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Principal's Message |
Greetings Tiger Families!
This week we enjoyed our Winter Choir Concert, our Twain/Edison Combined Orchestra Concert, a winter spirit week, and a delicious staff luncheon compliments of our generous PTA. It has been a terrific week to be a Tiger! While all these festivities were occurring, I was encouraged to also see great learning in the classrooms I visited, collaboration amongst our faculty and staff in their meetings, and a kindness in the partnerships fostered between school and home. I sincerely hope that all Tigers and their families have a wonderful winter break and I am excited to see what lies ahead in 2024!
As a reminder, our school office will be closed during the winter break and will reopen when school returns in the new year, on January 2, 2024.
Thank you and please have a restful, joyful, and safe winter break.
Sincerely,
Matt
Twain’s Weekly Schedule
All FCPS schools are closed from December 18, 2023 through January 1, 2024 for Winter Break. When we return from Winter Break, the weekly schedule will be:
Monday, January 1: No School – New Year’s Day
Tuesday, January 2: Odd Day Schedule
Wednesday, January 3: Even Day Schedule
Thursday, January 4: Odd Day Schedule
Friday, January 5: Even Day Schedule
Twain Winter Break Office Hours
During Winter Break, between December 18, 2023 and January 1, 2024 Twain’s office will be closed. We look forward to serving our Tigers and their families in the new year on January 2, 2024.
Snow Days This Winter
For the current school year, FCPS will be returning to its previous procedure for snow days — there will be no virtual learning days when school is closed due to bad weather.
During snow days, students may still access Tutor.com, complete any supplemental learning opportunities recommended by their teachers, and view educational programming (available virtually and on public access television channels):
Eleven snow days are built into the existing FCPS calendar. Eliminating virtual learning days will allow us to maximize students’ in-person learning and provide equitable access to instruction and student services.
PTA Updates
Staff Holiday Luncheon Thanks
A big thank you to everyone who helped with the Staff Holiday Luncheon. We couldn’t have done it without all your donations and support. A very special shout out to Katy Olsen and Kirsten Little, our Staff Appreciation Chairs for pulling off such a nice event. Happy Holidays to our wonderful staff!
PTA Meeting and Parent Strategy Session
Join us on January 17th at 7:00 PM for our new and improved PTA Meetings. Starting in January, we are combining our PTA Meetings with Parent Strategy Sessions. We are pleased to welcome Doug Danos, a financial advisor (and Twain parent!), to be our first presenter. Doug will be sharing comprehensive strategies to assist parents as they prepare to pay for college. Doug provided this well-received presentation to AVID parents earlier this year, and we wanted to make it available to the entire Twain Community. Zoom link will be provided for those choosing to join virtually.
Rising 9th Grade Transition Corner
***Please consider subscribing to your base high school’s News You Choose messages for the most up-to-date information about the transition to high school – you can do that here. Unsure what school your child will attend in 9th grade? Click here to access the FCPS boundary locator.***
Lewis High School
Lewis High School counselors will be at Twain on Friday, January 5, 2024 to present 9th grade course options to current Lewis-bound 8th grade students. During this presentation, students will learn about required courses and elective options, as well as other information about freshman year at Lewis. At the end, students will be given a course selection sheet for you to review at home and students will need to enter their course selections into SIS. Lewis counselors will instruct students how to do this during the presentation. More information about Lewis Course Selection can be found at their Academic Advising site.
Edison High School
Edison is hosting their Rising 9th Curriculum Night on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, from 6-8PM. Visit the Edison website for more information.
All 8th graders will participate in a rising 9th grade course offering overview on Monday, February 5, 2024 through their Health & PE class. Edison counselors will be at Twain that Tuesday, February 6, and Wednesday, February 7 for individual academic advising and to help students make course selections, also through Health & PE.
Hayfield Secondary School
Information about Hayfield rising 9th transition will be shared when it becomes available so please continue to check future News You Choose emails. General academic advising information can be found here:https://hayfieldss.fcps.edu/student-services/hs-academic-advising-and-course-selection.
For any questions about transition to 9th grade, please contact Twain counselor Leslie Pilotti at lmpilotti@fcps.edu.
Student and Family Resources
Fairfax County Public Schools has compiled a list of resources for students and families in case they need assistance while schools are closed for winter break. Please visit our winter resources webpage for information on academic support, mental health support, and county resources related to food, clothing, housing, and other needs.
School’s Closed, Learning Can Continue!
FCPS encourages students to take advantage of fun learning opportunities during winter break and snow days. Consider these winter activities to blend education and play for your students during winter break or weather-related school closures.
Promoting Mental Wellness During Winter Break
Although mental health indicators have improved over the past year, Fairfax County Youth Survey (FCYS) data suggest that more than 25% of students in 8th to 12th grade feel sad or hopeless every day for two weeks or more in a row. The holidays can be a time to reduce stress, but they can also contribute to it. Here are some tips for making winter break a positive time for the young people in your life.
Enjoy the Winter Break!
Twain's News You Choose will return on Friday, January 5, 2024.
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