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Dear Mantua families,
In celebration of FCPS’s Get2Green Earth Week last week, Mantua went “green” as we challenged ourselves to think about our planet and ways that we can contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable lifestyle. In classrooms, we thoughtfully considered how to treat nature’s creatures respectfully, how to reduce waste by reusing, and how to encourage others to embrace changes like walking or riding bikes. FCPS provides support each year for schools to engage in activities that help us learn about our environment and how to take care of it responsibly. This year, we took our learning outside with a new raised garden bed and plants, funded in partnership with Educate Fairfax. Our students have loved these activities, and we look forward to expanding this project next year! We’ve shared some photos below.
SOL (Standards of Learning) Testing has begun! You can support your child by encouraging them to get a good night’s rest before their test and by providing them with a good breakfast. Remind them that they have been learning all year long and cheer them on to do their best!
We welcome you to:
- Join us for the Mantua PTA drama club performance of Shrek! The Musical! Performances are on Friday night and Saturday, see details below.
- Please take a moment to mark your calendars for our upcoming Spring music concerts! Our Band and Strings concerts will be held on May 6th and 7th.
Enjoy your weekend!
Take good care,
Ms. Shannon, Mrs. Vaughan, Ms. Maurer
 
 We welcome all families to the Mantua PTA drama performance of Shrek, the Musical Kids. This performance is Friday, May 1 at 7pm and Saturday, May 2 at 3pm and 6pm. You won't want to miss this delightful performance!
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.
Learn more about how to support your child and why test participation matters.
Mantua's SOL Schedule
3rd Grade: Reading - May 1, Math - May 15
4th Grade: Reading - May 1, Math - May 15
5th Grade: Reading - April 30, Math - May 12, Science - May 20
6th Grade: Reading - April 29, Math - May 14
Weekly Staff Spotlight
Staff Spotlight is our way to recognize Mantua's incredible staff! Each week, we recognize a group of staff members. Check them out on Mantua ES Instagram. In celebration of both School Principals' and School Lunch Hero Days on May 1, and Physical Education Week, this week's featured staff members are Ms. Shannon, Ms. Bruining, Mr. Collins, and our Cafeteria Team Members: Ms. Jackson, Ms. Hunter, Ms. Nguyen, Ms. Lim, Ms. Mei, and Ms. Ternezas. We also celebrate our music teachers Ms. Aberle and Ms. Aghagholizadeh. We honor our nursing staff below.
Please use the Spotlight Submission Form to share a positive message with them. We will share the messages with them at the end of next week.
Thank you for helping us make Staff Spotlight a fun and engaging way to celebrate our school community. We appreciate your enthusiasm and support!
2026-2027 Family Input for Class Placement
Thank you for taking the time to share input about your child’s learning needs. This information, along with teacher recommendations and school-based data, helps guide our class placement process.
We are fortunate to have a strong and dedicated staff, and we ask that specific teacher names not be included on this form as we are unable to honor individual staff requests.
Our administration and teacher teams carefully review each submission as we work to create balanced classrooms and the best possible learning environment for every student. While all input is thoughtfully considered, we cannot guarantee specific requests.
Please submit your input here to ensure your feedback is included in the placement process. Thank you for your partnership and support.
National School Nurse Day
National School Nurse Day is Wednesday, May 6. It is a day to recognize the many contributions that school nurses make to student health and learning.
FCPS appreciates the role of School Public Health Nurses (PHNs) for their contribution to the health and welfare of all our students. Professional school nurses support the needs of students through their delivery of healthcare, contributions to local school communities, and promotion of safety, prevention, and wellness throughout the year. They are advocates who bridge healthcare and education by supporting student health and readiness to learn. School nurses are essential to our community and work tirelessly to make a positive impact in the lives of their students.
Please join us in thanking our nurses, Debbie Xiong-Wong and Alisha Latham for their wonderful dedication to our students!
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Join us for the Woodson High School 5k Run and Walk May 16th at 8:30am at Fairfax High School! |
Jewish American Heritage Month
May is a national month of recognition of the history of Jewish contributions to American culture, acknowledging the diverse achievement of the Jewish community in the U.S. Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
People with ancestral roots in Asia and the islands of the Pacific have been integral to the story of America. In 1992, May was designated Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month to celebrate their heritage and contributions.Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS.
Equity Award
Nominations Open for the Bussey Memorial Equity Award
Nominations are now open for the 2026 Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award. This award recognizes an employee, student, or community member who has demonstrated significant and impactful efforts to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of students from groups who are marginalized or underserved.
Any staff, student, or community member can nominate an individual for the award. All nomination materials must be submitted by Monday, May 18.
The Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee (MSAOC) sponsors this award to honor the legacy of Dr. Bussey, a founding member of the MSAOC and a longtime advocate for students and families.
Full details and the nomination information form can be found at the Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award webpage.
Updates to 2026-27 School Year Calendar
The School Board voted to direct the superintendent to designate Veterans Day as a standard instructional day for the 2026-27 school year. Because this day was added, the 2026-27 school year will now end for students on Wednesday, June 16, 2027. Find additional information on BoardDocs. View the updated complete school year calendar on FCPS’ website.
The last day of school for the current school year — Wednesday, June 17, 2026 — has not changed.
Ombuds
Our Office of the Ombuds Is at Your Service!
Ombuds staff engage with FCPS staff, families, and students to offer resources and improve the experience of each and every member of the FCPS community. They work as an independent confidential resource to help get answers to questions, resolve concerns, and hear complaints regarding FCPS matters.
Ombuds staff do not make or change decisions, policies, or regulations. They do not take sides, and they do not provide legal advice.
Anyone with concerns, questions, or complaints to share with the Office of the Ombuds may call 571-423-4014, email ombuds@fcps.edu, or visit their webpage, where you may submit a question.
Want a quick way to recognize an employee or team? Share an FCPS CARES! Families, colleagues, and students are all invited to submit. The FCPS CARES is automatically sent to the recipient(s) and their supervisor, and is posted on fcps.edu. Additionally, each month one school in our region wins a staff celebration from HR.
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
Kathy Van Dyke, Advanced Academics Resource Teacher kkvandyke@fcps.edu
Maria Regina Incer, Family Liaison, mrincernunez@fcps.edu
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