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Dear Mantua families,
We hope that your weekend was restful and enjoyable!
Our highlight from last week was the first PTA event of the year, our Pizza and Ice Cream Social! We enjoyed seeing families get to know one another and, as a staff, we loved the chance to connect with our students and families during the social! Mantua PTA is active in our community, and we so appreciate everything they do for the school. Join us for our first PTA meeting of the year this Friday morning and find out how you can be involved in the Mantua PTA! We’ve shared some photos of the ice cream social below.
Looking ahead, from September 15-October 15 we recognize and celebrate the histories and cultures of the members of our community who trace their heritage to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated throughout FCPS.
Take a moment to make sure your contact information is updated in your SIS ParentVue account. We use this information to contact you about bus delays, weather updates, and so much more. We also use this information to verify identity when picking up your child. Please contact Ms. Kakouris at MBKakouris@fcps.edu if you have questions about your ParentVue account or your emergency contact information. We also want to gently remind you to make sure that your default plan or plan changes are updated in Pick Up Patrol. The safety and security of your child is of utmost importance to us.
We hope that you have a wonderful rest of your week!
Take good care,
Linda Shannon, Principal
Rich Deixler, Assistant Principal
Colleen Vaughan, Assistant Principal
September 8: PTA Meeting, 9:30 a.m., Mantua Cafeteria
September 15-October 15: National Hispanic Heritage Month
September 15: Rosh Hashanah (observed, falls on a weekend this year)
September 20: Back to School Night, 6-8 p.m.
September 22: Woodson Feeder Night Football Game, beginning at 7 p.m., Woodson High School
September 25: Yom Kippur, FCPS schools and offices closed
September 26: AAP Parent/Family Information Night, 6-8 p.m., Mantua Cafeteria
Be sure to bookmark the FCPS school year calendar to keep track of school holidays, breaks, and observances.
- Days marked with blue Hs are student holidays.
- Days marked in pink are holidays for students, but working days for teachers and staff.
Fitness Fridays
Staff and students are encouraged to wear their favorite fitness clothes on Fridays and come to the Mantua Track to end your week right! Join some staff and students for Fitness Fridays at 8:30 every Friday. This program will run from September 15 - through November 17, with the exception of Oct. 27 (Run for Rocky). We will be walking or jogging around and eventually adding some fun fitness components and exercises to our laps. Students can be dropped off any time after 8:30 to walk with their friends and will be dismissed to class at 9:05. Exercise is a great way to boost your mood, improve focus, and improve your ability to do everyday activities. We are looking forward to seeing you there!
There is no sign-up. Just come when you can on Friday mornings.
Woodson Feeder Night
 The Woodson Activities Department would like to invite you to the Annual Feeder Night Football game on Friday September 22, 2023!
The Theme is a “Hawaiian Out” and don't forget to wear your favorite Mantua attire!
The Friday night football game vs. Lewis will start at 7:00pm and we will organize our Mantua students around 6:30 PM near the scoreboard.
Many people throughout the Woodson pyramid mark this event on their calendar every year to watch the Feeder students and Administrators run up and down the field before the game!
Attendance Awareness Month
The beginning of the school year is the best time to develop strong attendance habits! Students who attend school regularly are more likely to perform well in reading and math, develop strong social and emotional skills, and graduate from high school on time. Help prepare your child for future success. Visit FCPS’ Attendance web page for tips and strategies.
MANTUA Reminders
Attendance
We will also continue using PUP for absence reporting. In the event of an absence or tardy, please login to PickUp Patrol or call 703-645-6363. Please specify a physician’s diagnosis, such as strep throat or pinkeye. If your child has not seen a physician, please be specific about the symptoms your child is having, such as fever, cough sore, throat headache, diarrhea, and/or vomiting. Our Public Health Nurse tracks this information.
Medication Forms & Drop Off
The Health Room continues to be open for drop-off of emergency and daily prescription medications. Medications may be dropped off after the start of school M-F, 9 a.m.– 4 p.m. All visitors are required to check in at the Main Office. All medications are required to have a completed medication authorization.
A parent or designated adult must transport all prescription medications to school. Students are not allowed to bring in prescription medications. Prescription labels must include a description of the medication.
AAP Parent/Family Information Night
We cordially invite parents to attend an AAP Parent/Family Information Night to learn about Advanced Academics Program (AAP) services at Mantua. Topics to be covered include –
- The different levels of AAP services offered
- How students are identified for AAP services
- How parents may refer their child for AAP services
This meeting will be held Tuesday, September 26, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the cafeteria. Spanish language interpretation services will be available.
Please direct any questions to our Mantua Advanced Academics Resource Teacher (AART), Kathy Van Dyke, at kkvandyke@fcps.edu
FCPS Information & Reminders
SEL Screener Parent Notification and Updates
FCPS is committed to supporting the mental wellness of all students. The Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener helps our students share their perspectives on how their schools and communities support them and help them develop the skills they need to succeed.
The screener is offered to all students in grades 3 through 12 in the fall and spring. It addresses skills like achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships with adults and peers, and making responsible decisions. Students also share how successful their school and community are at making them feel valued, included, and supported. Screener data is used to plan programming for the division, schools, and individual students.
Key updates to the screener this year include:
- Different versions for students in grades 3-5 and 6-12.
- Fewer topics with more questions to provide schools and families with more data to support planning.
- Additional questions aligned with FCPS’ commitment to educational equity.
Results are mailed home to families after each screening. Families who wish to opt their child out may do so by completing the opt-out form in the Annual Notice packet or SIS ParentVue.
For more information, please visit the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage.
Please note that the SEL Screener differs from the anonymous Fairfax County Youth Survey. For more information about the Youth Survey, see the Fairfax County Youth Survey site.
FCPS’ Student Rights and Responsibilities document (SR&R) explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses to enhance school safety and to create a fair, equitable, and supportive school environment. In late June, the School Board approved changes to the SR&R for the 2023-24 school year. Updates include a revision of dress code expectations, bystander expectations for students witnessing harmful or unsafe behaviors, bullying, and substance abuse responses. Read Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid’s letter to families regarding the SR&R.
Parents/caregivers should talk to their child(ren) about expectations for this school year. Also, please log in to SIS ParentVUE and sign to acknowledge your review of the SR&R, or sign and return the signature sheet to your child’s school by Friday, September 29.
Lightspeed Parent Report on Child’s Device Activity
FCPS has tools to help parents know more about their child’s activity on any FCPS device. These tools are provided at no cost to families by Lightspeed, the school division’s internet content filtering service.
Parents may sign up for a weekly Parent Report, which will provide a list of the top sites your child visited. The report also offers parents the ability to sign up for free access to the Internet Use Parent Portal. Through the portal, parents may pause their child’s access to the internet on their FCPS device during non-school hours.
Learn more about Lightspeed Parent Reports.
Parental Permission to Use Digital Resources
Some FCPS-approved digital resources require parent consent before they can be used by students. Find the list of resources which require consent on the Parent Consent webpage. This page also includes directions for providing permission.
Each digital resource used in FCPS has had an instructional and technical review. Information about the educational technology tools approved for use within FCPS can be found in the online Digital Ecosystem Library.
Parents can find more information about FCPS-approved digital resources on the Digital Resources in FCPS webpage.
Transportation
If a student’s bus is delayed, parents may access the Bus Delay Notification System or use the Here Comes the Bus mobile app to receive the delayed bus report. Email messages will be sent to announce significant bus delays. Contact the Transportation Office at 703-446-2050 with any additional questions. For any concerns after 5:30 p.m., contact Safety and Security at 571-423-2000.
To make sure you receive email messages about bus delays, update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE.
What is Schoology?
Teachers use Schoology to post their classroom materials online, to provide a secure forum for students to discuss their ideas and collaborate on projects, and to assign and collect homework electronically. It helps students stay organized, and it keeps the class connected.
A Schoology Parent Account gives you access to:
- Your child’s classes.
- Your child’s upcoming assignments.
- School, class, and group announcements.
Parent accounts will be available after August 21. To access Schoology, parents will need to have an active SIS/ParentVUE account. Get more information on how to log in and use Schoology.
Annual Notice of Survey, Records, Curriculum, Privacy, and Related Rights
Fairfax County Public Schools wants all parents to understand its policies regarding surveys, records, curriculum, privacy, and related rights.
In its Annual Notice of Survey, Records, Curriculum, Privacy, and Related Rights and Opt-Out Forms (Annual Notice), FCPS provides explanations of the rights listed above and forms that may be used to exercise opt-out choices. Two versions of the Annual Notice are available — a grades K-8 version and a grades 9-12 version. Parents/caregivers with children at different grade levels should read each applicable version of the Annual Notice because the notices and opt-out rights vary depending on the student’s grade level.
Get more information and view the 2023-24 Opt-Out Booklets.
ParentVUE Accounts
Do you have your ParentVUE account? ParentVUE is a secure solution to access your child's attendance, SOL scores, test results, class performance, and demographic data.
Certain opt-out options and paper forms are transitioning to electronic forms, which can be accessed in parentvue. Learn more about Parent SIS accounts here!
If you don't have a ParentVUE account, create one today by submitting a parent support request here.
Update Contact Information to Receive Messages From FCPS
Be among the first to know about weather closings, bus delays, and other critical communications from FCPS and our school by providing your cell phone number and email in SIS ParentVUE. Make sure you complete the Emergency Care Form for your child every year and update it when necessary.
To update your contact information in ParentVUE, click the “Online Packets” tab in the upper right of the screen, then select the “Online Verification/Update” form in the drop-down menu. Click “Begin Packet.”
Parents who do not have a SIS ParentVUE account may still communicate updates via the normal paper process. They may also print and complete a blank Emergency Care Information Form with updates and submit it to the front office.
Quick Contacts
Linda Shannon, Principal lcshannon@fcps.edu
Rich Deixler, Assistant Principal radeixler@fcps.edu
Colleen Vaughan, Assistant Principal CAVaughan@fcps.edu
AnnMarie DelValle, Administrative Assistant, adelvalle@fcps.edu
Mergie Kakouris, Student Information Assistant, mbkakouris@fcps.edu
Fadwa Finaish, Office Assistant, ffinaish@fcps.edu
Susan Palomino, Office Assistant slpalomino@fcps.edu
Quick Links
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