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February 4 Family Newsletter
Dear Families,
Thank you for everyone's flexibility and patience as we have welcomed students back this week. We will continue to have additional staff present outside for the remainder of the week to ensure student safety.
If dropping off or picking students up, we ask families to please utilize our Kiss and Ride line. This is the most effective way to ensure a safe, supervised and organized start and end to your child's day and helps reduce neighborhood traffic congestion.
This Friday, we are looking forward to our PTA Bingo Night from 6:00 - 7:30 pm in our cafeteria.Click here to register
Upcoming Dates
Friday, February 6th - National Wear Red Day
- PTA Bingo Night
Monday, February 16th - Presidents' Day - No School for Students
Tuesday, February 17th - Teacher Workday - No School for Students
Friday, February 20th - Wear Yellow for Transportation Day
Wednesday, February 25th - 3-Hour Early Release
Thursday, February 26th - Kids Heart Challenge
Monday, April 29th - Kindergarten Orientation
See the complete school year calendar
National Wear Red Day
Please promote wearing red on Friday, February 6th for National Wear Red Day as we come together to paint FCPS Red and spread awareness for heart health.
We will be starting our Kids Heart Challenge this week. See below for additional information.
Get2Green & SCA & Learning Garden Club Textile/Clothing Collection Collaboration – February 4th – 27th
The UMES Get2Green team, the PTA sponsored Learning Garden Club and the UMES SCA are collaborating to kick off a textile collection this month. And to further that collaboration, part of the collection will be used in an art project at school! What is a textile collection? We are collecting used clothing, sheets, towels etc. that are not good enough to donate, perhaps there is an old stain on the item, or a rip, or a zipper that no longer works. There are boxes on the stage in the lobby where students can drop off the used clothing for donation. Please only send in items that have been washed/cleaned to keep everything sanitary. To learn more about Fairfax County’s textile recycling program you can visit: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/publicworks/recycling-trash/textile
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Supporting Your Child Socially and Emotionally at Home
Check out some of the questions and tips below from our counselors, Mrs. Schmidt and Mrs. Kourajian on how you can support your child at home.
After School Tip: When asking about school, try questions like:
- “What was the best part of your day?”
- “What felt tricky today?”
- “Who did you spend time with?”
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Green Zone Body Signals: relaxed muscles, comfortable body temperature, focused and engaged brain.
Families Can Support the Green Zone at Home
- Notice and name it
- “I see you’re calm and focused—that’s the Green Zone.”
- Celebrate effort, not perfection
- “You stayed calm even when it was tricky.”
- Practice coping tools before they’re needed
- Green Zone practice helps kids use strategies later in Yellow, Blue, or Red Zones.
- Build routines
- Predictability helps kids stay in the Green Zone more often
Kids Heart Challenge
 The Kids Heart Challenge (KHC) is coming soon! Mark your calendars for the big event on Thursday, February 26, from 5- 6:30 pm. The event will run as an open house so you can come at any point during that time. We will have pizza and drinks for sale for your family to get dinner before, during, or after the activities.
In PE classes, we began introducing students to this year’s Heart Heroes pictured above. Each character represents a heart healthy trait. Rescue reminds us to learn hands-only CPR and Turbo wants us to be active every day.
Everyone is welcome to the free event supporting the American Heart Association! Students do not have to register to attend or can register and raise money without attending the event. If a student registers, they will receive a wristband. The first 45 students to register for the KHC will receive a special heart hero keychain. When Finn’s Mission is accomplished, students will earn their special hero cape. All other prizes will be given out after the big evening event. To register, please click on this link: http://www2.heart.org/goto/unionmillelementary
Please contact Jenny Murray at jbmurray@fcps.edu, with any questions. Thank you!
February Olympic Reading Challenge!
🥇🥈🥉 The Winter Olympics are kicking off this month in Italy, and it’s time to bring the Olympic spirit to reading! Join the UMES Olympic Reading Challenge and see how many reading medals you can earn. Will you go for gold, silver, or bronze? Every level completed earns you a fun water bottle sticker—so start reading and let the games begin. Click here to download the challenge!
Neurodiversity Parent Support Group
Please join us for our second Neurodiversity Parent Support Group on Tuesday February 24th from 6:30-7:30pm. We will talk about what neurodiversity is, and then we’ll move to a discussion on self-advocacy for our neurodivergent friends, as well as ways parents can help support students. Please come with questions! This meeting will be led by Nicole Zupan, Special Education teacher at Union Mill and be held virtually on Zoom.
- Topic: Neurodiversity Family Support Group
- Time: Feb 24, 2026 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting: https://myfcpsk12.zoom.us/j/94316339671?pwd=gHlCs9IMscGcxtD3CNgR3CXFz36zXY.1
Meeting ID: 943 1633 9671
Passcode: 600592
Kindergarten Registration
 Online Registration is now open for the 2026-27 school year!
Kindergarten helps children learn and practice the social, emotional, problem-solving, and self-regulation skills they will use throughout their lives.
New-to-FCPS families create a ParentVUE account for online access. Details are available here: Welcome to Fairfax County Public Schools' (FCPS) Online Registration | Fairfax County Public Schools
Current families can register their new student through their existing ParentVUE account. (No need to register students returning to UMES.)
Our Registrar, Catherine Dubas, is happy to process registrations directly, as well. Please contact her at cmdubas@fcps.edu and be ready to provide your family’s address and rising kindergartener’s date of birth. Catherine will respond with registration details and documents necessary to start the process.
Spring registration puts you on the list for school communications, so don’t wait!
Save the Date
Union Mill’s Kindergarten Orientation for rising kindergarteners is scheduled for Monday, April 29, 2026 from 2:45 – 3:45 p.m.
Take-Home Meal Kits for Fasting Students
FCPS is offering take-home meal kits from Wednesday, February 18 to Thursday, March 19, 2026 to support students who are fasting during the school day.
Thanks to a program from the Virginia Department of Education, students can now take healthy school meal kits home at the end of the day. These kits are designed to be eaten later that day and include both breakfast and lunch.
How to Sign Up
Families must fill out a meal kit request form on the Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) website for each student, every week. Because these meals are prepared fresh, we cannot accept late requests. Please check Important Dates and Forms below for weekly deadlines.
Please use the links below to complete the meal request forms. A separate form must be completed for each student.
Submit the fasting student meal kit request form by the dates listed below.
- Deadline: Wednesday, February 11, 2026 — Meals for the week of February 18, 2026
- Deadline: Monday, February 16, 2026 — Meals for the week of February 23, 2026
- Deadline: Monday, February 23, 2026 — Meals for the week of March 2, 2026
- Deadline: Monday, March 2, 2026 — Meals for the week of March 9, 2026
- Deadline: Monday, March 9, 2026 — Meals for the week of March 16, 2026
Community Flier Distribution
This semester’s nonprofit Community Flier Distribution will take place on Friday, March 6th. To submit a flier for approval, it must be received in the main office by no later than Friday, February 20th and include the following disclaimer:
"This event [or activity] is sponsored by [name of the organization] and is operated independently of the Fairfax County School Board, the Superintendent, and Union Mill Elementary School.”
Once the flier is approved, please deliver 33 sets of 30 copies each (plus a few extras for the front office) no later than 12:00pm on Wednesday, March 4th.
Fliers will go home with students on Friday, March 6th .
Early Release Wednesdays
The Centreville Pyramid, which includes Union Mill Elementary, will have the following three-hour early release Wednesdays. On these days, students will be dismissed at 12:30 p.m. This time allows for our staff to plan, collaborate and grow professionally.
Thank you for your help in making these days smooth and enjoyable for everyone!
Additional information can be found on the FCPS Early Release Wednesdays webpage.
Tech Adventure Camp & CTE Summer Academy
The Career and Technical Education (CTE) office is once again planning engaging summer enrichment programs for students! For our current kindergarten to 5th grade students, we have Tech Adventure Camp. For our current 6th to 11th grade students, we have CTE Summer Academy.
It's Time to Order a Yearbook!
It's time to order your 2025-2026 yearbook! Families may place orders at www.buytheyearbook.com with school ID# 732149. Yearbooks are $16.49 each.
Don't miss your chance to order a yearbook as there will not be extras available at the end of the year.
The deadline to order is April 15, 2026.
UMES PTA
Bingo Night – February 6th (Snow Date Feb. 13th)
Registration is open for Family Bingo Night! This giveback event is a beloved UMES tradition and free of charge to our school community. Registration will close Thursday at 5pm or when capacity is reached. Click here to register.
Prizes for all kids attending are guaranteed and adult prizes will be available too! Pizza will be $2/slice. Snacks will be available and bottled water is being donated by ML Real Estate Group - thank you!
We could use help making this event the annual success we hope that it will be!
Please click here to volunteer.
Digital Safety Conversation with FCPD – fill out the survey to share your questions!
An officer from the Fairfax County Police Department Community Outreach Office will join us to answer questions and concerns that UMES families have, and provide information and resources. We need your help finalizing topics of conversation!
Click here to fill out a survey with your questions and topic preferences.
This conversation will take place at the February PTA meeting. It will be a hybrid meeting format: In person at UMES with a Zoom option for remote attendance. This conversation is important, and to allow caregivers to be able to attend and be fully engaged in the discussion childcare will be provided by volunteers from CVHS SGA in the gym.
Join in on Thursday, February 19, at 7:00 pm.
Spirit Night at MOD Pizza
Join us Thursday, February 12th for Spirit Night at MOD Pizza in the Greenbriar Shopping Plaza. Use code MODGIVE25 when ordering through the app or show the flyer that comes home in your child’s Friday Folder when dining in at 13061 Lee Jackson Memorial Hwy, Suite S, Fairfax, VA 22033.
Dave & Busters Power Cards FUNraiser
Purchase a $10 or $20 Power Card and support Union Mill PTA programming and initiatives plus have some fun with your family and friends! Power Cards can be used ANYTIME at ANY LOCATION! 50% of every purchase will be donated back to Union Mill PTA! Power Card sales end March 20th and your cards will be distributed on March 27th in Friday Folders.
Purchase your Power Cards here.
Spring Flower Sale
Though the groundhog is predicting more winter, spring is not more than 6 weeks away! Why not start to get your garden summer ready while supporting the UMES PTA? You can help support our entire UMES community simply by ordering your spring flower seeds and bulbs through Flower Power Fundraising. You can order here. The PTA will earn 50% of each sale. Your seeds and bulbs will be delivered to your door! Orders are open now through May 15th. Have questions? Please e-mail waysandmeans@unionmillpta.org.
Box Tops for Education
We are a Box Tops for Education school! All you have to do is download the app and scan your printed receipts or upload your digital receipts. Shopping at Walmart? Just connect your account, no scanning required! Check out the special offers for the month of November!
Click this link to get started and use code P7R07LNQ!.
Union Mill Hours
Bell Schedule
Doors open at 8:35 am. Students should be in class by 8:45 am.
Students are dismissed at 3:30 pm.
Office Hours
Monday - Friday - 8:15 am - 4:15 pm
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