In This Issue: | Important Upcoming DatesFebruary 5: Enrichment Class Registration Closes at 9:00 p.m.
February 6: Colonial Day Volunteer Interest Mtg, 4:15 p.m.
February 7: AAP Referral Deadline
February 13: PTA Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
February 14: Box Tops Contest Ends
February 14: Family Fun Valentine's Day Dance
February 17: School is Open; Make-Up for Jan. 2nd Snow Day
February 21: Colonial Day for 4th Graders
Snow Make Up DayThe first snow makeup day will be on Monday, February 17th, and it will be scheduled as a full day for elementary schools. This full day will help to ensure elementary schools reach the annual 990 hours of instruction required by the state.
This means that on Monday, February 17th, we will have school from 9:10 a.m. - 3:50 p.m.Enrichment Classes Registration for Mantua PTA's Spring Enrichment session is still open. Our courses will run for 10 weeks (February 24-May 15) and are taught by professional instructors with a passion for their curriculum. Registration will close on February 5th at 9:00 p.m. For more information or to register, please visit http://mantuapta.org/programs/enrichment.html. Email Shannon Murphy at shannon.murphy29@gmail.com with any questions.
Yearbook Photos Needed
Would you like to see your child in the yearbook? We are still collecting candid class pictures from parents and teachers to include on our class pages. We have to submit all class pages for printing by February 10th. Send your child’s class pictures to mantuayearbooks@gmail.com ASAP!
You can still order a yearbook for your child. Beginning on February 1st, the price of the yearbook increased to $30. Order your yearbook, at http://www.jostens.com/apps/shop/yrbk_catalog.asp?cid=238074&pfid=2013071004300304774!
Family Fun Dance
Join the Mantua PTA for a Family Fun Valentine's Day Dance on Friday, February 14th, 7:00-9:00 p.m. in the school cafeteria. Music will be provided by Everything Entertainment! There is no cost to attend.
Put on your dancing shoes and come with family and friends for a fun-filled evening. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Contact Kathleen DeCarlo at kdecarlo@verizon.net with any questions.
Mantua Spring Fling is Coming!!!
Save the Date! The Mantua Elementary School Spring Fling will be held this year on Saturday, March 29th (with a rain date of Sunday, March 30th) from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This is a new twist on the old carnival with huge inflatables, carnival amusements, food vendors, games, a silent auction, the jewelry PLUS sale, and a marketplace! In addition, the Silent Auction will be held during the Spring Fling, featuring all of the teacher-donated items. There will be something for everyone! So come on out, bring the whole family, have a good time and support your elementary school at the same time. For information on being a part of this FUNdraising event, contact merifarling@hotmail.com.
Jewelry PLUS Sale
As mentioned above, the annual Jewelry PLUS Sale will be held during the Spring Fling, and the PTA is seeking donations. If you have jewelry, arts and crafts supplies, candles, fancy soaps, entertaining items (i.e., wine charms), purses, photo frames, CDs, DVDs, books, bowls or platters, vases, and decorative items that you rarely use, please consider donating them to the sale. The donation box is in the library. Thank you!
Colonial Day Volunteer Interest Meeting
Colonial Day will be held on Friday, February 21st. We need parent volunteers to make the day a success for our 4th graders. Volunteers can help all day, part of the day, or by supplying donations. Please come to a short volunteer interest meeting on Thursday, February 6th at 4:15 p.m. in Ms. Warner's classroom (room 14.) Thank you!
Sixth Grade Party Chair Needed!
At the end of the school year, the 6th graders have a wonderful end of year party together following the Award Ceremony. The party has been done for many years, and there is an extensive notebook of details on food, entertainment, decorations, etc. The jobs are broken down so the entire party doesn't rest on one parent's shoulders; however, we do need one or two parents to co-chair this event. If you are interested in chairing the Sixth Grade End of Year Party, please contact Teresa at teresalemair@aol.com.
Box Tops Contest
The Spring Box Tops Contest is under way! Please send in your box tops through Friday, February 14th. Our goal is to raise $1,500.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.
The winning class will be announced early March.
A list of participating products can be found on: www.boxtops4education.com and www.labelsforeducation.com. Ask your neighbors, co-workers, and local businesses to help you collect. Note that we collect BOTH Box Tops & Labels for Education! If you have any questions, please contact Sandy Spector at sandy.spector@gmail.com.
Used Candles Needed for Colonial Day
Do you have any used candles that you'd like to get rid of? We're collecting all unwanted and used candles for a Colonial Day project. There will be a box in the front lobby if you'd like to contribute to our cause. Thank you!
First Annual Regional Science Fair for Elementary Students
Northern Virginia's First Annual Regional Science Fair for Elementary and Middle Schools will take place at George Mason University on Saturday, April 5th.Mantua has signed up to participate. Participation is open to students in grades 1-6, but the number of children who can be sent to the fair from each school is limited. In the likely event that the number of Mantua students who want to participate exceeds our quota, Mantua will hold its own judged science fair the week of March 10th to select the children who are sent on to the Regional Fair.
To find out more about these events, please read the information sheet, then sign up your child here if he/she is interested in participating. If you have any questions, please e-mail mantuasciencefair@gmail.com
AAP Referral Forms
Due to school closings and mail delays, the Advanced Academics Level IV Referral Forms are now due on Friday, February 7th for students in grades 2-6. Fairfax County Public Schools provides a continuum of gifted services for students. While some levels of these services are provided to all students, other students must be considered eligible through a school/district committee. If you wish to refer your child for consideration for these additional services, the deadline is Monday, February 3rd for submitting the form to the Mantua office. More information and a link to the referral form can be found at http://www.fcps.edu/is/aap/index.shtml. If you wish to have a paper copy of the referral, please contact the school office. Please submit any questions to Mantua’s Advanced Academics Resource Teacher, Eva Bousbouras. at Vaitsa.Bousbouras@fcps.edu.
Special Education Conference
The 9th Annual Special Education Conference: Parents Educators Students = Success will be held on Saturday, March 1st at Woodson High School from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The keynote presentation will be delivered by Ellen Galinsky, early childhood expert, president of Families and Work Institute and author of Mind in the Making. Ellen’s focus is on promoting life skills, based on Executive Functions of the brain. FCPS staff and guest speakers Ann Dolin, Cathi Cohen, Kirk Martin, Dr. David Black, Dr. Samantha Hollins, Joyce Sharp and Dr. Joyce Cooper-Kahn will also present a variety of workshops for families and educators of students who receive special education services in Fairfax County Public Schools.
Parents can register online http://www.fcps.edu/dss/conference/ or by phone at 703-204-3941.
• List of Conference workshops http://www.fcps.edu/dss/conference/2014/workshops.pdf
• Download the conference flier http://www.fcps.edu/dss/conference/2014/flier/ConferenceFlyer.pdf
Learn more about Ellen Galinsky http://www.mindinthemaking.org/meet_ellen_galinsky/.
Questions? Contact the Parent Resource Center at 703-204-3941.
FCAG Summer Enrichment Camp Fair
FCAG's annual Summer Enrichment Camp Fair will take place on Wednesday, February 12th, 7:30-9:00 p.m. in the Oakton High School Cafeteria. Representatives from a variety of summer camps will be on hand to discuss their offerings with families looking for activities for their children. This event is free and open to the public.
Costa Rica Trip with Ms. Warner
Do you want to be a part of an amazing experience this summer? Do you want to explore what makes our earth so special? If so, come join Ms. Warner on a Costa Rican adventure!
This summer, Ms. Warner will be leader of the fabulous Costa Rica Trip sponsored by Earth Explore, and she’s inviting all rising 5th, 6th, and 7th graders to join her! Earth Explore is a national program designed to offer 5th - 8th grade students the opportunity to explore their world through travel and hands-on discovery. This amazing trip is currently priced at $2,395 – which includes all meals, all lodging, all ground transportation, and all educational lessons/activities/guides (airfare cost TBD).
The group will leave in late June for travel to Costa Rica. Throughout the trip, students will have the opportunity to see rich landscape and wildlife of this country. You will explore Tortuguero National Park, raft the Rio Pejivalle River, watch a sea turtle lay eggs, visit a local school, go down a zip line in the jungle, hike in the Monteverde Cloud Forest, go on a horseback ride, and climb to a forest Sky Walk in the Santa Elena Cloud Forest. During many of these activities, you will view various wildlife species such as sloths, toucans, ocelot, and iguanas.
Please note that Ms. Warner is not doing this as a 4th grade teacher from Mantua but as someone who loves learning, enjoys being outdoors, and wants to have an adventure. This event is not sponsored by Fairfax County Public Schools or Mantua Elementary School. This is solely Ms. Warner working with Earth Explore to offer an incredible opportunity to students.
Please take some time to read the information from Earth Explore, visit their website (www.earthexplore.com), and consider this fantastic opportunity. If you want to hear more about the trip before (or after!) signing up, there will be an information session for anyone interested on Tuesday, February 25th in Mantua Elementary’s library at 7:00 p.m. If possible, please contact Ms. Warner to let her know if you will attend! You can email Ms. Warner at costaricajune2014@gmail.com. She would appreciate hearing from all of you – interested, thinking, or not interested – so she can get an idea of numbers of students who may join her for this 7-day Costa Rican adventure!
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! 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.
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