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Hello Mustang Families,
It was wonderful reconnecting with so many of our returning Mustangs as well as meeting new members of our Mustang family at today's Open House! With the level of energy and excitement that filled our school hallways and classrooms, I have no doubt we are going to have the best school year yet!
I look forward to the great school year ahead of us all when we kick things off on Monday morning at 8:35 AM! Have a nice and restful weekend!
Your Proud Principal,
Mrs. Goddin
MMGoddin@fcps.edu
Please click on the following link to video Ms. Meren's Welcome Message:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vYvcsGZwaU
What Is a School Board?
The Fairfax County School Board is responsible for running the public schools in Fairfax County. Twelve school board members are elected by county voters every four years.
A student representative serves on the board as a non-voting member. They are chosen by their peers each year.
The School Board makes general rules and sets guidelines to ensure Fairfax County Public Schools runs properly. They follow the laws of Virginia and the rules set by the Virginia Board of Education.
Learning about your local school board is important. Understanding their policies and initiatives can help you advocate for positive changes and ensure that the educational needs of all students are met. There are many ways to get involved.
Learn more about the school board, how to participate in their meetings, and where to watch school board meetings.
The Virginia Literacy Act (VLA) and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) require schools to provide reading and mathematics screening tests for all students in grades 3-6. These assessments also fulfill a requirement for reading and mathematics growth assessments under the Virginia Assessment Program (VAP). Test results help families and teachers know how to support each student’s learning and development. The Academic Screening, Growth, and Diagnostic Tests webpage (https://www.fcps.edu/academic-screening-growth-and-diagnostic-tests) provides more information on these tests.
- iReady Math - all students scheduled to take the spring Standards of Learning (SOL)
- iReady Reading - all students scheduled to take the spring SOL
- Virginia Language and Literacy Screening System (VALLSS) - only select grade 3 students
Elementary teachers assess all grade 3-6 students with iReady Math and iReady Reading in fall, winter, and spring. Tests are delivered within the classroom instructional block. Teachers set specific testing dates for each class. General timing for required screening and growth tests is available on the Grade Level Tests webpage (https://www.fcps.edu/academics/student-tests-assessments/grade-level-tests).
Based on academic screening results, some students may require a reading plan or math intervention plan. Some students may require additional diagnostic tests to help teachers determine specific areas for support. If you have questions about academic screening, growth, or diagnostic tests, please contact your student’s teacher or me at the cmcredle@fcps.edu.
Thank you,
Cliff Credle, M.Ed.
Assistant Principal/School Test Coordinator McNair Upper ES
Please check with your healthcare provider as soon as possible to make sure your child is up-to-date on the immunizations required by the state of Virginia. Starting Monday, September 30, students who have not provided proof of immunization will not be allowed to attend school.
You can check your child’s immunization compliance and submit their immunization record in SIS ParentVUE. Records may also be delivered to a school’s front office.
If your child needs a vaccine, please make an appointment with your healthcare provider, visit the Fairfax County Health Department website for a list of child immunization clinics, or access other local services. If needed, families may also provide other immunization documentation including a healthcare provider’s written statement of a permanent or temporary medical exemption or a notarized Religious Exemption Form.
Find more information on immunizations on the FCPS website.
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) provides a comprehensive, sequential Family Life Education (FLE) program for students in grades kindergarten through grade twelve. Instruction is seen as a partnership among parents and guardians, the school, and the community in supporting the learning essential to the development of strong families, positive relationships, and a healthy community.
Parents/guardians may choose to opt their child out of all or part of the Family Life Education program. Students who are opted out are provided with age-appropriate, nonpunitive alternative health instruction, and every effort is made to foster respect for family choices. If you wish to opt your child out of all or part of FLE for this school year, opt out forms will be included in your child’s back-to-school/orientation packets and are available online for Elementary (K-6) Please fill in the opt-out form and return it to your child’s school prior to Family Life Education instruction.
Detailed grade-level program descriptions are available online at Elementary (K-6) . FLE grade level-specific lessons and media that FCPS has streaming rights for are available for parents online in Schoology. Parents/guardians login to Schoology using the same username and password as their Student Information System (SIS) Parent account. Grade level-specific lessons are also available at the City of Fairfax Regional Library (this location does not have media). Grade level-specific lessons and media that is not streamed online are available for review at your child’s school library. Due to copyright permissions, we are unable to stream all media online.
Program questions may be addressed at your child’s school or by contacting Instructional Services at 571-423-4550 or fle@fcps.edu.
At the beginning of every new school year, we publish a handbook for McNair Upper ES families that provides an overview of many school-wide procedures, policies, and expectations that help us to keep our Mustangs safe and to maximize their educational experience with us.
Please click on the link below to access of a copy of this year's MUES Family Handbook. We ask that you keep it in a safe place and refer to it whenever you might have a question.
24-25 MUES Family Handbook
As always, you are also welcome to reach out to your child's classroom teacher or call our school's main office for support.
Starting on the first day of school, Monday, August 19, parents/caregivers can submit full-day absences through FCPS’ SIS ParentVUE platform. This will make reporting and tracking absences easier for our school.
Parents/caregivers may report absences by using ParentVUE or by contacting the front office. Please find important details below:
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How to Use ParentVUE: Log in to your ParentVUE account and select “Report Absence.”
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More Ways to Report: Use our attendance telephone line (571-982-4747) or our email address (McNairUpperElem.Attendance@fcps.edu) to report absences longer than two days, late arrivals, and early dismissals.
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Where to Get Help: Visit FCPS’ Attendance Reporting webpage for step-by-step instructions.
If you need to set up a ParentVUE account or have questions, please contact our front office at (571) 982-1700. They will provide you with an “activation key” and instructions to create a ParentVUE account. We are excited to see your student on August 19!
This year’s annual Back to School Night will be held on the evening of Thursday, September 5th. We will offer two sessions- Session #1: 6:00-6:45 p.m. and Session #2: 6:45-7:30 p.m. Please select only one to attend.
Classroom teachers will share information with families about the grade-level curriculum; including state and division-wide changes, your child will be learning this school year and specific grade-level events such as field trips your child may attend this upcoming school year. You will also hear about school wide, grade level, and classroom practices and expectations your child’s teacher will employ this school year to support them. This is a great opportunity to begin establishing your partnership with your child’s homeroom teacher to support their success this school year. It is important that families plan to attend one of our session offerings.
As a reminder, FCPS elementary schools will have limited early release Mondays during the upcoming school year. The goal is to provide elementary teachers with additional time to meet new professional development requirements for the Virginia Literacy Act.
You can help us with planning for the seven early release Mondays. Please watch your email for a short survey from us asking if your child will leave at the early release time on these days or remain at school until the standard dismissal time. Your response will help us in planning activities for students who will need to stay at school until regular dismissal time.
We realize there are many details for us to finalize before our first early release Monday in mid-September. Thank you for your patience, we strive to create a positive and successful experience for students, families, and teachers.
Early release Mondays for our school include:
- September 23
- October 28
- November 25
- February 24
- March 17
- April 28
- May 19
Learn more about Early-Release Mondays.
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McNair Upper is excited to welcome volunteers into our school to support staff and students. If you are interested in helping to support our school community during the school day, please attend one of our upcoming volunteer orientations.
- Wednesday, September 25th at 2:45 p.m.
- Thursday, September 26th at 8:50 a.m.
Please attend only one.
Volunteers can help in the Mustang Stable during lunchtime, help shelf books in the library, serve as a room parent for your child’s classroom teacher to help organize events for your child’s class and stuff Thursday Folders. We are also seeking 6th grade families who may like to assist with planning our annual 6th grade promotion ceremony, luncheon, and party in June. More information will be communicated to 6th grade families in January with a meeting time to begin planning for our annual 6th grade festivities and traditions.
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As you know, the PTA plays an essential role in enriching our school community. From organizing special events to funding important programs, our PTA’s efforts are crucial to the vibrancy and success of our school. However, this year, we face a critical situation: we are in desperate need of board members to keep the PTA operational.
Without enough volunteers to fill key positions on the PTA board, we will be unable to function. If this situation is not resolved promptly, we will regrettably have to dissolve the PTA. This would result in the loss of valuable programs and activities, including:
- School Clubs: Such as the Art Club, Science Club, Debate Club and etc., which provide students with enriching extracurricular opportunities.
- Competitions: Like the Spelling Bee, Science Olympiad, Odyssey of mind, Reflections, ACSL, FLL etc., which inspire and challenge our students.
- Community Events: Including Family Fun Nights, Holiday Parties, and Fundraising Activities, which foster a sense of community and engagement.
We are reaching out to all families to urgently seek your support. If you have the time and skills to contribute, we encourage you to consider joining the PTA board. We need dedicated volunteers for the following key positions:
- President: Leads the PTA and oversees all activities.
- Vice Presidents: Assists the President and manages committees.
- Secretary: Manages communications and records meeting minutes.
If you are interested in taking on a board position or would like more information about what’s involved, please contact us at board@mcnairespta.org immediately. We are eager to discuss how you can get involved and help us continue to support our school.
The future of our PTA—and the valuable programs and events we provide—depends on your involvement. Please consider stepping up to ensure that our PTA remains a vibrant and effective part of our school community.
Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter and for your continued support.
Warm regards,
McNair Elementary PTA Board
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- August 19th: 1st Day of School!
- August 30th & September 2nd: School Closed for Labor Weekend
- September 5th: FLE Parent Preview Night at 5:00 PM
- September 5th: Back to School Night at 6:00-7:30 PM
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