Administration Updates
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Our first PTA meeting and Principals Coffee will be Friday, September 27th. We look forward to seeing everyone there! The Principals Coffee is an informal meeting whereby we can meet on any issue that you feel is relevant to you and your family. It is at 8 a.m. in the Staff Lounge. At 8:40 a.m., we will shift to the cafeteria for the PTA meeting. Please do join the PTA and also support One and Done! Our school benefits significantly from the support of our families through the PTA. There is a class contest to get the most participation in the One and Done! Thanks for ALL of your support!
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) conducted for the first time a division-wide Family Engagement Survey in the Spring of 2019 to all families with students in grades K-12. The survey asked families to provide their feedback on their engagement at their child’s school in six core areas: welcoming environment, communication, student success, advocacy, family and school partnership, and collaboration with the community. The survey data was shared at the end of the school year. Here is a summary of the results with highest ranking indicators first:
- 99% Kent Gardens welcomes families of different backgrounds and cultures.
- 99% Parents report that their child(ren) feel safe at school.
- 98% Parents feel welcome at Kent Gardens.
- 95% Parents feel that school leaders inspire families to be active participants in the school community.
- 91% Parents report that there are opportunities to volunteer at Kent Gardens.
Our areas for growth and we will continue to dialogue with families next year on how to improve in our lower ranking indicators including:
- 74% of parents report that the school staff works with them to identify social and emotional skills that can help their child(ren) be successful.
- 76% of parents report that the school remits enough information about how they can help their child improve his/her learning.
- 81% of parents report that the school provides information about how their child can access and take advantage of educational, developmental, and social opportunities.
- 83% of parents report that events are held at times that they are available.
The full survey results for FCPS are available here. We will post Kent Gardens’ results once they are available online. We are working to provide additional information and opportunities to families around social/emotional skills and supporting your child’s learning.
To support the goal of posting information to help your child learn, we have shared the K-6 Year at a Glance documents for your review below. These documents provide a high level understanding of topics across math, language arts, science and social studies that will be taught. The links provide easy access.
Kindergarten Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6
We look forward to a great year and will continue share important information that is relevant to our families in this format. See you at the PTA meeting and coffee!
Warmly,
Holly McGuigan Pier McGrath Tia Hawkins
Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal
Attendance, Arrival and Dismissal (Bus) Reminders:
Submit all absences, late arrivals, early dismissal requests, and transportation/dismissal changes online! Click here for easy access The office and the teachers will receive the notification automatically.
For any other office-related questions, please email the office here.
Arrival: We love seeing everyone excited to come to school each morning! A few friendly reminders to parents:
- Please do not leave your student unsupervised prior to 8:25 a.m. in front of the school. We have no staff member outside to watch students and other parents are not obligated to supervise other students.
- Once the tardy bell rings at 8:50 a.m., any student not in the classroom is considered late and will have to check-in in the office. We are tracking tardies as late arrivals impact instruction!
- Parents may want walk to your child to class, but the students should be ready to walk independently at this point. A hug, kiss and a good bye are in order!
Dismissal (Bus) Reminders:
- We will begin accepting bus passes beginning October 1, 2019. Note that bus seats are limited. As a rule of thumb, one rider may be a guest (no parties – other transportation will have to be arranged). Beginning in October, families may use the Transportation Change form on the link.
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Expect updates regarding buses this week. Transportation is working on a revised schedule to ease the number of riders and timeliness. Stay tuned!
Testing and Advanced Academic Updates:
Cognitive Ability Test (CogAt) Test All second grade students, and those new to FCPS in grades 3-6, will be given the Cog At test during the week of September 30 – October 4. Please plan your appointments accordingly. A letter will be remitted via your Friday folder with the specifics. You will be contacted by the school if your child will be assessed. Note that FCPS allows for a one-time retake of an abilities test (CogAt or NNAT). If you would like to request a one-time only FCPS administered retake of the CogAt or NNAT test, contact Tia Hawkins at tnhawkins@fcps.edu.
Advanced Academic Program (AAP) Information Night On Thursday, September 24, 2019 from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. we will hold a general information meeting regarding AAP services. This evening is open to all parents to learn more about the AAP Levels of Service. A second meeting will be held on December 5th for families who desire to better understand the referral process. The meeting is open to all parents interested in writing a referral and clarifying the process. If you have questions, please reach out to Stephanie Will at sdwill@fcps.edu.
New to FCPS AAP Referrals: Due October 10, 2019. Families new to FCPS as of January, 2019 have the option to refer their children for Level IV services. As an option, families new to the school may also refer their children by the January 9, 2020 deadline. The following link has more information: Advanced Academic Program Website.
News and Notes:
Picture Day is Wednesday, October 2! Order envelopes will be coming home soon, or you can order online before picture day.. The code for Kent Gardens to order and pay online is: FM330667 If you need additional information, please contact Tia Hawkins at tnhawkins@fcps.edu.
Positivity Project has begun! We will share the focus for the week so that you may discuss your child and partner with us in the process. If you are new to Kent Gardens and the positivity project you may find information here. Our focus for this week, 9/16 – 9/20 is curiosity. If you are curious, you like exploration and discovery. You ask lots of questions because you want to learn more about anything and everything! Having curiosity is an asset!
Wednesday Morning Chorus Early Start 8:15! We will begin chorus at 8:15 a.m. on Wednesday September 18th. If parents are able to drop off your child by 8:10 a.m., please do so! We will see how the early start time works for all. Those who are unable to coordinate and must ride the bus, there will be no penalty for those students arriving via their regular route.
Family Life Education FCPS Website More information to follow soon!
Health,Wellness and Other Resources
Mental Health and Wellness Conference, Tools for Fostering Success at Home, in School, and Throughout Life to be held October 5, 2019, at Fairfax High School from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Please join us for FCPS' 6th Annual Mental Health and Wellness Conference! We are proud to partner with Inova and Kaiser Permanente on this year’s conference. The morning will focus on social and emotional learning, with a keynote address given by Dr. Marc Brackett, founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. A special session for high school students, the Our Minds Matter Teen Summit, will take place in the morning as well. Attendees are encouraged to stay for Inova’s Act on Addiction Summit, which will be held from 12:30 to 4 p.m. Lunch will also be provided, courtesy of Inova. For more information and registration visit the conference website.
Moving on to Life in the Community: A Resource Fair for Students with Disabilities to be held October 15, 2019, at Lake Braddock Secondary School from 6:30 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. Don’t miss this FREE Resource Fair for students with disabilities and their parents! Learn about vocational, residential, leisure, recreational, independent living, and advocacy options. This resource fair is for all individuals requiring ongoing employment and community support services after graduation. Register here for the event.
Real Assistive Technology for Everyone Conference to be held October 19, 2019, at Rachel Carson Middle School from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fairfax County Public Schools will host the 2019 Real Assistive Technology for Everyone (RATE) Conference, an educational technology conference focusing on the use of assistive technology to support all students, especially those with special needs. This year's keynote speaker is Fadel, an FCPS Post-Secondary student. Breakout sessions will focus on blended learning and FCPSOn supports, reading and writing strategies, assistive technology in the early childhood classroom, communication tools, Google Apps for Education, as well as other topics. All FCPS staff and parents are invited to attend. For more information and registration visit the conference website.
Dyslexia Open House to be held on October 24, 2019, at the Parent Resource Center from 10 a.m. to noon. Browse exhibit tables and learn about next steps for FCPS students with dyslexia. Exhibitors include: Decoding Dyslexia of Virginia, FCPS Office of Special Education Instruction, FCPS Assistive Technology Services, and FCPS School Psychology Services. Register here for the event.
Dates to Note:
Thursday, September 19 – Second Practice Lockdown 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday, September 24 – Practice Bus Drill Evacuation in the morning upon arrival
Tuesday, September 24 – Advanced Academic Information Night 6 pm.
Tuesday, September 24/25 - Support KG PTA! Ledo's Pizza - mention KG!
Friday, September 27 – Principals Coffee 8 a.m. and PTA meeting 8:45 a.m.
Friday, September 27 - #kgpride assembly
Tuesday, October 2 – Picture Day!
Tuesday, October 2 – International Bike/Walk to School Day!
New Information – Teacher Celebrations to Note!
September 15 – Bethany Walker’s Birthday
September 18 – Marie Hinton’s Birthday
September 22 – Eva Townsend’s Birthday
September 27 – Anita Su’s Birthday
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