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Greetings McNair Students and Families,
We had another great week at McNair! Our building was buzzing this past week with wonderful learning opportunities for all of our Mustangs. It was so joyful to see our students and staff participate in Digital Citizenship Week and show school spirit while learning the importance of online safety. Thank you to Ms. Perri for leading our community through important conversations about how to use technology respectfully and responsibly.
In addition, our Kindergarten teacher, Ms. Mobley entered our staff in a contest for the Virginia Lottery Teacher Tour and our school was selected! On Monday late afternoon we had Tommy McFly and Kelly Collis from the Tommy & Kelly Show visit our school to celebrate our AMAZING staff. Together with them our staff danced, enjoyed Georgetown Cupcakes, and received prizes from the Virginia Lottery. We love our amazing staff and are so grateful for all that they do each and everyday for our students and community! We also are so appreciative of this memorable event!
Furthermore, please mark your calendars for our upcoming events at McNair! We cannot wait to welcome our families to our Storybook Character Parade, our Veterans Day 2nd Grade Performance, our McNair Book Fair Family Night, and our Thanksgiving Luncheon. If you would like to make a donation to ensure that another student is able to purchase a book from our McNair Book Fair, please contact your child's teacher or Mrs. Watson directly. We appreciate any donations, both big and small, to ensure all of our Mustangs receive a book! "The more that you read, the more things you know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go!" Dr. Seuss
Take care of yourselves and each other. We are here to support if you or your family need anything.
See you on Monday morning, Mustangs!
Warmest Regards,
Mrs. Watson and Mrs. O'Bryant
Please contact us with any questions!
Principal: Elizabeth Watson, evwatson@fcps.edu
Assistant Principal: Brandy O'Bryant, bmobryant@fcps.edu
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Students Are Learning Every Day!
As you plan upcoming trips and other family events, please remember the importance of sending your child to school every day. Review the FCPS School Year Calendar and try to plan any time away during long breaks from school.
Children who show up for school regularly develop fundamental reading and math skills while building a habit of good attendance that will carry them into college and careers. Research shows that children who were chronically absent (missing 18 days or more) in kindergarten and first grade were far less likely to read proficiently at the end of third grade.
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We are hoping to collect 40 large or medium-sized pumpkins so that each of our homeroom classes and specialists at McNair ES can have one for a project we will be completing during the month of November.
If you are able to donate a pumpkin, please fill out the very brief Google Form below. Pumpkins can be dropped off at the main office no later than Wednesday, November 1st.
Thankful & Grateful Activity
If you have questions, please email Ms. Watson, Principal, at evwatson@fcps.edu. Thank you in advance for your help!
**Please note, McNair Upper ES will also be asking for donations as well. We appreciate all of your support for both school campuses! Please email Principal Goddin for any questions about pumpkin donations at Mcnair Upper ES at MMGoddin@fcps.edu.**
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We are eager to begin some exciting learning opportunities with your students here at school and we need you help before we can start! We need you to complete the digital resource consent form to use FCPS approved online tools. All the tools and applications have been vetted and are approved for students to use. Check out the video created by Mrs. Burg, our Advanced Academic Resource Teacher, as she shares with you a few of the tools she hopes to use with your students in Thinking Lab!
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Federal Impact Aid Survey: Now Online
FCPS is asking all families to fill out a Federal Impact Aid Survey. To make it easier, the form is now available online in SIS ParentVUE.
Completing this form for each school-aged child in every household is important because information from this survey results in an additional $3 million in grants each year from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.
Once logged in to SIS ParentVUE, click “Online Packets” in the top right corner. Then, select “Federal Impact Aid Survey.” Get more information.
Need to Register for ParentVUE?
Learn how to activate your SISParentVUE account, so you can easily submit your survey. Find out how to get technical support for ParentVUE.
Families, we need and appreciate your help!
Please help us keep our staff lounges and teacher planning spaces stocked with individually wrapped healthy snack foods, beverages, and a few sweet treats for our awesome staff as a way to keep them energized as they educate and support our Mustangs!
Please sign-up for any of the items listed below and drop off any donations to the main office. The main office is open daily, Monday-Friday from 8:00am-4:00pm.
Thank you for your partnership and supporting our AMAZING McNair Staff!
Please click here to make a donation.
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This information session will be hosted by Kaitlin Burg (McNair ES Advanced Academic Resource Teacher) and Mallory Janofsky (McNair Upper ES Advanced Academic Resource Teacher). We will provide detailed information about the Full Time/Level IV Screening Process, including how to make a referral and which documents families can submit. The deadline for families to submit the referral and supporting documents is December 15 and 11:59 p.m. Spanish translation will be available at this event.
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Tuesday, November 14 – 6:00-7:00PM in the cafeteria at McNair Elementary School (PreK-2 building)
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Friday, November 17th –9:00-10:00AM in the cafeteria at McNair Elementary School (PreK-2 building)
Click to view Ms. Burg's & Ms. Mallory's October AAP Community Newsletter
In addition, check out the video created by Mrs. Burg, our Advanced Academic Resource Teacher, as she shares with you a few of the tools she hopes to use with your students in Thinking Lab! Please be sure to sign the Digital Resource Parent Consent so that your Mustang has access to these wonderful resources.
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Once upon a time, McNair Elementary and McNair Upper Elementary Schools brought storybook characters to life!
We are excited to celebrate Storybook Character Day on October 31st! We invite all students to dress up and join in on the FUN! Students are encouraged to use their creativity to dress in a school appropriate, storybook character costume. Student costumes can be bought or homemade. Costumes may be elaborate or simple. Make sure to bring a book with you! Please no masks or toy weapons.
If your student needs supplies to make a costume, please contact our school counselors Ms. Ford (dmford@fcps.edu) or Ms. Coe (kicoe@fcps.edu).
Storybook Character Parade
We invite parents/guardians to attend our Storybook Character Parade on October 31st. Both McNair Upper ES students and McNair ES students will be participating in the parade. The parade will begin promptly at 9:15am on the field between both school buildings. On the map below, you will see where families can sign into the parade and receive a visitor badge to enter the field area. This is for safety and security purposes so we encourage families to arrive early so that they do not miss the parade!
If it rains on October 31st, the parade will take place inside each building's gymnasiums. (The two schools would host their own parade in their building as opposed to joining together.)
*Our afternoon preschool students will participate in an afternoon parade inside of the building starting at 12:10pm. For our preschool parents/guardians, we invite you to sign in at the office. The parade route for the afternoon will be inside of the building.*
Parade Route Map
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FCPS will host a Dyslexia Open House on Thursday, October 26, 4-6 p.m., at 8270 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive, Fairfax, Virginia. This event is open to families and staff members who would like to learn more about dyslexia and how FCPS supports students with dyslexia.
For the first hour, participants will have the opportunity to visit tables set up with information from a variety of FCPS offices including the Office of the Ombuds, Office of School Psychology, and the Office of Special Education Instruction. During the second hour, speakers will address the importance of dyslexia awareness and how you can support your student with dyslexia. Please register in advance.
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. To help develop a common understanding of Bullying, below is the FCPS definition.
Bullying in Students Rights and Responsibilities is defined as: “Any aggressive and unwanted behavior that is intended to harm, intimidate, or humiliate the victim; involves a real or perceived power imbalance between the aggressor or aggressors and victim; and is repeated over time or causes severe emotional trauma. “Bullying” includes cyberbullying. “Bullying” does not include ordinary teasing, horseplay, argument, or peer conflict.”
For more information on how FCPS handles a bullying situation please visit the FCPS Bullying Prevention and Intervention webpage. Our goal is to ensure all students feel safe and welcome at school. If you have questions and/or concerns about something that is going on at school, please contact the front office so that they can support you and most importantly your student.
Our McNair second grade students have begun learning songs to celebrate and honor our Veterans. The second-grade students will participate in two Veterans Day performances on Friday, November 10th to thank all who have served. There will be a morning assembly for all students to participate in. The 2:20pm performance will be open to the families of second-grade students and any Veterans. As the date gets closer, we will share a link to join virtually for those who are unable to join in person.
In addition, we would like to collect pictures of family members who have served and include them in our Veterans celebration. If you have a picture you would like to share or have any questions, please email them to Ashley Rose at ajrose2@fcps.edu by Friday, November 3rd. If you would prefer to send in a picture with your child, please, have it labeled with your child’s name and teacher, so we are able to return it. Thank you!
If you would like to know more about the grade level assessments that your student will be participating in this school year, please review the following link: https://www.fcps.edu/student-assessment/grade-level-tests. You are welcome to email our Assistant Principal and School Testing Coordinator, Brandy O'Bryant, with any questions that you may have around grade level assessments at bmobryant@fcps.edu.
Family FUN Global Diversity Awareness Project
One way at McNair Elementary School that we are celebrating Global Diversity Awareness Month is that our students had the opportunity to design a doll with their family to reflect and learn more about their culture and heritage. It has been such a great experience for our students to share their paper dolls with our school community including information about their heritage, special customs, different foods that their family indulges in, and special greetings that are unique to their culture. We would like to provide a special thank you to our ESOL Team for leading this work!
The Fairfax Board of Elections has requested that schools be closed on Tuesday, March 5, to accommodate the administration of the 2024 presidential primary election.
March 5 will be a school holiday for students and a virtual School Planning Day. Central offices and school offices will remain open. SACC will remain open, as it does on other professional work days.
Did you know that the Office of Family and School Partnerships publishes a monthly newsletter for military-connected families? Subscribe today.
Virginia’s three-day sales tax holiday starts Friday, October 20, and ends Sunday, October 22. During the sales tax holiday, you can buy qualifying school supplies, clothing, footwear, emergency preparedness items, and Energy Star™ and WaterSense™ products without paying sales tax. View the Sales Tax Holiday Guidelines for more information.
The Family Resource Center (FRC) offers free webinars, confidential consultations, a lending library, and resources to help adults support the success of all students, including those with learning challenges, special needs, and disabilities. The FRC is hosting the following events in November:
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Sibshops: An Exciting, In-Person Workshop for Brothers and Sisters of Children with Special Needs, Monday, November 6, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., at Providence Community Center.
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SibTeen: An Exciting, In-Person Workshop for Brothers and Sisters of Children with Special Needs, Monday, November 6, 1-4 p.m., at Providence Community Center.
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Moving on to Life in the Community Resource Fair, Thursday, November 9, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Annandale High School (Cafeteria).
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Coping Strategies for Anxiety, Depression, and Stress: Part Two (virtual), Friday, November 10, 10-11:30 a.m.
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Funcionamiento Ejecutivo - Ayudando a tus hijos con la organización, la regulación emocional , y la flexibilidad (presentado en español), Friday, November 17, 10-11:30 a.m.
Click the links above to register for the events. For more information, visit the Family Resource Center webpage.
Power Packs are Ziploc bags of food sent home every Friday with students who do not get enough food on the weekends without their school-provided meals. Your child can receive a pack if they qualify for free or reduced meals through the school.
If you need this program, please fill out this form: Power Pack Form OR click on the QR Code.
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Please fill out a separate form for each child at McNair Elementary. Your information is confidential. Once we receive your form, we will email you with more information. You may also contact our School Counselors or Parent Liaison with any questions you may have.
Kristin Coe KICoe@fcps.edu
Donna Ford DMFord@fcps.edu
Selene Vargas (se habla español) SRVargas@fcps.edu
The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Saves Lives
Information was recently posted to the Healthy Minds Blog on the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and other resources for suicide prevention.
The Healthy Minds Blog shares information related to youth mental health and wellness. Articles include tips and strategies for increasing wellness and resiliency, as well as fostering success at home, at school, and in the community.
The Healthy Minds Blog is a collaborative project between Fairfax County Public Schools and the Prevention Unit of the Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services. Subscribe to Healthy Minds and receive a quarterly digest of articles.
Did you know the building and renovation of our schools is NOT funded through the annual FCPS operating budget? 🤯 New and renovated school buildings are funded by voter-approved bond referendums, like the one on the upcoming Election Day ballot. Learn more about the upcoming $435 million bond referendum and the schools projected to be affected: fcps.edu/Bond2023
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Trends of development and housing turnover are inconsistent across the county and continue to present a facilities capacity challenge. Spaces in schools may be outdated from when buildings were originally built.
Projects funded by the 2023 Bond Referendum may be updated to meet the current needs of students or may increase space to help relieve overcrowding and provide spaces for small-group and specialized instruction.
Additionally, all updates to school facilities are made with energy efficiency in mind. FCPS has 220 buildings and 26.5 million square feet of building space. These buildings cost tens of millions of dollars to power each year. As the footprint of FCPS continues to grow, conserving energy for cost savings and greenhouse gas emissions reductions is of the utmost importance.
The 2023 Bond Referendum will be on the ballot in November. Vote on Tuesday, November 7. Learn more about registering to vote.
Join Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid for Our Schools, Our Future: A Community Conversation. Share your thoughts about FCPS and bring your questions to:
Pre-registration for a Community Conversation is not required but will help with planning. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided for all events based on staff availability.
Events are open to all. Find out about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid. Your voice matters!
McNair PTA Needs Your Help!
Do you have fresh ideas? Looking to get more involved? Enjoy meeting new people?Then Get involved with the PTA today!
We have the following open Board positions:
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Secretary: Attend monthly meetings and keep meeting notes, occasionally send out email reminders about upcoming PTA meetings, etc.
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Committee Chair Positions: We have several open committee chair positions. Each chair is in charge of planning one specific event. They are able to select which event they would like to chair and will work with the assistance from the rest of the board. Open Committee Chair positions include: Movie Night, Fun Run, Staff Appreciation Events, PTA Engagement, and more!
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Technology Chair: Attend monthly meetings and help set up the slideshow/virtual meeting for those attending online, assist with the PTA website as needed, etc.
If you are interested in helping or want more information, please email Miranda at president@mcnairespta.org.
Upcoming Fundraisers!
Harris Teeter - Fundraiser
Option 1: Please use the annual sign up form for the TIE program from Harris Teeter using the following link: https://tinyurl.com/mcnairharristeeter
Note: You need to re-register every year for this program.
Option 2: You can also sign up in-person at the counter using our school code: 5090
Shoe and Clothing Drive on Now!
The McNair PTA is raising funds to support our school and all you have to do is clean out your closets! We are collecting gently used shoes, clothes, and soft goods. There are collection tables at each school -- simply drop off your donation of shoes, clothes, purses, backpacks, blankets, sheets, towels, and more!
DROP OFF DATES: Tuesday September 5th to Tuesday October 31st
Upcoming Competitions!
We have a lot of upcoming competitions at McNair!
Fill out interest forms below for more information!
Virginia Science Olympiad Division A (Grades 3-5)
Virginia Science Olympiad Division B (Grade 6)- We are in need of a head coach to lead this competition.
First Lego League (All Grades)
American Computer Science League (All Grades)
Odyssey of the Mind (All Grades)
Get Involved with the PTA!
The PTA supports our schools through help from our community. One way we do that is through the help of our wonderful volunteers! Whether you're available for an hour a year or an hour a week to pitch in - we have opportunities that meet everyone's busy schedule!
For those who joined before October 1st, they got a discount on the membership price and they were entered to win a raffle of Amazon gift cards, spirit wear, and more!
Support PTA: Become a Member or Volunteer
Please contact president@mcnairespta.org if you want to know more information about our PTA and opportunities to get involved within our school community!
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- Federal Impact Aid Survey
- Calendar Update for March 5 Presidential Primary
- Newsletter for Military Families
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving the weekly newsletter, sign up today.
👍❤️ Follow Our School on Social Media!
Want to see more photos and videos of what’s going on at McNair Elementary School? Follow us on social media!
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Mark your calendars!
As we navigate through our school year together, please mark the upcoming important dates on your calendar.
October 31: Storybook Character Parade at 9:15am on the Field (Afternoon Preschool parade will take place at 12:10pm inside of the building.)
November 3: Quarter 1 Ends (2 hours Early Release For Students)
November 6 & 7: School Planning and Teacher Workdays (No School For Students)
November 10: McNair Honors Our Veterans (Second Grade Performance)
November 14 – Full Time Advanced Academics Screening Information Parent Meeting 6:00-7:00pm in the cafeteria at McNair Elementary School (PreK-2 building)
November 13-17: Fall Book Fair at McNair ES
- November 16: Family Night at the Fall Book Fair: Book Shopping and Storytime with Principal Watson & Assistant Principal O'Bryant! See you there!
- November 17: Daytime Family Shopping at the Fall Book Fair
November 17th –Full time Advanced Academics Screening Information Parent Meeting 9:00-10:00AM in the cafeteria at McNair Elementary School (PreK-2 building)
November 17: Thanksgiving Luncheon at McNair ES (Parents/Guardians invited. More information to come next month!)
November 22, 23, 24: Thanksgiving Holiday (No School For Staff/Students)
2023-2024 Arrival and Dismissal
Arrival begins at 8:35am. The school day begins at 8:45am.
Dismissal begins at 3:30 pm.
Thank you for your partnership and galloping together with us this school year!
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