Tuesday Terragram March 10

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 03/10/2026 03:35 PM EDT

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Dear Terraset Families,

As you likely know, next Wednesday, 3/18 we will have our next 3 hour early release.  Please be sure to check your email today for this month’s early release dismissal confirmation for your child/ren.  Students will follow their typical Wednesday dismissal routes unless a change in dismissal form has been submitted. Any changes should be made by no later than Friday, March 13th.  It will be very difficult to navigate dismissal changes on the 18th.  Our priority is to get every Tiger home safely at the correct time.

Also this week we will host our next Virtual Parent/Principal Coffee on Friday, March 13 at 9:45 AM. We hope you’ll join us for this opportunity to connect and ask questions. To attend, please register in advance using this link: 👉 Zoom Registration Link . Once you complete the registration, you’ll receive a confirmation email with your unique link to join the Zoom meeting.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership and support of our home-school connection. Our children thrive when we partner together!

Warmly, 

Katie Aldridge, Principal

Dave Ickowski, Assistant Principal

 📚Yearbook Orders

Celebrate the memories of the 2025–2026 school year with a Terraset Elementary School yearbook!

Yearbooks are available for $13.00 and must be ordered by April 10, 2026. Quantities are limited, so be sure to place your order on time to guarantee your copy.

Families can order online at www.strawbridge.net using the school’s online code: YB35615, or return the completed order form to school. Don’t miss this opportunity to capture the smiles, friendships, and special moments from this school year!

🔬STEAM Night Volunteers Needed!

STEAM Night will be held on Thursday, March 19 6:00-7:30pm. The Children's Science Center is hosting many hands-on activities in the gym and cafeteria! We need staff volunteers to help lead stations. All supplies/equipment are provided; volunteers will just be asked to supervise stations. We need a minimum of 20 volunteers. 

Please direct your questions to Courtney Wiley at clwiley@fcps.edu. Thank you SO MUCH for volunteering! 

Sign up here!

💻New Visitor Management System

We are excited to announce that our school is now using the new Raptor Visitor Management System (VMS). This upgrade is part of our school’s and FCPS’ ongoing commitment to enhancing school safety and streamlining the process for visitors at our school. The VMS ensures that no visitor is on the sex offender registry. 

For most visitors, the user experience will be the same when you check-in at the front office.

But now there is also an app, which can make check-in’s even faster at school. Visitors who choose to download the RaptorSafe App and create a Raptor Passport can pre-verify their information before they get to school. The app will give you a QR code you can use when you check-in at school. 

If you have questions or need assistance with the new system, please contact our front office. Thank you for your partnership in keeping our schools safe!

📝Learn About Kindergarten at Terraset

Our kindergarten orientation is being held on April 10th at 10:30 a.m. to give parents of students entering school in August an opportunity to learn more about kindergarten at our school. 

We recognize that parents are their children’s first teachers. Resources on the School Readiness and Transition to Kindergarten webpage provide parents with ways to support their children to help ensure a smooth transition to kindergarten. 

There’s also an easy-to-follow five-step process outlined for registering your child for kindergarten. Register your child today! Contact our registrar, Shannon Johnson with any questions.

🎼5th and 6th Grade Chorus Members

Sign up to sing the National Anthem at the Basketball Challenge on March 26th at the South Lakes HS gym. Please fill out this Google Form: https://forms.gle/SihMmVA7zg9TGNPV8 . All info/details inside. If a student is playing in the game or cheering, they may also sing with us! Please still sign up with the form so we can get a headcount. See you at the game!! Mr. Andert & Ms. Hovell

🌞Prepare for Summer Learning and Fun for Students

Registration is open or will be available soon for summer camps and learning opportunities offered by Fairfax County Public Schools for all students. 

Career and Technical Education and Institute for the Arts Camps

Career and Technical Education camps and Institute for the Arts camps will be held in July at Robinson Secondary School from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bus transportation will be available from select FCPS middle and high schools. Tuition assistance is available to FCPS families eligible for free or reduced meals.

Tech Adventure Camp (TAC) is a week-long exploratory camp that allows current K-5 students to explore STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math), culinary, health, trades, and business and marketing areas. Watch this video about CTE camps. Registration is open through Friday, June 5.

Elementary Institute for the Arts (E-IFTA) is a weekly fine and performing arts camp for students in grades K-5 who love to sing, dance, act, perform, make, and create. Students attend four daily classes in dance, music, theater, and visual arts and work with experienced educators who create engaging, fun classes. 

New this year: Students in the above camps can also register for aftercare, which is available from 2 to 5 p.m.

🤝2026 Special Education Family Conference: Rescheduled

FCPS’ 2026 Special Education Family Conference has been rescheduled to Saturday, April 18, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Marshall High School. Updated conference details are now available on the Special Education Family Conference webpage. Please register for the event. If you registered before, please re-register for the new date. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this date change may cause and appreciate your understanding.

📋Family Engagement Survey

FCPS is administering our Family Engagement Survey, which will be open from Monday, March 9, to Monday, March 23. Your feedback is critical in helping us to better recognize, understand, respect, and address family strengths and needs in our schools. 

Survey topics include:

  • Welcoming environment.
  • Communication.
  • Student success.
  • Advocacy.
  • Family and school partnerships.
  • Community partnerships.

The survey will be available in English, Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Pashto, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese. 

Parents/caregivers will receive a survey link via email from FCPS on March 9. A survey link will also be posted on FCPS’ website. Paper surveys will be available at each school. Please stay tuned for more information.

🗣️Community Conversations: Share Your Thoughts With Dr. Reid

As a listening leader, connecting with community members across our school division is critical to Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid. Dr. Reid’s Community Conversations are opportunities for you to share your thoughts and ask questions. Events will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. (unless otherwise noted) on: 

Child care and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all. Visit the superintendent’s engagement page for the most up-to-date information.

🚸Pre-K and Early Head Start 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 who will be 3 years old by September 30 of the same year.
  • Early Head Start is located at three elementary schools — Clearview, Crestwood, and Dogwood — and accepts applications from pregnancy to 2 years old.

Families are encouraged to apply as soon as possible; space is limited and provided based on need, not on a first-come, first-served basis.

Applications are accepted online, by email, by mail, or in person at the program 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).

🏫South Lakes Pyramid-Wide PSTA Meeting

The South Lakes High School PTSA is opening its March 18th meeting (7:00-8:30 pm) to all schools in the South Lakes pyramid, in collaboration with Melanie Meren, Hunter Mill District Representative on the Fairfax County School Board. 

  • Connect with others in our Reston school communities
  • Learn from a guest speaker about technology in education, Keena McAvoy, of DMV Unplugged
  • Engage with your School Board Member, Melanie Meren 

For questions, please contact huntermillstaff@fcps.edu.

🐯PTO News

Please be sure to check your student’s Tuesday folder and subscribe to our weekly PTO news email for more information about all PTO-related activities!

  • Tiger Clubs Registration Is Now Open: Visit https://www.homeroom.com/sites/terraset-elementary-reston/enrichment to register your student. Registration will close on March 23, or when clubs fill up. Clubs will begin after Spring Break. All the details you need about each club and the season are on Homeroom.com.
  • A limited number of tiger clubs scholarships are still available. If you’d like to request financial assistance, please send your student’s name and the club they would like to Mrs. Chavez at imchavezotoy@fcps.edu as soon as possible. Thank you.

🏫FCPS News

In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:

  • School Board Adopts Budget
  • New Date for Special Education Conference
  • Celebrating Our Schools

🐾P.A.W.S. (Parents Appreciating Wonderful Staff)

Have you seen a staff member go above and beyond for your family or student? Take a moment to fill out this quick form to let us know and say thank you! 

Click here to tell us about a PAWSitively amazing staff member! 

🗓️TES Looking Ahead:

  • Friday, March 13- Principal Coffee (virtual) @ 9:45 a.m.
  • Wednesday, March 18- 3-hr Early Release
  • Thursday, March 19- Terraset STEAM Night @ 6:00-7:30 p.m.
  • Friday, March 20- No School (Nowruz)
  • Thursday, March 26- Terraset Basketball Challenge
  • Monday, March 30 - Friday, April 3 - Spring Break/No School
  • Monday, April 6 - No School (Teacher Workday)
  • Friday, April 10 - No School (Teacher Workday)
  • Friday, April 10- Kindergarten Orientation @ 10:30 a.m.

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