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08/28 First day of school for PreK students
09/01-04 Labor Day Break-Student Holiday (No School)
09/13 Back to School Night (5:30-7:30pm)
BTSN session information will be sent later
09/20 Fall Picture Day (8:45am, Gym)
8:20AM- doors open
8:35AM- late bell/ school begins
3:20PM- dismissal (M-F for all students PreK-5)
Dear ATES Families,
I am excited to welcome you and your children back to another incredible school year! This year we are welcoming approximately 640 students from Pre-School through grade 5. We are also fully staffed and have an Amazing group of teachers who are ready to teach your children every day!
This year, our school theme is “Amazing Things Happen at Annandale Terrace Elementary School.” This theme encapsulates the spirit of our school and the experiences that await for our students. We aim to create an environment where students are inspired to explore, ask questions, and excel. From academic achievements to artistic endeavors, from friendships formed to challenges overcome, our theme reminds us that within our school community, the ordinary can transform into the extraordinary, and Amazing things truly do happen.
This year our students have the privilege to be taught by Amazing teachers. It gives me great pleasure to share with you some of the Amazing things our teachers have accomplished and have been recognized within the last few weeks.
Ms. Harrison, one of our Amazing music teachers, was selected as the recipient of the Orff Schulwerk Levels Scholarship for the upcoming school year. Not only will Ms. Harrison receive full tuition for the training program for the Orff Schulwerk program, but she will also get to take a special gold xylophone for her classroom to use for the year. Sonor, one of the biggest instrument vendors in the nation, made only 5 special xylophones with a gold plate for this opportunity and George Mason University happens to be one of the top 5 Orff programs that offer this unique scholarship! This beautiful instrument is coming to Annandale Terrace for a year!
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Our Amazing Instructional Coach, Ms. Blackburn, was selected to present a session at the Great Beginnings Kick Off week. Great Beginnings is the induction week for our new teachers to Fairfax County Public Schools. Ms. Blackburn’s session entitled: Standards Based Grading 101 provided new teachers an overview of standards-based grading. She shared resources to support teachers and ideas on how to maintain a grade book that supports the standards.
Ms. Pettie, one of our Amazing Assistant Principals, was selected to be part of the planning committee that organized the Kickoff meeting for the administrators in our region. Her expertise and leadership were greatly appreciated.
Ms. Pacilio, one of our Amazing Kindergarten teachers was selected to be one of the facilitators for the Kindergarten Professional Development opportunities offered during the beginning of the year teacher work week. Ms. Pacilio shared best practices on fostering literacy and numeracy skills, and optimizing choice time activities which provided teachers with valuable tools to enhance their classroom experiences.
Our Amazing Food Services Staff were featured in FCPS This Week. We are so lucky to have such a kind, warm and welcoming Food Service Staff. Here they are pictured with Dr. Reid, our school district’s superintendent.
In addition, our Amazing Literacy Team, Ms. Blackburn, Ms. Fisher, Ms. Lynch, and Ms. Bloom were selected to facilitate at the countywide Literacy professional development during the beginning of the year teacher work week. Teachers who attended their sessions got the best of the best!
Our Amazing ATTV News Sponsors, Ms. Harrison, Ms. Ireland, and Ms. Pezzuti have been selected to receive a 2023 FCPS Team Excellence Award! The nomination was submitted in late spring and nomination review and recommendation committees convened at the end of last school year. The final selections were approved by the Leadership Team this summer. This honor recognizes and celebrates our team’s commitment to serve FCPS with the highest degree of dedication and professionalism. Our news show is outstanding due to the dedication and commitment of these Amazing teachers.
On Monday, I had the pleasure of welcoming The Washington Post as part of the 1st Day Back to School media blitz. The reporter spent time in our lunchroom and wrote an Amazing article about Annandale Terrace Elementary School. Here it is for your enjoyment.
As you can see Amazing Things Do Happen at Annandale Terrace Elementary School! Here’s to a year of discovery, achievement, and endless possibilities!
With warm regards,
Ingrid
Ingrid Badia
Principal
Annandale Terrace Elementary School
Fairfax County Public Schools
 We are seeking new board members. If interested, please email Ingrid Badia, Principal, at icbadia@fcps.edu. Please also consider to be a PTA member. The PTA membership application forms were sent to your students' Wednesday Folders recently.
The beginning of the school year is the best time to develop strong attendance habits! Students who attend school regularly are more likely to perform well in reading and math, develop strong social and emotional skills, and graduate from high school on time. Help prepare your child for future success. Watch this video with tips from Fairfax Pyramid principals and visit FCPS’ Attendance webpage for tips and strategies.
The Parents/Guardians of Students in Grades 4-5 may pay Instrument Rental Fees using My School Bucks beginning August 24th.
My School Bucks (MSB) is a FCPS system for payments of student fees and activities. It is easy, secure, and there are no fees for parents.
Follow these simple steps:
- Go to www.MySchoolBucks.com, or the My School Bucks link on the Annandale Terrace webpage.
- Add a child by school & student ID or birthdate. You will receive a confirmation email.
- You may now pay the Instrumental Rental fee using a credit or debit card, or e-check.
- A confirmation email will be sent to your child’s teacher to let them know you’ve paid.
*Note: Families are also able to submit $20 and the contract to the Strings/Band teachers. Payment can be made by cash or check (payable to “Annandale Terrace Elementary School”. Please note that students will not be able to take the instrument home until the instrument rental fee has been paid. If there is a financial concern, please contact Ms. Blacksten (Band) at lsblacksten@fcps.edu or Mr. Johnson (Strings) at ahjohnson@fcps.edu.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, eating breakfast at school is associated with better attendance rates, fewer missed school days, and better test scores. Students who qualify for free and reduced-price meals receive breakfast and lunch at school at no cost.
As of October 31, 2022, approximately 34% of students in FCPS qualify for free and reduced-price meals. Families in FCPS that are earning less than 185% of the poverty level can receive meals for their students at no cost.
Families should complete the application before the start of each school year. Approved applications may also qualify students for additional benefits. View the criteria and apply on the Free and Reduced-Price Meals webpage. Families should reach out to their schools with questions or for assistance.
Some schools participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). All students enrolled at these schools will be offered breakfast and lunch each day at no charge. Households with students attending these schools will not be required to submit a meal application form for their students to receive meals at no charge. Each household with students attending these schools will receive communication about the CEP, including contact information for any questions. Check the list of schools participating in the CEP.
Families and students from other schools who would like to apply for free and reduced-price meals may view eligibility guidelines on FCPS website.
Some FCPS-approved digital resources require parent consent before they can be used by students. Find the list of resources which require consent on the Parent Consent webpage. This page also includes directions for providing permission.
Each digital resource used in FCPS has had an instructional and technical review. Information about the educational technology tools approved for use within FCPS can be found in the online Digital Ecosystem Library.
Parents can find more information about FCPS-approved digital resources on the Digital Resources in FCPS webpage.
Thank you for your patience as we all get used to new routines this school year. We appreciate our families following kiss and ride procedures and being patient as they wait for their children’s buses.
If a student’s bus is delayed, parents may access the Bus Delay Notification System or use the Here Comes the Bus mobile app to receive the delayed bus report. Email messages will be sent to announce significant bus delays. Contact the Transportation Office at 703-446-2050 with any additional questions. For any concerns after hours (after 5:30 p.m.), contact Safety and Security at 571-423-2000.
To make sure you receive email messages about bus delays, update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE.
FCPS’ Student Rights and Responsibilities document (SR&R) explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses to enhance school safety and to create a fair, equitable, and supportive school environment. In late June, the School Board approved changes to the SR&R for the 2023-24 school year. Updates include a revision of dress code expectations, bystander expectations for students witnessing harmful or unsafe behaviors, bullying, and substance abuse responses. Read Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid’s letter to families regarding the SR&R.
Parents/caregivers should talk to their child(ren) about expectations for this school year. Also, please log in to SIS ParentVUE and sign to acknowledge your review of the SR&R, or sign and return the signature sheet to your child’s school by Friday, September 29.
Dear Parent/Guardian:
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) offers a comprehensive Family Life Education (FLE) program. FLE instruction begins in kindergarten and continues through grade 12. FLE includes topics in human growth and development and social and emotional health. FLE instruction helps students gain knowledge and skills needed to make healthy, responsible, and life-enhancing decisions related to relationships and their physical, emotional, and social health. Parents and guardians are partners in their child’s learning. FLE instruction supports the development of strong families, positive relationships, and a healthy community.
Parents and guardians can review FLE materials. Parents/guardians can access FLE lessons in Schoology using their SIS username and password. Due to copyright permissions, we are unable to stream all media titles online. Lessons and media are available for review at your child’s school. Lessons only are also available at the City of Fairfax Regional Library (this location does not have media).
To foster respect for family choices, parents/guardians may choose to opt their child out of all or part of the Family Life Education program. A student who is opted out will receive alternative health instruction. To opt your child out of all or part of the FLE program for this school year, please complete the opt-out form. Return the completed form to your child’s school before FLE instruction begins. The opt-out form accompanies this letter or is available online. You do not need to return the form to the school if you wish for your child to take part in FLE instruction.
FLE program descriptions and opt-out forms are available on the FCPS website.
For information about when FLE instruction will take place, please contact your child’s teacher or school. For questions about the FLE program, please contact Instructional Services at 571-423-4550 or email fle@fcps.edu.
Sincerely,
FCPS Instructional Services Department
Health, Family Life, and Physical Education
Be among the first to know about weather closings, bus delays, and other critical communications from FCPS and our school by providing your cell phone number and email in SIS ParentVUE. Make sure you complete the Emergency Care Form for your child every year and update when necessary.
To update your contact information in ParentVUE, click the “Online Packets” tab in the upper right of the screen, then select the “Online Verification/Update” form in the drop down menu. Click “Begin Packet.”
Parents who do not have a SIS ParentVUE account continue to have the option to communicate updates via the normal paper process. They can also print and complete a blank Emergency Care Information Form needed for updates and submit it to the front office.
Teachers use Schoology to post their classroom materials online; to provide a secure forum for students to discuss their ideas and collaborate on projects; and to assign and collect homework electronically. It helps students stay organized and it keeps the class connected.
A Schoology Parent Account gives you access to:
- Your child’s classes.
- Your child’s upcoming assignments.
- School, class, and group announcements.
Parent accounts will be available after August 21. To access Schoology, parents will need to have an active SIS/ParentVUE account. More information on how to login and use Schoology is available online.
FCPS has tools to help parents know more about their child’s activity on any FCPS device. These tools are provided at no cost to families by Lightspeed, the school division’s internet content filtering service.
Parents may sign up for a weekly Parent Report, which will provide a list of the top sites your child visited. The report also offers parents the ability to sign up for free access to the Internet Use Parent Portal. Through the portal, parents may pause their child’s access to the internet on their FCPS device during non-school hours.
Learn more about Lightspeed Parent Reports.
The 2023-30 strategic plan sets five main goals to create positive change in FCPS. These goals show where we should focus our attention and will help us align our efforts. Our equity commitment and a set of measures in each goal will measure our success.
Our first goal in the strategic plan is to help all students develop academic skills, curiosity, and a love for learning. These skills and attitudes are crucial for success from pre-K to 12th grade. Our related equity commitment is to ensure authentic and affirming partnerships with families and key stakeholders through collaborative decision making that results in each student's success.
Visit the Strategic Plan webpage to learn more about how we will measure the success of Goal 1.
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