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Dear Mantua families,
With the heavy rains came a power outage that affected a large portion of the Mantua community yesterday morning, including the school! Our students did an amazing job of listening, asking good questions, and following directions as we navigated school for a few hours with only generators. It was incredibly encouraging to walk the halls and see students in focused learning. While these types of situations aren’t typical, we are thankful for a fantastic staff and student body that can remain calm, safe, and flexible as we move through our day.
We are very busy preparing for the Mantua PTA Book Fair and Mantua Family Engagement Night! We welcome all families to these very special events–we’re excited to share activities for families to engage in together! The PTA will have food for purchase at both of these extended hours events. Please see more detailed information below.
For the coming week:
- The Mantua PTA Read-a-Thon begins Monday, February 23rd! Start logging those minutes for fun prizes. Remember that ANY reading counts, both at home and at school!
- Family Engagement Night, February 26th, from 6 to 7:30pm. Lots of games and activities for the whole family!
- Book Fair extended hours, February 28th, 10am to 1pm. Come find a favorite book to enjoy together!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Take good care,
Ms. Shannon, Mrs. Vaughan, Ms. Maurer
 Happy Lunar New Year to those who celebrate! Our art classes created this beautiful mural to celebrate the Year of the Horse, a year of speed, bravery, passion and independence.
February 25 to March 4: Mantua Book Fair
February 26: Family Engagement Night, 6 to 7:30 PM, Book Fair opens at 5:30pm
February 28: Book Fair open 10 AM to 1 PM
March 3: Photo Day, Classroom and Group Photos
March 18: Limited Early Release Wednesday, Dismissal 1:05 PM
March 20: Student Holiday, Nowruz
March 30-April 3: Student Holiday, Spring Break
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 our 2nd-grade teachers: Ms. Kang, Ms. Kaplan, and Ms. Theodore.
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!
Save the Date! Mantua Family Culture Night
You’re invited to join us for Family Culture Night on April 15th from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm! You can host a table or just come take a walk around the world.
Family Culture night (Formerly “Heritage Night”) is a wonderful time to celebrate Mantua’s many cultures and their unique background!
Here are some ideas:
- The culture of your home country.
- The culture of the country, or countries, of your ancestral heritage or that you have lived in or visited.
- The culture of a city or state in the U.S. where you have lived or visited.
- Your family’s traditions and celebrations.
- Any culture to which you feel connected!
Sign up for a table: If you would like to share about your family’s culture by hosting a table, please fill out the Google form or the paper form that was sent home in Tuesday Folders on February 10, 2026.
If you have any questions or problems with the form, please contact mrincernunez@fcps.edu
Learn About Kindergarten at Mantua
We recognize that parents are their children’s first teachers. Resources on the School Readiness and Transition to Kindergarten webpage provide parents with ways to support their children to help ensure a smooth transition to kindergarten.
There’s also an easy-to-follow five-step process outlined for registering your child for kindergarten. Register your child today!Contact our registrar, Mergie Kakouris, at 703-645-6300 with any questions.
New FCPS Visitor Management System at Mantua
We are excited to announce that our school is now using the new Raptor Visitor Management System (VMS). This upgrade is part of our school’s and FCPS’ ongoing commitment to enhancing school safety and streamlining the process for visitors at our school. The VMS ensures that no visitor is on the sex offender registry.
For most visitors, the user experience will be the same when you check in at the front office.
But now there is also an app, which can make check-ins even faster at school. Visitors who choose to download the RaptorSafe App and create a Raptor Passport can pre-verify their information before they get to school. The app will give you a QR code you can use when you check in at school.
If you have questions or need assistance with the new system, please contact our front office. Thank you for your partnership in keeping our schools safe!
Black History Month Celebration
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Families and community members are invited to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and uplift the voices shaping our future at FCPS’ Second Annual Black History Month Celebration. Rooted in Resilience: Echoes of Excellence will take place on Wednesday, February 25, at 6 p.m., at Carter G. Woodson High School.
The event will honor the rich history, strength, and contributions of the Black community through inspiring student performances and a powerful keynote address by Rev. Vernon C. Walton, pastor of First Baptist Church of Vienna. Light refreshments will be available.
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Just Keep Swimming to Woodson Drama's Finding Nemo!
Dive into an ocean of adventure as Woodson High School Drama brings the reef to life!
Get ready to swim alongside Marlin, Dory, and the whole tank gang as they embark on an unforgettable journey across the ocean! Join us for a splash-tacular production of Finding Nemo where friendship, courage, and a father's love prove that no ocean is too big when family is on the line.
Catch the Current – Performance Schedule:
- Friday, February 27 at 7:00 PM
- Saturday, February 28 at 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM
Location: Frost Middle School (not Woodson)
Tickets: Performances are FREE for students! Grab your tickets before they float away: https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/15608/woodson-high-school-theatre
Whether you're a fish-loving kid or just young at heart, this is one adventure you won't want to miss! Support our talented performers and remember: Fish are friends, not food... but this show is a FEAST for the eyes!
FCPS Middle School Transition Fair
You are invited to FCPS’ Middle School Transition Fair, an evening for families of elementary and middle school students receiving special education services to learn about planning for the future.
At this event, families can meet Career and Transition Services (CTS) representatives and other support staff, learn about postsecondary education, employment, and community supports, and hear from a student and parent panel sharing real transition experiences.
The fair will be held on Wednesday, March 4, 2025, from 6:30 to 8:30pm at Luther Jackson Middle School. Language support will be available.
This is a great opportunity to ask questions, connect with resources, and feel more confident about your child’s next steps. Please see this link to register. We hope to see you there!
 Woodson Mulch Sale
The annual Woodson Mulch Sale has arrived! Freshen up your flower beds and support the Woodson High School Leadership and Sports Leadership Classes at the same time. The Leadership Classes are once again offering high-quality shredded hardwood mulch for purchase. Orders for 3-cubic foot bags of mulch must be received by Thursday, March 5, for pick-up at Woodson or delivery to your home on Sunday, March 15. When placing an order for 10 or more bags, delivery is an option. All mulch will be delivered on Sunday, March 15, beginning at 8:30 AM. The proceeds benefit the Woodson High School Leadership and Sports Leadership Classes and support their activities. For more details or for an order form, please check out our website.
This year you can also order and pay on-line at MySchoolBucks. Need more info? Send an email to DJSchaefer@fcps.edu.
Prepare for Summer Learning and Fun for Students
Registration is open or will be available soon for summer camps and learning opportunities offered by Fairfax County Public Schools for all students.
Career and Technical Education and Institute for the Arts Camps
Career and Technical Education camps and Institute for the Arts camps will be held in July at Robinson Secondary School from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bus transportation will be available from select FCPS middle and high schools. Tuition assistance is available to FCPS families eligible for free or reduced meals.
Tech Adventure Camp (TAC) is a week-long exploratory camp that allows current K-5 students to explore STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math), culinary, health, trades, and business and marketing areas. Watch this video about CTE camps. Registration is open through Friday, June 5.
Elementary Institute for the Arts (E-IFTA) is a weekly fine and performing arts camp for students in grades K-5 who love to sing, dance, act, perform, make, and create. Students attend four daily classes in dance, music, theater, and visual arts and work with experienced educators who create engaging, fun classes.
New this year: Students in the above camps can also register for aftercare, which is available from 2 to 5 p.m.
Woodson FanQuest
FanQuest is a time for students on our Unified team to shine on center court with tons of fans in the stands, cheering them on, and admiring their athleticism. The event will consist of a tailgate in the auxiliary gym, and halls surrounding our gymnasium, a game against another school’s Unified basketball team, entertainment during the game, and an awards ceremony at the end. The tailgate is a great community-oriented event with a moon bounce, tailgate activities hosted by our school clubs, concessions, merchandise, and more! The night will consist of a Unified game of Special Olympic athletes and their same-aged peers playing alongside of one another. During the game, there will be breaks for "TV time-outs", such as performances, crowd interaction, games, and fun chances to win prizes.
Special Olympics is still gaining momentum in high schools across America and is not recognized as an official school sport. Additionally, these sports are not funded by our school system, nor do we have boosters’ representatives the same way as other Varsity Sports do. Because of this, we, as coaches and teachers, are solely responsible for finding the funds to run this tournament.
We will be hosting several fundraising events for FanQuest this year, including a Spirit Event at HoneyGrow in Fair City Mall on March 4, 2026 from 10:30 am-10:00 pm. All proceeds and donations raised for FanQuest will go towards supporting Woodson's Special Olympics Unified teams, Woodson's Adapted Curriculum Department, and Woodson Buddies Club. I will share more information about the Spirit Event once I get it, but I wanted to get this on your calendars.
Public Schools Week
Public Schools Week is an annual celebration that brings together school leaders, educators, parents & community leaders to recognize the importance of our nation’s public schools.
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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