Greetings McNair Students and Families,
We had another great week of learning and growing together! Our Mustangs have worked hard as mathematicians, readers, writers, scientists, and historians. They have continued to learn how to be communicators, collaborators, and contributing members of our school community.
As this busy season continues to move along, please ensure to be intentional about having richer conversations with your child at home to learn more about their day at school including what they have learned, what explorations they made, and how they took risks in their learning. Please see the following as some example questions:
- What made you smile today?
- Can you tell me about an act of kindness you did or saw?
- What is something creative you did today?
- Who did you sit with at lunch today?
- Tell me something you learned today.
- What did you eat first at lunch?
- If you could change one thing about the day, what would it be?
- What made your teacher(s) smile today?
- What is your favorite thing to do at recess?
- What is the best thing that happened today?
- Did you help anyone today?
- What was your thorn, and what was your rose today?
- What are you looking forward to for tomorrow?
- Teach me something you learned.
- What kinds of things did you see people eating for snack?
- Did you learn any new words today?
As always, thank you for your continuous partnership and support. We hope that you all have a joyous weekend ahead and continue to enjoy the spirit of the season.
See you on Monday, Mustangs!
All the best,
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
Are you planning a family trip or vacation? As you think about your arrangements, we want to stress the importance of sending your child to school every day possible. Every year, absences spike in the weeks before and after holidays as families squeeze in a few more vacation days. We recognize that it is important to reconnect with families far away, but keep in mind the costs to your childs education if they miss too much school— and the message you will be sending about the importance of attendance.
Please be sure to view the FCPS School Calendar
Do you have questions about screening for full time AAP Services?
Please join Mrs. Burg, AART at McNair Elementary, during any of her office hours listed below. She is available to answer questions, review work samples, etc. Use the link below to join her virtually.
Zoom Meeting: https://myfcpsk12.zoom.us/j/95660672204?pwd=Y3Z6TitvR0RTbHVOZ2VOcFJPMDBMdz09
Meeting ID: 956 6067 2204
Passcode: 218193
 .
Additional Information
Click to view Ms. Burg's & Ms. Mallory's December 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.
.
Parents/guardians of students in Grades 2-7 who would like their student to be considered for full-time advanced academic programs may submit the AAP Full-Time (Level IV) Referral Form to our AART, Kaitlin Burg (kmburg@fcps.edu) no later than December 15, 2023.
The window for families to submit a referral for full-time AAP services is the first day of school through December 15, annually. Forms for full-time and part-time referrals are available on the AAP Forms Page. No late referrals for Full-Time AAP services will be accepted.
Submitting a referral form for full-time AAP will initiate a process that begins at the local school and is then completed at the central office level. Our school will put together a portfolio that includes multiple data which are considered holistically. At the central office level, a committee of six trained professionals from various schools and roles will review the portfolio materials to determine eligibility for full-time placement. Eligibility decisions are communicated by early April. Parents may request a copy of the portfolio that was submitted after they have been turned in for central selection by emailing Kaitlin Burg at kmburg@fcps.edu.
Referrals for subject-specific and part-time AAP are screened at the local school. If you miss this deadline, your student can still be screened for subject-specific AAP or part-time AAP for the remainder of the year and submit a referral for full-time AAP next fall.
For more information, please visit the Advanced Academic Programs website.
Get ready Mustangs for Spirit Week at McNair! We hope you will join us the week of December 11th through December 15th!
 .
 Winter weather will be here before you know it! Watch this video to see how weather-related closing decisions are made.
FCPS’ website is generally the first place to find out about 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 for the winter season. Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, bookmark the FCPS website, and plan for childcare if needed.
Fairfax County Public Schools is considering expansion of our Dual Language Immersion programs to include new languages and school sites, as well as an expansion of new languages for our Foreign Language in the Elementary Schools program.
Parents/caregivers, please share your thoughts about expanding World Languages elementary program offerings. An FCPS survey is available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Urdu, and Vietnamese. It should take less than 10 minutes to complete, and all responses are anonymous. The survey is optional and will close on Friday, December 8.
National Special Education Day is recognized each year on Dec. 2 and commemorates President Gerald Ford’s signing of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975. We celebrate our teachers and staff who serve and support our students with special needs, as well as our families who are partners in the education and support of those students!
Learn more about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Fairfax County Public Schools has the following resources available to help assist families of students with special needs.
- The Office of Special Education Procedural Support helps staff, families, and students with the implementation of and compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, as amended.
- Kathy Murphy, the assistant ombuds for special education, provides information and support to caregivers and students regarding special education and Section 504 services. Contact the Ombuds Office by submitting a question, calling 571-423-4014, or emailing ombuds@fcps.edu.
Additionally, the Virginia Department of Education has updated the Virginia Family's Guide to Special Education. This state guide was developed to help those involved in special education including families, teachers, school administrators, advocates, and students.
|
📚 Community Review of Elementary English Language Arts Basal Instructional Resources
FCPS will adopt new Elementary School Language Arts Basal Instructional Resources for the 2024-25 school year. Public review of the recommended materials is part of the process for selecting new resources.
You may access the resources in person and online from Wednesday, November 15, until Friday, December 15, at noon. Digital materials for public review and comment will be available on the Elementary Language Arts Basal Resource Review webpage. Those reviewing instructional materials may complete an electronic comment sheet that will be available on the webpage during the review period.
Visit FCPS' website for instructions on how to view hard copies of the instructional materials at Pimmit Hills Center. The Elementary Language Arts team will be there to answer questions Friday, December 1, 4-8 p.m., and Saturday, December 2, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
All community feedback will be shared with the review committee and School Board.
Please see below for opportunities to make donations to support McNair Elementary School! We greatly appreciate any contributions!
Our McNair Book Fair concluded two weeks ago and we appreciate all that were able to come out and support our school, enjoy story time with the principal and assistant principal, and ensure books are in our Mustang's hands! If you still would like to make a donation to ensure that another student is able to receive 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
|
.
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.
|
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!
.
.
Students will be participating in some online coding activities appropriate for their age level starting in December. Parental consent is needed for these FCPS approved digital resources. I would love for all students to have an opportunity to participate in these fun, interactive, and engaging online coding/programming activities.
If you haven’t already given your permission to allow your student to use FCPS approved digital resources, please visit the Digital Resource Form link below and mark "YES" to allow your child to participate.
https://mcnaires.fcps.edu/adopteddigitalresources
Please reach out to our School Based Technology Specialist, Kimberly Perri (Kaperri@fcps.edu) if you have any questions.
It is always bittersweet to wish staff farewell. Please join us in wishing our instructional coach, Megan Shifflett all the best as she begins a new adventure in FCPS. Megan will be continuing her work as a Literacy Resource Teacher in the Office of School Support for Regions 4 and 5. We are incredibly grateful for the many ways that she has positively impacted our students, teams, colleagues, families, and community. Megan, you will always be a Mustang!
Megan will begin in her new role starting December 4th. As she transitions into this new role next month, she wanted to share a few words with you all….
To my McNair Family,
As many of you know, I have accepted a new role in The Office of School Support as a Literacy Resource Teacher for Regions 4 and 5. Although I am excited for this new opportunity, I am saddened to think about leaving this wonderful community.
I’ve learned and grown so much from my interactions with each of you and feel incredibly lucky to have gotten to know and admire you all. I am proud of the work that we’ve been able to do together and the positive impact we’ve had on our students. I will miss coming to McNair each day, but find myself fortunate to continue to have the opportunity to support McNair in my new role.
My last day at McNair will be December 1st, although I am sure you will still see me roaming the halls after that as I return (as often as possible) to continue to support literacy instruction and leadership development.
All the best,
Megan
Congratulations again, Megan!
|
 |
Holiday Sweet Shoppe for Teachers & Staff!
During this festive season, the PTA is setting up a “Holiday Sweet Shoppe” at both McNair ES and McNair Upper ES school on December 14th and 15th. Let’s come together and appreciate our wonderful teachers and staff during this holiday season! There are over 210 teachers, staff, custodians, and administrators at both McNair ES and McNair Upper ES who provide a safe and caring environment for our students to learn! Your generous support is needed to show our appreciation to all of the McNair ES and McNair Upper ES staff this holiday season. Home-made or store bought sweet treats are appreciated.
You can extend you support by either volunteering, donating food, or both. Please use the sign up form below.
Sign up Link: https://signup.com/go/BdoyBTJ
You can drop off goodies at the main office on December 13th, 14th & 15th. Kindly drop off perishables on the day of the event. When signing up, please mention what yummy treat you will be bringing in to help us plan better.
We are also requesting monetary donations for purchasing food, beverages, eco-friendly supplies, gifts for teachers during these events from those who could not donate food or volunteer.
Tax-Deductible Donation Link
https://app.memberhub.gives/holiday2023/Campaign/Details
January PTA Meeting (In-person or Virtual)
Date: January 17th at 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
More details to come as the meeting approaches!
The meeting will be held in person, but there is also the option to join virtually via a Google Meet link. The link will be sent out prior to the meeting.
Agenda: Events and Competitions/Tournaments, clubs, Principal Updates, Parent's Q & A Session.
(Note: Child care will be provided based on the availability of PTA volunteers.)
|
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!
Support PTA: Become a Member or Volunteer
Please contact Miranda Butzlaff, our PTA President at president@mcnairespta.org if you want to know more information about our PTA and opportunities to get involved within our school community!
Chanukah, an 8-day Festival of Lights, is a Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple and the miracle of a small quantity of oil that lit the Temple’s menorah for 8 days. This year, Chanukah begins at sundown on Thursday, December 7. That day will be a half-O day, and major events cannot be scheduled that evening. Learn more about Chanukah in National Geographic Kids. See the complete school year calendar.
 Happy Bodhi Day to those in our community who celebrate! This year's Bodhi Day artwork was created by Longfellow Middle School student Mina L. Bodhi Day is a Buddhist holiday that recognizes the day that Buddha achieved enlightenment through meditation under the Bodhi tree. #OurFCPSMina’s artwork was designed as part of the FCPS Observance Design Challenge for Students. Learn more about the challenge: https://bit.ly/47oHw2j
As a reminder, winter break will be held Monday, December 18, to Monday, January 1. To help make sure you and your children have a restful break, we have asked that no homework be assigned during this time. Teachers may assign long-range assignments in the weeks ahead of the break, allowing students to practice time management skills, but no assignments will be due immediately following the break. We look forward to welcoming students back in the new year. Classes resume on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. See the complete school year calendar.
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- How FCPS Announces Weather Closings
- Keeping Your Child Warm
- Social and Emotional Learning Screener Results
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving the weekly newsletter, please 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!
 Twitter Facebook Instagram
Please stay in touch with us by...
Mark your calendars!
As we navigate through our school year together, please mark the upcoming important dates on your calendar.
December 1: Parent Coffee with the Principal at 9:30am at McNair ES
December 2: National Special Education Day
December 7: Chanukah Begins
December 14-15: PTA Sweet Shoppe For Staff (Volunteers Needed)
December 15: Window for AAP Referrals Closes for Grades 2-7
December 15: Winter Sing Along (Student Assembly)
December 18-January 1: Winter Break (No School For Students)
January 1: Happy New Year, Mustangs!
January 2: School Reopens at 8:35am
January 17: PTA Meeting 6:30-7:30 PM at McNair Upper ES
January 31: "Snow Better Time to Read" Family Literacy Night 4:30-6:00pm at McNair Elementary School (More information coming soon!)
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!
|
