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Dear Mantua families,
We were absolutely delighted to celebrate our Mantua school and community in so many ways this week! We recognized our military families and their contributions during our Purple Up week with military-connected lunch bunches, student interviews for the news show, and decking out in purple on Wednesday! Family Culture Night was a tremendous success, and we are so grateful to every family that participated in this festive event! We give a wonderful shout-out to Ms. Incer for coordinating such a fabulous and meaningful celebration! We shared a few pictures below, and you can find more on our Instagram page.
In the week ahead:
- Tuesday, April 21, is Election Day, a student holiday, and a teacher workday
- Wednesday, April 22, will be a full day of instruction
- Please note that we have a NEW date for our Spring Clean-up Day: Sunday, May 3, due to the weather. More information can be found below.
We hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Take good care,
Ms. Shannon, Mrs. Vaughan, Ms. Maurer
 
April 18: All-county Chorus Festival Performance, 3 PM at Lake Braddock SS
April 20-24: Earth Week, Details to Follow
April 21: Special Election Day, Student Holiday
April 28: AAP Orientation Night, 6 to 7 PM, Cafeteria
May 1-2: Mantua PTA drama performance of Shrek the Musical, Details to Follow
May 5: Math Pathways Information Session, 6 PM, Cafeteria
May 6: 5th and 6th-Grade Band Concert
May 7: 4th, 5th and 6th-Grade Strings Spring Concert
May 9: Mantua Kids’ Care Club Raccoon Run, 8 AM
PTA Talent Show, 5 PM, Gym
May 13: Early Release Wednesday, Dismissal at 1:05 PM
Kindergarten Orientation, 2-3 PM
May 15: Mantua PTA Spring Dance, 6 to 8:30 PM, Gym
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 some of our Kindergarten teachers, Ms. Norton, Ms. Campbell, Ms. Schuetz, Ms. Smith and Ms. Pompa. We also recognize our office staff, Ms. Donat, Ms. Finaish, Ms. Kakouris, Ms. Toy and Ms. Akechian.
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!
 Above is the Spring SOL Schedule for 3rd through 6th grades
Earth Week Challenge Begins April 20
Get ready to make a difference, Raccoons! We are thrilled to announce the Mantua Raccoons Earth Week Challenge, a week-long journey where we will ACT, CREATE, and INSPIRE, taking one simple action each day to protect our planet. Here is your daily action guide:
Make-it Monday Let’s get creative! The goal today is to Create Recycled Art! You can make it in class or bring it from home. We'll also watch the Teacher Video and officially Start Our Collection Drive! Don't forget your donation!
Turn-it-Off Tuesday. Today is all about saving energy. We are challenging every family to Power Down at Home for 30 Minutes! Turn off those electronics! You can use natural light and enjoy some active time with your family. Remember to look around the house and learn (at home) other ways you can save energy.
Walking Wednesday (or BIKE!) Let's reduce emissions and get active! Today’s challenge is to Walk or Bike to School! It’s a great way to start the day. If you live too far, don’t worry—try the "Park & Walk" approach by parking a few blocks away and walking the rest of the way.
Thoughtful Thirsty Thursday (Hydration Station) It's a plastic-free day! The rule is No Plastic Bottles Today! You must Bring Your Reusable Water Bottle! Remember, our mascot says, "Raccoons love clean water!" and using reusable bottles keeps plastic out of our oceans.
Fresh Air Friday (Outdoor Learning) Let’s breathe in that fresh air and Learn in the Wild! Your classes will head outside for learning. We will also be using "Sit Spots" to quietly sit and observe the beautiful nature around us.
Let's show everyone what we can do, Mantua Raccoons!
Mantua Gardens & Playground Spring Clean-Up Extravaganza!
Sunday, May 3
Happy Spring! Winter is finally over and that means it’s time to get our outdoor spaces ready for the warm weather.
This year, the Garden Committee is joining forces with one of Mantua’s own Junior Girl Scout troops to host a playground and garden clean-up event, both on Sunday, May 3.
- Girl Scout Clean-Up: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
- Garden Clean-Up: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
The troop will focus on removing trash, lost sports balls, clothing and other items currently hiding around the playground as they work toward their Bronze Award. At the same time, the Garden Committee will be preparing the Discovery Garden beds (above the playground) for the year. We’ll be weeding, removing old plant material and installing some fun new plants. Additionally, we’ll clear out the Learning Garden beds down near the white tent to make way for spring vegetables, herbs, and flowers.
We welcome gardeners and helpers of all ability levels for any portion of the event as it’s a great way to get hands on experience and learn more about plant and vegetable gardening and native plants. And if gardening isn’t your hobby, feel free to pitch in with our Girl Scouts as they spruce up the play spaces.
As always, children are encouraged to join but we do ask that they have adult supervision. Be sure to bring water, sunscreen, and bug spray. We do have tools and gloves available, but feel free to bring your own along if you have them.
Please note: We will not have access inside the school, so bathrooms are not available.
We appreciate all the helping hands for this event. Your efforts help keep Mantua’s green spaces welcoming and beautiful for our community. If you’d like more details or have any questions, please contact Garden Committee Chair, Karin Hudson, at garden@mantuapta.org and make sure to check out our Facebook page, Mantua ES Garden Committee & Volunteers (here).
April Statewide Election: No School for Students
There will be no school for students on Tuesday, April 21, for the Virginia statewide election. Student activities, athletic practices, and events may proceed as scheduled.
FCPS will offer lunch and a snack at no cost to children aged 18 and under on April 21 at participating schools. The meals must be eaten on site. For more information, visit the FCPS Food and Nutrition Services webpage.
Adjusted Elementary Early Release Wednesdays
Students will now have a traditional full day of instruction and be released at the regular dismissal time on April 22 and April 29, which were previously early release Wednesdays for elementary schools.
This adjustment allows our staff to still have dedicated time for planning, collaboration, and professional learning without reducing instructional time on other school days.
Updates to 2026-27 School Year Calendar
The School Board voted to direct the superintendent to designate Veterans Day as a standard instructional day for the 2026-27 school year. Because this day was added, the 2026-27 school year will now end for students on Wednesday, June 16, 2027. Find additional information on BoardDocs. View the updated complete school year calendar on FCPS’ website.
The last day of school for the current school year — Wednesday, June 17, 2026 — has not changed.
Support Your Children During Important Spring Assessments
Students will be participating in spring assessments based on their grade level and courses. This includes summative assessments like Standards of Learning (SOL) tests, which measure what a student knows, and progress assessments like Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests, which measure where they are in their learning.
FCPS encourages all families to support their students in taking these tests. Virginia requires schools to test at least 95% of students on SOLs, so when families choose not to participate in testing, it can impact a school’s accreditation, accountability ratings, and ability to measure student progress accurately.
Parents and caregivers can help their children perform their best on these tests by reminding them to get a good night’s sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and the cell phone policy still applies during testing season.
It is important that students attend school on scheduled testing dates. If you are aware of a conflict that may cause your student to miss a test, please notify your student’s school as soon as possible.
Learn more about how to support your child and why test participation matters.
Help FCPS Sustain Excellence: Make Your Voice Heard on the FY 2027 Budget
About 70% of the FCPS budget comes from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. There are several upcoming opportunities to provide feedback to the county on its budget before final adoption in May. This includes public budget hearings (April 14-16) and an online survey. Learn how the FCPS budget helps us sustain our excellence
Community Conversations: Share Your Thoughts With Dr. Reid
As a listening leader, connecting with community members across our school division is critical to FCPS Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid. Her Community Conversations are opportunities for you to share your thoughts and ask questions. Events will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on:
Click on a date to register to attend that event. Registration is not required, but it helps with planning, especially for child care and interpretation services. Events are open to all. Visit the superintendent’s engagement page for the most up-to-date information.
Resources to Help Infants and Toddlers Meet Milestones
Are you concerned about your infant, toddler, or preschool-aged child’s development? Resources are available if your child exhibits difficulties in one or more of the following areas: communication, fine and/or gross motor skills, self-help skills, problem-solving, and attention skills. Learn more about typical developmental milestones.
The Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia (ITC) provides evaluations and services for children (0-36 months) who have developmental delays or medical conditions that may affect development. Parents are encouraged to contact ITC at 703-246-7121 to share their concerns.
Early Childhood Child Find is the process of identifying children with potential special education needs between the ages of 20 months and 5 years (children must be two by September 30).
FCPS Early Childhood Identification and Services (ECID&S) offers a free referral process to identify potential developmental delays or disabilities. Special education services are provided for all children who are found eligible through the referral process. Parents are encouraged to call 571-423-4121 with questions.
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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