Greetings McNair Students and Families,
Another great week is in the books! Our readers, writers, mathematicians, historians, scientists, and computer coders were hard at work this past week. Throughout all content areas, our Mustangs continued to work on the Portrait of a Graduate (POG) skills of being strong communicators and collaborators. Both of these attributes are life skills that will continue to support our students' growth now and into their future successes.
Next week, we have our McNair Winter Spirit Week and we hope all will be able to participate! Please reach out to your child's teacher if you have any questions about our spirit week. In addition, on Friday, December 15th, all of our Mustangs will participate in a school-wide McNair Winter Sing-Along Student Assembly. During this special assembly, our students will have the opportunity to sing together songs that will honor all of our winter holidays and traditions. We are grateful for our music teachers, Ms. Rose and Ms. Alleman for leading this wonderful event for all of our Mustangs at McNair!
In addition, the PTA is setting up a “Holiday Sweet Shoppe” at both McNair ES and McNair Upper ES school on December 14th and 15th. If you are available to volunteer or make a donation, please sign up on the following link: https://signup.com/go/BdoyBTJ. We greatly appreciate your partnership and support to make this event possible for our staff.
Wishing you all a joyous weekend. We are looking forward to seeing 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
🙋♂️ Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow!
We often notice more empty seats in our classrooms as winter break approaches. This year, let's work together to nurture a rock-solid attendance habit. Every hour of every school day is a unique opportunity for students to learn, connect, and grow.
A big thank you to:
- 🌟 Students who show up every day and the parents/caregivers supporting them.
- 👩🏫 Teachers who create a welcoming environment for learning.
- 👨💼 Administrators who provide a safe and engaging place to grow.
- 👏 Bus drivers, support staff, and volunteers who lend a helping hand to all our learners.
If you or your child need support, please reach out to our school social worker or family liaison. If your child is not feeling well, please refer to the When Should I Keep My Child Home? webpage for guidance.
There will be no school from Monday, December 18, to Monday, January 1, 2024, for winter break. Classes will resume on Tuesday, January 2.
Visit FCPS’ website for more attendance resources.
Get ready Mustangs for Spirit Week at McNair! We hope you will join us December 11th through December 15th!
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Congratulations to our McNair Outstanding Employees who will be submitted for the next round in the awards process!
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Outstanding Teacher: Melissa Walsh (First Grade Teacher)
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Outstanding New Teacher: Chloe Park (Second Grade Teacher)
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Outstanding Professional Employee: Donna Ford (Counselor)
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Outstanding Operational Employee: Maral Dayian (Instructional Assistant)
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Outstanding Leader: Brandy O'Bryant (Assistant Principal)
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Outstanding New Principal: Elizabeth Watson (Principal)
**If you have any questions about the process of FCPS Outstanding Staff Awards, please contact Brandy O'Bryant at bmobryant@fcps.edu.
FCPS students have unlimited access, 24/7, to online tutoring support services through Tutor.com at no cost to families. Students can connect online any time, any place, and in most K-12 subjects for however long they need.
Food insecurity impacts more than 60,000 Fairfax County residents. There are many resources available to support those who need food assistance. Find out how to receive or offer support on the Fairfax County website, or view their Human Services Resource Guide for assistance with food, clothing, housing, and other services.
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
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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.
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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.
For the current school year, FCPS will be returning to its previous procedure for snow days — there will be no virtual learning days when school is closed due to bad weather.
During snow days, students may still access Tutor.com, complete any supplemental learning opportunities recommended by their teachers, and view educational programming (available virtually and on public access television channels):
Eleven snow days are built into the existing FCPS calendar. Eliminating virtual learning days will allow us to maximize students’ in-person learning and provide equitable access to instruction and student services.
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.
📚 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.
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 three 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
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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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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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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.)
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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.
 Bodhi Day, Friday, December 8, is the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama (Shakyamuni), experienced enlightenment, also known as bodhi in Sanskrit and Pali. The school calendar recognizes many religious and cultural observances (O days) during the school year, including Bodhi Day. There is school on these days, however, the School Board has directed that tests, quizzes, field trips, graduation, homecoming, or FCPS-scheduled athletic events will not be held on these observance days.Learn more about Bodhi Day in this video from the Miami Children’s Museum. See the complete school year calendar.
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:
- Snow Days
- Winter Break Reminder
- Food Insecurity Resources for Families
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!
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Mark your calendars!
As we navigate through our school year together, please mark the upcoming important dates on your calendar.
December 7: Chanukah Begins
December 8: Bodhi Day
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)
December 25: Christmas Day
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!
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