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Principal's Message

Greetings Tiger Families!

Welcome back from what I hope was a restful and fun spring break! We enthusiastically started 4th quarter this week and it is hard to believe there are only 45 days left in the 2025-26 school year. I feel that the “A” in April stands for “appreciation” as there are a number of local and national recognitions to celebrate during this month.

This week has been National Assistant Principals Week, a time to recognize the vital role assistant principals play in our schools. Thank you so much for all that you do Ms. Cuevas-Mehra, Ms. Montgomery, Mr. Orenstein, Ms. Roddey and Mr. Fitzgerald (who isn’t technically an assistant principal, but as Director of Student Services, he does a lot of assistant principal things)! At Twain our assistant principals go above and beyond each day to ensure our schools are places where students thrive, and staff feel valued. Their tireless commitment, leadership, and compassion are foundational to our mission, and we’re proud to honor them this week.

Wednesday was also Paraprofessional Appreciation Day. Thank you to our instructional assistants, public health training attendants, and public health attendants who directly support our students in countless ways each and every day!

Finally, April is School Library Month, and April 3rd was School Librarian Day. Ms. Howard and Ms. Silver, our dedicated librarians, help our students develop knowledge and skills, experience a sense of belonging, find inspiration and support, and freely pursue their personal interests and academic growth. Our library truly is a place where all students are welcomed and supported!

Have a wonderful weekend and Go Tigers!

Sincerely,

Matt

Twain’s Weekly Schedule 

Monday, April 13: Anchor Day Schedule

Tuesday, April 14: Odd Day Schedule

Wednesday, April 15: Even Day Schedule

Thursday, April 16: Odd Day Schedule

Friday, April 17: Even Day Schedule

After School Program

Calendar Reminders

School Planning Day

Friday, April 10, is a school planning day. There will be no school for students.

Theravada New Year (Observance Day)

Thursday, April 16, is Theravada New Year. FCPS has designated this day as a religious and cultural observance day. Observance days are regular school days with no mandatory tests, field trips, or major events.

April Statewide Election: No School for Students

There will be no school for students on Tuesday, April 21, for the Virginia statewide election. Student activities, athletic practices, and events may proceed as scheduled. 

FCPS will offer lunch and a snack at no cost to children aged 18 and under on Tuesday, April 21, at participating schools. The meals must be eaten on site, and enrichment activities will be available for the children. For more information, visit the FCPS Food and Nutrition Services webpage. 

See the complete school year calendar.

Teacher Job Fair: Join Team FCPS!  

Interested in becoming an educator? FCPS will be hosting an in-person instructional job fair on Saturday, April 11, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Lake Braddock Secondary School. There will be networking and interviewing opportunities with representatives from FCPS schools. Learn more about the job fair and register to attend (required).

Support Military Children on Purple Up! Day

To show our support for all our military-connected families, we are inviting all Twain Middle School students, families, staff, and community members to “Purple Up!” on Wednesday, April 15, for military children.

Why purple? Purple symbolizes all branches of the military as a combination of Army green, Marine Corps red, and the blue of the Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, and Space Force.

April Is Month of the Military Child

Twain welcomes all of our new and returning military-connected families throughout the year. We are so very proud to be a Virginia Distinguished Purple Star School in recognition of our support for Twain military connected students. Whether your family is moving permanently to the school district or living here for a short time, our schools and support staff will welcome you and will assist with your transition into or out of our district. Watch this message from Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid about the Month of the Military Child. 

Visit the FCPS Military Families webpage and sign up to receive the Military Families newsletter. Follow our FCPS Military Families accounts on Facebook and Instagram for support and resources. If you have questions, please email our Family and School Partnerships team.

Educate Fairfax Student Bookmark Art Contest – “Today’s Reader, Tomorrow’s Leader”

Educate Fairfax, the 501(c)3 education foundation that partners with the community to support Fairfax County Public Schools students and educators, is launching a divisionwide Student Bookmark Art Contest during March. FCPS students in grades K–12 are invited to design a 2” x 7” bookmark celebrating the power of learning and creativity under the theme “Today’s Reader, Tomorrow’s Leader.”

Artwork must be original, flat (no glitter or pop-ups), and include the student’s name, grade, and school on the back. Entries will be judged on creativity, connection to the theme, and overall effort. Four winners (K–2, 3–6, middle, and high) will each receive a $25 gift card, and winning designs will be printed and shared in schools and the community. This initiative supports FCPS Goal 3 by promoting literacy and student engagement.

Entries are due Friday, April 17, 2026. Submissions may be mailed to Educate Fairfax (8270 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive, Fairfax, VA 22031), emailed to info@educatefairfax.org, or sent via pony mail. By submitting, students confirm FCPS enrollment and grant permission for printing and promotion (first name and grade only; parent/guardian signature required for winners).

Please click this link for instructions: Educate Fairfax Bookmark Contest Flyer and Instructions.

Required Immunizations for Rising 7th Graders

As required by the Code of VA, parents or legal guardians need to provide proof of immunizations for their child to attend at a Virginia public school.

In addition, all students entering 7th grade are required to receive one dose of each of the following immunizations: 

• Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis booster (Tdap) given at age 7 or older; 
• Meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY) given at age 10 or older;  
• A complete series of 2 doses of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. 

o After reviewing educational materials approved by the Board of Health, the parent or guardian, at the parents or guardians sole discretion, may elect for the child not to receive the HPV vaccine.

Parents and guardians are encouraged to plan ahead by scheduling an appointment with your child’s healthcare provider now to avoid the rush this summer. Immunization appointments are available. Inspire Health Alliance will be providing immunizations for currently enrolled FCPS students at no out-of-pocket cost. Visit the Inspire Immunization Events Student Registration webpage to schedule an appointment.

Please review the Virginia Department of Health Information Packet (PDF) for more information on rising 7th grade immunization requirements.

Additional Immunization Resources are also available.

Help FCPS Sustain Excellence: Make Your Voice Heard on the FY 2027 Budget

About 70% of the FCPS budget comes from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. There are several upcoming opportunities to provide feedback to the county on its budget before final adoption in May. This includes public budget hearings (April 14-16) and an online survey.

Learn how the FCPS budget helps us sustain our excellence.

National Arab American Heritage Month

FCPS is proud to celebrate National Arab American Heritage Month in April. This special month provides an opportunity to recognize the history and valuable contributions of Arab Americans.

Arab Americans have ancestry in one of the world’s 22 Arab nations, which are located from northern Africa through western Asia. The people of these nations are ethnically, politically, and religiously diverse but share a common cultural and linguistic heritage.

Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS.

Morning Attendance Notifications Will Continue During Spring Assessments

Morning attendance calls, texts, and e-mail notifications will continue throughout the AP, IB, and SOL testing windows for middle and high schools this spring. 

The purpose of continuing these notifications is to prioritize student safety and timely notification of families regarding student absences.  Schools will follow standard attendance procedures and record student attendance throughout the testing windows.  In middle and high schools, morning attendance notifications will be delayed by one hour during the AP, IB, and SOL testing windows to allow additional time to take attendance.  Evening attendance notification will continue as normally scheduled. 

Elementary schools are not impacted by the delay of morning attendance notifications during testing windows. 

The dates during which morning attendance notifications will be delayed are as follows:

• High School and Middle School: Morning notifications will be delayed by one hour from April 24 through June 3, 2026.

• Elementary School: No change to morning notifications.

AVID Chipotle Fundraiser

Support Twain AVID by eating at the Kingstowne Chipotle on Saturday, April 11th between 5:00 and 9:00 PM! Our program receives 25% of event sales which will help fund transportation for spring college visits. Order online for pickup using CODE DQEY7DQ or show this AVID Chipotle flyer in the restaurant. We appreciate your support!

AVID 8 University of Richmond Transportation Fundraiser

A tenet of the AVID program is to create an environment where students engage in authentic experiences leading to college readiness. A college visit in middle school prepares students for academic planning in high school and informs them about resources like financial aid and scholarship opportunities. Stepping onto a college campus helps our middle schoolers visualize their future as college students—a goal for all our Twain AVID scholars!

Twain’s AVID 8 students were invited to visit the University of Richmond this April, but we need help fundraising for a charter bus. We are looking to raise up to $2000 to cover the cost of transportation. Donations can be through MySchoolBucks.  We appreciate any help you can provide! If you have questions about this fundraiser, please contact Kate Balderston at kebalderston@fcps.edu.

NJHS Spring Service Project

NJHS is Collecting items to make Birthday Cake Kits for Local Food Pantries. We need to collect: 

• Cake Mixes
• Frosting
• Sprinkles
• Candles
• 9x13 Aluminum Pans

We will be collecting these items between Tues. April 7th-Fri April 17th. Donation boxes will be in the Cafeteria and Main Office. Thank you for helping us collect these items, because everyone deserves to celebrate a Birthday!

3rd Quarter Level Up Your Reading: THE XP Challenge Awards

The Twain XP Reading Challenge is underway!  Over 50 students and 4 teachers are already leveling up their reading every single week. And remember – you can still join at any time this year, so it’s not too late to get started.

For 3rd quarter, we recognized students with the most total reading minutes and the most weekly reading check-ins. 

First up – our top readers in 8th grade, for most minutes read overall: London S, Helen B, Sadie J, Mackenzie D, and Zahra A. Great job, 8th grade!

Now – our top readers in 7th grade:  Jonathan A, Logan A, Sabawoon T, Grace H, and Cooper S.  Awesome work 7th grade!

Each week, students checked in with the librarians to share how many minutes they read and to talk about their books.  A big shout-out to the students who completed every single check-in during 3rd quarter: Sabawoon T, Jonathan A, Sadie J, Grace H, and Cooper S.  Congratulations!

All these students were highlighted on the new show on before Spring Break and can pick up their prizes in the library.

Get ready for Fiction in 4th quarter! Join the Twain XP Reading Challenge. Keep reading! 

Edison High School Theatre Spring Play News! 

April 15-17, at 7 pm, and April 18, at 1 pm, Edison Theatre presents the classic American comedy “You Can’t Take it with You.” The Sycamore family and their wacky hobbies clash with the I.R.S., stuck-up rich people, and even the F.B.I in this comedy by Hart and Kaufman. A talented cast of 30 with an amazing crew will bring smiles to your face for only four performances. 

For students and families of Twain MS, we offer 50% off both adult tickets ($7.50) and student/senior citizens ($5) using promo code “Twain25.”  staff can reserve their complimentary ticket with promo code “Eagles.” All seats are general admission.

Go to Edison Theatre eTix to buy tickets in advance or report 30 minutes before showtime for each performance.

TJHSST Techstravaganza 2026

Tomorrow’s Women in Science and Technology (TWIST), a student organization at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST), invites Twain students to attend their Techstravaganza on Saturday, May 16, from 10 am - 4 pm at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, 6560 Braddock Road, Alexandria, VA 22312.

Techstravaganza is a free, public, hands-on STEM activity fair for elementary and middle school students in Northern Virginia. In previous years, the event hosted more than 4,500 students and 70 labs presenting STEM activities. Exhibitors range from TJHSST clubs and TWIST volunteers to organizations like NASA SCaN, Art of Problem Solving, George Mason University, American Society of Naval Engineers, and the National Air and Space Museum. Admission is free and interested students can register with the TJHSST Techstravaganza 2026 Registration Form. 

More information about the event can be found on our website on the Techstravaganza 2026 website or TJ Partnership fund website.

Techstravaganza flyer - English

Techstravaganza flyer - Spanish

4700 Franconia Rd, Alexandria, VA 22310  |  Main: 703.313.3700
Attendance: 703.313.3737 | After-School Program: 703.313.3711
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