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Hello McNair Upper Families,
On Monday afternoon, I had the privilege of recognizing some of our 1st quarter of school S.M.I.L.E. Award winners. S.M.I.L.E. Award stands for: SHINE, MOTIVATE, IMPROVE, LEAD, EMPOWER. All of these awesome Mustangs were nominated by a staff members at MUES for going above and beyond to show "The MUES Way" by respecting our school community and every member of it. Please join me in congratulating the following students for a job well done:
- Natasha R., 3rd Grade/Feldman
- Nithila T., 3rd Grade/Feldman
- Emile M., 3rd Grade/McCarthy
- Omar C., 3rd Grade/McCarthy
- Maanika V., 4th Grade/Luea
- Landon M., 5th Grade/Michaels
- Aarush K., 6th Grade/Zeman
- Fatmata K., 6th Grade/Endl
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Next Thursday, we will celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday season by hosting our annual Thanksgiving Luncheon. For those families who signed up to attend, your child's lunchtime will remain the same. Here are each grade level's lunchtimes:
- 3rd Grade: 11:20 AM
- 4th Grade: 11:55 AM
- 5th Grade: 12:30 PM
- 6th Grade: 1:10 PM
Please arrive a few minutes to check-in and receive your lunch tickets. You will check-in at Door #1. If you did not R.S.V.P. to attend this event before our deadline, which was Thursday, November 6th, unfortunately, it is too late to sign-up as we are at capacity with our seating.
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Wednesday, November 19th is our next three-hour early release day. Dismissal will take place at 12:30 PM. If your child is going home a different way from school than they usually do, please make sure that your child knows as well as their homeroom teacher.
It is also our next House Meeting day! Please make sure that your Mustang wears their House t-shirt to school. If they have misplaced it, they are welcome to wear a blue t-shirt instead.
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Have a nice weekend, MUES Family!
Your Proud Principal,
Mrs. Goddin
MMGoddin@fcps.edu
- November 19th: Three-Hour Early Release Day; 12:30 PM Dismissal
- November 19th: PTA General Membership Meeting at 6:30 PM/McNair Elementary
- November 20th: Thanksgiving Luncheon
- November 25th: Turkey Trot during Specials
- November 26th-November 29th: Thanksgiving Break
- December 3rd: Fall Picture Retakes
- FCPS has enabled new parent controls within the Lightspeed Parent Portal to support families in managing screentime on FCPS devices at home. Parents can now manage their child's access to YouTube and pause web browsing on district-issued devices, during designated "After School Hours" while students are off the FCPS network.
- These parental controls are only active Monday-Friday from 3:30 PM to 6:00 AM, and all day on weekends and student holidays when students are off the FCPS network. Parental controls do not interfere with district filtering policies during the instructional day. Parents can register for the Parent Portal using the link provided in their weekly Lightspeed Online Student Activity Report email.
For more information on Parent Portal, please visit the Lightspeed Parent Portal page on the FCPS website.
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If your child has missed 4-5 school days during the first quarter of the school year, they are on track to be considered chronically absent by the Virginia Department of Education. Chronic absence is defined as missing 10% or more of the school year. Students who miss 10% or more of the school year are less likely to succeed in school and are more likely to drop out of high school. We are here to support your family and your child’s school attendance. Please let us know what we can do to help.
Debbie Bradner, dgbradner1@fcps.edu
Shannon Choi, sschoi@fcps.edu
MUES School Counselors
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The Federal Impact Aid program provides money to districts that enroll federally connected students. Help FCPS secure funding from the Impact Aid Program by helping us identify:
- Military families.
- Federally connected families.
- Families living on a military base.
Please complete one form for each child in your household. Remember that only the parent that registered the student with FCPS (the ‘enrolling parent’) can fill out the Impact Aid Survey form.
For families without access to ParentVUE, a paper copy of the form will be sent home with your student starting November 12. Your information will be kept strictly confidential.
Your support will ensure that we receive the resources for which we are eligible.
To access the Impact Aid Form from your computer or mobile device, we recommend using Google Chrome.
Step 1: CLICK HERE or type sisparent.fcps.edu into your Chrome address bar to be taken to SIS ParentVUE. If you don’t have a SIS ParentVUE account, contact your child’s school for an activation letter.
Step 2: After you’ve logged into your ParentVue Account, look for the ‘Online Packets’ link at the top of the page. Click ‘Online Packets’.
Step 3: Next, click the ‘Federal Impact Aid Survey’ button on the bottom of the page. This will take you to the Impact Aid Survey for you to complete.
If you have multiple children in Fairfax County Public Schools, please fill out a form for each child. You will know you have completed all of the forms when you get to the final page, and see a green check next to each of their names.
Full-Time AAP Referral Deadline: December 15th
The deadline to refer your child to be screened for Full Time Advanced Academic services is approaching. All materials for current G3-6 McNair Upper students should be submitted to Mrs. Janofsky, the McNair Upper AART, by Monday, December 15th at 11:59pm.
Resources to support you:
- Attend the Full Time Screening Information Meeting on Monday November 10 from 5-6 p.m. in the McNair Upper Cafeteria. (Spanish Translation will be available)
- Reference this Screening Checklist from the McNair AARTs
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Attend Office Hours with either McNair AART (Mrs. Burg – PreK-2; Mrs. Janofsky – G3-6) to ask specific questions about putting together a referral package for your child.
December 15th is a firm deadline. Please plan ahead and ask questions early! You are welcome to email Mrs. Janofsky at mljanofsky@fcps.edu for assistance.
Advanced Academic Programs: Services in Middle School & High School
Parents and Guardians of 6th grade students are invited to attend an online information session hosted by the Advanced Academic Resource Teachers (AARTs) from elementary schools within the Carson and Hughes MS Pyramid as well as the Carson Middle School AART.
The AARTs will jointly present an Overview of Advanced Academic Programs in Middle School and High School. The presentation will cover topics including the goals of AAP in FCPS, the AAP Continuum of Services in Middle and High School, Honors vs. AAP courses, and Math offerings available to students in middle school.
Date: Wednesday, November 19, 2025
Time: 9:30-10:30 AM
Join Zoom Meeting
https://myfcpsk12.zoom.us/j/96816427144?pwd=1bzEHB1bqyaLNabmdkIuOlMaVmrUHR.1
Meeting ID: 968 1642 7144
Passcode: 972165
*Closed Captioning will be available in Spanish
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Family Engagement Month is a time to remember that parents and caregivers are children’s first and most important teachers, advocates, and nurturers.
The FCPS Family Academy supports the continued success and well-being of each and every student within the FCPS community. The Academy offers a variety of positive and engaging learning opportunities and meaningful connections to transform the FCPS experience into a welcoming environment for all families.
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Some families may be looking for additional resources to help support their child’s academic success. The FCPS Family Resource Center (FRC) maintains a list of FCPS employees who hold a valid Virginia teaching credential and who are available to hire as tutors. This list is a resource offered by the FRC, but families are responsible for contacting and working directly with the tutors. This list is not approved by FCPS and is only meant to be a resource to families.
FCPS also partners 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.
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Each year during the month of November, we like to provide all of our classroom communities a pumpkin where our Mustangs document all of the wonderful things they are thankful for on it. We then use these pumpkins for our centerpieces at our annual Thanksgiving Luncheon.
We are hoping to collect 40 large or medium-sized pumpkins so that each of our homeroom classes and specialists' classrooms at McNair Upper ES can have one.
If you are able to donate a pumpkin, please fill out the very brief Google Form below. Pumpkins can be dropped off at the main office beginning on Monday, October 27th.
Thankful & Grateful Pumpkin Donation
If you have questions, please email Mrs. Goddin, Principal, at MMGoddin@fcps.edu. Thank you in advance for your support!
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Your voice matters, and Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid wants to hear from you! At FCPS, parents are partners, working with us to set our students up for long-term success at school and in life.
Join us for a series of Community Conversations that will be held across the school division to discuss current challenges and future opportunities for the school division. You may also share your thoughts with Dr. Reid and ask questions. Events are planned for the following dates:
Click on the date to register. Additional locations and registration links will be shared soon. Child care and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all.
Dr. Reid, Superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools, has launched the FCPS Family Vision Group. This group brings together parents and caregivers in a meaningful way through sharing diverse perspectives to ensure that FCPS provides the best possible education experience for each and every student. The Family Vision Group also provides another opportunity to put our 2023-2030 Strategic Plan in action through meaningful communication and collaboration with families and caregivers.
By participating, parents/caregivers gain valuable knowledge and connections to become powerful partners in their child's educational journey. The group also facilitates open discussions with Dr. Reid on important topics related to student success. Bi-monthly meetings (August 2024 - May 2025) ensure consistent school representation and foster open communication through Q&A sessions, and feedback opportunities to help participants inform other families at their schools. The FCPS Family Vision Group seeks to recognize and strengthen the positive impact of community engagement on student achievement. Key responsibilities of the FCPS Family Connection Group Include:
- Regularly attend FCPS Family Vision Group meetings.
- Support the superintendent's outreach efforts to engage families and community members.
- Actively participate in the exchange of information and perspectives.
- Serve as ambassadors to your school community by being an additional bridge to sharing information between families and the superintendent.
- Commit to pursuing the interest of each and every student in Fairfax County Public Schools.
We are still looking for one more family representative to serve on this group to represent the McNair Upper ES community. If you are interested, please reach out to me by email at MMGoddin@fcps.edu or by calling the main office at (571) 982-1700.
Thank you so much in advance for your support of this division wide opportunity for families!
- November McNair General Membership PTA Meeting
- Wednesday, November 19th at 6:30 PM/McNair Primary ES
- Ronald McDonald Care Kit Drive
- Monday November 9- Tuesday November 18, 2025
- Chipotle Spirit Night
- Tuesday November 18, 2025, 4:00pm - 8:00pm
- McNair Chess Tournament
- Saturday, December 6, 2025
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McNair Movie Night Event Success!
McNair PTA is absolutely over the moon with gratitude for the incredible support from our wonderful community during our movie night on November 7th. Can you believe we had over 300 people join us? It was such a blast! We truly couldn't have pulled it off without the amazing sponsors, the fantastic volunteers, and the wonderful custodians who really came through. Your support made everything possible! We also want to thank Mr. Ayman, the A/V technician of the school, for helping us in every way! We're so looking forward to more fun events in the near future.
Volunteers, whose contributions were indispensable:
Harshil D, Shreya B, Prunel P, Hema P, Niranjana J, Nandishwar Narayan B, Sridevi B, Nina M, Sanvi N, Sakshi T, Angana C, Bhuvan G, Sahasra B, Medha G, Kuljeet K, Zoe V, Soham D, Harshith K.
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McNair Odyssey of the Mind: Coaches Needed!
McNair OOTM is on the lookout for some awesome coaches for our first-grade, fourth-grade, and fifth-grade teams. Odyssey of the Mind is a super fun program where kids get to tackle creative problems, through some really cool engineering and performance challenges.
Also the registration fee will be waived for the kids' of the Coaches.
November PTA General Membership Meeting
The McNair PTA invites all the members & non-members to the November General Membership meeting on Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at McNair Primary ES at 6.30 PM
Eat Chipotle! Help the McNair PTA!
Calling all burrito lovers,
Foil your dinner plans and stop by the Chipotle at 1144 Elden St in Herndon for our fundraiser on Tuesday, November 18 from 4:00pm - 8:00pm. We're raising money to support McNair Elementary PTA, so just download a flyer from the link below or mention the fundraiser at checkout and they'll donate 25% of the proceeds to the cause!
ONLINE CODE: P97TYWJ or SHOW THE FLYER IN THE RESTAURANT
Click here for more details.
Can't wait to see you!
Reflection 2025-2026 Theme: I Belong
Last date for submission: November 14, 2025
Email with submission link has been sent to the registered participants
Before submission, please make sure artwork and entry form are named correctly. Also, please upload to the correct link as per division and art category.
ACSL- American Computer Science League
Elementary Division- Open to students in grades 3 - 6
Each contest consists of an online 30-minute, 6-question non-programming test, focused on a single category of content. A different category will be tested on each contest.
For any further questions please send an email to acsl@mcnairespta.org
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/bp748j2p
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 Parents:
Option 1: Please use the annual sign up form for the TIE program from Harris Teeter using the following link:
https://tinyurl.com/mcnairharristeeter
Note: You need to re-register every year for this program.
Option 2: You can also sign up in-person at the counter using our school code: 5090
Corporate Donation to the PTA
Did you know that the McNair Elementary PTA is a 501- 3(c) non profit (EIN 332743954) meaning your deductions are tax deductible!
As the year ends, please consider making a donation to the PTA and checking with your employer to see if they will match your donation.
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