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Dear Mantua families,
We had the first of our Mantua Movement Mondays today, and it was a blast! Connecting with many students, staff, and families was the perfect way to start our week. We look forward to our next Movement on Monday, October 2nd! We welcome families to join us for this weekly activity.
This week, we look forward to Back to School Night at Mantua! This event is a great opportunity to meet your student’s teacher, connect with our staff, and understand more about your child’s education plan and goals. Please take a moment to review the details and parking logistics we’ve included, found below. We hope to see you for this informative event, beginning at 6 p.m. on Sept 20.
We are excited about our annual Woodson Feeder Night football game on September 22! Rising Woodson feeder students will be recognized before the game begins. Come cheer on the Woodson Cavaliers as they face the Alexandria City Titans!
If you still need to, please sign the student SR&R page signifying your agreement to expectations for student behavior and adult responses to enhance school safety and create a fair, equitable, and supportive school environment. The link to this page can be found below.
This is a friendly reminder that on Monday, September 25, FCPS schools and offices will be closed in observance of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism. Learn more about Yom Kippur on Brittanica.com.
Have an excellent rest of your week!
Take good care,
Linda Shannon, Principal
Rich Deixler, Assistant Principal
Colleen Vaughan, Assistant Principal
September 15-October 15: National Hispanic Heritage Month
September 20: Back to School Night, 6-8 p.m.
September 22: Woodson Feeder Night Football Game, Students assemble at 6:30 p.m.
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.
Back to School Night
Please join us for Back to School Night on Wednesday, September 20. On this evening, our teachers will be presenting sessions within their classrooms. You will learn about instructional practices at Mantua, teachers will share a bit about themselves and their goals for our students, and we will share important FCPS information on what to expect this school year. Our specialists will pre-record informational videos available on the day of the event to view at your convenience. Each classroom teacher will present at both sessions, allowing you to choose either or to attend both sessions if you have multiple children. *Childcare will not be available.
We have secured overflow parking at the Mantua Hills Swim Club parking lot, with school bus shuttles to and from the Mantua ES main entrance to support our parking needs. Those not attending the second session are asked to leave following the first session to make parking spaces available.
We look forward to seeing you!
BTSN Schedule
5:30 - 8:30 PM - Shuttle service available.
6:00 - 6:30 PM - Classroom Session #1
6:30 - 7:00 PM - Parking Transition
Light refreshments are available in the cafeteria for those remaining for Session #2.
7:00 - 7:30 PM - Classroom Session #2
Mission/Vision Work
We are excited to engage in the process of designing a new mission and vision for Mantua! To support this work, we are gathering feedback from our students and families. We value your voice and are eager to incorporate your feedback in the vision and mission design process. Please look for a feedback form in your student’s Tuesday Folder. You may elect to complete one as a family or do one for each student at Mantua. We will also have additional copies of this form available at Back to School Night. Please return forms by September 30th so that we may begin to review the data.
Woodson Feeder Night
PUP Information & Reminders
Absence Reporting
Absence reporting is found under “Change” on the bottom toolbar. 1) Select “Change”. 2) Select the date of the absence. 3) Select your child’s name 4) Select "Plan" 5) Select "Absence". 6) In the “More Info” section, please include the reason for the absence. 7) Select “Submit” on the bottom toolbar.
Single Day Changes, Seasonal Schedules, and Afterschool Activities:
Daily changes or a temporary dismissal change, such as an afterschool activity for a scheduled extended period, should be selected through the same “Change” option pictured above. 1) Select “Change” 2) Select the first date of the scheduled activity. 3) Select your child's name. 4) Select “Plan” 5) Select “After School Activity” at the bottom of the list 6) In the “More Info” section, input the name of the activity and the location 7) Select “Dates” and click on all of the scheduled dates for the after-school activity 8) Select “Submit
****Do not make these types of dismissal changes by clicking the “Default” button on the home screen. A “Default Plan” is a yearlong plan based on the child’s more permanent dismissal plan and schedule. Default plans should not be changed based on seasonal schedules. Doing so may result in errors in the dismissal instructions given to your child.****
AAP Reminders & Information
AAP Newsletter
The AAP Fall Newsletter linked here contains information related to the spectrum of AAP services and other time-sensitive information. Translations can be found on our website’s AAP page. If you need additional information, please contact Kathy Van Dyke (kkvandyke@fcps.edu).
Families who have moved into Fairfax County on or after January 1, 2023, with students in grades 3 – 6 may request screening for full-time AAP services by submitting a referral no later than October 15.
Families with students in grades 2 -6 may request screening for full-time AAP services by submitting a referral by December 15.
AAP Information Session
Our AAP Parent/Family Information Night will be held on Tuesday, September 26, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the cafeteria. Spanish language interpretation services will be available. Topics to be covered include
- The different levels of AAP services offered
- How students are identified for AAP services
Please direct any questions to our Mantua Advanced Academics Resource Teacher (AART), Kathy Van Dyke, at kkvandyke@fcps.edu
Movement Mondays
We are inviting staff and students for Movement Mondays at 8:30 - 9:00 AM every Monday. Families are welcome to join, too! This program will run from until November 20. 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 a.m. to walk with their friends and will be dismissed to class before 9:05. Exercise is a great way to boost your mood, improve focus, and improve your ability to do everyday activities. We welcome families to join us for this weekly activity. If you plan to stay, please park in the neighborhood to leave available parking for staff at arrival.
Mantua Fashion Fridays
Be sure to wear your favorite Mantua spirit wear on Fridays! Staff members are joining in on this theme too. We look forward to the fantastic Friday attire!
Guidance on COVID and Other Illnesses
2023-24 Health and Safety Guidance for Schools
Although the COVID-19 hospital transmission level (previously the COVID-19 Community Transmission level) for Fairfax County is currently low, COVID-19 cases have risen in Virginia during the last few weeks, and flu season will soon be upon us. Be sure to review FCPS Health and Safety Guidance for the best ways to prevent the spread of disease and to find out when students should stay home from school.
Caregiver Checklist: Have You Completed These Important Forms?
During the first weeks of the year, caregivers receive many forms to complete. Several of the most important ones are below:
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Digital Resources Consent: Some FCPS-approved digital resources require parent/caregiver consent before they can be used by students. Find the list of resources that require consent on the Digital Resources - Parent Consent page. This page also includes directions on how to provide permission.
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Student Rights and Responsibilities: This document explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses. Parents using SIS ParentVUE will be prompted to sign the document when they log into that platform. A printable version of the document with a signature sheet is available on the SR&R webpage.
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Opt-Outs: The Opt-Out Booklet is online or available from your child’s school. It contains information on:
- Parents’ rights to inspect and consent or opt out before their child participates in certain surveys.
- Parents’ rights to inspect instructional materials.
- Rules regarding student records and disclosure of student information (including photo/video of students) and the right to opt out.
- Parents’ rights to opt out of the Social Emotional Learning Screener, physical exams not required by state law, career or social-emotional counseling, Library Equity Access Pass Project, and/or Tutor.com.
- The process by which complaints may be filed if parents or students believe their rights have been violated.
Paper forms can be signed and returned to school.
Quick Links
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
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