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10/29 3-Hours Early Release -Dismissal time 12:20pm
10/31 Book Character Day
End of 1st Quarter
2-Hour Early Student Release - Dismissal time 1:20 pm
11/03-04 Teacher Workday (No School)
11/05 Gr. 4 Field trip to Kennedy Center
11/06 Multicultural Night (ATES, 5:30pm – 7:30pm)
11/07 Gr.2 Field trip to National Zoo
Fall Picture Retake Day
Parent Night Out-PTA Sponsored Event
(ATES, 7:00pm – 9:00pm)
11/10 Family Food Market (3:45pm, Cafeteria)
11/11 Student Holiday-Veteran’s Day (No School)
11/12 3-Hours Early Release -Dismissal time 12:20pm
Quarter 1 Progress Reports Sent Home
11/20 Thanksgiving / Student Parent Luncheon
(Lunch time, Cafeteria)
11/21 Turkey Trot
11/26-28 Student Holiday-Thanksgiving (No School)
 Culturally Responsive Learning Environment Professional Development
Teachers engaged in professional learning focused on fostering inclusive and equitable classrooms. The session invited all staff members to explore and examine key concepts of cultural responsiveness, consider strategies for creating culturally responsive learning environments, and reflect on ways to incorporate these practices into daily instruction to support all learners. Thank you to Ms. Downs and Ms. Mensah for facilitating this important professional development.
Professional Development for Teachers
On Monday, October 13, 2025, teachers had the opportunity to choose from a variety of professional learning sessions designed to deepen their understanding and use of instructional resources. Each session focused on providing additional training and practical strategies to effectively support students in the classroom and enhance teaching and learning outcomes. A huge thank you to all of our facilitators: Ms. Fisher, Ms. Bloom, Ms, Barnes, Ms. Niehoff, Ms. Pezzuti, Ms. Richman, Ms. Raynor, Ms. Scher, Ms. Blackburn and Ms. Pecorara.
Tailgate Party
At Annandale Terrace, we continue our beloved tradition of hosting a tailgate party to celebrate our amazing teachers! Staff enjoyed a delicious lunch together followed by a lively cornhole tournament filled with laughter and friendly competition. This year’s champions were Ms. Roy and Ms. McHugh—congratulations! We also held a raffle, and the lucky winners were Ms. Hashimi, Ms. Rodriguez, and Ms. Mendez. A big thank-you to our Sunshine Committee, led by Ms. Halstead and Ms. Beiro, for organizing such a fun and spirited event for our staff!
 Nominate amazing ATES staff members!
FCPS has a special awards program to honor outstanding staff members. This can include classroom teachers, ESOL teachers, SPED teachers, Specialists (PE, Music, Art, etc…), Instructional Assistants and Instructional Leaders for each school. It’s a perfect way to celebrate any of our staff members to be recognized for all the amazing work they do each day.
If you would like to nominate anyone from ATES, please fill out this form no later than by October 31, 2025.
If you have any questions, send them to Essel Linton, Awards Liaison at elinton@fcps.edu
The nomination forms may be accessed through https://forms.gle/TPDY2qj8VyDaSdFf7
Dear ATES Parent/Caregiver,
The Early Release Wednesdays planned throughout the school year for elementary schools are essential to allow educators time for planning and professional development. Students will be dismissed 3 hours early eight times throughout the school year and are encouraged to return home via their normal route. However, we understand there may be a childcare hardship because of the early release Wednesdays for many of our families. To resolve these concerns, student supervision will be available for families who need it.
The following dates are planned for Early Release Wednesdays throughout the school year:
· October 29
· November 12
· December 10
· February 18
· March 18
· April 22
· May 13
To help plan for student supervision during the second early release Wednesday, please complete this form: https://forms.gle/zVrm5DZQXaE8ndXF6 as soon as possible for each of your children who are enrolled in grades K-5 at Annandale Terrace Elementary. If you have multiple children, you will need to submit multiple forms. Staff will confirm the after-school supervision plan for each student.
In addition, parents and caregivers also are encouraged to 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.
Please notify our front office at least one week in advance to ensure enough staff are available to provide supervision and ensure your child gets home safely on early release Wednesdays.
 Join us on Thursday, November 6th at 5:30 pm for Multicultural Night at Annandale Terrace ES to celebrate the richness of our schools' families and unity in our community.
PTA is planning to host the 1st "Parent Night Out" on Friday, November 7th from 7:00pm - 9:00pm. This is a fundraising event where parents can pay a small fee to drop off your children at ATES for 2 hours of supervised activities, while the parents get a night off. We will entertain your kids while you enjoy a break. All the proceeds will be donated to PTA to support the field trips and school events, etc. If you would like to participate, please RSVP via: https://forms.gle/KBtK1qeAxoFBmb4CA.
FCPS is asking all families to fill out a Federal Impact Aid Survey. The form is available in SIS ParentVUE under Online Packets, which is in the upper right corner of the screen after logging in. Please complete it as soon as possible. We will provide paper forms to families who have not completed the survey in ParentVUE starting Wednesday, November 12.
Completing this form for each school-aged child in every household is important. This year, FCPS expects to receive approximately $4 million in Impact Aid funding. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.
For more information, visit the Federal Impact Aid Survey page.
Register for ParentVUE
Learn how to activate your SISParentVUE account, so you can easily submit your survey and have access to other helpful information about your child.
Technical support for using ParentVUE or submitting the survey online is available by submitting a Parent Support Request ticket. Select SISParent in the Application dropdown menu and type “Federal Impact Aid Survey” in the Issue Description section. You may also call the Parent Technology Help Desk at 833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS).
The Gradebook in SIS ParentVUE and StudentVUE will be closed for the end of the first quarter from Friday, October 31, 4 p.m. to Monday, November 10, 6 a.m. Activate your ParentVUE account to easily access grade reports.
FCPS, in partnership with Inspire Health Alliance, will be providing school-required immunizations and optional flu shots for all FCPS students with no out-of-pocket costs. Immunization clinics will take place from 3 to 6:30 p.m. at Willow Oaks Administrative Center on:
- Thursday, November 6
- Tuesday, November 18
- Wednesday, November 19
- Thursday, November 20
A clinic will also take place at Frost Middle School on Saturday, November 15, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Additional dates will be made available throughout the school year.
Participation is voluntary. Parents or guardians may schedule an appointment for their student. Learn more about immunization resources.
Your voice matters, and Dr. Reid wants to hear from you! Parents are partners, working with us to set our students up for long-term success at school and in life.
A series of Community Conversations will be held across the school division to discuss current challenges and future opportunities. These events are also a chance for you to share your thoughts with Dr. Reid and ask her questions. Events are planned for the following dates from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. To register for the October 3 meeting, please click that date below. Registration links for the other dates will be available soon:
Child care and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all. Please check our website for updates.
Meeting the Moment: FCPS Forward — AI, a conversation with division leadership, which will take place Monday, November 3, from 6 to 8 p.m., at West Springfield High School. Attend to:
- Learn about the opportunities and challenges of AI in education.
- Explore how AI can support FCPS student achievement and workforce readiness.
- Engage in a thought-provoking panel and keynotes.
- Help shape the future of innovation at Fairfax County Public Schools.
Agenda details will be shared with registered participants in the coming weeks. Contact DITEvents@fcps.edu with any questions.
Each year, the School Board and FCPS staff members work with the community to develop an updated, five-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for school building and renovation projects. To develop the CIP, the school system assesses changes in expected enrollments, academic programs, and facility conditions to determine priorities for new construction, renovations, and other capital facility projects. The School Board then evaluates the affordability of these school needs against other countywide requirements to determine the bond proposal.
Because of this, while FCPS and the School Board generally try to follow the CIP, changes can be made year-over-year depending on the evolving needs of the school division.
The School Board is committed to protecting the community’s investment in schools and other buildings, which have a combined present value approaching $9 billion. Not only do these facilities wear out over time, but they also become outdated, both technologically and instructionally. FCPS renovates its schools to ensure that students, countywide, have effective and efficient learning environments to thrive and grow.
Read more about the FCPS 2025 Bond Referendum. Learn more about registering to vote. Make a voting plan and vote on Tuesday, November 4.
Do you have a question or concern about Fairfax County Public Schools, but you don’t know where to find the answer? Dawn Clements wants you to know you can ask her! Dawn’s mission as the FCPS Ombuds is to make it easier to understand the school system and help build trust within the community. In honor of Ombuds Day, learn more about Dawn Clements and the Ombuds Office.
You might notice that your student's progress report grades in English language arts (ELA) look a little different. This is happening because we've brought in a new curriculum and new ways to check on learning (assessments), and there are new state guidelines called the VDOE Standards of Learning.
FCPS is raising the bar and setting high goals! We are teaching and grading students on the big skills they need by the very end of the school year. Think of it like going on a journey. It’s challenging at first, but on your journey, you learn your way — and maybe even a few shortcuts!
First quarter grades may seem lower than usual as students work hard to reach grade-level mastery.
Please know that this is a positive, expected part of the learning journey. We are here to support every student as they grow and achieve. We are celebrating the effort and growth toward these new, higher standards!
Learn more about this change in ELA grading and reporting.
Contact: jastein@fcps.edu if you are interested to enroll your child (birth to age 5) in Wee Play Program.
  1) Log on https://www.strawbridge.net/
2) Click "Order Picturs & Yearbooks"
3) Enter the code "FM484802", and click "Find" to order
 The Annandale Terrace 2025-2026 Yearbook is now available for early bird pricing at just $16! Pre-order yours before prices go up after March 27, 2026. Secure those memories today! Visit https://www.strawbridge.net/ and enter code YB32302. The yearbooks will be distributed in June, 2026.
At Annandale Terrace Elementary School, 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 school 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.
 Please visit www.campussurvivalkits.com/ates to shop ATES customized apparel. A portion of all sales benefits the Annandale Terrace PTA — support your school while you shop!
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.
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.
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- ⏰ School Start Times Update
- 🎖️ 75% of FCPS Schools Recognized for Supporting Military Families
- Return Your Impact Aid Survey
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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