Announcements and Upcoming Events

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 04/05/2024 04:15 PM EDT
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Principal's Message

Greetings Tiger Families!

We have enjoyed welcoming back our Tigers to school following spring break and starting the 4th quarter. It has been a rainy, but exciting week and I have appreciated starting the school day with a rising sun during arrival instead of the darkness of winter.

Throughout the month there are a number of opportunities to celebrate holidays and heritage or appreciation events. April is both Arab-American and Muslim American Heritage Months. Arab Americans hail from one of the world’s 22 Arab nations stretching from Northern Africa to Western Asia. Along with common linguistic and cultural elements, there are rich and diverse histories in all of these countries, many of which are represented here at Twain. April 10th is a school holiday to celebrate the end of Ramadan with the festival of Eid-al-Fitr. Muslim Americans, and their history, contributions and culture are an essential part of our local and national fabric.

I look forward to seeing the shift from Twain green to purple as we celebrate our military-connected students on Purple Up Day – April 17th! Our military connected students are an important part of the Twain community and the reason we are a Purple Star School. April also is National Autism Acceptance Month. This is a time to highlight the unique strengths of all learners and create connections within the Autism community.

April contains National Library Week and National Assistant Principal Week. We are so fortunate to have Ms. Howard in our library and a talented crew of assistant principals supporting our Tigers.

In summary, we are grateful for the diverse members of our Twain community and the contributions of the talented individuals who support our students and families each and every day. Regardless of the month, it is always a great time to be a Tiger!

Have a wonderful weekend.

Sincerely,

Matt

Twain’s Weekly Schedule

Monday, April 8: Even Day Schedule

Tuesday, April 9: Odd Day Schedule

Wednesday, April 10: Eid – School Closed

Thursday, April 11: Odd Day Schedule

Friday, April 12: Even Day Schedule

PTA Updates

2024-2025 PTA Officers

Twain PTA needs you!  We need to fill several officer positions for the next school year, 2024-2025.  The MTMS PTA Nominating Committee is now accepting applications.  The officer positions include President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary.  Applications are also being taken for the Membership/Volunteer Coordinator, who serves as a non-elected board position. These officers make up the executive board and conduct the business of running the PTA. Applicants can fill out the application form here.  Join a great team and work together to support the MTMS Staff and Students!  Please contact Corea Smith at cbergens@yahoo.com with any questions or for a description of PTA officer duties.  A slate of officers will be announced on April 17th at the next MTMS PTA Meeting, so get your applications in soon. 

8th Grade Dance Committee Members

Are you interested in helping with the 8th Grade Dance? The PTA is looking for interested parents/guardians to help with the planning of the dance.  There are still many opportunities to help with this specular event for the 8th grade students. Please contact Linda Pinkney at mtmspresident@gmail.com

Parent Strategy Session and PTA Meeting

Join us for our next Parent Strategy Session on April 17th at 7:00 PM in the Twain Library.  Following some brief PTA business, we’ll hear from Mr. Shawn Elliot, Edison Pyramid Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist (SAPS), on substance abuse topics that can help equip parents in supporting healthy choices for our Twain students.  See you there!

Join the PTA

The PTA is primarily funded through our membership dues, so every person who joins provided valuable support to help the PTA help the students and staff.  Join now at https://mtms.memberhub.com/store?limit=21&live=true It’s never too late to join and your support is vital!!

Spring SOL Schedule

Spring SOLs are approaching and Twain’s testing schedule is below.  Please ensure students are in school on testing days and do not have appointments and commitments that would require them to be pulled out of their test.  Please be aware that for all these dates, 4th period will be first which is the testing period.  Students should come to school on time, well rested, and with a fully charged laptop.  If you have any questions about spring SOLs, please contact our Testing Coordinator, Sara Joy Lebowitz at  sjlebowitz@fcps.edu

Integrated Reading and Writing SOL* – April 25

Reading SOL – May 8

Math SOL – May 15

Science SOL* - May 17

*Only 8th grade students take these SOLs, however, we will administer a practice SOL to 7th grade students on these days.

Lexia Parent Night: Helping Children Learn to Read

Lexia is a computer-based program that supplements classroom instruction to help students develop literacy skills. It also provides teachers with data to identify students who need additional support and the ability to know which specific concepts and skills to prioritize.

Attend a virtual information night to learn about Lexia on Tuesday, April 9, at 6:30 p.m. Integrating Lexia into the literacy curriculum aligns with the Virginia Literacy Act, FCPS’ Equitable Access to Literacy, and FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan Goal 3, which aims to have all students reading on grade level by the end of third grade.

Solar Eclipse on Monday, April 8th

A solar eclipse is happening on Monday, April 8, 2024. It's a rare and exciting astronomical phenomenon, and one that requires important safety reminders.

Looking directly at the sun, even during an eclipse, can permanently damage your eyes.

Here are some important reminders:

  • Don't look at the sun without approved eyewear. This applies to students, staff and families. We encourage you to reinforce this necessity at home. 
  • Regular sunglasses are not good enough. We will be providing eyewear that has been approved for viewing to students as they exit school on Monday.
  • Eclipse timing: The eclipse starts around 2:04 p.m., peaks at 3:20 p.m. and ends around 4:32 p.m. If you have concerns about your child walking or riding the bus home, please arrange for alternative transportation.

For more details, visit the FCPS Solar Eclipse webpage.

Formal Dress Shop Opportunity

With our 8th grade dance rapidly approaching (May 31st) we want to alert families to an opportunity to obtain discounted dresses that has been organized by Centreville High School and the Fair Oaks Classroom on the Mall program. The annual Prom Dress Shop for the prom season will open on Friday, April 5, at Centreville High School. Any area student — not just those from Fairfax County Public Schools — who do not have the funds to purchase a prom dress may choose from hundreds of new dresses donated by Macy’s. Learn more and see shop hours.

Opportunities for Required Athletic Physicals in our Community

Athletic physicals are required for middle and high school student-athletes.  Beginning May 1, 2024, FCPS high schools will offer athletic pre-participation physical exams for students interested in middle school sports during the 2024-25 school year.   These events serve as the primary fundraiser for our high school athletic training programs and each exam costs $50.  Rising middle school students are eligible to receive a physical at no cost although donations to the HS athletic training program are welcomed.

Pre-registration is highly encouraged; walk-in appointments may not be available.  You can register here: Student registration.  Once your registration is received, the school’s athletic trainer will contact you to confirm your appointment time.  Athletic physical exams must be completed on this form: FCPS Middle School Sports Athletic Participation/Parental Consent/Physical Examination Form (PPE).

If you are a medical professional (MD, DO, NP, PA, ATC, PT, EMT, etc.) interested in volunteering your time in support of these events, please register to help out: Volunteer registration.

 

Community Forums on Middle School Start Times

FCPS is exploring options for adjusting middle school start times and invites the public to be part of the process. All forums will deliver the same presentation and provide the same feedback opportunities. Please attend the event that works best for your schedule: 

Click the date of the event to register. Registration is not required but does help with planning. Language interpretation and childcare will be provided. Learn more about the project exploring middle school start times. 

The Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award

Nominations are open for the 2024 Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award.  The Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee (MSAOC) sponsors this award to honor the legacy of Dr. Bussey, a founding member of the MSAOC and a longtime advocate for students and families.  

This award recognizes staff or community members who have demonstrated significant and impactful efforts to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of students from groups who are marginalized or underserved.

Any FCPS employee, student, or community member can nominate an individual or group for the award. All nomination materials must be submitted by Wednesday, May 1, 2024.  The winner will be recognized at the FCPS Equity Symposium.

Full details and the nomination information form can be found at the Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award website