Mantua PTA News 2022, Issue 6

Important notice about after school programs! 

If your student is participating in a program immediately after school (i.e., drama rehearsals, enrichment classes, etc.), you must update their dismissal plan in Pickup Patrol (https://app.pickuppatrol.net/parents). Teachers will only release students by the method indicated in Pickup Patrol, so make sure your student’s dismissal plan is updated to reflect any after school activities. If you have any questions concerning the Pickup Patrol, please contact Mantua Elementary at ffinaish@fcps.edu or 703-645-6300.

Upcoming Garden Projects - Volunteers Needed!

There are a couple of non-gardening garden opportunities for which we could use some extra hands:

- On Sunday, October 9th at 9 am we will be rebuilding one of the Discovery Garden beds and repairing another. These were two of the original beds and we’re glad to be able to get them back in shape. We are seeking 2-3 people to help with removing the old timbers and transporting the new lumber and supplies to the garden.

- We have gotten approval to install the new storage shed by the Learning Garden site. We are hoping to find 1-2 people who would be willing to assemble the shed and get it into place along the quad building. Assembly instructions and the disassembled shed will be transport to the school in advance. Ideally, this project could be completed in the next couple of weeks.

These are great projects for anyone who may not love digging in the soil but would like to pitch in and help our beautiful gardens. Please contact Karin Hudson at garden@mantuapta.org if you are able to help.

Save the Date for Run for Rocky!

This year’s theme is 2022 Blast Off!!!

This fall, Run for Rocky will be held on Thursday, October 27! This is a fun event where students run laps and raise money for their school.

Here are some dates to make note of:

• Oct. 14 – Nov. 4 our fundraising portal will be open for donations. These donations are used for PTA sponsored activities like Mantua basketball, Raccoon Runners, the Drama Club, and Kids Care Club, as well as purchasing supplies for the school.

During the days leading up to Run for Rocky, we’ll encourage students to participate in Spirit Week!

• Monday, Oct. 24 – No school
• Tuesday, Oct. 25 – Space Day (wear blue, black, or silver, or any space-themed outfit)
• Wednesday, Oct. 26 – Wacky Wednesday (Crazy Hat/Hair/Clothes Day)
• Thursday, Oct. 27 – Spirit Parade Dress Up Day (time TBD) and Run for Rocky (times below) 
  
  • 9:30 a.m.-10:15 a.m.: 3rd-4th grades
  • 10:30-11:15 a.m.: K-2nd grades
  • 1:30-12:15 p.m.: 5th-6th grades
• Friday, Oct. 28 – Pajama Day
  (Friday will be the rain day for the run if needed)

Volunteers are back this year, and will be needed at water stations and for marking student shirts to track laps - we are glad to return to that tradition after the last two years! More information will be coming soon.

Corporate Matching - Did you know many companies offer a matching gift program to encourage philanthropy among their employees? You can DOUBLE your impact from your Run for Rocky donation with corporate matching. Please check to see if your employer offers corporate matching here!

If you have any questions please contact EmilyLearyChesnes@gmail.com 
or fundraising@mantuapta.org. We thank you for your support for one of our biggest fundraisers of the year!

Mantua 2022 - 2023 Basketball Season

Registration for all players, coaches, and referees is open now through October 8th.

Please review the registration guide before registering: 
Mantua Basketball - Registration Guide

Register for all roles here:  
https://mantuabasketball.org/home.

Registration fees:
$75 for PTA members 
$100 for non-PTA members
(Pay dues here: https://mantuapta.memberhub.com/store)

NEW: Without referees, we can’t play games. I know that is painfully obvious, but finding referees to volunteer is always a challenge. No experience is needed and we will provide you all the training, support, and whistles you need.

Referee training sessions will be 11/9 and 11/14 from 6p to 8p in the Mantua gym. Referees are encouraged to attend both sessions. There are several rule changes going in to effect this year.

One thing I will always try to do with this basketball community is be transparent. In that vein, I fully understand the challenges of being a referee. It can be stressful, intimidating, and not a whole lot of fun to be yelled at for something you are volunteering to do to help the community. I am also aware of the expectations placed on referees and how that is sometimes viewed as too much for this type of league.

We have considered hiring referees through the various county offerings. We have consistently decided against that, as it would incur costs of somewhere between $8,000 to $12,000 per season. By using our own referees, that money can instead go back to the PTA to benefit the school.

The reason the league has high expectations for our referees is because the community has similar standards for them. Occasional comments, complaints, or arguments are presented to the referees throughout the season by parents, players, and/or coaches. While rare, we are doing our referees a disservice if we don’t prepare them for these potential situations. The best way to prevent these infrequent exchanges is to ensure the referees are strong in their knowledge of the rules and in their game management skills.

The intent in presenting the above information is to be realistic about the referee position. Our sincere hope is that it doesn’t dissuade anyone from volunteering. We have a significant shortage of referees and we hope many of you will raise your hand for this vital position. Referees serve an immensely positive role in teaching the kids how to play and instilling a love of the game in them. The referees who instruct while officiating, call games with a flexible
perspective given the age and level of play, and who guide instead of criticize are invaluable role models for developing players.

Reminders: Coaches meetings will be 10/11 and 10/14 from 7:30p to 8:30p in the Mantua gym. Coaches will need to attend one, not both, of these meetings.
Player evaluations will be 10/15 for 3rd and 4th graders from and 10/16 for 5th and 6th graders. These sessions will be from 3p to 5p at the Mantua gym. The make up date for 3rd and 4th graders will be 10/17 and the make up date for 5th and 6th graders will be 10/18. These sessions will be 7:30p to 8:30p at the Mantua gym.

Coaches are required to attend the evaluation sessions for the age group of their team. We are in need of two volunteers per evaluation session to assist with player check-in. 

Contact Jeremy Sheridan at commissioner@mantuabasketball.org if you have any questions or would like to volunteer with Mantua PTA Basketball.

Mantua PTA invites our neighbors to safely celebrate fall and enjoy our community with a Scarecrow Scavenger Hunt, being held October 21-24!The Scarecrow Scavenger Hunt is open to all families in the Mantua neighborhood and Mantua Elementary School boundaries. Please spread the word within your HOA, development, cul de sac or street – we’d love to see many scarecrows!

Click here for activity details. 

Enter your scarecrow by 10/18: 
https://forms.gle/RRQ2tWgs8houuK2N7

Reflections Art Program

The Reflections Program encourages students to explore the arts and to create original masterpieces in response to a student-created theme and submit their artwork in one or more categories:

- Dance Choreography
- Film Production
- Literature
- Music Composition
- Photography
- Visual Arts (2-D or 3-D)

Students participate in their division:

- Primary (Pre-K to Grade 2)
- Intermediate (Grade 3-5)
- Middle School (Grade 6-8)
- High School (Grade 9-12)
- *Special Artist (All grades) * Special Artists are students who identify as having a disability and may receive services under IDEA or ADA: Section 504 may enter in the Special Artist Division or grade division most closely aligned to their functional abilities.) Finalists from each category and division are submitted to the county-level Reflections Program. The county finalists are submitted to the regional-level, then to the state-level, and finally to the Nationals. The theme for the 2022-2023 school year is "Show Your Voice!".

*** Call for Entries! Deadline is Mon, Oct 31, 2022 at noon. ***

For more information, please email: Reflections@MantuaPTA.org

Pictures for the Yearbook

If you are coordinating or attending a Mantua ES event this school year, please consider sending in your pictures to be used in the yearbook. This includes PTA events, special club or program activities, performances, etc. Send all pictures to Kate Easton at kjeaston@fcps.edu with a description of the event and names of the students, where applicable.

Costumes for Kids Fall Festival

Kids Give Back is making Halloween fun for kids! 

The Costumes for Kids Fall Volunteer Festival will be held on October 15th 12PM - 3PM at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 8922 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax, VA.

Help prepare 80 storybook character costumes for Title 1 elementary school kids! The event includes: Costume making, Face Painting, Pumpkin Painting, Fake wound station, Games, Music, Raffle, Silent Auction, and more! Lunch and dessert will also be for sale. Click here for flyer. 

Tickets are $10 per person for ages 6+.  Purchase tickets today!

https://kidsgiveback.networkforgood.com/events/44996-costumes-for-kids-fall-volunteer-festival-2022 

Mantua proudly partners with Harris Teeter’s Together in Education program to help raise funds for our school. It’s easy and it’s FREE. Just link your VIC card and when you check out, Mantua will receive a percentage of your Harris Teer brand purchases credited back to our account. We do need to relink each calendar year, so if you have participated in the past, you will need to relink this year to continue earning rewards. You can also tell the cashier the Mantua school code, 4458, at check out. The program does not interfere with your VIC savings or cost you any money!

Click here to sign up today! https://tie.harristeeter.com/together-in-education

Mantua is an eligible charity on AmazonSmile that costs you nothing and earns money back for our school. Visit https://smile.amazon.com, select Amazon Smile under “Your Account” and search for Mantua Elementary. Once you do that, a percentage of your purchase price on many, but not all, items will be donated back to Mantua Elementary. During future visits to the site, AmazonSmile will remember your charity and apply eligible purchases towards your total contribution—it is that easy.

Volunteer to be a Room Parent  

We are still looking for room parents for the following classrooms:  

Anomaly (5th), Malc (6th), Boyd (6th)

The role of the room parent is very important, but also flexible!  The job requires mostly email communication between the teacher and class families throughout the year.  Room parents do not need to be physically present in the classroom, so it is a great way for busy parents to make a big difference, all on their own time and schedule.

Sign-Up Link (click through the grades at the top of the page): 
https://www.signupgenius.com/tabs/53170df07a3caeec06-volunteers

Email volunteering@mantuapta.org with any questions. 

Art Helpers Needed 

Come on out and sign up to help prep materials for the Mantua Art Department! We look forward to a wonderful year with our student artists creating beautiful masterpieces. Below you will find the link to our volunteer signup genius. Thank you, we couldn't do it without your support!

Sign-up here:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4AA9AC22A6FF2-mantua

Join the PTA!

Join the PTA for the 2022-2023 year! Yearly dues are $20 per family and gets you discounts on some PTA sponsored clubs.  JOIN HERE: 

https://mantuapta.memberhub.com/store 

Your membership dues are very important. Your ongoing support has funded and sponsored projects throughout Mantua.

Some of these include: Weekly Newsletter, After School Enrichment, Basketball League, Kids Care Club, Library Resources, PTA Online Student Directory, New Computers and Programs, Teacher Education Parent Education Seminars, Drama Club, Wish Fund, Chat and Chew Book Club

Join the Mantua Elementary PTA Facebook Page

Let’s get social! Don’t forget to join the Mantua Elementary PTA Facebook page! Not only is a great place to ask questions and connect with other families, we hope to keep it up to date with important events and dates throughout the year.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/MantuaPTA/?ref=share

How to Submit an Announcement to the PTA News

Please complete this form to have a Mantua ES- or Mantua PTA-related announcement placed in the weekly Mantua PTA News, on our Facebook page and/or on MantuaPTA.org.

The form guides you through all the pieces of information we need to put out complete announcements.