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Principal's Message |
Greetings Tiger Families!
On Monday we welcomed almost 300 rising 7th grade students for our Jump Start program into our building to engage in activities meant to prepare them for a successful start to their time at Twain. It was exciting to have the sights, sounds, and energy of our middle schoolers in the building amidst the relative quiet of a school in summertime. We continue to work diligently to prepare for the upcoming school year and on August 13th we will welcome our new staff members to initiate them into “Team Twain.”
H.E. Luccock, American minister and professor famously said “No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.”
This summer our administrative, custodial, and office teams have been whistling while we work - sometimes individually, and sometimes in collaboration with others in our own building and throughout the school division. I look forward to the rest of our orchestra (teachers, support staff, students and families) to return to Twain so we can create beautiful music together this school year!
See you soon!
Sincerely,
Matt
Upcoming Dates
Tax-Free Weekend
Friday, August 7, through Sunday, August 9, is a sales tax holiday in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Visit Virginia’s Sales Tax Holiday webpage for details on eligible items, including school supplies and clothing.
Tiger Fest – Updated Time
Please take note that we have to adjust the timing of Tiger Fest on Wednesday, August 19th by one hour. The event will now run 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. You can review the detailed message sent by Mr. Fitzgerald on July 17th for more specific information about this open house event.
First Day of School
Monday, August 24, is the first day of school for the 2026-27 school year.
Twain Back to School Night
Back to School Night will be on Thursday, September 17th from 6:30 to 8:30 PM
View the 2026-27 school year calendar for additional important dates.
Congrats Twain Technology Student Association (TSA)!
Congratulations to the Mark Twain TSA Chapter who competed with over 9500 participants at the National TSA Conference held at the Gaylord Convention Center, National Harbor from June 22nd – 26th. National Twain competitors include Michal Asmelash, Savannah Bagley, Eleanor Bates, Elijah Boateng, Chris Buell, Jeffrey Hoang, Jacky Huang, Leonardo Jolley, William Mazariegos, Alina Navalkar, Olivia Platten, Selena Reed, Andrew Rodgers, Aaron Ruf, Jaxon Taylor and Lilah Tompkins. Aaron Ruf and Jacky Huang earned 2nd place in Technical Design, and the team achieved top 10 honors in Dragster Design, Drone Challenge, Electrical Applications and Mass Production. The year-long dedicated efforts of these students combined with their outstanding character and extraordinary leadership bring great honor and distinction to the Twain community. Thanks to all Twain TSA members, their sponsor – Ms. Gadson, and community supporters for a great year!
What’s New in FCPS for the 2026-27 School Year
As you prepare for the upcoming school year, we want to make it easy for you to understand what changes are on the horizon and what families need to know! We’ll continue to update the list as we approach the first day of school on Monday, August 24.
Learn more about updates, apps, and policies.
Updated Policies Related to Cell Phones and other Devices
Senate Bill 108 is a new Virginia law that went into effect on July 1. It requires that all schools in the state follow a “bell-to-bell” phone-free policy and prohibit cellphone possession and use for the entire school day. The updated FCPS Cellphone Policy aligns with this law. Within FCPS, across all grade levels, cellphones, cellphone accessories, and all smart devices must be off and personally stored for the duration of the school day. Watches that serve a dual purpose (like a smart watch) must be off and personally stored for the duration of the school day, too. Personal devices that connect to a cellphone or cellphone accessory or operate as a smart device must also follow the FCPS Cellphone Policy.
This policy does not apply to school-issued devices. However, school-issued devices must be used in accordance with FCPS Regulation 6410, Acceptable Use Policy, which allows the use of school-issued devices for educational purposes.
Student and Family Responsibilities
Students are responsible for following this requirement throughout the instructional day.
Parents and caregivers are asked to support the implementation of this requirement by ensuring that students understand that FCPS-issued devices must be used for school-related digital activities unless an approved exception applies. Violations of this requirement will be addressed in accordance with the Student Rights and Responsibilities, Regulation 2602P, and other applicable FCPS regulations and procedures.
In addition to the legal and policy requirements, educators and mental health professionals advise that students who don’t use their phones to communicate during the school day:
- Have fewer distractions and less difficulty learning.
- Experience more face-to-face interactions with peers and teachers, which are important to social-emotional wellbeing.
- Have more opportunities to develop resilience and independent problem-solving skills.
We encourage families to talk to their student about the FCPS cell phone policy and support their student by:
- Contacting the school’s front office (rather than the student directly) if there is a family emergency.
- Only communicating about non-urgent matters before or after the school day.
- Waiting to respond to non-urgent texts from students until the school day is over.
At Twain, we expect all students to follow all Virginia and FCPS expectations related to student technology use.
E-Bike and Recreation Safety
As e-bikes, scooters, motorized skateboards, and other recreational ride-on devices continue to grow in popularity, the Fairfax County Police Department is reminding riders and parents to understand the laws, safety requirements, and responsibilities that come with using them. If your student rides a motorized vehicle, please reiterate safe choices with them. All students who ride personal vehicles to Twain are expected to walk it once they arrive on our campus. Failure to meet our safety expectations will result in losing the privilege to bring it on campus.
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 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.
Download the FCPS App Today!
The FCPS Mobile App offers a customized platform to help keep you connected and informed, directly from your smartphone. Download the FCPS Mobile App from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
With the app, you can:
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View school calendars. See events, activities, holidays, and early dismissals.
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Check school menus. See what’s for lunch and breakfast each school day.
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Tap to contact. Quickly call attendance lines or email school staff.
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Stay up to date. Get the latest news from FCPS.
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Access key links. Jump to ParentVUE, Schoology, and the FCPS website in one tap.
No need to log in, just download and go! Learn more about the FCPS mobile app.
New ParentVUE Mobile App Launching July 28
On Tuesday, July 28, a new ParentVUE mobile app will become available in the Apple and Google app stores. This new app provides parents and caregivers with a more secure sign-in. The current “classic” app will remain active for about six months. Families must download the new app by December 2026 to ensure they have continued mobile access to their child’s school data.
In the new app, families can enroll in multi-factor authentication (MFA) for FCPS Single Sign-On. Although enrollment is optional, we strongly recommend that everyone enable this security feature.
Learn more about installing the new ParentVUE app. If you need assistance, submit a Parent Support Request.
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.
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