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September 23 Family Newsletter
Dear Families,
Thank you to everyone and our PTA for support during our Fun Run! The weather held out, it was a great experience for our students, and raised funds to support our PTA.
Please join us tonight for our first PTA meeting at 7:00 PM in the Union Mill cafeteria!
This is a great opportunity to meet the PTA Board, connect with other families, and learn more about what’s ahead for our school community. During this evening's Principal Report, we will also share updates for the year and celebrations connected to student success.
Childcare will be provided by the CVHS Student Government Association.
Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Astronaut Karen Nyberg will kick off the launch of her book with an interactive program and story time on September 26th at the National Children's Museum at 10:00 AM. Additional details below.
Upcoming Dates
Wednesday, September 23rd - First PTA Meeting
Thursday, September 24th - AAP Continuum of Services Overview @ 5:45pm
Friday, September 25th - Community Flier Distribution
Monday, September 28th - Picture Day
Wednesday, October 7th - Walk, Bike, or Roll to School Day
Friday, October 9th - CVHS Homecoming Parade @ 5:00pm
Monday, October 12th - School Planning Day (No School for Students)
Wednesday, October 21st - 3-Hour Early Dismissal
FCPS 2026-2027 School Calendar
Virtual Author Visit
On Friday, Mrs. Lins’ first grade class attended a live virtual author visit with author Johanna Ho and illustrator Amber Ren. Ms. Ho read us the book, "Becoming Boba" and Ms. Ren lead the class in a drawing lesson to draw the main character, Mindy (who is a fruity boba tea). We also learned a little about the history of milk tea and boba tea. We got to interact with the author and illustrator, answer true/false questions, and ask a question of our own!
Meet an Author and an Astronaut
Here’s a chance to meet an author and an astronaut, too! Meet local author, Ann McCallum and her new book, "A Quilt of Stars, Astronaut Karen Nyberg Stitches a Dream". All four events are free. Check out A Quilt of Stars Book Trailer that connect you to a various space photos from Karen Nyberg's personal collection with the original theme song.
September 26: National Children’s Museum @ 10:00am. Astronaut Karen Nyberg will kick off the launch of this book with an interactive program and story time.
October 3: Barnes & Noble Fairfax @ 11:00am. Story time and book talk.
October 24: Scrawl Books @ 10:30am. Story time and book talk.
October 30: National Air & Space Museum @ 10:30am. Karen Nyberg will also be present for this program.
 Wednesday, October 7th!
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 and then ride to school, will be invited to sign a paper leaf in their classrooms. We will have a huge pile of leaves in the gym showing off our exercise and eco-minded students. Please contact Jenny Murray at jbmurray@fcps.edu if you have any questions.
Future Wildcat Spiritwear
teamlocker.squadlocker.com
UMES Library - Cake Pan Checkout
Did you know your student can check out a cake pan from the UMES library just like a book? Pans for baking may be checked out for three weeks and we ask that they are washed and clean prior to returning them. They are located next to the cookbooks! We also accept donations of metal cake pans. The picture here is just a small sample of the many pans available to your student!
Picture Day is Coming!
📅 Date: Monday, September 28th
📸 Pictures Available: Approximately two weeks after photo day.
🛒 Pre-order Online: https://shop.imagequix.com/g1001417012
📧 Questions about Ordering? Email us at underclass@vosphoto.com
FCPS CARES
Caught someone being awesome? Don’t let the sparkle go unnoticed!
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Whether a teacher saved the day, a staff member went the extra mile, or someone just brought pure joy to the workspace, please take a few minutes to recognize them with FCPS CARES! Families, colleagues, and students are all invited to submit. The FCPS CARES is automatically sent to the recipient(s), their supervisor, and is posted on fcps.edu. Additionally, each month one school in our region wins a staff celebration from HR- Hello Breakfast! |
This is one of the easiest ways to highlight hard work, celebrate success and give someone the giant cheer squad they deserve!
Advanced Academic Programs
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is committed to challenging all students through talent development and differentiated instruction. A continuum of Advanced Academic Program (AAP) services is available to students in Grades K-12 and is designed to match services to each student’s unique academic needs.
Identification for Subject-Specific and Part-Time AAP services occurs throughout the school year. Full-Time AAP services have two identification cycles:
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Fall identification: Students in grades 3-7 who have enrolled in FCPS since January may be referred by October 15, 2026.
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Spring identification: Any FCPS student in Grades 2-7 may be referred by December 15, 2026.
FCPS uses ability testing as one consideration in the holistic identification process for AAP services.
- All students in Grade 2 take the Naglieri General Ability Test (NGAT).
- Students in Grades 3-6 who do not have a multi-domain ability test score take the NGAT.
- Students in Grades 3-6 may retake an ability test one time. Families may request the ability test retake by contacting Jaime Graham, School Testing Coordinator, at jagraham@fcps.edu by September 30.
Families are invited to attend two AAP information meetings, led by Melissa Paris-Hutchens, our Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART):
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AAP Continuum of Services: Thursday September 24th at 5:45 p.m. in room 115. Families will learn about the continuum of advanced academic services available to FCPS students.
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Full-Time AAP Identification: Thursday November 5th at 5 p.m. in room 115. Families will learn about the referral and identification processes for Full-Time AAP services.
For more information, please contact Melissa Paris-Hutchens, AART, at maparis@fcps.edu or visit the FCPS Advanced Academic Programs website.
Volunteering at Union Mill
If you are looking to volunteer for the 26-27 school year and have not already done so, complete your Volunteer FCPS registration! This is required for all FCPS and Union Mill Volunteers.
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Register 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 Union Mill. All volunteers must:
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- 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.
Union Mill thanks you for your support!
Early Release Wednesdays for 2026-27
FCPS will continue with limited early release Wednesdays for elementary schools during the 2026-27 school year.
Early release Wednesdays provide elementary teachers with a dedicated block of time to prepare lessons, participate in professional development and training, and collaborate with peers. A well-supported and continuously improving teaching staff leads to better educational outcomes for students.
Find more information about early release Wednesdays, including the list of early release dates.
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October 21
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December 2
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February 10
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May 5
UMES PTA
Fun Run – Event Day Was Incredible!
Thank you to our volunteers, teachers, and parents who made this such a fun experience for our students! Special thanks to Mr. Williams for capturing the fun and compiling some of the best moments into videos!
We've made great progress toward our goal of $50,000 for reducing field trip costs, and funding both school-wide improvements as well as school-wide engagement activities for students! We're so close! There's still time to help us get there! MyBooster.com will remain open until 8am on Thursday September 24th and every donation makes a difference!
Make the most of bonus week! Keep earning Reward Store points and check out the Reward Store on MyBooster.com to see what's available. Rewards Store will stay open until 11:59pm on September 24th - be sure to use your points by that date! Prizes will be shipped directly to the school and distributed by the PTA to classrooms. Prizes are expected by October 10th.
Thank you again for your support of our Union Mill Fun Run Fundraiser!
Save These Dates
Tonight! - First PTA General Membership Meeting of the year!
- Time: 7:00pm, attend in person, childcare provided by CVHS SGA
- Meeting Topics:
- Approving the PTA Budget for the school year
- Discussion of the recent technology policy changes made by FCPS School Board and the impact on students
- Speakers will be in attendance to answer your questions
Stay Connected with the PTA
We’ve got lots of ways for you to keep in touch with other families in our community and stay the most up to date on PTA sponsored events and programs!
- Sign up for your 2026-27 PTA membership! It’s $20/family and $10 for individuals and staff. Sign up here.
- Care to email? We’re always available at pta@unionmillpta.org
- Want to browse the calendar, budget, or past meeting minutes? Visit our website.
- Are you all about sliding into DMs? Follow us on Instagram.
- Is Facebook more your comfort zone? We identify as millennials…so same here. Like our page on Facebook to browse updates, community resources, and join our grade specific Facebook groups.
Spirit Wear Store
Shop here
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 - 8:00 - 4:00 pm
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