April 15 Family Newsletter

Dear Families,

Thank you to all our military families who came in this week as a mystery reader. Check out some of the photos below of our readers in action.

We are also grateful for all of the students and families who came to our Unified Sports event last Friday. It was a fantastic day and great opportunity for many of our Union Mill Bears to shine. Thank you to Mrs. Murray and Mrs. Tirado for all the planning and preparation to make this event a success.

As a reminder, our PTA will be meeting this evening at 7:00 pm virtually. A Zoom link was provided to current PTA members through PTA e-news this week. If you are not yet a member and you want to attend it’s not too late to sign-up. You will receive the PTA meeting link for tonight. Memberships are inexpensive.

Upcoming Dates

Wednesday, April 15th - Purple Up! for the Military Child

- Yearbook Order Deadline

- Virtual PTA Meeting

Saturday, April 18th - Military Family Field Day @ Annandale High School

Monday, April 20th - Friday, April 24th - Book Fair

Tuesday, April 21st - Teacher Workday (No School for Students)

Wednesday, April 22nd - 6th Grade Panoramic Photo (new date)

- Evening Book Fair & Ice Cream Social

See the complete school year calendar

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. Principals and directors of student activities may adjust event start times and entry points to ensure clear separation between student activity areas and polling spaces.

Employees should check their email for a message from the school division (sent Wednesday, March 11) with additional details.

Salute to Our Mystery Readers

A huge thank you to the military-connected family members who surprised our classrooms as mystery readers! You made storytime extra special for our students. We are looking forward to our continued readers coming in to read with students. The Union Mill community is forever grateful for your service to our our country and our community.

MOMC Spirit Week

We are excited to celebrate Military Spirit Week next week! Please join us as we honor and recognize our incredible military-connected students and families who make up such an important part of our school community. Throughout the week, students will have fun opportunities to show their support, appreciation, and school spirit. We look forward to coming together as a community to celebrate and uplift our military families!

Playground Update

Our playground is in the process of it's final upgrade with the installation to create a safer and more accessible space for all students. This improvement will allow students of all mobility levels, including those who use wheelchairs, walkers or other supports to access and enjoy the playground. Our playground will be closed this week during and after school hours for the installation of this upgrade. We look forward to re-opening early next week.

Victory, High-Fives, and a Whole Lot of Heart!

The energy was electric this past Friday, April 10 as our community came together for the Centreville Pyramid Unified Sports Event!

After weeks of early morning practices—where our incredible athletes, buddies and staff showed up to hone their skills—it was finally time to shine. And boy, did they ever!

The stands were packed with cheering staff and peers as students gave it their all across a variety of events: The 50-meter relay, tennis ball toss, obstacle course, soccer kick and more!

The best part? The competition may have ended on the field, but the celebration continued with an epic dance party for everyone involved! From the sportsmanship to the "moves" on the dance floor, it was a day that reminded us what it means to be part of the Centreville Pyramid family.

Huge thanks to all the athletes, buddies, and fans who made this day unforgettable!

Parent Input for Class Placements 2026-2027

As we plan for the 2026-2027 school year, we are inviting your input. Creating class assignments require careful consideration and the involvement of many perspectives. We know a good teacher-student match and a productive mix of children are ingredients for success. Should you have additional information about your specific child that school staff may not know, particularly regarding learning style and classroom environment; you have the option to complete the following form no later than Friday, May 15th.

Disability Awareness Stations in Physical Education

From April 7, 8 and 9^th students have engaged in an interactive journey of perspective and play. During this time students took a deep into the world of diverse abilities. We explored how people navigate the world with visual impairments, fine motor difficulties, autism, dyslexia and physical disabilities. Students also discussed inclusion and took a pledge to be more inclusive by signing their names and sharing ways to “invite others in!”. Look for our colorful pledge the next time you visit the main lobby!

A massive thank you to Coach Debbie LoCastro and the Queen of Power Soccer Norma White both from Northern Virginia Power Soccer for providing equipment and expertise to introduce our students to the fast-paced, exciting world of Power Soccer. Check out the incredible work they do: nova-powersoccer.org

UMES Yearbook

Have you been waiting to purchase a yearbook for your student? Well, wait no longer! The deadline to buy a yearbook is today so don’t delay, order today!

You can click on this link to place orders at www.buytheyearbook.com with school ID# 732149. Yearbooks are $16.49 each. Don't miss your chance to order a yearbook as there will not be extras available at the end of the year.

The Book Fair is Coming!

Spring Book Fair - April 20, 22, 23 and 24^th. The evening event is Wednesday April 22^nd (Earth Day!) from 4-7pm. A flier will be coming home next Friday with more details.

Book Fair Volunteers: Our spring book fair is almost here! This fundraiser supports the UMES library by providing funds which are used to purchase new books for your students. We are looking for some volunteers to help set up the fair, help students make wish lists, and run the cash registers. If you have a bit of time to give, even 30 minutes, please click on this link to sign up https://tinyurl.com/nhdnk4sd or email librarian, Ami Schroder at amschroder@fcps.edu to let her know when you can help. Thank you!

Kindergarten Registration

Online Registration is now open for the 2026-27 school year!

Kindergarten helps children learn and practice the social, emotional, problem-solving, and self-regulation skills they will use throughout their lives.

New-to-FCPS families create a ParentVUE account for online access. Details are available here: Welcome to Fairfax County Public Schools' (FCPS) Online Registration | Fairfax County Public Schools

Current families can register their new student through their existing ParentVUE account. (No need to register students returning to UMES.)

Our Registrar, Catherine Dubas, is happy to process registrations directly, as well. Please contact her at cmdubas@fcps.edu and be ready to provide your family’s address and rising kindergartener’s date of birth. Catherine will respond with registration details and documents necessary to start the process.

Spring registration puts you on the list for school communications, so don’t wait!

Kindergarten Orientation - New Date

Due to recent changes in the FCPS calendar, the early release day originally scheduled for Orientation on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 has been cancelled. As a result, we have updated the date and time for this event.