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Greetings McNair Students and Families,
We are so proud of how our students are settling into their new routines and are already showing great perseverance as readers, writers, mathematicians, and scientists. It's always heartwarming to see students excited about learning and building relationships with their peers.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone who joined us on Friday evening to celebrate 25 years of excellence at McNair Elementary School! Our community is truly special, and bringing together current and former students, staff, and families made for an unforgettable night. We were thrilled to welcome back former administrators Ms. Goddin, Ms. West, Ms. Miller, and Mr. Astudillo, as well as view video messages from Ms. Dade and Ms. O'Bryant. We were also honored to host Region 5 Executive Principal Mr. Stokes, along with School Board members Ms. Meren and Mr. McDaniel. Special thanks as well to our wonderful PTA for funding the Leesburg Animal Park "Zoo-To-You" program at the event!
To keep the celebration going, 25th Anniversary student t-shirts are still available for $15 (cash only), with all proceeds directly supporting our fundraiser for our Take Home Reading Program. To order, place cash in an envelope/plastic bag labeled with your child's name, teacher's name, and preferred shirt size. (More information about this fundraiser is included below in this newsletter.)
A Note on Safety
In order to ensure the safety of our entire community, please remember the following arrival and dismissal procedures:
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K-2 / Multi-School Drivers: If you are dropping off a child attending McNair Elementary, please use the McNair ES Kiss and Ride loop. If you have children attending both schools (McNair ES and McNair Upper ES), please use the McNair Upper ES Kiss and Ride loop.
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Preschool Families: Please use street parking. Avoid parking at the Townes of Copper Mill during these times.
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Walkers: Please model safety by using designated crosswalks and avoiding crossing in the middle of the road.
Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership. Together, all things are possible. We hope that you have a wonderful week, Mustangs!
Together We Grow,
Mrs. Watson, Mrs. Stringer, and Mrs. Royer
Please contact us with any questions!
Principal: Elizabeth Watson, evwatson@fcps.edu
Assistant Principal: Ipsa Stringer, IBStringer@fcps.edu
Assistant Principal: Sara Royer, smroyer@fcps.edu
Click on the links below to navigate to sections of this newsletter.
Save the Date, Mustangs!
Please mark your calendars!
📌September 4 & September 7: Labor Day Holiday; No School for Students
📌September 16: An FCPS Community Conversation with Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid at McNair Elementary School, 6:45-7:45 p.m.
📌September 17: Back-To-School Night at McNair Elementary School, 5:00-6:30pm (Session 1: 5:00-5:45p.m. and Session 2: 5:45-6:30p.m.)
📌September 20: Asha Jyothi Run at Fairfax Corner at 8:00am **Register today and support a great cause and Team McNair! Use coupon code AJ4SCHOOLS at checkout. We cannot wait to see you there! More information is below in this newsletter.**
📌September 21: Holiday, Schools & Offices Closed (Yom Kippur)
📌September 23: Monthly PTA Meeting, 6:30pm at McNair ES
📌October 12: School Planning Day; No School For Students
📌October 21: 3-Hour Early Release For Students In Grades K-2 (Dismissal is at 1:30pm)
📌October 21: Monthly PTA Meeting, 6:30pm at McNair Upper ES
📌November 2 & November 3: Teacher Work Days; No School For Students
📌November 16-November 20: Fall Book Fair at McNair
📌November 18: Family Night at the Book Fair & Storytime with the Principal; 4:30-6:00pm
📌November 18: Monthly PTA Meeting, 6:30pm at McNair ES
📌November 20: Thanksgiving Luncheon at McNair
📌November 25-27: Thanksgiving Holiday; Schools & Offices Closed
Arrival and Dismissal
Doors open for arrival at 8:35 a.m. The school day begins at 8:45 a.m.
Dismissal begins at 3:30 p.m.
**Please reference the 2026-2027 School Year FCPS Calendar when making appointments or scheduling family trips. Attendance counts and everyday matters!**
 💪 Student Attendance Matters!
Student attendance at school is important all year long, up to the last day of school. Attendance has an effect on student performance and on school accreditation. See how to:
- Check your child’s attendance record.
- Help your student stay engaged at school.
- Report future absences.
- Understand the FCPS school calendar.
Learn more about attendance resources.
Kindergarten Registration
There’s an easy five-step process for parents wanting to register their child for kindergarten:
- Determine eligibility.
- Identify your local school.
- Gather documents.
- Fill out forms.
- Schedule an appointment (the student and one caregiver must be present).
Register your child today! Contact our registrar, Ms. Afkham Hosseini, at 703-793-4800 with any questions.
Nominate a Staff Member for FCPS CARES!
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. Show our staff that their hard work is appreciated!
Spritwear Fundraiser for Take Home Reading Book Program
 We are celebrating 25 years of Mustang excellence by putting even more books directly into our students' hands! Proceeds from our 25th-anniversary t-shirt sales directly fund our Take-Home Reading Program, which lets students choose books tailored to their reading level, read them together with family at home, and swap them daily for new titles. Your support helps us purchase even more books to serve readers at every stage—from those taking their first steps in literacy to confident readers tackling multi-chapter adventures.
T-shirts are $15.00 cash. Grab yours, show off your Mustang pride, and help every reader at McNair Elementary soar!
Back To School Night
This year’s annual Back to School Night will be held on the evening of Thursday, September 17th. We will offer two sessions.
- Session #1: 5:00-5:45 pm
- Session #2: 5:45-6:30 pm
At Back to School Night, classroom teachers will share information with parents/guardians about grade level curriculum your child will be learning about this school year and specific grade level events such as field trips your child may attend this upcoming school year. You will also hear about the classroom practices and expectations your child’s teacher will employ this school year to support them.
This is a great opportunity to begin establishing your partnership with your child’s classroom teacher(s) to support their success this school year. It is important that parents/guardians plan to attend one of our session offerings.
Join Us, Mustangs! Mark Your Calendars!
Fall is around the corner, and so is our next big event! 🍂
Join us on Sunday, September 20, 2026, for the Asha-Jyothi 18th Annual 5K & 1-Mile Fun Run at Fairfax Corner! We can’t wait to see our Mustang community out there.
How to Support McNair:
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Register here
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Use coupon code AJ4SCHOOLS at checkout.
Using this code sends a direct donation straight to our school! Thanks to your support last year, we will be kicking off the 2026–2027 school year with a brand-new 3D printer and a water bottle filling station for our Mustangs. Let’s keep the momentum going! Let's Go Mustangs!!!
Register Today With Volunteer FCPS
Volunteer FCPS allows individuals to search and register for volunteer opportunities. It helps ensure a safe, consistent, and welcoming environment here at McNair Elementary. All volunteers must:
- Create a profile in Volunteer FCPS.
- Register for opportunities through Volunteer FCPS.
- Sign in and out of schools using the visitor kiosk.
At the Volunteer FCPS site, you can complete a volunteer orientation. Visit the Volunteer FCPS Frequently Asked Questions for more information.
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School Supply Lists for the 2026-27 School Year
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Please view all of our McNair ES Supply Lists for the 2026-2027 School Year. We appreciate your partnership and support. If you have any questions, or need assistance, you are welcome to contact our main office at 703-793-4800. Please click below to view each grade level's school supply list.
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Keeping Your Child Safe
All exterior doors are locked during school hours. To enter the building, go to Door #1, push the doorbell, show your official identification (driver's license, passport, etc.) and the front office will remotely unlock the door. Upon entering, please report to the office where you will be requested to sign-in and show identification again. To maintain the momentum of instruction, forgotten lunches and materials will be delivered by office staff, or students will be called down to the office to get their forgotten items.
For any change in a child’s typical transportation arrangements, send a note to the teacher indicating the date of the change, the duration of the change, and the reason for the change. Students may not ride a non-designated school bus home with a friend as buses are filled to capacity. For safety, we also ask that students get off at their designated stop only.
Kiss & Ride Registration
If you are picking your child up at Kiss and Ride, please complete the registration form as soon as possible.
Kiss & Ride Registration Form
If picking up a student before the end of the school day, provide notice to the teacher and school office as soon as possible to avoid confusion for your child. If a student must leave unexpectedly, alert the office at least one hour ahead of time. If a student is being picked up early, they will not be released after 3:00pm. Parents will have to wait to pick their child after dismissal at 3:30pm. This is for the safety of all students.
During arrival and dismissal, please follow the established rules and travel routes for the safety of all. For everyone’s safety, we ask that parents follow the procedures for arrival and dismissal. This will allow you to get your Mustang to school as quickly and as efficiently as possible. Modeling safe procedures is critical and teaches our young students to stay safe when adults are not with them.
As a final reminder, taking the bus is a very safe way to travel to and from school. If you plan to have your child take the bus during the school year, put them on the bus the first day of school. It will help establish the school year routine, and students will be learning the rules and expectations along with peers from day one!
Back-to-School Checklist
We’re Eager to Welcome You Back to School!
As summer winds down, we are looking forward to welcoming students back to our classrooms. Use the following list to help make sure your child is ready!
☑️ Sign Up for SIS ParentVUE
Access your student’s attendance records, grades, and assignments at any time with SIS ParentVUE. Contact our registrar at [email/phone number] if you need an activation code. Find out more about SIS ParentVUE.
Update Your Contact Information
Be sure you receive important information! Update your phone number(s) and/or email address(es) by clicking “My Account” and reviewing the “Online Verification/Update.” On that form, you can also update immunization records, health information, and emergency contacts.
☑️ Update Immunizations and Records
Immunizations are required for all students to attend school in Virginia. This is an important part of protecting them from certain diseases and keeping them healthy.
When your child is immunized, remember to request a copy of their immunization record and bring that to our front office or submit the record via SIS ParentVUE as soon as possible. Find more information on FCPS’ website.
☑️ Learn About School Meals
Families need to provide their children with money to purchase meals at school or send them with a packed lunch. Alternatively, families may apply to receive free and reduced-price meal benefits, pending approval.
☑️ Bookmark the School Year Calendar
Be sure to bookmark the FCPS school year calendar to keep track of school holidays, breaks, and observances:
- Days marked blue with an “H” are student holidays. Schools are closed on these days.
- Days marked orange with an “O” are religious and cultural observance days (or evenings, if only half marked). There is school on these days, but certain events that cannot be made up may not be scheduled on these days.
- Days marked as TW, SD, and SP and in pink are holidays for students but working days for teachers and staff.
Please note that some holidays and observances, such as Eid al Fitr, may shift, and the calendar may be adjusted.
FCPS App
All Your FCPS Links in One Spot
There are a lot of school and FCPS webpages to bookmark, but the FCPS mobile app serves as your central hub!
Check daily meal menus and calendars with no login required, or use one-tap quick links to launch SIS ParentVUE, Schoology, and MySchoolBucks.
Download the FCPS mobile app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
Family Information Line Available in Nine Languages
Parents/caregivers who speak Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, English, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, or Vietnamese may call a telephone information line for general information about FCPS. View the list of phone numbers.
Student ID Cards for McNair Bus Riders
We will begin distributing student ID cards to all our students who ride the school bus or use FCPS transportation services on September 8th.
Students will get their ID cards from their classroom teachers. Remember to keep the badge and have your student wear it every morning when they meet the bus. We suggest putting it in their backpack as soon as they get off the bus.
Students who have student ID cards should begin tapping as they board and exit the bus. Only students who use FCPS transportation services will be provided with a student ID card at this time.
We ask for your patience! Bus drivers will begin checking in students next week and may need some extra time at each bus stop while they do this. The transportation team is working hard to minimize any potential delays.
Learn more about the bus navigation and student ID cards.
Have Children in Multiple FCPS Schools? 🏫
The FCPS mobile app lets you follow updates from all your children's schools in one place! Simply open the app, tap the teal pull-down menu, then tap the gear icon and select every school you want to follow. See this video of how to follow your school.
Find out about more features of the app. Download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
Everything You Need to Do in SIS ParentVUE
Are you working your way through back-to-school forms and checklists? Make sure you have a SIS ParentVUE account for your family and log in to find important forms and updates.
- Be among the first to know about weather closings, bus delays, and other critical communications from your school and FCPS by providing your cell phone number and email in ParentVUE. To update your contact information in ParentVUE, click the “Online Packets” tab in the upper right of the screen, then click the “Online Verification/Update” icon.
- Submit daylong absences by clicking “Report Absence.”
If you do not have a ParentVUE account, contact your child’s school for an activation code and follow the directions on the SIS ParentVUE Account webpage.
Schoology
💻 Catch Up on Your Child’s Classwork in Schoology
Teachers use Schoology to post their classroom materials online; to provide a secure forum for students to discuss their ideas and collaborate on projects; and to assign and collect homework electronically. It helps students stay organized, and it keeps the class connected.
A Schoology Parent Account gives you access to:
- Your child’s classes.
- Your child’s upcoming assignments.
- School, class, and group announcements.
To access Schoology, parents will need to have an active SIS/ParentVUE account. Get more information on how to login and use Schoology.
⏰ Limited Early Release Days for Elementary Schools
Limited early release days for elementary schools will continue to be on Wednesdays for the 2026-27 school year.
Three-hour early release days for our students in grades K-2 will include:
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October 21
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December 2
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February 10
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May 5
Remember to Complete Permission Forms for School Resources
Families can now easily grant consent for their children to access a variety of school resources through the Parent Digital Consent system. This online tool can be accessed using your SIS ParentVUE account login. Parents can easily opt their child in or out of a variety of resources, including online educational tools, school counseling services, and more.
Visit the Parent Digital Consent webpage to access the system. Watch this video to see how to use the tool.
Opt In or Out to Student Devices Being Sent Home for Grades 1-6
New this year, families can opt out of having student laptops sent home with their student.
- If you do not want your student to bring their FCPS-issued device home, please toggle the Opt Out button to a check mark and confirm by pressing Save Selection.
- If you would like your student to bring their FCPS device home, no toggle action is needed. Confirm by pressing Save Selection.
Students whose families opt out will continue to have access to an FCPS-issued device during the school day. Please reach out to your student’s teacher to understand expectations for homework and any learning activities that may require access to technology outside of the school day.
Transportation Patience and Safety
Thank you for your patience as we all get used to new routines this school year. We appreciate our families following Kiss and Ride procedures and being patient while waiting for your child’s bus.
If your child’s bus is delayed, you may access the Bus Delay Notification System or use the Here Comes the Bus mobile app to receive the delayed bus report. Email messages will be sent to announce significant bus delays. Please contact the Transportation Office at [phone number] with any additional questions. For concerns after 5:30 p.m., contact the FCPS Office of Safety and Security at 571-423-2000.
Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE to make sure you receive email messages about bus delays.
FCPS This Week
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
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- Everything You Need to Do in SIS ParentVUE
- Permission Forms for School Resources
- Follow Multiple Schools in the App
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Resources
On Facebook, please like & follow to get the latest updates.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567288287981
McNair ES PTA Updates & Back-to-School Announcements
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Free School-Wide Parent Directory: Join the brand-new Honeycomb Parent Directory to easily find classmates, message parents, and organize carpools or playdates. It is 100% free and open to all McNair families (PTA membership not required). Join here: https://hcirl.app.link/RNHx6akxI2b?_p=c71529c39f0a7af1ea1990ffe8b1
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2026–2027 PTA Memberships & Pre-Orders: Support our students and staff by joining or renewing your PTA membership today! Options include:
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Family Membership ($60): 2 adult memberships, stickers, magnet, early competition sign-ups, and a McNair insulated lunch bag.
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Adult Membership ($35): 1 adult membership, sticker, magnet, and early competition sign-ups.
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Teacher/Staff Membership ($15): 1 staff membership, sticker, and priority access to classroom supply grants.
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Reduced Dues Pre-Order ($15): Discounted pre-order for families on free/reduced lunch or facing financial need (confidential honor system). Email board@mcnairespta.org for the private link.
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Join or Renew Here: https://mcnairespta.givebacks.com/shop?category=25434
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Volunteer Opportunities: We are running with a small, nimble team this year and need your help with newsletters, social media, events, welcoming new families, corporate partnerships, or flexible tasks you can do from home. Learn more and sign up here: https://www.mcnairespta.org/volunteer
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Want to see more photos and videos of what’s going on at McNair Elementary School? Follow us on social media!
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Thank you for your partnership as we gallop together in supporting our Mustangs!
#BloomingTogether
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