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McNair Upper Families! Read Across America is March 3rd-7th and to celebrate we will have different dress up days and activities around reading! You can participate at home by reading together as a family some old favorites or try something new! Happy Reading!
Hello MUES Families,
We made it through five full days of school! Our Mustangs also got to enjoy outdoor recess in milder temperatures. Burning off energy and having that midday break is important for all children's success. It's nice to have them enjoy time outside again after being inside during most of the month of February.
We had an awesome start to the week when we had our midyear school-wide House Pep Rally to celebrate each House's glows and reflect on each House's grows. We also had select students get the party started by leading us in their House spirit cheers!
We are in the midst of our WIDA testing season and will also begin having students participate in two upcoming surveys next week- the SEL screener and the Student Experience Survey. If you elected to opt your child out, they will not participate.
Some of our Mustang families will begin celebrating Ramadan at sundown this evening. If your child will be fasting and needs a space outside of the cafeteria during lunchtime, please connect with me by email. We are happy to accommodate your request.
Have a nice weekend, MUES Families!
Melissa Goddin
Proud Principal
In March we celebrate Women’s History Month. How can your child use the Decisions and Outcomes strategy to invent something new like Mary Anderson? Check out the latest edition of the McNair AAP Community Newsletter published by Mrs. Janofsky and Mrs. Burg. In this edition you will find ways you can support the Decisions and Outcomes strategy, at home Portrait of a Graduate skills connections, as well as an AAP spring screening notification.
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 (Subject Specific and Part-Time) Referral Form to the Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART) by April 15, annually. Check out our newsletter for a link to the referral form.
March AAP Community Newsletter
Registration will be available soon for summer camps offered by Fairfax County Public Schools for all students. Career and Technical Education (CTE) camps and Institute for the Arts (IFTA) camps will be held in July at Lake Braddock Secondary School from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bus transportation will be available from select FCPS middle and high schools. Registration begins for these programs on Monday, March 10, and ends Friday, June 6.
Tech Adventure Camp (TAC) is a week-long exploratory camp designed to allow current K-5 students to explore activities in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math), culinary arts, health, trades, and business and marketing areas. Watch this video about CTE camps.
E-IFTA is a weekly arts camp for students in grades 2-5 who love to sing, dance, act, perform, make, and create. Students take part in four daily classes related to dance, music, theater, and visual art. They work with FCPS fine arts teachers who create fun and engaging classes.
For more information, see the Summer Learning page.
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Ramadan begins at sundown on Friday, February 28. This day is an evening-only observance day. There is school on these days, but certain activities that cannot be made up can not take place after school. See the complete school year calendar.
Throughout the year, as we celebrate and recognize various cultural holidays and observances, families are encouraged to contact Ms. Goddin, Principal, regarding accommodations, including but not limited to those around lunch, prayer/meditation and silent reflection spaces and times, and instruction.
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Families, educators, and community members are invited to the 2025 FCPS Family Summit: Beyond Labels: Nurturing a Culture of Belonging. Fairfax County Public Schools will be hosting the free, in-person event in collaboration with valued community partners. The summit will be held Saturday, March 15, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at South Lakes High School.
Childcare will be provided. Special education staff will be available to care for children with high support needs. You may sign up for childcare during the registration process.
Learn more about this event and register today! Contact FamilySummit@fcps.edu for more information.
This event will feature:
- Opening Session: Julie Causton and Kristie Pretti-Frontczak — best-selling authors, motivational speakers, and advocates for inclusion — will share practical tools and evidence-based strategies to empower and assist all families, with a special emphasis on parents of students with individual education programs (IEPs) and 504 Plans.
- Breakout Sessions: Learn more about special education and global topics that benefit all families.
- Student Showcase: FCPS students will share their efforts in fostering inclusivity through posters, essays, videos, songs, art, and other mediums.
- Exhibitor Hall: Discover valuable resources and services in the community to support families.
- Networking Opportunities: Connect with other families, staff, and community partners.
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has issued a new, first-time waiver allowing students fasting during the school day from February 28 to March 28, 2025, to request take-home breakfast and lunch meal kits. The Office of Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) will provide meal kits reflecting the school menu. Meals will be kept cold and must be heated at home. Students may claim one breakfast and one lunch kit per day. If a student purchases breakfast or lunch at school, they cannot pick up a kit that day. Meal kits must be picked up by students at the end of the school day—adults cannot collect them. Parents or guardians must submit a weekly request form via the FCPS FNS website by the deadlines:
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February 24, 2025, for February 28 and the week of March 3, 2025
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March 3, 2025, for the week of March 10, 2025
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March 10, 2025, for the week of March 17, 2025
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March 17, 2025, for the week of March 24, 2025
Forms must be submitted on time to receive meal kits for the following week.
As required by the Code of Virginia, parents or legal guardians need to provide proof of immunizations for their child to attend public school. All students entering seventh grade are required to receive one dose of each of the following immunizations:
- Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis booster (Tdap) given at age 7 or older.
- Meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY) given at age 10 or older.
- A complete series of 2 doses of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
- After reviewing educational materials approved by the Board of Health, the parent or guardian, at the parents/guardians sole discretion, may elect for the child not to receive the HPV vaccine.
Parents/guardians are encouraged to plan ahead by scheduling an appointment with their child’s health care provider now to avoid the rush this summer. If your child does not have a health care provider, please visit the FCPS Immunizations Resource page to find out where to get an immunization.
Please review the Virginia Department of Health Information Packet for more information on rising 7th grade immunization requirements.
Order your 24-25 MUES Yearbook now by visiting the following website:
MUES 24-25 School Yearbook Order Link
Below is information that should answer some basic questions that you or your child may have about McNair Upper ES’s Spelling Bee Program. Review this document with your child.
The McNair Upper ES Spelling Bee is part of the Scripps National Spelling Bee Program! As such, the McNair Upper ES Spelling Bee uses exclusively word study materials created and copyrighted by the Scripps National Spelling Bee Program and operates according to the Scripps’ Rules for Local Spelling Bees.
Schoolwide Spelling bee will be on Monday, March 3rd at 10:00 AM.
Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged is the official dictionary of the Scripps National Spelling Bee Program. Only the spellings used by MWU are valid spellings in the Scripps National Spelling Bee Program.
PREPARATION INFORMATION
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This is a Spelling Bee only. Scripps has added vocabulary questions to the National Spelling Bee, but we are not doing this.
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Do I need to do anything to prepare my child to participate in the Spelling Bee? No, there is nothing required to participate in the Spelling Bee. If your child wants to practice, attached below are study guides, this is optional.
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Not all of the words at the McNair Upper ES Spelling Bee will be from the Word Lists provided. Scripps supplies both the official Word Study List as well as the list of words that will be used during the McNair Upper ES Spelling Bee.
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The Spelling Bee will start with words from the Word Study List, and as the Bee goes on, the words will steadily increase in difficulty. If there are a lot of spellers and/or the spellers are well-prepared, the spellers still competing in the later rounds of the Bee may reach the “Challenge” section of the competition list. These are words that the spellers have not had a chance to study and will test their word skills and ability to puzzle out the correct answer by using their Speller’s Questions.
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Do not assume that your child will receive words only at his/her grade level. As the Bee progresses, the word difficulty increases. If your child wants to study, strongly encourage him/her to study the Word List beyond his/her current grade level.
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It is your child’s responsibility to be familiar with the Rules for Local Spelling Bees before the Bee competition. Review the Rules for Local Spelling Bees with your student. I will summarize key Rules for the spellers on Bee Day, but it will not be an exhaustive review.
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Your child may opt out of the Bee. The McNair Upper ES Spelling Bee is an optional activity. It is supposed to be an interesting challenge for your child, but it is also supposed to be fun. If you would like to opt your child out of the Spelling Bee, please email me and include your child’s name and teacher at vlsoni@fcps.edu.
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It's OK not to study. Your child will have more success at the Spelling Bee if he or she practices with the Word Lists beforehand, but it is not necessary. If your child wants to drop out because he or she has not studied, please encourage him or her to stay in just for the experience.
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Is my child allowed to appeal a spelling? No, there will be no appeals allowed during the Classroom or Schoolwide Spelling Bee.
DAY-OF-BEE PROTOCOL
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What should a speller wear? School-appropriate clothing that is comfortable to sit in. There is no need to dress more formally unless a student would like to do so.
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The Rules and Procedures will be reviewed before the Bee. After all participants are seated, but before the Bee begins, the Rules for Local Spelling Bees will be briefly summarized, and students may ask questions. Please go over the Rules and procedures (“How Does an Oral Bee Work?” with your child beforehand so that this time can be used efficiently.
- Competitors are seated by grade level, youngest to oldest: 3rd - 4th – 5th - 6th
Within each grade, students will be seated randomly. They will not be seated in alphabetical order.
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Competitors will be "retired" from the Bee in groups as the Bee continues. When a student misspells a word, s/he is out of the Bee, but s/he will not leave the seating area until his/her number is called to “retire”. Students will be "retired" in groups as necessary throughout the Bee so that no one will have to wait too long.
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When can a student leave? Retired students either may stay to watch the Bee or may return to class.
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Your Bee officials are all volunteers as well as local parents. Our Spelling Bee is conducted under the auspices of the Scripps National Spelling Bee Program, but it is run entirely by staff members and volunteers from our school. These volunteers have donated their time to give your child a good experience.
PRACTICE WORD LISTS
2025_suggested_rules_for_spelling_bees.pdf
6th Grade Study Words.pdf
5th Grade Study Words.pdf
4th Grade Study Words.pdf
3rd Grade Study Words.pdf
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We would love the help of our McNair families to stock both of our school's teacher workrooms with snacks, treats, and drinks for our hard working staff members to enjoy while they plan engaging lessons and activities for our Mustangs.
If you are able to do so, please consider donating something. Please click on the following link to sign-up for your donation:
Fall Snacks Sign-Up Form
Donations can be dropped off to the designated school's main office each school day between the hours of 8:00 AM-4:00 PM.
Thank you in advance for your support!
Mrs. Goddin & Mrs. Watson
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Please Join PTA!
Registration Link for PTA membership: https://mcnairespta.givebacks.com/store?limit=21&live=true
PTA Reflections Recap
The McNair ES PTA had another year of successful year of the Reflections! We had an awards ceremony on February 19th to recognize our Mustangs achievement. Congratulations to all of the winners and participants!
Big shout out to the McNair PTA Reflections team for organizing everything!
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Harris Teeter Together In Education- Fundraiser
Harris Teeter’s Together In Education program gives schools a chance to earn funds when you link your VIC card and shop Harris Teeter brands. A percentage of your purchase is donated to the school that your VIC card is linked to. There are NO LIMITS to how much a school can earn.
Instruction for Families:
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Option 1: Please use the annual sign up form for the TIE program from Harris Teeter using the following link: McNair Harris Teeter
- Note: You need to re-register every year for this program.
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Option 2: You can also sign up in-person at the counter using our school code: 5090
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Volunteers Needed!
We need 3 Volunteers to join our Financial Committee.
We need volunteers to be Event Coordinators for the following Events:
- Movie Night
- Bingo Night
- Running Event (fun run or color run)
- International Night/Cultural Fair
- Student Talent Show
- Kids vs. Adults Sports Tournament
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What Does an Event Coordinator Do?
Event Coordinators act as the main organizer and point of contact for their chosen event; lead a team of volunteers, brainstorm ideas, and make sure everything runs smoothly on the day of the event.
We're also looking for friendly Coaches and volunteers to host events like Science Olympiad Division B, ACSL, Odyssey of the Mind and Reflections. We'd love for you to join us!
Please click on the link to join the volunteer group:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/JZ4KRYb4mYh5N2Qt6NJOKu
Thank you for all your support!
Warm Regards,
Sayanti Dasgupta
VP Communications McNair ES PTA
- February 28th- Ramadan Begins at Sundown
- March 3rd: School-Wide Spelling Bee
- March 3rd-7th: MUES Celebrates Read Across America Week
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