|
English | Español | አማርኛ | 中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt | العربية | فارسی | اردو
Dear Mantua families,
The past 2 weeks have been full of celebrations at Mantua! This week, we honored our American presidents, past and present, and their legacy and impact on our society by celebrating President’s Day! While this past Monday was a federal holiday, our students celebrated early by learning about our past presidents and, in particular, facts about George Washington. Our classrooms were also a blur of pink and red last week as we celebrated Valentine’s Day with classroom parties and Valentine cards for friends and teachers. We appreciate the family members who volunteered to help make these classroom celebrations successful. We’ve shared some colorful pictures with you!
We also celebrated our dedicated bus drivers for Bus Driver Appreciation Day last week! Our bus drivers are a front line of safety and care every day as they transport students between school and home, always with a smile and a friendly wave. We took the opportunity to thank our Mantua bus drivers in person; we’ve shared some photos on social media, check them out on Instagram!
I wanted to share our continued efforts to help students understand the importance of using kind and positive language. We are committed to providing a learning environment that ensures all members of our school community will be safe, supported, and valued. Last week, our 6th graders participated in an assembly led by our admin team that reviewed aspects of the Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) and addressed the impact of harmful language and behaviors. This was an incredibly positive experience for all involved. We were impressed by our students' meaningful participation, offering ways they can serve as upstanders and instances where the words and actions of others have impacted them. We will continue this work with our 4th and 5th grade students in the near future. As with our 6th grade families, we will communicate upcoming assemblies with grade-level families.
We are excited for Heritage Night on March 6 at Mantua. A reminder of the details of this event will come home in Tuesday folders; you can also find information below. We need many volunteers to make this night successful; please consider signing up! You won’t want to miss this exciting evening celebrating the rich cultural diversity that makes up our Mantua family!
We hope you have a wonderful rest of your weekend!
Take good care,
Linda Shannon, Principal
Rich Deixler, Assistant Principal
Colleen Vaughan, Assistant Principal
Important Dates
March 4-8: Read Across America Spirit Week (information below)
March 5: Presidential Primary, school holiday, central and school offices remain open
March 6: Heritage Night 6-7:30 PM
March 10: Daylight Savings Time begins (move clocks forward one hour)
March 11: First full day of Ramadan
March 22: End of the quarter
March 25-29: Spring Break, schools and offices closed
March 31: Easter (falls over spring break)
April 11: Family Literacy and Math Night, 6:30-8 PM
*The “Be the Change” event previously advertised at Mantua has been canceled.
Mantua News
Kindergarten Registration
There’s an easy five-step process for parents wanting to register their child for kindergarten:
- Determine eligibility.
- Identify your local school.
- Gather documents.
- Fill out forms.
- Schedule an appointment.
After the appointment at the school (the student and one caregiver must be present), the student will be ready for orientation, Bridge to Kindergarten, or any other introductory events each school may host. Read more about the registration process.
💻 Try Online Registration
Parents may register their children online for kindergarten through 12th grade. Learn how to begin the online registration process.
When registering, parents will create (or log in to an existing) SIS ParentVUE account. Please note that passwords should be more than 12 characters long. If you have an existing account and your password is shorter, please update it when you log in. If you have any questions, please contact our registrar, Mergie Kakouris, mbkakouris@fcps.edu.
Positivity Project (P2)
This upcoming week our school community will be focusing on the character strength of Love of Learning. Love of learning means you master new topics on your own or in school.
Those with a love of learning are intrinsically motivated and engaged in a topic regardless of achieving an external standard. They enjoy learning simply for the sake of learning. They don’t need a prize of a high grade as a reward. Their reward is the process of doing the work and improving.
Developing a love of learning is highly beneficial for an individual. It means that they are intrinsically motivated to deepen their existing skills and abilities, or learn something completely new. Since intrinsically motivated action is correlated with positive emotions, those who act on their love of learning may also have enhanced mental and physical health. Additionally, individuals who love learning have the desire and ability to overcome challenges, due to a sense of autonomy and control over their environment.
To practice and encourage the character strength of love of learning 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.
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.
Read Across America Spirit Week
Monday, March 4 |Mantua LOVES Reading
*Wear your Mantua spirit gear or wear red
Tuesday, March 5 | School Planning Day (No School for Students)
Wednesday, March 6 |Glow Crazy for Reading
*Wear neon colors
Thursday, March 7 |We’re Wild About Reading
*Wear spots, stripes, or animal print
Friday, March 8|Curl Up with a Good Book
*Wear your pajamas
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.
Family Engagement Survey to Open March 3
FCPS is partnering with independent research firm K12 Insight to administer a Family Engagement Survey, which will be open from Sunday, March 3, to Friday, March 22. Your feedback is critical in helping FCPS to better recognize, understand, respect, and address family strengths and needs throughout the district. Survey topics include:
- Welcoming environment
- Communication
- Student success
- Advocacy
- Family and school partnerships
- Community partnerships
The survey will be available in English, Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Pashto, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
Parents/caregivers will receive the survey link via email from K12 Insight. A public link will also be posted on FCPS’ website. Paper surveys will be available in our front office. Please stay tuned for more information.
March 5 Presidential Primary
The Fairfax Board of Elections has requested that schools be closed on Tuesday, March 5, to accommodate the safe and efficient administration of the 2024 presidential primary election.
Therefore, March 5 will be a school holiday for students and a virtual School Planning Day. As outlined in Regulation 4421, School Planning Days are directed by school-based Administrators in order to devote time to school improvement efforts, including collaboration around data, common assessments, responsive instruction, etc.
Central offices and school offices will remain open. SACC will remain open, as on other professional work days.
Share Your Thoughts on Schoology
FCPS will be conducting voluntary, anonymous surveys on the use of Schoology from Monday, March 11, to Friday, March 22. Surveys will be delivered to:
- Elementary students (grades 3-6) through the Schoology App Center.
- Secondary students via email from Naviance.
Student feedback will inform the school division’s use of Schoology and help improve its processes, communication, and professional learning for staff. FCPS’ Instructional Services Department will also be reaching out to families through focus groups.
Please contact Schoology@fcps.edu if you have questions.
Sign Up for FCPS Summer Camps
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.
Learn About Science, Technology, and Arts Magnet Schools
Three FCPS elementary magnet schools provide programs that enhance learning in science, technology, and performing arts.
If you are interested in sending your student to an elementary magnet school program, consider attending a school-based information night at Hunters Woods Elementary School, Bailey’s Primary Elementary School, or Bailey’s Upper Elementary School.
Information nights will provide an opportunity to learn about individual school programs, student eligibility, the lottery process, and transportation.
Registration for the 2024-25 elementary magnet lottery is open Tuesday, March 5, through Friday, April 12. Get more information about the schools, their programs, and locations.
Our Schools, Our Future: Community Conversations
Join Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid for Our Schools, Our Future – A Community Conversation. Your voice matters! Share your thoughts about FCPS and bring your questions to a conversation on:
- Tuesday, April 16, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Graham Road Elementary School.
- Tuesday, April 30, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at South County Middle School.
- Thursday, May 2, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Terraset Elementary School.
- Wednesday, May 8, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Hybla Valley Elementary School.
- Thursday, May 16, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Poe Middle School.
- Tuesday, May 21, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Katherine Johnson Middle School.
Pre-registration for a Community Conversation is not required but will help FCPS plan. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided for all events based on staff availability. Events are open to all. Learn about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid.
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, Finance Office Assistant slpalomino@fcps.edu
|
