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Good Afternoon Terra Centre Families,
We just completed our first full week of school! We are pleased to report that we had 143 students participate in our summer reading program this year! Of those students, most completed the entire bingo board! First and second grade are tied for the highest participation! Congratulations to all of our summer readers! They received a reward from our Reading Teacher, Ms. Klieber.
National Walk to School Day is coming up in October! We encourage active transportation to school, either by walking/biking to school or walking to the bus stop. It’s a healthy way for your child to start his or her day, particularly while the weather is still nice. Please remember that all FCPS students are either designated as a walker or a bus rider. For children who are designated walkers, parents are responsible for choosing and monitoring how their child gets to school. We encourage parents to have children travel in groups and to go to the crossing guard to cross the street safely. See below for more information regarding dismissal.
Please see below for updates and information.
Enjoy your weekend!
Rebecca Gidoni Maura Pratt
Principal Assistant Principal
Upcoming Events
Thurs, 9/26 Fall Picture Day
Fri, 9/27 9:00 Parent Coffee – AAP Continuum of Services
6:00 PTA Back-to-School Pajama Jam Dance
Wed, 10/2 Walk to School Day
Field Day
Tues, 10/8 7:00 PTA Meeting
Mon, 10/14 School Planning Day – No School for Students
New To County Parent Referral for Level IV AAP, Grades 3-6
Families new to FCPS as of January 2019 may submit a referral for Level IV AAP services for students in grades 3-6 by October 10, 2019. This fall screening is for second semester placement in a Level IV center. For more information visit https://www.fcps.edu/registration/advanced-academics-identification-and-placement/elementary-school/current-fcps.
For more information on the continuum of services, visit our website at https://terracentrees.fcps.edu/academics/advanced-academics-programs for the Fall 2019 AAP Newsletter highlighting services, testing, and placement. Our parent coffee on September 27 at 9:00 will also feature the continuum of services.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact Melanie Jewell, our Advanced Academics Resource Teacher, at MCJewell@fcps.edu .
Kindergarten Color Days!
Let’s all help our kindergarteners learn their colors by participating in “Kindergarten Color Days” starting the week of September 16th! Students and staff are invited to wear colors according to the calendar above.
Field Day – October 2, 2019
New this year! We are excited to announce that Field Day is in the fall this year! Be on the lookout for more information
Dismissal – Bike Riders & Walkers
We’ve had more students riding their bikes to school this year, which is great! This creates some congestion on our walking paths so we will be dismissing bike riders prior to walkers so they can safely navigate the walking paths.
Changes in Dismissal – Due by Noon
When there is a change in your child’s normal dismissal routine, you must send a note or an email to the classroom teacher and all main office staff informing them of the change. Please provide notification by 12:00 p.m. Also, don’t forget to notify SACC or any other child care if applicable.
Main office staff contacts are:
School Safety and Security
Emergency Drills
- We have been practicing emergency procedures. A fire evacuation plan and tornado map are posted in each room. Teachers review and practice the established procedures with students. Fire drills occur weekly during the first month of school and monthly thereafter.
- A tornado drill is also conducted each year in March. Teachers review safety procedures to follow in the event of a tornado.
- Lockdown drills are also conducted four times a year, twice in September and two others during the course of the year, to practice what would happen if a threat entered the school building.
- Bus drills are conducted each semester to teach safety rules to bus riders.
- For more information on FCPS Emergency Planning and Crisis Response, please visit https://www.fcps.edu/resources/safety-and-transportation/emergency-planning-and-crisis-response .
Locked Doors
- Our exterior doors are to remain locked at all times. Exterior doors should not be propped open except for mass movements of students during morning arrival and afternoon dismissal. If you ever visit school outside of morning arrival or afternoon dismissal, and you find an exterior door propped open, please close it because it is a mistake.
- Please do not let people “piggyback” into the school as you are entering or exiting our building. Visitors are only allowed to be let into the building by our office staff.
Showing ID & Stating Purpose for Visit
- Our ID check-in system is critical to our security. All visitors to our school must immediately go to the front office to check in with a valid photo ID.
- When you ring the doorbell, you will be greeted and asked to state the reason for your visit. Once “buzzed” into the building, all visitors must report to the main office. No one is permitted to proceed directly through the building without checking-in with the office first. You will need your ID in order to be checked into our system. Our ID verification system, ScholarChip, runs checks through security databases.
- Please remind anyone that is on your child’s emergency contact list that they will need to follow the visitor protocol if they come to pick up your child.
See Something, Say Something
- Finally, let’s remember that we are our community’s most important defense. We are the eyes and ears. While our staff members monitor activities inside the building (and outside during recess, arrival, and dismissal), we rely on you – our parents and visitors – to monitor the outside world. Let us know about suspicious vehicles or persons in our parking lot. Notify us of warnings issued to your neighborhood communities. Help us protect the students and staff. If you see something, say something.
The students’ safety is our top priority and therefore you may notice other small changes in our procedures and routines. We must be unified in this mission. Please be patient with our office team and cooperative with our security protocols. They keep your children – our students – and everyone here safe. We are all in this together and we truly appreciate your support and understanding.
Visitors and Volunteers
Terra Centre welcomes parents and volunteers. Volunteers work with students, help in the library or art class, and assist with PTA projects.
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When you need to speak with a teacher, please make an appointment with the teacher. Teachers’ availability varies, and may include times that are before school, after school, or during planning periods.
- In order to ensure that instructional time is protected throughout the day, please refrain from interrupting your child’s teacher.
Lunch Visitor Procedures
We welcome you to join your child for lunch! Please be aware that this is the time of day we receive the most visitors to our building. When visiting our school to have lunch with your child please keep the following guidelines in mind:
- You will need to follow the visitor check-in procedures (stating purpose for visit, ID check-in).
- Please wait in the main office or lobby for your child’s class to enter the cafeteria at their designated lunch time.
- If at all possible, we prefer that parents bring a lunch from home or purchase one in the cafeteria. Carbonated soft drinks and glass bottles are not permitted.
- Please remember that students should not be using any personal technology devices during lunch, for example games, social media, etc. We ask that you refrain from any pictures or videos, as some of our students are opted out of media.
- Please let staff members handle any student requests that involve a student leaving their lunch table (bathroom, getting back in line, utensils, water, etc.).
Terra Centre PTA
Be sure to join our PTA! There was difficulty with the link sent out last week. Please use this link: https://terracentrepta.memberhub.store/
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