Announcements and Upcoming Events

Calendar Update

April 3 – 7 - Spring Break – School Closed

April 13 – 3rd Quarter Ends – 2 Hour Early Release (12:15 pm)

April 14 – Teacher Workday – Student Holiday

April 21 – Teacher Workday – Student Holiday


PTA Updates

Join the Twain PTA!

Your membership dues fund a variety of programs throughout the year. Now’s the time to JOIN!!

Volunteers Needed!

Want to help with Staff Appreciation Week? Be on the nominating committee for next school year's PTA Board? Or just want to help during other events scheduled for the rest of the year? Email Linda Pinkney at mtms.volunteers@gmail.com and let her know you’d love to join us! We need volunteers!!!

Would you like to be on the Twain PTA next year? - send an email to mtmspresident@gmail.com. Would love to get some diversity among the PTA Board! We don't want the PTA to end - please consider volunteering!!

8th Grade Dance Interest Meeting - March 23rd, 7:00 pm at Twain. If you are interested in helping out, please feel free to join the meeting!


Drug & Alcohol Facts Week

Quick Facts:

National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week is March 20-26, 2023

Opioids are the number one cause of unnatural death in Fairfax County. Young adults aged 25-34 are the most common demographic seen in the emergency room for fatal opioid overdoses.

Nationwide there were over 100,00 overdose deaths from April 2020- April 2021.

Using opioids after a period of abstinence, mixing drugs, IV use, and serious medical problems all contribute to an increased risk of opioid overdose.

90% of substance users began using prior to 21-years-old.

Alcohol, marijuana, and nicotine are usually the most common substances used by adolescents.

Fairfax County police stations, pharmacies, and medical facilities provide permanent drug disposal drop boxes for residents to safely dispose of their unused/expired medication. DO NOT flush your medications.

Reframing Our Thinking:

Changing our state of consciousness is part of the human experience (kids spinning in circles to induce dizziness, meditation, runner’s high, and more) but using substances has more negative than positive side effects. Alcohol, marijuana, and nicotine use prevention strategies are also opioid overdose prevention strategies since opioid users likely used one of these three substances first. Every opioid overdose does not lead to death, but it increases the chances of an eventual overdose fatality. Although most opioid users began with alcohol, marijuana, and nicotine, these three drugs are not “gateway drugs”. The term “gateway drug” implies all alcohol, marijuana, and nicotine users will eventually use other drugs, but that is not the case for most, so the time to act is now. Treat your medication as a loaded gun; lock it up and properly dispose of any medications you are no longer using.

Sources & Resources:

Fairfax CSB Opioid Info

REVIVE Training for Opioid Overdoses     

Medication Disposal

Teen Substance Use

FCPS Substance Abuse Prevention Program

Everything You Need to Know About Opioids

For general questions about the FCPS Substance Abuse Prevention Program, please contact the Office of Student Safety & Wellness at: (571) 423-4270.

For further Information & support:

Shawn Elliott, BS, QMHP-C

Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist

sbelliott@fcps.edu