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February 18 Family Newsletter
Dear Families,
Today we celebrated our 101st day of school. We are officially into the third quarter and are excited with what it has to bring. Our PTA meeting is tomorrow at 7:00 pm with a focus on digital safety.
Looking ahead to next week, we have our 3-hour early release on Wednesday. Families will receive a confirmation email tomorrow regarding their preference on how their child is going home. Next week is also our annual Kids Heart Challenge with a wide variety of activities to promote healthy lifestyles.
Upcoming Dates
Thursday, February 19th - PTA Meeting with focus on digital safety
Friday, February 20th - FCPS Wear Yellow Day (for Transportation)
Wednesday, February 25th - 3-Hour Early Release
Thursday, February 26th - Kids Heart Challenge
Monday, April 29th - Kindergarten Orientation
See the complete school year calendar
Celebrating the 100th and 101st Days of School
Our kindergarten students had a wonderful time celebrating the 100th day of school! Throughout the day, they engaged in fun, hands-on activities centered around the number 100, highlighting just how much they have learned and grown since the start of the year.
 Our first graders joined in the excitement as well, celebrating the 101st day of school with creative and engaging activities that built on their learning. It was a joyful milestone for both grade levels and a great opportunity to reflect on all they have accomplished so far this year! Even the teachers had fun dressing up as 101 Dalmations!
Kids Heart Challenge
 It is almost here! Next Thursday, February 26, from 5-6:30 pm is the Kids Heart Challenge event! The event will run as an open house so you can come at any point during that time. Students do not need to register to attend, but if you would like to register with the American Heart Association, please click here or use the QR code below. All students who register will receive their wristband. If a student completes Finn’s Misson they will get their Heart Hero cape.
At the event there will be food and drinks for sale: $2 a slice pizza, $1 water bottles, and $1 bag of carrots. Please join us for dinner at any point between 5-6:30 pm.
Our KHC web site will close on Monday, March 2. The heart hero characters will be sent home the follow week. The post-event prizes (jump ropes, t-shirts, playground ball, etc) will arrive in about 3 weeks.
If you have any questions, please contact Jenny Murray at jbmurray@fcps.edu.
Third Grade Olympic Village
Check out some third graders engaging in a technology lesson where they had the opportunity to design their own Olympic Village. Students had to thoughtfully reimagine a city complete with medical facilities, social spaces, dining halls, and entertainment venues. After a zoom call with Ms. Olivia Coffey of team USA Rowing, the kids were so excited to dig in and get to creating their own digital versions. Students loved putting in facilities like bakeries, playgrounds, and gyms.
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!
Wear Yellow Day - Friday, February 20th
February is Love the Bus Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the transportation professionals who safely support students every day across Fairfax County Public Schools. This includes our drivers, attendants, floaters, trainers, supervisors, mechanics, dispatchers, and support staff.
FCPS students and staff are encouraged to wear yellow to show appreciation for our transpiration team.
Rooted in Resilience: Echoes of Excellence
Families and community members are invited to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and uplift the voices shaping our future at FCPS’ Second Annual Black History Month Celebration. Rooted in Resilience: Echoes of Excellence will take place on Wednesday, February 25, at 6 p.m., at Carter G. Woodson High School.
The event will honor the rich history, strength, and contributions of the Black community through inspiring student performances and a powerful keynote address by Rev. Vernon C. Walton, pastor of First Baptist Church of Vienna. Light refreshments will be available.
Support 6th Grade Recycling
We are looking for parent volunteers to supervise our sixth grade recycling team on Thursday afternoon. The time commitment is about 20 minutes. If you already come to UMES on Thursday afternoons to pick up your student – this would be perfect for you! The recycling team starts at 3:00pm and is usually done by 3:15/3:20pm. There is NO lifting involved on the part of the adult. You are just there to supervise as students collect the large wheeled recycling bins in each of the pods and the cans from the teacher’s lounge. All of it is brought out to the recycling dumpster off of the loading dock. We would love to keep this program going but we need a few more adults. Volunteer commitments can be one or twice a month. Please email Ami Schroder, GET2GREEN co-sponsor at amschroder@fcps.edu if you can help support this effort!
Neurodiversity Parent Support Group
Please join us for our second Neurodiversity Parent Support Group on Tuesday February 24th from 6:30-7:30pm. The topic for February will be Big Deal/Little Deal 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.
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.
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
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 7:00pm. PTA members have received Zoom login information in this week’s PTA eNews. ALL are encouraged to attend in person or virtually! Please email pta@unionmillpta.org for log in information.
First Ever UMES Sock Hop is Coming!
Get ready to rock 'n roll in your craziest mismatched socks! In honor of the upcoming World Down Syndrome Day, the Union Mill PTA is hosting our first annual Sock Hop with a DJ in the Union Mill gym on Friday March 13th from 6-7:30 PM.
Snacks will be provided and we will have pizza available for sale. There will be a sensory-friendly space available to all students. Space is limited, be sure to pre-register. This is not a drop off event, all children must be accompanied by an adult.
Click here to register.
To make this event a success, we need your help! Please consider volunteering.
Sign up to volunteer here.
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
Temps are rising and the snow is going to melt! 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.
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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