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10/12 Student Holiday-Indigenous People's Day
Teacher Workday (No School)
10/13-16 ATES Spirit Week
10/15 Math Night (5:30-7:30pm, Cafeteria / Gym)
10/16 Movie Night (6:30pm, ATES field)
10/22 Gr. 1 Field Trip to Cox Farm
AAP Information Night (5:00 pm, Cafeteria)
10/23 Parent Coffee (9:00am, Cafeteria)
Topic: Title I Family School Compact 2026-27
Student Parent Luncheon (Lunch time, Cafeteria)
10/28 Gr. 4 Field Trip to GMU Center for Arts
10/29 K Field trip to Miller Farm
10/30 Book Character Day
End of 1st Quarter
2-Hour Early Student Release - Dismissal time 1:20 pm
11/02-03 Teacher Workday (Student Holiday, No School)
11/05 Multicultural Night (5:30-7:30pm, Cafeteria / Gym)
11/06 Fall Picture Retakes Day
11/09 Family Food Market (3:45pm, Cafeteria)
11/11 Quarter 1 Progress Reports Sent Home
11/18 3-Hours Early Release -Dismissal time 12:20pm
11/19 Thanksgiving / Student Parent Luncheon
(Lunch time, Cafeteria)
11/20 Turkey Trot
11/25-27 Student Holiday-Thanksgiving (No School)
 Blue Star Welcome Week
Blue Star Welcome Week took place from September 28 - October 2. This special week is all about welcoming military families and new students, building connections, and helping everyone feel like they belong. On Wednesday, our staff and students were invited to wear blue to celebrate this week. Together, we can create a school community where everyone feels welcomed and included. A huge thank you to Ms. Denisse Mendez, school counselor, for organizing this event.
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month!
We had a wonderful time coming together to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a delicious feast featuring traditional foods representing rich Hispanic cultures! It was a fantastic opportunity to share, reflect, and enjoy time together as a community. A huge thank you to Ms. Stephany Reyes-Ramirez and all the dedicated staff members who helped organize, prepare, and support this delicious and meaningful event—your efforts made it extra special!
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Mentoring Program
We were so excited to launch our very first mentoring event for this school year! For our first project, students worked side by side with their mentors to make animal totes for local shelter pets. With generous help from the Kids Give Back Organization, our students and mentors continued to built great relationships while helping animals in need in our community. A huge thank you to Ms. Jennifer Boyle, school counselor, for leading the mentoring program and organizing this event.
 Tuesday, Oct. 13th: Take Off Tuesday! Wear as much blue, silver, purple, sparkly, or anything space themed!
Wednesday, Oct. 14th: The Future is Yours! Dress like your future career day!
Thursday, Oct. 15th: Math is Out of This World! Show your school or math spirit by wearing school colors, math shirts, or just clothing with numbers!
Friday, Oct. 16th: It's an Alien Invasion Day! Dress with a twin day, crazy socks, hair, or mismatched outfits!
 Bring the whole family for an evening of fun, discovery and math learning!
The pizza dinner will be provided. You and your student will enjoy a series of math game activities.
- Explore activities that strengthen math skills
- Help students build independence, good learning habits, time management skills, and responsibility.
- Try a STEAM creation and take a math game home
Date: Thursday, October 15
Time: 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Location: Gym / Cafeteria, Annandale Terrace
 You are invited to attend a PTA sponsored Movie Night on 10/16@6:30pm at ATES field. The movie “Wonder” will be featured at 7:00pm sharp and it is completely free! PTA will be selling Pizza, drinks, etc. during the movie. You can pre-order your pizza by filling out this survey form (
https://forms.gle/tyRzYqCMGUUAVgav7). Your cooperation will help us to estimate the number of pizzas we need to pre-order. You will be paying the pizza (s) at Movie Night. All the proceeds will be donated to ATES PTA. This is an outdoor event if the weather permits & bring blankets & chairs to sit on & blankets/coats to stay warm.
In addition, we are looking for volunteers to help set up and sell the pizza, soft drinks, and popcorns. Sign up via the same link
(https://forms.gle/tyRzYqCMGUUAVgav7) if you would like to volunteer.
Join Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid for a Community Conversation. Students, families, staff, and community members are invited to ask questions, share concerns, and discuss what matters most to them. Everyone is welcome! Click on the date to register for any of the following events:
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Monday, October 19, at 6:30 p.m., at Spring Hill Elementary School
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Monday, October 26, at 6:30 p.m., at Beech Tree Elementary School
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Thursday, October 29, at 6:30 p.m., at North Springfield Elementary School
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Tuesday, December 1, at 6:30 p.m., at Powell Elementary School (note date change)
Registration is not required, but it helps with planning.
 Parents still need to order pictures? There is NEW Code Lookup Tool now available at Strawbridge Studio. You can simply scan the QR code or follow the directions below to access their child's picture ordering gallery.
1) Go to https://strawbridge.net/picture-day-lookup/
2) Enter the school name, select the state and click “Submit.” Choose your school from the list provided
3) Select “Get Code” next to the picture
4) Enter your child’s last name and student ID number and click “Submit”
5) Click on the student code to access your student’s image gallery!
Please note that no need to contact Customer Service for an access code! *Student last name and Student ID number will be required for data security.* However, If at any time the parents or guardians have questions about the Code Lookup or are having difficulty navigating the site, you can still reach out to the Customer Service team via the Live Chat on the website,www.strawbridge.net
FCPS will mark the beginning of Eid al-Fitr with an evening-only observance day on Monday, March 8. There will be school on this day, but major school-sponsored events and activities (such as auditions or tryouts) will not take place.
Tuesday, March 9, will be a holiday for students and staff.
Wednesday, March 10, will be an observance day. There will be school on this day, but certain activities that cannot be made up (major tests, field trips, or mandatory events) will not take place on this day.
A new school year calendar has been published, which includes this change. Please note that holidays and observances on the calendar may shift due to anticipated lunar sightings.
The FCPS Office of Safety and Security and Safe Routes to School program are asking families to share their experiences traveling to and from their child’s school. The feedback will help inform the Fairfax County School Board’s annual assessment of traffic and pedestrian safety near schools.
The Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Survey asks about walking and biking routes, traffic near schools, kiss-and-ride experiences, accessibility, and other safety concerns.
Your feedback will help FCPS identify common issues. Your responses will be kept confidential and shared with school administrators and the Office of Safety and Security. The five-minute survey is open through Thursday, October 15.
Be sure to identify the school related to your feedback and include specific locations where you have observed a safety issue. If you have students at different schools in FCPS, please complete a different survey for each school.
If you have any questions about the survey, please contact SafeRoutestoSchool@fcps.edu.
FCPS Safe Routes to School is excited to invite Annandale Terrace Elementary School families to try SafeWalkr, a new interactive walking map tool developed by Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology students in collaboration with our team!
If you live within Annandale Terrace Elementary School's designated walking boundary, explore information about sidewalks, road crossings, and crossing guard locations to help plan your walk to school.
Go to the SafeWalkr tool, select Annandale Terrace Elementary School, and explore a route with your child. Review current conditions and consider your child’s abilities and supervision needs before walking. The tool does not change walking boundaries or transportation eligibility. Help us improve SafeWalkr by sharing your feedback during the pilot. Thank you for supporting safe, active trips to school!
We understand that families may need to drive their children to school from time to time. If you need to, please familiarize yourself with our school’s kiss-and-ride procedures for the safety of all children and staff.
Please drop off or pick up your students in the designated areas. Students should not be dropped off or picked up in other areas around the school or in nearby neighborhoods. Please also avoid parking in neighborhoods or double parking in front of our school if you intend to walk your child to school. This can increase the number of students walking through busy intersections and create traffic hazards for other drivers and families trying to get to school.
Please follow all signs and directions posted at our school, on public roads, or provided by school staff or crossing guards, and avoid making U-turns. Most of all, always — ALWAYS — drive slowly near our school. The safety of all our students is one of our top priorities!!
The Fairfax County Police Department has additional safety tips for families, including ways to keep walkers safe and what to do about scooters, bicycles, and e-scooters.
Multiple studies show that school lunches are important in supporting overall student health by improving students’ diets and combating food insecurity. Students who eat school lunches consume more fruit, vegetables, and fiber than their peers.
This National School Lunch Week, FCPS Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) reminds families that they are dedicated to providing delicious, healthy, sustainable, and student-focused meals. New menu items have been launched this year based on student feedback.
Want to know what’s for breakfast or lunch? View the Nutrition Services menus.
 You are invited to participate in a free program for families with children between the ages of 2-5 years old.
- Children and families participate in fun “school-like” activities.
- The joy of sharing books Learning through play
- Positive ways to communicate with children
- Understanding behavior
- Preparing for kindergarten
Where: Annandale Terrace Elementary School
When: Tuesdays & Thursdays from 1:00-3:00pm starting on 10/06
For more information please call Aejin Lee at 703-204-4346 or aklee1@fcps.edu
FCPS is exploring a plan to offer Full-Time Advanced Academic Program (AAP) services at every middle school. Under the proposal, students who qualify could attend their neighborhood middle school and take advanced classes with other AAP students. The School Board has approved community engagement at Franklin, Hayfield, Holmes, Key, and Whitman middle schools, where programs could open for the 2027-28 school year. The proposal is still under consideration, and the School Board is expected to make a decision in December.
Each community meeting offers in-person and virtual participation. Upcoming meetings are scheduled for:
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Holmes Middle: Thursday, October 15, at 6 p.m.
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Whitman Middle: Thursday, October 22, at 6 p.m.
Current middle school students will remain at their assigned AAP centers through middle school. Learn more and find meeting sign-up forms on the Middle School AAP Centers page.
All family members and caregivers are invited to attend monthly Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Family Training to learn how to support and teach students with autism and related disorders. No registration is needed.
Virtual trainings take place at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Join the session. Upcoming topics include:
- Autism and ABA Overview on Wednesday, October 14. (It is highly recommended that you attend this session before any future sessions.)
- Prioritizing Skills to Teach at Home on Wednesday, November 18.
- Toilet Training on Wednesday, December 9.
- Managing Challenging Behaviors at Home on Wednesday, January 13.
- Communication: a Foundation for Independence on Wednesday, February 10.
Visit the ABA webpage for a full list of classes. Need an interpreter? Contact Stephanie Watkins two weeks before the training at 571-423-4110 or sawatkins@fcps.edu.
FCPS, in partnership with Inspire Health Alliance, will be providing school-required immunizations and optional flu shots for all FCPS students, ages 18 and under, with no out-of-pocket costs. Multiple events will take place at designated FCPS locations.
Additional dates will be made available throughout the school year. Parents or guardians may view upcoming events and schedule an appointment for their student. Participation is voluntary. Additional immunization resources are available.
 Learn about local transportation projects and different public transportation resources, programs, and services available to Mason District residents.
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Date: Saturday, October 10th, from 11am-1pm.
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Location: Minnie H Peyton Community Center at Bailey's (5920 Summers Lane, Falls Church, VA, 22041)
  Celebrate the diverse restaurants throughout Mason and "eat around the world!" Participating restaurants will offer special discounts throughout the week. List of participating restaurants to come.
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Date: Saturday, October 17th, from 10am-3pm
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Location: Eileen Garnett Civic Space (7200 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA 22003)
 The 2nd Annual Mason District Arts Festival will feature local and regional artists showcasing murals, paintings, prints, poetry, jewelry, pottery, and more, including an artist material exchange space.
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Date: Saturday, October 17th, from 10am-3pm
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Location: Eileen Garnett Civic Space (7200 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA 22003)
 12 in-person free sessions of Dad's Parenting Group will be held on Tuesdays from 6:00-8:30pm from September 8th to November 24th, 2026. Call 703-324-7720 for the registration if you are interested.
Join us for the annual Special Education Family Conference: Connected Communities, Thriving Students on Saturday, November 14, at | 
