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. This will be a virtual meeting.
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/teo-zsio-yvc
Or dial: (US) +1 619-836-1328 PIN: 943 585 838#
Call for Volunteers | Board Secretary
We are looking for a volunteer to serve as the McNair ES PTA Board Secretary.
- Responsibilities are the following:
- Record the minutes of all meetings of McNair ES PTA.
- Keep the official copy of McNair ES PTA bylaws in his/her files.
- Maintain a membership list as required by Virginia PTA.
- Perform other delegated duties as assigned.
If you are interested, please contact Shaneece Gaines at president@mcnairespta.org
Reflections Program
It is time to start the Reflections program for the year 2021-22 at McNair Elementary school. PTA's Reflections program provides opportunities for recognition and access to the arts which boost student confidence and success in the arts and in life.
Each year, over 300,000 students in Pre-K through Grade 12 create original works of art in response to a student-selected theme. This 50+ year-old program helps them explore their own thoughts, feelings and ideas, develop artistic literacy, increase confidence and find a love for learning that will help them become more successful in school and in life
We are looking for volunteers for the following positions:
- 1 Reflections committee chair - will be coordinating with the Fairfax County Council PTA (FCCPTA)
- 3 Reflections committee members - will be helping the committee chair with all the efforts
We need the above positions filled-up by September 10th to host the program at McNair Elementary school.
Please contact vp.volunteers@mcnairespta.org or reflections@mcnairespta.org if interested.
To Learn more about the Reflections Program Click Here
Movie Night
Mark your calendars for the PTA Movie Night on Friday, October 1 from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Our family Movie Night will be an outdoor event on the McNair Field. This will be a great fall event the whole family will love and you do not have to be a PTA Member to attend! All McNair families are welcome!
You will need to bring your own blanket or lawn chair. Tents will not be permitted.
Social distancing and masks are strongly encouraged at all events.
Stay tuned for the Movie Selection!
Zero Dollar Contribution Opportunities
Please take a few minutes to check out how you can support the McNair PTA and school financially with ZERO cost to you! Look below!
Please sign up for the TIE program from Harris teeter.
School code: 5090
- you can sign up at the checkout counter using the above code
or you can send either your VIC card number or registered phone number to vp.outreach@mcnairespta.org to update your info.
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Click here to be directed to Amazon Smile to contribute to McNair when you shop with Amazon.
OR
Click on our Amazon Purchase Link every time you shop on Amazon.com. You can also bookmark the URL "https://smile.amazon.com/ch/02-0609481" and use it to go directly to Amazon.com.
Please share our School Rewards link with family, friends, and colleagues! E-mail them either of our special links above and ask them to use them every time they shop Amazon so their purchases will help, too!
Please note that we only benefit from your purchase if you purchase through our school links every time you shop on Amazon.com
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Collect Box Tops
Keep clipping Box Tops from various product brands. Box Tops can be found on hundreds of products, including: Nature Valley Granola bars, Kleenex tissues, Hefty, Lysol, Zip Loc, Reynolds, Old El Paso, Green Giant, Fiber One, Motts, Gogurt, Yoplait, Land O Lakes, General Mills Cereals, etc.
Gather them in groups of 10 or 50 in a plastic bag and write your child's TEACHER name on the bag for your class to get credit for them.
Each class' Box Tops will be totaled monthly and the top 5 classes will be posted in our weekly message. The class with the most non-expired box tops will win a party.
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