Restaurant Night
Mantua PTA will host a family fun restaurant night on Thursday, October 3rd, 5:00-9:00 p.m. at Noodles & Company on Strawberry Lane in the new Merrifield Mosaic District. Come dine in or carry out, and Noodles & Company will donate 25% of the evening's proceeds to Mantua's PTA. All Mantua families will receive a Noodles & Company Dining for Dollars flyer in their Tuesday folders. Please present the flyer at the time of purchase so that the PTA will receive credit. This event always is a fun Mantua family night out and helps raise money to support various school activities. Contact Kathleen DeCarlo at kdecarlo@verizon.net with any questions. Buon appetito!


Are You Ready to Run for Rocky?
We are off to a great start with our fall fundraiser! Run for Rocky is a fun and healthy way to raise money and build community spirit! 100% of the funds raised from this event will benefit our students and school families by helping to fund programs, field trips, technology, teacher training and much more! For general information about the event, go to  http://www.mantuapta.org/documents/run4rocky.pdf. You can find registration information and forms at http://www.mantuapta.org/documents/run4rockyreg.pdf.

Get friends and family to help you reach your fundraising goals by sharing this link!  https://www.memberplanet.com/s/mantuaelementaryschoolpta/run4rockydonor.

We'll be raffling off the first MP3 player this Friday morning on GMM!  You could be the lucky winner if you've raised at least $50 in donations and turned then in by Thursday, October 3rd! If you have any questions, please contact merifarling@hotmail.com.


The Run for Rocky Needs Your HELP!
Please help with Run for Rocky 2013. Here's how it works in 3 easy steps:

1. Click this link to go to our invitation page on VolunteerSpot: http://vols.pt/RSZCFp.
2. Enter your email address. You will NOT need to register an account on VolunteerSpot.
3. Sign up! Choose your spots - VolunteerSpot will send you an automated confirmation and reminders. Easy!

Note: VolunteerSpot does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact Meri Farling at merifarling@hotmail.com to sign up.

Let the Academic Games Begin!
Thank you to everyone who came to the September 30th meeting to learn more about the variety of academic competitions that are available for student involvement. If you were unable to attend but think you are interested, please contact Lesley Kowalski at kowalskifamily4@verizon.net. It is now time to work on forming teams. Lesley will do her best to help, but it is up to those interested in participating to work on forming their own teams. Remember, once a team manager is designated, the team leader needs to contact Lesley by November 1st with the following information: the program you are participating in, the names of the students on the team, your meeting requested dates, and if you would like to meet at Mantua ES.
 
ATTENTION 6th Graders Only: Details on Math Counts, a middle school level team math competition, will be available soon - stay tuned for more information.


Join MemberPlanet
... and save the world as well as your sanity - one piece of paper at a time! MP allows us to share important forms, waivers, and sign-ups electronically, which you can sign and submit using any computer or smart device without ever leaving your favorite chair. Can't find your invitation? Email Paige Rushing at PaigeRushing@gmail.com for another one.


Online Back to School Packet
Linked below is our back-to-school packet, oozing with fun and important stuff like an activity-wide permission slip, a directory release, fall enrichment information, and so much more. We're affectionately calling this packet: "Business in the Front."

1. Log into MemberPlanet if you have an account (if you don't you can still fill the form out, but your known information won't auto-populate)

2. Click this link:
memberplanet.com/packetview/mantuaelementaryschoolpta/welcomebacktoschoolmantua 

Register Now for Mantua Basketball!
All Mantua students in 3rd-6th are eligible to register for the PTA basketball league. Registration: $60 for PTA members, $65 for nonmembers. Registrations cannot be accepted after Friday, October 11th. Find more information at the Mantua Basketball website at http://www.mantuabasketball.org. Contact Dan Lash at commissioner@mantuabasketball.org with any questions.


Kids Care Club
Mantua's Kids Care Club was established in 1997 as part of the nationwide Kids Care Club. The mission of the Mantua Kids Care Club is to help those less fortunate and encourage Mantua students to participate in community service activities. The Kids Care Club is open to all children in Kindergarten-6th grade and is run by parent volunteers. We meet after school on the third Thursday of the month in the upper pod from 4:00-4:45 p.m.

The first meeting is planned for Thursday, October 17th. All are welcome!

Following are examples of this year's planned activities:

• Raking leaves for senior citizens in the Mantua neighborhood
• Assisting with the annual Roberta Romano "Raccoon Run" 5K fundraiser for Life With Cancer
• Organizing various donation collection boxes throughout the year
   

To sign up, please use the following link to MemberPlanet: https://memberplanet.com/packetview/mantuaelementaryschoolpta/registrationptaclassesclubs. If you have any questions, please contact Amy Smith at ndbames@gmail.com or 703-383-5808. Amy is looking for 1-2 parent volunteers to assist with each meeting.

Advertise in the Mantua Directory
If you or your business would like to advertise in the PTA Student Directory, please go to memberplanet.com/packetview/mantuaelementaryschoolpta/busads  or contact monika.brenner@dhs.gov for a form. Ad fees help us cover the cost of printing the directory and start at $45. Know a business that may be interested? Please pass along their info to Monika and she'll reach out to them! Note: if there were errors in your family's entry in last year's directory, please bring them to Monika's attention.


FLEX Update!

• German has been updated to allow 2nd graders to enroll.
• The deadline to register for FLEX classes is October 4th.
• Several classes are in danger of being canceled due to low enrollment. Encourage your friends to register!

Please sign up at https://memberplanet.com/s/mantuaelementaryschoolpta/registrationptaclassesclubs. The deadline is Friday, October 4th. If you need assistance or require a paper registration, please e-mail Jennifer Rade at radejk@gmail.com. Classes will begin the week of October 14th and continue for 15 weeks. You will receive a class confirmation notice and room assignment one week before classes begin. Tuition is $199.

CLASS       COURSE     SECTION #      DAY / TIME        GRADES
German 1    FP06115          0002                  Thurs 8-9am                  2-6
Spanish 1    FP08115          0001                   Fri 8-9am                       1-3
Spanish 1    FP08115          0002                  Tues 8-9am                    4-6
Chinese 1   FP04115          0001                    Thurs 4-5pm                  K-3
Chinese 3* FP07704        0001                     Fri 4-5pm                       1-6
*This course is for native speakers or children who have completed a Level 2 Flex Chinese course.


Spirit Wear
New spirit wear for the 2013-14 school year is now on sale! Please return order forms with payment to the PTA mailbox by Friday, October 11th and allow three weeks for delivery. Contact Kathleen DeCarlo at kdecarlo@verizon.net with any questions. Show your school spirit and order something today!

 
Box Tops Contest
The Fall Box Tops Contest is under way! Please send in your box tops through Friday, October 18th. Send in Box Tops and Labels for Education labels in a plastic zip bag with your teacher's name and grade on it. Labels should be dropped in the collection box by the front office. Please do not send in expired labels. A special prize will be awarded for the class bringing in the most labels. Please contact Sandy Spector at sandy.spector@gmail.com with any questions.


Reflections 2013!
It's time to Dream, Believe and Inspire! If you want to showcase your talent in the areas of dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography and visual arts, then the PTA Arts Reflections program is for you! Take some time to reflect on the theme - "Dream.  Believe.  Inspire" - then let your creative juices flow! All entries must be submitted to the PTA mail room no later than November 1st. To obtain an entry form  and participation rules visit the Mantua PTA website. If you have additional questions, please contact Lori Prendergast at loripren@yahoo.com.


Counselor's Corner
Mantua will celebrate Red Ribbon Week October 28 - November 1 with a Spirit Week  to reinforce the theme “A Healthy Me is Drug Free.”
 

 
International Walk to School Day: For the third consecutive year, students in Fairfax County Public Schools will join together to participate in International Walk to School Day on Wednesday, October 9. The day is celebrated as a way to promote physical activity while reducing traffic congestion and pollution near schools. All students are encouraged to walk or bike to school where safe to do so or walk to their bus stops on October 9. Parents are encouraged to accompany their children to school.
 
FPY Bullying and Violence Prevention Symposium (FREE)
Violence by and among youth is caused by a complex array of factors. To understand why youth can be aggressive, we must delve deeper into the social and environmental factors that influence their behavior, and commit to giving youth practical skills to understand and manage their own emotions and behavior.   Keynote Speaker: Dr. Michael Southam-Gerow, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at VCU, and author of Emotion Regulation in Children and Adolescents, will present research on emotional regulation difficulties and evidence-based therapies.
When: Wednesday, November 13th, 8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Where: Fairfax Community Church, 11451 Braddock Rd.
Registration opens soon.
 
Introduction to Special Education – An Orientation for Parents NEW to the Process will be held on Wednesday, October 2, from 10 am – noon at Dunn Loring Center for Parent Services. Join the Parent Resource Center Liaisons for this orientation to learn about and understand the basics of the special education process, access resources, and get questions answered. This orientation is most beneficial to parents with children in the referral or eligibility phase, who want to know about the special education process, or who have children new to special education. Register online: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/introductiontospecialedOCT
 
FCPS Parent Resource Center hosts many events, workshops, and activities: http://www.fcps.edu/cco/prc/resources/events/index.shtml.


Join Cub Scouts Pack 1533
Looking for a great activity for boys and their families in grades 1-5? Cub Scout Pack 1533 wants you to join the fun. Come to the Join Scouting Night at Mantua Pool Clubhouse on Saturday, October 6, 4:00-5:30 p.m. Our family Fall campout will be October 19-20. Meanwhile, check out our website to see some of our exciting programming for the year:  http://tinyurl.com/Pack1533. Any questions, contact Rich Harrington at rich@patriot.net or Didem Turker at didemturker@hotmail.com.


Advanced Academic Programs Parent Conference
This conference will be held on Saturday, October 26th at West Springfield High School. The time of the conference is 8:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The topics covered will include Levels of AAP Services, Identification, Creative & Critical Thinking Lessons, Parent Forum, and more.


Translators
Translators comprise another vital part of our outreach efforts. We want every Mantua ES family to feel included and connected—should families need to have a document translated into their native language, our volunteers are here to help!
 

• للحصول على نسخة مترجمة للغة العربية، نرجو الإتصال بالأخت بدرية كفالة على هذا الإيميل: bkafala@gmail.com. If you need to have a document translated into Arabic, please emailbkafala@gmail.com.
• 如果你需要把文件翻译成中文，请联系冯敏。她的电子邮件是mmfeng@hotmail.com。If you need to have a document translated into Chinese, please emailMin Feng.
• Если вам необходимо перевести документ на русский язык, пожалуйста обращайтесь к Анне Жердецкой или Виктору Жердецкому по электронной почте: hannaz74@gmail.com или ViktarZ@gmail.com. If you need to have a document translated into Russian, please contact Hanna Zhardzetskaya and Viktar Zhardzetski.
• Para obtener una copia en Espanol favor de contactar a Ana Castelan. If you need to have a document translated into Spanish, please email Ana Castelan.
• We are still looking for Korean and Vietnamese translators for 2013-14.

Email Shoshi Kalderon at shoshi.kalderon@yahoo.com if you have any questions about or would like to volunteer as an ambassador or translator with Mantua ES’s Community Building Network.