Greetings McNair Students and Families,
We had another fabulous week learning and growing together at McNair! On Thursday, we celebrated our 100th Day of School together! All of our Mustangs enjoyed participating in our 100 Days of Learning Challenges. It was so much fun seeing how creative they were as they represented 100 in a variety of ways through various opportunities during the school day. Be sure to ask your Mustang what their favorite way to represent 100 was. We are sure that they will smile as they share their memorable experiences with you! Additionally, our second grade students participated on Friday in their own innovative marketplace! Our students "sold" goods that they produced! They also invited staff and other students to be their consumers. Kudos to our amazing teachers for making this incredible learning experience for our students possible. Connecting the learning to real world experiences is invaluable.
As families have been on campus this week whether it be during arrival, dismissal, or both, you may have noticed an increase in the presence of our Fairfax County Police Department as well as our FCPS Safety and Security officers. The safety of our students, community, and staff is our top priority. We appreciate your partnership with ensuring that drivers are following the law on the roadway and within in our parking lots to ensure all pedestrians and fellow drivers are safe. Your partnership is essential in this matter. If you have any questions, please be sure to reach out as we want to ensure we partner together with you and answer any questions or concerns that you may have.
Please see more information in our newsletter about Kindness Week at McNair, Lexia Parent Night for supporting your child's reading abilities, as well as information about our upcoming PTA Movie Night and how your student can cast their vote on which movie they prefer to see!
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!
Did You Know?
- Starting in preschool and kindergarten, too many absences can cause children to fall behind in school.
- Missing 10%, or about 2 days each month over the course of a school year, can make it harder to learn to read.
- Students can still fall behind if they miss just one or two days every few weeks.
- Being late to school may lead to poor attendance.
- Absences and tardiness can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help children catch up.
Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school—and themselves. Start building this habit in preschool so they learn right away that going to school on time, every day is important. Eventually good attendance will be a skill that will help them succeed in high school, college, and beyond.
Please visit https://www.fcps.edu/attendance for more information about the importance of student attendance.
FCPS funds the use of Lexia for all elementary and middle schools to use as part of their literacy instruction. Lexia is a computer-based program that supplements classroom instruction to help students develop literacy skills. It also provides teachers with data to identify students who need additional support, and the ability to know which specific concepts and skills to prioritize.Attend an information night on Monday, February 12, at 6:30 p.m., at Thoreau Middle School. Parents/caregivers will learn more about Lexia, and how FCPS is integrating it into the classroom and supporting student growth in reading. Attendees will also get tips for supporting their students at home.
Register to attend or submit a question in advance. Unable to attend in person? Join on Zoom.
Integrating Lexia into the literacy curriculum aligns with the Virginia Literacy Act, FCPS’ Equitable Access to Literacy, and FCPS Strategic Plan Goal 3, which aims to have all students reading on level by the end of third grade.
Virginia Kindness Week is February 12-February 16. This is a special week that recognizes the simple day-to-day acts of kindness that enable our schools, communities, and state to be a kinder, safer, healthier and more inclusive place to live, work, learn and play. Ideas for how to promote kindness in our school community can be found at the link below. The Division of DEIA would love to hear from our community about how students are participating and showing kindness! VDOE Kindness Week
We welcome all of our Mustangs to join us in recognizing this special week! Please see below for more information about our McNair Kindness Week!
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This past week was National School Counseling Week. This is a week that highlights 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.
Our AMAZING school counselors at McNair are Donna Ford and Kristin Coe. Their impact on our school community is immeasurable, and we want to express our deepest gratitude for their incredible dedication to the well-being and success of all of our students.
In the case you didn't get a chance to last week, please ensure to take a moment to share your appreciation with them by having your child write them a letter or draw them a picture. Your kind words and encouragement will undoubtedly mean a lot!!
Click to view Ms. Burg's & Ms. Mallory's February 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.
If you have any questions about Advanced Academics Programming at McNair, please email Ms. Burg at kmburg@fcps.edu.
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Registration is now open for several summer camps and learning opportunities offered by Fairfax County Public Schools for all students.
Career and Technical Education (CTE) camps and Institute for the Arts camps will be held in July at Lake Braddock Secondary School from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bus transportation will be available from select FCPS middle and high schools.
Tech Adventure Camp is available for current grade K-5 students to explore STEAM, culinary, health, trades, and business and marketing areas. E-IFTA is a weekly arts camp for elementary students who love to sing, dance, act, perform, make, and create. Visit the E-IFTA webpage to register.
Through Schoology®, all FCPS students have 24/7 access to no-cost, year-round, on-demand, 1-to-1 tutoring services through Tutor.com.
A new Teacher-Referred Tutoring program feature provides targeted support and extends student learning. Teachers can now refer students for tutoring, with their specific needs already identified. Students can get extra support — on their own schedule — and reinforce their in-class learning.
Caregivers can guide students to access expert tutoring, homework help, and writing support by clicking on the Tutor.com icon in their Schoology portal—anytime, anywhere.
Plus, look for teachers’ tutoring session referrals on the Tutor.com homepage.
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Are you interested in Volunteering at McNair?
We would greatly appreciate your support! Please do not hesitate to reach out to us! If you are interested, please contact the Main Office at 703-793-4800. You may also email our Administrative Assistant, Julia Smoot at jcsmoot@fcps.edu.
Please see below for opportunities to make donations to support McNair Elementary School! We greatly appreciate any contributions!
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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Lights, Action, Family Fun!
Join Us for our PTA Movie Night!
Date: Friday February 23, 2024
Time: 6:00pm
Location: McNair Primary Campus Cafeteria
Cost: $15 per family
Grab a seat, grab a slice, and let the movie magic begin! Join us for a cozy indoor family movie night filled with laughter, love, and food. Bring a blanket, sleeping bag, pillows, etc. to sit on.
Pizza, chips, soda, and juice boxes will be available for pre-order or on-site purchase. **(on-site is cash only)**
**Children must be accompanied by a parent/legal guardian in order to attend and the parent/legal guardian must stay with their child(ren) at all times. No drop offs**
RSVP is Required to attend the event.
Families must RSVP no later than Friday, February 16th. RSVP HERE
(This is a firm deadline. Tickets will not be sold at the door.)
If you have any questions, please email the McNair PTA Board at board@mcnairespta.org
Cast Your Vote!!!
Want to vote on which move will be playing? Please have your child bring in any amount of coins to vote on which movie they want to watch! The movie that earns the most money for the school, wins and will be viewed at Movie Night! We will reveal the winning movie on our Morning News Show on February 23rd, the day of the event!
Thank you for your support!
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Register Now for Early Spring Chess Club- 10 Weeks of Strategy & Fun!
Whether you're a beginner looking to learn the basics or an experienced player seeking to sharpen your skills, our 10-week program is designed to cater to all levels of expertise. Join us for a journey of strategy, camaraderie, and most importantly fun!
Details:
Start Date: Feb 14, 2024
Duration: 10 Weeks
Meeting Days: Wednesdays
Time: 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM
Location: McNair Primary School Cafeteria.
How to Register: Simply click on the registration link below and follow the easy steps to secure your spot. Hurry, as spaces are limited!
https://mcnairespta.memberhub.com/w/clubs
Student Scholarships:
- Students eligible for the Free Meal program can also apply for the Club Scholarship. PTA offers a 50% discount on the club fee, with the remaining 50% to be covered by the Parent/Guardian/Club Sponsor.
- PTA can award a scholarship to one student per season.
- PTA has the capacity to grant scholarships to two students per club.
- To apply for the scholarship, please use this link. Scholarships are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Any questions/Suggestions? Email Us : board@mcnairespta.org
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!
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 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.
Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS. Learn more about Black History month.
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- Summer Camp and Learning Opportunities
- Science, Technology, and Arts Magnet Schools
- Check Schoology for Teacher-Referred Tutoring
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!
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Mark your calendars!
As we navigate through our school year together, please mark the upcoming important dates on your calendar.
February 12-16: Kindness Spirit Week
February 12: Lexia Parent Night at Thoreau Middle School at 6:30pm
February 16: RSVP's Due for the PTA Movie Night
February 19: President's Day, Holiday (School's Closed)
February 21: PTA Meeting 6:30-8:00pm at McNair Upper ES
February 23: PTA Movie Night at 6:00pm at McNair. (Make Sure To RSVP!)
March 5: School Planning Day, No School For Students
March 22: End of Quarter 3
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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