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Terra Centre's Back to School Night is Wednesday, September 10th! Scroll down for details.
Terra Centre Families,
As a reminder, today is the special election in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District. Because more than half of our schools serve as polling locations, all FCPS schools are closed on September 9th, 2025. For additional information, please see Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid’s message about this change to the 2025-26 school year calendar.
We are looking forward to seeing parents and caregivers at Back to School Night tomorrow, September 10th. Scroll down for additional details regarding the event. Please note that parking is limited and you might want to consider walking or carpooling.
Our first Early Release Wednesday is on September 17th for K-6 students only. To ensure student safety, we need all families complete the Terra Centre Early Release Form for each of their children so staff can confirm that students are dismissed at the correct time using the identified dismissal method.
Please scroll down to review important information and reminders.
Rebecca Gidoni, Principal
Tim Signorelli, Assistant Principal
Important Reminders
Back to School Night for Preschool – 6th Grade
Wednesday, September 10
5:30 - 7:15 p.m.
Parents/Caregivers of students in Preschool – 6th grade are invited to join their child's teacher at Terra Centre on Wednesday, September 10, to learn about their child's classroom experience, grade level curriculum, and other important school year details.
Session 1: 5:30-6:15 PM (classrooms)
Session 2: 6:20-7:05 PM (classrooms – repeat of session 1)
Specialists will be available in their classrooms, and our PTA and community groups will be located near Door 1.
Additionally, our PTA has arranged for two childcare options at iCode or InCourage (not affiliated with Terra Centre or FCPS). Please see below for more information.
Advanced Academics Parent Overview
Our Advanced Academics Resource Teacher, Hannah Roukas, will be hosting an Overview of the Advanced Academic Program of services in Fairfax County again. This session will cover the services offered from Kindergarten through 12th grade. We encourage you to join us and bring your questions. We’ll meet on Wednesday, September 24, 2025 in the cafeteria at 5pm. The PTA meeting will follow.
2025-2026 Early Wednesday Release Dates:
- September 17
- October 15
- November 19
- December 17
- February 25
- March 25
- April 29
- May 20
To ensure student safety, we need all families complete the Terra Centre Early Release Form for each of their children so staff can confirm that students are dismissed at the correct time using the identified dismissal method.
September is Attendance Awareness Month
The beginning of the school year is the best time to develop strong attendance habits! Students who attend school regularly are more likely to perform well in reading and math, develop strong social and emotional skills, and graduate from high school on time. Help prepare your child for future success. Visit FCPS’ Attendance webpage for tips and strategies.
Understanding the SIS Attendance Codes:
- EXC-Excused Absence; Examples: student illness, death in the family, medical procedure, injury, temporary student or family hardship, etc.
- UNX-Unexcused Absence; Absences in which student whereabouts are unknown
- UNL-Unexcused Locally Absence; Absences where student whereabouts are known or supported by the parent, but administration or local policy still deems the absence unexcused Examples: student shopping with parent; student and family away for vacation; student participating in other non-school activities during school hours.
- EXT-Excused Tardy; Student was not present in their classroom at the start of the school day (9:10), but has a valid reason for being late
- UNT-Unexcused Tardy; Student was not present in their classroom at the start of the school day (9:10) for an acceptable reason
- REL-Religious Holiday; Absence for religious holiday or cultural observance -parent notification required
Preschool and Kindergarten Color Days
Save the Date - Field Day!
Terra Centre's Field Day is coming up! Mark your calendars to come and volunteer on Wednesday, October 1st! Field Day is a day filled with collaborative activities that promote building a strong, positive school community. Students will participate with their homeroom class. Keep your eye out for more information and volunteer opportunities coming soon from our PE teacher, Mr. Totten.
SEL Screener Parent Notification and Updates
The Fall Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener will be administered to students in grades 3 through 12 in October.
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. This gives students a way to share how well their school community makes them feel valued, included, and supported.
After each screening, results are available in the Documents tab of SIS ParentVUE and mailed to families without a ParentVUE account. For more information including SEL Screener questions and opt-out information, please visit FCPS’ Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage.
PTA News
Visit the new PTA Website
https://terracentrepta.givebacks.com/
🍂✨ Fall Clubs Are Coming! ✨🍂
We’re so excited to announce that PTA-sponsored Fall Clubs are back this year! Clubs will run between late September and early December and offer our students fun, friendship, and new experiences after school.
📚🎶⚡ Here’s what’s coming this fall:
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Tuesdays
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Wednesdays
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Thursdays
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Cozy Storytime (Grades 1-3)
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Gaga Ball (Grades 1-6)
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Piano (Grades 1-6)
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Running (Grades 4-6)
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Ukulele (Grades 1-6)
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Avid Readers (Grades 4-6)
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Crochet (Grades 5-6)
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Magic (Grades 2-6)
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Chess (Grades 1-6)
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Improv (Grades 3-6)
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Speed & Agility (Grades 3-6)
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📅 Important Details:
- No clubs on half-days or when school is closed to students.
- Pick-up is at 4:45 PM sharp. Students must be released to an adult— (no buses, kiss-n-ride, or walkers like end of day school dismissal)
- Families are key to making this possible! We need 2 parent/caregiver volunteers each day to help confirm attendance and float among clubs. Volunteers must: ✅ Be an FCPS Level 3 Volunteer (apply here) ✅ Be present from 3:30–4:50 PM 🎉 Bonus: Volunteers receive FREE student registration!
💡 This is a wonderful way to support our school, connect with students, and help make Fall Clubs a success!
👉 Stay tuned for registration details—coming soon on the PTA website, school newsletter and PTA/Grade Facebook pages!
Back to School Night Childcare Options
The PTA has organized childcare options for Back to School Night - see below. Please note that these materials are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the Fairfax County School Board, the Superintendent, or this school.
Mark Your Calendar
Tuesday, September 9: Student Holiday - Special Election (no school)
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
Tuesday, September 23rd: Holiday - Rosh Hashanah (no school)
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.
FCPS News
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- Safety Drills During the School Year
- Cell Phones Off, Learning On
- Attendance: Every Day Counts
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
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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