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Hello MUES Families,
I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our Mustangs and families who were able to attend yesterday's Open House! It was wonderful to welcome you into our school, connect with families, and give students the opportunity to meet their teachers and begin building excitement for the new school year, which kicks off on Monday!
On Monday, we will open our school doors at 8:35 AM to welcome students back to school. Families are welcome to walk their Mustang to class on the first day of school. When the bell rings at 8:45 AM to begin the school day, we will ask that you say goodbye and wish your Mustang a wonderful first day of school before leaving.
As you help your Mustang prepare to go back to school, here are a few helpful tips to consider:
- Get back into a school routine by going to bed and waking up at consistent times.
- Read a book or spend time practicing important skills to get your brain ready for learning.
- Organize your school supplies, backpack, and clothes before the first day.
- Talk with your family about any questions or feelings you have about returning to school.
- Set a positive goal for the new school year and think about something you are excited to learn or try.
- Remember to bring a positive attitude, be kind, and get ready to make new memories!
We are looking forward to a fantastic year of learning, growth, and success together! Have a nice weekend!
Your Proud Principal,
Mrs. Goddin
MMGoddin@fcps.edu
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- August 24th: First Day of School!
- August 28th: McNair's 25 Years of Excellence Celebration: 5:30-7:30 PM/McNair Elementary School
- September 3rd: Back to School Night
- Session #1: 5:30-6:15 PM
- Session #2: 6:15-7:00 PM
- September 4th & September 7th: Labor Day Break; school closed
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 Below are some new announcements and updates for you to read through.
 Save the Date, Mustang Community!
Join us on Friday, August 28th from 5:30 PM -7:30 PM to celebrate 25 Years of Excellence at McNair Elementary!
We will kick off the evening with a special anniversary ceremony, followed by a variety of fun activities for all ages. Come reconnect with friends, celebrate our shared journey, and honor the wonderful memories we’ve created together over the years. Stay tuned as more exciting details are coming soon!
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) provides a comprehensive, sequential Family Life Education (FLE) program for students in grades kindergarten through grade twelve. Instruction is seen as a partnership among parents and guardians, the school, and the community in supporting the learning essential to the development of strong families, positive relationships, and a healthy community.
Parents/guardians may choose to opt their child out of all or part of the Family Life Education program. Students who are opted out are provided with age-appropriate, nonpunitive alternative health instruction, and every effort is made to foster respect for family choices. If you wish to opt your child out of all or part of FLE for this school year, opt out forms will be included in your child’s back-to-school/orientation packets and are available online for Elementary (K-6) Please fill in the opt-out form and return it to your child’s school prior to Family Life Education instruction.
Detailed grade-level program descriptions are available online at Elementary (K-6) . FLE grade level-specific lessons and media that FCPS has streaming rights for are available for parents online in Schoology. Parents/guardians login to Schoology using the same username and password as their Student Information System (SIS) Parent account. Grade level-specific lessons are also available at the City of Fairfax Regional Library (this location does not have media). Grade level-specific lessons and media that is not streamed online are available for review at your child’s school library. Due to copyright permissions, we are unable to stream all media online. You are invited to attend an evening opportunity to preview the Family Life Education media and lessons and to talk with school staff about the program. The meeting will be held on Thursday, September 3rd at 4:30pm in the library. All program materials and media for all grade levels will be available for your review at this time.
Program questions may be addressed at your child’s school or by contacting Instructional Services at 571-423-4550 or fle@fcps.edu.
 Join us on Sunday, September 20th, for the Asha-Jyothi 18th Annual 5K & 1-Mile Fun Run at Fairfax Corner! How to Support McNair Upper:
Register here
Use coupon code AJ4SCHOOLS at checkout.
Using this code sends a direct donation straight to our school.
 Below are some friendly reminders for you to read through.
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!
☑️ Be First-Day Ready!
The first day of school, Monday, August 24, is just around the corner! Check out these back-to-school tips to make sure your child gets off to a great start.
Also find out what will be new this school year.
☑️ Sign Up for SIS ParentVUE
Access your student’s attendance records, grades, and assignments at any time with SIS ParentVUE. Contact our main office at (571) 982-1700 if you need an activation code. Find out more about SIS ParentVUE. Also, download the new ParentVUE mobile app so you can access your child’s records easily from anywhere!
☑️ 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.
Understanding Student Rights and Responsibilities Updates: New Universal Grade Matrices for Families
Families are encouraged to review the updated FCPS Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) document, which explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses in order to enhance school safety and to create a fair, equitable, and supportive school environment.
Updates for the 2026-27 school year include new Universal Grade Matrices (UGMs). UGMs are charts that show behavior expectations and school responses by grade level (K-3, 4-8, and 9-12). These at-a-glance resources (in Appendix D of the SR&R) are designed to make it easier for parents and caregivers to understand how schools respond to different types of behavior concerns.
Personal Electronic Devices Update
On July 16, 2026, the Fairfax County School Board passed Main Motion #6 regarding student use of personal electronic communication and computing devices during the instructional day.
Under the new requirement, students may not use personal electronic communication or computing devices, including personal laptops, tablets, smartwatches, smartphones, and similar devices, during the instructional day. Students must use FCPS-issued devices for school-related digital activities.
The requirement includes the following exceptions:
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Students may use a non-FCPS-issued personal device when the use of that device is explicitly required or permitted as a necessary accommodation in the student’s Individualized Education Program or Section 504 Plan.
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A principal or the principal’s designee may approve a limited, course-specific exception for a student enrolled in a specialized class when the curriculum requires a technology tool or software application that is not available on a standard FCPS-issued device.
Visit the SR&R webpage for more information and to review additional updates to the SR&R for the 2026-27 school year.
A new Schoology Study and Support Hub is available for students in Schoology. This space was developed by the FCPS Educational Technology Team with input from students. It is designed to provide essential study tools and academic support resources directly to our learners.
Students can log in to Schoology and read their Schoology announcements or watch this video on the support hub for more information.
You can access school supply lists for all of our grade levels by visiting our school's website at: https://mcnairupperes.fcps.edu/.
Please scroll down to the middle section until you see the icon titled, School Supply Lists 26-27.
This fall, every FCPS student will receive a student identification (ID) card as part of a division-wide effort to modernize school transportation, improve communication with families, and strengthen student safety while traveling to and from school.
Every student who rides the school bus will need to tap on and tap off the bus every day using their new student ID card. Families can help by reinforcing this new habit with their child.
All students at our school will need to wear their student ID cards throughout the school day. We will be handing out the new student ID cards the first few weeks of school. More details will be shared soon.
Learn more about the new transportation system and student ID cards.
FCPS will continue with limited early release Wednesdays for elementary schools during the 2026-27 school year. The number of days has been reduced from eight to four.
Early release Wednesdays provide elementary teachers with a dedicated block of time to prepare lessons, participate in professional development and training, and collaborate with their peers. A well-supported and continuously improving teaching staff leads to better educational outcomes for students.
Please view the dates for McNair Upper's early release Wednesdays below:
- October 21st
- December 2nd
- February 10th
- May 5th
Visit the FCPS website for more information about early release Wednesdays.
 McNair ES PTA Updates & Back-to-School Announcements
- Please click on the link below to find out how you can become a member of the McNair PTA and what your membership does for our school community:
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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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