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Terra Centre Families,
We have much to be thankful for and proud of at Terra Centre! We are truly overwhelmed by the spirit of giving shown by our generous community. You raised over $2,800 in gift cards to support fellow Terra Centre students and families.
A heartfelt thank you to all the veterans and active-duty military personnel who shared their time with us for our Veterans Day parade and classroom visits. Students and staff appreciated the opportunity to hear your stories, ask questions, and learn from your experiences.
Thank you to all of our amazing cafeteria staff, parent volunteers, and attendees for making our annual Thanksgiving Lunch such a wonderful success! We loved seeing so many families enjoying lunch with our students.
Please join us in congratulating Laure Grove, Terra Centre Pre-K Teacher, on her national nomination for Best of Green Schools: K to 12 Educator! Ms. Grove, our incredible Get2Green Lead, is spearheading our school's sustainability work. Her commitment recently brought WTOP to Terra Centre to feature her efforts! Be sure to check out the inspiring story on WTOP's Webpage and Instagram.
As a reminder, school is closed Wednesday, November 26 - Friday, November 28 for the Thanksgiving holiday. Please take a moment to read through the updates and reminders that follow.
Rebecca Gidoni, Principal
Tim Signorelli, Assistant Principal
Important Reminders
Window for Full-Time AAP Referrals Closes on December 15
Parents and guardians of students in Grades 2-7 who would like their student to be considered for full-time Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) services must submit the AAP Full-Time Referral Form to Hannah Roukas (hbroukas@fcps.edu) no later than December 15, 2025.
Each year, families can submit a referral for Full-Time AAP services any time from the first day of school through December 15. No late referrals for Full-Time AAP services will be accepted.
Once a referral is received, our school will compile information related to the student. Then, a committee of six trained professionals from across the county will review materials to determine eligibility for full-time AAP services.
Next Steps for Parents
Eligibility decisions are communicated by early April. Parents may request a copy of their child’s materials after February 20, 2026, by emailing Hannah Roukas at hbroukas@fcps.edu.
At the elementary level, referrals for subject-specific and part-time AAP are screened by the school. If you miss the full-time referral deadline, your student can still be screened for subject-specific or part-time AAP services for the remainder of the year.
At the middle school level, honors courses are open to all students.
For more information, please visit the Advanced Academic Programs website.
Fall Book Fair
Our Fall 2025 Scholastic Book Fair is coming soon, and we need your help to make it great! We need help during the school day with Set Up & Classroom Previews on November 24-25, as well as during our Sales Week on December 1-5. We will also need some help in the evening of December 4 for our Book Fair Family Night! If you are able to help with any of those dates, please sign up using the following link: TC Fall Book Fair Sign-Up Genius. If you have any questions, please reach out to our book fair coordinator and school librarian, Allison Petruzzellis, at aepetruzzell@fcps.edu. Thanks for your help to make this a fun event for our students!
Mark Your Calendar
Wednesday-Friday, November 26-28: Thanksgiving Holiday (no school)
Monday-Friday, December 1-5: Scholastic Book Fair
Thursday, December 4:
- 5:30-7:30 Family Book Fair Night
- 5:30-6:00 2nd Grade Family Dance Night
- 6:15-6:45 3rd Grade Family Dance Night
Wednesday, December 10: 5:30 p.m. Winter Band Concert
Thursday, December 11: 5:30 p.m. Winter Strings Concert
Monday, December 15: Full-Time AAP Referral Deadline (Grades 2-7)
Wednesday, December 17: 3-Hour Early Release for K-6th grade students (12:25 p.m. dismissal)
Friday, December 19: SCA Spirit Day - Pajama Day
Monday, December 22-Friday, January 2: Winter Break (no school)
Be sure to bookmark the FCPS school year calendar to keep track of school holidays, breaks, and observances.
PTA News
PTA Website
https://terracentrepta.givebacks.com/
PTA Parents Night Out - Game Night at iCode
- Date: Friday, December 5
- Time: 6:00-8:30 p.m.
- Cost: $30 per student
- Location: iCode in Burke
- Click Here to Register
Visit the Terra Centre All Parents Course in Schoology for the Flier
Community News
Robinson SGA Parents Night Out
- Date: Friday, December 12
- Time: 5:00-8:30 p.m.
- Location: Robinson Secondary - Door 3 - Davala Hall
- Entry Fee: $15 - Pay on My School Bucks
Visit the Terra Centre All Parents Schoology Course for the Flier and Form
Robinson Annual Christmas Tree Stand
The 34th Annual Robinson Christmas Tree Stand officially opens on Saturday, November 22 at 9 AM. All money raised goes to support Robinson Baseball.
The tree stand is located at Robinson Secondary on the outdoor basketball courts. Your tree will be fresh cut, netted, and loaded into your car at no extra charge. Prices vary depending upon size, quality, and availability.
Stand Hours:
Monday-Friday: 5 - 8 PM
Saturday: 9 AM - 8 PM
Sunday: 10 AM - 7 PM
Closed: Nov. 26 and Nov. 27
Friday, Nov. 28: 9 AM - 8 PM
Payment:
Only Cash or Checks made payable to "Robinson Secondary School" are accepted—no credit cards.
FCPS News
📓 Help Us Write FCPS' Next Chapter: Fiscal Year 2027 Budget
There’s a story behind the success of every FCPS student — a story about what’s possible with the appropriate funding for world-class teachers, rigorous academics, and future-ready learning experiences. At FCPS, student success starts with a strong budget!
FCPS is currently developing the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget, which is for the 2026-27 school year. In January, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid will present a proposed budget to the School Board.
During this process, we’ll be sharing FCPS’ budget story with you. The different chapters will explain the impact of chronic underfunding, why strong funding benefits all of Fairfax County, what’s at stake when FCPS schools don’t get the support we need, and more.
We invite you to follow along and learn how you can help write our next chapter!
✅ Please Return Your Federal Impact Aid Survey
FCPS is asking all families to complete 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 the survey as soon as possible.
Our school will provide paper forms to families who have not completed the survey in ParentVUE. For more information, please visit the Federal Impact Aid Survey page or watch this video about why Impact Aid matters.
Register for ParentVUELearn how to activate your SIS ParentVUE account, so you can easily submit your survey and have access to other helpful information about your child’s education at FCPS.
Action Required! Update Your Permission for Google Tools
Google recently made changes to how educational applications are managed and accessed on the Chrome Browser and Chromebooks. Many applications are moving from the Chrome Web Store to the Google Play Store.
To ensure your student(s) can continue accessing all approved instructional tools, FCPS has updated its digital consent platform to include both the Chrome Web Store and the Google Play Store.
Please review and provide your consent for these two new options through our easy-to-use Parent Digital Consent system:
- Additional Google Services – Chrome Web Store
- Additional Google Services – Google Play Store
Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting safe and effective digital learning experiences for all students.
For questions or support, please visit FCPS’ Family Technology Resources page or open a ticket with the Technical Support desk.
Monitoring Support for Your Child in ParentVUE
All FCPS schools use an approach called Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to make sure every student gets the help they need to learn.
MTSS helps school teams deliver high-quality instruction for all students and provide extra time, support, and interventions as needed. Families are partners in this process. We will share information about your child’s individual learning, needs, and progress.
You may view your child's intervention plans and progress in SIS ParentVUE. Expect progress to be updated quarterly, with report card due dates.
Social and Emotional Learning Screener: Parent Reports
Students in grades 3-12 took the SEL Screener last month, providing information on skills like achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships, and making responsible decisions. The screener also asks students how well their school community makes them feel valued, included, and supported.
Individual student SEL Screener results will be available to families in the Documents section of SIS ParentVUE the week of November 17. For families who do not have an active ParentVUE account, results will be shared by our school.
For support in understanding your individual student’s results or for ideas on how to support them at home, please review the Family Guide or reach out to school staff.
Manage Your Child’s Screen Time on FCPS Devices
FCPS offers the Lightspeed Parent Portal to help you manage screen time on your child's FCPS device at home. With a Parent Portal account, you can control your child’s access to YouTube and pause website browsing during after-school hours.Please note that parent controls are active only during after-school hours, defined as Monday through Friday from 3:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. (including student holidays) and all day Saturday and Sunday.
If you haven't signed up for the portal yet, use the link at the bottom of your weekly Lightspeed Online Student Activity Report email. To learn more, please visit the Lightspeed Parent Portal page on the FCPS website.
❄️ Prepare for Winter Weather
Winter weather will be here before you know it! Watch this video to see how weather closing decisions are made at FCPS.
FCPS’ website is generally the first place to find out about emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible, including email, text, social media, the new FCPS mobile app, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated.
Be sure to plan for the winter season. Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, bookmark the FCPS website, and arrange emergency child care if needed.
⛄ Keep Your Child Warm During Outdoor Activities
We will monitor the weather for low temperatures, wind chill advisories and warnings, and weather advisories that may prevent children from being outside. Make sure your child is dressed appropriately with a warm coat and other cold-weather clothing, so they can comfortably enjoy their time outdoors. View the National Weather Service’s tips on staying safe during cold weather.
If you need assistance getting cold-weather clothing for your family, please call Fairfax County Coordinated Services Planning (CSP) at 703-222-0880. Their multilingual staff can assist with any challenges you are facing, including food, shelter, employment, financial assistance, and health.
Volunteer FCPS Helps Community Members Connect With Schools
The new volunteer management system, Volunteer FCPS, allows individuals to search and register for volunteer opportunities at our school or across the school district.
Volunteer FCPS is how FCPS provides a safe, consistent, and welcoming environment at all of our schools. Anyone interested in volunteering with FCPS must:
- Create a profile in Volunteer FCPS.
- Register for opportunities through Volunteer FCPS.
- Sign in and out of schools using the visitor kiosk on EVERY visit – no exceptions.
Recent Updates to Volunteer Opportunity Levels
Due to the overwhelming response, FCPS is temporarily pausing fingerprint requirements for most Level 3 volunteers. Those who have already been fingerprinted will be processed to be eligible for all Level 3 opportunities.
Field trip chaperone opportunities will now be classified as Level 2 (not requiring a comprehensive background check that includes fingerprinting).
To ensure continuous safety, all new volunteers are required to sign a Volunteer Certification Statement. This statement is a legal confirmation that you have no history of violent felonies, physical or sexual crimes against children, or crimes of moral turpitude (dishonesty, fraud, things that are immoral by society’s standards).
Visit the Volunteer FCPS website to complete a volunteer orientation. View Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about the volunteer levels.
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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