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Dear Mantua families,
Today, we commemorate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.. King was a champion of civil rights, and we celebrate his dedication to equality and the respect of all people. You can read more about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. here. We want to take this opportunity to congratulate our very own Frost Principal, Mr. Anthony Harris, as he was named the 2024 Spirit of King award recipient this morning. Mr. Harris truly embodies the principles of unity, service, and respect that Dr. King exemplified. Please join us in celebrating this much-deserved honor.
This week will allow parents and guardians of rising 7th graders to attend an orientation at Frost Middle School! This meeting will be held on January 17th and include information about course options and the course selection process. We encourage caregivers of rising 7th graders to attend this important session.
We hope you had a fantastic long weekend and that you get a chance to enjoy the snow tomorrow! Stay safe, warm, and have fun!
Take good care,
Linda Shannon, Principal
Rich Deixler, Assistant Principal
Colleen Vaughan, Assistant Principal
Important Dates
January 15: Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, student holiday, schools and offices closed
January 16: Schools and offices closed due to inclement weather
January 17: Parent Orientation at Frost Middle School for rising 7th-grade families
January 19: Orthodox Epiphany (religious and cultural observance)
January 25: End of quarter, 2-hour early release for students
January 26: Teacher workday, student holiday
January 30: Rising 7th Grade Curriculum Night at Luther Jackson Middle School
January 31: Mantua rising 7th-grade students visit middle schools
February 5-9: National School Counseling Week
February 19: President’s Day Holiday, schools and offices closed
Woodson Pyramid Outstanding New Teacher
We are excited to share that Tricia Murphy, a Special Education Teacher, has been selected as the Woodson Pyramid Outstanding New Teacher! Her commitment, talents, and impact on students and families are being recognized beyond the walls of Mantua Elementary. We are honored to have Mrs. Murphy representing Mantua Elementary and the Woodson Pyramid in the Region 5 selection process. Congratulations, Mrs. Murphy!
FCPS Cares
It is never too late to thank a staff member! The FCPS CARES Program is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story, so we can all acknowledge the good work of FCPS employees at Mantua Elementary. Thank you to the families who completed FCPS CARES for our staff each week. Receiving your recognition means the world to us!
Positivity Project (P2)
This upcoming week’s P2 theme is perseverance. Perseverance is a uniquely human characteristic that identifies an individual’s ability to spend long periods of time devoted to a single goal or set of goals. Those who persevere are able to set goals for themselves and then take active, calculated steps toward those goals. People demonstrating high levels of perseverance are able to handle significant, sometimes repeated, setbacks in pursuit of goals.
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
For individuals, persistence can be directly connected to an individual’s ability to be successful throughout their life. Those who persevere through setbacks often reap the benefits of the success gained by refusing to give up. Sometimes, this comes with the added benefit of increased knowledge and skill as a result of the work needed to achieve. Perseverance is also connected with bravery. Persisting in a task and failing, can result in depleted self-esteem. Therefore, it takes bravery to persist in a task despite the fear of failure. On a group level, perseverance can be contagious. A single group member’s ability or willingness to persevere can have a substantial impact on those working with him/her and the team. Groups that show high levels of perseverance are able to achieve goals they may not have believed possible. The results benefit both individuals and the group. They will be more likely to: enjoy the victory; persist in the future when facing challenges; improve their skills and abilities; and have a greater belief in their capacity to overcome obstacles and achieve goals.
A timely quote by Dr. Martin Luther King on perseverance: “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
-MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
To practice and encourage the character strength of prudence with your child, please visit the Positivity Project’s P2 for Families (password: P2) (English, Spanish), where together you will watch a video, read a quote, and talk about the answers to three questions.
Seeking Student Monitors for Mantua
Hourly 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Monday-Friday, $16.36 per Hour
Description
Provides supervision of students throughout the school day, including but not limited to the classroom, hallways, lunch, recess, specials, and at arrival/dismissal; helps maintain order and discipline and assists in managing the behavior of students; operates technology; performs administrative and non-instructional duties; ensures all layered prevention/safety protocols and procedures are implemented and followed; works with individual and small groups of students.
Qualifications
Any combination of education and experience is equivalent to graduation from high school. Must be comfortable managing student behaviors in large and small groups, ensuring all layered prevention/safety protocols and procedures are implemented and followed, and have general familiarity/skills with basic office technology in support of teachers, students, and the classroom.
Please pass this information along to anyone you may know. Interested applicants should contact Mr. Rich Deixler, radeixler@fcps.edu.
Rising 7th Grade Transition Planning
Attention Rising 7th Graders Attending Frost MS: Save the Date(s) for Parent Orientation Night
Please join us for our upcoming Rising 7th Grade Parent Orientation Night on Wednesday, January 17th, at 6:30 PM at Frost Middle School. At this event, parents and guardians who will have students at Frost during the 24-25 school year will hear specifics about Frost Middle School, the 7th-grade curriculum options, and the course selection process. Due to space restrictions, students will have a separate opportunity at each individual elementary school to hear this information and will also have a school visit to Frost! A list of all upcoming events can be found here. If you are unable to attend on the 17th, the materials for you to access will be placed there.
If you need language translation services for the 17th, please email Ms. Kim at hkim22@fcps.edu or complete this survey by January 4th.
If you have specific questions you hope will be addressed at the Parent Orientation, please submit those here.
Attention Rising 7th Graders Attending Luther Jackson: Save the Date for Curriculum Night
Please join us for our upcoming Rising 7th Grade Curriculum Night on Tuesday, January 30th, beginning at 6:00 PM with a session on the AAP Center, followed by a Special Education Information Session at 6:30 PM. The general sessions will begin at 7:00 PM. Flyers with event details will be sent home.
Cold Weather Safety
Cold weather temperatures in Virginia do not often pose a severe threat to schools. FCPS encourages schools to provide students with daily outside recess. Our students enjoy playing outside, but we want to make sure that they are safe and warm. Therefore, FCPS has created a Cold Weather Safety document that advises schools when to cancel outdoor recess/activities. As the weather turns colder, we want to remind you of some important safety tips for recess.
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Dress your child in layers so they can adjust to the changing temperatures.
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Make sure they have a hat, gloves, and scarf.
Please contact your child's teacher or the main office with any questions.
After-School Enrichment Needs a Volunteer
Our after-school enrichment program has been running for over 10 years and averages over 500 student registrations yearly. This program and others like it at Mantua cannot exist without our amazing parent volunteers. The current volunteer for the program is aging out of Mantua, and the PTA is still searching for someone to take over the reins of this wonderful program that serves so many of our student population. Please consider volunteering for this important role in the PTA to save our enrichment program so that future students can benefit! Please email Heather Hill at hillheather96@gmail.com for more information; she would like to have the new coordinator shadow her during the Spring planning, which begins in January, in order to ensure a successful 2024-2025 program launch.
Orthodox Epiphany (Observance Day)
In the Orthodox church, Epiphany is celebrated on January 19 and commemorates the baptism of Jesus.
The school calendar recognizes many religious and cultural observances during the school year. 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.
See the complete school year calendar and the employee calendar.
A Reminder on Lightspeed Software
Lightspeed Software is designed to empower both teachers and students in the digital learning landscape. One of its key features is the ability for teachers to actively monitor student activity on laptops from their computer screens, fostering an environment that encourages focus and on-task behavior while teachers work with students in small groups.
Here are some key benefits of Lightspeed Software:
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Enhanced Focus: With real-time monitoring capabilities, teachers can closely monitor students' laptop activities during class. This helps ensure students stay engaged with the lesson material and minimize distractions.
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Support for Individualized Learning: Lightspeed Software allows teachers to tailor their approach to individual student needs. Educators can provide personalized support by understanding how each student interacts with digital resources, ensuring that every student receives the attention and guidance they require. They can create groups and push out websites and tasks targeted to students’ needs, whether researching for a project or reviewing for a test.
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Silent Assistance Signals and Check-Ins: One of the unique features of Lightspeed Software is the ability for students to signal when they need assistance silently. This ensures that students feel comfortable seeking help without disrupting the class flow. Teachers can also send out polls, reminders, and check-ins for students as a class or individually.
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Restricting Access to the Web: Teachers can turn off or pause internet access and restrict students to specific sites during school hours. This, again, ensures students are focused on learning and minimizes distractions.
We understand the importance of balancing technology in education with maintaining a focused and secure learning environment. Lightspeed Software is designed with these considerations in mind, and it will contribute significantly to the overall success of our students.
We also want to inform you that students can only be monitored during school hours. The regular filters remain in place on school devices, but once they are home, teachers cannot monitor your students. As parents, we would like to encourage you to sign up for your own Lightspeed reports, which will allow you to see how your child is spending time on the computer during and after school hours.
Snow Days
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):
Elementary school instruction: Red Apple 21.
Middle school instruction: Channel 25.
High school instruction: Channel 99.
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.
Preparing for Winter Weather
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 where we will post an emergency weather closing. 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. Make sure your contact information is up-to-date in SIS ParentVUE, bookmark the FCPS website, and plan for childcare if appropriate.
Tutor.com Can Help With More Than Homework
Tutor.com offers more than help with homework! This on-demand tutoring service also provides a comprehensive range of resources, including exam prep for AP, SAT, and ACT tests at no cost to families.
Students can take practice quizzes at any time. If they struggle in particular areas, they can immediately connect to a live tutor for help through voice or chat options. Learn more on the FCPS Tutor.com webpage.
Free Resources for Families
Did you know that caregivers can access 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?
Learn more about FCPS’ Family Resource Center (FRC).
Be the first to learn about new workshops by signing up for the FRC newsletter.
Dual Language Immersion Program Registration
Registration for the countywide lottery for Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs will open on Monday, January 22. Current pre-K students may apply for the kindergarten immersion program, and current kindergarten students may apply for the first-grade immersion programs for the 2024-25 school year. Programs are available in French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.
Parents/caregivers who are interested may want to attend an informational meeting. Meetings are held at the school site. Check the FCPS events calendar for the most current information.
A virtual meeting hosted by the World Languages Office will include general program information. Access to this virtual meeting will be made available on the FCPS events calendar and the Dual Language Immersion registration site on the day of the meeting.
Get more information on the immersion program webpage and registration page
Quick Contacts & Links
Linda Shannon, Principal lcshannon@fcps.edu
Rich Deixler, Assistant Principal radeixler@fcps.edu
Colleen Vaughan, Assistant Principal CAVaughan@fcps.edu
Ann Marie Del Valle, 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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