Hello MUES Families,
This is a friendly reminder that Wednesday, October 21st is our first early release Wednesday of the school year. Dismissal will take place at 12:30 PM. Please make sure that your Mustang knows how they are going home on Wednesday especially if it is different from their regular way.
1st quarter interim progress reports went home for every student at McNair Upper ES in yesterday's Thursday Folder. The purpose of the interim is to provide you a snapshot of how your child is doing both academically and behaviorally thus far. If your child is also participating in a reading and/or math intervention to help support their foundational growth in these content areas, your child's classroom teacher also made you aware by way of their interim.
Additionally, your child's homeroom teacher should have or will be reaching out to families to offer you a parent-teacher conference in an effort to come together to discuss your child’s academic progress, social-emotional development, behavior, and overall success in school. These conversations allow teachers to share information about your Mustang's strengths, celebrate their accomplishments, identify areas where additional support may be needed, and discuss strategies to help each child continue to grow. Equally important, conferences provide families with an opportunity to share valuable insight about their child, ask questions, and collaborate with teachers to establish goals and develop plans for continued success. We hope that you are able to carve out some time in the coming weeks with your child's homeroom teacher to have this important conversation as we continue to not only promote your child's success, but partner with you in this work.
Have a nice weekend, Mustang Family!
Your Proud Principal,
Mrs. Goddin
MMGoddin@fcps.edu
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We will kickoff this year's House Meetings with a school-wide pep rally on Wednesday morning! Please encourage your Mustang to wear their House t-shirt or school colors- blue and white. |
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- October 21st: Dismissal at 12:30 PM; Three-Hour Early Release Day/House Meetings
- October 29th: Fall Picture Day at McNair Upper
- October 30th: End of 1st Quarter; Dismissal is at 1:30 PM
- November 2nd and November 3rd: School closed for students; teacher workdays
- November 4th: 2nd Quarter of School Begins!
- November 11th: MUES Celebrates Veterans Day!
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 Below are some new announcements & updates for you to read through.
It is that time again to recognize a staff member at McNair Upper ES. Nominations are now open for the FCPS Outstanding Employee Awards! To submit a nomination for McNair Upper ES Outstanding Employee, please complete the nomination through this form link: MUES 2026-27 Outstanding Employee Awards Nomination Form. All that is required is a paragraph or two about how this employee demonstrates exceptional work. You may nominate up to one employee per category. Outstanding Teacher Eligibility: Has at least three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district); librarians are included in this category. Outstanding New Teacher Eligibility: Has up to three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district); librarians are included in this category.
Outstanding Principal
Eligibility: Has at least three years of experience as a building principal.
Outstanding Professional Staff Leader
Eligibility: At least one year of experience in their current position as a School-Based Administrator (that is not the building principal) or Schedule-B employee or Teacher Scale employee in a non-instructional position at their current location.
- Positions in this category include Assistant Principal, Associate Principal, Director of Student Services, Director of Student Activities, Resource Teacher and Special Education Department Chair and Multilingual Learners Department Chair who serves in a non-instructional role for more than 50% of their time, After-School Specialist, Assessment Coach, Athletic Trainer, Career Center Specialist, Career Experience Specialist, College and Career Specialist, Crisis Resource Teacher, Instructional Coach, School-Based Technology Specialist, Technology Support Specialist, Psychologist, Reading Specialist, Safety and Security Specialist, Social Worker, Speech Language Pathologist, School Counselor, Systems of Support Administrator, or other employee paid as a Resource Teacher who serves in a non-instructional or administrative role in the school.
Outstanding Educational Services Employee
Eligibility: At least one year of experience in current position as Schedule-A, Schedule-H, or Classroom Instructional Support (CIS) employee at their current location.
Positions in this category include Administrative Assistant, Office Assistant, Student Information Assistant, Finance Technician, School Finance Assistant, Student Services Assistant, Instructional Assistant, Family Liaison, and Public Health Training Assistant.
Outstanding Operational Services Employee
Eligibility: At least one year of experience in current position as Schedule-A or Schedule-H employee at their current location.
Positions in this category include Custodian, Building Supervisor, Food Services staff, and Safety and Security Assistant.
The deadline to submit a nomination is Monday, October 26th.
If you have questions, please contact Mr. Credle at cmcredle@fcps.edu.
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Book Fair is coming October 26th- 30th! Family Night is Thursday, October 29th from 4:30-6:00pm!
Check out our Scholastic webpage for more information including pre-ordering the new Dogman book! You can also setup an eWallet for your child, so they do not have to bring cash! Use this link to find out more:
MUES Scholastic Fall Book Fair
Here is a direct link to create an eWallet: create an ewallet
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 Below are some friendly reminders for you to read through.
The FCPS Office of Safety and Security and Safe Routes to School program are asking families to share their experiences traveling to and from their child’s school. The feedback will help inform the Fairfax County School Board’s annual assessment of traffic and pedestrian safety near schools.
The Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Survey asks about walking and biking routes, traffic near schools, kiss-and-ride experiences, accessibility, and other safety concerns.
Your feedback will help FCPS identify common issues. Your responses will be kept confidential and shared with school administrators and the Office of Safety and Security. The five-minute survey is open through Thursday, October 15.
Be sure to identify the school related to your feedback and include specific locations where you have observed a safety issue. If you have students at different schools in FCPS, please complete a different survey for each school.
If you have any questions about the survey, please contact SafeRoutestoSchool@fcps.edu.
Here is the link to access this month's AAP Community Newsletter:
October AAP Community Newsletter
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Hello MUES Families,
We would love your help in keeping our staff lounge and teacher planning space stocked with individually wrapped healthy snack foods, beverages, and a few sweet treats for our awesome staff as a way to keep them energized as they educate and support our Mustangs.
Please sign-up using the link below for any of the items listed and drop off any donations to the main office. The main office is open daily, Monday-Friday from 8:45 AM-3:45 PM.
Fall Snacks for MUES Staff
Thank you for your support of our amazing staff!
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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 Mrs. Janofsky, School Testing Coordinator, at mljanofsky@fcps.edu by September 30.
Families are invited to attend two AAP information meetings, led by Mrs. Janofsky and Mrs. Burg, the McNair Upper and McNair Primary Advanced Academic Resource Teachers (AART):
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Full-Time AAP Identification: Tuesday October 20th at 5:30pm in the McNair Upper Elementary School Cafeteria. Families will learn about the referral and identification processes for Full-Time AAP services.
For more information, please contact Kaitlin Burg, AART at McNair Elementary, at kmburg@fcps.edu or Mallory Janofsky, AART at McNair Upper Elementary, at mljanofsky@fcps.edu, or visit the FCPS Advanced Academic Programs website.
Join us for a series of Community Conversations that will be held across the school division. Share your thoughts with Dr. Reid and ask her questions. Click on the date to register for any of the following events:
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Monday, October 19, at 6:30 p.m., at Spring Hill Elementary School
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Monday, October 26, at 6:30 p.m., at Beech Tree Elementary School
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Thursday, October 29, at 6:30 p.m., at North Springfield Elementary School
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Friday, November 13, at 6:30 p.m., at Powell Elementary School
Registration is not required, but it helps with planning.
Register now for the annual Special Education Family Conference: Connected Communities, Thriving Students. The free conference will take place on Saturday, November 14, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Hayfield Secondary School.
Hosted by FCPS in collaboration with community partners, the conference highlights the power of partnerships in supporting student success. Families, educators, and community members are invited to connect, learn, and explore available special education services, supports, and resources.
The conference will feature an inspiring opening session, engaging breakout sessions, an exhibitor hall with local resources, and lunch for all participants.
Register for the conference and visit the Special Education Family Conference webpage for more information. Email SpecialEdFamilyConf@fcps.edu with any questions.
 Updates Dates
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Wed, Oct 21 PTA General Member Meeting: McNair Upper Cafeteria. Topic TBD.
Announcements
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Reflections
- PTA Arts Competition in Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, Visual Arts. This year's theme: "What My Culture Means to Me"
- Open to all grades Pre-K-12th Graders
- Register Reflections Sign-Up Link
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Virginia Science Olympiad Division A: Interest Form Now Open
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Virginia Science Olympiad Division B
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American Computer Science League (ACSL)
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Lego League
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Free School-Wide Parent Directory: Join our WhatsApp Family 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://chat.whatsapp.com/DpvCPUzYIhxB4EKaEnNfQB
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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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Volunteer Opportunities: We are running with a small, nimble team this year and need your help with events, welcoming new families, corporate partnerships, or flexible tasks you can do from home. Learn more here: https://mcnairespta.org/volunteer
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Questions/Ideas? Email board@mcnairespta.org or visit https://www.mcnairespta.org/home
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