Sterling Elementary, home of the jaguars, has about 450 students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade.

“Our goal is to help each child achieve success while fostering a love for learning,” Principal Teri Finn said in an e-mail. “We strive to provide the highest quality education in a caring and supportive environment where students share responsibility for their education with support from a talented staff, dedicated families and committed volunteers.”

Finn completed her first year as principal following the 2006-2007 year.

Some popular family events at Sterling Elementary include the “Taste of Our World” celebration, where Sterling families are invited to share their ancestral and cultural heritage, along with food and dress.

The Reading Under the Stars event brings students and their parents into the school to share in a variety of literature. There are also music events, including musicals and a chorus performance at Dulles Town Center.

Test scores from the 2005-2006 school year indicate that 73 percent of third-graders, 92 percent of fourth-graders and 82 percent of fifth-graders passed the English portion of the SOL exam. The district-wide goal is a 90 percent rate of passing.

At Sterling Elementary, technology is an important part of learning, Finn said. Each classroom has four computers that students use daily. In addition, students spend 45 minutes each week in a school computer lab learning research and technology skills.