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Message from Ms. Shannon
Dear Mantua families,
This week is National School Counseling Week, a time to recognize the incredible impact our school counselors have on our student body. We want to thank Richard Hang and Susan Song for their care and commitment to every student and their efforts to help them reach their full potential. Our students love starting and ending each day with a greeting from them! This is just one of the ways that Mr. Hang and Mrs. Song ensure students feel welcome and excited to be here.
We are already looking forward to Heritage Night at Mantua! Heritage Night is a wonderful time to celebrate Mantua’s many cultures and recognize how our differences make us stronger. Flyers that detail this highly anticipated event went out in Tuesday's folders last week. Heritage Night will take place on Wednesday, March 6, and we need many participants to make our event a success! Please consider being a part of Heritage Night by sponsoring a table, assisting with set up and tear down, or by supporting other Mantua families as we celebrate our rich cultural heritage together! Feel free to contact Luis Uribe Gamboa, our Family Liaison, at lauribgambo@fcps.edu if you have questions about this event. We’ve also included more details below.
We want to remind families that second-quarter progress reports will be sent home with students this week. We encourage you to celebrate your students' success; we are proud of every student!
Have an excellent rest of your week!
Take good care,
Linda Shannon, Principal
Rich Deixler, Assistant Principal
Colleen Vaughan, Assistant Principal
Important Dates
February 5-9: National School Counseling Week
February 8: 100th day of school!
February 10: Lunar New Year (falls on a weekend)
February 14: Ash Wednesday
February 17: Stringapalooza event for 4th-6th grade strings students (optional)
February 19: President’s Day Holiday, schools and offices closed
March 5: Staff planning workday, student holiday
March 6: Heritage Night 6-7:30 PM
March 11: First full day of Ramadan
March 22: end of the quarter
March 25-29: Spring break week, schools and offices closed
Be sure to bookmark the FCPS Academic Year Calendar to keep track of school holidays, breaks, and observances.
Be the Change
The Mantua PTA supports Mrs. Aberle, Chorus Director at Mantua by sponsoring a benefit concert on May 14@ 7PM. The concert will bring awareness to a serious problem of human trafficking that is happening right here in Fairfax. FCPS staff and families are invited to participate by joining, "Be the Change Community Chorus". To join the chorus, volunteer or offer your talent, please see the attached form or contact Anita Aberle - acaberle@fcps.edu
FCPS Cares
It is always possible 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 week, our school community will be focusing on the Other People Mindset of Cheering Others’ Successes. This means when other people succeed, I am happy for them and cheer them on.
Being happy for other people when they succeed isn’t always everyone’s initial reaction. Often, it’s easy to become jealous or envious of others’ victories -- or even to experience schadenfreude, which is deriving pleasure from witnessing (or learning about) another person’s misfortune. People who have these reactions to the success or misfortune of others are colloquially known as “haters.” It’s important to note that these are natural emotions and in small doses can be helpful in allowing us to see what we care about -- and motivate us to pursue those goals.
But making a commitment towards cheering on other people’s successes can be a great way to improve our own health, happiness, and relationships. People can take active steps to be more genuinely happy for the achievements of others. Ways to do this include telling others about the success of your modest friend, noticing when your reaction to a sibling’s success is envy or jealousy -- and asking yourself why that is, reminding yourself that appreciating the excellence in another is a character strength, and asking your successful teammates and classmates what they do to prepare for games or tests.
Being supportive of people who succeed is good for our mental, physical, and emotional well-being and when people cheer each other on it begins a reciprocal process that forges stronger relationships. Those relationships are the foundation for a strong culture in teams, schools, and businesses.
To practice and encourage the character strength of perspective 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 discuss the answers to three questions.
Heritage Night at Mantua
Join us in celebrating the rich and unique heritage that makes our Mantua family so strong! Heritage Night will be held on Wednesday, March 6, from 6-7:30 PM in the gym and surrounding areas. Come enjoy a special dish, make a craft, listen to music, and see pictures of the many different countries that make up our Mantua student body. We need many participants to make this evening a success. Please consider hosting a table or just joining in on the fun! Details and a sign-up sheet were distributed in Tuesday folders.
National School Counseling Week
February 5-9 is National School Counseling Week, highlighting the tremendous impact school counselors have in helping students achieve academic success and planning for a career. School counselors work with students in a variety of different capacities, whether it is through classroom lessons, group sessions, or individual counseling. Learn more about the role of school counselors in FCPS. We want to extend a huge thank you to Richard Hang and Susan Song for their outstanding work in helping each student to reach their full potential at Mantua.
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 at radeixler@fcps.edu.
Rising 7th Grade Transition Planning
Attention Rising 7th Graders Attending Luther Jackson: Save the Date(s) for Parent Orientation Night
Please join us for the Frost Family Festival on February 22nd from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. This open house format allows parents/guardians and students to receive building tours and visit elective classrooms.
Additionally, the special education department will host an information session on February 26 from 6 PM to 7 PM in the Lecture Hall at Frost MS to provide an overview of special education services in middle school. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Ellen Reed at evreed@fcps.edu.
FCPS News
Superintendent to Present FY 2025 Proposed Budget
Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid will present the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Proposed Budget at the School Board meeting on Thursday, February 8, at 7:30 p.m. Dr. Reid’s presentation, as well as other budget documents, will be available after she presents to the board.
View the meeting on FCPS Cable TV Channel 99 (Verizon Channel 11), the FCPS YouTube Channel, or the FCPS website. To watch School Board meetings dubbed in Spanish, please visit the FCPS en Español YouTube channel.
If you would like language interpretation or American Sign Language support for any School Board meeting, please contact the board clerk. Find your School Board member and how to contact them on the School Board Members webpage.
Here Comes the Bus
Want to know if your child's bus is on schedule or where the bus is? Here Comes the Bus® is an easy-to-use website and app that enables parents to see the location of their child’s school bus — almost in real-time — on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer.
Parents can track multiple buses if their children don’t all ride the same bus; know exactly when children arrive at school or the bus stop; and receive customized text and/or email notifications about bus locations, schedule changes, or delays.
To get started, download the app from the Apple iOS or Android app store. Check out the Here Comes the Bus and Frequently Asked Questions webpages for more information.
Already using the Here Comes the Bus app? Send your feedback to HCTB@fcps.edu.
Note: eNotify text messaging will continue to be used for reporting bus delays and bus incidents.
Cultural Observances & Recognitions
Lunar New Year
The Lunar New Year is a holiday that marks the first new moon of the lunisolar calendar, which is the calendar traditionally used in many east Asian countries including China, Vietnam, Singapore, and South Korea. In these and other Asian countries, it is one of the most important holidays of the year. The Lunar New Year is all about ushering in luck and prosperity with family. Read more about Lunar New Year and its animal symbols in National Geographic Kids.
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations. It marks the beginning of Lent, a time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving leading up to Easter. Many Christians attend special Ash Wednesday church services, at which churchgoers receive ash on their foreheads. Ash Wednesday derives its name from this practice. Read more about Ash Wednesday in Britannica.com.
Support FCPS Relay for Life
Relay for Life – FCPS is an event that brings our community together to fight against cancer.
Relay for Life is a powerful initiative that unites schools, students, and communities in the shared goal of raising funds for cancer research, patient support, and advocacy. It's an opportunity for our schools to make a lasting impact and show solidarity in the face of this challenging disease.
Your generosity would not only contribute to the success of Relay for Life but also showcase the unity and compassion that define Fairfax County Public Schools.
Thank you for considering this request, and we look forward to the possibility of joining forces to make Relay for Life - FCPS a memorable and impactful event.
To sign up to participate, volunteer, etc., please go to our website at: https://relayforlife.org/fcps
It will be held on May 18, 2024 at Woodson HS beginning at 2pm.
Webinars for Families
Behavior Solution Series for Elementary and Secondary Families – Join FCPS Behavior Intervention Services staff for help encouraging positive communication and behavior at home.
- Webinars for Elementary-Age students:
- Proactive Strategies for Effective Communication, Friday, February 16, 10 a.m.
- Taming Tantrums and More, Friday, March 15, 10 a.m.
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.
What Families Can Do to Fight Drug Misuse
FCPS is committed to raising awareness about the opioid epidemic with our educators, parents/caregivers, and students. Together, we can help ensure our students thrive.
What can families do?
- Show you disapprove of underage drinking and other drug misuse. More than 80% of young people ages 10-18 say their parents are the leading influence on their decision whether to drink.
- Show you care about your child’s health, wellness, and success.
- Show you are a good source of information about alcohol and other drugs. Find helpful resources on the FCPS Opioid Awareness webpage.
- Pay attention to your child and discourage risky behaviors.
- Build your child’s skills and strategies for avoiding drinking and drug use. Talk with your child about what they would do if faced with a decision about alcohol and drugs, such as texting a code word to a family member or practicing how they will say, “No thanks.”
Visit the FCPS website for more information.
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.
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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