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03/03 Family Food Market (3:45-4:30pm, Cafeteria)
03/03-03/07 Read Across America Week
03/06 Gr. 1 Field Trip to Green Spring Garden
(McCall, Demery-Debrow, and Prasser)
03/07 Gr. 1 Field Trip to Green Spring Garden (Aldhobhani & Park)
03/10 3-Hour Early Release -Dismissal time 12:20pm
03/13 Family Literacy Night (5:30-7:00pm, Cafeteria & Gym)
03/14 Parent Coffee (9:00-10:00am, Cafeteria)
Topic: Supporting Health and Behavioral Development at Home
03/19 Gr. 5 Field Trip to Hidden Oaks Nature Center
(Abourakty & Rigby)
03/20 Student Parent Lunch (Lunch Time, Cafeteria)
03/26 Spring Pictures & 5th grade Panoramic
Gr. 5 Field Trip to Hidden Oaks Nature Center
(O’Neal & Garvin)
03/31 Eid al-Fir/ Student Holiday-No School
04/01 Kindergarten Orientation (2:00-3:00pm, Gym)
04/03 Annandale Pyramid Art Show at AHS (6:00-8:00pm)
04/07 Family Food Market (3:45-4:30pm, Cafeteria)
04/08 Band/Strings/Chorus concert(5:00pm – 7:00pm, Gym)
04/14-18 Spring Break
04/24 Gr. 4 Field Trip to Kennedy Center
On Friday, February 21, 2025, we offered dental screenings to our kindergarten students. The dentist who oversaw the screenings came with the dental students from FCPS Falls Church Academy. Our Kindergarten students not only got screened by the dentist, but they also learned about the importance of dental hygiene, they participated in fun small group activities, and asked questions. They also got free toothbrushes! A huge thank you to Essel Linton and Michelle Dierkes for organizing this event.
Dance Night - one of Annandale Terrace Elementary School’s most beloved traditions. This tradition started in 1988 by a music and PE teacher who decided to combine their music and PE classes to teach dance. The dance was first held at Annandale Terrace and as the school grew the event was moved to Annandale High School’s cafeteria and then to the main gym which is where we have been hosting this event for more than a decade. Thank you to our current PE and Music teachers for continuing this wonderful tradition! Thank you, also, to all the students and families who came out to enjoy this event!
Our next 3-hour early release is coming up on Monday, 3/10. Please let us know if your child will be going home at 12:20pm or will need supervision until 3:20 pm via completing https://forms.gle/BECSp8PjNDhTikEV9. If we do not receive a response from parents, we are required to keep your student until 3:20pm. Please let us know so we can ensure your child gets home safely on Monday.
Our school will participate in the FCPS Student Experience Survey. This survey will gather important feedback from students about their school experiences to help FCPS make meaningful improvements.
All students in grades 3-6, except those who have opted out, will receive a link to the survey in their FCPS email on February 24. We will administer the survey during the school day between Monday, February 24, and Friday, March 7. Any student may take the survey at home, if they are unable to take the survey during the school day. You will receive a communication with details on how to preview the survey and opt your child out, if you choose.
We believe it's important to hear from our students about what we're doing well and where we can improve. This work also aligns with the five equity commitments in FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan, which focus on amplifying student voice and experiences as we work toward meeting plan goals.
 Literacy Night is on Thursday, March 13th, from 5:30 to 7:00 PM, and we are looking for volunteers to help make the event a success!
Volunteer duties include:
- Distributing pizza to families
- Assisting a teacher at one of the literacy stations
If you are interested in volunteering, please sign up here
https://forms.gle/qgSrcDv6rroT55NM7
Thank you for helping us create a fun and educational evening for our students!
The Spring Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener will be administered to students in grades 3-5 during the week of February 24, 2025. Students use the SEL Screener twice a year to share their perspectives on how well their school and community help them develop skills they need to succeed. The screener works by asking questions or presenting statements that students can think about and respond to. More information is available about the SEL Screener by accessing this link: https://www.fcps.edu/student-tests-and-assessments/student-assessment-details/social-emotional-screener
If you have any questions please reach out to our SEL Screener Leads, Emma Day or Nicole Scher, at eday1@fcps.edu or nrscher@fcps.edu.
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has issued a new, first-time waiver allowing students fasting during the school day from February 28 to March 28, 2025, to request take-home breakfast and lunch meal kits. The Office of Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) will provide meal kits reflecting the school menu. Meals will be kept cold and must be heated at home. Students may claim one breakfast and one lunch kit per day. If a student purchases breakfast or lunch at school, they cannot pick up a kit that day. Meal kits must be picked up by students at the end of the school day—adults cannot collect them. Parents or guardians must submit a weekly request form via the FCPS FNS website by the deadlines:
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February 24, 2025, for February 28 and the week of March 3, 2025
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March 3, 2025, for the week of March 10, 2025
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March 10, 2025, for the week of March 17, 2025
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March 17, 2025, for the week of March 24, 2025
Forms must be submitted on time to receive meal kits for the following week.
 Please make sure your child has all of their necessary immunizations. Remember, all students are required to be immunized against certain diseases to attend school in Virginia. This is an important part of keeping children healthy!
Starting Monday, May 19, students who have not provided proof of immunization may not be allowed to attend school. You can check your child’s immunization status and submit updated immunization information by accessing SIS ParentVUE.
Please check with your healthcare provider to make sure your child is up to date on required immunizations for the 2024-25 school year. If your child needs an immunization, make an appointment with your healthcare provider, visit the Fairfax County Health Department website for a list of child immunization clinics, or view other Immunization Resources. Be wise and immunize!
 The FCPS Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Advertised Budget invests in academic growth and excellence for each and every student, which is one of the priorities of the FCPS Strategic Plan.
Across FCPS, teachers, staff, parents, and even older students are invested in helping our youngest learners grow their love of reading from a strong foundation.
The goal is for students to move from “learning to read” to “reading to learn” by the end of the third grade. Reading on grade level is connected to other Strategic Plan goals, including completing advanced coursework and graduating on time.
Last fall, FCPS introduced a new reading curriculum that emphasized the science of reading. Between fall and winter, reading screener results show more than a 4% increase in the number of students in kindergarten to third grade approaching or meeting expectations. Similarly, 3.4% more third graders demonstrate strong foundations of reading and 8.4% more third graders are mastering grade-level standards.
Discover how an elementary school employs a science-based approach, including phonics, to supercharge students' reading.
Learn more about the FCPS FY 2026 Advertised Budget. View the Budget Development Calendar to stay up to date.
Three FCPS elementary magnet schools — Hunters Woods, Bailey’s Primary, and Bailey’s Upper — provide enhanced learning programs in science, technology, and performing arts.
Registration for the 2025-26 elementary magnet lottery is open Tuesday, March 4, through Friday, April 4. Learn more about the programs on the Elementary Magnet Schools page and information on the magnet lottery on our Registration page.
 Families, educators, and community members are invited to the 2025 FCPS Family Summit: Beyond Labels: Nurturing a Culture of Belonging. Fairfax County Public Schools will be hosting the free, in-person event in collaboration with valued community partners. The summit will be held Saturday, March 15, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at South Lakes High School.
This event will feature:
- Opening Session: Julie Causton and Kristie Pretti-Frontczak — best-selling authors, motivational speakers, and advocates for inclusion — will share practical tools and evidence-based strategies to empower and assist all families, with a special emphasis on parents of students with individual education programs (IEPs) and 504 Plans.
- Breakout Sessions: Learn more about special education and global topics that benefit all families.
- Student Showcase: FCPS students will share their efforts in fostering inclusivity through posters, essays, videos, songs, art, and other mediums.
- Exhibitor Hall: Discover valuable resources and services in the community to support families.
- Networking Opportunities: Connect with other families, staff, and community partners.
Childcare will be provided. Special education staff will be available to care for children with high support needs. You may sign up for childcare during the registration process.
Learn more about this event and register today! Contact FamilySummit@fcps.edu for more information.
Attending kindergarten provides children with an opportunity to learn and practice the essential social, emotional, problem-solving, and self-regulation skills they will use throughout their lives. Fairfax County public schools typically conduct kindergarten registration events, including orientation, between January and April. Eligible children can also be registered throughout the summer, but registering your child early helps us prepare and ensure we have the teachers and resources needed on the first day of school.
Families should prepare for registration by gathering documents and completing forms on the FCPS kindergarten registration webpage. FCPS offers support and resources for all families to help with registration and the transition to kindergarten. For support in other languages, visit the kindergarten registration webpage.
Teens skip things that don't interest them, including lectures from their parents. How do you connect with your children and really know what's going on in their lives? How can you become “unskippable”?
Effective communication can build trust and understanding, but it takes thought, planning, and effort.
The latest Healthy Minds Blog offers practical strategies to improve communication and build strong, lasting relationships:
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Ditch distractions and create a safe space where your child feels comfortable opening up.
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Listen actively and validate their feelings, even if you don't agree.
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Ask "how" questions instead of "what" questions to get them talking about their experiences.
For more tips and techniques, read the full article on the Healthy Minds Blog, which shares information related to youth mental health and wellness.
For support on talking with your teen about difficult subjects like fentanyl, discover how to Become Unskippable.
The Code of Virginia, 22.1-273.2 requires schools provide, on an annual basis, parents/guardians educational information regarding eating disorders for students in grades five through twelve.
According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA 2023), Eating disorders are serious but treatable mental and physical illnesses that can affect people of all genders, ages, races, religions, ethnicities, sexual orientations, body shapes, and weights. In the United States, 28.8 million Americans will suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their lives. There is no single cause of an eating disorder. Rather, it is a complex combination of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors that converge and set off an individual’s predisposed genetic vulnerability.
In collaboration with the Fairfax County Health Department, FCPS has developed a web page with detailed information and resources to be provided to parents and guardians of Fairfax County Public Schools. This information may be found at Eating Disorders.
Fairfax County is experiencing very high levels of influenza (flu) illness. The Fairfax County Health Department reports that visits to emergency departments and urgent care centers for flu-like illness have increased, especially among children, and multiple flu outbreaks have occurred in our community and school settings. Read a letter from the health department.
The health department suggests taking the following steps to reduce the spread of flu and other germs:
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Cover coughs and sneezes. If you must be around others while ill, wearing a mask can help reduce spread.
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Wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers when soap and water are not available (with supervision for younger children).
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Clean frequently touched surfaces.
According to the health department, to help prevent or reduce the spread of illness it is important for individuals who are sick to stay home and away from others until symptoms improve and until they have been free of fever for at least 24 hours. Visit this Attendance webpage for guidance on when your child should go to school.
All FCPS families and middle and high school students have received an invitation to participate in a survey about FCPS’ Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R), cell phone policy, and cell phone storage options. The survey will be available through Monday, February 3. Please take a few moments to share your feedback and help FCPS make informed, inclusive decisions for all of our schools!
  Please see the PDF version of Health Flyer: HealthFlyerforParents.pdf
  Please see the PDF version of Fairfax County Info Flyer:We Are Here For You_English.pdf
 The camp will be at Annandale HS, July 21-25 (9am-3pm). The camp is open to boys and girls entering 3rd through 9th grade next school year. Registration fee is $225 this year! Email the Coach McAvory or Coach Harrison for questions.
Registration will be available soon for summer camps offered by Fairfax County Public Schools for all students. Career and Technical Education (CTE) camps and Institute for the Arts (IFTA) camps will be held in July at Lake Braddock Secondary School from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bus transportation will be available from select FCPS middle and high schools. Registration begins for these programs on Monday, March 10, and ends Friday, June 6.
Tech Adventure Camp (TAC) is a week-long exploratory camp designed to allow current K-5 students to explore activities in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math), culinary arts, health, trades, and business and marketing areas. Watch this video about CTE camps.
E-IFTA is a weekly arts camp for students in grades 2-5 who love to sing, dance, act, perform, make, and create. Students take part in four daily classes related to dance, music, theater, and visual art. They work with FCPS fine arts teachers who create fun and engaging classes.
For more information, see the Summer Learning page.
Food insecurity impacts more than 96,000 Fairfax County residents. There are many resources available to support those who need food assistance. Learn how to help these families and the many resources available to support those who need food assistance on Fairfax County’s website or view the county’s Human Services Resource Guide.
FCPS is partnering with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with extra learning resources. 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.
Don't miss out! The Annandale Terrace 2024-2025 Yearbook is now available for early bird pricing at just $16! Pre-order yours before prices go up after April 11th. Secure those memories today! Visit https://www.strawbridge.net/ and enter code YB30242. The yearbooks will be passed out in June.
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics and others:
- Summer Camps and Learning Opportunities
- Supporting Academic Growth
- Preparing for Tough Conversations With Your Child
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
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