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Dear Mantua families,
We are thrilled to highlight our Lunch Bunches this week! Lunch bunches provide a variety of opportunities for students to connect in meaningful ways with staff members and other students in a quieter setting. They may include activities such as board games like chess or conversations with other students, including our military-connected lunch groups. This week, Ms. Smith, one of our 6th-grade teachers, hosted an ASL lunch bunch with over 30 students! Everyone is learning the ASL alphabet and some common signs. Lunch bunches promote inclusivity and creativity among students and staff. We also peeked into a Kindergarten classroom and caught them being creative with pumpkin faces!
For the upcoming week:
- We welcome families to join us for our first Mantua Family Workshop on October 26th at 9:30 AM
- Our Mantua Spirit Parade is this Friday, October 30 at 9:45 AM. Please reach out to your child’s teacher for information on this event!
- October 30 is also a two-hour early release for the end of the quarter. Dismissal is at 2:05 PM.
Enjoy the beautiful weekend weather!
Take good care,
Linda Shannon, Michele Maurer and Colleen Vaughan
October 30: End of the Quarter, 2 hour early release at 2:05 PM
Mantua Spirit Parade, details below
November 1: Daylight Savings Time ends, move clocks back one hour
November 2: School Planning Day, Student Holiday
November 3: Teacher Workday, Student Holiday
November 6 and 7: Mantua PTA Drama Club Performance
Friday 7:30 PM
Saturday 4PM and 7PM
November 6 to 13: Mantua PTA Book Fair, details below
November 18: Early Release Wednesday, dismissal at 1:05 PM
Mantua Family Workshop
At Mantua, we value our partnership with families and want to create opportunities for us to learn and grow together.
This year, we plan quarterly Family Workshops to help families learn more about our school, FCPS programs, and ways to support student success. We will offer workshops both in person and virtually, depending on the topic and family interest.
Our first Mantua Family Workshop topic is: Understanding Mantua’s School Improvement Plan (SIIP): Learn about Mantua’s school improvement goals, how we identify areas of growth, and how we work together to support student success.
Please complete the RSVP Here to let us know if you plan to attend our first Family Workshop. We will serve coffee and light refreshments.
Topic: Understanding Mantua’s School Improvement Plan (SIIP): Learn about Mantua’s school improvement goals, how we identify areas of growth, and how we work together to support student success
Date: October 26th, 2026
Time: 9:30 am - 10:30 am
Location: Mantua Elementary School
Link for the first part of the workshop: https://fcps.click/mantua - Password: fcps
Parent Preview Night - Accessing K-6 Family Life Education Materials (FLE)
K-6th grade classes will be participating in Family Life Education (FLE) lessons beginning in November. (Be on the lookout for communication from teachers regarding the specific dates).
For your convenience, the lessons and materials are available for families to view at your own pace on the All Parents/Guardians: Mantua Elementary School Schoology Course. Detailed instructions on how to access these materials can be found HERE.
Additionally, the Woodson Pyramid will be hosting a Virtual Parent Preview Night for FLE on Wednesday, October 21 from 5:30-6:00PM. This event provides an opportunity to ask questions and receive assistance in accessing the materials virtually.
Join us using this link: https://myfcpsk12.zoom.us/j/93938963976?pwd=IHjKylFG1cXWapiZ25LcSruyS2l9Ba.1
We invite you also to learn more about Fairfax County's elementary FLE program on the FCPS website.
Please reach out to Michele Maurer (Mantua FLE administrator at mkmaurer@fcps.edu or Karent Bruining, FLE lead teacher at kjbruining@fcps.edu with any questions.
Mantua Book Fair
Head on over to the Mantua PTA Book Fair where you’ll find that reading really is groovy! The Book Fair will run from November 5 through 13, with November 5 as a student preview day. Please note our hours, which will run alongside the PTA Drama Club performance of Willy Wonka! This gives families the opportunity to catch a great performance AND find a great book!
Mantua Food Drive
The Kids’ Care Club will be sponsoring the annual Mantua fall food drive, which will run from November 4 to December 11. The food drive helps replenish the supplies needed for distribution to families during upcoming school breaks and into the new year. There are several ways that you can participate, please see the information in the flyer below. You may also reach out to Ms. Incer at mrincernunez@fcps.edu if you have any questions. Thank you for your support of our community!
Federal Impact Aid Survey
FCPS is asking all families to fill out a Federal Impact Aid Survey. The form is available in SIS ParentVUE under Online Packets, which is in the upper right corner of the screen after logging in. Please complete it as soon as possible. Schools will provide paper forms to families who have not completed the survey in ParentVUE starting Wednesday, October 28.
Completing this form for each school-aged child in every household is how we ensure we receive all the resources available to us from the federal government. For more information, please visit the Federal Impact Aid Survey page.
Register for ParentVUE
Learn how to activate your SISParentVUE account so you can easily submit your survey and have access to other helpful information about your child.
Mantua Spirit Parade
The school-wide Spirit Parade will occur from 9:45 to 10:45 AM on October 30 on the track. Students are welcome to wear costumes for the parade. Costumes must be school-appropriate, allow for safe movement, and should not include full face masks or any toy weapons. We appreciate your help in keeping our event fun and safe. Please reach out to your child's teacher for more information and to ask any questions.
Woodson Homecoming Parade
Please join us for this year's Woodson Homecoming Parade on Friday, October 23rd at 4:30 PM. We've included a map of the parade route below. The parade begins on Picket Rd., toward Starlit Ponds Dr., right on Pickstone Dr., left on Weirch Rd., right on Olley Ln., right on Chestnut Knolls, left on Tartan View Dr., right on Jan View Ln., left on Pickett Rd., right on Nutwood Way, left on Spode Ct., right on Baccarat Dr., right on Whitacre Rd., and ends at the Woodson Stadium.
Outstanding Employee Awards
Nominations are now open for the 2026 Outstanding Employee Awards! You can submit a nomination for a Mantua ES Outstanding Employee in one of the categories below.
- Outstanding Teacher
- Outstanding New Teacher
- Outstanding Principal
- Outstanding Professional Staff Leader
- Outstanding Educational Services Employee
- Outstanding Operational Services Employee
The Google Form link below includes more information on the criteria and eligibility requirements for each award. All that is required for a preliminary nomination is a paragraph or two about how this employee demonstrates exceptional work in the criteria for that category. You may nominate one employee at our school or multiple employees (one individual may only nominate one employee per category). All responses will be kept confidential.
If you have any questions, please contact Susan Song at sssong@fcps.edu
Mantua Staff Nomination Form
Superintendent Community Conversations
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:
Registration is not required, but it helps with planning.
FCPS News ICYMI
- In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- Literacy Resources
- Return Your Impact Aid Survey
- Download the New ParentVUE App
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
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
Jen Howard, Advanced Academics Resource Teacher, jhoward1@fcps.edu
Maria Regina Incer, Family Liaison, mrincernunez@fcps.edu
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