MPES Connection
September 25, 2020
Message from Mrs. Mamon
A reminder that Mondays are a school day! Homeroom teachers will start the day with a live class meeting from 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. (through Zoom) Students will then work on independent learning activities that his/her teacher assigns for the remainder of the day. Teachers will use this time to plan, collaborate with other teachers and participate in professional learning. Attendance will be taken on Mondays, so please do your best to have your child attend the live class meeting and complete their assigned work.
There is a lot of information in this week's newsletter, including two additional school meal pick up locations, how to check out MPES library books and how to pick up a recorder and watercolor paints for your student. Please be sure to read all the way to the end!
Don't forget to send pictures of our students learning at home! I love seeing and sharing them in my weekly newsletters (see below). Snap a picture and send it to me at stacey.mamon@mpark.net.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Sincerely,
Stacey Mamon
Principal
Meet the Teachers and Staff at MPES!
Locations added for Monday Free School Meal Pick Up!
New Locations added! FREE School Meals
Now you can pick up 5 lunches and 5 breakfasts at a time for your child(ren).
This drive-thru style pick-up will be held at FOUR locations every Monday.
- 8:30 – 11 am at Cougar Elementary via Cougar Court
- 11:30 am - 12:30 pm at the MP Community Center/Dog Park
- 1:30 - 2:30 pm at Sandstone Way & Manassas Drive
- 3:30 – 6 pm at Manassas Park Middle School
Meals are limited to one set of meals per child, per week.
Please note, the bus distribution sites that were utilized for the past two weeks WILL NO LONGER be used. Meals must be picked up on Mondays only. There are not enough personnel to staff all locations.
Proof of enrollment, or bringing a child(ren) to pick up, is required for parents to pick up meals. Proof of enrollment can include a student ID card, report card, or any other school communication containing the students name(s). If you need assistance with providing proof, the food services department can make an ID badge which you can use for future visits.
If your children are not school aged, our food services team will work with you to provide a proof should you wish to pick up without children in the future. Please talk to them during the pick-up time slots noted above.
We hope that replicating our Summer Feeding Program and adding an additional pick up location and window will permit more families to take advantage of this FREE service.
Thank you for your understanding and patience as we work to serve as many people in our community as possible.
Learning in Action!
Pick up a Recorder and Watercolor paints!
On Monday, October 5th, we will be distributing a recorder, a music book and watercolor paints to students in grades 3, 4, and 5 at two of the school meal pick up locations:
- 8:30 – 11:00 am at Cougar Elementary via Cougar Court
- 3:30 – 6:00 pm at Manassas Park Middle School
Please plan to come by and pick these items up, along with free meals for the week!
Remember to Shut down your Chromebook!
Learning in Action!
Tips to Support your Student
- Start letting your student do things on their own, when possible, so they are learning how. Have them try on their own first!
- If you need to speak to the teacher for any reason, please contact him/her by email or phone during office hours, not during a live Zoom class.
- Try not to be on camera if/when supporting your student; build independence. If you need to support them, sit off camera so other students are not distracted.
MPES Library Book Check Out
Counselor Corner
You may have been hearing a lot about Social Emotional Learning commonly referred to as SEL. Now more than ever it is essential for students, parents, teachers, school counselors, and school staff to work together in learning how to assist our students in understanding and regulating their emotions.
What is Social Emotional Learning? (video)
This year, we are excited to be using an emotional check-in program called Closegap.org. Closegap is a digital emotional wellness tool that helps students share their feelings and needs and enables educators to respond. Through a fun, daily check-in, and a library of self-guided activities, Closegap offers students an opportunity to practice emotional awareness, understanding, and regulation. For more information, visit www.closegap.org!
We would encourage all students to emotionally check-in at least 1 time per day. Some homeroom teachers incorporate Closegap via their morning work, but students can also check-in by clicking on the purple Closegap button (see below) on their Counseling Connection Canvas page. If your student is having difficulty logging into their Closegap account, please encourage them to use the inbox feature of Canvas to send their counselor a message and we would be happy to help them!
Please remember that if you have any concerns about your student to reach out to your school counselors, Ms. Rose (patricia.rose@mpark.net) and Ms. Rupert (makenzie.rupert@mpark.net). You can also fill out this Parent/Caregiver Referral to School Counselor form about your concerns.
Girls on the Run
Need IT Support?
Please email it.support@mpark.net.
Please make sure you include your student's name, the device type, and a detailed description of the problem.
MPES Office Hours
Contact Information
MPCS Returning Forward Learning Plan and Health Plan
On Monday, August 17th, the school board approved the Health Plan and Learning Plan for the 2020-2021 school year. These two important documents are guiding our return forward this year and include many details about what our learning environment will look like. I encourage you to take some time to read them before school begins on Tuesday, September 8th.
MPCS Returning Forward Learning Plan 2020-2021
19-20 Yearbooks
School Board Meetings and Work Sessions Available on YouTube!
Ways to Support the PTO and our schools
Amazon Smile
Start your shopping at smile.amazon.com! All it takes is a Smile to help raise money for our schools! If you are already an Amazon shopper, be sure to link your account to the Manassas Park Cougar Parent Teacher Organization and do your shopping directly on smile.amazon.com. A percentage of your order amount will be donated back to the schools!
Shoparoo Mobile App
Support our schools by downloading the Shoparoo Mobile App to your mobile device! After each of your grocery store shopping trips, open the app and snap a picture of your receipt! That's all it takes to earn money for our schools!
Harris Teeter VIC Card
Do you shop at Harris Teeter? Do you have a VIC Loyalty Card? Helping our schools to earn extra cash is as simple as visiting www.harristeeter.com and following the online steps to link your VIC card to both Cougar and Manassas Park Elementary!
Stay Connected!
There will be many exciting things happening throughout the next school year. I encourage you to stay up-to-date with important information and follow highlights of our learning at MPES and in Manassas Park City Schools.
You can stay connected by:
- Checking your child's Monday Folder each week
- Reading the MPES weekly online newsletters emailed out each Friday afternoon
- Following MPES on Twitter @MPEScougars
- Following MPCS on Twitter @MPCSchools
- Liking and following the Manassas Park City Schools Facebook page
- Checking the MPCS website frequently at www.mpark.net
Be sure to also keep up to date with PTO happenings!
- Facebook - www.facebook.com/ManassasParkCougarPTO
- Twitter - www.twitter.com/ManassasParkPTO
- Email - mpc-pto@mpcschools.et
Upcoming Dates
MPCS School Board Meeting
Monday, October 19
6:59 p.m.
School Board Meeting Room (available to watch live on YouTube)
Manassas Park Elementary School
Principal
Email: stacey.mamon@mpark.net
Website: www.mpark.net
Location: 9298 Cougar Court, Manassas Park, VA, United States
Phone: (703) 368-2032
Twitter: @MPEScougars