 Sheryl Jones and her PAWS class who made mats to help homeless veterans. See below story.
From the Principal's Desk:
Greetings, Kilmer Cougar Families!
Did you see Kilmer is in the News? We are so proud of Ms. Jones and her PAWS class. They decided to do a service project throughout the month of November (remember the request for plastic bags?) and weaved plastic mats for homeless veterans in Washington, DC. They presented the mats to Tucker Jones of the organization, Homeless Hope, who provides warm clothes and other supplies to homeless individuals. Read the Spotlight article posted on the FCPS website here.
Have a wonderful weekend.
A Note from Ms. Jones' PAWS class
Dear Kilmer Community, Thank you for your incredible support for our service project! Your efforts allowed us to collect and repurpose thousands of plastic bags. We used the bags to create waterproof, insulating sleep mats for the homeless in DC. This week we finished the mats and presented them to our community partner, Tucker Jones of Homeless Hope, who will distribute them this weekend. Our class learned so much from this project. We learned to work together to solve problems, to persist through challenges, and to think outside of ourselves to serve our community. We couldn’t have done it without you! Sincerely, Mrs. Jones’ PAWS Class
Absences Add Up! Schedule Family Travel During School Breaks
Fairfax County Public Schools is required to keep track of student participation in school, through attendance reporting to the state of Virginia.
It is vital that parents access the school attendance phone line or attendance e-mail when they know that their students will miss school. Knowing the reason why students are absent helps school personnel understand if a specific reason (such as illness or family hardship) is keeping them out of school.
When parents know that their students must be out for a specific period (four or more days in a row), students should come to the front office to pick up a prearranged absence form. This must be done at least three to five days in advance of the absence. This gives administrators and teachers time to consider the work, tests, and projects the student may need to turn in upon their return to school. Parents should avoid end-of-semester or end-of-course exam periods, state testing periods, etc., when making plans. Please make every effort to arrange travel during school breaks.
Absences add up, and research indicates that missing 10 percent of the school year, for any reason, can have a negative impact on student success. Learn more about FCPS’ attendance expectations.
Inclement Weather
With the winter season approaching, please make sure you are aware of delays, closings, and early releases. FCPS provides information about closing and delays in many ways including:
- posted to FCPS Twitter and Facebook pages
- posted to www.fcps.edu
- email and text messages sent to parents (using the parent contact information listed in weCare@school)
- email sent to News You Choose subscribers of Delayed Openings and School Closings
- posted on FCPS cable Channel 21
- area radio and television stations
Winter Break: Office Closed
The main office will be closed during the winter break from Monday, December 23rd through Friday, January 3rd.
Annual Ha Ha Holiday Show
Kilmer’s Annual Ha Ha Holiday Show will take place on Friday, December 13th at 7:00 pm. This hilarious show is one of the largest Theatre Sports competitions in FCPS. Come support our Theatre Sports team as they work to win a title! Participating schools include Langston Hughes MS, Kilmer MS, Mark Twain MS, Rocky Run MS, Thoreau MS, Lake Braddock Secondary, Frost MS, Hayfield Secondary, and Lanier MS. Tickets are only $5 and will be sold during school lunches from 12/9 - 12/13 and will also be available for purchase at the door.
Kilmer Student Services Advisory Council
We would like to invite you to participate in Kilmer’s Student Services Advisory Council meeting on Thursday, December 19th from 10:50-11:50 AM in the library. During the meeting we will review our school counseling goals, initiatives, and data with stakeholders to ensure that our school counseling program is meeting the needs of the Kilmer community. We value the input and feedback of the Advisory Council to inform our programs and interventions to make decisions regarding changes to content and delivery. Please let us know if you are able to attend by completing the google survey below.
Kilmer Advisory Council RSVP
If you have any questions prior to this meeting, please contact your child’s school counselor and we looking forward to seeing you there!
The Kilmer School Counseling team
Employee Nominations
As community members, you have the opportunity to submit a nomination to recognize our outstanding staff. To submit a nomination for a Kilmer MS Outstanding Employee in one of the categories below, please complete the nomination through this Google form link: https://forms.gle/KaLk85a3XnSiPrX29. You may nominate an employee in one or more categories. All that is required for a preliminary nomination is a paragraph or two about how this employee demonstrates exceptional work in the criteria for that category.
Outstanding Teacher
Eligibility: Has at least three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district); librarians are included in this category
Outstanding New Teacher
Eligibility: Within their first three years of being a teacher (in any school/school district); librarians are included in this category
Outstanding Leader
Eligibility: At least one year of experience in their current position as a Schedule-C or School-Based Administrator scale employee (that is not the building principal):
Common positions in this category: Assistant and Associate Principals, Director of Student Activities, Director of Student Services
Outstanding Professional Employee
Eligibility: At least one year experience in current position as a Schedule-B employee or other non-instructional employee in a school that supports school leadership
Common positions in this category: School-Based Technology Specialist, Technology Support Specialist, Assessment Coach, Career Center Specialist, Instructional Coach, Psychologist, Social Worker, School Counselor, Safety and Security Specialist, Resource Teachers that serve in an administrative role in a school
Outstanding Operational Employee
Eligibility: At least one year of experience in current position as Schedule-A or Classroom Instructional Support Scale employee
Common positions in this category: Administrative and Office Staff, Safety and Security Assistant, Custodial Staff, Food Service Staff, IA, PHA, PHTA, All Parent Liaisons (regardless of how they are paid)
Note: The deadline to submit a nomination is December 9th. If you have any questions, please contact Chris Musgnug at ccmusgnug@fcps.edu.
Kilmer Weekend Food Program
The Kilmer Pantry is being established to send students home with a weekend pack to help them have enough food over the weekend. Many children depend on the meals they receive while in school, then on the weekend, they may not have enough to get by.
The Pantry will provide weekend bags with non-perishable food to students every week starting in December. Distribution will be done in a discreet manner.
To meet our goal of providing weekend meals to children in need, we are currently collecting donations.
- Donate non-perishable foods and bring them to the main office of Kilmer Middle School (see link for suggestions of what could be donated).
- Shop a sample pack on this Amazon Wishlist (updated link) and have the food delivered directly to Kilmer c/o Charlene Horne.
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Donate funds directly to the PTA and we’ll do the shopping for you!
If you want your student to receive a weekend food bag, please contact your child’s counselor.
Thank you for your support
Greetings from After School:
Transportation is available to students staying after school Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, departing at 4:45PM. All students must be picked up promptly and no later than 4:45PM. Late Bus routes are posted in the cafeteria. Please be aware that after school late bus numbers and routes may differ from your child's normal school day bus routes.
There are two blocks after school, 2:15-3:30PM and 3:45-4:45PM. Students do not have to stay for the second block and may walk or be picked up at 3:30pm. Students may not leave and return for afterschool activities; they must stay. Students should bring a snack from home, they may also purchase snack from the vending machine after school or during lunch. Parents/Guardians must complete the required Afterschool Registration Form before their student stays after.
12/17 – No Intramural Sports/Gym Closed for Snow Show set up
Survey for shuttle to Vienna Teen Center/Phoenix Club for registered (Phoenix Club) participants @3:30PM
Kilmer's After-School Program is looking to partner with the Vienna Teen Center’s Club Phoenix. One service that we are looking at potentially offering is a shuttle bus that would transport students from our KMS Afterschool Program to Club Phoenix. Only students with a completed Kilmer MS Afterschool Registration Form and Club Phoenix Registration Form will be able to use this service. Students may participate in Club Phoenix activities until the center closes at 6:30PM Monday-Thursday and 10PM on Fridays. Parents/Guardians are responsible for transportation home from Vienna Teen Center. Please complete the KMS Afterschool to Vienna Teen Center Shuttle Survey so we can gauge Parent/Student interest. Survey results will be used to coordinate a schedule. Vienna Teen Center Questions? Email Natalie Duncan Natalie.Duncan@ViennaVA.gov
Questions? Please contact the After School Program Specialist Ms. Kardelis at kckardelis@fcps.edu or 703.846.8820.
Upcoming Dates
Monday, December 9 - Choir Concert, Marshall HS, 7pm
Wednesday, December 11 - Orchestra Concert, Marshall HS, 7pm
Friday, December 13 - In school winter concert
Friday, December 13 - Haha Holiday Show, Kilmer MS, 7pm
Monday, December 16 - Band Concert, Marshall HS, 7pm
Monday, December 23 - January 3 - Winter Break
Monday, January 6, 2020 - School resumes
The 2019-20 FCPS School Calendar can be found HERE.
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