 Students directing percussion players in band. They are very talented.
From the Principal's Desk:
Dear Kilmer Families,
This was a wonderful first week at Kilmer! I enjoyed meeting the staff, students, and parents. Everyone has been very welcoming.
I appreciated meeting parents at the Meet and Greet on Thursday. Thank you to the PTA for hosting this event. During the Meet and Greet, I shared my beliefs that strong trusting relationships are the foundation of the work we do, collaboration is essential to foster a positive school culture, and developing the Portrait of a Graduate Attributes prepares students for the future.
There will be another Meet and Greet on Wednesday, March 18 from 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM. Following the Meet and Greet we will be hosting the Marshall Pyramid “Digital World: Bridging Technology from Home to School” event.
As I continue to learn more and more about Kilmer, I look forward to hearing from you about what makes Kilmer such a special school and what vision you have for its future. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with questions or thoughts to share. I can be reached by email (ahmiller1@fcps.edu) or by calling the main office at 703-846-8800.
Sincerely,
Amy Miller
Principal
8th grade Writing SOL Tests
Eighth grade students will be taking the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) Grade 8 Writing Test between March 2 and March 18, 2020. It is important that your child attend school on these days. If possible, please avoid scheduling trips or appointments that would take your child out of school during this time period. If you become aware of an unavoidable conflict that could result in your child missing a testing day, please notify the school as soon as possible.
In order to minimize the impact of the Writing SOL on classes, we will be running a modified schedule on Thursday, March 5 and Friday, March 6. On these dates, periods 1 and 2 will be flipped with periods 7 and 8. The order of the periods will be 7, 8, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2. Lunch schedules will not change. You can find a copy of the modified bell schedule on the Kilmer website (https://kilmerms.fcps.edu/resources/testing).
The writing test has two components: multiple choice response and a short paper response. In order to obtain a score, your child must complete both components.
Please refer to the table to determine the specific dates that your child will be testing.
VDOE and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) have an electronic device policy which is to be followed during all SOL testing. To maintain test security, the possession of cell phones or other electronic devices (including wearable technology) in the testing room is prohibited. If a student is discovered with a prohibited electronic device while in a test environment, the student’s test will be stopped, the electronic device will be confiscated, and the student will be removed from the test environment. School administrators, consistent with the Acceptable Use Policy and Student Rights & Responsibilities, have authority to search the “item of personal belonging” (e.g., the cell phone or other device, including wearable technology) if it is believed to contain evidence of a violation of school regulations (in this case, cheating). School administrators have the right to apply school-based consequences based upon their investigation of the situation. Please talk to your student about the electronic device policy and the serious consequences of violating it.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Emily Pyatt-Openshaw, School Test Coordinator (egpyattopens@fcps.edu).
Digital World: Bridging Technology from Home to School
Join us on March 18 from 6:15PM - 8:15 PM, at Kilmer Middle School for Marshal Pyramid's Supporting Our Students in a Digital World: Bridging Technology from Home to School. The night will begin with a keynote speaker, two learning sessions, and a student panel. Presentations will cover a variety of topics for all school age ranges, from:
- Cyber security
- Social media
- How students access technology in schools
- How families can support good digital balance at home.
We encourage all families to attend and learn how we can work together to support our students in a growing digital world. Child care will be provided for toilet-trained children ages 5 - 10.
Stay tuned for more information!
Yearbooks
Kilmer 2019-2020 yearbooks are $40 each. There are a limited number of books left so don’t delay; purchase your yearbook today!
Link: https://yearbookforever.com/schools/kilmer_middle_school_buy_yearbook_5675/PSNZ82yEt9FHA3k2g4bQqG0V
Course registration timelines for the 2020-2021 school year
Seventh Grade Academic Advising
February 10 – March 6
Seventh grade students participated in a course registration lesson on Monday, February 10 and Tuesday, February 11. At that time, students will enter their eighth grade courses into StudentVue. Over the next month, school counselors will meet one on one with students to finalize their course selections for eighth grade. During this time, honors recommendations will be shared with each student. Students are encouraged to select courses that reflect their academic strengths and interests. After a student meets with their counselor, parents will be able to view their child’s course selections through their SIS ParentVUE account. Directions for viewing course requests online through ParentVUE are below. If a parent has questions about their child’s course requests, please contact the school counselor. Course requests are a firm commitment. Course request changes will not be accommodated after June 1.
Online Course Requests
Eighth Grade Academic Advising
February 10 – March 6
We hope your child had the opportunity to attend the Marshall or Madison Rising Ninth Grade Orientations. The next steps in the course registration process for ninth grade includes the following: Eighth grade students participated in a course registration lesson on Thursday, February 6 and Friday, February 7. At that time, students entered ninth grade courses into StudentVue. Over the next month, school counselors will meet one on one with students to finalize their course selections for ninth grade. During this time, honors recommendations will be shared with each student. Students are encouraged to select courses that reflect their academic strengths and interests. After a student meets with their counselor, parents will be able to view their child’s course selections through their SIS ParentVUE account. Directions for viewing course requests online through ParentVUE are below. If a parent has questions about their child’s course requests, please contact their middle school counselor until March 30. After March 30, please contact Marshall or Madison High School if you have additional questions about ninth grade courses.
Online Course Requests
Student Absences
Please make sure to notify us of student absences by using the link at https://kilmerms.fcps.edu/attendance, leaving a message at 703 846 8888, or sending in a note if your child will be absent. If your child is ill, please provide details of the illness. Thank you so much for your support.
On behalf of the PTA
If you are going out to dinner, we encourage you to frequent our fundraising partner, Social Burger. When you go to dinner some of the proceeds will go to Kilmer.
Social Burger (Maple Ave / Vienna location)
Tuesday, Feb 25, 2020
4:00-9:00pm
*INCLUDES in-store and online purchases but NOT delivery orders (UbersEats and DoorDash)
Thank you for your support!
Tips to Stay Healthy
From the school clinic, here are some steps on staying healthy:
- Get an annual flu vaccine.
- Wash your hands.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes.
- Stay home when sick.
Please let us know when your child is sick. It is very beneficial when you give us details about your child’s illness so we can track any trends / patterns. There may be students, faculty and staff in our community with immunosuppressed or immunocompromised systems.
Eating Disorder Parent Letter
Eating disorders are behaviors that can lead to serious health problems. These behaviors can begin as a child and affect both girls and boys. Eating disorders are treatable when discovered early. In 2013, Virginia passed a law requiring that every school system provide information to parents annually about eating disorders. This information is given to parents of students in grades five through twelve. Please see this link for the eating disorder parent letter that is full of information about what eating disorders are and tips for recognizing them
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.
NO Independent Study/Computer Lab through 2/19 (Testing)
2/19 – Cricket 2:15-3:30pm (Aux Gym)
2/20 - Futsal 3:30-4:45pm (Gym)
3/12 – Capitol Debate (C104)
4/09 – Capitol Debate (C104)
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.
Questions? Please contact the After School Program Specialist Ms. Kardelis at kckardelis@fcps.edu or 703.846.8820.
Upcoming Dates
Monday, February 17 - Presidents Day, No School
Thursday, February 27 - Band Pre-assessment concert, Marshall HS, 7pm
Tuesday, March 3 - Student holiday/teacher workday
The 2019-20 FCPS School Calendar can be found HERE.
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