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Greetings McNair Students and Families,
Warm greetings to all of you! As the vibrant energy of spring surrounds us, we have so much wonderful news to share from our McNair Mustang community.
First and foremost, a heartfelt round of applause for our incredibly talented young artists! The recent Westfield Pyramid Art Show was a true highlight, showcasing the amazing creativity blossoming across all grade levels, K-12. Each school contributed such a beautiful and diverse collection of artwork, and we were so proud to see McNair's artistic spirit shining brightly. Be sure to read further in this week's newsletter to discover the names of our remarkable students whose pieces were selected for this prestigious exhibition – their talent is truly inspiring!
As we continue to nurture a supportive and appreciative environment for our wonderful educators and staff, we invite you to consider contributing to our upcoming Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week at McNair ES and McNair Upper ES. Your generosity helps us celebrate the dedication and hard work of those who make a difference in our children's lives every day. If you are able to contribute, you can sign up to donate specific items using this link: Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week 2025 Sign-Up. For those who prefer to make a financial contribution directly to the PTA to support these special activities, you can do so here: https://mcnairespta.givebacks.com/store/items/1180564. Every contribution, big or small, is deeply appreciated.
Looking ahead, we have some exciting events on the horizon, so please mark your calendars:
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🌷 Purple Up! Day: April 9th Let's show our unwavering support for our military-connected families by wearing purple on Wednesday, April 9th! Purple symbolizes the unity of all branches of the military, and it's a wonderful way to honor the sacrifices and dedication of these families within our community.
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🌷 Spring Break: April 14th-18th A well-deserved break is just around the corner! Please note that schools and school offices will be closed from April 14th to 18th. We wish all our students, teachers, and families a happy and restful Spring Break filled with joy and rejuvenation! See the complete school year calendar.
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🌷 Earth Day Spirit Week: April 21st-April 25th Get ready to celebrate our planet with a fun-filled Earth Day Spirit Week! More details on the daily themes are shared below in this newsletter.
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🌷 Earth Day Family Engagement Event: April 24th, 4:30-6:00pm at McNair ES Join us for a special Earth Day Family Engagement Event right here at McNair! It will be a fantastic opportunity to connect, learn, and celebrate our commitment to environmental stewardship together.
Thank you, dear parents and guardians, for your continued partnership and unwavering support in your child's educational journey. Your involvement makes a world of difference. We hope that the upcoming Spring Break provides you with the perfect opportunity to relax, recharge, and enjoy quality time together. We will be thinking of you and eagerly look forward to welcoming our bright and energetic Mustangs back to school on Monday, April 21st!
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
📌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 23: PTA Meeting at McNair Upper ES at 6:30pm. Please join us!
📌April 24: Earth Day Family Engagement Event; 4:30-6:00pm at McNair ES
📌April 26: PTA Chess Tournament at McNair ES. Register today!
📌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.)
📌April 28-May 2: College and Career Week at McNair ES
📌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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Growing and Thriving Together:
Fourth Quarter Attendance Update
As we move into the fourth quarter, we want to emphasize the importance of regular attendance for the learning and growth of all our McNair Mustangs. Being present in the classroom allows us to learn, collaborate, and thrive as a community.
Showing their Mustang spirit, our 🎉First Grade🎉 students achieved the highest attendance rate last week! Let's give a big cheer for their commitment to learning!
Here are the attendance percentages for each grade level last week:
- Pre-K: 91.1%
- Kindergarten: 89.8%
- 1st Grade: 93% of our students were present and engaged in learning!
- 2nd Grade: 92.5%
Happy Assistant Principal's Week, Mrs. O'Bryant!
Join NASSP, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, and the American Federation of School Administrators in honoring the enormous contributions of assistant principals to student success. |
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Thank you to our amazing Assistant Principal, Mrs. O'Bryant for her endless efforts and support that she provides our students and staff with each and everyday! Her dedication and leadership makes a difference! We see YOU Mrs. O'Bryant and appreciate YOU! Happy Assistant Principal's week!
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Congratulations, McNair Artists!
A huge round of applause for our amazing young artists! The Westfield Pyramid Art Show is always such a special time, and this year's showcase of artwork from across all our pyramid schools, grades K-12, was truly fantastic. Each school brought such a wonderful variety of creative pieces to display.
We want to send a very warm congratulations to the following talented students whose artwork was selected to be part of the Westfield Pyramid Art Show last week!
We also have some special recognition awards to share:
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Principal’s Award: Abhigyan Dasgupta
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Faculty Award: Harshitha Jaladi
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Student Choice Award: Devika Dhontula
Way to go, Mustangs! Your hard work and amazing creativity shine so brightly, and we are incredibly proud of each and every one of you!
Finally, a big thank you to our wonderful Art Teacher, Ms. Kelly! Your passion and talent inspire our young artists every day, and we are so grateful for everything you do!
Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week Donations
The McNair PTA is planning for "Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week" that will be celebrated the week of May 5th- May 9th with the theme- "Back to the 90s!" We are seeking donations for many of the supplies we need in order to celebrate our wonderful teachers and staff members at both McNair ES and McNair Upper ES throughout the entire week. |
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If you're able to give, please sign-up for the items you wish to donate using the following link: Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week 2025 Sign-Up
Donations can be dropped off to either school's main office no later than Wednesday, April 30th. As a friendly reminder, there are120 teachers and staff members employed at McNair ES and 90 teachers and staff members employed at McNair Upper ES.
If it is easier for you to provide a financial donation directly to the PTA to assist with the cost of the activities we have planned, you can donate at: https://mcnairespta.givebacks.com/store/items/1180564
On behalf of the McNair PTA, we thank you in advance for your generous donation in an effort to make this weeklong celebration a fantastic one for our teachers and staff!
🐻 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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🏫 Helping Your Child Prepare for Kindergarten
We recognize that parents are their children’s first teachers. Explore the resources on FCPS’ School Readiness and Transition to Kindergarten webpage for ways to help ensure your child starts kindergarten with confidence.
Kindergarten Orientation
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Advanced Academics Programming (AAP)
April Newsletter
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How can you and your child create solutions that are new and unique? During National Poetry Month, work with your child to find new ways to create poetry with words found in the world around you. You can use newspapers, magazines, books, even grocery lists to create a new poem. In April’s AART Newsletter we use book spines to create one funny and one thoughtful poem using the titles of books written on their spines. Share with us poetry that you generate together!
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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!**
Mark Your Calendars For Earth Day Spirit Week!
Let's See Your Spirit Mustangs! April 21st - April 25th
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☀️ Save the Date for the FCPS Summer Extravaganza
Discover summer learning and activities available in Fairfax County!
Attend the FCPS Summer Extravaganza on Saturday, May 10, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., at Woodson High School and get a jump on summer learning. At this free event, participants can engage in educational and enrichment activities designed to inspire curiosity and growth.
Activities will include student performances, story time, a moon bounce, and face painting. For more information, visit the Summer Extravaganza webpage.
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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Pre-registration closes on Thursday, April 24, 2025.
The early pre-registration fee through Tuesday, April 22, 2025 is $40.00 per chess player.
The late pre-registration fee for Wednesday, April 23, 2025 and Thursday, April 24, 2025 is $45.00.
On-site registrations will close at 8:30 am on Saturday, April 26. 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)
Participants must have a USCF ID - to register: https://secure2.uschess.org/webstore/member.php
Pre-registrations (updated periodically): Pre-registrations
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.
NOTE: Our chess tournaments are subject to Fairfax County Public School policies. In case of inclement weather - please check www.fcps.edu.
Upcoming tournaments: May 17th: McNair Scholastic Chess Tournament
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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
Welcome PTA Volunteers! Let's share our gratitude! A big shoutout to:
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Shaneece Gaines for leading the Movie Night & 6th Grade Promotion.
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Aditi Agarwal for taking charge of the Bingo Night.
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Shanthi Subramanian for volunteering as the Financial Secretary.
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FCPS News
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics and others:
- FCPS Budget
- School Start Times Survey
- Month of the Military Child
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
🎤 Save the Date: Community Conversations with Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid
Your voice matters, and Superintendent Reid wants to hear from you! Share your thoughts and ask questions regarding FCPS at one of the following locations from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Click on the date to register. Registration is not required but is encouraged for planning purposes. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all. Find out about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid.
Excellence Is At A Crossroads
Fairfax County residents believe in the value of a strong public school system. Residents live here because of the excellence of Fairfax County Public Schools, even our community members with grown children. Excellence in FCPS comes from its people — dedicated teachers and support staff who make sure that our students are ready to learn. Today, that excellence is at a crossroads.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will finalize the budget on Tuesday, May 6, and the current advertised budget underfunds FCPS by $150 million.
Now is the time. Do we want continued excellence, or are we ready to consider cuts to important programs that we have come to expect from FCPS?
Do you believe in the power and promise of public education? Go to fcps.edu/crossroads.
⏰ Share Your Thoughts on School Start Times
FCPS would like to hear from all families on the possibility of adjusting school start times across the division. Please check your email for a survey link from Fairfax County Public Schools. It was also sent to staff as well as to students in grades 5-12. The confidential survey will be open through Saturday, April 12.
Spring Break
Autism Acceptance Month
April is Autism Acceptance Month. One in 44 children is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder in the United States, according to the CDC. Our schools and staff play a vital role in creating and ensuring inclusive environments that accommodate and affirm autistic students. |
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Month of the Military Child
April is the Month of the Military Child! Every year we take the opportunity to recognize military-connected youth for their service and contribution to our community. Fairfax County Public Schools is proud to have over 14,000 military-connected youth as a part of our student body. We appreciate the varied life experiences they bring to our school community, and recognize their strength and resilience. Learn more about Month of the Military Child and FCPS resources for military families. |
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Military-Connected Family Support
FCPS welcomes all of our new and returning military-connected families throughout the year! Whether your family is moving permanently to the school district or living here for a short time, our schools and support staff welcome you and will be able to assist with your transition into and/or out of our district.
Visit the FCPS Military Families webpage and sign up to receive the Military Families newsletter. Follow FCPS Military Families accounts on Facebook and Instagram for support and resources throughout the year. If you have any questions, please email the FCPS Family and School Partnerships team.
National Arab American Heritage Month
FCPS is proud to celebrate National Arab American Heritage Month in April. This special month provides an opportunity to recognize the history and valuable contributions of Arab Americans. Arab Americans have ancestry in one of the world’s 22 Arab nations, which are located from northern Africa through western Asia. The people of these nations are ethnically, politically, and religiously diverse but share a common cultural and linguistic heritage. Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS. |
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School Library Month
In FCPS libraries, students develop knowledge and skills, experience a sense of belonging, find inspiration and support, and have the ability to freely pursue their personal interests and academic growth. |
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Happy School Librarian Day, Ms. Pappano!
Thank you for joining us in celebrating our wonderful librarian on Friday, April 4th! We appreciate all that she does to foster a love of reading and learning in our Mustangs.
National Library Week is April 6th-April 10th
April is School Library Month and it's a great time to celebrate the essential role that school librarians play in the lives of students. School librarians ensure students have access to a wide variety of high-quality books and resources that connect them to the world and build a culture of literacy. Librarians develop lessons that are meaningful to students and help them develop critical thinking, inquiry, and information literacy skills. They support learning across all subject areas by teaching students the skills to be independent problem-solvers and creative thinkers. By creating a safe environment for all students to be engaged and curious learners, FCPS libraries are places where everyone belongs.Take a moment to learn more about FCPS Library Programs and share your appreciation of your school librarian!
Support Westfield High School's Spring Musical!
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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.
📑 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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