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Greetings Mantua Families! I hope you are having a great start to your week! We are getting ready to head into February and wish a Happy Lunar New Year to those in our community who celebrate. The Lunar New Year is an international holiday celebrated in many Asian countries and is centered on ushering in luck and prosperity with family.
Take good care,
Linda Shannon
Principal
February 1: Religious/Cultural Observance: Lunar New Year
February 3: PTA Meeting
February 21: Presidents’ Day - No School
Mantua PTA Meeting
Our next PTA meeting will take place virtually on Thursday, February 3 at 7 PM through Schoology Zoom located within the All Parent Course.
Yearbook Sales
The 2022 yearbook is sold through the company's online portal. The information and link can be found on the FCPS Mantua school web page and in the All Parent Schoology Course.
Student Computers and Headphones
All student laptops should go home each evening and return to school daily. Students should charge their laptops nightly at home. All students should bring a working pair of headphones to school each day and back home. Many of the programs used in school require headphones with a microphone as well as programs that are included as part of homework.
Message From Frost MS for 6th Grade families
We apologize that some families were not able to access the live program last night due to an error with the latest link. The presentation was recorded and can be found on our Rising 7th Grade Course Selection website here. On this website, you will also find a timeline of events, the course catalog and selection sheet, elective videos, and other helpful resources. Thank you for the fantastic questions that came up last night. We are looking through those submitted on the google form and will be responding either to individuals or through communications to all next week. You can continue to submit your questions here through February 1st.
Upcoming Evening Events-
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February 8th at 6:30 PM – Math Curriculum Exploration – Discussion of specific differences between Math 7 and Math 7 Honors, student readiness and mindset, and the sequence of math courses. This event is virtual and the link will be provided next week.
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February 9th at 6:30 PM – Special Education Parent Orientation – This is a newly added virtual event and the link will be provided next week.
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February 16th from 5:30-7:30 – Frost Family Festival - Please see the attached flyer for information and dinner sales. We look forward to seeing you here at Frost!
Frost Family Festival 2022.pdf
All virtual events will be recorded and placed on the website above for those who are unable to attend.
2022-2023 Kindergarten Survey
We need your help in projecting the Kindergarten enrollment for the 2022-2023 school year. Virginia Law, section 22.1-254, requires that children who will reach their fifth birthday on or before September 30, 2022, must be enrolled in Kindergarten for the 2022-2023 school year unless the parent or guardian notifies the school in writing that they do not wish the child to attend school until the following year.
If you have a child who will be five years old on or before September 30, 2022, please complete this form and return it no later than March 31, 2022. If any of your neighbors have children who will be eligible for Kindergarten, please share this information with them, as we are especially interested in reaching those Mantua families who do not have children currently attending school.
The information on this survey will help the school plan for adequate facilities and personnel for the 2022-2023 school year. Please email the completed form to Mergie Kakcouris at mbkakouris@fcps.edu. We thank you in advance for returning the form no later than March 31, 2022 .
Seventh Grade Immunization Requirements
Effective July 1, 2021, all students entering 7th grade will be required to receive one dose of each of the following immunizations prior to the beginning of school: Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis booster (Tdap) given at age 7 or older, and Meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY) given at age 10 or older. Seventh grade students cannot begin school in August without proper Tdap and Meningococcal documentation.
Acceptable documentation to submit to Mantua ES can be one of the following:
- An immunization record showing the month, day, and year the immunization(s) was given.
- A note on a healthcare provider’s letterhead stating the month, day, and year the immunization(s) was given.
- A healthcare provider’s written statement of a permanent or temporary medical exemption for a student who cannot receive the immunization due to medical reasons.
4. A notarized Religious Exemption Form, which is available online at: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/support/health_medical/certificate_religious_exemption.pdf
COVID Vaccination Status
You may wish to voluntarily share your child’s COVID-19 vaccination information with
Mantua ES. However, we do not require your child’s vaccination information and no school employee will ask for your child’s vaccination status. If you would like to provide us with your child’s vaccination status, please bring your child’s COVID-19 vaccination card or a photocopy of the card to Aysha Otero in the front office. COVID-19 vaccination documentation contains Protected Health Information and should not be emailed.
Health Reminders
Masks
Dr. Brabrand’s recent message indicates that FCPS continues to require universal mask-wearing in alignment with CDC guidance. Our layered prevention strategies have proven effective in keeping transmission rates low in our schools. We know our students are best served by in-person instruction. Adhering to our layered prevention strategies, especially universal masking, keeps our schools open and safe places for students to learn.
COVID Contact
Please join me in welcoming Ms. Susan Palomino as our COVID Coordinator at Mantua. She is currently assisting us with all COVID-related correspondence. If you have any questions or if you need to report an absence for a COVID-related reason, please also email Susan Palomino at slpalomino@fcps.edu, as well as Mantuaelem.attendance@fcps.edu.
Screening Information:
Effective January 3: All students (unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, and vaccinated) will be eligible to participate in weekly screening testing with parent/legal guardian consent. The testing at Mantua will continue tomorrow, for families who have given permission. You may withdraw your consent for testing at any time. If you want your child to be eligible to participate in COVID-19 screening testing, you must pre-register your child(ren) and provide consent using the LTS secure online portal. If you do not want your child to participate in COVID-19 screening testing, no action is required. You will have the option each week to update your child’s vaccination and consent for testing. For all the details about optional COVID-19 screening testing, visit the FCPS website and review the FCPS COVID-19 Screening Testing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document.
Children Ages 5-11 Now Eligible to VaxUP!
Children ages 5-11 are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. FCPS is collaborating with the Fairfax County Health Department, Inova, and the Virginia Chapter of the American Association of Pediatricians to offer community-wide access to vaccines as soon as possible. Vaccines are expected to be available at mass vaccination sites soon. Check with your local pharmacy or pediatrician for appointment availability. Up-to-date information about vaccination opportunities will be available on our website.
In the meantime, you may have questions about the vaccine. We talked with local pediatricians to answer some of the most common questions. First, we asked how the vaccine works and about its safety. Hear what they have to say in this short video.
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