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Principal's Message |
Greetings Twain Families.
In Virginia, October is identified as Disability History and Awareness Month. Disability History and Awareness activities provide an opportunity to create greater public awareness for individuals with disabilities, with the goal of full inclusion in our community. At Twain we work every day to create a welcoming, respectful, and inclusive environment for all students and their unique characteristics and needs.
As an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program School, Twain leverages our Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) program to highlight and recognize students who exhibit key IB learner traits each month. In October, we focus on the trait of being Open Minded. That open-mindedness not only supports our students’ academic growth in the classroom, but also contributes to an open and inclusive learning community.
Go Tigers!
Sincerely,
Matt
Twain’s Weekly Schedule
Monday, October 5: Anchor Day Schedule
Tuesday, October 6: Odd Day Schedule
Wednesday, October 7: Even Day Schedule
Thursday, October 8: Odd Day Schedule
Friday, October 9: Even Day Schedule
After School Program
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1st Block
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2nd Block
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Monday, October 5:
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2:30 - 3:30
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3:35 - 4:35
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Tuesday, October 6:
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2:30 - 3:30
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3:35 - 4:35
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Wednesday, October 7:
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2:30 - 3:30
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3:35 - 4:35
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Thursday, October 8:
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2:30 - 3:30
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3:35 - 4:35
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Friday, October 9:
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2:30 - 3:30
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3:35 - 4:35
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Calendar Reminders
Friday, October 2 is Edison Feeder Night at the home football game. Go Eagles!
Monday, October 12, is a student holiday and staff development day for Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
Fall activities are gearing up at Twain
Our cross country team will compete in their first meet of the season on the morning of Saturday October 3 at Key Middle School - Go Tigers! Friday, October 16 is our Broadway Desserts event and Friday October 23 is our SCA Movie Night!
Calendar Change: Eid al-Fitr
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: holidays and observances on the calendar may shift due to anticipated lunar sightings.
Today is National Custodian Appreciation Day!
Thank you to our amazing custodial team for the work they do to make Twain shine! We appreciate you every day on the calendar!
Walk and Roll to School Day
FCPS will participate in International Walk and Roll to School Day on Wednesday, October 7, in an effort to promote physical activity and reduce traffic congestion and pollution near schools.
Students and employees are encouraged to bike or walk to school and work where safe to do so. Parents are encouraged to accompany their children to school, and to work with their school and PTA or PTO to assemble bike trains or walking groups for the event. Schools are encouraged to register online with Walk and Bike to School. Get more information about Walk to School Day.
Learn About Applied Behavior Analysis and Teaching New Skills at Home
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 a session. Upcoming sessions include:
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Wednesday, October 14, Autism and ABA Overview (It is highly recommended that you attend this session before any future sessions.)
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Wednesday, November 18, Prioritizing Skills to Teach at Home
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Wednesday, December 9, Toilet Training
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.
Growing Together: Talking About Social-Emotional Learning at Home
Social-emotional learning (SEL) helps children develop confidence, resilience, self-awareness, and other important skills that support their success in school and throughout life. We embed social-emotional learning in our 4th period learning seminar lessons every week. At Twain, we believe that a student’s academic success is greatly influenced by their social emotional well-being. Join a workshop for parents and caregivers to:
- Understand your child’s Fairfax County SEL Screener results.
- Use the results as a starting point for meaningful conversations at home.
- Support your child’s social and emotional development.
- Build confidence, resilience, and lifelong skills together.
Learn practical ways to talk with your child about their social and emotional well-being and support their continued growth at home. Events will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, October 8, at Skyview High School and Wednesday, October 21, at Kingstowne Regional Library. View additional dates on the FCPS Family Academy page.
Childcare will be available. Interpretation services are available upon request. For more information, contact the Family and School Partnerships office at 703-204-4300 or FamilyEngagement@fcps.edu.
Understanding the FCPS Calendar
Help your child prepare for future success by encouraging them to develop positive attendance habits. Regular attendance supports learning and helps students stay on track for college, careers, and other opportunities after graduation.
Take a look at the FCPS Calendar. Try your best to schedule any vacations or planned family events on weekends and school holidays. If the appointment needs to be during the school day, when possible, schedule it for the beginning or end of the day to minimize time missed.
If your child needs to miss school because of an illness or appointment, please report the absence to the school as early as possible. Find links to your school’s attendance email or notification system on their homepage, or call the front office.
If you or your family need any kind of support, please reach out to your school. We are here for you! Visit the FCPS Attendance webpage for tips and strategies.
Shorter Days Ahead: Stay Alert, Stay Visible
 Fall is here, bringing cooler temperatures, changing leaves, and shorter days. As daylight hours decrease, many morning and evening commutes will take place in lower-light conditions. Please be mindful of your travels around Twain during dismissal and arrival. We are entering the time of year where it is dawn during arrival, and it is harder to see walking or biking students. Please be vigilant in order to keep our Tigers safe as they travel to and from school!
The Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) is reminding drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists that reduced visibility can make it harder to see and be seen on our roadways. Read the FCPD blog on seasonal safety.
Safe Routes to School Parent and Caregiver Survey
As part of the Fairfax County School Board’s Annual School-Based Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Assessment, the FCPS Office of Safety and Security and Safe Routes to School program are inviting parents and caregivers to share their experiences traveling to and from school.
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.
Information on Fentanyl and Safe Storage of Firearms and Medications
Public schools in Virginia are required by the state to share information regarding the importance of securely storing any prescription drug present in the household, a one-page flyer (PDF) about the dangers of fentanyl, and the parent's responsibility to safely store any firearm present in the household.
The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board has a limited supply of free locking medication boxes and trigger locks that fit a wide variety of firearms. Visit the Lock and Talk website to learn more.
If you have any questions related to substance abuse matters, please connect with Mr. Sean Elliot, the Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist (SAPS) that supports Twain, and the entire Edison pyramid of schools. He can be reached at sbelliot@fcps.edu.
In FCPS, we build gun safety lessons into our curriculum. It is critical that parents and guardians talk to their children about the importance of gun safety and safe gun storage in their homes and in any home they may visit.
Our website includes gun safety resources and detailed information about FCPS safety and security practices in our buildings. See Dr. Reid’s recent letter to the community for more resources.
FCPS Seeks Community Input on Middle School AAP Centers
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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Franklin Middle: Monday, October 5, at 6 p.m.
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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.
National Junior Honor Society Fundraiser at Noodles & Company
Come support Twain’s National Junior Honor Society as we raise money for our service projects and the Tiger Paws. Come to the Kingstowne Noodles & Company at 5900 Kingstowne Boulevard, Alexandria, VA 22315 on Thursday, October 8th from 4-8pm and enjoy great food! Use the code GIVING20 at checkout and be sure to mention Twain NJHS.
Save or print the NJHS Noodles and Company flyer.
Thank you for your support!
National Junior Honor Society Food Drive for Koinonia Food Pantry
Twain's National Junior Honor Society is holding a Food Drive for Koinonia Food Pantry from October 1 - 30. We will have donation boxes in the Cafeteria and Main Office.
Some items Koinonia is looking for are: Juice, Beef Stew, Mayo, Mustard, Ketchup, Cereal, Instant Coffee, Pasta Sauce, Pasta Noodles, Chili, Corned Beef Hash.
Save or print the NJHS Koinonia Food Drive flyer.
Thank you for helping us support our community.
School Picture Day
School picture day at Twain will be on Thursday, November 5 and Friday, November 6. Students will have their photo taken during their H.P.E. class on those days.
Students who registered for the World Language Credit by Exam and have P.E. on November 6 will have an opportunity to take their school photo after they finish the exam or on the School Picture Make-up Day, Friday, November 20
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