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Hello Mustang Families,
We've had a wonderful second week of school! Our Mustangs are settling nicely into their classroom community as well as learning their daily routines. Mr. Credle and I have had the opportunity to connect with classes again this week in order to review FCPS' Students Rights & Responsibilities Handbook. It has truly been our pleasure getting to know our newest Mustangs as well as reconnecting with students returning to McNair Upper ES as we've been visiting with classrooms.
I'm excited to share with our Mustang family that Dr. Reid, Superintendent of FCPS, visited McNair Upper ES last Friday morning. She had the opportunity to visit many classrooms and observe several 3rd and 4th grade morning meetings in action. This is one of the most important parts of our school day as classroom teachers spend time building community amongst their learners to ensure they feel safe, respected, and are connected members of our school community. We value this time of our school day and are grateful that Dr. Reid got to experience it firsthand.
This is a friendly reminder that school is closed both tomorrow and on Monday in celebration of Labor Day. Enjoy this last bit of summer before fall is here. Have a nice long weekend, Mustang families!
Your Proud Principal,
Mrs. Goddin
MMGoddin@fcps.edu
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All schools in FCPS will be closed on Friday, August 30th and Monday, September 2nd in celebration of Labor Day.
Our doors at McNair Upper ES will reopen to welcome students on Tuesday, September 3rd at 8:35 AM.
We hope that you and your family enjoy your final long weekend of the summer before we really get into the swing of our new school year!
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FCPS is committed to supporting the mental wellness of all students. The Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener helps our students share their perspectives on how their schools and communities support them and help them develop the skills they need to succeed.
The screener is offered to all students in grades 3 through 12 in the fall and spring. It addresses skills like achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships with adults and peers, and making responsible decisions. Students also share how successful their school and community are at making them feel valued, included, and supported. Screener data is used to plan programming for the division, schools, and individual students. Results are mailed home to families after each screening.
Parents and guardians who prefer that their child not take part in the SEL Screener can either complete the opt-out in the Parent Digital Consent application or fill out the attached Parent Notification.
Here is a copy of the letter all McNair Upper students will be bringing home for their families to review:
For more information about the SEL Screener and access to its contents visit the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage.
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Link to the September AAP Community Newsletter
Our September newsletter has important information about requesting abilities test retakes as well as about Fall Screening for families that are new to FCPS this year. Please read it carefully and reach out with any questions. AAP Deadlines in FCPS are firm, and we do our best to share them promptly!
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Advanced Academics Program Elementary Services Parent Overview
- Wednesday, September 13th –6:00-7:00 PM in the cafeteria at McNair Elementary (PreK-2 building)
You are invited to join for an information session with Kaitlin Burg (McNair ES Advanced Academic Resource Teacher) and Mallory Janofsky (McNair Upper ES Advanced Academic Resource Teacher). We will provide an overview of Advanced Academics in FCPS and explain the AAP levels of service. This information will not be focused on Full Time AAP screening. That content will be discussed at a separate meeting in October (see below)
Full Time AAP Screening Overview
- Monday, October 21 –6:00-7:00PM in the cafeteria at McNair Upper Elementary School (G3-6 building)
Kaitlin Burg (McNair ES Advanced Academic Resource Teacher) and Mallory Janofsky (McNair Upper ES Advanced Academic Resource Teacher) will host this information session for parents interested in learning about the Full-Time AAP screening process. We will discuss the FCPS screening timeline, the Full-Time AAP referral, the family’s role in the referral process, and the eligible/ineligible notification process. Second through 6th graders at McNair Elementary and McNair Upper Elementary are eligible for Full Time AAP screening. Families of younger students are also welcome to attend if they would like.
Spanish translation will be available at each session. Please contact us directly if you need a translator for a different language.
We will share the slide decks on our respective websites following each meeting.
You are welcome to reach out to your school’s AART with questions about either session.
McNair Elementary: PreK-2 Mrs. Burg (kmburg@fcps.edu)
McNair Upper: Grades 3-6 Mallory Janofsky (mljanofsky@fcps.edu)
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A librarian from Fairfax County Library will be visiting McNair Upper ES on Thursday, September 5th at our Back to School Night event to help your Mustang get their very own library card!
For more information, please click on the link below:
General Library Card Flyer.pdf
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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. You are invited to attend an evening opportunity to preview the Family Life Education media and lessons and to talk with school staff about the program. The meeting will be held on Thursday, September 5th at 5pm in the library. All program materials and media for all grade levels will be available for your review at this time.
Program questions may be addressed at your child’s school or by contacting Instructional Services at 571-423-4550 or fle@fcps.edu.
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.
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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 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
- September 23rd: Three-Hour Early Release; Dismissal is at 12:30 PM
- October 2nd: Coming Soon! Family Coffee Talk at 9:00 AM (Topic: Benchmark, our new division-wide literacy basal)
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