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It was a chilly start to our week (albeit on a Friday), but our Kiss and Ride staff were bundled up ready to greet students and families.
Dear Families,
What a wintery start we've had! The snow days last week were an unexpected twist, but they also provided a cozy opportunity for students and families to enjoy some extra time together.
Now that we're back, we're ready to jump into the second half of the school year with renewed energy and enthusiasm. Our staff and students are already hard at work, and we’re excited for all the learning, growth, and fun ahead in 2025.
Thank you for your flexibility and continued support as we navigate the joys of winter weather together. Stay warm and safe, and here’s to a fantastic January!
As a reminder, Schools and offices will be closed on Monday, January 20, for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. See the complete school year calendar.
Please scroll below to read important reminders and calendar updates.
Rebecca Gidoni, Principal
Teresa Lewis, Assistant Principal
Important Reminders
Share Table
Terra Centre is excited to announce the start of our “share table” in the cafeteria for the FCPS Zero Waste initiative with Get2Green. Bins will be placed in the cafeteria to receive non-perishable items (e.g., whole fruit, packaged foods, etc.) for food that is not consumed and kept out of trash. FCPS is working hard to go Zero Waste by 2030 and Get2Green is helping schools prepare for this goal. Terra Centre already has composting, vermiculture, and many recycling initiatives. We are very excited to take on this new initiative to add to our school.
Yearbook Orders
Mark Your Calendar
National Mentoring Month
Tuesday, January 14: Robinson Pyramid Choral Concert
Monday, January 20: No School: Martin Luther King Day (Holiday), Inauguration Day
Tuesday, January 28: End of the second quarter
Wednesday, January 29: No School: Lunar New Year (Teacher work day)
Important Dates for Three-Hour Early Release:
Monday, February 24
Monday, March 17
Monday, April 28
Monday, May 19
FCPS Updates
Family Math Week
MIND Research is hosting family math week January 13 - January 17. During that time, students are encouraged to log onto the FCPS Family Math website to engage in math activities with their families at home that include stories with mathematical concepts connected to a variety of different math games from around the world. All activities are available in English and Spanish.
To learn more about Family Math Nights check out this video. We hope that all schools will help spread the word and work collaboratively to help us reach our goal of logging on for three million minutes as an FCPS community.
Information will be available through the Elementary Schoology groups for teachers to easily copy over information and links for students to access to participate with their families during math week in the New Year.
Gradebook Available Until End-of-Quarter
Based on community feedback from the first quarter closure, FCPS revisited the scheduled dates for closing the Gradebook and Report Card modules in the SIS ParentVUE and Student VUE apps.
Moving forward, the app will close in alignment with the actual quarter-end dates. This change will allow students and families to view their assignments and grades until the last day of the quarter. Gradebook will be closed for the second quarter from Tuesday, January 28, 4 p.m. to Tuesday, February 4, 6 a.m.
Access Your Child’s Grades Through SIS ParentVue. Learn how your ParentVUE account allows you to easily access grade reports and other helpful information about your child.
📵 Phones Down, Engagement Up:
FCPS Cell Phone Policy Keeping cell phones off during the school day helps students focus and learn. It also boosts positive social behavior. Review FCPS’ cell phone expectations by grade level with your child and help keep our classrooms free of distractions! If you need to reach your child during the school day, please call our main office at 703-249-1400.
📑 Varsity Tutors Provides On-Demand Support at No Cost
FCPS is partnering with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with extra resources for learning. Every student can take advantage of Varsity Tutors’ services at no cost, including weekly live online classes; on-demand 24/7 chat tutoring; essay editing; and study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests. Learn more about online tutoring with Varsity Tutors.
Dual Language Immersion Lottery Registration
Registration for the countywide lottery for FCPS’ Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program will open on Monday, January 13, 2025. Current pre-K students may apply for the kindergarten immersion program, and current kindergarten students may apply for the first grade immersion program for the 2024-25 school year.
Dual Language Immersion is available in French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.
Parents/caregivers who are interested may want to attend an informational meeting held at the school site. Visit the Dual Language Immersion Program Registration page for a list of meetings by language offered.
Get more information on the DLI Program webpage and the DLI Program Registration webpage.
Free Webinars and Events for Families
In January, the Family Resource Center (FRC) will host webinars for families on:
Sign up for the FRC newsletter or visit their webinar webpage.
Comprehensive Boundary Review Update
The Superintendent’s Boundary Review Advisory Committee held its second meeting on December 16 at Gatehouse Administration Center. View key takeaways from that meeting and access the meeting agenda, slides, and other materials that committee members received. If you did not get a chance to attend an in-person Community Boundary Review Meeting, please consider participating in one of the following virtual meetings:
- Thursday, January 16, 2025, 1-2:30 p.m.
- Saturday, January 25, 2025, 9:30-11 a.m.
- Monday, January 27, 2025, 6:30-8 p.m.
- Tuesday, January 28, 2025, 6:30-8 p.m.
- Monday, February 10, 2025, 6:30-8 p.m.
Language interpretation will be available.
All virtual meetings will follow the same format as the in-person meetings that were recently held, and the same information will be shared. Please stay tuned for details on how to register. Visit FCPS’ Comprehensive Boundary Review webpage to learn more. Sign up for FCPS’ School Boundary Review newsletter as well.
PTA News
Winter Clubs
PTA sponsored winter clubs will be posted soon! Flyers can be found in Terra Centre's Parent Schoology page. Sign ups will be soon, so don't delay to have your child(ren) participate in a club.
Terra Centre Elementary PTA Membership
Please consider joining the PTA. The number one reason to join the Parent Teacher Association is to benefit your child. In doing so, you also help your school. PTA Membership
Quick Links
Resources
Families needing support (food assistance, school supplies, fee sponsored activities, mental health support, etc.) can reach out to a member of our clinical team. All requests are confidential. Our clinical team members are always available to support TC families with Fairfax County resource information.
David Lammon-school counselor
Laurel Hanlon-school social worker
Emily Oliver-school psychologist
Our family liaison, Michelle Sehwoerer Rodriguez, is also available to support families, answer questions, and connect families with FCPS information and resources to support their child academically and socially at school.
☎️ Parent Information Phone Lines Available in Eight Languages
Parents/caregivers who speak Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, or Vietnamese may call a telephone information line for general information about FCPS. View the list of phone numbers.
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