Mantua ES Weekly Newsletter

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 04/13/2024 09:42 AM EDT

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Message from Ms. Shannon

Dear Mantua families,

Springtime at Mantua is buzzing with activity! From field trips and the awe-inspiring solar eclipse to the engaging Literacy and Math Night, it's been a week packed with learning adventures. The dedication of Mantua staff in planning enriching activities for our students is truly heartening.

The Book Fair has already proven to be a smashing success, drawing in many families eager to peruse the wide array of books. The Book Fair, running until April 17, offers ample opportunity for students to explore and discover their next favorite reads, with today's event from 10 AM to 1 PM.

Looking ahead, excitement mounts for the 3rd annual Read-a-thon, a fantastic fundraising endeavor that celebrates the joy of reading in all its forms. Whether it's reading aloud together or diving into topics that spark their interest, students are encouraged to log their reading hours on our secure fundraising page, 99Pledges. The Read-a-thon kicks off on April 15, alongside other notable events like AAP night on April 16 and Kindergarten Orientation on April 18.

Let's not forget to show our support for military families by donning purple on April 17! Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend ahead filled with joy and discovery.

Take good care,

Linda Shannon, Principal

Rich Deixler, Assistant Principal

Colleen Vaughan, Assistant Principal

Important Dates

April 13: TODAY Saturday Family Book Fair, Food Truck & Treats, Library 10 AM -1 PM

April 9-17: Mantua “Donut” Book Fair

April 15: Referrals for part-time and subject-specific advanced differentiation AAP services due to Kathy Van Dyke at kkvandyke@fcps.edu

April 15-26: Read-a-Thon

April 16: Woodson Pyramid Art Show, 6-8 PM

April 16: AAP Night (Families of full-time eligible students only) 6:30-7:30, Mantua cafeteria

April 17: Purple Up! (Wear PURPLE to support military families)

April 18: Kindergarten Orientation, 5-6 PM, Mantua cafeteria

April 22-23: Religious and Cultural Observance, First evening of Passover, Second evening of Passover

April 24: Religious and Cultural Observance, Theravada New Year

April 25: 5th and 6th grade Spring Band Concert, 7-8:30 in the gym

May 3: Teacher Workday - No school for students

May 9: 4th grade Spring Strings Concert, 6:30-8 PM in the gym

 Be sure to bookmark the FCPS Academic Year Calendar to keep track of school holidays, breaks, and observances.

 

Mantua News

Positivity Project (P2)

This week, our school community will focus on the character strength of Purpose. Purpose means having beliefs about the meaning of life and your life’s purpose. You seek to be part of something greater than yourself.

Purpose gives individuals the sense that they are put on this earth for a reason and that they are somehow connected with humanity or the universe. People who possess a sense of purpose believe that they were put on earth for a reason. That reason can have all kinds of variety. It could be to create a unique invention, bring joy through art or music, or raise their children to become good people. These people have a true calling.

Having a clear sense of purpose in life and believing that you’re connected to a larger meaning gives individuals strength. It allows them to persevere and find courage in trying circumstances or lead with kindness and love even when it’s not reciprocated. Those with a sense of purpose have more meaning in their life -- and are more fulfilled.

To practice and encourage the character strength of purpose 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.

Mantua Read-a-thon

It’s time to take out those books and read, read, read!  Our fundraising Read-a-thon will begin on April 15 and run through April 26th, and we want to encourage everyone to participate in the fun!  Information on how to log your student’s reading hours, etc., will be distributed by the Mantua PTA.  Remember that ANY reading counts!  Reading aloud to your child counts as well.  This is a great way to encourage and celebrate reading as well as raise funds for Mantua.

Woodson Pyramid Art Shows

woodson

 

The Woodson High School Fine Arts Department is excited to invite the Woodson community to our annual art shows! 

The Pyramid Art Show, which includes work from our elementary, middle, and high school students, opens on Tuesday, April 16. We will have a reception from 6-8pm in Cav Hall. Come on by to see what our K-11 artists have created this year!

On Thursday, April 18 from 6-8pm we will be celebrating our senior students at the Senior Art Show - our seniors’ culminating shows! Our upper-level senior artists have curated collections of their finest works and are looking forward to sharing this work with their families, friends, and community. We are so proud of our students and excited for them to have this special opportunity to share their work. 

In between enjoying the artwork at both shows, visitors can bring home small, student-made artworks that will be for sale and bid on our famous hand-painted furniture.

Our students have worked so hard to hone their art-making skills and create these works. They (and we!) would be so honored to welcome you to one (or both!) of these events.

Student Testing at Mantua

State assessments measure the extent to which students have learned the content and skills reflected in state standards and may also be used to measure growth in learning state standards. The format and timing of state assessments vary by grade level and content area, as noted in the table below. These include:

  • Spring Standards of Learning (SOL) standardized tests in reading, mathematics, and science. For certain grade levels, the reading SOL tests includes an integrated reading/writing (IRW) component. More information is available on the SOL assessments webpage (https://www.fcps.edu/node/35021);

Please see below for the specific SOL assessments your child will take and the dates on which these will occur. Please do your best to avoid scheduling appointments on the days your child has an assessment. 

Grade             SOL                Date

3                      Reading           Tuesday, May 7

3                      Math                Thursday, May 16

 

4                      Reading           Thursday, May 2

4                      Math                Tuesday, May 14

 

5                      IRW                Friday, April 19    

5                      Reading           Tuesday, April 30

5                      Science           Thursday, May 9

5                      Math                Tuesday, May 21

 

6                      Reading           Monday, April 29

6                      Math                Monday, May 13

 

*    IRW=Integrated Reading and Writing

 

Solar Eclipse Glasses

Are you wondering what to do with your solar eclipse glasses? Recycling the solar eclipse glasses by donating them to Mrs. Sperapani's class for redistribution to children in Latin America is a wonderful way to promote recycling and sustainability, but it also allows children in other parts of the world to experience the awe and wonder of a solar eclipse. It's heartwarming to see such thoughtfulness in action.

 

Mantua Donut Book Fair

Ready for some fantastic reading fun?  Join us for Mantua’s Donut Book Fair–we’ll have “hole” buncha books! The book fair runs from April 9-17.  The library will be open during special hours for this event,  and we have some exciting activities, including treats available for purchase by Captain Cookie Food Truck.  We look forward to seeing everyone at the book fair!

 

It’s Kindergarten Registration Time!

Here’s an easy five-step process for parents wanting to register their child for kindergarten:

  1. Determine eligibility. 
  2. Identify your local school. 
  3. Gather documents. 
  4. Fill out forms. 
  5. Schedule an appointment. Please contact Mergie Kakouris, our Student Information Assistant, by email at mbkakouris@fcps.edu or by phone at 703-645-6300 to set up an appointment

Prepare for registration by gathering documents and completing forms. We are happy to support families with registration and the transition to kindergarten. For more information in other languages, visit FCPS’ Kindergarten Registration webpage. 

Registering your child early helps us plan to have the teachers and resources needed on the first day of school. 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.  Mantua will host the 2024 Kindergarten Orientation Night on April 18th, from 5-6 PM.

 

AAP SPRING NEWSLETTER 

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is committed to challenging all students through talent development and differentiated instruction to meet the needs of advanced learners.  Students can be screened for subject-specific and part-time AAP services at any time in the school year. In the spring, schools review data on all students to determine services for the start of the next school year.  Additionally, parents or guardians can initiate the screening process by submitting the AAP School-Based Services (Level II-III) Referral Form to the Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART) or Assistant Principal by April 15, annually.

 

For more specific information, please visit the Advanced Academics Programs page on the Mantua Website where you will be able to read the spring newsletter from the AAP Office.  If you need further information, please feel free to reach out to Mantua’s Advanced Academics Resource Teacher (AART), Kathy Van Dyke, at kkvankyde@fcps.edu.

FCPS News

Give Your Feedback on the Budget

We are now in the middle of the annual budget process, which includes opportunities for you to give feedback:

  • Tuesday, April 16, through Thursday, April 18: The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors conducts public hearings on the county budget. Sign up to speak.  
  • Tuesday, May 7: The County Board of Supervisors adopts its budget, tax rates, and transfer amount to FCPS. 
  • Tuesday, May 14: The School Board holds a public hearing on the FCPS budget.
  • Thursday, May 23: The School Board adopts FCPS’ approved budget.

Learn more about the FCPS FY 2025 Advertised Budget and see the full Budget Development Calendar.

 

Purple Up! on April 17 to Support Military Families

Join our community and turn FCPS purple on Purple Up! Day, Wednesday, April 17. Wear purple in recognition of FCPS’ 14,000 enrolled military-connected students.   

 

School Health Services Satisfaction Survey

The Fairfax County Health Department and FCPS School Health Services invite parents/caregivers to participate in a survey on the level of satisfaction with support provided to your school community by School Health Services. The survey takes about five minutes to complete and is open until Friday, April 26. Your feedback can help to improve school health services.

 

Nominations Open for the Bussey Memorial Equity Award

The Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee (MSAOC) sponsors the Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award to honor the legacy of Dr. Bussey, a founding member of the MSAOC and a longtime advocate for students and families. Read more about Dr. Bussey. 

This award recognizes staff or community members who have demonstrated significant and impactful efforts to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of students from groups who are marginalized or underserved.

Any FCPS employee, student, or community member can nominate an individual or group for the award. All nomination materials must be submitted by Wednesday, May 1.  The winner will be recognized at the FCPS Equity Symposium on Tuesday, June 18.

Full details and the nomination information form are available on the Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award webpage.

 

Immigrant Family Reunification Class

A class will be held online in Spanish for immigrant families looking to reunite during challenging transitions. Saturday classes will be available April 13, 20, or 27, from 9-11:30 a.m. Register online. For more information, please contact Luis Uribe-Gamboa at lauribegambo@fcps.edu or Sussy Tomer at setomer@fcps.edu.

 

Safe, Supported, and Included — the FCPS Family Summit 2024

The FCPS Family Summit will take place on Saturday, April 20, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Marshall High School. The conference will cover topics that are helpful for all families, such as social-emotional resources, along with a specially curated online component to provide supports for students with disabilities and their families. 

Some of the topics include raising resilient, independent children; forming meaningful connections with children; addressing big emotions; and the dangers of opioids and fentanyl. The conference is being planned by several FCPS offices in collaboration with the Fairfax Alliance of Black School Educators, Black Women’s Educational Alliance - DC Chapter, Hispanic Educators Association, and Asian Educators Association. 

This year’s theme is Safe, Supported, and Included, which aligns with Goal 2 of the FCPS Strategic Plan. More details will be available after spring break. 

 

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:

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.

 

Community Forums on Middle School Start Times

Fairfax County Public Schools is exploring options for adjusting middle school start times and invites the public to be part of the process. Prismatic Services, Inc., an educational consulting firm, will lead the forums. All forums will deliver the same presentation and provide the same feedback opportunities. Please attend the event that works best for your schedule: 

Registration is not required but does help with planning. Click one of the dates above to register. Language interpretation and childcare will be provided. Learn more about the project exploring middle school start times.  

 

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 2 pm.

 

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