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Principals' Message

Dear TLES Families,

As Thanksgiving break approaches, we want to take a moment to share a few important upcoming events. 

Annual Thanksgiving Luncheon: We are excited to welcome all families to our Annual Thanksgiving Luncheon on Thursday, November 21st.  Please plan to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your child's lunch time as we anticipate the following: the need for parking on our neighborhood streets (Arthur Drive would be best), navigating some additional travel time, and allowing for time to properly sign all individuals into the building.  Thank you for your patience as our staff turns over massive crowds for lunch every 30 minutes!  If you are still in need of purchasing tickets for this week's luncheon, please do so Monday through Wednesday.  We highly encourage pre-purchasing tickets, otherwise significant delays are likely on the day of our luncheon.  We hope to see you join us for one of our most wonderful community gatherings!

Canned Food Drive November 18 - December 10th: Please bring in a canned food item to support our canned food drive this holiday season! Students can bring in their items and drop them in the office or give them to their teacher. If you're coming to Thanksgiving lunch on the 21st please bring a canned food item to drop off in the office when you sign in! Food items will be distributed at the December 11th Capital Area Food Bank Distribution from 4:30 - 5:30 pm. If you are able to volunteer to help sort and distribute food please sign up at this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084AAAAF28A3F9C16-53071065-canned

Reflections Celebration: Join us as we celebrate all participants of this year's Reflection Contest Wednesday November 20th in the Cafeteria. This year's theme was Accepting Imperfection and we are looking forward to sharing participants' work and celebrating their creativity!

A Quick Note About Attendance Thanksgiving is just around the corner! We hope you enjoy the break, and let’s continue to prioritize full school days until then all full school days around all holiday breaks.  Attendance is key and does impact our school's accreditation. If any students have missed more than 10% of school days (at this point 5 days of school), the VDOE will label them as "chronically absent." 

Monday, December 9: We have our 3rd Early Release at 12:35PM. Please remember that changes to dismissal on December 9th must take place by Wednesday, December 4th.  Please communicate with BOTH the main office and your child's teacher about any changes to dismissal plans.  Please also note that what you communicated prior to our first Early Release is the plan we will be following for ALL Early Release Days.

Thank you,

Ben Chiet, Sarah Buchanan & Ashley Vaccaro

🖼️Fall Picture Make-Up Day

This past Friday, Nov 15th was our Fall Picture Day.  Picture packages can still be ordered using the links below for last week's pictures, or if you missed picture day, our picture make-up day is listed below.

Fall Picture Make-Up Day:

📅 Date: Wednesday, December 11, 2024

📸 Pictures Available: Approximately two weeks after photo day

🛒 Pre-order Online: https://vando.imagequix.com/g1001187235

📧 Questions about Ordering? Email us at [email protected]

🍗Thanksgiving Luncheon

We invite TLES families to join us for a Thanksgiving Luncheon on Thursday, November 21. This has been a wonderful, yearly tradition where families can celebrate with their child's class in our beautifully decorated and festive cafeteria.  We welcome you to enjoy a meal with your child at the following times:

Kindergarten

10:30-11:10

1st Grade

11:15-11:45

2nd Grade

11:30-12:00

3rd Grade and EAC

12:00-12:30

5th Grade

12:45-1:15

4th Grade

1:00-1:30

6th Grade

1:15-1:45

 

The cost of a meal is $4.75 for adults and siblings of TLES students. Tickets must be purchased in advance and will be available in the Front Office beginning Friday, November 1. We can only accept cash for tickets. We look forward to seeing you at school!

 

🐾 P.A.W.S. (Parents Appreciating Wonderful Staff) 

When you see a staff member go above and beyond for your child or family, please take a moment to fill out this PAWS form to show your appreciation! We will then hand deliver your anonymous message to the staff member so they know they are appreciated. 😊

🍂November Important Dates: 

November is Native American Heritage / Family Engagement Month!

November 19: 6th Grade Museum of Asian Art Field Trip

November 20: PTA Reflections Awards 6:00pm in Cafeteria (Enter Door 3)

November 21: Thanksgiving Luncheon @ 10:30-1:45

November 22: 3rd Grade Natural History Museum Field Trip

November 27-29: Thanksgiving Break (No School)

❄️December Important Dates: 

December 6: 2nd Grade Healthy Plate Visit & Grade Level Activity

December 9: 3-hour early Release Day (Students dismissed at 12:35pm)

December 11: Fall Picture Make-Up Day

December 23-January 3: Winter Break (No School)

2024-25 FCPS School Calendar

📄Return Your Federal Impact Aid Survey

FCPS is asking all families to fill out a Federal Impact Aid Survey. The form is available online in SIS ParentVUE. If you have not already filled out the form online, we will provide paper forms in November. Please be sure to return them by Monday, November 17. 

Completing this form for each school-aged child in every household is important, because information from this survey resulted in more than $4 million in funding last year from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.

Please watch this video and visit the Federal Impact Aid Survey page for more information.

FCPS Boundary Review Information

Boundary Review Info: As a reminder, FCPS has started reviewing school boundaries across the division. This vital work will help the district better support student population growth, changes in school capacity, and evolving community needs. Community input is essential to this process. With that in mind, FCPS, in partnership with Thru Consulting, will host a series of community meetings in each of FCPS’ six regions. Participants are encouraged to share their thoughts, ask questions, and learn more about the boundary review process.

Please visit FCPS’ website for meeting dates, locations, and other information. Sign up for the School Boundary Review newsletter for updates.

2737 West Street Falls Church, VA 22046  | Main Office: 703-206-5300
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Updates from the Admin Team

Dear TLES Families,

Happy November! As we enter this month of gratitude, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to the brave men and women who have served in our nation’s armed forces. Veterans, your sacrifices and dedication ensure the freedoms we enjoy every day. We are grateful for your courage, commitment, and service. On behalf of our entire school community, we honor you today and always. Thank you for all that you’ve done for our country!

We would also like to express our thanks for the support of our PTA and school community.  Our annual TLES PTA Election Day Bake Sale was a huge success!  Thanks to so many parent volunteers, neighbors and local businesses, this was our biggest Election Day Bake Sale ever!

Over the past few weeks, our staff has been busy completing conferences and progress reports to communicate students’ first-quarter progress.

Reminders:

• Progress Reports will be available on ParentVue on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024.
• Note: A progress report reflects learning at a point in time, not an average over the period.
• With our new Benchmark curriculum, skills are taught and reinforced each quarter, so language arts grades may look different than they have in the past. Students are not expected to have mastered skills by the first quarter, so you may not see “4s” yet.  A “4” represents a high level of achievement, showing a strong understanding of all skills taught for that standard during the quarter (please see visual example below). Teachers base grades on the most recent assessment data to reflect current learning.
• An 'nt' mark indicates a concept wasn’t taught that quarter, while 'na' means a standard wasn’t assessed summatively. All skills are expected to be taught and assessed over the year unless noted otherwise, except for students who join later or have extended absences.
• You can read more on the FCPS website.

As always, thank you for your support of all things TLES, and we look forward to seeing our students back to school on Tuesday, November 12th!

Sincerely,

Ben Chiet, Sarah Buchanan & Ashley Vaccaro

  FCPS Boundary Community Meetings

📍 Boundary Review Community Meetings Start This Month

As a reminder, FCPS has started the process of reviewing school boundaries across the division. This important work will help the district better support student population growth, changes in school capacity, and evolving community needs. Community input is vital to this process. With that in mind, FCPS, in partnership with Thru Consulting, will be hosting a series of community meetings in each of FCPS’ six regions. Participants are encouraged to share their thoughts, ask questions, and learn more about the boundary review process.

Please visit FCPS’ website for meeting dates, locations, and other information. Sign up for the School Boundary Review newsletter for updates.

Tutoring Resources for Families

Is your family looking for resources to help support your child’s academic success? FCPS’ Family Resource Center (FRC) maintains a list of district employees who hold a valid Virginia teaching credential and who are available to be hired as a tutor by parents. FRC maintains this list, but families are responsible for contacting and working directly with tutors. This list is not “approved” by FCPS and is only meant as a resource.

FCPS also partners with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with extra resources for learning. Every student can take advantage of Varsity Tutors' services at no cost, including weekly live online classes, on demand 24/7 chat tutoring, essay editing, study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests.

✨ FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan Goal 3: Academic Growth and Excellence, reminds us of our commitment to supporting each and every student and helping them meet or exceed high academic standards.

👑 TLES VIP

TLES Families: The TLES VIP Program is an awesome opportunity to volunteer at TLES, support in your child’s classroom and across multiple areas of the school.  We would love for everyone to take part in the TLES VIP Program volunteer opportunity this year.  All parents, guardians, aunts, uncles, grandparents and other family members are welcome to participate. Complete this form to sign up for a time to be a VIP for Timber Lane or contact Principal Chiet at [email protected] for more information!

🖼️Fall Picture Day

Picture Day will be November 15. More information to come with order forms!

School Picture Day is Coming!

📅 Date: Friday, November 15, 2024🛒

Pre-order Online: https://vando.imagequix.com/g1001187235

📸 Images Available: Approximately two-three weeks after picture day

📧 Questions about Ordering? Email us at [email protected]

🍗Thanksgiving Luncheon

We invite TLES families to join us for a Thanksgiving Luncheon on Thursday, November 21. This has been a wonderful, yearly tradition where families can celebrate with their child's class in our beautifully decorated and festive cafeteria.  We welcome you to enjoy a meal with your child at the following times:

Kindergarten

10:30-11:10

1st Grade

11:15-11:45

2nd Grade

11:30-12:00

3rd Grade and EAC

12:00-12:30

5th Grade

12:45-1:15

4th Grade

1:00-1:30

6th Grade

1:15-1:45

 

The cost of a meal is $4.75 for adults and siblings of TLES students. Tickets must be purchased in advance and will be available in the Front Office beginning Friday, November 1. We can only accept cash for tickets. We look forward to seeing you at school!

 

🐾 P.A.W.S. (Parents Appreciating Wonderful Staff) 

When you see a staff member go above and beyond for your child or family, please take a moment to fill out this PAWS form to show your appreciation! We will then hand deliver your anonymous message to the staff member so they know they are appreciated. 😊

 

🍂November Important Dates: 

November is Native American Heritage / Family Engagement Month!

November 11: Veteran's Day (No School)

November 13: Family Market 4:30-5:30

November 13: PTA Reflections Awards - Door #3 (Cafeteria) 6:00pm

November 15: Fall Picture Day

November 21: Thanksgiving Luncheon @ 10:30-1:45

November 27-29: Thanksgiving Break (No School)

❄️December Important Dates: 

December 9: 3-hour early Release Day (Students dismissed at 12:35pm)

December 23-January 3: Winter Break (No School)

2024-25 FCPS School Calendar

Luther Jackson MS Presents Aesop's Fables! 

Luther Jackson Middle School is proud to present Aesop Live! , a super funny show bringing the ancient tales and morales of Aesop to life in very unexpected ways! The shows are  Thursday, November 21st 7:00 pm;  Friday, November 22nd 7:00 pm  & Saturday, November 23rd at 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm. We dedicate our 2:00 matinee on Saturday to our young audience members and invite them onstage to take pictures with our cast and crew after the show! Our Doors for general admission open ½ hour before each show. The show runs about 80 minutes with a short intermission and is appropriate for audience members of all ages!

 

Tickets are on sale now online at our LJMS Website:https://jacksonms.fcps.edu/

Or by using this direct link: https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/15611/luther-jackson-middle-school

Tickets are only $5 and will also be available at the door for $6. Questions please email the director, Stacey Jones, at: [email protected]

 

📄Return Your Federal Impact Aid Survey

FCPS is asking all families to fill out a Federal Impact Aid Survey. The form is available online in SIS ParentVUE. If you have not already filled out the form online, we will provide paper forms in November. Please be sure to return them by Friday, November 17. 

Completing this form for each school-aged child in every household is important, because information from this survey resulted in more than $4 million in funding last year from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.

Please watch this video and visit the Federal Impact Aid Survey page for more information.

 

 

Updates from the PTA Renew your PTA Membership 

PTA memberships need to be renewed every year. Whether you're a returning member or a new one - we can't wait to get to know you better. You can renew or sign up by visiting our Facebook page.

2737 West Street Falls Church, VA 22046  | Main Office: 703-206-5300
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Updates from the Admin Team

Dear TLES Families,

As we wrap up the first quarter of the school year, we want to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude for your continued support and partnership. It has been a fantastic start to the year, filled with learning, growth, and community building.

Our students have demonstrated remarkable dedication and perseverance, and we are incredibly proud of their achievements. We encourage all students to continue striving for excellence and embodying our school's core values of ROAR.

We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our dedicated staff members who work tirelessly to create a positive and engaging learning environment for our students. Their commitment to our students' success is truly inspiring.

We hope that all families have taken the opportunity to sign up for first quarter conferences. These conferences are a valuable chance to connect with your child's teacher and discuss their progress. As we move forward into the second quarter, we remain committed to providing our students with the highest quality education and fostering a strong sense of community. Together, we can continue to achieve great things.

This year, FCPS has new ways of teaching reading and writing to our students, following the new Benchmark Advance Curriculum. We also have new ways to know if students need extra support and how we can best help them through our new Universal Screener system, called Virginia Lanaguage & Literacy Screening System (VALLSS), supporting students in grades K-3.  Students in grades 4-6 will continue to use iReady for our reading and math universal screener.

Starting in November, your child’s progress reports will look different. Students are not expected to master all of their grade-level standards until later in the year. By monitoring grades in each standard over the course of the whole school year, you can get a clearer picture of areas where they need to grow most, as well as their overall progress in literacy. Contact your child's teacher with any questions about your child’s progress report. 

Our progress reporting will still use the same 4-point scale below.  Please refer to the Grading Guidelines for more details.

4

Consistently demonstrates understanding of content and skills of standard taught this quarter.

3

Usually demonstrates understanding of concepts and skills of standard taught this quarter.

2

Sometimes demonstrates understanding of concepts and skills of standard taught this quarter.

1

Seldom demonstrates understanding of concepts and skills of standard taught this quarter.

☕Principal's Coffee & Conversation

Are you interested in learning more about TLES and what it means to be a Title I School?  Are you interested in connecting with members of the TLES Admin Team?  We will be offering Principals' Coffee & Conversation get-together on November 6th from 4:00-5:00pm in our Library.  Please buzz through Door #1, sign in at the main office, then make your way to the library.  We will share our "What is Title I" presentation and take any questions you may have about TLES.  We hope to see many of you there!

🎦Head Lice Zoom Information Session

We will be hosting an information session via Zoom on November 4 at 10:00am on the topic of head lice. We hope to see you then!

Zoom link: https://myfcpsk12.zoom.us/j/98063172432 

👑 TLES VIP

TLES Families: are you interested in learning about the best opportunity to get involved with your child’s education?  The TLES VIP Program is an awesome opportunity to volunteer at TLES, support in your child’s classroom and across multiple areas of the school.  We would love for everyone to take part in the TLES VIP Program volunteer opportunity this year.  All parents, guardians, aunts, uncles, grandparents and other family members are welcome to participate. Complete this form to sign up for a time to be a VIP for Timber Lane!

We will host a virtual TLES VIP Information Session at 8am and 5:30pm on Wednesday, November 6th.  We hope you can join us at the following link: https://myfcpsk12.zoom.us/j/98667194835

🖼️Fall Picture Day

Picture Day will be November 15. More information to come with order forms!

🍗Thanksgiving Luncheon

We invite TLES families to join us for a Thanksgiving Luncheon on Thursday, November 21. This has been a wonderful, yearly tradition where families can celebrate with their child's class in our beautifully decorated and festive cafeteria.  We welcome you to enjoy a meal with your child at the following times:

Kindergarten

10:30-11:10

1st Grade

11:15-11:45

2nd Grade

11:30-12:00

3rd Grade and EAC

12:00-12:30

5th Grade

12:45-1:15

4th Grade

1:00-1:30

6th Grade

1:15-1:45

 

The cost of a meal is $4.75 for adults and siblings of TLES students. Tickets must be purchased in advance and will be available in the Front Office beginning Friday, November 1. We can only accept cash for tickets. We look forward to seeing you at school!

 

🐾 P.A.W.S. (Parents Appreciating Wonderful Staff) 

When you see a staff member go above and beyond for your child or family, please take a moment to fill out this PAWS form to show your appreciation! We will then hand deliver your anonymous message to the staff member so they know they are appreciated. 😊

 

🍂November Important Dates: 

November is Native American Heritage / Family Engagement Month!

November 1: Diwali (No School)

November 3: Daylight Savings Day - Turn your clocks 1 hour back!

November 4: School Planning Day (No School) ; Head Lice Zoom Session @ 10am

November 5: Teacher Work Day/Election Day (No School) ; PTA Election Day Bake Sale

November 6: Principal's Coffee in the Library @ 4-5pm

November 11: Veteran's Day (No School)

November 13: Family Market 4:30-6:30pm

November 15: Fall Picture Day

November 21: Thanksgiving Luncheon @ 10:30-1:45

November 27-29: Thanksgiving Break (No School)

 

❄️December Important Dates: 

December 9: 3-hour early Release Day (Students dismissed at 12:35pm)

December 23-January 3: Winter Break (No School)

2024-25 FCPS School Calendar

 

 

📄Return Your Federal Impact Aid Survey

FCPS is asking all families to fill out a Federal Impact Aid Survey. The form is available online in SIS ParentVUE. If you have not already filled out the form online, we will provide paper forms in November. Please be sure to return them by Friday, November 17. 

Completing this form for each school-aged child in every household is important, because information from this survey resulted in more than $4 million in funding last year from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.

Please watch this video and visit the Federal Impact Aid Survey page for more information.

 

 

Updates from the PTA Renew your PTA Membership 

PTA memberships need to be renewed every year. Whether you're a returning member or a new one - we can't wait to get to know you better. You can renew or sign up by visiting our Facebook page.

  🍰Volunteers Needed: Election Day Bake Sale

Who's ready to break out their oven mitts and help raise some dough for Timber Lane? We are looking for our community (Parents, Grandparents, Neighbors, Friends, Church Groups!) to put their baking passions to great use!  You can bake (or buy!) anything you'd like, loaves, cookies, bars, muffins, cakes, pies. We ask that you package small items like cookies into individual serving sizes in bags or boxes (think 1-3 cookies, 1-2 bars, 1 muffin), and please label if your item has any nuts! Rather buy a dozen cookies and package them up? That's ok, we don't judge! 

We are also looking for volunteers to help sell on the day of the election, Tuesday November 5 from 6am-7pm. You can sign up for one hour or multiple hour slots. Kids are welcome and encouraged to come along to help learn about money management and to practice their persuasive speaking skills. It is always a fun and rewarding event. This year we are hoping to top last year's $1600 sale with the large voter turnout expected. Reach out with any questions to Kristin Crysler at [email protected] 

Sign up to BAKE 

Sign up to VOLUNTEER 

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

We wanted to send you two time sensitive announcements ahead of the end of the First Quarter:

 

📆Two-Hour Early Release

It’s hard to believe we are wrapping up Quarter 1 this week! Please note that this Thursday, October 31, is a two-hour early release. Dismissal is at 1:30 PM, and there will be no Timber Lane-provided supervision. SACC will be open.

 

 

🏆Nominations are now open for Outstanding Employee Awards! 

The deadline to submit a nomination is Friday, November 1, 2024. To submit a nomination for a Timber Lane Outstanding Employee in one of the categories below, please complete the nomination through this Google form link.

You may nominate one employee at our school or multiple employees, but you may only nominate one employee per category.

All that is required for a preliminary nomination is a paragraph or two about how this employee demonstrates exceptional work in one more of the criteria for that award category. The google form link has more information regarding the criteria for each of these awards. The eligibility requirements are below.

Outstanding Teacher  

Eligibility: Has at least three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district)

Outstanding New Teacher

Eligibility: Has up to three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district)

Outstanding Professional Employee 

Eligibility: At least one year experience in current position as a Schedule-B employee or other non-instructional employee in a school that supports school leadership at their current location

Common positions in this category: School-Based Technology Specialist, Technology Support Specialist, Assessment Coach, Career Center Specialist, Instructional Coach, After-School Specialist, MTSS Coordinator, Psychologist, Social Worker, School Counselor, Safety and Security Specialist, Resource Teachers that serve in an administrative role in a school, Special Education Department Chairs that teach less than 50% of their time, Reading Specialists that do not have a regular course load/do not give grades

Outstanding Operational Employee

Eligibility: At least one year of experience in current position as Schedule-A or Classroom Instructional Support Scale employee at their current location

Common positions in this category: Administrative and Office Staff, Safety and Security Assistant, Custodial Staff, Food Service Staff, IAs, PHAs, PHTAs, Parent Liaisons

2737 West Street Falls Church, VA 22046  | Main Office: 703-206-5300
Attendance: Report an Absence | Web | Instagram | Facebook

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Updates from the Admin Team 📆3-Hour Early Release

October 28th will be our next 12:35 Early Release. Dismissal plans communicated with teachers in September will be the plan we follow for October's Early Release. The last day to make changes to your child's dismissal plan was October 23rd, so no further changes will be accepted. 

SACC will be open to support after-school childcare on October 28th beginning at 12:35 on our Early Release day. 

Please note that October 31st will also be an Early Release.  This will take place at 1:35pm.  This will be one of two Early Releases at 1:35 (the other being the last day of school, June 11th).

☕Principal's Coffee & Conversation

Are you interested in learning more about TLES and what it means to be a Title I School?  Are you interested in connecting with members of the TLES Admin Team?  We will be offering Principals' Coffee & Conversation get-togethers on October 30th from 8:15-9:00 and November 6th from 4:00-5:00 in our Library.  Please buzz through Door #1, sign in at the main office, then make your way to the library.  We will share our "What is Title I" presentation and take any questions you may have about TLES.  We hope to see many of you there!

🎦Head Lice Zoom Information Session

We will be hosting an information session via Zoom on November 4 at 10:00am on the topic of head lice. We hope to see you then!

Zoom link: https://myfcpsk12.zoom.us/j/98063172432 

🎃Spirit Day- Thursday Oct 31, 2024

Thursday, October 31 will be Dress as a Book Character Day.  We encourage all students to dress as a Book Character or wear a costume of their choice.  Students should not wear masks that cover their entire face or bring weapon-like accessories.  Preschool, kindergarten and first grade will have a morning parade around the school dressed as their favorite book character.  Some ideas for making costumes with items found at home are below:

Spy: wear dark clothes and sunglasses.

Athlete: wear a jersey and bring a piece of sports equipment.

Pajamas: to be characters from the book Pajama Time, Fancy Nancy, Pirates in Pajamas, Llama Llama, The Problem with Pajamas, Vegetables in Pajamas

Cat: draw whiskers and a nose on your face using makeup.

Banana: wear all yellow.

Bush/tree: fill a trash bag with leaves and place it on or around you.

👑 TLES VIP

TLES Families: are you interested in learning about the best opportunity to get involved with your child’s education?  The TLES VIP Program is an awesome opportunity to volunteer at TLES, support in your child’s classroom and across multiple areas of the school.  We would love for everyone to take part in the TLES VIP Program volunteer opportunity this year.  All parents, guardians, aunts, uncles, grandparents and other family members are welcome to participate.  Please come join us for dinner and an information session on October 29th at 5:30pm.  Students and family members are all welcome to attend!  Please enter through Door #3. Complete this form to sign up for a time to be a VIP for Timber Lane!

 

🖼️Fall Picture Day

Picture Day will be November 15. More information to come with order forms!

🍗Thanksgiving Luncheon

We invite TLES families to join us for a Thanksgiving Luncheon on Thursday, November 21. This has been a wonderful, yearly tradition where families can celebrate with their child's class in our beautifully decorated and festive cafeteria.  We welcome you to enjoy a meal with your child at the following times:

Kindergarten

10:30-11:10

1st Grade

11:15-11:45

2nd Grade

11:30-12:00

3rd Grade and EAC

12:00-12:30

5th Grade

12:45-1:15

4th Grade

1:00-1:30

6th Grade

1:15-1:45

 

The cost of a meal is $4.75 for adults and siblings of TLES students. Tickets must be purchased in advance and will be available in the Front Office beginning Friday, November 1. We can only accept cash for tickets. We look forward to seeing you at school!

 

🐾 P.A.W.S. (Parents Appreciating Wonderful Staff) 

When you see a staff member go above and beyond for your child or family, please take a moment to fill out this PAWS form to show your appreciation! We will then hand deliver your anonymous message to the staff member so they know they are appreciated. 😊

 

🍃October Important Dates: 

October 28: 3-hour Early Release Day (Students dismissed at 12:35pm)

October 29: TLES VIP Info Session 5:30pm (dinner included!)

October 30: Principal's Coffee

October 31: End of First Quarter, 2-hour Early Release (Students Dismissed at 1:35pm)

 

🍂November Important Dates: 

November is Native American Heritage / Family Engagement Month!

November 1: Diwali (No School)

November 3: Daylight Savings Day - Turn your clocks 1 hour back!

November 4: School Planning Day (No School) ; Head Lice Zoom Session @ 10am

November 5: Teacher Work Day/Election Day (No School) ; PTA Election Day Bake Sale

November 6: Principal's Coffee in the Library @ 4:00pm

November 11: Veteran's Day (No School)

November 13: Family Market 4:30-6:30

November 15: Fall Picture Day

November 21: Thanksgiving Luncheon - Save The Date - All families will be invited to take part in a special community lunch with your child!

November 27-29: Thanksgiving Break (No School)

 

❄️December Important Dates: 

December 9: 3-hour early Release Day (Students dismissed at 12:35pm)

December 23-January 3: Winter Break (No School)

2024-25 FCPS School Calendar

 

 

📄Return Your Federal Impact Aid Survey

FCPS is asking all families to fill out a Federal Impact Aid Survey. The form is available online in SIS ParentVUE. If you have not already filled out the form online, we will provide paper forms in November. Please be sure to return them by Friday, November 17. 

Completing this form for each school-aged child in every household is important, because information from this survey resulted in more than $4 million in funding last year from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.

Please watch this video and visit the Federal Impact Aid Survey page for more information.

 

 

Updates from the PTA Renew your PTA Membership 

PTA memberships need to be renewed every year. Whether you're a returning member or a new one - we can't wait to get to know you better. You can renew or sign up by visiting our Facebook page.

  🍰Volunteers Needed: Election Day Bake Sale

Who's ready to break out their oven mitts and help raise some dough for Timber Lane? We are looking for our community (Parents, Grandparents, Neighbors, Friends, Church Groups!) to put their baking passions to great use!  You can bake (or buy!) anything you'd like, loaves, cookies, bars, muffins, cakes, pies. We ask that you package small items like cookies into individual serving sizes in bags or boxes (think 1-3 cookies, 1-2 bars, 1 muffin), and please label if your item has any nuts! Rather buy a dozen cookies and package them up? That's ok, we don't judge! 

We are also looking for volunteers to help sell on the day of the election, Tuesday November 5 from 6am-7pm. You can sign up for one hour or multiple hour slots. Kids are welcome and encouraged to come along to help learn about money management and to practice their persuasive speaking skills. It is always a fun and rewarding event. This year we are hoping to top last year's $1600 sale with the large voter turnout expected. Reach out with any questions to Kristin Crysler at [email protected] 

Sign up to BAKE 

Sign up to VOLUNTEER 

 

Other FCPS Updates 🎤 Our Schools, Our Future: Register Today for a Community Conversation! 

Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid is hosting a series of Community Conversations this fall. She invites you to share your thoughts and ask questions. Click the dates below to register for one of the following conversations:

• Wednesday, October 30, at Herndon Middle School.

Events take place from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Childcare and language interpretation services will be provided.

 

💉Safeway Immunization Clinics for All FCPS Students 

Safeway Pharmacy will host immunization clinics for any FCPS student age 18 or younger at Frost Middle School on Monday, October 28, and Tuesday, October 29, from 3 to 7 p.m.

Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are highly encouraged to avoid wait times. A parent or guardian must accompany walk-in students age 18 or younger to provide consent. Learn more about immunization resources and registering in other languages for the Safeway clinic. 

Students age 19 and older may access free immunizations at their middle/high school immunization clinic, the Fairfax County Health Department or through other community resources.

Elementary School Clinics

The Fairfax County Health Department will provide immunizations for FCPS elementary students on limited early release Mondays at their district offices. All school-required immunizations will be offered at no cost. Call 703-246-7100 to make your appointment.

2737 West Street Falls Church, VA 22046  | Main Office: 703-206-5300
Attendance: Report an Absence | Web | Instagram | Facebook

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Updates from the Admin Team

Dear TLES Families,

October 28th will be our next 12:35 Early Release. Dismissal plans communicated with teachers in September will be the plan we follow for October's Early Release.  If there are any changes to your child's dismissal for our Early Release, families have until Wednesday, October 23rd to make changes to dismissal plans. 

SACC will be open to support after-school childcare on October 28th beginning at 12:35 on our Early Release day.  Please communicate with BOTH the front office AND your child's teacher ONLY IF you have any changes to Early Release dismissal plans for October 28th.  

Please note that October 31st will also be an Early Release.  This will take place at 1:35.  This will be one of two Early Releases at 1:35 (the other being the last day of school, June 11th).

Thank you,

Ben Chiet, Sarah Buchanan & Ashley Vacarro

TLES Administration

 

📣Spirit Wear

Show off your Tiger spirit by visiting the Timber Lane Elementary School online store, open from today through November 5!  All purchases will be delivered to school during the week of December 9!

 

🍗Thanksgiving Luncheon

We invite TLES families to join us for a Thanksgiving Luncheon on Thursday, November 21. This has been a wonderful, yearly tradition where families can celebrate with their child's class in our beautifully decorated and festive cafeteria.  We welcome you to enjoy a meal with your child at the following times:

Kindergarten

10:30-11:10

1st Grade

11:15-11:45

2nd Grade

11:30-12:00

3rd Grade and EAC

12:00-12:30

5th Grade

12:45-1:15

4th Grade

1:00-1:30

6th Grade

1:15-1:45

 

The cost of a meal is $4.75 for adults and siblings of TLES students. Tickets must be purchased in advance and will be available in the Front Office beginning Friday, November 1. We can only accept cash for tickets. We look forward to seeing you at school!

 

✨FCPS Outstanding Employee

We would like to give you the opportunity to nominate any of our outstanding staff members here at TLES through the FCPS Outstanding Employee award process.   We have so many fantastic and dedicated staff members here at TLES! Please see all criteria in the nomination form. The form will be open from Friday, October 18-Friday, November 1.

 

Head Lice (Pediculosis) Guidelines

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) and the Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) have updated the Head Lice Guidelines in alignment with the  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

These guidelines address head lice within the school setting:

• A student may be referred to the School Health Aide (SHA) by a parent/guardian or a staff member when head lice are suspected.
• A student with live head lice or nits may return to class.
• For a student with nits (eggs) only, the parent/guardian of the student will be contacted to discuss nit removal. The Head Lice Eggs (Nits) Removal Letter will be sent home with the student.
• For a student with live lice, the parent/guardian will be contacted by the SHA. A copy of the Lice Packet will be sent home with the student.

The FCHD and FCPS do not support excluding students with live head lice or nits.

Additional information and resources can be found on the Head Lice Information page and the Lice: Treatment and Prevention page. 

Principals' Coffee & Conversation

Are you interested in learning more about TLES and what it means to be a Title I School?  Are you interested in connecting with members of the TLES Admin Team?  We will be offering Principals' Coffee & Conversation get-togethers on October 22nd & October 30th from 8:15-9:00 in our Library.  Please buzz through Door #1, sign in at the main office, then make your way to the library.  We will share our "What is Title I" presentation and take any questions you may have about TLES.  We hope to see many of you there!

🍃October Important Dates: 

October 19: PTA Garden Clean Up - TLES @ 9-12 pm

October 24: PTA Restaurant Fundraiser - Five Guys @ 4-8 pm

October 28: 3-hour Early Release Day (Students dismissed at 12:35pm)

October 29: TLES VIP Info Session 5:30pm (dinner included!)

October 31: End of First Quarter, 2-hour Early Release (Students Dismissed at 1:35pm)

 

🍂November Important Dates: 

November 1: Diwali (No School)

November 4: School Planning Day (No School)

November 5: Teacher Work Day/Election Day (No School) ; PTA Election Day Bake Sale

November 11: Veteran's Day (No School)

November 13: Family Market 4:30-6:30

November 15: Fall Picture Day

November 21: Thanksgiving Luncheon - Save The Date - All families will be invited to take part in a special community lunch with your child!

November 27-29: Thanksgiving Break (No School)

 

❄️December Important Dates: 

December 9: 3-hour early Release Day (Students dismissed at 12:35pm)

December 23-January 3: Winter Break (No School)

2024-25 FCPS School Calendar

Updates from the PTA

All,

It was great to see so many of you at our first General Membership meeting on Wednesday, October 9th.  We had a great informative panel discussion with our Principal Ben Chiet and two Assistant Principals - Ashley Vaccaro and Sarah Buchanan).

🍰November 5 PTA Election Day Bake Sale:

Volunteer to Bake - I want to bake!

Volunteer day of - I want to sell baked goods!

 

We are also always in need of volunteers to support our Trader Joe's program on Saturdays and Sundays!  Please sign up to volunteer for Trader Joes Food Distribution!

 

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook for the latest updates and breaking news!

Other FCPS Updates 🎤 Our Schools, Our Future: Register Today for a Community Conversation! 

Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid is hosting a series of Community Conversations this fall. She invites you to share your thoughts and ask questions. Click the dates below to register for one of the following conversations:

• Monday, October 21, at Virginia Run Elementary School.
• Wednesday, October 30, at Herndon Middle School.

Events take place from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Childcare and language interpretation services will be provided.

 

💉Safeway Immunization Clinics for All FCPS Students 

Safeway Pharmacy will host immunization clinics for any FCPS student age 18 or younger at Frost Middle School on Monday, October 28, and Tuesday, October 29, from 3 to 7 p.m.

Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are highly encouraged to avoid wait times. A parent or guardian must accompany walk-in students age 18 or younger to provide consent. Learn more about immunization resources and registering in other languages for the Safeway clinic. 

Students age 19 and older may access free immunizations at their middle/high school immunization clinic, the Fairfax County Health Department or through other community resources.

Elementary School Clinics

The Fairfax County Health Department will provide immunizations for FCPS elementary students on limited early release Mondays at their district offices. All school-required immunizations will be offered at no cost. Call 703-246-7100 to make your appointment.

2737 West Street Falls Church, VA 22046  | Main Office: 703-206-5300
Attendance: Report an Absence | Web | Instagram | Facebook

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Updates from the Admin Team 🙏🏼TLES VIP (Very Important Partners) Program: 

TLES Families: are you interested in learning about the best opportunity to get involved with your child’s education?  The TLES VIP Program is an awesome opportunity to volunteer at TLES, support in your child’s classroom and across multiple areas of the school.  We would love for everyone to take part in the TLES VIP Program volunteer opportunity this year.  All parents, guardians, aunts, uncles, grandparents and other family members are welcome to participate.  Please come join us for dinner and an information session on October 29th at 5:30.  Students and family members are all welcome to attend!  Please enter through Door #3.

 

📆October 28 3-Hour Early Release

Our next Early Release will take place at 12:35 on October 28th.  The dismissal plan families communicated to us in September is the plan we're sticking to for the remaining early releases for your child.  If there needs to be any changes in dismissal for this date, families have until Wednesday October 23rd to make changes.  Please email the main office and your child's teacher no later than October 23rd for any changes to your child's early release dismmissal plans.  SACC will now support on Early Release Days. 

October 31st will be a 2-hour Early Release with dismissal at 1:35.

 

📷Picture Day

Fall Picture Day will be November 15! This year we will be partnering with Victor O’Neill Studies for our fall and spring pictures.  Victor O'Neill Studios will be sending us order forms on October 25th.  These will go home in October 30th's Wednesday folders.  For more information about Victor O'Neill Studios, please visit: https://www.vosphoto.com/

 

🍂October Important Dates:

Hispanic Heritage Month

Disability History and Awareness Month

National School Principals Month

October 11-12: Yom Kippur

October 14: Indigenous People’s Day (No School)

October 28: 3-hour Early Release Day (Students dismissed at 12:35pm)

October 29: TLES VIP Info Session @ 5:30 (Dinner included!)

October 31: End of First Quarter, 2-hour Early Release (Students Dismissed at 1:35pm)

🍁November Important Dates: 

November 1: Diwali (No School)

November 4: School Planning Day (No School)

November 5: Teacher Work Day/Election Day (No School)

November 11: Veteran's Day (No School)

November 13: Family Market @ 4:30-6:00

November 13: PTA Reflections Awards 6:00 (Door #3)

November 15: Fall Picture Day 

November 21: Thanksgiving Luncheon - Save The Date - All families will be invited to take part in a special community lunch with your child!

November 27-29: Thanksgiving Break (No School)

❄️December Important Dates: 

December 9: 3-hour early Release Day (Students dismissed at 12:35pm)

December 23-January 3: Winter Break (No School)

For more information, visit 2024-25 FCPS School Calendar

Principals' Coffee & Conversation

Are you interested in learning more about TLES and what it means to be a Title I School?  Are you interested in connecting with members of the TLES Admin Team?  We will be offering Principals' Coffee & Conversation get-togethers on October 22nd & October 30th from 8:15-9:00 in our Library.  Please buzz through Door #1, sign in at the main office, then make your way to the library.  We will share our "What is Title I" presentation and take any questions you may have about TLES.  We hope to see many of you there!

🐾P.A.W.S. (Parents Appreciating Wonderful Staff) 

When you see a staff member go above and beyond for your child or family, please take a moment to fill out this PAWS form to show your appreciation!  Once received, the admin team will hand deliver your anonymous message to the staff member printed on beautfully-designed stationary, sharing your message through a public display of appreciation, making a BIG deal out of this recognition in front the students ROAR-style, and making sure they really feel appreciated!!! 😊

Other TLES Updates ➕Math is Everywhere! Talking to Your Children about Mathematics

Join the FCPS Elementary Math Team to discuss ways to engage your children in mathematics.  During our time together we will highlight books, games, and other materials that assist you in talking about mathematics with your child throughout the day. Teaching math to your children doesn’t have to be intimidating. This webinar will provide concrete examples for caregivers with ideas to spark math joy.

October 18, 2024, 10-11:30 A.M. Register Online

 

FCPS Updates 🍕Celebrating the Power of School Lunches

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 School Lunch Week, FCPS Food and Nutrition Services reminds families that they are dedicated to providing flavorful, healthy, sustainable, and student-focused meals. Also, new menu items have been launched this year based on student feedback. 

Want to know what’s for breakfast or lunch? Nutrition Services now has printable menus.

 

🎤 Our Schools, Our Future: Register Today for a Community Conversation! 

Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid will host a series of Community Conversations this fall. She invites you to share your thoughts and ask questions. Click the dates below to register for any of the following conversations:

• Monday, October 14, at Fairhill Elementary School.
• Monday, October 21, at Virginia Run Elementary School.
• Wednesday, October 30, at Herndon Middle School.

Events take place from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Childcare and language interpretation services will be provided.

 

💉Safeway Immunization Clinics for All FCPS Students 

Safeway Pharmacy will be providing immunizations at Frost Middle School for all FCPS students at no cost on: 

• Saturday, October 12, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Monday, October 28, 3-7 p.m.

Transportation options are available.

Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are highly encouraged to avoid wait times. A parent or guardian must accompany walk-in students under the age of 19 to provide consent. Learn more about immunization resources and registering in other languages for the Safeway clinic.

2737 West Street Falls Church, VA 22046  | Main Office: 703-206-5300
Attendance: Report an Absence | Web | Instagram | Facebook

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Updates from the Admin Team 🗓️October Important Dates 🍂

*October is National School Principals Month!!*

October 14: Student Holiday

October 28: 3-Hour Early Release Day

October 31: End of First Quarter

Other TLES Updates 🐾P.A.W.S. (Parents Appreciating Wonderful Staff) 

We are starting a new initiative to celebrate our amazing teachers all year long! When you see a staff member go above and beyond for your child or family, please take a moment to fill out this PAWS form to show your appreciation! We will then hand deliver your anonymous message to the staff member so they know they are appreciated. 😊

 

🚶🏼‍♂️Walk and Roll to School Day 🚲

Join children and adults around the world next Wednesday, October 9, to celebrate the benefits of walking and bicycling! Bikers and walkers will enter school through Door 1. Bikes will be left out in front of Door 1 and students biking to school will be dismissed first that day. All participants will receive a certificate.

  📰 Calling Sixth Graders to Join the Timber Lane Newspaper Club!

Starting on October 10, students from McLean High School's award-winning newsmagazine, The Highlander, will come to Timber Lane every two weeks to help create and develop our very own student newspaper! Forming as an after school club, the group will meet every other Thursday from 3:35-5:30. We are looking for interested 6th-grade students who enjoy writing or are artistically skilled (cartoonists)! By joining, students will improve their writing skills and see their work published in either a print magazine or an email newsletter. After school buses will be available. The group will end in early April. Interested students should fill out the registration form in the Wednesday folder.

  💉Free Immunizations for All FCPS Students

Safeway Pharmacy will be providing immunizations for all FCPS students at no cost! Parents or guardians may schedule an appointment and provide consent for their student(s). The immunization clinics are being held at Frost Middle School on:  

• Tuesday, October 8, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Saturday, October 12, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Students under the age of 19, with a scheduled appointment and parental consent, must be accompanied by their parent, guardian, or another adult over the age of 19. 

Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are highly encouraged to avoid wait times. A parent or guardian must accompany walk-in students under the age of 19 in order to provide consent.  

Transportation services are also available. Please visit our Immunization Resources webpage for details. 

Parents may learn more about this Safeway Pharmacy and other immunization resources and FCPS school-required immunizations

Updates from the PTA First PTA Meeting of the School Year

Please join us for our first membership meeting of the year on Wednesday October 9th from 7-8pm! Refreshments will be served and childcare provided in the gym.

You do not need to be a PTA member to attend this meeting. All families, friends, staff, community members, etc. are welcome and encouraged to attend.

  🍔October Family Restaurant Night

Support Timber Lane PTA by grabbing a bite at Five Guys in Falls Church on Thursday, October 24, 2024, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

Simply mention **Timber Lane** or show this flyer, and 20% of the proceeds will be donated to support our school!

📍Location: Five Guys, 913 W Broad Street, Falls Church, VA 22046

🕒Time: 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM

🍔How to Participate: Mention **Timber Lane** or show the flyer when placing your order. You can dine in, order online, or call ahead for pickup—just remember, this offer is not valid for delivery.

2737 West Street Falls Church, VA 22046  | Main Office: 703-206-5300
Attendance: Report an Absence | Web | Instagram | Facebook

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Updates from the Admin Team 🍧Attendance Popsicle Raffle

Attendance matters and our TLES Tigers are doing a great job coming to school 😊 Last year we did an amazing job of having only 7.7% of students chronically absent (that’s a reduction of 6.2% from the previous academic year)! Regular attendance can help students be successful at school, graduate on time, and achieve their life goals.

Each week, we will hold an attendance raffle. Students who have had perfect attendance the previous week will have their name drawn. One name will be drawn for each grade. If your child’s name is announced for perfect attendance, they will enjoy a popsicle in the café after lunch!

While we want students to be here at school, it’s important to keep our community healthy. Please note that students should stay home if they have diarrhea, a fever, or are vomiting. Thank you for your support!

Other TLES Updates Calling Sixth Graders to Join the Timber Lane Newspaper Club!

Starting on October 10, students from McLean High School's award-winning newsmagazine, The Highlander, will come to Timber Lane every two weeks to help create and develop our very own student newspaper! Forming as an after school club, the group will meet every other Thursday from 3:35-5:30. We are looking for interested 6th-grade students who enjoy writing or are artistically skilled (cartoonists)! By joining, students will improve their writing skills and see their work published in either a print magazine or an email newsletter. After school buses will be available. The group will end in early April. Interested students should fill out the registration form in the Wednesday folder.

Updates from FCPS 💉Immunizations

FCPS has partnered with the Fairfax County Health Department to provide immunization clinics on limited early release Mondays for elementary school students, and at middle and high schools this fall. 

See the Immunization toolkit for newsletter and social media messaging.

 

🎤 Our Schools, Our Future: Register Today for a Community Conversation! 

Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid will host a series of Community Conversations this fall. She invites you to share your thoughts and ask questions. Click the dates below to register for any of the following conversations:

• Monday, September 30, at Mount Vernon Woods Elementary School.
• Monday, October 14, at Fairhill Elementary School.
• Monday, October 21, at Virginia Run Elementary School.

Wednesday, October 30, at Herndon Middle School.

 

Providence Day and Back to School Celebration on Sat., Oct. 5

Join us for a day of fun, connection, and community spirit! The inaugural Providence Day and Back to School Celebration is on Saturday, October 5, from 11 am to 3 pm at Marshall High School. We will celebrate the vibrant and diverse community we're proud to call home and highlight local organizations and businesses while fostering stronger connections among residents and community leaders. This free, family-friendly event is open to all Fairfax County residents and will feature interactive booths, live performances, food trucks, activities for kids, giveaways and prizes, community spotlights, and more!

RSVP TODAY: https://www.facebook.com/share/b12h6pJutavJcxX3/

Accessibility and Transportation: George Marshall High School is easily accessible by car, bus, or bike. Shuttle services will run from the Jim Scott Community Center (3001 Vaden Drive) and the James Lee Community Center (2855 Annandale Road).

Questions: Email [email protected] or call 703-560-6946.

2737 West Street Falls Church, VA 22046  | Main Office: 703-206-5300
Attendance: Report an Absence | Web | Instagram | Facebook

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Mr. Jonas (6th Grade Math), has adorned TLES with stimulating brain boosters and Math problems around the building and outside on some of our sidewalks near our main entrances.  Pictured above, a student waits for her buddy in the hallway and demonstrates her mathematical thinking! :)

Updates from the Admin Team

Hello TLES Families,

We had an incredible week of learning at TLES, where our students dedicated themselves to sharpening their reading, writing, math, science and social studies skills. As we visit all of our classrooms throughout the building, we're consistently impressed by students creativity, focus and work habits.  That's quite the compliment for only being five weeks into the school year - a true testament to the quality of teachers here at TLES and our amazing student community!

Monday, September 23rd marks our first 3-Hour Early Release Day of the year. We appreciate your understanding as we adjust to this new schedule. Together, we'll tackle any challenges that arise and ensure a smooth transition!

Thank you,

TLES Administration

Ben Chiet, Sarah Buchanan, Ashley Vaccaro

🍁September Important Dates: 

September 23:  3-Hour Early Release Day (Dismissal @ 12:35pm)

September 25: AAP Levels of Service Meeting for Families 6:00

🍁October Important Dates: 

October is National School Principals Month!

October 2-4: Custodial Appreciation Week

October 3: Student Holiday (No School)

October 4: Teacher Workday (No School)

October 14: Student Holiday (No School)

October 28: 3-Hour Early Release Day (Dismissal @ 12:35pm)

October 31: End of First Quarter, 2-hour Early Release (Dismissal @ 1:35)

🍁November Important Dates: 

November 1: Diwali (No School)

November 4: School Planning Day (No School)

November 5: Teacher Work Day/Election Day (No School)

November 11: Veteran's Day (No School)

November 21: Thanksgiving Luncheon - Save The Date - All families will be invited to take part in a special community lunch with your child!

November 27-29: Thanksgiving Break - (No School)

2024-25 FCPS School Calendar

🏫Back to School Night Presentations

Thank you to all families that attended Back to School Night! If you were unable to attend, please find the grade level presentations below. 

Kindergarten First Grade Second Grade Third Grade Fourth Grade Fifth Grade Sixth Grade  

 

Messages from the PTA 🍂Registration Now Open for Fall Enrichment 

Enrichment is back this fall for families looking for after school enrichment opportunities. Registration is open from September 9th to September 22nd.  Visit the TLES PTA Enrichment site to register and learn more.

Enrichment Classes Start: September 30

Enrichment Classes End: December 13

Make-Up Dates: December 16 - December 20

  🍋Shop with us at Lemon Lane Consignment 

Join us on October 10th at Lemon Lane Consignment for a fun day of shopping for a cause! 10% of all sales from opening to close will be donated back to TLES, as long as you mention Timber Lane at checkout.

This is a great opportunity to stock up on some fall and winter essentials, or buy a gift for a friend! Their inventory is adorable, and updates regularly. This event occurs the day after one of their Walk in Wednesdays, which typically means you have the best chance to snag some of their best deals.

We hope to see you there!

Lemon Consignment Address: 246 W. Broad Street, Falls Church

👨🏼‍🌾Coming Soon: Fall Garden Clean Up Day

Join us for a day of community and giving back! This year's annual Fall Garden Green-Up is scheduled for Saturday, October 12th from 9:00 - 12:00pm at Timber Lane Elementary School.

Roll up your sleeves and join us for a day of fun preparing the Timber Lane grounds for winter! No green thumb required - just bring your enthusiasm (and garden gloves if you have them)!

There are a number of ways to get involved:

- Volunteer your time to help make the exterior of the school beautiful!

- Lend your post hole digger, wheelbarrow and shovels

We will be moving the weather station among other great outdoor fall gardening activities.

Please sign up on our Facebook Page to let us know you're coming!

2737 West Street Falls Church, VA 22046  | Main Office: 703-206-5300
Attendance: Report an Absence | Web | Instagram | Facebook

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Updates from the Admin Team ✔️ Parent/Caregiver Checklist: Have You Completed These Important Forms?

We understand that the multiple school forms caregivers receive during the first weeks of school can feel overwhelming, but each one helps set your child up for a successful school year! If you do not have a SIS ParentVUE account, please contact your child’s school for an activation code and follow the directions on the SIS ParentVUE Account webpage. 

🩹 Immunization Requirements 

Please check with your healthcare provider as soon as possible to make sure your child is up to date on the immunizations required by the state of Virginia. Starting Monday, September 30, students who have not provided proof of immunization will not be allowed to attend school. 

You may check your child’s immunization compliance and submit their immunization record in SIS ParentVUE. Records may also be delivered to your school’s front office. 

Alternative immunization documents (below) may also be provided to your school’s front office, but they may not be uploaded in ParentVUE:  

• A healthcare provider’s written statement specifying all administered immunizations.
• A healthcare provider’s written statement of a permanent or temporary medical exemption.
• A notarized Religious Exemption form objecting to the administration of immunizations due to conflicts with religious tenets or practices.

Find more information on immunizations. 

📋 Permission Forms

Families can easily grant permission for their children to access a variety of school resources through the Parent Digital Consent system. Parents can opt their child in or out of resources including online educational tools, school counseling services, and tutoring services. They can also change how student information is managed. Visit the Parent Digital Consent webpage to access the system. Watch this video to see how to use the tool. 

Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R)

The SR&R document explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses. Parents using SIS ParentVUE will be prompted to sign the document when logging in to that platform. A printable version of the document with a signature sheet is available on the SR&R webpage. This form should be signed and returned by Friday, September 30.

Messages from the PTA

Renew your PTA Membership 

PTA memberships need to be renewed every year. Whether you're a returning member or a new one - we can't wait to get to know you better. You can renew or sign up by clicking here. Our first general membership meeting will be Wednesday October 9th.

Download the Box Tops Mobile App 

Earning with Box Tops is easy! No clipping required! Simply purchase qualifying products and scan your receipt using the Box Top mobile app within 14 days of purchasing. Box Top items are automatically identified and your school receives automatic earnings. You can scan receipts from anywhere you shop, whether it's Costco, Target, PetSmart, Giant or Harris Teeter - the list goes on and on.  Download the app today, and encourage your family members to do the same!

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

TLES Families,

Thank you to all the families who attended our Back to School Night last week. Your support and involvement mean so much to our school community, and we are grateful for the opportunity to connect with you. We look forward to working together this year to ensure a successful and enriching experience for all our students.

This year's Back to School Night attendance was fantastic!  It seems that offering childcare made a difference in getting more families to take part in this very important beginning of year event.  Our Pizza, Popsicles & ParentVue event that took place just before Back to School Night also seemed to contribute to getting more of our families in the building that evening.  We will plan for similar accommodations next year to maintain high family engagement.

We are deeply saddened by the news of the two recent school shootings, and our hearts go out to all those affected by these tragic events. The safety and well-being of our students and staff are our top priorities, and we want to assure you that we remain fully committed to maintaining a safe and secure learning environment. We continuously review and update our safety protocols, conduct regular drills, and work closely with local authorities to ensure we are prepared for any emergency.

One component of a safe and secure school campus is ensuring that all family members are aware of school safety procedures.  Thank you to all of our car riders for driving slowly and safely through our car rider drop-off/pick-up loop (Kiss 'n Ride) during arrival and dismissal.  We do monitor this in person as well as through our external camera system to ensure the safety of all of those driving and walking on our campus during these higher traffic times.  Thank you for ensuring you present your identification and state the purpose of your visit every time you enter through Door #1.  When visiting TLES, thank you for always wearing a visitor name tag so that all staff are aware that you have been vetted through our ScholarChip Visitor Identification System upon every visit.  After 8:50am each morning, all doors are closed and secured for the entire school day in addition to securing the front and rear gates around our property.  Thank you for your continued support following school safety procedures as we work together to keep our school community safe.

Please also know that FCPS has a committed team that focuses on school safety every day. They constantly access our security protocols in partnership with local and national experts to ensure that we are doing everything possible to keep our staff and students safe in our buildings. 

The following two resources may be helpful if your child has questions about what happened and/or is expressing concern:

Helping Children Cope with Tragedy

Talking to Children About Violence

Our guidance counselors are available to support and provide additional resources; please reach out as needed.

We will continue to be diligent in our safety protocols and processes, continue to foster a community built on a foundation of respect and kindness, and continue to take care of one another. 

Thank you,

Ben Chiet, Sarah Buchanan & Ashley Vaccaro 

Updates from the FCPS Language Arts Team 📚Virginia Literacy Act

FCPS created a video to share the changes in curriculum, assessments, and interventions that are part of the Virginia Literacy Act that goes into effect across all schools in Virginia. Watch the Literacy Back to School Night Message.  

Curriculum

Under the Virginia Literacy Act, FCPS adopted the approved program, Benchmark Advance.  In each grade level, our instruction will focus on nine units, each of which focus on a single Knowledge Strand or topic/concept. This is aligned from Kindergarten to 6th grade. Because the goal is to build knowledge and vocabulary while teaching students the skills they need as readers, there are literary topics, science topics and social studies topics that are aligned to the Virginia Standards of Learning (VSOL). The stories and articles students read will be split evenly between fiction and nonfiction to ensure they can read a variety of texts.

Benchmark Advance develops students’ background knowledge on topics related to science, social studies and literary studies over the course of multiple years. For example, the unit on government and citizenship begins with a focus on rules at home and at school in kindergarten and culminates in the unit, Beyond Democracy in sixth grade, which teaches students about various forms of government used around the world.

Benchmark Advance has created a Caregiver website. Visit their website to learn more. 

Assessment

Students in grades K-2 and identified 3rd graders will be assessed using the Virginia Language and Literacy Screening System (VALLSS), a new test of foundational reading skills developed by the state of Virginia in partnership with the University of Virginia. For more information about VALLSS you can review the Parent Brochure. You will receive a Testing Notification if your child will be participating in the VALLSS.

Students in grades 3-6 will be assessed using iReady, an assessment that measures reading foundations as well as reading comprehension, this is the screener that has been used in FCPS for years. You will receive notification of results for either the VALLSS or the iReady. 

Intervention

While all students who demonstrate areas of need will benefit from differentiated support in the classroom, students with high levels of risk will get interventions in addition to their core instruction that is focused on their areas of need. This additional support will be documented in a reading plan. Assessment results and reading plans will be discussed with families at conferences. For students with disabilities with significant reading needs, these plans will be discussed in an IEP meeting. Reading plans will include: Area of Need, Yearly Goal, Quarterly Objectives, and Quarterly data to progress monitor goals. These plans will be visible to you in ParentVue, so be sure to have your account up and running this fall.

Resources for Families

Here are some of the resources that the Virginia Literacy Partnership (a partnership between the Virginia Department of Education and the University of Virginia) has posted for families.

⭐Blue Star Welcome Week⭐

Every year, approximately 600,000 military-connected families relocate. Most of these families move to new duty stations, while some transition out of the military and others transition in. Most of these moves take place over the summer, and Fairfax County Public Schools is committed to ensuring our military families feel welcomed and a sense of belonging to their local community. 

Blue Star Welcome Week is an opportunity for our community to welcome our military-connected families and show them our appreciation for their service and sacrifices. Throughout the week, FCPS will help ease their transition through events, messages, actions of welcome, and opportunities to make meaningful connections. Please help us welcome our military families during Blue Star Welcome Week, September 21 - September 29, 2024, and throughout the year! #BlueStarWelcomeWeekFCPS 

🎓Advanced Academics Program (AAP) Information Session

All families are encouraged to attend a meeting on September 25 @ 6:00pm to learn about the levels of AAP services. 

Parents or guardians may request a one-time retest of either the CogAT or the NNAT in grades 3-6. Requests must be made in writing (email or paper) to our School Testing Coordinator, Ashley Vaccaro, and Advanced Academic Resource Teacher, Alyssa Grabel. Deadline for the request is September 15. 

Please read the Fall AAP Newsletter below!

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Updates from the PTA Renew your PTA Membership 

PTA memberships need to be renewed every year. Whether you're a returning member or a new one - we can't wait to get to know you better. You can renew or sign up by clicking here. Our first general membership meeting will be Wednesday October 9th.

 

  Re-Link your Harris Teeter VIC Card 

VIC cards have to be linked EVERY YEAR, so even if you've linked your VIC Card before it's likely time to do it again! The more people linked to Timber Lane, the more Harris Teeter will donate, so encourage your family and friends to choose Timber Lane as their linked school!

Click here to learn how. (Timber Lane Elementary School ID: 5777)

 

  Sign Up as a Room Parent 

We hope you had a great time at Open House this week. We also hope some of you decided to sign up as 2024-2025 Room Parents! Many classrooms have more than one room parent, so you can connect with other parents and share the responsibility.

If you're interested in signing up as a Room Parent this year, or simply want to learn more about what it means to be a Room Parent, email Chelsea Gurney at [email protected].

2737 West Street Falls Church, VA 22046  | Main Office: 703-206-5300
Attendance: Report an Absence | Web | Instagram | Facebook

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Admin Team Updates 🍕 Pizza, Popsicles, and ParentVUE and Back to School Night 🏫

On Thursday, September 5th from 5:00-5:30, we will have our Pizza, Popsicles and ParentVue event in the TLES cafeteria.  This event will be for all families that need help signing up for ParentVue and accessing all the required forms for parent acknowledgement and permissions.  If you have not signed up for ParentVue and have not completed several permission forms for your child(ren) for this year, you should attend this event.  All families are welcome, children included for dinner and technology support.

Later that evening at 5:30pm on Thursday, September 5th, we will have our annual Back To School Night (BTSN).  All grade levels will be presenting at 5:30 and 6:15.  All presentations will be in English with one presentation in every grade level with a Spanish interpreter.  All parents should plan to attend these meetings to learn important information about your child's learning for the school year.  Childcare will be provided in the gym for all potty-trained aged students.  Please drop children off in the gym so you can join teacher presentations on time. 

The BTSN schedule is below.  Please be mindful of those start times so you can be present for all the curriculum updates, grade level goals, classroom communication updates, and critical school year information.  Parking will be allowed along our sidewalk throughout the bus loop this evening to accommodate all of our visitors.  Grade level presentation locations will be on signage upon your arrival.  Please enter through Door #1.  We are looking forward to seeing you that evening!

TLES Administration,

Ben Chiet, Sarah Buchanan & Ashley Vaccaro

2737 West Street Falls Church, VA 22046  | Main Office: 703-206-5300
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Admin Team Updates 🍕Pizza, Popsicles, and ParentVUE and Back to School Night🏫

Tomorrow, Thursday, September 5 from 5:00-5:30, we will have our Pizza, Popsicles and ParentVue event in the TLES cafeteria.  This event will be for all families that need help signing up for ParentVue and accessing all the required forms for parent acknowledgement and permissions.

Later that evening at 5:30pm, we will have our annual Back To School Night.  All grade levels will be presenting at 5:30 and 6:15.  Please be mindful of those start times so you can be present for all the curriculum updates, grade level goals, classroom communication updates, and critical school year information.  Parking will be allowed along our sidewalk throughout the bus loop this evening to accommodate all of our visitors. Please see below for the schedule.

🎤 Community Conversations with Superintendent Dr. Reid

Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid invites you to share your questions or concerns regarding Fairfax County Public Schools. Your voice matters! Community Conversations will be held this Fall 6:30-7:30 p.m. on:

• Monday, September 9, at Holmes Middle School 
• Monday, September 23, at Newington Forest Elementary
• Monday, September 30, at Mount Vernon Woods Elementary 
• Monday, October 14, at Fairhill Elementary 
• Monday, October 21, at Virginia Run Elementary 
• Wednesday, October 30, at Herndon Middle 

Click the date above to register. Registration is not required but helps with planning. Additional registration links will be shared in next week’s This Week at FCPS. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all. Find out about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid.

Messages from our School Board Members

Click on the picture to view the videos from our school board members. 

Karl Frisch Kyle McDaniel Ryan McElveen

Click to edit this placeholder text.

2737 West Street Falls Church, VA 22046  | Main Office: 703-206-5300
Attendance: Report an Absence | Web | Instagram | Facebook

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Admin Team Updates 🍕 Pizza, Popsicles, and ParentVUE and Back to School Night 🏫

On Thursday, September 5th from 5:00-5:30, we will have our Pizza, Popsicles and ParentVue event in the TLES cafeteria.  This event will be for all families that need help signing up for ParentVue and accessing all the required forms for parent acknowledgement and permissions.  If you have not signed up for ParentVue and have not completed several permission forms for your child(ren) for this year, you should attend this event.  All families are welcome, children included for dinner and technology support.

Later that evening at 5:30pm on Thursday, September 5th, we will have our annual Back To School Night (BTSN).  All grade levels will be presenting at 5:30 and 6:15.  All presentations will be in English with one presentation in every grade level with a Spanish interpreter.  All parents should plan to attend these meetings to learn important information about your child's learning for the school year.  Childcare will be provided in the gym for all potty-trained aged students.  Please drop children off in the gym so you can join teacher presentations on time. 

The BTSN schedule is below.  Please be mindful of those start times so you can be present for all the curriculum updates, grade level goals, classroom communication updates, and critical school year information.  Parking will be allowed along our sidewalk throughout the bus loop this evening to accommodate all of our visitors.  Grade level presentation locations will be on signage upon your arrival.  Please enter through Door #1.  We are looking forward to seeing you that evening!

TLES Administration,

Ben Chiet, Sarah Buchanan & Ashley Vaccaro

  📑2024 Student Rights and Responsibilities 

FCPS’ Student Rights and Responsibilities document (SR&R) explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses to enhance school safety and to create a fair, equitable, and supportive school environment. Read Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid’s letter to families regarding the SR&R. 

Parents/caregivers should talk to their child(ren) about expectations for this school year. Also, please log in to SIS ParentVUE and sign to acknowledge your review of the SR&R, or sign and return the signature sheet to your child’s school by Monday, September 30. 

You can submit questions online regarding the SR&R.

 

🙋 Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow!

The beginning of the school year is the best time to develop strong attendance habits! Students who attend school regularly are more likely to perform well in reading and math, develop strong social and emotional skills, and graduate from high school on time. Help prepare your child for future success. Visit FCPS’ Attendance webpage for tips and strategies.

 

📱Cell Phones Off, Learning On

Thank you for helping to support the FCPS cell phone policy by waiting to call or text your child about non-urgent matters until the school day is over. In case of an emergency, it is always best to contact the school’s front office to reach your child during class time. 

Visit the FCPS Cell Phone Policy webpage to read more about usage policies by grade level and to share your feedback on the current cell phone policy.

🧪Science Olympiad

3rd, 4th, 5th graders: Do you love exploring the WORLD of Science?

Science Olympiad is for YOU!

The Science Olympiad team will meet twice a week from 3:45-5:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, beginning September 10. We will accept interested students on a rolling, first come, first served basis until we meet our team limit of 15 students in grades 3-5. Late buses will be provided. 

The club will engage in research and experiments using a variety of materials in preparation for the Science Olympiad Competition. Timber Lane will compete in hands-on building challenges at the competition on Saturday October 26 or Saturday November 16 (date to be confirmed). 

If you would like to be challenged, return the bottom of this form to your teacher OR fill out the interest form by clicking here or scanning the QR code below as soon as possible, no later than Friday, Sept. 6.

Message from the PTA Join us for September Family Restaurant Night

Family Restaurant Nights are back! Join us at Silver Diner in Merrifield on September 12th for our first Family Restaurant Night of the year. From 5PM-8PM, 20% of all incremental sales will be donated back to TLES. You can find additional details here.

 

Register for Fall Enrichment: Coming Soon

Enrichment is back this fall for families looking for after school enrichment opportunities. Registration will open on September 9th and close on September 22nd.  

Enrichment Classes Start: 9/30

Enrichment Classes End: 12/13

Make-Up Dates: 12/16-12/20

 

Sign Up as a Room Parent 

We hope you had a great time at Open House last week. We also hope some of you decided to sign up as 2024-2025 Room Parents! Many classrooms have more than one room parent, so you can connect with other parents and share the responsibility.

If you're interested in signing up as a Room Parent this year, or simply want to learn more about what it means to be a Room Parent, email Chelsea Gurney at [email protected].

2737 West Street Falls Church, VA 22046  | Main Office: 703-206-5300
Attendance: Report an Absence | Web | Instagram | Facebook

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

English | Español | አማርኛ | 中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt | العربية | فارسی | اردو

Admin Team Updates 🍕 Pizza, Popsicles, and ParentVUE and Back to School Night 🏫

On Thursday, September 5th from 5:00-5:30, we will have our Pizza, Popsicles and ParentVue event in the TLES cafeteria.  This event will be for all families that need help signing up for ParentVue and accessing all the required forms for parent acknowledgement and permissions.  If you have not signed up for ParentVue and have not completed several permission forms for your child(ren) for this year, you should attend this event.  All families are welcome, children included for dinner and technology support.

Later that evening at 5:30pm on Thursday, September 5th, we will have our annual Back To School Night (BTSN).  All grade levels will be presenting at 5:30 and 6:15.  All parents should plan to attend these meetings to learn important information about your child's learning for the school year.  Childcare will be provided in the gym for all potty-trained aged students.  Please drop children off in the gym so you can join teacher presentations on time.  The BTSN schedule is below.  Please be mindful of those start times so you can be present for all the curriculum updates, grade level goals, classroom communication updates, and critical school year information.  Parking will be allowed along our sidewalk throughout the bus loop this evening to accommodate all of our visitors.  Grade level presentation locations will be on signage upon your arrival.  Please enter through Door #1.  We are looking forward to seeing you that evening!

TLES Administration,

Ben Chiet, Sarah Buchanan & Ashley Vaccaro

  📑2024 Student Rights and Responsibilities 

FCPS’ Student Rights and Responsibilities document (SR&R) explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses to enhance school safety and to create a fair, equitable, and supportive school environment. Read Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid’s letter to families regarding the SR&R. 

Parents/caregivers should talk to their child(ren) about expectations for this school year. Also, please log in to SIS ParentVUE and sign to acknowledge your review of the SR&R, or sign and return the signature sheet to your child’s school by Monday, September 30. 

You can submit questions online regarding the SR&R.

 

🙋 Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow!

The beginning of the school year is the best time to develop strong attendance habits! Students who attend school regularly are more likely to perform well in reading and math, develop strong social and emotional skills, and graduate from high school on time. Help prepare your child for future success. Visit FCPS’ Attendance webpage for tips and strategies.

 

📱Cell Phones Off, Learning On

Thank you for helping to support the FCPS cell phone policy by waiting to call or text your child about non-urgent matters until the school day is over. In case of an emergency, it is always best to contact the school’s front office to reach your child during class time. 

Visit the FCPS Cell Phone Policy webpage to read more about usage policies by grade level and to share your feedback on the current cell phone policy.

🧪Science Olympiad

3rd, 4th, 5th graders: Do you love exploring the WORLD of Science?

Science Olympiad is for YOU!

The Science Olympiad team will meet twice a week from 3:45-5:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, beginning September 10. We will accept interested students on a rolling, first come, first served basis until we meet our team limit of 15 students in grades 3-5. Late buses will be provided. 

The club will engage in research and experiments using a variety of materials in preparation for the Science Olympiad Competition. Timber Lane will compete in hands-on building challenges at the competition on Saturday October 26 or Saturday November 16 (date to be confirmed). 

If you would like to be challenged, return the bottom of this form to your teacher OR fill out the interest form by clicking here or scanning the QR code below as soon as possible, no later than Friday, Sept. 6.

Message from the PTA Join us for September Family Restaurant Night

Family Restaurant Nights are back! Join us at Silver Diner in Merrifield on September 12th for our first Family Restaurant Night of the year. From 5PM-8PM, 20% of all incremental sales will be donated back to TLES. You can find additional details here.

 

Register for Fall Enrichment: Coming Soon

Enrichment is back this fall for families looking for after school enrichment opportunities. Registration will open on September 9th and close on September 22nd.  

Enrichment Classes Start: 9/30

Enrichment Classes End: 12/13

Make-Up Dates: 12/16-12/20

 

Sign Up as a Room Parent 

We hope you had a great time at Open House last week. We also hope some of you decided to sign up as 2024-2025 Room Parents! Many classrooms have more than one room parent, so you can connect with other parents and share the responsibility.

If you're interested in signing up as a Room Parent this year, or simply want to learn more about what it means to be a Room Parent, email Chelsea Gurney at [email protected].

2737 West Street Falls Church, VA 22046  | Main Office: 703-206-5300
Attendance: Report an Absence | Web | Instagram | Facebook

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Principals' Updates

Hello TLES Families,

Our tigers and teachers had a fantastic 1st week of school!  We are very excited for another amazing year at TLES!  We are looking forward to the family-and-school partnerships we will create and continue to foster as we support those most important to us - our TLES students!

This past week several very important forms were sent home in students' Wednesday folders.  Thank you for completing those and sending them back to school as quickly as possible.  Please ensure students' immunizations, opt-outs and early release survey are up to date, completed and turned in.  

This past Tuesday, students took part in our beginning of year ROAR assembly.  At this assembly students were introduced to the TLES administration team and we reviewed school-wide rules and expectations.  We hope that this will support students with a strong start to ensure all students are demonstrating respectful and responsible behaviors in and out of school. 

During the first few weeks of each school year, every FCPS school will complete required emergency drills - covering bus evacuation, fire drill and lockdown drills.  Our students completed their first fire drill last week with quick and silent transitions through our halls.  They did a fantastic job!  More information can be found below about this week's drill. 

Coming up this week we will have our annual PTA Ice Cream Social, Wednesday August 28th from 5-6pm at our playground.  Please bring a comfy chair and enjoy a nice night out meeting many of our TLES staff members!  

Next week we will have our Pizza, Popsicles and ParentVue event from 5:00-5:30 on Thursday, September 5th in the TLES cafeteria.  This event will be for all families that need help signing up for ParentVue and accessing all the required forms for parent acknowledgement and permissions.

Later that evening at 5:30 on Thursday, September 5th, we will have our annual Back To School Night.  Grade levels will be presenting at 5:30 and 6:15.  Please be mindful of those start times so you can be present for all the curriculum updates, grade level goals, classroom communication updates, and critical school year information.  Parking will be allowed along our sidewalk throughout the bus loop this evening to accommdate all of our visitors.

Looking forward to another great week!

Ben Chiet, Sarah Buchanan & Ashley Vaccaro

Admin Team Updates ⚠️Emergency Preparedness⚠️

Dear Timber Lane Parents and Guardians,

Keeping students and staff safe is a priority for all of us. We have a crisis management and emergency preparedness plan for our school that is reviewed and updated regularly. Our plan includes procedures on how to respond to incidents such as fires and tornadoes. Students and staff regularly practice these drills every school year. Please note that students will be participating in two fire drills, a lockdown drill, and a bus evacuation drill (for bus riders only) within the first month of school. More detailed information will be shared ahead of each drill.

A new Virginia Law (22.1-137.2) requires schools to notify parents at least 24 hours before a school practices a lockdown drill. However, we are not required to share the exact date and time of the drill. We are required to practice lockdown drills two times a year. FCPS lockdown drills do not include any type of active shooter scenario training, they are instruction and classroom based.

We will conduct a lockdown drill at our school soon. Our pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students will not participate in this drill.

Additional information on our lockdown drill program to include parent tips and FAQs can be found on the Emergency Planning and Crisis Response web page. After reviewing this content, you should discuss the value of these safety drills with your child.

Keeping our school safe and secure for all students and staff involves the participation of the entire school community, and we thank you for your help to keep our school safe. 

Sincerely, 

The TLES Admin Team

Required Parent To-Dos

FCPS Required Early Release Parent Survey:  To help plan for our school’s childcare needs during the early release Mondays, ALL families must complete this form for each of your children who are enrolled at TLES.

Sign Up for SIS ParentVUE:  Access your student’s attendance records, grades, and assignments at any time with SIS ParentVUE.  

Update Your Contact Information:  To be sure you receive important information from your schools, update your phone numbers and/or email addresses in the Parent/Guardian section of SIS ParentVUE.

Prepare for Meals at School:  The best way to purchase breakfast, lunch, or additional food items is to use MySchoolBucks.

Apply for Free and Reduced-Priced Meals:  The application for free and reduced-priced meals is now available for the 2024-25 school year. 

Give Consent for Digital Resources for Your Child:  Student consent forms previously available on ParentVue have been moved to the Parent Digital Consent System (PDC). 

Important Upcoming Dates

• Annual PTA Ice Cream Social - August 28th at 5:30 PM - Playground
• Pizza, Popsicles & ParentVue - September 5th 5:00-5:30PM - Cafeteria
• Back to School Night September 5th 5:30 & 6:15 PM
• Labor Day Holiday - August 30th and September 2nd 
• 3-Hour Early Release - 12:35 Dismissal - September 23rd
• AAP Levels of Service Meeting - September 25th 6:00PM

Updates from the Music Department

Every year Timber Lane students in the 5th and 6th grade have an opportunity to sing in the Timber Lane chorus program. There is no audition required and all students are welcome to join. All 5th and 6th grade students will participate in a “Try It” day first rehearsal. Any students who wish to join will be given a permission form to enroll in participation for the rest of the school year. Singers in the Timber Lane chorus program participate in various concerts and performances throughout the school year, including our annual McLean Pyramid Concert and our End-of-Year concert.

Timber Lane students in the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade have an opportunity to audition for the Timber Lane Honors Chorus after school on Thursday, August 29th from 3:45-4:45pm. Students who wish to participate may sign up in Mrs. Thomas’s room (Room 16). Honors Chorus students participate in an expanded choral experience; in addition to performing in concerts at school, Honors Chorus regularly participates in an expanded performance schedule, including singing at Zoolights at the National Smithsonian Zoological Park, and at the Music in the Parks Festival at Six Flags where last year’s students brought home a superior rating, a first place trophy, and a grand champion trophy!

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Christine Thomas at mailto:[email protected].

Message from the PTA

Hello! We are currently in desperate need for Trader Joe's food distribution volunteers. If we are unable to find volunteers and coordinators for this program we will not be able to continue this program this year and currently around 50 families are coming to receive food each Saturday and Sunday.

Currently we are looking both for volunteers to help fill slots as well as a fall coordinator that will email volunteers weekly during September, October, and November. We need coordinators throughout the year, however each coordinator will serve for 3 months to ease the time commitment. Those interested in helping in the coordinator role should email me at [email protected] or sign up by clicking here. 

Please note that starting September 7, we will switch to the earlier time with pick up at Trader Joe's at 4:00pm, drop off at TLES at 4:30pm, and clean up by 5:00-5:15 pm.

Please sign up by clicking here or scanning the QR code below:

 

Other Announcements

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 children’s buses. 

If a student’s bus is delayed, parents 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. Contact the Transportation Office at 703-446-2050 with any additional questions. For any concerns after 5:30 p.m., contact Safety and Security at 571-423-2000. 

To make sure you receive email messages about bus delays, update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE.

 

Update Your Child’s Immunizations and Records

Please check with your healthcare provider as soon as possible to make sure your child is up-to-date on the immunizations required by the state of Virginia. Starting Monday, September 30, students who have not provided proof of immunization will not be allowed to attend school. 

You can check your child’s immunization compliance and submit their immunization record in SIS ParentVUE. Records may also be delivered to a school’s front office. 

If your child needs a vaccine, please make an appointment with your healthcare provider, visit the Fairfax County Health Department website for a list of child immunization clinics, or access other local services. If needed, families may also provide other immunization documentation including a healthcare provider’s written statement of a permanent or temporary medical exemption or a notarized Religious Exemption Form. 

Find more information on immunizations on the FCPS website.

2737 West Street Falls Church, VA 22046  | Main Office: 703-206-5300
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Admin Team Updates ⚠️Emergency Preparedness⚠️

Dear Timber Lane Parents and Guardians,

Keeping students and staff safe is a priority for all of us. We have a crisis management and emergency preparedness plan for our school that is reviewed and updated regularly. Our plan includes procedures on how to respond to incidents such as fires and tornadoes. Students and staff regularly practice these drills every school year. Please note that students will be participating in two fire drills, a lockdown drill, and a bus evacuation drill (for bus riders only) within the first month of school. More detailed information will be shared ahead of each drill.

A new Virginia Law (22.1-137.2) requires schools to notify parents at least 24 hours before a school practices a lockdown drill. However, we are not required to share the exact date and time of the drill. We are required to practice lockdown drills two times a year. FCPS lockdown drills do not include any type of active shooter scenario training, they are instruction and classroom based.

We will conduct a lockdown drill at our school soon. Our pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students will participate in this drill.

Additional information on our lockdown drill program to include parent tips and FAQs can be found on the Emergency Planning and Crisis Response web page. After reviewing this content, you should discuss the value of these safety drills with your child.

Keeping our school safe and secure for all students and staff involves the participation of the entire school community, and we thank you for your help to keep our school safe. 

Sincerely, 

The TLES Admin Team

Updates from the Music Department

Every year Timber Lane students in the 5th and 6th grade have an opportunity to sing in the Timber Lane chorus program. There is no audition required and all students are welcome to join. All 5th and 6th grade students will participate in a “Try It” day first rehearsal. Any students who wish to join will be given a permission form to enroll in participation for the rest of the school year. Singers in the Timber Lane chorus program participate in various concerts and performances throughout the school year, including our annual McLean Pyramid Concert and our End-of-Year concert.

Timber Lane students in the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade have an opportunity to audition for the Timber Lane Honors Chorus after school on Thursday, August 29th from 3:45-4:45pm. Students who wish to participate may sign up in Mrs. Thomas’s room (Room 16). Honors Chorus students participate in an expanded choral experience; in addition to performing in concerts at school, Honors Chorus regularly participates in an expanded performance schedule, including singing at Zoolights at the National Smithsonian Zoological Park, and at the Music in the Parks Festival at Six Flags where last year’s students brought home a superior rating, a first place trophy, and a grand champion trophy!

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Christine Thomas at mailto:[email protected].

Message from the PTA

Hello! We are currently in desperate need for Trader Joe's food distribution volunteers. If we are unable to find volunteers and coordinators for this program we will not be able to continue this program this year and currently around 50 families are coming to receive food each Saturday and Sunday.

Currently we are looking both for volunteers to help fill slots as well as a fall coordinator that will email volunteers weekly during September, October, and November. We need coordinators throughout the year, however each coordinator will serve for 3 months to ease the time commitment. Those interested in helping in the coordinator role should email me at [email protected] or sign up by clicking here. 

Please note that starting September 7, we will switch to the earlier time with pick up at Trader Joe's at 4:00pm, drop off at TLES at 4:30pm, and clean up by 5:00-5:15 pm.

Please sign up by clicking here or scanning the QR code below:

 

Other Announcements

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 children’s buses. 

If a student’s bus is delayed, parents 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. Contact the Transportation Office at 703-446-2050 with any additional questions. For any concerns after 5:30 p.m., contact Safety and Security at 571-423-2000. 

To make sure you receive email messages about bus delays, update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE.

 

Update Your Child’s Immunizations and Records

Please check with your healthcare provider as soon as possible to make sure your child is up-to-date on the immunizations required by the state of Virginia. Starting Monday, September 30, students who have not provided proof of immunization will not be allowed to attend school. 

You can check your child’s immunization compliance and submit their immunization record in SIS ParentVUE. Records may also be delivered to a school’s front office. 

If your child needs a vaccine, please make an appointment with your healthcare provider, visit the Fairfax County Health Department website for a list of child immunization clinics, or access other local services. If needed, families may also provide other immunization documentation including a healthcare provider’s written statement of a permanent or temporary medical exemption or a notarized Religious Exemption Form. 

Find more information on immunizations on the FCPS website.

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

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year!!

It was so nice to see TLES filled with so many of our families at Open House this past Thursday!  There were so many smiles, so much excitement and so much joy resonating throughout the building.  

We can't wait for our first day of school on Monday, August 19th.  Our teachers have put the finishing touches on their classrooms and everything is beautiful, ready and waiting for your child(ren) to arrive!  The first day of school is always a special occasion filled with anticipation and new beginnings.

We understand that this transition can be a big step for both you and your child. To ensure a smooth start to the day, we kindly request that if you plan on dropping your child off, you say your goodbyes in the car or at the school entrance and allow our staff to greet them. This will help minimize any morning separation anxiety and allow our teachers to establish a comfortable routine for everyone.

To ensure a successful start to the school year, we encourage you to prioritize daily attendance. Your child's presence in the classroom is essential for their academic growth and social development.  Please schedule all future vacations around our school breaks as much as possible.  Vacation and travel will count towards students' unexcused absences, which negatively impacts our accreditation.

This year PreK through 6th grade car riders will ALL follow our car rider procedures for drop off.  PreK families will no longer park and walk students to Door #2.  If you are a car rider, please follow the protocol outlined below when arriving between 8:30-8:50, with drop off at Door #5.  Arrivals after 8:50 will have to park and walk students into the building at Door #1.  Please note our drop off procedures in the next section below.

The first few weeks of school is a time where FCPS Transportation fine tunes their bus routes and works to increase the efficiency of pick-up and drop-off times.  We can expect delays in pick-up and drop-off times the first few weeks of school.  Thank you for your patience during these first few weeks of school.  Our drivers are dedicated and hard-working individuals with one of the greatest responsibilies possible: managing what's happening inside their buses while navigating the conditions outside of their bus and ensuring your child(ren)'s safe travels.  Transportation and bus routes are not supervised by TLES Administration.  Any concerns about transportation times should be communicated to Area 2 Transportation at (703) 446-2050.   Please also sign up for the "Here Comes the Bus" app in order to track your child's bus location when in route.

We are incredibly excited to embark on a new school year filled with learning, growth, and fun! We believe that a strong partnership between home and school is essential to student success. We look forward to working closely with you to create a positive and enriching experience for your child.

Warmest regards,

Ben Chiet, Sarah Buchanan, & Ashley Vaccaro,

Timber Lane Elementary School Administration

  2024-2025 Car Rider Procedures 

Kiss & Ride is a designated loop for parents to drop off or pick up children before and after school. The designated times are 8:30am - 8:50am and 3:35pm - 3:50pm - THIS YEAR FOR ALL PreK to 6th grade car riders.

A visual overview of the route can be found here.

Procedures 

All students arriving by car are required to follow the traffic pattern outlined by the red and green arrows above and must be dropped off to a TLES staff member at Door #5.  Once you pull into the TLES staff parking lot, you will take an immediate left, and follow the traffic pattern indicated above.

Number System: We have implemented a number system. Each child/family will be assigned a number. Parents will receive a decal that should be visible in the front of their vehicle. Students will receive a number tag with the corresponding number to be worn on their backpack.

For Kiss and Ride to function properly, parents must follow these procedures:

Kiss and Ride Rules

• Remember the speed limit on school grounds is 5 mph.
• Please have your Kiss and Ride number visible 
• Children will load and unload from the driver side of the car only
• Drivers please remain in your car, unless you have to step out to buckle in your child(ren). If buckling your child into a car seat, please be mindful of all families waiting in line.
• Please stay in a single file line as you move to and from the Kiss & Ride area.  
• Cell phone, texting and other distractions while driving through Kiss and Ride is prohibited to ensure student safety.
• Pull forward as far as possible into the designated Kiss & Ride lane before loading or unloading.
• Parking in the Kiss & Ride lane and leaving your car unattended is not permitted.

Kiss and Ride Tips

• Seat children so they may enter/exit the vehicle easily.
• Please be kind and patient 
• Allow additional time and use caution on rainy or snowy days.
• Make sure you and your student know their teacher’s name.

Thank you for your efforts to keep Timber Lane Elementary School a safe place for children!!

Click here or scan the QR code below to sign up for Kiss and Ride:

Beginning of School Year Need-to-Know Information

As we all return to school, all of us have to get back into each of our unique morning routines.  Please help us get students in the habit of arriving to school on time, between 8:30-8:50 each day.  Modeling responsible behaviors and respecting school rules and schedules is something we appreciate your support with.  This sets students up for work habits and responsible behaviors they will carry with them for a lifetime!

Door #5 - For PreK to 6th grade car riders only.  The area where students are dropped off and picked up by car is called "Kiss 'n Ride."  Please follow the required path and drop off students in the designated safe area where staff members meet the students. 

Door #1 - Students do not enter through Door #1 during arrival; only after 8:50am if late for school.

Door #2 - PreK and Grades 1-6 walkers and bus riders enter and exit through Door #2.

Door #3 -Kindergarten walkers and bus riders enter and exit through Door #3.

Late Arrivals

• If arriving after 8:50am, please park and walk your child(ren) through Door #1 with your driver's license or other proof of identification.
• Students cannot be dropped off at school late without a parent/guardian being present and in the building to sign students in for the day.

Early Dismissal

• Please alert the main office by 2:30 PM in the event there is a change in your child’s regular dismissal plan. 
• If your child is going home with another student, written permission is needed from both families.  
• Anytime a child is signed out of the office, the adult signing the child out will be required to show a photo ID.  
• Written permission sent via email or text from the parent/guardian is required to release students to any individual not listed on the student’s emergency care card.

Cell Phones📵 Phones Down, Engagement Up: FCPS Cell Phone Policy 

Keeping cell phones off during the school day helps students focus and learn. It also boosts positive social behavior. Review FCPS’ cell phone expectations by grade level with your child and help keep our classrooms free of distractions! If you need to reach your child during the school day, please call our main office at 703-227-5400. Smart watches are also included in FCPS policy and will be kept in students' backpacks throughout the day.

Recognizing Birthdays & Other Celebrations

Birthdays are special moments that deserve recognition.  Families are welcome to send in store bought treats only for the class, with clearly identified ingredients on the package.  Please communicate with your child(ren)'s teacher prior to bringing in any food into school.  Items can be shared during the class's lunch time only.

If your child is in a nut-free classroom, your child's teacher will let you know.  Any birthdays or class parties will have to follow the restrictions shared with your child(ren)'s teacher.  We have students who follow a vegan diet, have nut allergies, are allergic to gluten, among other more specific diet plans.  Parents of children with certain food allergies or restrictions are encouraged to supply their child's teacher with with shelf-stable treats for their child to ensure all children are included in all birthday celebrations.  It is the responsibilitiy of the parent to provide sufficient items across the school year.

Home-made items for birthday celebrations will not be permitted in our building this year.  It is best if families stick to store-bought cupcakes, donuts, cookies, etc. and items with clearly marked ingredients.  Giant offers cupcakes made in peanut-free facilities and is a great option.  Please always consult with your child(ren)'s teacher prior to bringing any food into school.  

Water Bottles

We encourage all students to bring in a reusable water bottle on a daily basis.  There are water bottle filling stations throughout the building.  

Cafeteria 

Families are welcome to join their child for lunch.  Upon arrival, they will check into the main office to receive a visitor’s badge and wait for their child’s class in the lobby.  Families are welcome to bring outside food for their child to enjoy as sharing food with other students is not permitted. Students will be provided opportunities immediately before lunch and after lunch to use the restroom.  Restroom use during lunch will be reserved for emergency situations only. 

Apply for Free/Reduced Meals

The application for free and reduced-priced meals is now available for the 2024-25 school year. Students who were approved for free and reduced-price lunch last year are eligible for the first 30 days of school this year (or until a new application is processed). Families should re-apply as soon as possible, so eligible students continue to receive meals at no cost.

Parent Digital Consent 

All parents: please complete all required digital consent forms.

Starting August 1, 2024, student consent forms currently on ParentVUE will be moved to the Parent Digital Consent System (PDC).

Families can log in to the PDC using their ParentVUE login credentials to complete consent forms assigned to their child. School staff will have access to view consent status and edit consent with permission from the family.

Forms available in the PDC starting in the 2024-2025 school year include:

• School Counseling Opt-Out
• Digital Resources Consent
• SEL Screener Opt-Out
• Consent for Release of Student Records in Support of Postsecondary Applications
• Denial of Access to Military Recruiters 
• Family Life Education Opt-Out
• SOL Retest Permission
• Hazel Health
• BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Opt-Out
• SOS Screener Opt-Out
• Objection to Release of Information to Outside Organizations
• Objection to Release of Directory Information to the Public

As we update the PDC, more district-wide forms will be added.

Click here or scan the QR code below to access the Parent Digital Consent System:

Early Release Mondays

The Early Release Mondays planned throughout the school year for elementary schools are essential to allow educators time for planning and professional development.  Students will be dismissed 3 hours early seven times throughout the school year and are encouraged to return home via their normal route.  However, we understand there may be a childcare hardship because of the early release Mondays for many of our families.  To resolve these concerns, student supervision will be available for families who need it. Once we have 100% of families complete this survey, we will communicate plans for any students remaining at TLES after-school and what the Early Release Day schedules will entail.

The following dates are planned for Early Release Mondays throughout the school year:

• September 23
• October 28
• November 25
• February 24
• March 17
• April 28
• May 19

To help plan for our school’s childcare needs during the early release Mondays, please complete this form: https://forms.gle/zLLqTonUNXReDbKW8 for each of your children who are enrolled at Timber Lane Elementary. The form covers the first two early release Mondays, scheduled for September 23, 2024 and October 28, 2024. If you have multiple children, you will need to submit multiple forms. Staff will confirm the after school supervision plan for each student.

2737 West Street Falls Church, VA 22046  | Main Office: 703-206-5300
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My name is Ashley Vaccaro and I am thrilled to be joining the Timber Lane Elementary School community to support the administrative team for the 2024-2025 academic year! Most recently, I was the assistant principal of the British International School of Istanbul, where I have been since 2021. I have 12 years of instructional experience as a Title-I elementary grade 3 and 5 teacher, ESOL teacher, and international grade 1 classroom teacher prior to administration. I am dedicated to promoting equitable and inclusive learning spaces for all children. 

I enjoy learning from colleagues while working collaboratively to support student growth and achievement. I value open communication and partnering with families to promote the best possible outcomes for children-academically, socially, and emotionally. It's important to me that our students understand they are valued members of our community, and that school is a place where they can take positive risks, express themselves, try new things, learn from mistakes, and have fun! 

A native of Boston, Massachusetts, I hold my bachelor of arts in sociology and early childhood education, and masters in teaching from Simmons University. I also hold a doctorate degree in education from Northeastern University. 

When I’m not at school, you can find me with my husband and our 3 children, ages 9, 8, and 7. We enjoy spending lots of time outdoors riding scooters and swimming, playing at the park, building lego, and walking our 2 big friendly dogs. 

I feel incredibly privileged to be joining the TLES team and look forward to meeting you! 

2737 West Street Falls Church, VA 22046  | Main Office: 703-206-5300
Attendance: Report an Absence | Web | Instagram | Facebook