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Greetings McNair Students and Families,
We are off to a fantastic finish this week as we wrap up the third quarter! Our Mustangs have been working incredibly hard, and we are so proud of their continuous progress and growth throughout this quarter. There is truly much to celebrate!
We want to express our sincere appreciation for your ongoing support and partnership in your child's education. Your involvement makes a significant difference in their success.
Volunteer Opportunity in the Library!
We are currently seeking volunteers to assist in our school library with shelving books. If you have a passion for reading and would like to contribute to our students' learning environment, we would love to hear from you! If you are interested in volunteering, please contact our school librarian, Ms. Pappano, at klpappano@fcps.edu.
McNair CARES
We are excited to share that last week we had several classrooms receive their first certificate for the McNair CARES schoolwide positive behavior incentive program.
As shared in last week's newsletter, the purpose of the McNair CARES incentive program is to continue to develop a positive school culture where we increase the consistent demonstration of positive behaviors for ALL students, across all school settings. Be sure to continue to ask your Mustang how many McNair CARES tickets their class has earned so far along with how their class earned their tickets. It has been so much fun celebrating our Mustangs together! |
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Thank you for your continued dedication to our school community and for your continuous partnership and support in your child's education. We look forward to a strong finish to the third quarter this Friday. Together, all things are possible.
Wishing you a wonderful week, Mustangs!
All the best,
Mrs. Watson and Mrs. O'Bryant
Lifelong Learners Grow Here!
Please contact us with any questions!
Principal: Elizabeth Watson, evwatson@fcps.edu
Assistant Principal: Brandy O'Bryant, bmobryant@fcps.edu
Click on the links below to navigate to sections of this newsletter.
Save the Date
📌March 28: Last day of the Third Quarter
📌March 31: Holiday- Eid; No School For Students
📌April 1: Teacher Workday; No School For Students
📌April 8: Spring Picture Day!
📌April 9: Purple Up Day! (In honor of our military children and families)
📌April 14-18: Spring Break; No School For Students
📌April 24: Earth Day Family Engagement Event; 4:30-6:00pm at McNair ES
📌April 28: 3 Hour Early Release Day, Dismissal will be at 12:30pm (Student supervision will be available for families who require it. SACC will be available for students that already participate in SACC programming.)
📌May 16-22: McNair Elementary School's Spring Scholastic Book Fair
📌May 19: 3 Hour Early Release Day, Dismissal will be at 12:30pm
📌May 19: Kindergarten Orientation from 2:00-3:00pm at McNair ES
📌May 21: Family Night at the Book Fair & Storytime with the Principal; 4:00-6:00pm at the McNair ES Library
📌May 21: PTA Parent Meeting; 6:30-8:00pm (Please join us!)
📌May 26: Holiday- Memorial Day; All schools and offices closed
📌June 9: Field Day at McNair Elementary School
📌June 10: End of Year Luau Day at McNair
📌June 11: McNair ES Awards Ceremony (More information coming soon!)
📌June 11: 2 Hour Early Release; Last Day of School for Students
**Please reference the School Year FCPS Calendar when making appointments or scheduling family trips. Attendance counts and everyday matters!**
Arrival and Dismissal
Doors open for arrival at 8:35 a.m. The school day begins at 8:45 a.m.
Dismissal begins at 3:30 p.m.
🙋Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow!
This year, spring break is April 14-18. We will be eager to welcome your children back to school on Monday, April 21. Student attendance is very important. Every day, our teachers will be teaching, and students will be learning. Studies have shown that just two absences per month can cause students to fall behind. Let’s finish this school year strong. Visit FCPS’ website for attendance resources. |
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🐻 It’s Kindergarten Registration Time!
Time to get your child registered!
Attending kindergarten provides children with an opportunity to learn and practice the essential social, emotional, problem-solving, and self-regulation skills they will use throughout their lives.
Fairfax County public schools typically conduct kindergarten registration events, including orientation, between January and April. Eligible children can also be registered throughout the summer, but registering your child early helps us prepare and ensure we have the teachers and resources needed on the first day of school.
Families should prepare for registration by gathering documents and completing forms on the FCPS kindergarten registration webpage. FCPS offers support and resources for all families to help with registration and the transition to kindergarten. For support in other languages, visit the kindergarten registration webpage.
✨ A strong start is Goal 1 of the 2023-30 Strategic Plan.
💻 Try Online Registration
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Online registration for the 2025-26 school year is open. Parents/caregivers may register their children online for kindergarten through 12th grade. Learn how to begin the online registration process.
When registering, parents/caregivers will need to create or log in to an existing SIS ParentVUE account.
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We Want Your Feedback! Principal Evaluation Parent/Guardian Questionnaire
On Monday, March 24, parents and guardians of McNair Elementary School received an email with a link to the FCPS Principal Evaluation Parent/Guardian Feedback Form. This questionnaire is part of the Performance Evaluation Program and provides an opportunity to share anonymous feedback about our school’s leadership and environment. |
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Topics covered in the survey include:
- Instructional leadership
- School climate
- Management (human resources and organizational)
- Communication and community relations
- Culturally responsive and equitable leadership
- Professionalism
The questionnaire will be open March 24 – April 4 and will be collected online. Keep an eye out for an email from FCPSSurvey@fcps.edu and take a few minutes to complete it.
Your input is valuable and helps shape the future of our school. Thank you for your time and feedback!
Advanced Academics Programming (AAP) March Newsletter
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. |
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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
 Yearbook Orders
It's already that time of year again where we are beginning to collect yearbook orders! Parents/guardians, please click on the following link to order your child a yearbook today: https://strawbridge.fotomerchanthv.com/search/YB30171
Earth Day Family Engagement Event
Thursday, April 24
McNair Elementary School invites you and your child to work with us to celebrate Earth Day by beautifying the outside of our school. You and your child will have the opportunity to participate in activities to make our school beautiful and learn about caring for the earth. Mark your calendars for Thursday, April 24 from 4:30-6:00pm. We hope to see you there! All children must be accompanied by an adult. |
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**Please note, if you are willing to make any donations including but not limited to soil, plants, gardening tools, etc., please contact Connie Lehman at cslehman@fcps.edu. We appreciate your support!**
FCPS CARES
Is there a staff member at McNair Elementary School that you would like to recognize?
The FCPS CARES Program allows parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees who go above and beyond to help others and show they care about their students, colleagues, and the community. We invite you to submit a story below to acknowledge the great work of an FCPS employee or group of employees who should receive FCPS CARES recognition.
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Please take note of the following before submitting an FCPS CARES:
- Submissions are entered through StaffConnect, the HR portal for all employee actions. Select “I want to submit a(n)” and scroll to “FCPS Cares Submission.” The report will use the word “incident,” which is a generic term for all submissions, regardless of type.
- A notification email, with the submission text included, will be sent to the recipient(s) and copied to the recipient's supervisor(s).
- All submissions will be posted to our FCPS CARES webpage and shared via other FCPS news outlets.
- Submissions containing personal or sensitive information may be edited to protect individuals' privacy.
- Feel free to compose your submission using a text editor such as Microsoft Word before copying and pasting it in the StaffConnect text box.
- For questions, please email employeeawards@fcps.edu.
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🚀 Prepare for a Summer of Learning and Fun
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.
Snacks for Staff
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We would love the help of our McNair families to stock the McNair and McNair Upper 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.
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We will have an updated link coming soon! Your support is greatly appreciated as we are very low on donations at the moment.
Donations can be dropped off to the designated school's main office each school day between 8 a.m. and 4p.m..
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Volunteer at McNair
As our community knows, teamwork makes the dream work! We are looking for parent volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact our main office at 703-793-4800. |
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Get Involved with the PTA!
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Join the McNair PTA today!
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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!
For more information or to apply, please reach out to our PTA at board@mcnairespta.org.
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McNair Chess Tournament
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Our next McNair Chess Tournament is scheduled for Saturday, March 29th, 2025.
Location: McNair Elementary School 2499 Thomas Jefferson Drive Herndon, VA 20171
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MAXIMUM ENTRIES 120
Pre-registration closes on Thursday, March 27, 2025.
The early pre-registration fee through Tuesday, March 25, 2025 is $40.00 per chess player.
The late pre-registration fee for Wednesday, March 26, 2025 and Thursday, March 27, 2025 is $45.00.
On-site registrations will close at 8:30 am on Saturday, March 29. The on-site registration fee is $50.00.
No Email/Phone Registrations allowed.
NOTE: If you need a bye for the later rounds - please notify us prior to the beginning of round 2.
Doors open at 8:00 am for on-site registrations. On-site registration closes at 8:30 am. The first round starts at 9:00 am.
Three (3) sections:
- K-3 G/30,d5 (5 rounds)
- K-5 G/45,d5 (4 rounds)
- K-8 G/45,d5 (4 rounds)
NOTE: REMINDER: Cancellations are subject to a $5.00 / player handling fee.
NOTE: Participants should use the back / cafeteria doors - the front doors will not be open.
Participants must have a USCF ID - to register: https://secure2.uschess.org/webstore/member.php
Pre-registrations (updated periodically): Pre-registrations
NOTE: Our chess tournaments are subject to Fairfax County Public School policies. In case of inclement weather - please check www.fcps.edu.
Upcoming Tournaments:
Tentative - McNair Scholastic Chess - April 26, 2025
Please address questions or concerns to mcnairchess@gmail.com
Link to Register: https://tinyurl.com/rh5stzw2
Our PTA is on Facebook
Please like and follow to get the latest updates.
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.
Please use the annual sign up form for the TIE program from Harris Teeter. Note: You need to re-register every year for this program.
You can also sign up in-person at the counter using our school code: 5090.
Community Resources
Buy Nothing Facebook Group Herndon
PTA Volunteers Needed
We need volunteers to be Event Coordinators for the following events:
- Financial Committee (3 volunteers needed!)
- Movie Night
- Bingo Night
- Kids vs. Adults Sports Tournament
- 6th Grade Promotion Ceremony
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.
Please click on the link to join the volunteer group:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/JZ4KRYb4mYh5N2Qt6NJOKu
FCPS News
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics and others:
- Student Achievements
- Art in Our Schools Month
- Celebrating Students Setting Positive Examples
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
Quarter End, Eid al-Fitr, and Student Holiday
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Friday, March 28, is the last day of the third quarter. It is a full day of school for students.
All FCPS schools and offices are closed on Monday, March 31, for Eid al-Fitr. Tuesday, April 1, is a student holiday and teacher workday. See the complete school year calendar.
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National Women’s History Month
Every year, March is designated Women’s History Month by presidential proclamation. The month is set aside to honor women’s contributions in American history.Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS. Read more about Women’s History Month in National Geographic Kids.
Help and Resources for Infants, Toddlers, and Their Families
Are you concerned about your infant, toddler, or preschool-aged child's development? Resources are available if your child exhibits difficulties in one or more of the following areas:
- communication
- fine and/or gross motor skills
- self-help skills
- problem solving
- attention skills
Learn more about typical developmental milestones.
The Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia (ITC) is the state’s early intervention system for infants and toddlers (0-36 months) with disabilities and their families. ITC provides evaluations and services for children who have developmental delays or medical conditions that may affect development. Parents are encouraged to contact ITC at 703-246-7121 to share their concerns.
Early Childhood Child Find is the process of identifying children with potential special education needs between the ages of 20 months and 5 years (children must be two by September 30).
FCPS Early Childhood Identification and Services (ECID&S) offers a free referral process to identify potential developmental delays or disabilities. Special education services are provided for all children who are found eligible through the referral process. Parents are encouraged to contact 571-423-4121 with questions or to make a referral.
✨ Helping students meet the criteria for kindergarten readiness is Goal 1 of the Strategic Plan.
 FCPS Strategic Plan
FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan sets five main goals to create positive change in the division. These goals show where we should focus our attention and will help us align our efforts.
 Next Steps in the Budget Process
The next steps in the FCPS FY 2026 Budget process include the School Board presenting the budget to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, April 22. The Board of Supervisors will then conduct public hearings Tuesday, April 22, through Thursday, April 24. Community members can submit testimony or sign up to speak.
Visit the county government website to view the Fairfax County FY 2026 Advertised Budget. The community is also invited to complete an online survey to provide feedback on the county’s FY 2026 Advertised Budget.
Learn more about the FCPS FY 2026 Budget process.
Become Unskippable: Share the Facts
Talking with teens about the facts of fentanyl is a conversation you can’t skip. Learning about fentanyl gives teens a better understanding of the risks and effects of the drug.
Share these important facts with your child:
- Even half a fentanyl-laced pill can be fatal. Just a few salt-sized grains of fentanyl are enough to cause an overdose.
- More than half of local street pills contain a deadly dose of fentanyl. As of 2023, seven in
10 counterfeit pills in the U.S. contain enough fentanyl to cause a fatal overdose.
- Fentanyl is usually taken accidentally. Many people have no idea they’ve taken it until they overdose because you can’t see, smell, or taste it in pills and powders.
- Overdose can happen in an instant. In as little as four minutes, the lack of oxygen can lead to brain damage and even death.
Learn more about how to have conversations with your child in a way that will make you Become Unskippable.
📑 Varsity Tutors Provides On-Demand Support at No Cost
FCPS is partnering with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with extra resources for learning. Every student can take advantage of Varsity Tutors’ services at no cost, including weekly live online classes; on-demand 24/7 chat tutoring; essay editing; and study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests. Learn more about online tutoring with Varsity Tutors.
Please stay in touch with us by
👍❤️ Follow Our School on Social Media!
Want to see more photos and videos of what’s going on at McNair Elementary School? Follow us on social media!
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Thank you for your partnership as we gallop together in supporting our Mustangs!
#BloomingTogether #McNairCARES
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