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Hello Mustang Families,
Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to spend time with your child's classroom teacher at yesterday evening's Back to School Night. I'm glad you were able to spend a bit more time learning about the curriculum your Mustang will learn about this school year, exciting opportunities they have to look forward to, and practices we have in place at MUES to keep your Mustang safe and enjoying school.
On Tuesday, I fanned out a letter to families explaining the purpose of a lockdown drill and that it we would be having one at McNair Upper ES this week. Yesterday, we were set to have our mandated beginning of the school year lockdown drill in an effort to practice with staff and students what to do in the event an unsafe person were to be present on our school grounds. In light of the tragic event that took place at a high school in Georgia on Wednesday morning, we made the decision to pause on having a lockdown drill. We will look to reschedule it in the coming weeks. If the news of Wednesday's senseless and tragic school shooting is unsettling to your Mustang or even to you, please don't hesitate to let me know. We will take the necessary measures to ensure that every member of our Mustang family is both safe and supported.
Your Proud Principal,
Mrs. Goddin
MMGoddin@fcps.edu
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As you plan upcoming trips and other family events, please remember the importance of sending your child to school every day. Review the FCPS School Year Calendar and try to plan any time away during breaks from school.
Children who show up for school regularly develop fundamental reading and math skills while building a habit of good attendance that will carry them into college and careers. Research shows that children who were chronically absent (missing 18 days or more) in kindergarten and first grade were far less likely to read proficiently at the end of third grade.
Learn how families can help form good attendance habits.
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Last night we held McNair Upper’s FLE Parent Preview Night. The slide deck presented can be accessed here. 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. To opt your child out of any FLE lessons click the Parent Digital Consent Directions. Please reach out to your child’s teacher or Cliff Credle at cmcredle@fcps.edu if you have any questions.
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
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Monday, September 16th –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
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Monday, October 21 –6:00-7:00 PM 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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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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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!
As we are so appreciative of our past Board Members, we are excited to announce that we have a new President, Lorelei Cheung, and VP of Communications, Sayanti Dasgupta. We are appreciative of their dedication to our school community and look forward to our journey together this school year.
While we celebrate these new additions, there are still several key positions open that are crucial for our PTA's success. We encourage you to get involved and consider taking on one of the following roles:
- VP of Outreach and Fundraising
- VP of Events and Programs
- Financial secretary
For more information or to apply, please reach out to our PTA at board@mcnairespta.org.
Some of the ways that our PTA supports our students are the following:
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School Clubs: Some examples include Art Club, Science Club, Debate Club etc., which provide students with enriching extracurricular opportunities.
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Competitions: Like the Spelling Bee, Science Olympiad, Odyssey of the Mind, Reflections, ACSL, FLL etc., which inspire and challenge our students.
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Community Events: Including Family Fun Nights, Holiday Parties, and Fundraising Activities, which foster a sense of community and engagement that supports 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.
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- September 16th: AAP Services Parent Overview at 6:00 PM/Location: McNair Elementary (PreK-2 location)
- 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)
- October 21st: Full-Time AAP Screening Overview at 6:00 PM/Location: McNair Upper ES (3-6 school)
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