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School Summary
Aldrin Elementary is named after Dr. Buzz Aldrin, the second astronaut to walk on the moon. The school opened in September 1994, the year that Dr. Aldrin celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Apollo XI moon landing. Since that first year, Aldrin Elementary has continued to hold close the philosophy that our school community is a “family”; dedicate our focus on the “whole child”; embrace our diversity; remain forward thinking in providing an enriched instructional program; and lead the way in the practical use of technology in teaching and learning. The goal of each staff member at Aldrin Elementary is to provide a “gifted-quality” instructional program that meets individual needs in a positive, safe school. Our success in meeting this goal is directly correlated to the fact that home and school consistently work as one. Within our school family we accept the joint responsibility of school and home in educating children, keeping them safe, and making sure that each child excels. In so doing, we educate the "whole child" as he/she strives to meet our high academic standards, and we prepare him/her to lead ethical lives and demonstrate responsible citizenship.
Communication is essential for the success of any family; so too, is the healthy two-way communication that must exist between parents and all of the Aldrin staff who touch each child's life at school. The Aldrin professional staff and parents regularly communicate concerning the academic progress and needs of children. Classroom teachers and other staff also collaborate with one another by taking advantage of the skills and knowledge of instructional strategies as they work with each child to ensure that he/she has the maximum opportunity to excel as an Aldrin student.
With each new school year, parents feel confident that staff members will continue to ensure that every child is always safe and challenged. Staff members remain committed to being child centered, collaborative, and flexible. Aldrin children thrive in a welcoming environment in which they feel secure, valued, and motivated.
Aldrin students are expected to meet or exceed current Virginia Standards of Learning and Fairfax County Program of Studies grade-level requirements, and Aldrin staff is expected to educate a diverse population of students in an inclusive setting. Aldrin professionals strive to provide meaningful and enriching instructional lessons for each child, and to make sure that homework is appropriate and manageable. Further, the Aldrin staff work within the framework of a Professional Learning Community to collaborate with each other and parents. Their planning efforts assist students in developing critical and higher level thinking skills as teachers spiral concepts and ideas, integrate curriculum content with the arts, and utilize differentiated instructional strategies which can be tailored to meet individual student strengths and needs. Aldrin teachers regularly come together to learn about and discuss “best practice” instructional strategies for children as they learn. As lifelong learners, Aldrin administrators, teachers, and support staff also consistently seek ways to enhance presentations, lessons and learning activities for children with the use of instructional technology.
Aldrin Elementary houses a file server for accessing files from all building computers, and a wireless network that supports students and teachers throughout the school. Student learning is further supported through each of the two 28-station computer labs, one fully wireless and the other half wireless; four high-end computers and SmartBoard technology and data projection devices in every classroom; networked printing stations; and a student-run news station. All school computers contain a full array of windows-based educational software. Instructional tools such as FCPS 24-7 Learning (Blackboard and Parent View) facilitate communication between school and home and FCPS eCART (Electronic Curriculum Assessment Resource Tool) provides teachers and administrators with access to web based FCPS-approved curriculum, assessments, tools, and resources that support and enhance the overall teaching and learning process. Additionally, a full-time gifted and talented resource teacher provides hands-on enrichment opportunities for all students in grades K-6 in the Aldrin Strategies Lab. The lab, which students visit monthly, is designed to help them think and work creatively, and to further develop social and collaborative skills. These activities help students by promoting higher level thinking skills, problem solving skills, and interpersonal skills.
Parents support the efforts of our school by consistently monitoring their child's learning at home, serving as volunteers through an active PTA, and providing a wide variety of supplemental resources throughout the year. Our school community is dedicated to focusing on each child as evidenced by our recognition as a PTA School of Excellence, 2004 to present. This honor typifies what the Aldrin Family is all about! Whether you are a member of the Aldrin family or just exploring the school for the first time, you are encouraged to visit www.fcps.edu/AldrinES and view the links provided on that site to the many special activities that Aldrin children and their teachers experience throughout the school year. Additional helpful information can be obtained by calling the office at 703-904-3800 or by emailing the principal at Marty.Marinoff@fcps.edu.
Last Updated: 2008-08-04
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