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Message from Mantua Admin
Dear Mantua Families,
I hope this message finds you well as we move into the beautiful fall season!
I have some truly fantastic news to share with our entire community. I am absolutely thrilled to announce that Mantua Elementary School has officially earned the Purple Star designation!
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The Purple Star designation recognizes schools that demonstrate a significant commitment to meeting the needs of military-connected students and families. This achievement is a reflection of the commitment, care, and support our staff and community provide every day. We know this will make a real, positive difference in the lives of our military families and our community as a whole. We should all be incredibly proud of this achievement.
Congratulations to our chorus students for their incredible participation in the Woodson Pyramid Chorus Concert on Wednesday night. IT was a truly inspiring and entertaining event, and exciting to see so many of our alumni perform!
Get Ready for Spirit Week!
This morning was our annual Spirit Week Kickoff with Rocky's Walk! Next week, we'll be celebrating and preparing for our annual Run for Rocky event! Please check out our Spirit Week schedule and join in the fun:
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Monday, October 20: No School Holiday in Recognition of Diwali (Teacher Workday)
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Tuesday, October 21: School Spirit Day (Wear red or Mantua swag)
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Wednesday, October 22: Wacky Wednesday (Crazy hat/hair/clothing)
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Thursday, October 23: Pajama Day
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Friday, October 24: Run for Rocky (Wear comfortable running gear for the event!)
Take good care,
Ms. Shannon, Mrs. Vaughan, Ms. Maurer
Save the Dates
October 20: Diwali, Student Holiday, Schools and Offices Closed
October 23: Woodson Pyramid FLE Family Preview Night, 5:30 PM Virtually, See Link Below
October 24: PTA Run for Rocky Event
October 29: Elementary Limited Early Release Wednesday, 1:05 PM
October 31: Spirit Parade, End of the Quarter, 2-hour Early Release at 2:05 PM
November 1: Annual Garden Clean-up Day, 1-4 PM
November 2: Daylight Savings Time Ends
November 3: School Planning Day, Student Holiday, Teacher Workday
November 4: Election Day, Student Holiday, Teacher Workday
November 10: Veterans Day Breakfast, 8:45-9:30 AM in the Cafeteria
November 11: Veterans Day, Staff and Student Holiday
November 24: Mantua Thanksgiving Luncheon, More Details to Come!
Limited Early Release Wednesday
As a reminder, our next Early Release Wednesday will be on October 29 at 1:05 PM. If you have not already done so, please make your child’s dismissal plan change in PickUpPatrol with either 1:05 or 4:05 PM in the notes section of the dismissal so that we know what time your child will be dismissed. We will be using PickUpPatrol moving forward for these Early Release days.
Run for Rocky, October 24
Our students have been working so hard to get sponsors for the PTA Run for Rocky event! We welcome family members and friends to the event to watch your child during their designated run time; however, we will ask that you keep to the top of the hill near the track. This will allow students and staff ample room to transition during the event. You may reach out to your child’s teacher if you have questions about Run for Rocky. Thank you to all families for your support!
October 24 - Run for Rocky Schedule
● Grades 1 & 2: 9:45- 10:30 AM
● Grade 3: 10:45 - 11:30 AM
● Grade 5: 12:35 – 1:20 PM
● Grade 4: 1:40 – 2:25 PM
● Grades PreK, K, & 6: 2:55 – 3:40 PM
October 31 – Fundraising concludes
Yearbook Sales
It’s time to start thinking about ordering yearbooks for your child! The link is now available to order online. Yearbooks are a great way to build relationships and memories!
Uncovering Characters in Language Arts 📚
Benchmark Unit 2 in Language Arts is about why characters matter. Students in K-5 will be learning about different characters and how they shape stories and face challenges. Grade six students will learn about how characters are changed and inspired by others.
Connect with your child’s learning at school with these fun questions and hands-on activities at home:
- Question: How does the way you act change the way people think about you?
- Activity: Pretend you are a talk show host and interview your child as if they are the main character of their favorite book.
At the end of the unit, your child will take their unit magazine home. The magazine includes an activity calendar with fun ways to help students build on what they’re learning at each grade level. You can also find information on how to support your child’s reading at home on the Benchmark Families website.
Family Life Education (FLE)
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.
Students in grades K-6 participate in Family Life Education (FLE) instruction through their classroom teacher. Students in Kindergarten through grade three receive instruction in an emotional and social health unit. Students in grades 4-6 receive instruction in a human growth and development unit and an emotional and social health unit. For more information about the FCPS Family Life Education program, please see the detailed grade-level program descriptions.
For your convenience, the lessons and materials are available for families to view at your own pace on the All Parents/Guardians: Mantua Elementary School Schoology Course. Detailed instructions on how to access these materials can be found linked here.
Additionally, the Woodson Pyramid will be hosting a Parent Preview Night for FLE on Thursday, October 23, from 5:30 to 6:00 PM. This event provides an opportunity to ask questions and receive assistance in accessing the materials virtually. Join us using this link.
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 choose to opt your child out of all or part of FLE for this school year, opt-out forms are available on the FCPS website. Paper opt-out forms are available from your child’s school. Please contact Ms. Maurer at mkmaurer@fcps.edu or the Mantua main office.
Bond Referendum
To pay for large-scale construction and renovation work, Fairfax County sells bonds, which allows the county to pay for these projects over time, like a home mortgage. By maintaining its triple-A bond rating, Fairfax County bonds are purchased by institutional investors at very low rates, saving the county considerable amounts of money that might otherwise be paid in interest. The county estimates that the triple-A rating has saved taxpayers at least $1 billion in financing costs.
FCPS uses bonds to fund all of its capital improvement projects – the projects that are focused on the infrastructure of schools and facilities. From important renovations to new safety features like security vestibules, this work is paid for by bonds.
FCPS will have a bond referendum on the ballot this election day, Tuesday, November 4. Bonds can make a difference that represents an investment in public education now and in the future.
Read more about the FCPS 2025 Bond Referendum. And learn more about registering to vote and making a voting plan.
Garden Clean-up Day: Get the Gardens Ready for Winter!
Fall weather is finally here, and that means it's time for our Annual Garden Clean-up Day!
Join us Saturday, November 1 (rain date Nov 2) from 1:00 to 4:00 PM in the Discovery Garden beds (above the playground).
We will be preparing the gardens for winter by weeding, trimming, mulching, and planting new perennials and spring bulbs. All skill levels are welcome - no experience necessary! It is a great opportunity to learn about gardening.
Students are encouraged to attend but must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
We hope to see your family there! If you can sign up using Sign Up Genius ahead of time (optional), it would help us plan.
Questions? Contact Karin Hudson at garden@mantuapta.org or visit our Facebook page.
All Families Opted in to Lightspeed Student Online Activity Report
FCPS offers families a free service that enables parents and caregivers to stay informed about their child's online activity on any FCPS device. Starting Sunday, October 12, all parents and guardians who have access to student records in SIS ParentVUE will be automatically enrolled to receive a weekly Lightspeed Student Online Activity Report.
This report provides a summary of the websites your child visited during the previous week and is delivered every Sunday to your email directly from Lightspeed, our internet content filter.
Each weekly report also includes a link to register for the Lightspeed Parent Portal, which provides more detailed browsing information. This portal also gives you the ability to pause internet access on your child’s FCPS laptop during non-school hours, such as dinner or bedtime.
Visit the Lightspeed Parent Report page for more information and answers to frequently asked questions.
When Cell Phones Are Down, Learning and Engagement Are Up: Help Keep Our Schools Phone-Free
Cell phones can significantly impact academic performance — research has shown that it takes students 10 minutes or more to shift their focus back to learning after being interrupted by a single cell phone notification! You can help keep our schools phone-free (and your child focused on learning) by:
- Reminding your child about FCPS’ cell phone policy and telling them why you support it.
- Contacting your school’s front office (rather than your child directly) if there is a family emergency during the school day.
- Contacting your child about non-urgent matters before or after the school day.
- Waiting to respond to non-urgent texts from your child until the school day is over.
Learn more about FCPS’ cell phone and personal device policy. Also, view our Media Balance and Well-Being Toolkit for resources to help your child maintain a healthy and balanced relationship with technology at home.
Quick Contacts & Links
Linda Shannon, Principal LCShannon@fcps.edu
Colleen Vaughan, Assistant Principal CAVaughan@fcps.edu
Michele Maurer, Assistant Principal, Mkmaurer@fcps.edu
Susan Palomino, Administrative/Finance Assistant SLPalomino@fcps.edu
Mergie Kakouris, Student Information Assistant, MBKakouris@fcps.edu
Fadwa Finaish, Office Assistant, FFinaish@fcps.edu
Judy Toy, Office Assistant, JPToy@fcps.edu
Avril Donat, Office & Library Assistant Andonat@fcps.edu
Maria Regina Incer, Family Liaison, mrincernunez@fcps.edu
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