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Thank you Robinson Band, Orchestra, and Chorus for performing for our 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students!
Terra Centre Families,
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 while waiting for your children’s buses.
If your student’s bus is delayed, you 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. Please contact the Transportation Office at 703-249-7000 with any additional questions. For concerns after 5:30 p.m., contact the FCPS Office of Safety and Security at 571-423-2000. Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE to make sure you receive email messages about bus delays.
As a reminder, Friday, August 29, and Monday, September 1 are Labor Day holidays for all FCPS employees and students. We hope everyone takes the long weekend to celebrate a strong start to the school year and enjoy time with family and friends
Please scroll down to review important information and reminders.
Rebecca Gidoni, Principal
Tim Signorelli, Assistant Principal
Important Reminders
Opt In/Opt Out for Early Release Wednesday Childcare
While we anticipate that most students will be dismissed at 12:25 p.m. on limited early release Wednesdays, we recognize that some families may require childcare. These students will be supervised by Terra Centre staff. No new instruction will take place, as after-school care is strictly supervision.
Parents and caregivers should log in to the Parent Digital Consent system to review and provide consent to a variety of resources and services including Early Release Wednesday Childcare.
- OPT IN if you require childcare on our limited early release Wednesdays.
- OPT OUT if your child will go home (or to childcare arranged with SACC or another provider) at the early release time.
Families need to complete the opt in form by Monday, August 25, for after-school supervision for all early release Wednesdays. If a family needs to change their selection, they should complete the Terra Centre Dismissal Change Form to notify our front office at least one week in advance to ensure enough staff are available to provide supervision.
2025-2026 EARLY RELEASE DATES:
- September 17
- October 15
- November 19
- December 17
- February 25
- March 25
- April 29
- May 20
School Counselor Updates - Assignments by Last Name
To better support our students and families, we have updated our school counselor assignments based on students’ last names.
Starting this school year, counselor assignments will be as follows:
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Counselor [Full-Time: David Lammon] – Serving students with last names A–Q
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Counselor [Half-Time: Ivy Jun] – Serving students with last names R–Z
This change allows us to balance caseloads and ensure each student receives the support they need throughout the year. Mr. Lammon will be at Terra Centre every day, and Ms. Jun will be here on Mondays, Fridays, and every other Wednesday. Both counselors will be teaching lessons and will be available to all students when needed.
If your child is new to the school or you’re unsure who your assigned counselor is, feel free to contact Mr. Lammon or Ms. Jun. We look forward to a great year of learning, growth, and partnership with you and your child!
Student Smart Watches and Cell Phones
Please remind your child that FCPS is phone-free! For elementary school students, this means:
- Smart watches that serve a dual purpose may be worn, but the phone features (texting, Internet viewing, and calls) are to be off when phone use is prohibited.
- Cell phones and personal devices (airpods, earbuds, headsets, other items connected to the internet) must be off and away for the entire school day (bell to bell).
If you need to reach your child during the school day, please call our main office at [number]. Learn more about FCPS’ cell phone and personal device policy.
Homework in FCPS
What to Expect This Year
This year, your child will bring home purposeful homework assignments designed to reinforce classroom learning and support growing independence and time management. Homework might include reading, language arts, math, science, social studies, or health practice such as reflection questions, activities, projects, or tasks connected to what they’ve learned in class.
Why It Matters
- Helps develop strong academic habits like responsibility and problem‑solving
- Reinforces skills already taught in class
- Builds confidence and supports independent learning
How Families Can Help
- Choose a quiet, consistent spot and time for homework—reading right before bed works well.
- Help your child make a simple plan: “First I read, then I finish the math sheet.”
- Encourage your child’s best effort—and let us know if something feels too hard. That feedback helps teachers adjust instruction.
- Read together or talk about what your child is reading. This builds vocabulary and curiosity.
Ensuring Student Safety: Register for Volunteer FCPS
At Terra Centre, our volunteers are a vital part of our school community. We deeply value the time and care they give to our students.
Recent updates to our volunteer process focus on one primary goal: keeping students safe.
These updates — such as checks against the sex offender registry and, in some cases, criminal background checks — are safety measures that will help us maintain a secure and supportive learning environment for every student in our care.
We encourage all our parents and community members interested in supporting our students by volunteering at Terra Centre to visit Volunteer FCPS, click “Learn More,” and then “Sign Up.” After you create a profile, you will view an orientation video and complete a volunteer application.
Volunteer FCPS ensures a safe, consistent, and welcoming environment at all of our schools. All volunteers must be registered in Volunteer FCPS. This includes individuals who volunteer to chaperone on field trips, work at book fairs, and help out regularly in classrooms, libraries, or cafeterias. Volunteers who work unsupervised with students will also be required to undergo a background check.
We understand these changes may seem disruptive, especially for long-time volunteers. Our intent is to ensure that our students feel safe and supported with each and every person they encounter at school.
As a reminder, all volunteers — and visitors to a school — are required to sign in by scanning their ID at our visitor kiosk. Visit the Volunteer FCPS Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more.
Terra Centre has Openings in PreK!
Give Your Kids a Strong Start: Apply for Early Childhood Education Programs
FCPS Pre-K and Early Head Start programs provide a high-quality early learning experience for qualifying children with economic and educational risk factors ages 6 weeks to 4 years living in Fairfax County.
- Pre-K prioritizes 4-year-old applicants but also accepts applications for children 3 years old by September 30.
- Early Head Start is located at three elementary schools — Clearview, Crestwood, and Dogwood — and accepts applications from expectant mothers and for children 6 weeks to 2 years old.
Families are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, however, space is limited and provided based on need, not “first come, first serve.” Applications are accepted online, by email, by postal mail, or in person at our office at 7423 Camp Alger Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia 22042.
If you have a question about the application process or status, please call 703-208-7900 (English) or 703-208-7901 (Spanish).
PTA News
You can now join the Terra Centre PTA for the 2025-2026 school year! https://tcpta.ptboard.com/home. Our PTA is very active, supporting things such as purchasing learning equipment and subscriptions, sponsoring our field trip buses, and providing supply reimbursements for teachers.
FCPS Updates
Help Your Child Navigate the Lunch Line
Help your child get through the lunch line quickly and have more time to eat:
- Teach your child their student ID number to receive meals at school.
- Sign up for and add money to MySchoolBucks to purchase meals at school.
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Apply for free and reduced-price meals. Students who were approved for free and reduced-price meals last year are eligible for the first 30 days of school this year (or until a new application is processed). Families should submit a new application as soon as possible, so eligible students continue to receive meals at no cost.
If your child has any food allergies, learn how to submit accommodations for dietary restrictions and allergens.
Access menus for breakfast, lunch, and other school meals, as well as allergen and nutrition information.
Everything You Need to Do Through SIS ParentVUE
Don’t forget your back-to-school forms and checklists! Make sure you have a SIS ParentVUE account for your family and log in to find important forms and updates.
If you do not have a ParentVUE account, contact our front office for an activation code and follow the directions on the SIS ParentVUE Account webpage.
☑️ Update Contact Information
Be among the first to know about weather closings, bus delays, and other critical communications from your school and FCPS by providing your cell phone number and email in SIS ParentVUE. To update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, click the “Online Packets” tab in the upper right of the screen, then click the “Online Verification/Update” icon.
Parents/caregivers who do not have a ParentVUE account should contact our school for an activation code to create an account, or print and complete the Emergency Care Information Form and submit it to our front office.
☑️ Submit Absences
Parents/caregivers can submit daylong absences through SIS ParentVUE. Log in to the platform and click “Report Absence.” Partial day absences and changes of transportation should still be reported directly to our front office.
☑️ Review and Submit Immunization Forms
Parents/caregivers can check their child’s immunization compliance and submit immunization records in SIS ParentVUE. Records may also be delivered to our front office.
If needed, families may also provide other immunization documentation including a health care provider’s written statement of a permanent or temporary medical exemption or a notarized Religious Exemption Form.
Please visit the FCPS How to Submit Immunization Documentation webpage for step-by-step instructions on how to submit each of these items.
🔍 See Where Your Child Goes Online With Lightspeed
Parents can access their child’s activity on FCPS devices through 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 their child visited.
The report also offers parents the ability to sign up for 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.
Updated Special Education and 504 Handbooks
The Department of Special Services has updated and translated key resources to help our families of students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and/or Section 504 Plan.
These resources help family and staff understand procedures, rights, and processes. Find additional information on Special Education Instruction and the Family Academy: Resources to Support Special Education and 504 Plans pages.
Mark Your Calendar
August 29-September 1: Holiday (Labor Day Break)
Tuesday, September 9: Student Holiday
Wednesday, September 10: Back to School Night 5:30-7:15 PM
PreK-6 Back to School Night for Parents and Caregivers
Session 1 - 5:30-6:15 PM
Session 2 - 6:20-7:05 PM (repeat of session 1)
Wednesday, September 17th: 3 hour early release for K-6th grade students
Wednesday, September 24th: Advanced Academics Overview and PTA Meeting
- 5:00 p.m. Advanced Academics Overview for Families (Cafeteria)
- 6:00 p.m. PTA Meeting (Cafeteria)
Be sure to bookmark the FCPS school year calendar to keep track of school holidays, breaks, and observances.
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
Ivy Jun-school counselor
Laurel Hanlon-school social worker
Emily Oliver-school psychologist
☎️ 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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