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Principals' Updates

Dear TLES Families,

We have officially completed our first week of school, and it has been a wonderful beginning to the 2026–2027 school year.

There have been so many firsts, so many connections, and so much learning already underway. Our Tigers have met new classmates, developed relationships with their teachers, learned new routines and expectations, and engaged in meaningful instruction from the very beginning.

While the first week may appear seamless to students and families, an extraordinary amount of work takes place behind the scenes. Our teachers have spent these first days learning students’ names and personalities, establishing classroom communities, teaching and practicing procedures, responding to individual needs, answering countless questions, and creating environments designed to support both learning and belonging. The intentionality and care with which our teachers approach this work is truly commendable.

We are incredibly proud of our staff and grateful for the commitment they bring to TLES each day. Their ability to balance the many demands of the opening days while maintaining a focus on relationships, instruction, and the individual needs of students speaks to the professionalism and dedication of our team.

Thank you, as well, to our families for your partnership and support as we begin the year. Your communication, encouragement, and trust are important parts of creating a successful school community.

One week is complete, and we have already accomplished so much. We look forward to all that we will continue to accomplish together throughout the year.

Thank you,

Ben Chiet, Sarah Buchanan & Lindsay Duch

🏫School Day Bell Schedule🔔

At TLES, our school day begins promptly at 8:50 AM and ends at 3:35 PM.

Morning Arrival: 8:30–8:50 AMOur front doors open at 8:30 AM each morning to begin student arrival. Please do not drop off your child unattended before 8:30 AM, as staff supervision is not available prior to that time. Extra staff members and patrols will be on hand during arrival to welcome students and provide additional assistance to our youngest learners.

All students should arrive between 8:30 and 8:50 AM and be inside the building no later than 8:50 AM. Arriving on time ensures that students can begin the day alongside their classmates, hear important updates from their teacher, and fully participate in our Morning Meeting classroom circles and discussions. These opening moments are an important part of building classroom community and preparing students for a successful day of learning.

At 8:50 AM, our front doors will close as the instructional day begins. Students arriving after 8:50 AM will be considered tardy. Parents/guardians must park, accompany their child into the building, and sign them in for attendance purposes.

Afternoon Dismissal: 3:35–3:50 PM. Dismissal begins each day at 3:35 PM and concludes promptly at 3:50 PM. If your child is picked up by car or by an authorized adult, please ensure that pickup occurs within this timeframe.

Thank you for helping us maintain safe, smooth arrival and dismissal routines while ensuring that every student is ready to begin the school day on time.

Transportation Patience and Safety

Thank you for your patience as we all get used to new routines this school year. We appreciate our families following Kiss and Ride procedures and being patient while waiting for your child’s bus. 

If your child’s bus is delayed, you may access the Bus Delay Notification System or use the Here Comes the Bus mobile app to receive the delayed bus report. Email messages will be sent to announce significant bus delays. Please contact the Transportation Office at [phone number] with any additional questions. For concerns after 5:30 p.m., contact the FCPS Office of Safety and Security at 571-423-2000. 

Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE to make sure you receive email messages about bus delays.

Student ID Cards for Bus Riders

We have distributed student ID cards to all our students who ride the school bus or use FCPS transportation services.

ID cards should be worn or attached to your child’s backpack and brought to the bus each day. Please ask your child to put their student ID card away until the end of the day.

Students who have student ID cards should begin tapping as they board and exit the bus. Only students who use FCPS transportation services will be provided with a student ID card at this time.

We ask for your patience! Bus drivers are checking in students and may need some extra time at each bus stop while they do this. The transportation team is working hard to minimize any potential delays.

Learn more about the bus navigation and student ID cards.

Everything You Need to Do in SIS ParentVUE

Are you working your way through back-to-school forms and checklists? Make sure you have a SIS ParentVUE account for your family and log in to find important forms and updates. 

• Be among the first to know about weather closings, bus delays, and other critical communications from your school and FCPS by providing your cell phone number and email in ParentVUE. To update your contact information in ParentVUE, click the “Online Packets” tab in the upper right of the screen, then click the “Online Verification/Update” icon. 

• Submit daylong absences by clicking “Report Absence.”

• Check your child’s immunization records and submit updates. Please visit the How to Submit Immunization Documentation webpage for step-by-step instructions. 

If you do not have a ParentVUE account, contact your child’s school for an activation code and follow the directions on the SIS ParentVUE Account webpage.

Remember to Complete Permission Forms for School Resources

Families can now easily grant consent for their children to access a variety of school resources through the Parent Digital Consent system. This online tool can be accessed using your SIS ParentVUE account login. Parents can easily opt their child in or out of a variety of resources, including online educational tools, school counseling services, and more.

Visit the Parent Digital Consent webpage to access the system. Watch this video to see how to use the tool. 

If you opt to have student devices go home, you must request a Laptop Take Home Permission Form from the school. 

🍽️Family Restaurant Night at Chipotle - Sept 1

Join the PTA for dinner at Chipotle in Falls Church (358 West Broad Street) from 4-8PM on Tuesday, September 1st. 

Order online for pickup using code: WWP2EBB or show the flyer in restaurant. 25% of all sales are donated back to TLES!

Link to the flyer can be found here in English and Spanish.

🍦PTA ANNUAL ICE CREAM SOCIAL

Join the PTA for our annual back to school celebration on September 23 from 5-6 on the playground! Families, teachers, students and staff are all welcome to join us for free ice cream and an opportunity to connect with new and old friends. We can't wait to see you there!

🔬Science Night — October 15

Help support Science Night, sponsored by the Children’s Science Center, from 5:15–7:45 p.m. Volunteers will help make this fun, hands-on evening a success for our students and families.  The Children’s Science Center will send out information to volunteers as the event gets closer.

Sign up to volunteer:  Science Night Volunteer Signup

Election Bake Sale — November 3

Our Election Bake Sale is a great PTA fundraiser, and there are two ways to pitch in:

• Bake or donate treats for the sale Sign up: Volunteer to Bake
• Volunteer to sell at the bake sale Sign up: Volunteer to Sell Baked Items

CONNECT WITH THE PTA

Please consider renewing your PTA membership for the 26-27 school year (or joining for the first time!) by visiting our website: www.timberlanepta.com.

PTA Members now also have the option to subscribe to the PTA calendar and have calendar updates pushed automatically to their personal calendars!

You can now follow the PTA on Instagram and Facebook.

Save the Date: First PTA Meeting

Please join us for our first PTA meeting of the year on September 9 at 7:00 p.m. in the cafeteria, immediately following Back to School Night.

Simultaneous translation will be available during the meeting so that more members of our Timber Lane community can participate. We hope you’ll join us!

Upcoming Dates

2026-2027 Standard School Year Calendar

🏫September 

• Sept 4 and 7 - NO SCHOOL (Labor Day Holiday)
• Sept 9: Back to School Night (5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.)
• Sept 9: PTA Meeting (7:00 p.m.) in the TLES Cafe
• Sept 21: NO SCHOOL (Yom Kippur Holiday)
• Sept30: 3-Hour Early Release at 12:35 p.m.

🎃October

• Oct 12: NO SCHOOL (School Planning Day)
• Oct 30: 2-Hour Early Release at 1:35 p.m. (End of Q1)

2737 West Street Falls Church, VA 22046  | Main Office: 703-206-5300
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