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Dear Mantua families,
It brings us such joy to walk the halls and to hear students engaging in meaningful learning. This week we looked at the life and contributions of Martin Luther King, Jr., in advance of the upcoming holiday. We also caught a 5th grade class making a Thank You quilt for our hardworking substitute teachers!
For the week ahead:
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The Mantua PTA has rescheduled their January meeting to take place on January 20th at 5:30pm. This meeting is in-person as well as Zoom. All are invited to attend!
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Rising 7th grade students and families that will attend Frost MS are invited to attend a virtual Curriculum Night on January 21st. You can find information and a link here.
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Kindly note that schools will be closed on Monday, January 19 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. School will resume on Tuesday, January 20th. We hope you enjoy the long weekend!
Take good care,
Ms. Shannon, Mrs. Vaughan, Ms. Maurer
January 19: Martin Luther King. Jr. Birthday, staff and student holiday, schools closed
January 20: PTA Meeting 5:30 PM, Mantua Library (note date change)
January 21: Frost Curriculum Night, 6:30pm (virtual)
January 22: Strings Winter Concert in the Gym
4th grade 5:45 pm
5th and 6th grade 7pm
January 28: End of 2nd Quarter, 2-Hour Early Release, 2:05 PM
January 29 & 30: Student Holidays / Teacher Workdays
February 16: Washington’s Birthday and Presidents’ Day, staff and student holiday, schools closed
February 17: Teacher Workday, Student Holiday
February 18: Limited Early Release Wednesday, Dismissal 1:30 PM
February 25 to March 4: Book Fair, more details to come!
February 26: Family Engagement Night, 6 to 7:30 PM
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. This coming week's featured staff members are from our 4th-grade team: Ms. Hardesty, Ms. Lemke, Ms. Price, Ms. Parobek and Mr. Fowlkes.
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!
Woodson Area Chorus Opportunity
We have an upcoming opportunity available for Mantua students: Frost Middle School chorus teacher, Ms. Lee, is hosting the Woodson Area Chorus in February with a performance in March. If your student likes to sing, please look at the attachment for sign up information and complete the form. https://forms.gle/hx25sprBFf45DfpC7
They do not need to be enrolled in chorus at this time to participate. Please check it out! Questions need to be directed to Meredith Lee at Frost MS. malee1@fcps.edu
Understanding Our Early Release Schedules
To help families plan ahead for the remainder of the school year, we want to clarify the two different types of early release days on our calendar. While both involve students leaving earlier than usual, the dismissal times and supervision availability differ significantly.
Please review the breakdown below to ensure your student's transportation and childcare arrangements are in place.
End-of-Quarter Early Release Days
These days occur at the conclusion of each academic quarter. There is no afternoon student supervision provided on these dates. All students must be picked up or board their buses promptly at the dismissal time.
- Dismissal Time: 2:05 PM
- Supervision: NONE. All students are dismissed simultaneously.
- Upcoming Dates:
- Wednesday, January 28th
- Friday, March 27th
- Wednesday, June 17th (Last day of school)
Professional Development (PD) Early Release Wednesdays
These scheduled Wednesdays allow our staff to engage in essential professional learning. Because these dismissals are earlier in the day, we offer a limited supervision program for families in critical need of childcare.
- Dismissal Time: 1:05 PM
- Supervision: LIMITED. Available only for families with pre-arranged critical need.
- Upcoming Dates:
- February 18th
- March 18th
- April 22nd
- May 13th
When Should Your Child Stay Home?
Help your student succeed in school by encouraging them to miss as few days as possible. However, do make sure your student stays home if they are sick. Visit the FCPS website for helpful insights regarding absences and how to work with your child and our school to minimize impacts on learning.
If your child has a chronic illness, make sure to let us know so we can provide assistance, if needed.
Healthy Habits to Reduce the Spread of Flu and Other Germs
Fairfax County is seeing very high levels of influenza (flu) illness. Visits to emergency departments and urgent care centers for flu-like illness have increased, especially among children, and multiple flu outbreaks have occurred in our community and school settings.
Consider these tips from the Fairfax County Health Department to help reduce the spread of flu and other germs.
Meal Accommodations Provide Safe, Nutritious Meals
FCPS’s Office of Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) works to ensure every student has access to school meals that are safe, nutritious, and meet their individual dietary needs.
FNS works closely with families to provide reasonable meal accommodations for students whose medical needs affect what they can eat at school. To support students appropriately and safely, families are asked to submit medical documentation to FNS from a U.S. licensed health care provider so we can tailor meals to each child’s needs.
Learn more about the documentation required and the steps to develop a menu for your child.
Enhancing Safety and Security for Staff and Students
School safety and security are being enhanced across FCPS with a new emergency management system. The system includes sensors installed in schools and a wearable emergency response button (ERB) for staff.
The button allows staff to quickly and discreetly request help and, once pressed, they provide location information within the school. The ERB will only work on school grounds and does not rely on cellular service. It is not meant to replace calling 911, but is an additional safety tool that can be used if calling 911 may not be safe or practical.
Learn more about the emergency management system. You may submit questions to the FCPS Chief of Safety and Security Office
Strategies for Better Sleep
Sleep is essential to good health, and getting enough sleep has big benefits to your physical and mental health and well-being. Sleep is restorative, allowing your body time to recover and repair.
This is true for your child, too. In fact, adequate sleep in children supports healthy brain development, learning, and memory consolidation, as well as their mood. And it is important for a strong immune system and the prevention of infections. Read about how much sleep a person needs and get some sleep strategies you can use with your family.
Immunization Events for FCPS Students
FCPS, in partnership with Inspire Health Alliance, will provide school-required immunizations and optional flu shots for all FCPS students with no out-of-pocket costs. Multiple events will take place at designated FCPS locations. Additional dates will be available throughout the school year.
Parents or guardians may view upcoming events and schedule an appointment for their student. Participation is voluntary. View immunization resources on the FCPS website.
FCPS News In Case You Missed It
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- Superintendent Updates on Boundaries and AI
- Healthy Habits to Avoid Illness
- Access Schoology to Support Your Child
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
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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