FCPS

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A message from Principal Steven McFarlane

Kilmer Community, 

I hope to see you at the PTA Festival after school today. We’ve been watching everything get set up and it’s going to be a great time. Also, Broadway Desserts will follow at 7 pm in the cafeteria.

If you haven’t already, please mark your calendars for all the big events these last two weeks of school. Our 8th graders have the semi-formal dance next Friday. Tickets went on sale today, and will be sold before school and at all lunches next week. The cost is $10.

Our music groups are ending the year with a bang! Our band program had a fantastic performance this past Wednesday. Our Choir will have their Spring Concert next Tuesday and Orchestra will have their Spring Concert next Thursday. Both performances will be at Marshall HS. 

We are less than two weeks away from our 8th grade field trip to the St. James. Students attending the field trip are advised to dress appropriately (closed toe shoes and athletic attire). Additionally, lunch, which consists of pizza, lemonade or water and cookies or brownies is included in the price of the trip. However, please use this form to indicate if your child has any dietary restrictions. This information will allow the St. James to best provide lunch options for our students. Please note that while the St. James does have an eatery on site, it is unable to accommodate our large group.  

Sincerely,

Steven McFarlane

Principal

Picture(s) of the Week

Students in Ms. Jones' science class started a “big problem based engineering unit.” Students are designing, building, and racing their own mousetrap cars. They will follow all of the steps of the engineering process: identify the problem, explore/research, design, create, test it and make it better.

Important Information

Laptop and Charger Collection 

We are required to collect EACH student’s FCPSON assigned laptop and charger by the end of this school year, unless you are taking an official FCPS summer program. If you are taking an official summer program, please email Mr. Openshaw ([email protected]).  Please note that laptops and chargers must be returned to Kilmer once the summer program has concluded.

Guidelines for the collection of laptops:

• The collection of laptops and chargers will take place on June 12th and 13th during lunch periods.
• Students will turn in their laptop and charging cord. 
• Please ensure that all personal stickers are removed from the laptop.
• If a student has lost their laptop or their laptop charger, they should go to the MySchoolBucks store to pay for the lost laptop or laptop charger. Non-FCPSOn chargers will NOT be accepted, and students will need to pay for the missing charger. Payments will be made through MySchoolBucks. Students should bring a paper receipt from MySchoolBucks with them when they come to the laptop collection. Below are the steps for purchasing a replacement laptop charger.
•  Have your Parent(s) and/or Guardian(s)
•  Go to MySchoolBucks
•  Click on the Store
•  Look for the Laptop Charger Replacement
• Click on that icon and make sure that it has the correct student listed
• Purchase the replacement
• Print out a copy of the receipt
• Here are pictures of the three acceptable Dell 65 Watt chargers:

• Here is a picture of a non-accepted charger

If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Openshaw: [email protected]

SCA Sponsored 8th Grade Starry Night Semi-Formal Dance

This year’s 8th grade semi-formal will be on June 9th from 6 – 8 pm at Kilmer Middle School.  Celebrate your amazing time at Kilmer with music, dancing, a photobooth, and dinner. Tickets are $10 and must be purchased at school with cash. Attire is semi-formal. 

Tickets will be sold 

• Before School in the cafeteria on Monday, June 5; Tuesday, June 6; Wednesday, June 7; and Thursday, June 8. 
• During All Lunches on Tuesday, June 6, Wednesday, June 7; and Thursday, June 8.

Our students have chosen a Starry Night theme.  If you have any star themed decorations that you no longer need, SCA would love to use your decorations for the dance this year.  

Please contact Ms. Mattix ([email protected]) and Ms. Spracklin ([email protected]) with any questions.

8th Grade Recognition Ceremony

The 8th Grade Recognition Ceremony will take place on June 13th and June 14th. Students will be recognized by teams. Please see below to determine when your child’s ceremony will be held. Parents will receive an e-notify message with their student’s team information next week. Students will also receive an email with more details about where to report on the day of their team’s ceremony.

Don’t Forget to Check Your Student’s Lunch Balance! 

It’s a busy time of year, and we know there are many priorities on families’ plates. As we approach the end of the school year, it is important for families to remember to check their students’ MySchoolBucks account and pay any remaining school meal balance. 

Families who earn less than 185% of poverty level qualify for free and reduced-price meals. However, an application must be completed and submitted each school year to receive that benefit. The application for the 2023-24 school year will be available near the end of August. 

If families have a current balance and think they may be eligible for free and reduced-price meals, please fill out the FRM application for the 2022-23 school year. Get more information about free and reduced-price lunch.

If you are interested in helping to relieve lunch debt for families currently going through the FRM application process, please donate to Educate Fairfax.

Student Testing Results Coming Soon

Starting in late May, caregivers will receive reports for assessments their students completed this spring. Not sure what assessments your student took this year? A list of tests by grade level is available. Scores will be delivered in SIS ParentVUE, by mail, or from the school or testing organization. Learn what to expect regarding assessment reporting practices and timelines. 

Some families will also receive a Virginia’s Visualization and Analytics Solution (VVAAS) Student Assessment Summary report with historical Standards of Learning (SOL) test results from 2015-2022.

8th Grade Parents - Academic Career Plan Verification in Naviance

Each year, your child develops an Academic and Career Plan that supports their growth. This plan helps your child plan for their future. Your child will work with teachers and school counselors to discover their personal strengths and interests. They will also create goals to help them achieve success, plan for courses that meet high school graduation requirements, and prepare for life after high school. The development of this plan starts in middle school. Students update their plans during high school as their goals evolve. This plan supports on time graduation as well as college and career readiness. It is required by the Virginia Department of Education. Each student’s parent or guardian must review this plan at the end of 8th grade and again at the end of 10th grade. 

You or your child can log into Naviance Student at www.fcps.edu/Naviance . Please review the following information together with your child: Results of the strengths and career surveys and personal, academic, and/or career goals, The draft course plan for advisory will be completed on May 30. Once in your child’s account, click the “About Me” tab and scroll down to “Portfolio.” Once you click on the Portfolio, you can view all the work that your child has completed. Once you have reviewed your child’s plan, complete the verification form . The completion of this form will serve as your signature. Please complete this form by Friday, June 30, 2023. For more information visit www.FCPS.edu  and search “Academic and Career Plan.” We encourage you to continue to use Naviance Student with your child to explore college and career options. If you have questions, please contact your child’s school counselor.

Afterschool Activities News/Updates

Each week Ms. Kardelis will post a detailed overview of our After School Program to our website. Please visit Kilmer’s website at https://kilmerms.fcps.edu/afterschool_newsletter to find the weekly After School newsletter.

Middle School After-School Program Survey

Kilmer Parents/Guardians & Caregivers Survey - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/C8VTDBT

• Important component of the after-school program evaluation & critical for future funding 

• Your responses help us assess programming for impact to drive improvements & program quality 
• Please complete the survey regardless of the number of times or reasons your student has stayed after school FCPS Seal Approval: 23234
• FCPS Seal Approval: 23234

References & Reminders

8th Grade End of Year Field Trip

The 8th grade end of year field trip will be to The St. James in Springfield. Students will have the opportunity to participate in obstacle courses, ice skating, rock climbing, a ropes course, soccer, flag football, and other organized activities and games. The cost of the trip is $50, which includes transportation and lunch. Payment will be collected via MySchoolBucks. If your child is going on the field trip, complete the St. James the Field Trip Permission Slip and the St. James Waiver. Please contact the main office with any questions. 

Parent Registration for K-12 Learning Acceleration Grants Now Open

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is now accepting applications from parents for tutoring microgrants for their children through Governor Glenn Youngkin's K-12 Learning Acceleration Grants program. Youngkin created the program to help Virginia families address the impact of the pandemic on student learning. 

 

The $30 million dollar program provides $1,500 grants to parents of school-age children for tutoring in English, mathematics, science, and history, as well as foreign languages required to meet diploma requirements. Children from homes with family incomes at 300% or less of the federal poverty level may qualify for $3,000 grants. Grants may also be used for support services such as speech language pathology and reading interventions.

 

The grant program is open to parents of any public, private, parochial, or home-school student in grades K-12 residing in Virginia. The first step in the process is to visit K-12 Learning Acceleration Grants page, where you can create an application and receive more information.

Middle School Athletics Coming This Fall

FCPS has designated funding in the budget for 2023-24 for middle school spring and fall athletic activities to support student well-being at no cost to students. Pending budget adoption, this will be the first time FCPS has offered middle school students a chance to participate in extracurricular sports programs. Middle schools will start with cross country this fall. Track will follow in spring 2024.

Any middle school students who would like to participate in athletics will need to have a Virginia High School League (VHSL) pre-participation examination (PPE). The physical exam form must be completed and signed by a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant. Fairfax County public high schools will offer PPEs at a cost of $50 per student through June 17. Students who receive free or reduced meals are eligible to receive an exam at no cost. Learn more about PPE and middle school athletics.

Course Registration for 2023-2024

Academic Advising for seventh and eighth grade students is now complete.  To see the list of courses your child selected for the 2023-2024 school year, please log in to your SIS ParentVUE account and click on the Course Requests tab. Directions for viewing course requests online through ParentVUE are here: Online Course Requests in ParentVue. This list of courses is NOT a schedule, but a confirmation of the courses entered into the student information system. 

• Seventh Grade Students: Parents can request to change a course or report an error by contacting their child’s school counselor. All requests must be submitted by email no later than Friday, June 2. Schedule changes will not be accommodated at the start of the school year.
• Eighth Grade Students: Kilmer can no longer assist with changes to high school courses. Please contact the office of student services at the high school your child is attending if you have questions about the courses listed in ParentVue.

Tutor.com - Extra Help for Students at No Cost to Families 

With Tutor.com through Schoology, FCPS students are able to get learning help at any time, even from bilingual tutors! Students in FCPS meet with tutors thousands of times each week to practice reading, prepare for an upcoming math test, write computer programs, study for the SAT, or to get feedback on scholarship essays–all at no cost to their families! If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take just a few minutes to connect with a tutor with your child. More info about Tutor.com in FCPS is available here.

8100 Wolftrap Road Vienna, VA 22182 | Phone: 703-846-8800

Attendance: 703-846-8888 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

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

A message from Principal Steven McFarlane

Kilmer Community, 

I’m looking forward to Memorial Day weekend, and I hope everyone takes advantage of the long weekend. When we come back on Tuesday it will be a strong push to the end. 

We’re one week away from our final PTA event of the year. Please join us for the PTA Festival next Friday, June 2 from 2:30-5:30 PM. We will have a DJ, inflatables, art, crafts and a lot of food! The event is free, food trucks are not, so remember to get cash for the food trucks. I will communicate with students next week that if they are going to the Festival they either need to report directly there after school, or if they head home they’ll need to come back with an adult. Students will not be allowed to leave campus and then reenter the Festival without an adult. Seeing that this is a family event I hope that many of you will be able to join. 

Lastly, our 8th grade recognition ceremonies will be held the last week of school. We’ve scheduled the ceremonies by team, so please see the flier below with your student’s time slot. Additionally, next week we’ll send an email to all 8th grade families with information about what team your student is on. In the meantime, if you are unsure what team your student is on please ask them, they’ll know 🙂. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend. As always, reach out if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Steven McFarlane

Principal

Picture(s) of the Week

Yearbooks were distributed today!

Important Information

PTA Festival

The Kilmer PTA is thrilled to be hosting the Kilmer Spring festival on Friday, June 2nd from 2:30 P.M. -5:30 P.M.  at the school. We will have a DJ, inflatables, art, crafts and a lot of food! There will be popcorn, pizza, ice cream and a variety of food trucks onsite where one can buy dinner and desserts. The event is free, food trucks are not, so remember to get cash for the food trucks. We would need some help to pull this off, sign up  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090e4badaf2ea46-spring#/  if you are willing to lend a hand or some supplies!

8th Grade Recognition Ceremony

The 8th Grade Recognition Ceremony will take place on June 13th and June 14th. Students will be recognized by teams. Please see below to determine when your child’s ceremony will be held. Parents will receive an e-notify message with their student’s team information next week. Students will also receive an email with more details about where to report on the day of their team’s ceremony.

All Library Books are Due 

It’s that time of year – all library books are due back to the Kilmer Library no later than Friday, June 2. We ask that you nudge your child to check in backpacks, under beds, on nightstands, in car trunks, and anywhere else a book might be, so they can get them back to us ASAP. Kilmer students can return items to the book return basket in the cafeteria (facing the stage, it’s on the left), the book return bin just outside the library, and the book return slot in the library desk. Thanks for helping us to get all of our books back!

Student Testing Results Coming Soon

Starting in late May, caregivers will receive reports for assessments their students completed this spring. Not sure what assessments your student took this year? A list of tests by grade level is available. Scores will be delivered in SIS ParentVUE, by mail, or from the school or testing organization. Learn what to expect regarding assessment reporting practices and timelines. 

Some families will also receive a Virginia’s Visualization and Analytics Solution (VVAAS) Student Assessment Summary report with historical Standards of Learning (SOL) test results from 2015-2022. 

Go online or contact your student's school for additional information about student assessments.

Broadway Desserts

Broadway Desserts on Friday, June 2nd at 7pm is an evening of delicious desserts with musical entertainment provided by our Kilmer Middle School students.  Each student has selected a song from any past or present Broadway show to exhibit for the evening! Tickets go on sale May 30th and are extremely limited.  Email Ms. Kozik at [email protected] if you would like an email notification when tickets go on sale!

Last Chance to Buy Yearbooks

Yearbooks were distributed to students during lunch today.

Online sales have ended. Yearbooks will be available for sale before school on Tuesday, May 30th  – Friday June 2nd. The cost is $45; only cash is accepted. 

SCA Sponsored 8th Grade Starry Night Semi-Formal Dance

This year’s 8th grade semi-formal will be on June 9th from 6 – 8 pm at Kilmer Middle School.  Celebrate your amazing time at Kilmer with music, dancing, a photobooth, and dinner. Tickets are $10 and must be purchased at school with cash. 

Tickets will be sold 

• Before School in the cafeteria on Friday, June 2; Monday, June 5; Tuesday, June 6; Wednesday, June 7; and Thursday, June 8. 
• During All Lunches on Tuesday, June 6, Wednesday, June 7; and Thursday, June 8,

Our students have chosen a Starry Night theme.  If you have any star themed decorations that you no longer need, SCA would love to use your decorations for the dance this year.  

Please contact Ms. Mattix ([email protected]) and Ms. Spracklin ([email protected]) with any questions.

Mathspace Summer Learning: Supporting your Secondary Student 

In collaboration with the FCPS Family Resource Center, the Math Office is offering a free webinar on Thursday, June 1, 2023 from 7-8 p.m. This webinar is designed to provide families of students currently in grades 7-11 with resources to continue their math learning over the summer utilizing Mathspace. During this session participants will learn how to log on and navigate the tool, discuss how students can work more independently, and how families can support their students. Register HERE.

8th Grade Parents - Academic Career Plan Verification in Naviance

Each year, your child develops an Academic and Career Plan that supports their growth. This plan helps your child plan for their future. Your child will work with teachers and school counselors to discover their personal strengths and interests. They will also create goals to help them achieve success, plan for courses that meet high school graduation requirements, and prepare for life after high school. The development of this plan starts in middle school. Students update their plans during high school as their goals evolve. This plan supports on time graduation as well as college and career readiness. It is required by the Virginia Department of Education. Each student’s parent or guardian must review this plan at the end of 8th grade and again at the end of 10th grade. 

You or your child can log into Naviance Student at www.fcps.edu/Naviance . Please review the following information together with your child: Results of the strengths and career surveys and personal, academic, and/or career goals, The draft course plan for advisory will be completed on May 30. Once in your child’s account, click the “About Me” tab and scroll down to “Portfolio.” Once you click on the Portfolio, you can view all the work that your child has completed. Once you have reviewed your child’s plan, complete the verification form . The completion of this form will serve as your signature. Please complete this form by Friday, June 30, 2023. For more information visit www.FCPS.edu  and search “Academic and Career Plan.” We encourage you to continue to use Naviance Student with your child to explore college and career options. If you have questions, please contact your child’s school counselor.

Social Media Reboot

There is SO MUCH RESEARCH about social media overuse and how it impacts many teens and adults. According to the CDC, kids aged 11-14 spend an average of 9 hours of entertainment screen time each day. According to Pew Research, the majority of teens use social media, 95% use Youtube, 67% use TikTok, etc.

Taking time off social media is a CHALLENGE. Time off one’s device frees time for hanging out with friends in real life, homework or other things you’ve been meaning to try.

Josie Blanton, a former Kilmer student, and a Girl Scout Gold Award recipient, is partnering with the KMS PTA to host the event again after much success last year. One student said: "This is a good reminder we don't need social media."

Social Media REBOOT is coming soon! Mark your calendar to join us on May 31 to PAUSE YOUR SCROLL for just one day. More info coming soon!

Afterschool Activities News/Updates

Each week Ms. Kardelis will post a detailed overview of our After School Program to our website. Please visit Kilmer’s website at https://kilmerms.fcps.edu/afterschool_newsletter to find the weekly After School newsletter.

LATE BUS Transportation Ended Thursday, May 25th

Students needing to stay after school must schedule an appointment with their teacher(s). Families are responsible for transportation.

Middle School After-School Program Survey

Kilmer Parents/Guardians & Caregivers Survey - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/C8VTDBT

• Important component of the after-school program evaluation & critical for future funding 

• Your responses help us assess programming for impact to drive improvements & program quality 
• Please complete the survey regardless of the number of times or reasons your student has stayed after school FCPS Seal Approval: 23234
• FCPS Seal Approval: 23234

References & Reminders

8th Grade End of Year Field Trip

The 8th grade end of year field trip will be to The St. James in Springfield. Students will have the opportunity to participate in obstacle courses, ice skating, rock climbing, a ropes course, soccer, flag football, and other organized activities and games. The cost of the trip is $50, which includes transportation and lunch. Payment will be collected via MySchoolBucks. If your child is going on the field trip, complete the St. James the Field Trip Permission Slip and the St. James Waiver. Please contact the main office with any questions. 

Parent Registration for K-12 Learning Acceleration Grants Now Open

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is now accepting applications from parents for tutoring microgrants for their children through Governor Glenn Youngkin's K-12 Learning Acceleration Grants program. Youngkin created the program to help Virginia families address the impact of the pandemic on student learning. 

The $30 million dollar program provides $1,500 grants to parents of school-age children for tutoring in English, mathematics, science, and history, as well as foreign languages required to meet diploma requirements. Children from homes with family incomes at 300% or less of the federal poverty level may qualify for $3,000 grants. Grants may also be used for support services such as speech language pathology and reading interventions.

The grant program is open to parents of any public, private, parochial, or home-school student in grades K-12 residing in Virginia. The first step in the process is to visit K-12 Learning Acceleration Grants page, where you can create an application and receive more information.

Middle School Athletics Coming This Fall

FCPS has designated funding in the budget for 2023-24 for middle school spring and fall athletic activities to support student well-being at no cost to students. Pending budget adoption, this will be the first time FCPS has offered middle school students a chance to participate in extracurricular sports programs. Middle schools will start with cross country this fall. Track will follow in spring 2024.

Any middle school students who would like to participate in athletics will need to have a Virginia High School League (VHSL) pre-participation examination (PPE). The physical exam form must be completed and signed by a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant. Fairfax County public high schools will offer PPEs at a cost of $50 per student through June 17. Students who receive free or reduced meals are eligible to receive an exam at no cost. Learn more about PPE and middle school athletics.

Course Registration for 2023-2024

Academic Advising for seventh and eighth grade students is now complete.  To see the list of courses your child selected for the 2023-2024 school year, please log in to your SIS ParentVUE account and click on the Course Requests tab. Directions for viewing course requests online through ParentVUE are here: Online Course Requests in ParentVue. This list of courses is NOT a schedule, but a confirmation of the courses entered into the student information system. 

• Seventh Grade Students: Parents can request to change a course or report an error by contacting their child’s school counselor. All requests must be submitted by email no later than Friday, June 2. Schedule changes will not be accommodated at the start of the school year.
• Eighth Grade Students: Kilmer can no longer assist with changes to high school courses. Please contact the office of student services at the high school your child is attending if you have questions about the courses listed in ParentVue.

Tutor.com - Extra Help for Students at No Cost to Families 

With Tutor.com through Schoology, FCPS students are able to get learning help at any time, even from bilingual tutors! Students in FCPS meet with tutors thousands of times each week to practice reading, prepare for an upcoming math test, write computer programs, study for the SAT, or to get feedback on scholarship essays–all at no cost to their families! If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take just a few minutes to connect with a tutor with your child. More info about Tutor.com in FCPS is available here.

8100 Wolftrap Road Vienna, VA 22182 | Phone: 703-846-8800

Attendance: 703-846-8888 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

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

A message from Principal Steven McFarlane

Kilmer Community, 

We’ve finished the Reading and Math SOLs this week, and next week our 8th graders will take the Science SOL. I continue to stress to students that the last four weeks are busy, and there’s a balance between all the fun events and ensuring we stay focused on our classes until the end of the school year. 

The deadline to sign up for the 8th grade St. James field trip has been extended to May 26, 2023. In order to attend, students must return their signed permission slip and St. James waiver to their English teacher, as well as submit the payment via MySchoolBucks. Information and the field trip forms can be found on the Kilmer website. Please reach out to Melissa Smith ([email protected]) with any questions.  

Also, we’re excited to have our PTA Festival again this year. The event will be Friday, June 2 from 2:30 - 5:30 PM. We will have a DJ, inflatables, art, crafts and a lot of food! The event is free, food trucks are not, so remember to get cash for the food trucks. Please consider lending a hand, or donating supplies by signing up here.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. As always, reach out if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Steven McFarlane

Principal

Picture(s) of the Week

Last Friday evening, Kilmer participated in Cross Town Kicks against Luther Jackson and Longfellow. Each school brought four teams and participated in a round robin tournament. The atmosphere was lively and it was a blast!

The music department has been working hard preparing for their Spring Concerts.

Important Information

PTA Festival

The Kilmer PTA is thrilled to be hosting the Kilmer Spring festival on Friday, June 2nd from 2:30 P.M -5:30 P.M  at the school. We will have a DJ, inflatables, art, crafts and a lot of food! There will be popcorn, pizza, ice cream and a variety of food trucks onsite where one can buy dinner and desserts. The event is free, food trucks are not, so remember to get cash for the food trucks.We would need some help to pull this off, sign up  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090e4badaf2ea46-spring#/  if you are willing to lend a hand or some supplies!

Broadway Desserts

Broadway Desserts on Friday, June 2nd at 7pm is an evening of delicious desserts with musical entertainment provided by our Kilmer Middle School students.  Each student has selected a song from any past or present Broadway show to exhibit for the evening! Tickets go on sale May 29th and are extremely limited.  Email Ms. Kozik at [email protected] if you would like an email notification when tickets go on sale!

8th Grade Parents - Academic Career Plan Verification in Naviance

Each year, your child develops an Academic and Career Plan that supports their growth. This plan helps your child plan for their future. Your child will work with teachers and school counselors to discover their personal strengths and interests. They will also create goals to help them achieve success, plan for courses that meet high school graduation requirements, and prepare for life after high school. The development of this plan starts in middle school. Students update their plans during high school as their goals evolve. This plan supports on time graduation as well as college and career readiness. It is required by the Virginia Department of Education. Each student’s parent or guardian must review this plan at the end of 8th grade and again at the end of 10th grade. 

You or your child can log into Naviance Student at www.fcps.edu/Naviance . Please review the following information together with your child: Results of the strengths and career surveys and personal, academic, and/or career goals, The draft course plan for advisory will be completed on May 30. Once in your child’s account, click the “About Me” tab and scroll down to “Portfolio.” Once you click on the Portfolio, you can view all the work that your child has completed. Once you have reviewed your child’s plan, complete the verification form . The completion of this form will serve as your signature. Please complete this form by Friday, June 30, 2023. For more information visit www.FCPS.edu  and search “Academic and Career Plan.” We encourage you to continue to use Naviance Student with your child to explore college and career options. If you have questions, please contact your child’s school counselor.

Last Chance to Buy Yearbooks

The biggest moments of the Year are in the Yearbook! Your child will want to look back and share what this school year was like for them. The last day to purchase a yearbook online is this Sunday, May 21st. The Kilmer Middle School yearbook will cover the stories and memories that made this year special so be sure to order your copy today. You don’t want to miss out on this one-of-a-kind book!

Parent Registration for K-12 Learning Acceleration Grants Now Open

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is now accepting applications from parents for tutoring microgrants for their children through Governor Glenn Youngkin's K-12 Learning Acceleration Grants program. Youngkin created the program to help Virginia families address the impact of the pandemic on student learning. 

The $30 million dollar program provides $1,500 grants to parents of school-age children for tutoring in English, mathematics, science, and history, as well as foreign languages required to meet diploma requirements. Children from homes with family incomes at 300% or less of the federal poverty level may qualify for $3,000 grants. Grants may also be used for support services such as speech language pathology and reading interventions.

The grant program is open to parents of any public, private, parochial, or home-school student in grades K-12 residing in Virginia. The first step in the process is to visit K-12 Learning Acceleration Grants page, where you can create an application and receive more information.

SCA Sponsored 8th Grade Starry Night Semi-Formal Dance

This year’s 8th grade semi-formal will be on June 9th from 6 – 8 pm at Kilmer Middle School.  Celebrate your amazing time at Kilmer with music, dancing, a photobooth, and dinner. Tickets are $10 and must be purchased at school with cash. 

Tickets will be sold 

• Before School in the cafeteria on Friday, June 2; Monday, June 5; Tuesday, June 6; Wednesday, June 7; and Thursday, June 8. 
• During All Lunches on Tuesday, June 6, Wednesday, June 7; and Thursday, June 8,

Our students have chosen a Starry Night theme.  If you have any star themed decorations that you no longer need, SCA would love to use your decorations for the dance this year.  

Please contact Ms. Mattix ([email protected]) and Ms. Spracklin ([email protected]) with any questions.

Updates on Online Student Registration

FCPS plans to have online registration in place at all schools across the district starting June 30, ensuring a simple and efficient new student registration application process for the upcoming school year. Learn more about registration.

Middle School Athletics Coming This Fall

FCPS has designated funding in the budget for 2023-24 for middle school spring and fall athletic activities to support student well-being at no cost to students. Pending budget adoption, this will be the first time FCPS has offered middle school students a chance to participate in extracurricular sports programs. Middle schools will start with cross country this fall. Track will follow in spring 2024.

Any middle school students who would like to participate in athletics will need to have a Virginia High School League (VHSL) pre-participation examination (PPE). The physical exam form must be completed and signed by a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant. Fairfax County public high schools will offer PPEs at a cost of $50 per student through June 17. Students who receive free or reduced meals are eligible to receive an exam at no cost. Learn more about PPE and middle school athletics.

Social Media Reboot

There is SO MUCH RESEARCH about social media overuse and how it impacts many teens and adults. According to the CDC, kids aged 11-14 spend an average of 9 hours of entertainment screen time each day. According to Pew Research, the majority of teens use social media, 95% use Youtube, 67% use TikTok, etc.

Taking time off social media is a CHALLENGE. Time off one’s device frees time for hanging out with friends in real life, homework or other things you’ve been meaning to try.

Josie Blanton, a former Kilmer student, and a Girl Scout Gold Award recipient, is partnering with the KMS PTA to host the event again after much success last year. One student said: "This is a good reminder we don't need social media."

Social Media REBOOT is coming soon! Mark your calendar to join us on May 31 to PAUSE YOUR SCROLL for just one day. More info coming soon!

Afterschool Activities News/Updates

Each week Ms. Kardelis will post a detailed overview of our After School Program to our website. Please visit Kilmer’s website at https://kilmerms.fcps.edu/afterschool_newsletter to find the weekly After School newsletter.

Middle School After-School Program Survey

Below is a link for a quick survey about the Middle School After-School Program. The survey should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete. The survey is an important component of the after-school program evaluation and is critical for future funding. The more responses we receive, the more valuable and reliable the data. The responses not only allow us to assess the impact of the after-school program, but they help drive program improvement and program quality. Survey responses are accepted Mon. May 22nd – Fri. May 26th  2023. Please complete even if your student has not stayed after often or at all.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/C8VTDBT

LATE BUS Transportation Ends Thursday, May 25th

Students needing to stay after school following this date must schedule an appointment with their teacher(s). Families are responsible for transportation.

References & Reminders

8th Grade End of Year Field Trip

The 8th grade end of year field trip will be to The St. James in Springfield. Students will have the opportunity to participate in obstacle courses, ice skating, rock climbing, a ropes course, soccer, flag football, and other organized activities and games. The cost of the trip is $50, which includes transportation and lunch. Payment will be collected via MySchoolBucks. If your child is going on the field trip, complete the St. James the Field Trip Permission Slip and the St. James Waiver. Signed forms should be returned to your child’s English teacher by May 19, 2023. Please contact the main office with any questions.

8th Grade Recognition Ceremony

The 8th Grade Recognition Ceremony will take place on June 13th and June 14th. Students will be recognized by teams. Please see below to determine when your child’s ceremony will be held.

Course Registration for 2023-2024

Academic Advising for seventh and eighth grade students is now complete.  To see the list of courses your child selected for the 2023-2024 school year, please log in to your SIS ParentVUE account and click on the Course Requests tab. Directions for viewing course requests online through ParentVUE are here: Online Course Requests in ParentVue. This list of courses is NOT a schedule, but a confirmation of the courses entered into the student information system. 

• Seventh Grade Students: Parents can request to change a course or report an error by contacting their child’s school counselor. All requests must be submitted by email no later than Friday, June 2. Schedule changes will not be accommodated at the start of the school year.

Eighth Grade Students: Kilmer can no longer assist with changes to high school courses. Please contact the office of student services at the high school your child is attending if you have questions about the courses listed in ParentVue.

Tutor.com - Extra Help for Students at No Cost to Families 

With Tutor.com through Schoology, FCPS students are able to get learning help at any time, even from bilingual tutors! Students in FCPS meet with tutors thousands of times each week to practice reading, prepare for an upcoming math test, write computer programs, study for the SAT, or to get feedback on scholarship essays–all at no cost to their families! If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take just a few minutes to connect with a tutor with your child. More info about Tutor.com in FCPS is available here.

8100 Wolftrap Road Vienna, VA 22182 | Phone: 703-846-8800

Attendance: 703-846-8888 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

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

A message from Principal Steven McFarlane

Kilmer Community, 

As Teacher (Staff) Appreciation Week comes to a close it’s a great time to celebrate the fantastic work that happens at Kilmer on a daily basis. A huge thank you to the PTA for bringing in lunch, Ben & Jerry’s, and a Kilmer water bottle for all staff members throughout the week!

I shared with staff a few weeks ago that I believe one of the highest forms of praise is peer recognition. There is power when we take a few minutes to write a quick note letting other people know that the work they do does not go unnoticed. I often say public education is too complex to do alone, and there’s value when we express our gratitude towards the work of our colleagues, as well as the impact people have in the building.  As a staff we started a system of recognition called “Kilmer Shout Outs.” Within a few days over 50 Shout Out cards were submitted and delivered, and that total continues to climb. One way for you to recognize Kilmer staff is through the FCPS CARES Program. Parents and community members can submit their story to recognize an employee for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. Please consider submitting a story of a Kilmer staff member who has gone above and beyond to support your student. 

This past Saturday, the Fairfax County Special Education PTA (SEPTA) recognized teachers including our very own reading teacher Jenny Murphy who was nominated for the Outstanding Secondary Special Education Teacher award. Congratulations, Ms. Murphy! This honor is very well deserved!

Lastly, SOLs start next week. Please see the calendar and blurb below for more information on testing days and procedures. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend. As always, reach out if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Steven McFarlane

Principal

Picture(s) of the Week

Congratulations to Jenny Murphy! Ms. Murphy is a special education teacher at Kilmer MS, and she was nominated for the 2022-2023 Fairfax County Special Education PTA Award recognizing outstanding achievement in supporting students with disabilities and learning differences in Fairfax County Public Schools.

Congratulations to our Symphonic Orchestra who performed the National Anthem for the School Board Meeting on May 11! Led by Mr. Katz, the orchestra provided an amazing performance for all, and as you can see above, students were excited to be there!

From treats in team meetings to meals and goodies from the PTA and administration, it was a great week celebrating our teachers!

Important Information

SCA Sponsored 8th Grade Starry Night Semi-Formal Dance

This year’s 8th grade semi-formal will be on June 9th from 6 – 8 pm at Kilmer Middle School.  Celebrate your amazing time at Kilmer with music, dancing, a photobooth, and dinner. Tickets are $10 and must be purchased at school with cash. 

Tickets will be sold 

• Before School in the cafeteria on Friday, June 2; Monday, June 5; Tuesday, June 6; Wednesday, June 7; and Thursday, June 8. 
• During All Lunches on Tuesday, June 6, Wednesday; June 7; and Thursday, June 8,

Our students have chosen a Starry Night theme.  If you have any star themed decorations that you no longer need, SCA would love to use your decorations for the dance this year.  

Please contact Ms. Mattix ([email protected]) and Ms. Spracklin ([email protected]) with any questions.  

SOL Testing Information 2022-2023

The spring SOL testing calendar can be found below. Details about testing days and changes to the bell schedule will be communicated regularly to students ahead of the testing window. Students will receive information about testing dates, times, and locations in their fcpsschool.net email account. All testing will begin at 7:30 am on the days listed below. It is important that students come to school on time on these testing days. If a student is absent on their testing day, makeup tests can occur throughout the testing window. 

• Once all tests are complete, there is a retake window for eligible students. Communication with parents of eligible students will happen at a later date. Parent permission is required for a student to retake.
• Retakes (if eligible): Wednesday, 5/31-Friday, 6/2

If you have not done so already, please fill out the SOL retake form linked below and return it to the school testing coordinator, Marileigh Blake at [email protected].

SOL Retake Form: English   Arabic   Chinese   Korean   Spanish   Urdu   Vietnamese

 

If you have any questions regarding testing, please contact Kilmer’s school test coordinator, Marileigh Blake, at [email protected] or 703-846-8885.

Middle School Athletics Coming This Fall

FCPS has designated funding in the budget for 2023-24 for middle school spring and fall athletic activities to support student well-being at no cost to students. Pending budget adoption, this will be the first time FCPS has offered middle school students a chance to participate in extracurricular sports programs. Middle schools will start with cross country this fall. Track will follow in spring 2024.

Any middle school students who would like to participate in athletics will need to have a Virginia High School League (VHSL) pre-participation examination (PPE). The physical exam form must be completed and signed by a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant. Fairfax County public high schools will offer PPEs at a cost of $50 per student through June 17. Students who receive free or reduced meals are eligible to receive an exam at no cost. Learn more about PPE and middle school athletics.

Social Media Reboot

There is SO MUCH RESEARCH about social media overuse and how it impacts many teens and adults. According to the CDC, kids aged 11-14 spend an average of 9 hours of entertainment screen time each day. According to Pew Research, the majority of teens use social media, 95% use Youtube, 67% use TikTok, etc.

Taking time off social media is a CHALLENGE. Time off one’s device frees time for hanging out with friends in real life, homework or other things you’ve been meaning to try.

Josie Blanton, a former Kilmer student, and a Girl Scout Gold Award recipient, is partnering with the KMS PTA to host the event again after much success last year. One student said: "This is a good reminder we don't need social media."

Social Media REBOOT is coming soon! Mark your calendar to join us on May 31 to PAUSE YOUR SCROLL for just one day. More info coming soon!

Fentanyl Community Meeting

FCPS Summer Programs

Still looking for something to do over the summer? Check out the Kilmer MS Summer Programs Guide for a variety of recreational, academic, and enrichment summer programs available to students in FCPS. Additional information can be found on the FCPS summer learning website

Afterschool Activities News/Updates

Each week Ms. Kardelis will post a detailed overview of our After School Program to our website. Please visit Kilmer’s website at https://kilmerms.fcps.edu/afterschool_newsletter to find the weekly After School newsletter.

LATE BUS Transportation Ends Thursday, May 25th

Students needing to stay after school following this date must schedule an appointment with their teacher(s). Families are responsible for transportation.

Competition Game: Ingenius - Sat. 5/20 @10AM – 2PM at Luther Jackson Middle School

Ingenius is an abstract tile-placement game in which players take turns placing colored tiles onto a hexagon grid. Score points by strategically placing your tiles to your advantage and keep opponents from scoring by blocking their tile placement. 

(1-4 PLAYERS) Game Info > https://www.appianboardgameclub.org/games.html. If interested in competing, see Ms. KK to register a team!

Marshall HS Volleyball Team Clinic @KMS Gym

Time: 3:30 – 4:45 PM (2nd Block)

• 5/16
• 5/23

Broadway Desserts Auditions

• Tues. 5/16 (Both Blocks) 

• Performance > Fri. 6/02 @7PM

Marshall HS Freshman Football Strength Program 

When: Tuesdays >> End of school year 

Where: @Marshall High School > Drop off/Pick up Door 5 

Time: 2:55 - 3:40PM **Families responsible for transportation to & from 

Questions > Coach Masten [email protected]

References & Reminders

8th Grade End of Year Field Trip

The 8th grade end of year field trip will be to The St. James in Springfield. Students will have the opportunity to participate in obstacle courses, ice skating, rock climbing, a ropes course, soccer, flag football, and other organized activities and games. The cost of the trip is $50, which includes transportation and lunch. Payment will be collected via MySchoolBucks. If your child is going on the field trip, complete the St. James the Field Trip Permission Slip and the St. James Waiver. Signed forms should be returned to your child’s English teacher by May 19, 2023. Please contact the main office with any questions.

8th Grade Recognition Ceremony

The 8th Grade Recognition Ceremony will take place on June 13th and June 14th. Students will be recognized by teams. Please see below to determine when your child’s ceremony will be held.

SEL Screener Parent Reports

Students in grades 3-12 took the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener in March. The SEL Screener reports will be mailed directly to families in the next week. This website includes both the Parent Report as well as a Family Guide to support you in understanding results and ideas for talking with your student about their results. Both are available in multiple languages. To learn more about SEL and how we support students at school and at home please see the FCPS SEL website. Please reach out to our school counselors, school psychologist or school social worker with any questions.

Course Registration for 2023-2024

Academic Advising for seventh and eighth grade students is now complete.  To see the list of courses your child selected for the 2023-2024 school year, please log in to your SIS ParentVUE account and click on the Course Requests tab. Directions for viewing course requests online through ParentVUE are here: Online Course Requests in ParentVue. This list of courses is NOT a schedule, but a confirmation of the courses entered into the student information system. 

• Seventh Grade Students: Parents can request to change a course or report an error by contacting their child’s school counselor. All requests must be submitted by email no later than Friday, June 2. Schedule changes will not be accommodated at the start of the school year.

Eighth Grade Students: Kilmer can no longer assist with changes to high school courses. Please contact the office of student services at the high school your child is attending if you have questions about the courses listed in ParentVue.

Tutor.com - Extra Help for Students at No Cost to Families 

With Tutor.com through Schoology, FCPS students are able to get learning help at any time, even from bilingual tutors! Students in FCPS meet with tutors thousands of times each week to practice reading, prepare for an upcoming math test, write computer programs, study for the SAT, or to get feedback on scholarship essays–all at no cost to their families! If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take just a few minutes to connect with a tutor with your child. More info about Tutor.com in FCPS is available here.

8100 Wolftrap Road Vienna, VA 22182 | Phone: 703-846-8800

Attendance: 703-846-8888 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

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

A message from Principal Steven McFarlane

Kilmer Community, 

At the beginning of April we created a tardy competition for students. I told the school that the interdisciplinary team that had the fewest amount of unexcused tardies for the month of April would win a mini-party during recess. Each week I would update the totals for each team through our News Show, and this week I announced that the Comets won for the month of April. I was proud of all the students because each week the competition got tighter and tighter. I highlight this for two reasons, first it was a fun way to incentivize students to stay focused and prioritize class time for the remainder of the year, but also this is what we try to do daily with our students. Provide super clear expectations, hold them to a high standard, and support them along the way. The competition started over this week and we’ll run it one more time for the month of May.

Another thing I’ve been talking to students about is “intent vs. impact.” Oftentimes we’ll hear about students doing or saying something that upsets another student. When we look into the situation the response we’ll get is, “I was just joking,” Regardless of our intent, we can’t ignore the impact of our words and actions. We’ll continue to have these conversations with students as they grow and develop through middle school. 

Additionally, the year is winding down and it is time to celebrate our 8th grade students as they transition to high school. All 8th grade students have been invited to attend the St. James field trip. Students received the permission slip and St. James waiver from their English teacher. To attend the field trip, students should return the forms to their English teacher by May 19th. The cost of the trip is $50. This includes transportation and lunch. Payment should be via MySchoolBucks by going to "School Store Payments," clicking "Browse All Items," and filtering by "Kilmer Middle." Given that there are many items under Kilmer, "St. James" might not appear on the first screen, click "Next" to allow you to continue to the next page until you find "St. James". Also, we recognize that there are families for whom this cost will be prohibitive. We welcome all who are willing and able to donate to help ensure all of our students are able to participate. Donations can be made using the steps listed above under “The St. James Field Trip Donations”. We look forward to celebrating with our 8th grade students. 

Lastly, our After School Program has been picking up! Ms. Kardelis has been working closely with Marshall High School to bring over coaches to run various clinics for volleyball, color guard, and football, just to name a few. Be sure to read Ms. Kardelis’ weekly newsletter (linked below) to see the full schedule. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend. As always, reach out if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Steven McFarlane

Principal

Picture(s) of the Week

Kilmer students competed in an American Mathematics Competition and Math Counts tournament. Our students competed as individuals and teams. They had a fantastic showing, and Mr. McFarlane was able to help present the awards and certificates. Ms. Bradford provided a fun gift for all competitors and gave them a Pi pillow.

Today the music department took almost 450 students to Hershey’s Park. These students have been working hard all year, and today was a great way to celebrate all their accomplishments!

Important Information

SCA Sponsored 8th Grade Starry Night Semi-Formal Dance

This year’s 8th grade semi-formal will be on June 9th from 6 – 8 pm at Kilmer Middle School.  Celebrate your amazing time at Kilmer with music, dancing, a photobooth, and dinner. Tickets are $10 and must be purchased at school with cash. 

Tickets will be sold 

• Before School in the cafeteria on Friday, June 2; Monday, June 5; Tuesday, June 6; Wednesday, June 7; and Thursday, June 8. 
• During All Lunches on Tuesday, June 6, Wednesday; June 7; and Thursday, June 8,

Our students have chosen a Starry Night theme.  If you have any star themed decorations that you no longer need, SCA would love to use your decorations for the dance this year.  

Please contact Ms. Mattix ([email protected]) and Ms. Spracklin ([email protected]) with any questions. 

SOL Testing Information 2022-2023

The spring SOL testing calendar can be found below. Details about testing days and changes to the bell schedule will be communicated regularly to students ahead of the testing window. Students will receive information about testing dates, times, and locations in their fcpsschool.net email account. All testing will begin at 7:30 am on the days listed below. It is important that students come to school on time on these testing days. If a student is absent on their testing day, makeup tests can occur throughout the testing window.  

• Once all tests are complete, there is a retake window for eligible students. Communication with parents of eligible students will happen at a later date. Parent permission is required for a student to retake.
• Retakes (if eligible): Wednesday, 5/31-Friday, 6/2

If you have not done so already, please fill out the SOL retake form linked below and return it to the school testing coordinator, Marileigh Blake at [email protected].

SOL Retake Form: English   Arabic   Chinese   Korean   Spanish   Urdu   Vietnamese

 

If you have any questions regarding testing, please contact Kilmer’s school test coordinator, Marileigh Blake, at [email protected] or 703-846-8885.

SEL Screener Parent Reports

Students in grades 3-12 took the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener in March. The SEL Screener reports will be mailed directly to families in the next week. This website includes both the Parent Report as well as a Family Guide to support you in understanding results and ideas for talking with your student about their results. Both are available in multiple languages. To learn more about SEL and how we support students at school and at home please see the FCPS SEL website. Please reach out to our school counselors, school psychologist or school social worker with any questions.

8th Grade End of Year Field Trip

The 8th grade end of year field trip will be to The St. James in Springfield. Students will have the opportunity to participate in obstacle courses, ice skating, rock climbing, a ropes course, soccer, flag football, and other organized activities and games. The cost of the trip is $50, which includes transportation and lunch. Payment will be collected via MySchoolBucks. If your child is going on the field trip, complete the St. James the Field Trip Permission Slip and the St. James Waiver. Signed forms should be returned to your child’s English teacher by May 19, 2023. Please contact the main office with any questions. 

Community Conversation: School Safety and Security

FCPS will host a community conversation to discuss our approach to safety and security, and the work we do every day to keep our schools safe. Join us Monday, May 8, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at South Lakes High School. Register for the Community Conversation.

FCPS staff and experts will review our risk assessment processes, the physical measures we already have in place to protect our students and staff, pilot programs to detect vaping, and how we communicate and collaborate with our partners when there is an incident at our schools.

FCPS Summer Programs

Still looking for something to do over the summer? Check out the Kilmer MS Summer Programs Guide for a variety of recreational, academic, and enrichment summer programs available to students in FCPS. Additional information can be found on the FCPS summer learning website.

Afterschool Activities News/Updates

Each week Ms. Kardelis will post a detailed overview of our After School Program to our website. Please visit Kilmer’s website at https://kilmerms.fcps.edu/afterschool_newsletter to find the weekly After School newsletter.

Marshall HS Volleyball Team Clinic @KMS Gym

Time: 3:30 – 4:45 PM (2nd Block)

• 5/10 (Wed.)
• 5/16
• 5/23

Marshall HS Color Guard Clinic 

• 5/8 (Monday both Blocks @Kilmer Gym)

Broadway Desserts Auditions

• Tues. 5/16 (Both Blocks) 

• Performance > Fri. 6/02 @7PM

Marshall HS Freshman Football Strength Program 

• When: Tuesdays >> End of school year 
• Where: @Marshall High School > Drop off/Pick up Door 5 
• Time: 2:55 - 3:40PM **Families responsible for transportation to & from 

Questions > Coach Masten [email protected]

References & Reminders

8th Grade Recognition Ceremony

The 8th Grade Recognition Ceremony will take place on June 13th and June 14th. Students will be recognized by teams. Please see below to determine when your child’s ceremony will be held.

Course Registration for 2023-2024

Academic Advising for seventh and eighth grade students is now complete.  To see the list of courses your child selected for the 2023-2024 school year, please log in to your SIS ParentVUE account and click on the Course Requests tab. Directions for viewing course requests online through ParentVUE are here: Online Course Requests in ParentVue. This list of courses is NOT a schedule, but a confirmation of the courses entered into the student information system. 

• Seventh Grade Students: Parents can request to change a course or report an error by contacting their child’s school counselor. All requests must be submitted by email no later than Friday, June 2. Schedule changes will not be accommodated at the start of the school year.
• Eighth Grade Students: Kilmer can no longer assist with changes to high school courses. Please contact the office of student services at the high school your child is attending if you have questions about the courses listed in ParentVue.

Tutor.com - Extra Help for Students at No Cost to Families 

With Tutor.com through Schoology, FCPS students are able to get learning help at any time, even from bilingual tutors! Students in FCPS meet with tutors thousands of times each week to practice reading, prepare for an upcoming math test, write computer programs, study for the SAT, or to get feedback on scholarship essays–all at no cost to their families! If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take just a few minutes to connect with a tutor with your child. More info about Tutor.com in FCPS is available here.

8100 Wolftrap Road Vienna, VA 22182 | Phone: 703-846-8800

Attendance: 703-846-8888 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

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

A message from Principal Steven McFarlane

Kilmer Community, 

Last night I had the privilege of attending the National Junior Honor Society induction ceremony for Kilmer students. When I look at the work all Kilmer students do I regularly think to myself, “The future is bright.” Last night was just a snapshot of the amazing students we have here at Kilmer. I heard countless presentations from students about their service learning experiences, and it was inspiring to see students work so hard to serve others. I heard about students organizing food drives, clothing drives, collecting eyeglasses to donate, setting up tutoring opportunities for their peers, and many more examples. 

As middle schoolers continue to develop, I believe it’s imperative that as educators and families, we coach and support our students to “choose to do something difficult.” It’s when we push ourselves just outside of our comfort zone, when something is really difficult, and when we have to critically think to problem solve, adjust, collaborate, and communicate, that’s when we see the most growth. Ultimately, we are able to look back at a challenge and feel incredibly proud about the work we did, and the lessons we learned. These are conversations that Kilmer staff are regularly having with our students, and as I mentioned above, I’m regularly seeing students do this. 

When we come back next week we begin the month of May! Students have been working hard and I will continue to communicate with them that we won’t let up until the last day of school on Friday, June 16th. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend. As always, reach out if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Steven McFarlane

Principal

Picture(s) of the Week

This week history came alive this week for our seventh grade students at Kilmer’s World War II Museum. Students acted as historians as they worked in small groups to handle and investigate artifacts from the 1940s. Students examined a variety of primary sources including ration cards, photographs, yearbooks, newspapers, sand from Omaha Beach, telegraphs, and much more. Guided by their teachers and our Kilmer librarians, this was an opportunity for students to engage in authentic inquiry, while developing Portrait of a Graduate skills such as critical thinking and collaboration.

National Junior Honor Society Service Learning Gallery & Induction Ceremony

Over the course of this school year, students have completed service learning projects centered around NJHS’s service learning pillars: citizenship, service, character, leadership and scholarship. During the  gallery walk, students presented their service learning projects. These projects sought to problem solve and address concerns in the greater Fairfax County community. Following the gallery walk, 147 students took the NJHS Honor Pledge and were inducted into Kilmer Middle School’s National Junior Honor Society.

Important Information

8th Grade End of Year Field Trip

The 8th grade end of year field trip will be to The St. James in Springfield. Students will have the opportunity to participate in obstacle courses, ice skating, rock climbing, a ropes course, soccer, flag football, and other organized activities and games. The cost of the trip is $50, which includes transportation and lunch. Payment will be collected via MySchoolBucks. If your child is going on the field trip, complete the St. James the Field Trip Permission Slip and the St. James Waiver. Signed forms should be returned to your child’s English teacher by May 19, 2023. Students will receive additional information about the trip during their English class beginning Monday April 24th. Please contact the main office with any questions.

8th Grade Recognition Ceremony

The 8th Grade Recognition Ceremony will take place on June 13th and June 14th. Students will be recognized by teams. Please see below to determine when your child’s ceremony will be held.

SOL Testing Information 2022-2023

The spring SOL testing calendar can be found below. Details about testing days and changes to the bell schedule will be communicated regularly to students ahead of the testing window. Students will receive information about testing dates, times, and locations in their fcpsschool.net email account. All testing will begin at 7:30 am on the days listed below. It is important that students come to school on time on these testing days. If a student is absent on their testing day, makeup tests can occur throughout the testing window.

• Once all tests are complete, there is a retake window for eligible students. Communication with parents of eligible students will happen at a later date. Parent permission is required for a student to retake.
• Retakes (if eligible): Wednesday, 5/31-Friday, 6/2

If you have not done so already, please fill out the SOL retake form linked below and return it to the school testing coordinator, Marileigh Blake at [email protected], by Monday, May 1st, 2023

SOL Retake Form: English   Arabic   Chinese   Korean   Spanish   Urdu   Vietnamese

 

If you have any questions regarding testing, please contact Kilmer’s school test coordinator, Marileigh Blake, at [email protected] or 703-846-8885.

Save the Date - 8th Grade Semiformal Dance

Save the date for the SCA sponsored 8th Grade Semi-Formal. The dance will be Friday June 9 from 6-8 PM at Kilmer.  More details will be shared in May.

Afterschool Activities News/Updates

Each week Ms. Kardelis will post a detailed overview of our After School Program to our website. Please visit Kilmer’s website at https://kilmerms.fcps.edu/afterschool_newsletter to find the weekly After School newsletter.

A Few Reminders/Highlights This Week

Anytime a student stays after school for any reason they must sign in using our Afterschool Attendance form. This is not optional and helps us respond to parent inquiries and locate students quickly and accurately.

STUDENTS ARE NOT PERMITTED:

• TO LEAVE SCHOOL GROUNDS & RETURN FOR LATE BUS or PICKUP
• ON THE FIELD or ANY SPACE WITHOUT PERMISSION/SUPERVISION

Marshall HS Volleyball Team Clinic @KMS Gym

When: Tuesday – May 2nd 

Time: 3:30 – 4:45PM (2nd Block)

Marshall HS Freshman Football Strength Program 

When: Tuesdays >> End of school year 

Where: @Marshall High School > Drop off/Pick up Door 5 

Time: 2:55 - 3:40PM **Families responsible for transportation to & from 

Questions > Coach Masten [email protected]

References & Reminders

Tutor.com - Extra Help for Students at No Cost to Families 

With Tutor.com through Schoology, FCPS students are able to get learning help at any time, even from bilingual tutors! Students in FCPS meet with tutors thousands of times each week to practice reading, prepare for an upcoming math test, write computer programs, study for the SAT, or to get feedback on scholarship essays–all at no cost to their families! If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take just a few minutes to connect with a tutor with your child. More info about Tutor.com in FCPS is available here.

8100 Wolftrap Road Vienna, VA 22182 | Phone: 703-846-8800

Attendance: 703-846-8888 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

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

A message from Principal Steven McFarlane

Kilmer Community, 

On Thursday we held the 7th grade dance right after school, and it was a great way to end the week watching students dance and sing their hearts out. As many of you probably saw when you picked them up they were a sweaty mess. Amidst all the middle school smells (ha ha) coming from the cafeteria I stood there getting to watch the best of kids. They were running around with friends, laughing, playing, dancing, and singing, and I kept thinking how important this community is for students, families, and staff. Together we partner to ensure students can work hard, and play hard, and in my opinion there’s no better combination.

I’ve been writing about how important it is for us to finish strong. The school calendar will also help us settle into a routine. With the exception of Memorial Day at the end of May, we have five day weeks until the end of school. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend. As always, reach out if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Steven McFarlane

Principal

Picture(s) of the Week

On Thursday we hosted the SCA sponsored 7th grade dance. The theme was neon, and one point a Conga line formed that included every student at the dance. A great time was had by all!

Important Information

National Junior Honor Society Gallery Walk and Induction Ceremony April 27

The National Junior Honor Society will host a Service Learning Gallery Walk on April 27 for Kilmer families, community members and students. This exciting evening will showcase nearly 180 NJHS candidates and their service learning projects. Student groups have worked diligently and with compassion to better their community. Join us for this event to celebrate the dozens of service projects completed this year.

The Service Learning Gallery Walk will be at Kilmer Middle School from 5:00 - 6:00. The NJHS Induction Ceremony will be in the Kilmer MS Main Gym from 6:20 - 7:30. 

Cougars are making a difference in their community!

8th Grade End of Year Field Trip

The 8th grade end of year field trip will be to The St. James in Springfield. Students will have the opportunity to participate in obstacle courses, ice skating, rock climbing, a ropes course, soccer, flag football, and other organized activities and games. The cost of the trip is $50, which includes transportation and  lunch. Payment will be collected via MySchoolBucks. If your child is going on the field trip, complete the St. James the Field Trip Permission Slip and the St. James Waiver. Signed forms should be returned to your child’s English teacher by May 19, 2023. Students will receive additional information about the trip during their English class beginning Monday April 24th. Please contact the main office with any questions.

Volunteer and Fulfill Service Hour Requirements 

Lemon Road Elementary School (7230 Idylwood Road) will be holding its Spring Fair on Saturday, April 29th from 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM. The event is the PTA's annual spring fundraiser and its success hinges on having enough volunteers to help bring the carnival atmosphere to life. This is a great opportunity for you to fulfill service hour requirements. Middle and high school volunteers will supplement adult volunteers and help run carnival games, face painting, as well as help with setup and clean up. You can view the SignUp Genius here and all slots for middle and high school volunteers are clearly marked. If you have any questions reach out to the Lemon Road PTA at [email protected] The onsite coordinator will be in touch with you regarding signing service hour forms if you choose to volunteer.

SOL Testing Information 2022-2023

The spring SOL testing calendar can be found below. Details about testing days and changes to the bell schedule will be communicated regularly to students ahead of the testing window. Students will receive information about testing dates, times, and locations in their fcpsschool.net email account. All testing will begin at 7:30 am on the days listed below. It is important that students come to school on time on these testing days. If a student is absent on their testing day, makeup tests can occur throughout the testing window.

• Once all tests are complete, there is a retake window for eligible students. Communication with parents of eligible students will happen at a later date. Parent permission is required for a student to retake.
• Retakes (if eligible): Wednesday, 5/31-Friday, 6/2

If you have not done so already, please fill out the SOL retake form linked below and return it to the school testing coordinator, Marileigh Blake at [email protected], by Monday, May 1st, 2023

SOL Retake Form: English   Arabic   Chinese   Korean   Spanish   Urdu   Vietnamese

 

If you have any questions regarding testing, please contact Kilmer’s school test coordinator, Marileigh Blake, at [email protected] or 703-846-8885.

Save the Date - 8th Grade Semiformal Dance

Save the date for the SCA sponsored 8th Grade Semi-Formal. The dance will be Friday June 9 from 6-8 PM at Kilmer.  More details will be shared in May.

Afterschool Activities News/Updates

Each week Ms. Kardelis will post a detailed overview of our After School Program to our website. Please visit Kilmer’s website at https://kilmerms.fcps.edu/afterschool_newsletter to find the weekly After School newsletter.

A Few Reminders/Highlights This Week

Anytime a student stays after school for any reason they must sign in using our Afterschool Attendance form. This is not optional and helps us respond to parent inquiries and locate students quickly and accurately.

STUDENTS ARE NOT PERMITTED:

• TO LEAVE SCHOOL GROUNDS & RETURN FOR LATE BUS or PICKUP
• ON THE FIELD or ANY SPACE WITHOUT PERMISSION/SUPERVISION

Code Remix 

Use creative expression to bring beat-making and coding to life. Bring Laptop & Charger & Headphones to Workshop! May participate 1st, 2nd or Both Blocks after school. Calling all students that have participated to come back and share! New participants are also welcome! 

• 4/24 – Listening Party 
• PIZZA PROVIDED!!! PRIZES!! Service Hours Available!

DANCE Team (Hip-Hop/Ballet) & STEP 

Team clubs are starting in May – led by Ms.B!! 😊 Details forthcoming.

Marshall HS Volleyball Team Clinic @KMS Gym

When: Tuesday – May 2nd 

Time: 3:30 – 4:45PM (2nd Block)

Marshall HS Freshman Football Strength Program 

When: Tuesdays >> End of school year 

Where: @Marshall High School > Drop off/Pick up Door 5 

Time: 2:55 - 3:40PM **Families responsible for transportation to & from 

Questions > Coach Masten [email protected]

References & Reminders

3rd Quarter Final Grades

SIS ParentVue and SIS StudentVue Gradebook and Report Card Modules will be unavailable   Thursday, April 13 at 4:00 pm until Tuesday, April 25 at 6 am in order for teachers to finalize third quarter grades. After April 25, 3rd quarter report cards will be visible in SIS StudentVue and ParentVue. A copy of your child’s report card will also be mailed home at the end of April.

Course Registration for 2023-2024

Academic Advising for seventh and eighth grade students is now complete.  To see the list of courses your child selected for the 2023-2024 school year, please log in to your SIS ParentVUE account and click on the Course Requests tab. Directions for viewing course requests online through ParentVUE are here: Online Course Requests in ParentVue. This list of courses is NOT a schedule, but a confirmation of the courses entered into the student information system. 

• Seventh Grade Students: Parents can request to change a course or report an error by contacting their child’s school counselor. All requests must be submitted by email no later than Friday, June 2. Schedule changes will not be accommodated at the start of the school year.
• Eighth Grade Students: Kilmer can no longer assist with changes to high school courses. Please contact the office of student services at the high school your child is attending if you have questions about the courses listed in ParentVue.

Community Meeting on the Dangers of Fentanyl

Opioid overdoses are on the rise across the country, including in Fairfax County. Most fatal overdoses in Fairfax County in recent years involved fentanyl.

Last month, FCPS hosted a conversation on the dangers of fentanyl. During this impactful event, audience members heard testimonials from individuals affected by the opioid epidemic and learned facts from medical experts and law enforcement representatives. 

The conversation will continue on Monday, April 24, 6:30 to 8 p.m., at Woodson High School. FCPS principals and staff will share what is happening in our schools and update the work to prevent substance misuse and educate our students.  

Transportation will be available from select schools throughout the county. Transportation information can be found once you begin the registration process. 

Visit our Opioid Awareness webpage for more information. Visit the Fairfax County Government webpage on opioids for information on how you can take action and get help for yourself or loved ones.

Medicaid Enrollment Underway

If you have Medicaid/FAMIS/CHIP health insurance, the Medicaid Enrollment Processes began in March.

The Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) (Virginia Medicaid) has started to review Medicaid members’ health coverage to determine whether members are eligible for coverage. DMAS will not cancel or reduce coverage for members without asking for updated information, but they need your help to make this a smooth process.

Make sure your current mailing address, email, and phone numbers are up-to-date so that important information about your coverage gets to you. Update your contact information today online at commonhelp.virginia.gov, or by calling Cover Virginia at 1-855-242-8282 or your local Department of Social Services.

If you need any assistance or have any questions, contact Cover Virginia at 1-855-242-8282 or your local Department of Social Services.

Tutor.com - Extra Help for Students at No Cost to Families 

With Tutor.com through Schoology, FCPS students are able to get learning help at any time, even from bilingual tutors! Students in FCPS meet with tutors thousands of times each week to practice reading, prepare for an upcoming math test, write computer programs, study for the SAT, or to get feedback on scholarship essays–all at no cost to their families! If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take just a few minutes to connect with a tutor with your child. More info about Tutor.com in FCPS is available here.

8100 Wolftrap Road Vienna, VA 22182 | Phone: 703-846-8800

Attendance: 703-846-8888 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

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

A message from Principal Steven McFarlane

Kilmer Community, 

We had a great week returning from Spring Break as we finished the 3rd quarter. Teachers spent today finalizing grades and preparing for the 4th quarter. 

The pace of the 4th quarter can feel frenetic for staff, students, and families. Usually as the weather warms up, commitments pick up, as well as the energy. As I shared with the staff this week, the last quarter is a busy time of year. What’s important is that we continue to hold students to high expectations both academically and behaviorally, while also providing support. As adults (both at home and at school) it’s imperative that we provide the guardrails for students. As students begin to bump up against those guardrails, we guide them back in by reminding them what the expectations are, and inviting them into the conversation so they are able to reflect and adjust as necessary. The thing we must keep in mind is that not all students learn at the same pace (in all facets: academically, socially, behaviorally) and there are times where we as adults have to be more hands on, while at other times we can be more hands off and watch from afar. The partnership between school and home is vital in helping students (and adults) navigate middle school. 

Lastly, this coming week the SCA sponsored 7th grade dance will take place after school on Thursday, April 20th from 2:30 PM – 4:45 PM. Tickets are $2 and will be sold during all lunches on Thursday, April 20th. Snacks and drinks will be available for purchase during the dance. This year’s theme is NEON. Students are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing to school that they can dance in, and the more neon the better!

As always, reach out if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Steven McFarlane

Principal

Picture(s) of the Week

Students on the Pegasus Team participated in a cross curricular team project. Using a modified version of the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs fairytale, students investigated a crime scene in their science class, learned about the judicial process in their civics class and ultimately wrote a persuasive argument in their English class. This project culminated with a Celebration of Learning where students had the opportunity to hear from community members who work within the judicial system. Students engaged in Q&A sessions with a US Federal Marshall, local defense attorney and an attorney from the Civil Rights Department of the US Department of Justice. Following the Q&A students presented their closing arguments to their peers.

Important Information

7th Grade After School Dance

This year’s SCA sponsored 7th Grade Dance will take place after school on Thursday April 20th during 1st and 2nd block from 2:30 PM – 4:45 PM.  Late bus transportation will be available. Tickets are $2 and will be sold during all lunches on Thursday April 20th. Snacks and drinks will be available for purchase during the dance. This year’s theme is NEON. Students are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing to school that they can dance in, the more neon the better.  Please email Kristen Mattix ([email protected]) and Emma Spracklin ([email protected]) with any questions.

3rd Quarter Final Grades

SIS ParentVue and SIS StudentVue Gradebook and Report Card Modules will be unavailable   Thursday, April 13 at 4:00 pm until Tuesday, April 25 at 6 am in order for teachers to finalize third quarter grades. After April 25, 3rd quarter report cards will be visible in SIS StudentVue and ParentVue. A copy of your child’s report card will also be mailed home at the end of April.

Learning Seminar and Advisory Schedule Changes - Monday, April 17

Throughout the year students may be assigned to a new learning seminar or advisory class. On Monday, April 17 the first day of the 4th quarter, a number of students will have a schedule change to their advisory and/or learning seminar class. Students with a change, will receive a new schedule the morning of April 17 prior to learning seminar. Students can also check their schedule in SIS StudentVue to see if their learning seminar and/or advisory class has changed.

National Junior Honor Society Gallery Walk and Induction Ceremony April 27

The National Junior Honor Society will host a Service Learning Gallery Walk on April 27 for Kilmer families, community members and students. This exciting evening will showcase nearly 180 NJHS candidates and their service learning projects. Student groups have worked diligently and with compassion to better their community. Join us for this event to celebrate the dozens of service projects completed this year.

The Service Learning Gallery Walk will be at Kilmer Middle School from 5:00 - 6:00. The NJHS Induction Ceremony will be in the Kilmer MS Main Gym from 6:20 - 7:30. 

Cougars are making a difference in their community!

SOL Testing Information 2022-2023

The spring SOL testing calendar can be found below. Details about testing days and changes to the bell schedule will be communicated regularly to students ahead of the testing window. Students will receive information about testing dates, times, and locations in their fcpsschool.net email account. All testing will begin at 7:30 am on the days listed below. It is important that students come to school on time on these testing days. If a student is absent on their testing day, makeup tests can occur throughout the testing window.

• Once all tests are complete, there is a retake window for eligible students. Communication with parents of eligible students will happen at a later date. Parent permission is required for a student to retake.
• Retakes (if eligible): Wednesday, 5/31-Friday, 6/2

If you have not done so already, please fill out the SOL retake form linked below and return it to the school testing coordinator, Marileigh Blake at [email protected], by Monday, May 1st, 2023

SOL Retake Form: English   Arabic   Chinese   Korean   Spanish   Urdu   Vietnamese

 

If you have any questions regarding testing, please contact Kilmer’s school test coordinator, Marileigh Blake, at [email protected] or 703-846-8885.

Marshall HS Freshman Football

Attention all Kilmer 7th and 8th graders. After school strength program run by a master strength coach! COME TRAIN FOR FREE! Unfortunately there is no FCPS transportation over to Marshall. Transportation must be arranged by families.

• When: Every Tuesday starting April 11th until the end of the school year. 
• Where: George C Marshall High School
• Location to meet: Door 5 behind the school across from the tennis courts. Drop off and pick up location.
• Time: 2:55 pm- 3:40 pm 

Questions contact Coach Masten – [email protected]

8th Grade Semiformal Dance

Save the date for the SCA sponsored 8th Grade Semi-Formal.  The dance will be Friday June 9 from 6-8 PM at Kilmer.  More details will be shared in May.

Proposed Updates to the Student Rights and Responsibilities Document 

FCPS is in the process of updating the Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) document for the 2023-24 School Year. The SR&R provides clear expectations for student behavior, responses to that behavior, and support that may be needed. Parents/caregivers, please check your email for a link from FCPS regarding a brief survey on proposed changes to the SR&R. The survey will close at 8 p.m., on Friday, April 21. All responses to the survey are anonymous. The information provided will be used to revise the SR&R document that is presented to the School Board for approval in June.

Medicaid Enrollment Underway

If you have Medicaid/FAMIS/CHIP health insurance, the Medicaid Enrollment Processes began in March.

The Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) (Virginia Medicaid) has started to review Medicaid members’ health coverage to determine whether members are eligible for coverage. DMAS will not cancel or reduce coverage for members without asking for updated information, but they need your help to make this a smooth process.

Make sure your current mailing address, email, and phone numbers are up-to-date so that important information about your coverage gets to you. Update your contact information today online at commonhelp.virginia.gov, or by calling Cover Virginia at 1-855-242-8282 or your local Department of Social Services.

If you need any assistance or have any questions, contact Cover Virginia at 1-855-242-8282 or your local Department of Social Services.

Afterschool Activities News/Updates

Each week Ms. Kardelis will post a detailed overview of our After School Program to our website. Please visit Kilmer’s website at https://kilmerms.fcps.edu/afterschool_newsletter to find the weekly After School newsletter.

References & Reminders

Community Meeting on the Dangers of Fentanyl

Opioid overdoses are on the rise across the country, including in Fairfax County. Most fatal overdoses in Fairfax County in recent years involved fentanyl.

Last month, FCPS hosted a conversation on the dangers of fentanyl. During this impactful event, audience members heard testimonials from individuals affected by the opioid epidemic and learned facts from medical experts and law enforcement representatives. 

The conversation will continue on Monday, April 24, 6:30 to 8 p.m., at Woodson High School. FCPS principals and staff will share what is happening in our schools and update the work to prevent substance misuse and educate our students.  

Transportation will be available from select schools throughout the county. Transportation information can be found once you begin the registration process. 

Visit our Opioid Awareness webpage for more information. Visit the Fairfax County Government webpage on opioids for information on how you can take action and get help for yourself or loved ones.

Fasting During Ramadan

For students who are fasting during Ramadan we have set up chairs in H hall during all lunches as an indoor option should they not want to be around food. Also, weather permitting, all students have an option to go outside during their lunch.

Tutor.com - Extra Help for Students at No Cost to Families 

With Tutor.com through Schoology, FCPS students are able to get learning help at any time, even from bilingual tutors! Students in FCPS meet with tutors thousands of times each week to practice reading, prepare for an upcoming math test, write computer programs, study for the SAT, or to get feedback on scholarship essays–all at no cost to their families! If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take just a few minutes to connect with a tutor with your child. More info about Tutor.com in FCPS is available here.

8100 Wolftrap Road Vienna, VA 22182 | Phone: 703-846-8800

Attendance: 703-846-8888 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

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

A message from Principal Steven McFarlane

Kilmer Community, 

As we head into break I thought I’d share two phrases that I regularly say to middle school kids, in case you want to bring up these ideas and discuss them with your own children. 

The first one is, “time and place.” So much of what middle schoolers do (or don’t do) shouldn’t end up with a conversation about their actions being “right or wrong,” but rather is that the proper time and place for that action to occur? For example, when two kids are walking down the hall during transitions and start to playfully push each other I immediately pull them aside and say, “I get it, you’re buddies, but is this the proper time and place to do that?” I then ask them to look around. Almost always, students will have a brief conversation with me, understand that they need to be mindful of where they are at, and what they are doing, and how in the example above it’s not safe for them or other students in the hall, and then go on their way. 

The second thing I often talk to students about is their impact. So much of middle school is recognizing the impact our words and actions have on other people.  Whether it’s in class, at home, playing a sport, or anywhere else our students go, everything they do impacts adults and their peers. A sign of their maturity is when students can begin to articulate the impact of their actions on other people. 

Lastly, I hope everyone has an enjoyable Spring Break. I’m headed down to Williamsburg with my family and we plan on spending a few days at the historical sites, as well as a day at Busch Gardens. I look forward to this time because usually the weather is warmer, it’s a great time to relax and recharge, and I come back ready to finish the year strong. I trust the same is true for you and your family. A reminder that Kilmer’s office is closed during Spring Break. 

As always, reach out if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Steven McFarlane

Principal

Pictures of the Week

Students in Mr. Custis’ 7th grade history class practice their creative and critical thinking skills by writing Amazon reviews for FDR’s New Deal programs.

Spring Break Information

School offices will be closed during Spring Break. We will reopen on Monday, April 10 at 7am. 

If you know your student will be absent prior to Spring Break, please leave a message on the Attendance line at 703-846-8888 at the start of the week to ensure accurate recording of attendance.

3rd Quarter ends Thursday, April 13

SIS ParentVue and SIS StudentVue Gradebook and Report Card Modules will be unavailable   Thursday, April 13 at 4:00 pm until Tuesday, April 25 at 6 am in order for teachers to finalize third quarter grades. After April 25, 3rd quarter report cards will be visible in SIS StudentVue and ParentVue. A copy of your child’s report card will also be mailed home at the end of April. 

Learning Seminar and Advisory Schedule Changes - Monday, April 17

Throughout the year students may be assigned to a new learning seminar or advisory class. On Monday, April 17 the first day of the 4th quarter, a number of students will have a schedule change to their advisory and/or learning seminar class. Students with a change, will receive a new schedule the morning of April 17 prior to learning seminar. Students can also check their schedule in SIS StudentVue to see if their learning seminar and/or advisory class has changed. 

If your child notices a new course in schoology prior to April 17, please remind students the change does not take place until the first day of 4th quarter. Students should follow their current schedule the week after spring break (April 10-14). If you have questions, please email your school counselor.

Marshall HS Freshman Football

Attention all Kilmer 7th and 8th graders. After school strength program run by a master strength coach! COME TRAIN FOR FREE! 

When: Every Tuesday starting April 11th until the end of the school year. 

Where: George C Marshall High School

Location to meet: Door 5 behind the school across from the tennis courts. Drop off and pick up location.

Time: 2:55 pm- 3:40 pm 

Questions contact Coach Masten – [email protected]

7th Grade After School Dance

This year’s SCA sponsored 7th Grade Dance will take place after school on Thursday April 20th during 1st and 2nd block from 2:30 PM – 4:45 PM.  Late bus transportation will be available.  More information about tickets, concessions, and theme will be shared after Spring Break.  Please save the date and email Kristen Mattix ([email protected]) and Emma Spracklin ([email protected]) with any questions.

8th Grade Semiformal Dance

Save the date for the SCA sponsored 8th Grade Semi-Formal.  The dance will be Friday June 9 from 6-8 PM at Kilmer.  More details will be shared in May.

Proposed Updates to Student Rights and Responsibilities

The Department of Special Services will host a virtual meeting for the FCPS community regarding proposed updates to the Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) regulation on Monday, April 10, from 6 to 7 p.m. 

Participants will have an opportunity to learn about the suggested updates and ask questions via Zoom Chat. Language interpretation will be available in Spanish. A certified deaf interpreter will be available as well. Please register online.

Community Meeting on the Dangers of Fentanyl

Last month, the division hosted a conversation on the dangers of fentanyl. During this impactful event, audience members heard testimonials from individuals affected by the opioid epidemic and learned facts from medical experts and law enforcement representatives. 

The conversation will continue on Monday, April 24, 6:30 to 8 p.m., at Woodson High School. Transportation will be available from select schools throughout the county. View the registration page for details. 

Visit our Opioid Awareness webpage for more information. Visit the Fairfax County Government webpage on opioids for information on how you can take action and how to get help for yourself or loved ones.

Vienna Community Center Parent Discussion: “Talk. They Hear You.” 

Tuesday, April 18 from 7 – 8 p.m. in the Vienna Community Center Basement (Club Phoenix Teen Center). This parent discussion is offered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). SAMHSA is presenting a national substance use prevention campaign called, “Talk. They Hear You.” This campaign is to inform and encourage parents, guardians, caregivers, educators, and community members to get informed, be prepared, and take action against underaged drinking and substance misuse. Vienna Community Center Event Info

Afterschool Activities News/Updates

Each week Ms. Kardelis will post a detailed overview of our After School Program to our website. Please visit Kilmer’s website at https://kilmerms.fcps.edu/afterschool_newsletter to find the weekly After School newsletter.

References & Reminders

Kilmer’s Spring Pictures Now Online

Spring portraits are now available to view and order online. All orders will include free shipping for the next two weeks. Access your photos at vosphoto.com/uc and use your student’s ID as the code.

Fasting During Ramadan

For students who are fasting during Ramadan we have set up chairs in H hall during all lunches as an indoor option should they not want to be around food. Also, weather permitting, all students have an option to go outside during their lunch.

Course Registration for 2023-2024

Academic Advising for seventh and eighth grade students is now complete.  To see the list of courses your child selected for the 2023-2024 school year, please log in to your SIS ParentVUE account and click on the Course Requests tab. Directions for viewing course requests online through ParentVUE are here: Online Course Requests in ParentVue. This list of courses is NOT a schedule, but a confirmation of the courses entered into the student information system. 

• Seventh Grade Students: Parents can request to change a course or report an error by contacting their child’s school counselor. All requests must be submitted by email no later than Friday, June 2. Schedule changes will not be accommodated at the start of the school year.
• Eighth Grade Students: Kilmer can no longer assist with changes to high school courses. Please contact the office of student services at the high school your child is attending if you have questions about the courses listed in ParentVue.

Tutor.com - Extra Help for Students at No Cost to Families 

With Tutor.com through Schoology, FCPS students are able to get learning help at any time, even from bilingual tutors! Students in FCPS meet with tutors thousands of times each week to practice reading, prepare for an upcoming math test, write computer programs, study for the SAT, or to get feedback on scholarship essays–all at no cost to their families! If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take just a few minutes to connect with a tutor with your child. More info about Tutor.com in FCPS is available here.

8100 Wolftrap Road Vienna, VA 22182 | Phone: 703-846-8800

Attendance: 703-846-8888 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

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

A message from Principal Steven McFarlane

Kilmer Community, 

On Thursday, we had a great opportunity when a group of teachers and administrators from Azerbaijan visited Kilmer. These educators applied to a highly competitive program where they come to the US for seven weeks to tour schools, collaborate with American educators, and ultimately create a capstone project. We had great conversations about education, and they were thoroughly impressed with the staff and students we have at Kilmer.

Spring in middle school is always interesting. 8th graders think they’re in high school, 7th graders think they are in 8th grade, and in reality we have one full quarter left to work hard and continue learning before summer break, ha ha. Our balance as educators is to allow that growth, and yet not let students lose sight of the work that needs to occur for the remainder of the year. With this context, we’re focusing on unexcused tardies. First, we’re creating an interdisciplinary team competition where the team that averages the fewest number of tardies will get a mini-party (chips, drinks, etc.). We’ll start over every month so teams have multiple chances to win. Additionally, we will notify families via email every time a student has an unexcused tardy (period and day). Our intent is to alert families so that a conversation can happen at home, and the more we can continue to partner together in our messaging and communication to students, the better. 

Finally, don’t forget this is the last weekend for our Spring musical, Into the Woods, Jr. I’ll be back here again tonight with my daughter to watch. If you haven’t seen it yet, don’t miss out. Kilmer students put on a great show! Have a good weekend, and as always, reach out if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Steven McFarlane

Principal

Pictures of the Week

Kilmer students are busy creating robots out of LEGO bricks in our first-ever LEGO Robotics Club. The club meets once a week for 8 weeks. Students use coding to program their robot’s movements. This club gives 7th and 8th graders of all experience levels the chance to have fun while solving complex problems through creativity and collaboration.

On Thursday, we hosted over 25 educators from Azerbaijan. They spent the day learning about the work we do at Kilmer by observing, and collaborating with, our teachers, counselors, and administrators.

8th graders attended the Activity Fairs at Marshall and Madison today, where they received information about athletics, fine arts, and extracurricular opportunities available to them next year.

Spring Break Information

School offices will be closed during Spring Break. We will reopen on Monday, April 10 at 7am. 

If you know your student will be absent prior to Spring Break, please leave a message on the Attendance line at 703-846-8888 at the start of the week to ensure accurate recording of attendance.

Kilmer’s Spring Pictures Now Online

Spring portraits are now available to view and order online. All orders will include free shipping for the next two weeks. Access your photos at vosphoto.com/uc and use your student’s ID as the code.

Fasting During Ramadan

For students who are fasting during Ramadan we have set up chairs in H hall during all lunches as an indoor option should they not want to be around food. Also, weather permitting, all students have an option to go outside during their lunch.

Come See the Musical - Final Weekend!

Course Registration for 2023-2024

Academic Advising for seventh and eighth grade students is now complete.  To see the list of courses your child selected for the 2023-2024 school year, please log in to your SIS ParentVUE account and click on the Course Requests tab. Directions for viewing course requests online through ParentVUE are here: Online Course Requests in ParentVue. This list of courses is NOT a schedule, but a confirmation of the courses entered into the student information system. 

• Seventh Grade Students: Parents can request to change a course or report an error by contacting their child’s school counselor. All requests must be submitted by email no later than Friday, June 2. Schedule changes will not be accommodated at the start of the school year.
• Eighth Grade Students: Kilmer can no longer assist with changes to high school courses. Please contact the office of student services at the high school your child is attending if you have questions about the courses listed in ParentVue.

Afterschool Activities News/Updates

Each week Ms. Kardelis will post a detailed overview of our After School Program to our website. Please visit Kilmer’s website at https://kilmerms.fcps.edu/afterschool_newsletter to find the weekly After School newsletter.

References & Reminders

Community Meeting on the Dangers of Fentanyl

Monday, March 13, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid and Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis hosted nearly 400 families, staff, and community members for a conversation on the dangers of fentanyl. During this impactful event, audience members heard testimonials from individuals affected by the opioid epidemic and learned facts from medical experts and law enforcement representatives. 

The conversation will continue on Monday, April 24, with our next community meeting on the critical topic of fentanyl danger and opioid awareness. More information is coming soon. Visit our Opioid Awareness webpage for updates as they become available.

Visit the Fairfax County Government webpage on opioids for information on how you can take action and how to get help for yourself or loved ones.

Tutor.com - Extra Help for Students at No Cost to Families 

With Tutor.com through Schoology, FCPS students are able to get learning help at any time, even from bilingual tutors! Students in FCPS meet with tutors thousands of times each week to practice reading, prepare for an upcoming math test, write computer programs, study for the SAT, or to get feedback on scholarship essays–all at no cost to their families! If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take just a few minutes to connect with a tutor with your child. More info about Tutor.com in FCPS is available here.

8100 Wolftrap Road Vienna, VA 22182 | Phone: 703-846-8800

Attendance: 703-846-8888 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

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

A message from Principal Steven McFarlane

Kilmer Community, 

Region 2 leadership is providing Chris Musgnug, assistant principal at Kilmer MS, an exciting professional development opportunity to temporarily serve as an assistant principal at Annandale Terrace Elementary School. Recently, a former assistant principal at Annandale Terrace was named the new principal of Providence Elementary School. While Annandale Terrace goes through the process of hiring a new assistant principal, Mr. Musgnug will serve in that role. We are expecting Mr. Musgnug to be at Annandale Terrace for a month.

Meanwhile, I have asked Ms. Erin Kestler to serve as the interim assistant principal at Kilmer while Mr. Musgnug is out. Ms. Kestler has years of experience and institutional context at Kilmer, and this is a great opportunity for her as well.

I had the pleasure of attending my first Cross Town Hoops night this past Wednesday, and in addition to the 100s of fans for both schools, we also welcomed Superintendent Dr. Reid, and School Board Member Melanie Meren. Since the day I arrived at Kilmer I have been hearing about this night, and it did not disappoint. I jokingly kept saying this is the one night that middle school students get to feel like high schoolers as they filed into Marshal HS, sat in the student section, and honed their school spirit chants. A huge thank you to Angie Gutenson, and the rest of the PTA, for the countless hours of planning and preparation that went into this successful night!

Don’t forget Kilmer’s Drama Department is performing the musical Into the Woods, Jr. tonight at 7pm in the cafeteria (see the flier below for more show days/times). I’ve seen bits and pieces of rehearsal over the past month, and we’re in for a treat! I’m running home after school to get my kids and we’ll be back to watch tonight’s production. 

Lastly, if you haven’t taken the principal survey please consider doing so. These results will be shared with me (anonymously), and it’s an important part of how I reflect and get better. Thanks in advance. 

Have a great weekend, and as always, reach out if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Steven McFarlane

Principal

Pictures of the Week

This week our 8th graders took a field trip to Finance Park. Students had the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned about financial literacy by participating in a practical budget simulation.

We had a great time at Cross Town Hoops on Wednesday where our 7th and 8th grade girls and boys teams took on the Thoreau Eagles in basketball.

Ms. Kozik’s Theatre Arts students visited the Kennedy Center this week to see the world premiere musical: “The Mortification of Fovea Munson.”

Come See the Musical!

Signup or Volunteer with TOPSoccer Program

The TOPSoccer Program is returning to McLean.  TOPSoccer is a recreational sports program for children and adults with developmental and/or physical disabilities; athletes of all ages are invited to join the program.  A former Davis Center student’s dad was actively involved in organizing and supporting the program and he has asked us to help spread the word now that the group is returning.  The Spring season will begin April 15th at St. Luke School in McLean.  They are also looking for volunteers (Buddies) to work with the athletes – the minimum age to volunteer is 13.

STEM Behind Sound

Youth STEAM Outreach is a student-led nonprofit organization run by Thomas Jefferson High School students. Youth STEAM Outreach has partnered with Green Sloth Records and the Langley Tri-M Honor Society to organize an event called STEM Behind Sounds at Langley High School on March 19th from 1-4 PM. See the flier below for more details.

Community Meeting on the Dangers of Fentanyl

Monday, March 13, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid and Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis hosted nearly 400 families, staff, and community members for a conversation on the dangers of fentanyl. During this impactful event, audience members heard testimonials from individuals affected by the opioid epidemic and learned facts from medical experts and law enforcement representatives. 

The conversation will continue on Monday, April 24, with our next community meeting on the critical topic of fentanyl danger and opioid awareness. More information is coming soon. Visit our Opioid Awareness webpage for updates as they become available.

Visit the Fairfax County Government webpage on opioids for information on how you can take action and how to get help for yourself or loved ones.

Afterschool Activities News/Updates

Each week Ms. Kardelis will post a detailed overview of our After School Program to our website. Please visit Kilmer’s website at https://kilmerms.fcps.edu/afterschool_newsletter to find the weekly After School newsletter.

References & Reminders

SOL Testing Update

SOL Testing will occur on the following dates:

• Reading 7 & 8 SOLs: Monday, 5/15
• Math 7, Math 8, Algebra, Geometry & Algebra 2 SOLs: Thursday, 5/18
• Science 8 SOL: Tuesday, 5/23

Makeup testing will be held several times throughout the testing window. If you have not done so already, please fill out the SOL retake form linked below and return it to the school testing coordinator, Marileigh Blake, by Monday, May 1st, 2023

SOL Retake Form:

English   Arabic   Chinese   Korean   Spanish   Urdu   Vietnamese

If you have any questions, please contact Marileigh Blake at [email protected] or 703-846-8885.

Course Registration Timeline for the 2023-2024 School Year

All students will participate in an academic advising session with their school counselor to finalize their course selections for the 2023-2024 school year. Course requests will be entered in SIS StudentVue. Students are encouraged to speak with their teachers and school counselors about recommendations for the next school year in order to select courses that reflect their academic strengths, abilities, and interests. Academic advising will be complete by Friday, March 17.

• Seventh Grade Course Registration Resources: Seventh grade students can view the Eighth Grade Course Catalog and course videos created by Kilmer teachers at the following link: Curriculum and Elective Resources for the 23-24 School Year . 

• Eighth Grade Course Registration Resources: 

Marshall HS IB Information Night Presentation 

Marshall HS Course Registration Resources

Madison High School Course Registration Resources

Tutor.com - Extra Help for Students at No Cost to Families 

With Tutor.com through Schoology, FCPS students are able to get learning help at any time, even from bilingual tutors! Students in FCPS meet with tutors thousands of times each week to practice reading, prepare for an upcoming math test, write computer programs, study for the SAT, or to get feedback on scholarship essays–all at no cost to their families! If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take just a few minutes to connect with a tutor with your child. More info about Tutor.com in FCPS is available here.

8100 Wolftrap Road Vienna, VA 22182 | Phone: 703-846-8800

Attendance: 703-846-8888 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

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

A message from Principal Steven McFarlane

Kilmer Community, 

Next week is a big week, with a lot happening! Tuesday, March 14th is the final day for 8th graders to submit completed forms with student and guardian/parent signatures for the Marshall & Madison Activities Fair field trip. At the Fair, students will receive information about athletics, fine arts, and extracurricular opportunities available to them next year. Have your student turn them into their science teacher or the drop box in the main office. 

On Wednesday, Cross Town Hoops is at Marshall High School from 6-8 PM. A reminder that this is a ticketed event, and we’re all sold out! There will not be any tickets sold at the door. 

Our drama department will kick off their two week run of Into the Woods Jr. on Wednesday. Students will have a chance to see the cast in action right afterschool at 2:30 PM, and subsequent shows will be on Friday, and two on Saturday. See the flier below for more information.

Lastly, next week is Spirit Week. We’re excited to see what students come up with for Celebrity Monday, Tie Dye Tuesday, Kilmer Spirit Wednesday, Throwback Thursday, and Green Out Friday.

Have a great weekend, and as always, reach out if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Steven McFarlane

Principal

Pictures of the Week

Felicia Donelson, Offensive Line Guard and Christiana “Red” Burton, seven-year Veteran Running Back for Washington’s Professional Football team, the DC Divas visited Kilmer students today in recognition of Women’s History Month. They shared their stories from the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA), words of encouragement, determination and teamwork.

Spirit Week - March 13-17

Support Kilmer Drama!

STEM Behind Sound

Youth STEAM Outreach is a student-led nonprofit organization run by Thomas Jefferson High School students. Youth STEAM Outreach has partnered with Green Sloth Records and the Langley Tri-M Honor Society to organize an event called STEM Behind Sounds at Langley High School on March 19th from 1-4 PM. See the flier below for more details.

Rising 9th Grade Activities Fairs Field Trip

TUESDAY March 14th is the final day to submit Completed forms with Student and Guardian/Parent signatures. Students can turn them into their SCIENCE Teacher or the Drop Box in the Main Office.

 

8th Grade Students attending Marshall & Madison have received a permission form to attend an Activities Fair on Friday, March 24th. Participants will receive information about athletics, fine arts, and extracurricular opportunities available to them next year.

 

Students on the Marshall trip will have lunch at Marshall - $3.50 cash & those on the Madison trip will eat when they return to Kilmer.

 

It is very important that field trip participants arrive at school on time on March 24th for transportation groupings and departures. If a student loses their pre-printed permission form, they may print another from Schoology > All Students Course > Materials > Rising 9th Grade Activities Fair.

Spring Photos

Victor O’Neill Photography Studios will be at Kilmer on Monday, March 13 and Tuesday, March 14 to take spring photos for all interested students. Many families are interested in getting updated photos at the end of the year.  If your family would like one, please use one of the links to sign up for the day your student will get their photo taken.

Monday, March 13

Tuesday, March 14

Afterschool Activities News/Updates

Each week Ms. Kardelis will post a detailed overview of our After School Program to our website. Please visit Kilmer’s website at https://kilmerms.fcps.edu/afterschool_newsletter to find the weekly After School newsletter.

References & Reminders

SOL Testing Update

SOL Testing will occur on the following dates:

• Reading 7 & 8 SOLs: Monday, 5/15
• Math 7, Math 8, Algebra, Geometry & Algebra 2 SOLs: Thursday, 5/18
• Science 8 SOL: Tuesday, 5/23

Makeup testing will be held several times throughout the testing window. If you have not done so already, please fill out the SOL retake form linked below and return it to the school testing coordinator, Marileigh Blake, by Monday, May 1st, 2023

SOL Retake Form:

English   Arabic   Chinese   Korean   Spanish   Urdu   Vietnamese

If you have any questions, please contact Marileigh Blake at [email protected] or 703-846-8885.

Course Registration Timeline for the 2023-2024 School Year

All students will participate in an academic advising session with their school counselor to finalize their course selections for the 2023-2024 school year. Course requests will be entered in SIS StudentVue. Students are encouraged to speak with their teachers and school counselors about recommendations for the next school year in order to select courses that reflect their academic strengths, abilities, and interests. Academic advising will be complete by Friday, March 17.

• Seventh Grade Course Registration Resources: Seventh grade students can view the Eighth Grade Course Catalog and course videos created by Kilmer teachers at the following link: Curriculum and Elective Resources for the 23-24 School Year . 

• Eighth Grade Course Registration Resources: 

Marshall HS IB Information Night Presentation 

Marshall HS Course Registration Resources

Madison High School Course Registration Resources

Tutor.com - Extra Help for Students at No Cost to Families 

With Tutor.com through Schoology, FCPS students are able to get learning help at any time, even from bilingual tutors! Students in FCPS meet with tutors thousands of times each week to practice reading, prepare for an upcoming math test, write computer programs, study for the SAT, or to get feedback on scholarship essays–all at no cost to their families! If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take just a few minutes to connect with a tutor with your child. More info about Tutor.com in FCPS is available here.

8100 Wolftrap Road Vienna, VA 22182 | Phone: 703-846-8800

Attendance: 703-846-8888 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

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

A message from Principal Steven McFarlane

Kilmer Community, 

On Thursday, Dr. Brendan Menuey, Executive Principal for Region 2, visited Kilmer MS and I had the pleasure of walking him through classrooms. I took him to visit a few 7th grade science classes, and we saw our students busy preparing for March Mammal Madness. March Mammal Madness is a yearly tournament hosted by scientists from Arizona State University in which 65 different animals compete in simulated combat competitions to be the ultimate champion. Students research organisms and create trading cards to share with their classmates. Students will use their trading cards to select their choice of ultimate champion next week.  We encourage families to join the fun and play along too. If you’d like more information, reach out to your child’s science teacher. 

On Monday, March 13, Kilmer Middle School parents/guardians will be contacted through email with a link to the FCPS Principal Evaluation Parent/Guardian Feedback Form Online. This questionnaire is part of the Performance Evaluation Program and offers parents/guardians an opportunity to provide anonymous input about various topics related to our school. These topics include instructional leadership, school climate, management (human resources and organizational), communication and community relations, culturally responsive and equitable leadership, and professionalism. The questionnaire will be collected online between March 13 and March 24. When you receive an email from FCPS Surveys, please take a few minutes to complete the questionnaire. Thank you in advance. 

Lastly, another huge thank you to the PTA for providing coffee and a continental breakfast for the staff this morning! Have a great weekend, and as always, reach out if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Steven McFarlane

Principal

Pictures of the Week

Mr. Sapp led our Choir Groups in a fantastic demonstration of singing in the Pre-assessment concert the other day in preparation for the annual Assessment concert.

Ms. Fogel led our Orchestra ensembles in beautiful performances in the Pre-assessment concert in preparation for the annual Assessment concert.

College Partnership Program

Kilmer will be hosting a parent coffee with a presentation on the College Partnership Program next Thursday, March 9th from 5:00-6:00 PM. The College Partnership Program (CPP) is designed to support students who are from populations that are traditionally underrepresented in college and the first in their family to attend college in the US. If you are planning to attend, please RSVP using this link. Please reach out to Jessica Rosas-Diego, [email protected] if you have any questions.

Spirit Week - March 13-17

Finance Park

Dear Parents – we need your help!  After a brief unit on financial literacy taught in Civics classes in the coming weeks, all 8th grade students will embark on a field trip to Finance Park in mid-March to put what they've learned to good use. We are critically in need of parent and guardian support to make this trip a success, and we would really appreciate it if you could join us! Parents who have accompanied us in the past have given very high reviews to the experience and some have even come back in subsequent years to join us again. Please visit https://www.myja.org/parents/fairfax for more details. Thanks in advance for your help!

SOL Testing Update

SOL Testing will occur on the following dates:

• Reading 7 & 8 SOLs: Monday, 5/15
• Math 7, Math 8, Algebra, Geometry & Algebra 2 SOLs: Thursday, 5/18
• Science 8 SOL: Tuesday, 5/23

Makeup testing will be held several times throughout the testing window. If you have not done so already, please fill out the SOL retake form linked below and return it to the school testing coordinator, Marileigh Blake, by Monday, May 1st, 2023

SOL Retake Form:

English   Arabic   Chinese   Korean   Spanish   Urdu   Vietnamese

 

If you have any questions, please contact Marileigh Blake at [email protected] or 703-846-8885.

Support Kilmer Drama!

Spring SEL Screener

Students will take the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener on Thursday, March 9 during 4th period Advisory classes. The SEL screener is administered twice during the school year. Opt out forms submitted at the beginning of the school year apply to both the fall and spring screener.  Please email your student’s counselor or Erin Kestler [email protected] if you have questions about the screener or opt-out. For more information about the screener visit: FCPS SEL Screener

Spring Photos

Victor O’Neill Photography Studios will be at Kilmer on Monday, March 13 and Tuesday, March 14 to take spring photos for all interested students. A sign up sheet will be sent out next week for interested students to sign up to get their photo taken.

Afterschool Activities News/Updates

Each week Ms. Kardelis will post a detailed overview of our After School Program to our website. Please visit Kilmer’s website at https://kilmerms.fcps.edu/afterschool_newsletter to find the weekly After School newsletter.

References & Reminders

Marshall & Madison HS Rising 9th Grade Activities Fairs - Field Trip

8th Grade Students attending Marshall & Madison will receive a permission form in SCIENCE between Feb. 21st-24th to attend an Activities Fair on Friday, March 24th. Participants will receive information about athletics, fine arts, and extracurricular opportunities available to them next year. 

Students on the Marshall trip will have lunch at Marshall ($3.50 cash) & those on the Madison trip will eat when they return to Kilmer. 

Completed forms with Student and Guardian/Parent signatures should be turned in through SCIENCE - the deadline is March 3rd. 

If a student loses their pre-printed permission form, they may print another from Schoology > All Students Course > Materials > Rising 9th Grade Activities Fair.

It is very important that field trip participants arrive at school on time on March 24th for transportation groupings and departures.

Course Registration Timeline for the 2023-2024 School Year

All students will participate in an academic advising session with their school counselor to finalize their course selections for the 2023-2024 school year. Course requests will be entered in SIS StudentVue. Students are encouraged to speak with their teachers and school counselors about recommendations for the next school year in order to select courses that reflect their academic strengths, abilities, and interests. Academic advising will be complete by Friday, March 17.

• Seventh Grade Course Registration Resources: Seventh grade students can view the Eighth Grade Course Catalog and course videos created by Kilmer teachers at the following link: Curriculum and Elective Resources for the 23-24 School Year . 

• Eighth Grade Course Registration Resources: 

Marshall HS IB Information Night Presentation 

Marshall HS Course Registration Resources

Madison High School Course Registration Resources

Tutor.com - Extra Help for Students at No Cost to Families 

With Tutor.com through Schoology, FCPS students are able to get learning help at any time, even from bilingual tutors! Students in FCPS meet with tutors thousands of times each week to practice reading, prepare for an upcoming math test, write computer programs, study for the SAT, or to get feedback on scholarship essays–all at no cost to their families! If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take just a few minutes to connect with a tutor with your child. More info about Tutor.com in FCPS is available here.

8100 Wolftrap Road Vienna, VA 22182 | Phone: 703-846-8800

Attendance: 703-846-8888 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

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

A message from Principal Steven McFarlane

Kilmer Community, 

We’re excited for our 8th graders to have the chance to visit Marshall and Madison on Friday, March 24. This is a great opportunity for students to get a taste of what lies ahead. This week permission slips were sent home with your student. All 8th grade families please sign the permission slip and have your child return the form to their science teacher. 

Also, our 8th graders will be taking a field trip to Finance Park after a unit on financial literacy through their civics class. We are still looking for volunteers to chaperone. Please reach out to Rob Paine (civics teacher) with any questions, For more details, and to sign up, visit: https://www.myja.org/parents/fairfax.

We have a few opportunities to grab take-out and support Kilmer coming up. Consider visiting Foster’s Grille this Sunday, February 26, between 11am-9pm. 20 percent of the all proceeds will go to Kilmer. Additionally, Kilmer’s drama department is having a fundraiser at the Taco Bamba in Vienna on Monday, March 6. Again, 20 percent of sales will go to the drama department. Both opportunities are an easy (and tasty!) way to support Kilmer. 

Lastly, we’ve noticed the kiss-and-ride line extending past 7:30 am over the last week. Please work with your student to ensure they are getting to school early enough so that they can arrive at their first period on time.  

Have a great weekend, and as always, reach out if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Steven McFarlane

Principal

Pictures of the Week

French I students in Ms. Farrace’s class had the opportunity to connect with students at Mamadou NDACK SECK (Thiès) in Sénégal, West Africa via Zoom. Students spent time asking and answering questions about their respective countries and cultures in both French & English. It was great to learn about another culture and share information about the many cultures we have here at Kilmer.

Finance Park

Dear Parents – we need your help!  After a brief unit on financial literacy taught in Civics classes in the coming weeks, all 8th grade students will embark on a field trip to Finance Park in mid-March to put what they've learned to good use. We are critically in need of parent and guardian support to make this trip a success, and we would really appreciate it if you could join us! Parents who have accompanied us in the past have given very high reviews to the experience and some have even come back in subsequent years to join us again. Please visit https://www.myja.org/parents/fairfax for more details. Thanks in advance for your help!

SOL Testing Update

SOL Testing will occur on the following dates:

• Reading 7 & 8 SOLs: Monday, 5/15
• Math 7, Math 8, Algebra, Geometry & Algebra 2 SOLs: Thursday, 5/18
• Science 8 SOL: Tuesday, 5/23

Makeup testing will be held several times throughout the testing window. If you have not done so already, please fill out the SOL retake form linked below and return it to the school testing coordinator, Marileigh Blake, by Monday, May 1st, 2023

SOL Retake Form:

English   Arabic   Chinese   Korean   Spanish   Urdu   Vietnamese

If you have any questions, please contact Marileigh Blake at [email protected] or 703-846-8885.

Dining For Dollars

Our next Dining for Dollars will be all day from noon until 9:00pm on Sunday, February 26th in downtown Vienna at both Foster's Grille (138-A Maple Avenue, W) and next door at Ben & Jerry's (136-C Maple Avenue, W). Be sure to drop your receipts in the Kilmer Middle School Dining for Dollars bucket on the bar so that the school gets a percentage of your purchases.  

Support Kilmer Middle School and stop by Foster's Grille for lunch or dinner and then walk next door and have dessert at Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream. Foster's will even let you reserve tables for a team party on that day.

Support Kilmer Drama!

Spring SEL Screener

Students will take the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener on Thursday, March 9 during 4th period Advisory classes. The SEL screener is administered twice during the school year. Opt out forms submitted at the beginning of the school year apply to both the fall and spring screener.  Please email your student’s counselor or Erin Kestler [email protected] if you have questions about the screener or opt-out. For more information about the screener visit: FCPS SEL Screener

Spring Photos

Victor O’Neill Photography Studios will be at Kilmer on Monday, March 13 and Tuesday, March 14 to take spring photos for all interested students. A sign up sheet will be sent out next week for interested students to sign up to get their photo taken.

Afterschool Activities News/Updates

Each week Ms. Kardelis will post a detailed overview of our After School Program to our website. Please visit Kilmer’s website at https://kilmerms.fcps.edu/afterschool_newsletter to find the weekly After School newsletter.

References & Reminders

Marshall & Madison HS Rising 9th Grade Activities Fairs - Field Trip

8th Grade Students attending Marshall & Madison will receive a permission form in SCIENCE between Feb. 21st-24th to attend an Activities Fair on Friday, March 24th. Participants will receive information about athletics, fine arts, and extracurricular opportunities available to them next year. 

Students on the Marshall trip will have lunch at Marshall ($3.50 cash) & those on the Madison trip will eat when they return to Kilmer. 

Completed forms with Student and Guardian/Parent signatures should be turned in through SCIENCE - the deadline is March 3rd. 

If a student loses their pre-printed permission form, they may print another from Schoology > All Students Course > Materials > Rising 9th Grade Activities Fair.

It is very important that field trip participants arrive at school on time on March 24th for transportation groupings and departures.

Course Registration Timeline for the 2023-2024 School Year

• Seventh Grade Students: Seventh grade students participated in a course registration lesson during Science class during the week of Feb 13 - 17. Students can begin the registration process by viewing the Eighth Grade Course Catalog and course videos created by Kilmer teachers at the following link: Curriculum and Elective Resources for the 23-24 School Year . Students are encouraged to speak with their seventh grade teachers and school counselors about recommendations for eighth grade in order to select courses that reflect their academic strengths, abilities, and interests.

During the months of February and March, all students will participate in an academic advising session with their school counselor to finalize their course selections for the 2023-2024 school year. All course selections will be entered in SIS StudentVue.

• Eighth Grade Students: During the months of February and March, all students will participate in an academic advising session with their school counselor to finalize their course selections for the 2023-2024 school year. All course selections will be entered in SIS StudentVue.

Marshall HS IB Information Night Presentation 

Marshall HS Course Registration Resources

Madison High School Course Registration Resources

Tutor.com - Extra Help for Students at No Cost to Families 

With Tutor.com through Schoology, FCPS students are able to get learning help at any time, even from bilingual tutors! Students in FCPS meet with tutors thousands of times each week to practice reading, prepare for an upcoming math test, write computer programs, study for the SAT, or to get feedback on scholarship essays–all at no cost to their families! If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take just a few minutes to connect with a tutor with your child. More info about Tutor.com in FCPS is available here.

8100 Wolftrap Road Vienna, VA 22182 | Phone: 703-846-8800

Attendance: 703-846-8888 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

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

A message from Principal Steven McFarlane

Kilmer Community, 

If anyone wants to see middle school in all its glory, then come visit on Valentine’s Day, ha ha. Our building was full of Valentine’s Day cards, candy, flowers, and stuffed animals. But when you strip away the awkwardness of middle school (which is developmentally appropriate) what was fantastic to see is how much our students care for each other, and the adults that teach them. Kilmer’s Student Council Association (SCA) had been selling Candy Grams for the previous two weeks, and those Candy Grams were delivered on Valentine’s Day. In total, we sold close to 2,500 Candy Grams. Sure, the Candy Grams came with a piece of candy, but more importantly were the notes attached to each Candy Gram. I regularly say how important this community is, and this is another example of how that plays out daily at Kilmer. Those simple notes buoyed the spirits of students and staff when they were delivered, and it was a great reminder of the strong relationships that exist in this school.

Also, on that same day the PTA provided a luncheon for the staff. On behalf of everyone here at Kilmer, we are incredibly grateful for the time and effort our parent community invests in Kilmer’s staff and students. Thank you! 

Wednesday was School Resource Officer (SRO) Appreciation Day. We are lucky to have Officer Jason Edminster in the Kilmer community. Everyday he’s outside during all lunches playing soccer or football with the students. He’s regularly in the hallways chatting with kids, and he has built some of the strongest relationships I’ve ever seen between an SRO and staff/students. If you see Officer Edminster consider introducing yourself and saying hi.  

Lastly, a reminder that Monday is Presidents’ Day and there is no school that day. Enjoy the long weekend, and we’ll see everyone on Tuesday. Have a great weekend, and as always, reach out if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Steven McFarlane

Principal

Pictures of the Week

Congrats to our Science Olympiad Team! There are two types of Science Olympiad events: build events and written events. The build events competition took place several weeks ago down in Charlottesville, VA and the written events took place this past Saturday. The written events range in topics from Green Generation, Solar System, Anatomy & Physiology, and Codebusters. Kilmer had a fabulous showing at the Regional Event, and it was announced yesterday that we placed 5th in the region. 25 different students won 19 medals in total! Now it’s on to the state competition on March 25th.

Ms. Kouril’s 7th grade history classes visited the Kilmer library where they analyzed documents related to the United States’s entry into World War I. Students then participated in an evidence-based Philosophical Chairs debate centered around the claim “The US should have entered World War I.” This activity allowed students to step into the role of historian while developing Portrait of a Graduate skills such as collaboration, critical thinking and communication.

Mr. Prevost’s and Ms. Baxley’s Algebra classes recently completed a math performance task related to Crosstown Hoops. Students were challenged to write an inequality showing different combinations of two-point and three-point shots that could lead to a tie or victory against Thoreau. Students then worked in small groups to co-construct a chart capturing these point combinations. They then turned the information into a graph and found the slope-intercept form of the inequality. This math-rich task required students to use Portrait of a Graduate skills related to the communicator, critical thinker, collaborator, and goal directed and resilient individual attributes.

Students taking advantage of practice time during Learning Seminar.

Dining For Dollars

Our next Dining for Dollars will be all day from noon until 9:00pm on Sunday, February 26th in downtown Vienna at both Foster's Grille (138-A Maple Avenue, W) and next door at Ben & Jerry's (136-C Maple Avenue, W). Be sure to drop your receipts in the Kilmer Middle School Dining for Dollars bucket on the bar so that the school gets a percentage of your purchases.  

Support Kilmer Middle School and stop by Foster's Grille for lunch or dinner and then walk next door and have dessert at Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream. Foster's will even let you reserve tables for a team party on that day.

Congratulations Kilmer Chorus

Seven Kilmer students were selected to the 2023 All-Virginia Middle School Honor Choir! A huge congratulations to:

• Vivinna Christopher Anand
• Alejandra Castro
• Nikki Madani
• Caroline Hanke
• Anoushka Sharma
• Shriram Navale
• Alaia Cross

Marshall & Madison HS Rising 9th Grade Activities Fairs - Field Trip

8th Grade Students attending Marshall & Madison will receive a permission form in SCIENCE between Feb.21st-24th to attend an Activities Fair on Friday, March 24th. Participants will receive information about athletics, fine arts, and extracurricular opportunities available to them next year. 

Students on the Marshall trip will have lunch at Marshall ($3.50 cash) & those on the Madison trip will eat when they return to Kilmer. 

Completed forms with Student and Guardian/Parent signatures should be turned in through SCIENCE - the deadline is March 3rd. 

If a student loses their pre-printed permission form, they may print another from Schoology > All Students Course > Materials > Rising 9th Grade Activities Fair.

It is very important that field trip participants arrive at school on time on March 24th for transportation groupings and departures.

Spring SEL Screener

Students will take the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener on Thursday, March 9 during 4th period Advisory classes. The SEL screener is administered twice during the school year. Opt out forms submitted at the beginning of the school year apply to both the fall and spring screener.  Please email your student’s counselor or Erin Kestler [email protected] if you have questions about the screener or opt-out. For more information about the screener visit: FCPS SEL Screener

National Junior Honor Society

NJHS candidates will have a mandatory meeting during First Block (After School Program) on February 23 to continue Stage 3: Action. Service projects are expected to be completed by March 16. All meeting materials, the NJHS digital notebook, and other supports are located in the NJHS Schoology Course.  Kilmer’s NJHS expects a high level of commitment from candidates. Developing a service learning project relevant to candidate interests, establishing relationships with service organizations, providing direct or indirect service, staying current with NJHS assignments, and maintaining the five pillars of NJHS are just some of their responsibilities. With well-thought out plans, candidates will see their actions having verifiable, positive outcomes. Thank you to our NJHS candidates - you are already making a difference!

Save the date: NJHS Service Learning Gallery Walk and Induction Ceremony April 27, 2023

Into the Woods Jr.

Save the date for Kilmer’s presentation of Into the Woods Jr.

Course Registration Timeline for the 2023-2024 School Year

• Seventh Grade Students: Seventh grade students will participate in a course registration lesson during Science class during the week of Feb 13 - 17. Students can begin the registration process by viewing the Eighth Grade Course Catalog and course videos created by Kilmer teachers at the following link: Curriculum and Elective Resources for the 23-24 School Year . Students are encouraged to speak with their seventh grade teachers and school counselors about recommendations for eighth grade in order to select courses that reflect their academic strengths, abilities, and interests.

During the months of February and March, all students will participate in an academic advising session with their school counselor to finalize their course selections for the 2023-2024 school year. All course selections will be entered in SIS StudentVue.

• Eighth Grade Students: During the months of February and March, all students will participate in an academic advising session with their school counselor to finalize their course selections for the 2023-2024 school year. All course selections will be entered in SIS StudentVue.

Marshall HS IB Information Night Presentation 

Marshall HS Course Registration Resources

Madison High School Course Registration Resources

Afterschool Activities News/Updates

Each week Ms. Kardelis will post a detailed overview of our After School Program to our website. Please visit Kilmer’s website at https://kilmerms.fcps.edu/afterschool_newsletter to find the weekly After School newsletter.

References & Reminders

WIDA Testing

Starting February 13th, ELL students will take the WIDA Access ELP Assessment. Students will receive information about their testing date and location in their fcpsschools.net email account. Most students will be tested on the following dates:

• Monday, 2/13: 8th grade Listening
• Tuesday, 2/14: 7th grade Listening
• Thursday, 2/16: 8th grade Reading
• Friday, 2/17: 7th grade Reading
• Wednesday, 2/22: 8th grade Writing
• Thursday, 2/23: 7th grade Writing
• Monday 2/27, Tuesday 2/28, or Wednesday 3/1: Speaking for all grade levels

Some students will be tested on different dates than those listed above. Makeup testing will be offered several times throughout the testing window. Testing notifications were sent home for students who are taking the WIDA Access at the end of January. If you have questions please contact the School Testing Coordinator, Marileigh Blake at [email protected] or 703-846-8885.

Individualized Education Programs (IEP) and IEP Progress Reports in ParentVue

Parents are now able to view their students’ individualized education program (IEP) and IEP Progress Report in the Student Information System (SIS) ParentVue web app. To set up your ParentVue account, visit the SIS ParentVue information page. Please use a strong, unique password to protect your child’s information. IEP documents are not delivered via the SIS ParentVue mobile phone app. Once logged into SIS ParentVue, click on the “IEP Documents” tab to view your child’s current IEP and the most recent IEP Progress Report.

Tutor.com - Extra Help for Students at No Cost to Families 

With Tutor.com through Schoology, FCPS students are able to get learning help at any time, even from bilingual tutors! Students in FCPS meet with tutors thousands of times each week to practice reading, prepare for an upcoming math test, write computer programs, study for the SAT, or to get feedback on scholarship essays–all at no cost to their families! If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take just a few minutes to connect with a tutor with your child. More info about Tutor.com in FCPS is available here.

8100 Wolftrap Road Vienna, VA 22182 | Phone: 703-846-8800

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