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Message from Ms. Shannon
Dear Mantua Families,
We are so excited to welcome students for a great school year! We want to share key reminders for Monday with you. Our doors will open at 9:05 AM so that students can get breakfast if they would like and make their way to classrooms. Please do not worry if your child does not know how to get to their class. We will have greeters ready to meet students at Door 1 and Door 2 to walk them to classes. Before you send your child to school on Monday, please remind them how they are getting home and that it is consistent with the dismissal plan you entered into PickUp Patrol (PUP). Detailed PUP information is included below and is in your child’s Raccoon folder.
We hope everyone had a restful and enjoyable summer with family and friends. During this last week, we welcomed our team back with a Kick-off theme of “Sunshine State of Mind.” We focused on bringing joy into our classrooms, similar to what we experienced on those breezy summer days. As an educational team, we intend to continue implementing high-leverage strategies in effective instruction, building relationships, and supporting positive behaviors. We are excited to see the impact of this work on our young learners.
We want to extend a huge thank you to our Amazing PTA for treating us to a welcome-back breakfast and a sweet treat after Open House. We connected with many of you and your children on Thursday for Open House. The design of classroom visit sessions organized by alphabet allowed families with multiple children to visit all classes in one session and to engage in more meaningful connections with staff. We hope you enjoyed meeting our team.
Looking ahead to next week:
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Critical: Be sure to familiarize yourself with PickUp Patrol and check to make sure your child’s dismissal plan in PUP is up to date. Review with your child how they will get home from school. More detailed instructions are found below and also in your child’s Raccoon folder.
- Check your Raccoon folder for the Emergency Care Information Sheet and Health form and return this completed to your student’s homeroom teacher.
- Get a good night’s rest and eat a good breakfast for a great start to the school year!
We wish each one of you an excellent first day of school!
Take good care,
Ms. Shannon, Mr. Deixler, and Mrs. Vaughan
Save the Dates!
August 19: First Day of School!
August 28: Ice Cream Social hosted by Mantua PTA, Mantua playground
August 29: Woodson HS Feeder Night, Cav Carnival 5 PM
August 30: Student Holiday, schools and offices closed
September 2: Labor Day student holiday, schools and offices closed
September 16: Three-hour early release at 1:05 PM
September 19: Back to School Night, 6:00-7:30 pm
Be sure to bookmark the FCPS School Calendar to keep track of school holidays, breaks, and observances.
Mantua PTA’s Pizza & Ice Cream Social
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Save the date for this annual event on Wednesday, August 28th, from 6:00-7:30 PM. Be on the lookout for a flyer in your child's First Day Folder with full event details, including instructions on how to purchase your pre-sale wristbands. We look forward to celebrating with you! |
2024-2025 FCPS Calendar & Limited Early Release Mondays
Limited Early Release Mondays for Elementary Schools: Steering Committee Update
As a reminder, FCPS elementary schools will have limited early-release Mondays during the upcoming school year. The goal is to provide elementary teachers 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 check 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 plan activities for students who must stay at school until regular dismissal time.
We realize we must finalize many details 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 16
- October 21
- November 18
- February 10
- March 10
- April 21
- May 12
Bell Schedule
Mantua ES Bell Schedule for 2023-24 is 9:20 AM. - 4:05 PM
- Office hours are 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
- Kiss & Ride Drop Off - 9:05 AM - 9:20 AM
- Doors open at 9:05 AM for students - In order to work within teacher contract times and provide appropriate adult supervision, students will be able to enter the school building and classrooms beginning at 9:05 AM.
Arrival & Dismissal
Safety is our priority. Please be patient as arrival and dismissal routines are established in these first weeks. We understand the hurried nature of mornings and evenings, but please drive slowly and safely through our parking lots and beyond. We have a single entrance and exit dedicated to Kiss and Ride, buses, and many walkers. If there is a line of cars waiting on Kirkwood Drive, do NOT pass the line. This presents a significant safety risk for students and families walking to and from school. The following notes help us to be safe and efficient. Please review the information below and reach out if you have any questions.
Arrival
We begin welcoming students at 9:05 AM. Please do not drop your child off early, as there is no adult supervision of students before that time. If you arrive after 9:20 AM., please park your car and walk your student(s) to the front office through door #1.
While staff will be greeting children at Kiss & Ride until 9:20, please complete dropoff by 9:15 to ensure a prompt 9:20 start in the classroom. This allows your student time to walk to class and be in place by the time class begins. An essential part of our day in classrooms is our Morning Meeting. Being on time means your child has meaningful opportunities to develop relationships with peers and staff and start their day on a positive note.
- Walkers: Staff will greet walkers at Door #1. We ask parents to give hugs and well wishes prior to their children entering the building. We will have many staff members to help your child find their way to class during the first week of school.
- Bus Riders: Students are dismissed from their buses at 9:05 AM,
- Kiss & Ride: Staff will greet Kiss & Ride students in the loop at the side entrance near door # 2. Please be sure to pull completely forward as staff directs you to do so. Whenever possible, please have students sit on the passenger side of the vehicle. For safety reasons, students are not to exit on the driver's side of the vehicle. Staff will assist your child's exit from the car as needed. Please remain in your car.
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This is a single-lane loop. Stay to the far right and remain in the line as you proceed through the loop. The included image is to assist you. No cars should drive in the middle lane, as indicated by the red car in the image. |
Dismissal
- Walkers: Will be dismissed from their classrooms. If you are meeting your student(s), please meet them at door #2.
- Kiss and Ride: Students waiting for Kiss & Ride will report to the Art rooms daily. If parents/guardians arrive before dismissal, students will receive notification in their classrooms through PUP and report directly to Kiss & Ride at dismissal. As you approach the Kiss & Ride loop tomorrow, you will give your name to staff on radio or display it on a piece of paper in your window. On Tuesday, all families will receive PickUp Patrol (PUP) placards in Tuesday folders to be displayed on your dashboard or passenger window. Plan to use these placards when you come through K&R. This is how we know that the person picking up is authorized by the parent/guardian. If you need additional placards throughout the year, please let us know.
- Bus Riders: Will be dismissed from their classrooms. If you are meeting your student(s) at the bus stop, please plan on being at the bus stop at least 5 minutes early. Kindergarten students who ride the bus in the afternoon must be met at the bus door and asked for by name by a parent, parent designee, guardian, or a responsible sibling who is a 7th grader or older. Kindergarten students not met will be returned to school.
PickUp Patrol (PUP)
Registration PickUp Patrol (PUP) emails were sent to all families. To ensure that all students take the correct mode of transportation home on Monday, it is imperative that parents and guardians complete the PUP registration and update each of your children’s dismissal plans. Please visit the PUP website if you have any questions. If you need further assistance, please email Ms. Finaish at ffinaish@fcps.edu. If you have not yet created an account, we encourage you to contact Ms. Finaish for a one-time link to set up your account. The link expires for security purposes, so once you receive the link, you should create the account immediately.
The student default plans you enter in PUP will become visible to the main office and to the individual teacher. If a student needs to leave school during the day for a doctor's appointment, families will update their child's dismissal plan using the app. This information is then communicated to the teacher and main office staff. At the time of pick-up, the parent/guardian will come to the office to pick up the child.
Key Points to Remember
- All children must be signed out in the office (late arrivals, early dismissal, re-entry).
- A student CAN NOT be released to anyone except the parent/guardian or the emergency contact indicated on the emergency care card. Parents/Guardians can give consent to release their child to a different adult by making a change to their child's dismissal plan using the PUP app. Please know that if the person picking up a child is unknown to the staff, identification will be required.
- Changes to the default plan need to happen prior to 2 PM daily.
- Changes can be made in advance for planned changes to the student’s schedule.
- No dismissals can occur within 20 minutes of the end of the school day.
- As you use the application, if you have any questions, please check the PUP FAQ page. If you need further assistance, please reach out to Ms. Fadwa Finaish at ffinaish@fcps.edu or PickUp Patrol at support@pickuppatrol.net.
Attendance
We will also continue using PUP for absence reporting. In the event of an absence or tardy, please login to PickUp Patrol or call 703-645-6363. Please specify a physician’s diagnosis, such as strep throat or pinkeye.
Medication Forms & Drop Off
The Health Room continues to be open for drop-off of emergency and daily prescription medications. Medications may be dropped off after the start of school M-F, 9 AM - 4 PM. All visitors are required to check in at the Main Office. All medications require a completed medication authorization.
A parent or designated adult must transport all prescription medications to school. Students are not allowed to bring in prescription medications. Prescription labels must include a description of the medication.
Update Your Child’s Immunizations and Records
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.
Your Family's App Toolbox
SIS ParentVUE - The SIS ParentVUE Account (Student Information System ParentVUE Account) is the FCPS secure solution for accessing information about your child's attendance, class performance, demographic data, and link to Schoology.
TalkingPoints - TalkingPoints is a free app that allows families to communicate with teachers in their preferred language. We will use this platform to share important information about your child's education and progress.
PickUpPatrol - Mantua uses PickUpPatrol for daily attendance needs and reporting. PickUpPatrol provides a secure app for parents to download and add arrival and dismissal plan changes. Click on the link for more information on how to download the app.
Here Comes the Bus - Know when the school bus is arriving with the Here Comes the Bus app. This app uses GPS to track bus locations in real-time. To use this app, you'll need to set up your ParentVue account first. The FCPS school district code is 28982.
Nutrislice - Once the year starts, you can find out what's for breakfast and/or lunch each day at Mantua!
MySchoolBucks - Online payment for lunch accounts and field trips are available through the MySchoolBucks School Store. This online payment service provides a quick and easy way to pay for school-related purchases. You will be able to pay for a variety of school fees using credit/debit cards or electronic checks.
Student Online Verification/Update (OVU)
The 2024-25 Online Verification/Update (OVU) packet is available in ParentVUE. The OVU packet allows the enrolling parent to electronically update phone numbers, emergency contacts, health conditions, and new immunization dates for their students via ParentVUE. For detailed information on how to use the OVU system, please click here. Every family will need to verify that their information is correct by September 3rd.
Free and Reduced Price Meal Applications
Families must complete the Free and Reduced Price Meal application before the start of each school year. Approved applications may also qualify students for additional benefits. Look for the application in August, view criteria, and up-to-date information on the Free and Reduced-Price Meals webpage. Families should reach out to their schools with questions or for assistance.
To apply online:
- Visit www.MySchoolApps.com.
- In the State drop-down menu, select Virginia.
- Click on the Search button.
- On the next screen, select Fairfax County Public Schools from the Choose your District dropdown.
- Click on the Select District & Continue button.
Quick Contacts & Links
Linda Shannon, Principal LCSshannon@fcps.edu
Rich Deixler, Assistant Principal RADeixler@fcps.edu
Colleen Vaughan, Assistant Principal CAVaughan@fcps.edu
Mergie Kakouris, Student Information Assistant, MBKakouris@fcps.edu
Fadwa Finaish, Office Assistant, FFinaish@fcps.edu
Judy Toy, Office Assistant, JPToy@fcps.edu
Susan Palomino, Finance Office Assistant SLPalomino@fcps.edu
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