Greetings McNair Students and Families,
Spring is in full swing, and we hope you're enjoying the beautiful weather! As we enter the final stretch of the school year, we want to emphasize the importance of consistent attendance for our students. Coming to school on time each day increases students’ abilities to thrive academically and socially.
Looking ahead, we have some exciting events on the horizon! Please mark your calendars for this week:
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Earth Day & Spirit Week: April 22nd - 26th
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PTA Meeting: Wednesday, April 24th
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McNair's Beautification Day Event: Saturday, April 27th
We look forward to seeing you at these upcoming events! You can find more information about each event, including times and locations, below in our school newsletter.
Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, 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!
Attending school regularly helps students feel better about school — and themselves. See our tips on how to encourage positive school attendance in elementary school: Visit FCPS’ Attendance web page for tips and strategies.
We have an abundance of special activities to look forward to during our last quarter of school. Please be sure to have your students in school every day through June 12th.
🖍️ It’s Kindergarten Registration Time!
Attending kindergarten provides children with an opportunity to learn and practice the essential social, emotional, problem-solving, and self-regulation skills they will use throughout their lives. Our school typically conducts kindergarten registration events, including kindergarten orientation on May 3rd at 9:30am. Eligible children can also be registered throughout the summer, but registering your child early helps us plan, so that we have the teachers and resources needed on the first day of school.
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.
McNair Elementary School invites you and your child to work with us to celebrate Earth Day by beautifying the outside of our school. You and your child will have the opportunity to participate in activities to make our school beautiful and learn about caring for the earth. Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 27th from 9-11am. We hope to see you there! All children must be accompanied by an adult.
**Please note, if you are willing to make any donations including but not limited to soil, plants, gardening tools, etc., please contact Connie Lehman at cslehman@fcps.edu. We appreciate your support!**
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Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week will be celebrated during the week of May 6th-May 10th! The PTA has planned a fun week where all staff will be showered with tokens of appreciation as a heartfelt thanks for the great work they all do to support our Mustangs. There will be opportunities throughout the week for parents/guardians to donate either food or drinks as well as volunteer their time.
If you are able to help out, please take a moment to sign-up by clicking on the following link: Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week Donation Sign-Up
Here are a few things to consider:
- McNair ES has around 125 staff members
- McNair Upper ES has around 90 staff members
- If you are donating baked goods on May 7th or May 10th, we ask that you include an ingredients list.
Thank you for your ongoing support!
The McNair PTA Board
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McNair Elementary is super excited to have a wonderful new summer reading program this year! It is important that students read at least six books over the summer, in order to maintain the learning they have done this year. LIFT gives students an opportunity to shop for six new books in May that will be packaged for the summer months and delivered to students during the last week of school. The cost of the program is $40 per child. We invite you to join us and participate in this fun reading initiative! A flyer with more details was sent home in last week's Thursday folders.
Questions? Please email our wonderful Reading Specialist, Kelly Carper at kacarper@fcps.edu.
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We are starting to work on our plans for the 2024-2025 school year! Class placements are an essential component of learning and building community. If you have information that you would like us to consider as we determine placements, please share your input by answering a few questions listed below. We know that a good teacher-student match and a productive mix of children are ingredients for success, and we carefully consider each child’s strengths and needs during this process. Please do not request specific teachers, as this does not take into account the many variables we must take into consideration. It is far more valuable to share particular academic or behavioral information.
Completion of this form is optional. If you would like to provide input, you may use this online form; OR you may email Elizabeth Watson (evwatson@fcps.edu); OR print a hard copy that may be sent to the office by May 24, 2024.
Please click on the link below to access the form:
McNair Elementary School Class Placement Form For the 2024-2025 School Year
April AAP Community Newsletter
Click to view Ms. Burg's & Ms. Mallory's April AAP Community Newsletter!
Screening for Subject Specific (Level II) and Part-Time (Level III) Services
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is committed to challenging all students through talent development and differentiated instruction to meet the needs of advanced learners.
In the spring, schools review data on all students to determine services for the start of the next school year. 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. Read the AAP Spring Newsletter (linked below) for additional information including links to the referral document.
Arabic | Chinese | English | Korean | Spanish | Urdu | Vietnamese
Additional Information
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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McNair is collecting gently used Eclipse glasses!
McNair Elementary and McNair Upper are collecting gently used eclipse safety glasses. All glasses will be donated to Eclipse Glasses USA, a retailer of eclipse glasses that is sending gently used eclipse glasses to schools in Chile and Argentina, so that more students there can safely view the October 2024 Annular Eclipse!
Students may drop off eclipse glasses in the front office of McNair Elementary or McNair Upper through the end of April.
Questions? Please contact Mallory Janofsky, AART at McNair Upper at mljanofsky@fcps.edu
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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.
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:
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Monday, April 29, 6-8 p.m., at Glasgow Middle School.
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Monday, May 6, 6-8 p.m., at Whitman Middle School.
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Monday, May 20, 6-8 p.m., at Hughes Middle School.
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Wednesday, May 22, 6-8 p.m., at Frost Middle School.
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.
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.
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.
Don’t miss out on this summer’s most exciting arts enrichment program! At Elementary Institute for the Arts (E-IFTA), students take art, music, theater, and dance classes daily. E-IFTA is for current second through fifth grade students. Learn more on the E-IFTA webpage. Email EIFTA@fcps.edu with any questions.
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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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!
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 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.
 April is Autism Acceptance Month. One in 44 children is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder in the United States, according to the CDC. Our schools and staff play a vital role in creating and ensuring inclusive environments that accommodate and affirm autistic students.
 Many Jewish communities in the United States celebrate Passover, a recognition of the deliverance of Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. Passover is also known as Pesah, Pesach, or the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Many Jewish families in the United States eat a ceremonial meal known as the Seder, which involves telling the story of the exodus from Egypt as well as eating various symbolic foods, such as meat of the paschal lamb and bitter herbs, recalling the harsh life of slavery. Learn more about Passover in NatGeo Kids.
Monday, April 22, and Tuesday, April 23, are designated half-O days in recognition of the first two days of Passover. Half-O days are full school days, but important events will not be held after school on those days. See the complete school year calendar.
 In countries where Theravada Buddhism is the most dominant religion, New Year is celebrated for three days from the first full moon in April. Theravada means “the teachings of the elders.” Celebrations begin with people attending the local temple in the morning for chanting and meditation. In the afternoon they have a water festival in which they meet the Buddha image and pay respect to the elderly by watering their hands together. Building sandcastles is also one of the most popular activities during this day of celebration. Wednesday, April 24, is designated as an O day for Theravada New Year. The school calendar recognizes many religious and cultural observances (O days) during the school year. There is school on these days, however 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.
FCPS is proud to celebrate National Arab American Heritage Month in April. This special month provides an opportunity to recognize the history and valuable contributions of Arab Americans. Arab Americans have ancestry in one of the world’s 22 Arab nations, which are located from northern Africa through western Asia. The people of these nations are ethnically, politically, and religiously diverse but share a common cultural and linguistic heritage. Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS.
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Muslim American Heritage Month is a time for celebrating the history, contributions, culture, and an enhanced understanding of the diverse population of Muslim Americans. View the Fairfax County School Board resolution honoring Muslim American Heritage Month.
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In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- Spring Assessments
- Family Conference
- Community Forums on Middle School Start Times
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving the weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
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Mark your calendars!
As we navigate through our school year together, please mark the upcoming important dates on your calendar.
April 22: Earth Day
April 22-23: Passover
April 22-26: FCPS Earth Week (Show your spirit, Mustangs!)
April 24: PTA Meeting at McNair Upper ES
April 24: Administrative Professionals Day
April 24: Theravada New Year
April 27: Beautification Day at 9:00am at McNair ES (We hope you can join!)
May 1: McNair ES Celebrates Walk or Bike to School Day!
May 3: Kindergarten Orientation at 9:30am at McNair ES
May 3: Student Holiday/Teacher Workday (Schools Closed for Students)
May 6-10: Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week! (Please email our PTA to Volunteer!)
May 8: McNair's Book Fair Family Night & Storytime with Principal Watson 4:30-6:00pm
May 24: Optional Class Placements Form Due for the 2024-25 School Year
May 27: Memorial Day, Holiday (FCPS Schools Closed)
May 31: Field Day at McNair! (Please email our office to Volunteer!)
June 12: Last Day of School for Students (2 hours Early Dismissal)
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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