MPES Connection

Dear Manassas Park Elementary School Families,

Thank you for attending Parent Information Night on Thursday, December 7th! Your presence and engagement mean so much to us, and we are excited to host more opportunities to connect with our community in the future. These connections are vital to ensuring the success and well-being of our students. Together, we can make a powerful impact. Families play an essential role in teaching, modeling, and reinforcing the 3Rs—Respect, Responsibility, and Ready to Learn—at home. Your support strengthens the foundation for positive habits and values that guide our students every day. Thank you for your continued partnership in this important work.

As I reflect on my first month as principal of Manassas Park Elementary School, I am filled with gratitude and enthusiasm. It has been an incredible experience working alongside our dedicated faculty and staff, and I feel truly honored to lead and support our amazing students.

On behalf of the entire MPES family, I want to wish you a happy and blessed holiday season. May this time be filled with joy, love, and cherished moments with your loved ones.

Please see below for important upcoming dates:

Tuesday, December 17

• STAR Math Testing
• Virtual "Meet & Greet" with Dr. Olajuwon, MPES Principal, from 6:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, December 19

• Sweater Weather- Wear your most festive holiday gear

Friday, December 20

• North Pole PJ Party - Dress in cozy pajamas and bring your favorite book to read
• Early Dismissal @ 11:30 a.m.

Monday, December 23 - Friday, January 3

• Winter Break - No School for Students

Monday, January 6

• Students return to school from Winter Break

Warm regards,

Donnie Olajuwon, Ed.D.

Principal

We are thrilled to announce the outstanding accomplishments of our Robotics Teams at the First LEGO League Regional Tournament held on Saturday, November 16th, at Osborne Park High School! Our teams proudly brought home three trophies:

🏆 1st Place in Robot Design
🏆 1st Place in Innovation Project
🏆 Sportsmanship Judges’ Award

Even more exciting, two of our teams secured spots in the Virginia State Tournament, which took place on Saturday, December 7th, at James Madison University. Out of nine available spots, our school claimed two—a remarkable achievement that showcased the dedication and talent of our students.

We are also pleased to share that our Robotics Teams will be featured in the Spotlight Presentation at the School Board Meeting on Monday, December 16th, where we will celebrate their incredible success.

A heartfelt thank you to our students, staff, and families who worked tirelessly to make this achievement possible. Your hard work and commitment to excellence are truly inspiring!

On Friday, December 6th, we celebrated our Cougars of the Month for November, recognizing students nominated by teachers and staff for their exemplary qualities. The MPE Cougar of the Month Award celebrates not only academic achievements but also positive attributes such as a pawsitive attitude, character, leadership, and citizenship. Cougars of the Month are hard-working students who complete assignments on time, participate actively in classroom discussions, and demonstrate positive behavior both in and out of the classroom. Additionally, these students embody our 3Rs—being respectful, responsible, and ready to learn—and often show growth in key social-emotional skills such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, responsible decision-making, and relationship-building. These skills are reinforced in their ReThinkEd SEL lessons and 3Rs lessons. We honored their achievements with a special pancake breakfast. Way to go, Cougars! Keep up the amazing work!

On Tuesday, December 17th at 6:00 p.m., we invite you to meet MPES new principal, Dr. Donnie Olajuwon. Please click on the link to the right to access the meeting: Meet & Greet with Dr. Olajuwon

All third, fourth and fifth grade students who have not been opted out will be taught the Family Life Education (FLE) objectives. The lessons will take place on December 16, 17 or 18 (based on homeroom class). Parents were provided with the FLE objectives and given the choice for their child to either participate in or opt out of the lessons during the student registration process in August. Additionally, a letter will be sent home with all students in Monday folders on November 18th with more information. Please contact the school at (703) 368-2032 with any questions.

Pneumonia is trending in children this year. If your child still has respiratory symptoms (especially a lingering cough) after finishing antibiotics, they may need further testing. Doctors are seeing an increase in an illness caused by mycoplasma pneumoniae. This organism, an atypical bacterium, does not always respond to the usual antibiotics. But the doctor can order testing to see if your child needs a different type of antibiotic to fully recover from the infection. They often test for this illness using a sample of sputum (phlegm) which can be gathered at the hospital, doctor’s office, or a laboratory. If not treated properly, m. pneumoniae can damage the lining of the respiratory tract, including the throat, windpipe, and lungs. If you have questions, please contact your child’s school nurse.

Car Riders

We will begin welcoming students each day at 8:05 a.m. Supervision is not available before this time, so for safety purposes, please do not drop your child off earlier than 8:05 a.m.

Please review the elementary campus car drop off map below.

• If you have a student at MPES only: Use the north entrance off Cougar Court for drop off and pick up.
• If you have students at both MPES and CES: Use the Brandon Street entrance for drop off and pick up.
• When dropping off, please do not get out of the car. Staff members will assist your child in getting out of the car safely.

Bus Riders

Please click below for the bus schedules.

24-25 Bus Schedules

Early Dismissals

Please send in a note or call the main office ahead of time if you will be picking up your child before the end of the school day. A parent or authorized adult must present a photo ID, meet the student in the office, and sign out at the time of dismissal.

Dismissal Changes

If your child's dismissal routine changes, you must send in a note or contact the office. Please try to avoid changing dismissal procedures in the middle of the day. Emails sent to the teacher during the day may be missed if there is a substitute that day or if the teacher is not able to check his/her email. Unless there is an emergency, please contact the office with a dismissal change no later than 2:30 p.m. The end of the day is very busy and we want to make sure that every student gets home safely!

Please click on the button below to view this year's bus routes. Please note that during the first week of school delays of 30 minutes are common as everyone adjusts to new bus schedules. Please be patient as we make sure that all of our students get home safely!

Breakfast and lunch will be FREE OF CHARGE for all students for 2024-2025 school year.

We are pleased to inform you that all schools in Manassas Park will continue to participate in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs called the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for school year 2024-2025.

What does this mean for you and your children attending our schools?
Great news for you and your child(ren)! All enrolled students of Manassas Park are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at school, at no charge to your household, each day of the 2024-2025 school year. No further action is required of you. Your child(ren) will be able to participate in these meal programs without having to pay a fee or submit a meal application.

If you have questions or need information, please contact the School Nutrition Office by emailing gregory.taylor@mpark.net or calling 703-361-1510 ext. 17212. More information can also be found here: https://mpcsschoolmeals.com.

The school hours for the upcoming year will be 8:25 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. We will begin to welcome students starting at 8:05 a.m.

Attendance is a critical factor in a child’s school success. Children should attend school every day, except when they are sick or there is an emergency. It is impossible to replace the learning that takes place on any school day with make-up work. Please make on-time attendance a priority as we work together for your child’s success!

If your child will not be at school, please contact

Manassas Park Elementary School Main Office

(703) 368-2032

MPESattendance@mpark.net

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 every other Friday afternoon
  
• Following MPCS on Twitter @MPCSchools
  
• Liking and following the Manassas Park City Schools Facebook page
• Checking the MPCS website frequently at www.mpark.net
  

Donnie Olajuwon, Ed.D.

Principal

Email: donnie.olajuwon@mpark.net
Website: www.mpark.net
Location: 9298 Cougar Court, Manassas Park, VA, United States
Phone: (703) 368-2032
Twitter/X: @MPEScougars

Facebook: @ManassasParkElementary

Instagram: @mpescougars