Celebrate Kindness in December
Our first Family Day was a roaring success as McNair Elementary welcomed our families to classrooms to participate in an activity all around kindness. Our hope is that our students participate in our December kindness challenge which is all about making a conscious effort to smile at others. Families will get an extra smile from us if they think about other ways to spread kindness in our community during the month of December.
If you were not able to join us, take a look at our student produced video of the amazing day! Just click here.
Strawbridge Picture Retakes – December 5
Strawbridge Studios is returning to McNair Elementary on Monday, December 5, 2022 for retakes. During this time, we will take pictures of any new students or students who were absent on the first picture day in October.
Parents who did not like the first picture that was taken of their child can have a retake. Just send your child to school with their original picture from Strawbridge to give to the photographer.
Parents can order pictures online. Go to Strawbridge.net, click on "Order Pictures and Yearbooks," and type this code into the box - FM396334.
Please note: the code for McNair ES is different from McNair Upper.
 Preparing for Winter Weather
FCPS’ inclement weather procedures will remain the same as last year. The first five inclement weather days will be traditional “snow days” with no school activities. After those five days, we will use the flexibility provided by the Virginia General Assembly to have unscheduled virtual learning days, whenever possible, to maintain the continuity of learning. Virtual learning on these days will be synchronous/live instruction, following the inclement weather virtual learning day schedule (includes a two-hour delay).
FCPS’ website is generally the first mode of communication during emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible including email, text, social media, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated.
Be sure to plan ahead for the winter season. Make sure your contact information is up-to-date in weCare@school, bookmark the FCPS website, plan for childcare, if appropriate, and know what items your child may need to take home before a weather event.
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Watch this video about how inclement weather decisions are made in Fairfax County Public Schools! |
 Keep Your Child Warm During Outdoor Activities
As the days get colder, all schools in FCPS will monitor the weather for low temperatures, wind chill advisories and warnings, and weather advisories which may prevent children from being outside. Make sure your child is dressed appropriately with a warm coat and other cold-weather clothing, so they can comfortably enjoy their time outdoors. See the National Weather Service’s tips on staying safe during cold weather.
If you need assistance supplying your child with cold-weather clothing, please call the school at 703-793-4800 or Fairfax County's Coordinated Services Planning (CSP) at 703-222-0880. The multilingual staff can assist with any challenges you are facing, including food, shelter, employment, financial assistance, and healthcare.
 AAP Level IV Referral Office Hours
Have questions about the referral process for AAP Level IV Services? Ms. Burg, Advanced Academic Resource Teacher, will be having virtual office hours on the following days:
As a reminder, all Level IV Referrals are due on December 15, 2022.
McNair Giving Tree
Are you interested in helping to support some of our neediest Mustang families for the winter season?
If so, we have set up an Amazon wish list using the link: McNair Giving Tree Wish List. The list is set up so all of the items are delivered to McNair Upper and we will be coordinating directly with them. (Please know that the list is serving families from both schools.)
Important Notes: Please do not pay to have the gifts wrapped.
Once you add items to your cart, please make sure to choose “MCNAIR UPPER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL’s Gift Registry Address” as your “Shipping Address” so the gifts can be sent directly to the school. We need all items delivered to McNair Upper by Monday, December 12th.
Thank you for your kindness and generosity!
Student Holidays in December
Mark your calendars! The McNair School office will be closed from December 19 – January 2. The office will reopen on Tuesday, January 3, 2023.
As a reminder, please make sure you health screen your child before sending them to school on Tuesday, January 3. If your child does not feel well or presents with any COVID-like symptoms, kindly keep them at home and seek medical advice. We appreciate your support in keeping our McNair community healthy!
 Thank You for Celebrating Global Diversity Awareness Month!
McNair Elementary asked families to help us celebrate Global Diversity Awareness Month by designing a doll to reflect their culture or heritage. We were blown away by the results! We received over 200 paper dolls from our families! Not only were we able to fill our front showcase, but we lined our hallways with the paper dolls as well. The creativity, thoughtfulness, and pride for each families’ heritage is truly incredible. We are so grateful for the participation from our families! Our hope that this project sparked some wonderful conversations at home and at school about the diverse cultures represented at McNair Elementary.
Here is the video link: https://youtu.be/t9vyIAlb-3I
McNair PTA Membership Drive
Did you know that we have over 1200 students in our McNair school community and at last count the McNair PTA only had about 75 members for the 2022-2023 school year? The PTA plays a vital part in the school communities at both McNair Elementary and McNair Upper. They support afterschool programs, supplement student field trips, and buy important instructional materials for all students. Joining the PTA is a small thing that families can do to support this amazing group that is so greatly appreciated by McNair students and staff!
To support our PTA, we will be having a membership drive from Tuesday, December 6 to Friday, December 16. McNair Elementary parents will receive a PTA membership envelope in their child’s Take-Home Tuesday Folder on December 7th. Please consider joining the PTA. Family membership is $30. Joining can be done in one of two ways during the drive:
December 5
Strawbridge Picture Retakes. Read above for more information
December 19 - January 2
Winter Break, No School; School Office Closed
January 3
Happy New Year! Students return to school.
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