|
English | Español | አማርኛ | 中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt | العربية | فارسی | اردو
April 29 Family Newsletter
Dear Families,
It has been such a joy to see our students actively engaged in their learning and fully in SOL preparation mode! The energy, focus, and excitement throughout the building have been wonderful to witness as students continue working hard and showing their growth each day. We are also looking forward to welcoming families tomorrow evening at 6:00 PM in the cafeteria for our Chorus Concert as we celebrate our students’ talents and hard work. Wishing everyone a wonderful week filled with joy and success!
Upcoming Dates
Thursday, April 30th - Spring Chorus Concert @ 6:00pm
Monday, May 4th - Friday, May 8th - Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week
Tuesday, May 5th - SOL Testing Begins
Wednesday, May 6th - Walk, Bike & Roll to School Day
Friday, May 15th - Parent Input for Class Placement Deadline
Wednesday, May 20th - 3-hour Early Dismissal
- Kindergarten Orientation @ 2:45 pm
Monday, May 25th - Memorial Day Holiday
Tuesday, May 26th - Teacher Workday
Wednesday, May 27th - Eid al-Adha Holiday
Friday, May 29th - SCA Spirit Day - Wear UMES Colors
- UMES v. CES Staff Volleyball Game @ CVHS
Thursday, June 4th & Friday, June 5th - Field Days
See the complete school year calendar
Walk, Bike & Roll to School Day
UMES students on Walk, Bike & Roll to School Day
Walk, Bike & Roll to School Day is Wednesday, May 6! Join in the fun and help the environment. All students who walk, bike, or roll (scooters, rollerblades, etc.) will receive a small token at either side of the bus loop. Please remember to wear your helmet! Those students as well as students who walk to their bus stop then ride into school will be invited to sign a flower petal in their classrooms. We will have a huge garden of flowers showing off our exercise and eco-minded students. Please contact Jenny Murray at jbmurray@fcps.edu if you have any questions.
Calling All Pizza Lovers …and Box Collectors!
We are gearing up for an epic Field Day, and we need your help to make one of our games a success! We are looking for donations of 100 new, unused pizza boxes.
Wait—why pizza boxes? While we’d love to say it’s for a giant lunch, these are actually for a fun field day game! To keep things clean and sturdy, we need boxes that have never seen a slice of pepperoni.
The Specs:
-
Condition: Must be brand new and unused (no grease, please!).
-
Size: Standard Large (14" or 16") is preferred, but we’ll take any consistent size.
-
Quantity: We need 100 total. Every little bit helps!
How to Donate:
If you own a local pizza shop, know someone who does, or just want to pick up a stack from a restaurant supply store, please drop them off at the Front Office (attention: Physical Education Department) by May 28. Feel free to reach out to Manda Tirado if you have questions or have the connection: mktirado@fcps.edu
Support Your Children During Important Spring Assessments
Students will be participating in spring assessments based on their grade level and courses. This includes summative assessments like Standards of Learning (SOL) tests, which measure what a student knows, and progress assessments like Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests, which measure where they are in their learning.
FCPS encourages all families to support their students in taking these tests. Virginia requires schools to test at least 95% of students on SOLs, so when families choose not to participate in testing, it can impact a school’s accreditation, accountability ratings, and ability to measure student progress accurately.
Parents and caregivers can help their children perform their best on these tests by reminding them to get a good night’s sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and the cell phone policy still applies during testing season.
It is important that students attend school on scheduled testing dates. If you are aware of a conflict that may cause your student to miss a test, please notify your student’s school as soon as possible.
Students in grades 3-6 will participate in SOL testing on the following dates:
3rd Grade
|
| Reading: May 6th |
Math: May 12th |
4th Grade
|
| Reading: May 6th |
Math: May 12th |
5th Grade
|
| Reading: May 5th |
Math: May 13th |
| Science: May 19th |
6th Grade
|
| Reading: May 5th |
Math: May 13th |
Learn more about how to support your child and why test participation matters.
Get2Green
The fifth grade Get2Green Team has been hard at work planting microgreens. First, they germinated the seeds and then put them under the grow lights. Currently growing in the library mini greenhouse are arugula and cow peas. Once fully grown they will be a great addition to our salads.
Fifth grade plants growing in the library mini greenhouse.
Parent Input for Class Placements 2026-2027
As we plan for the 2026-2027 school year, we are inviting your input. Creating class assignments require careful consideration and the involvement of many perspectives. We know a good teacher-student match and a productive mix of children are ingredients for success. Should you have additional information about your specific child that school staff may not know, particularly regarding learning style and classroom environment; you have the option to complete the following form no later than Friday, May 15th.
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!
Kindergarten Orientation - New Date
Due to recent changes in the FCPS calendar, the early release day originally scheduled for Orientation on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 has been cancelled. As a result, we have updated the date and time for this event.
🗓️ New Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2026
🕓 Time: 2:45 – 3:45 PM
📍 Location: Union Mill Elementary School
We appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we make this adjustment. We look forward to meeting you and beginning this exciting partnership together!
Early Release Wednesdays
The Centreville Pyramid, which includes Union Mill Elementary, will have one more three-hour early release Wednesday. On this day, 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 this remaining day smooth and enjoyable for everyone!
Additional information can be found on the FCPS Early Release Wednesdays webpage.
UMES PTA Funds at Work
Flower Power Grade Challenge!
Win a Spirit Day for Your Entire Grade!
There’s only 3 weeks to go and 1st Grade remains in the lead followed by 3rd grade and kindergarten! Contest ends May 15th. Check out the school lobby to see your grade (butterfly) jump along the flowers and see who is in the lead. How to participate and get your student's grade in the lead: Order seeds and bulbs online through the UMES Flower Power Fundraiser! Grades will receive credit for every 5 sales - the grade with the most sales by May 15th will win a special Spirit Day for their grade level! Orders are delivered directly to your home! The PTA earns 50% of each sale to support school programs.
You can order here.
Teacher Appreciation Week
Celebrate National Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week (May 4–May 8) and help us show our public school educators just how much we support, respect, and appreciate all they do! Please join the PTA in a week-long celebration honoring our amazing Union Mill teachers and staff. Each day, we’ll recognize and thank our wonderful team in a special way.
Check out the details and attached schedule above — we hope you’ll join us in making this a memorable week!
Help us stock the lounge with snacks & drinks to brighten the week. Use the following link to sign up to donate items by Friday, May 1st. Stock the Lounge
To kick off the week, please encourage your student(s) to bring in a handmade card or special treat for their teacher(s) on Monday, May 4th. The “Staff Favorite Things” lists can be found here: UMES Staff Favorite Things
On Friday, May 8th we are in need of volunteers throughout the day to cover for our teachers and staff during recess so that staff can enjoy an extra “happy half hour” of time. We are still in need of volunteers for 5th and 6th grade. This allows our teachers to take a break - please jump in and help out! The sign up link can be found here: Recess Duty Sign Up
*All volunteers must be registered and approved as Level 1 Volunteers with FCPS. Please register through the Volunteer Portal for Recess Coverage. You can find the option here: UMES Volunteer Opportunities
Thanks for Attending the Ice Cream Social
We hope everyone enjoyed the ice cream served up by Girl Scout Troop 54081 and funded by the PTA! The Troop was also able to treat all of our UMES teachers and staff on Friday afternoon!
Red Robin Spirit Night: April 29 (ALL DAY)
Grab a burger and support your Bears! April's Spirit Night is on April 29 at Red Robin in Fair Lakes. Restaurant hours are 11am - 9pm and the fundraiser is ALL DAY! It’s easy to order online for takeout or in the restaurant. Check the flyer for details. In-person dining? Just mention the flyer or the UMES spirit night fundraiser to your server!
Teacher Appreciation Week
Celebrate National Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week (May 4–May 8) and help us show our public school educators just how much we support, respect, and appreciate all they do! Please join the PTA in a week-long celebration honoring our amazing Union Mill teachers and staff. Each day, we’ll recognize and thank our wonderful team in a special way.
Check out the details and attached schedule — we hope you’ll join us in making this a memorable week!
Help us stock the lounge with snacks & drinks to brighten the week.
Use the following link to sign up to donate items by Friday, May 1st. Stock the Lounge
Kick Off the Week With a Handmade Card or Treat
To kick off the week, please encourage your student(s) to bring in a handmade card or special treat for their teacher(s) on Monday, May 4th. The “Staff Favorite Things” lists can be found here: UMES Staff Favorite Things
Recess Volunteers for Teacher’s “Happy Half Hour”
On Friday, May 8th we are in need of volunteers throughout the day to cover for our teachers and staff during recess so that staff can enjoy an extra “happy half hour” of time.
The sign up link can be found here: Recess Duty Sign Up
*All volunteers must be registered and approved as Level 1 Volunteers with FCPS. Please register through the Volunteer Portal for Recess Coverage. You can find the option here: UMES Volunteer Opportunities
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
|
