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Gearing Up for the 2026-2027 School Year!
Welcome to another exciting school year at Terra Centre Elementary! We hope you and your family have had a wonderful, restful summer filled with time to relax, recharge, and make special memories. As we prepare to welcome our students back to school, our staff is hard at work getting everything ready for what promises to be an incredible year of learning, growth, and connection.
At Terra Centre, we believe that strong partnerships between home and school are the foundation of student success. Throughout the year, we are committed to keeping you informed and connected. This newsletter is designed to share important information, upcoming events, reminders, and resources to help ensure that every family has the information needed for a smooth and successful start to the school year.
Our teachers and staff are excited to welcome your children into classrooms where they will be challenged, supported, and encouraged to reach their full potential. We look forward to fostering a learning environment where every student feels safe, valued, and inspired to grow academically, socially, and emotionally.
Thank you for your continued partnership and trust. We are honored to be a part of your child's educational journey and can't wait to see all that our Tigers will accomplish this year. Together, let's make it a fantastic school year at Terra Centre Elementary!
Rebecca Gidoni, Principal
Meghan Ehrman, Assistant Principal
Pick Up Patrol - Coming Soon!
Parents/Guardians,
This school year, we are returning to the PickUp Patrol system to help us track dismissals. PickUp Patrol (PUP) will save us a great deal of time here in the office, reduce classroom interruptions and provide you with a convenient way to make changes to your children’s dismissal plans.
Most importantly, it will help us ensure that our students are safely dismissed to their correct after-school destinations.
Use the PickUp Patrol app for:
DISMISSAL CHANGES: Submit changes to your child’s regular dismissal plans.
For example:
- Your child normally rides the bus, but is getting picked up today.
- Your child is staying after for an activity.
How it works:
Your child's regular dismissal plan is entered into the system. This is called their Default Plan. Whenever you have a change to the Default Plan, you’ll submit it through the PickUp Patrol app. When the change is submitted, the school will be notified and your child’s teacher will relay the change to them.
Getting started:
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REGISTER: On Friday, August 14th, you will receive a registration email with a link to set up your account.
- The web app is free to parents and you can use it from your smartphone or computer.
- For easy access, follow the instructions for how to add it to your phone’s home screen (PUP is not accessed through the app stores).
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ENTER DEFAULT PLANS: Once you register, log into your PickUp Patrol account by Thursday, August 20th,to confirm your child’s default dismissal plan. It’s important that you complete this step so that we can accurately dismiss your children.
Notes, emails or phone calls will be accepted for changes for the first week, but starting August 31st, all changes should be submitted through PickUp Patrol.
Thank you for using PickUp Patrol to make safety a priority and to ensure our dismissal process is efficient for all our students. If you have any questions, please first check the PUP Parent Guide. If you still need help, contact us here in the office at or PickUp Patrol at support@pickuppatrol.net.
Calendar Reminders
Tax-Free Weekend
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Friday, August 7, through Sunday, August 9, is a sales tax holiday in Virginia.
- Visit Virginia’s Sales Tax Holiday webpage for details on eligible items, including school supplies and clothing.
Open House for Preschool - 6th Grade
- Friday, August 21
- 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
- Families and students can drop off school supplies, check any medication into the clinic, meet the teacher, and check out our community organizations like the PTA! Parking is limited, and we encourage families to walk or carpool.
First Day of School
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Monday, August 24, is the first day of school for the 2026-27 school year.
- School Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 3:25 p.m.
- View the 2026-27 school year calendar for additional important dates.
Labor Day Holiday
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Friday, September 4 and Monday, September 7 - no school
Back to School Night for Preschool - 6th Grade
- Session 1: 6:00 - 6:45 p.m.
- Session 2: 6:45 - 7:30 p.m. (repeat of session 1)
- Learn about your child's grade level, classroom expectations, and the exciting year ahead!
Limited Early Release Wednesdays for Elementary Schools
- This year there will only be 4 Early Release Wednesdays.
- The dates for these 3 hour early release days are:
- October 21
- December 2
- February 10
- May 5
We’re Eager to Welcome You Back to Terra Centre on August 24!
As summer winds down, we are looking forward to welcoming students back to our classrooms.
Let the following reminders help you get ready!
☑️ Sign Up for SIS ParentVUE
Access your student’s attendance records, grades, and assignments at any time with SIS ParentVUE. Contact our registrar at 703-249-1400 if you need an activation code. Find out more about SIS ParentVUE. Also, download the new ParentVUE mobile app so you can access your child’s records easily from anywhere!
Update Your Contact Information
Be sure you receive important information! Update your phone number(s) and/or email address(es) by clicking “My Account” and reviewing the “Online Verification/Update.” On that form, you can also update immunization records, health information, and emergency contacts.
☑️ Update Immunizations and Records
Immunizations are required for all students to attend school in Virginia. This is an important part of protecting them from certain diseases and keeping them healthy.
When your child is immunized, remember to request a copy of their immunization record and bring that to our front office or submit the record via SIS ParentVUE as soon as possible. Find more information on FCPS’ website.
☑️ Welcome to Our New Nurse and Medication Drop Off
We're excited to welcome Kimber Tritten as Terra Centre's new Public Health Nurse (PHN)! Kimber brings 19 years of nursing experience, including 5 years with Fairfax County Public Schools, and is looking forward to partnering with our school community to support the health and well-being of every student. We're also happy to welcome back our wonderful School Health Aide (SHA), Stephanie Mendoza, for her 7th year at Terra Centre! Together, our Health Room team is committed to helping students stay healthy, safe, and ready to learn.
As we prepare for the first day of school, please remember to drop off any medications your child will need during the school day at the Health Room before the start of the school year. Be sure all required medication authorization forms are completed and submitted with the medication.
☑️ Learn About School Meals
Families need to provide their children with money to purchase meals at school or send them with a packed lunch. Or, families may apply to receive free and reduced-price meal benefits, pending approval.
☑️ Bookmark the School Year Calendar
Be sure to bookmark the FCPS school year calendar to keep track of school holidays, breaks, and observances:
- Days marked blue with an “H” are student holidays. Schools are closed on these days.
- Days marked orange with an “O” are religious and cultural observance days (or evenings, if only half marked). There is school on these days, but certain events that cannot be made up may not be scheduled on these days.
- Days marked as TW, SD, and SP and in pink are holidays for students but working days for teachers and staff.
Please note that some holidays and observances, such as Eid al-Fitr, may shift, and the calendar may be adjusted.
Get Ready for the New School Year With the FCPS App!
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Simplify your back-to-school prep! Download the FCPS mobile app to check school calendars, menus, and contacts all in one place with no login required.
Plus, get quick access to ParentVUE, Schoology, and the bus app. Download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
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Explore School Meals in the New Menu Platform
Experience an easier way to view your child’s school menus using MealViewer:
- View what is being served each day.
- View the nutritional information for each meal.
- See if any specific allergens are being served.
- Get notified when your child’s favorite meal is being served.
Printable menus are always available on the Food and Nutrition Services webpage.
New Student ID Cards Coming for Bus Riders This Fall
As part of the ongoing commitment to strengthening layered safety and security programs, FCPS will implement a new student ID system for students who ride our school buses.
The implementation of the student IDs is designed as an additional safety measure for our 130,000 FCPS students who ride the bus each day, ensuring they are on the right bus and that they get on and off at the correct bus stop, as well as making sure only authorized students are on our buses.
The IDs will be provided to students who ride the bus. Those students will be expected to tap on and tap off the bus. The student IDs do not track student movement. The only information available is when a student taps on or off a bus. Much like our Here Comes the Bus app, our new app will allow parents/guardians to track the progress of the school bus.
It is possible that the ID program will expand in the future to include uses such as library cards and meal payment. Learn more about the new transportation system and student ID cards.
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A Message from the PTA about Reflections!
We wanted to prepare you for 2026-2027's National PTA Reflections theme, "What My Culture Means to Me", so that you and your child can start brainstorming and exploring ways to express this through the various art categories you can choose: Dance choreography, Film production, Literature, Music composition, Visual Arts, Photography.
Please stay tuned for the deadline for all artwork - but historically has been towards the end of November! Wishing everyone a happy and safe summer!
Reflections 2026-2027 Theme: "What My Culture Means to Me"
https://www.pta.org/home/programs/reflections/for-students-and-families - I strongly recommend taking time to read "Creating an Entry" and "Reflections Categories and Divisions" for further guidance.
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Understanding Student Rights and Responsibilities Updates
Families are encouraged to review the updated FCPS Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) document, which explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses in order to enhance school safety and to create a fair, equitable, and supportive school environment.
Updates for the 2026-27 school year include new Universal Grade Matrices (UGMs). UGMs are charts that show behavior expectations and school responses by grade level (K-3, 4-8, and 9-12). These at-a-glance resources (in Appendix D of the SR&R) are designed to make it easier for parents and caregivers to understand how schools respond to different types of behavior concerns.
Visit the SR&R webpage for more information and to review additional updates to the SR&R for the 2026-27 school year.
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