Upcoming Dates
Parent Coffee - Farewell to Mrs. Pier McGrath - December 17th 8:15 - 8:45 a.m. Join here to wish her farewell!
Spirit Week - December 14 - 18 - Come join in the fun!
Holiday Break - December 21st - January 1st.
Rising 7th Grade Longfellow Curriculum Night - January 14th - 6-8 PM
Martin Luther King Jr. Day - January 18th - No school for students
Inauguration Day - January 20th - No school for students
Rising 7th Grade Longfellow Virtual Family Registration Night - January 21st 6-7 PM
End of Quarter - January 22nd - Early Release (2 hours early)
Note from Administration
Dear Parents,
During last week’s School Board meeting, Superintendent Brabrand proposed a Return to School Plan that outlines various groups returning in January and February. While Kent Gardens’ staff is excited about the potential return to the school building for some of our students, we have a great amount of preparation to ensure a safe return. The Return to School Plan does include an adjustment to our current bell schedule to 9:10 – 3:55 p.m. which will take place with the return of Group 5 (kindergarten). All students including both virtual and in person will transition to maintain schedule alignment for concurrent instruction. The returning groups would potentially return on the following dates. These dates are rolling based on the three CDC School metrics found here.
Group 5 Kindergarten Proposed Return Date January 12
Group 6 Grades 1 & 2 Proposed Return Date January 19
Group 7 Grades 3 & 4 only Proposed Return Date January 26
Group 7 Grades 5 & 6 only Proposed Return Date February 2
As we transition back to school, we will also adjust the master calendar which will affect some of the lunch times. Students in the building will need to eat at various times to ensure support and put forward safe practices. We understand that this will affect virtual students at home.
To minimize exposure and Covid-19 transmission you will need to make an appointment to enter the school building, and the office staff will not be available to arrange last minute early pick-ups. We will also establish a ‘QR code’ for outside entries into the building. After considering this new information, if you have chosen the in-person option for your child and you wish to remain 100% virtual when we are permitted to return to the building please contact Ms. Sonia Shi, xshi@fcps.edu, and Ms. Iveliz Charles, icharles@fcps.edu .
As we get closer to the Groups 5 – 7 Return to School, your child’s teacher will communicate dates to you that will be changed from synchronous to asynchronous so staff members can plan and prepare for the children, who have selected to return to the school building.
You may be wondering how FCPS determined it was safe to return to school with the current Covid-19 positivity rate hovering around 10% in Fairfax County. Safety teams comprised of current and retired employees are conducting random safety audits at each school to ensure that the CDC’s five mitigation strategies are being adhered to. You can find out more about these mitigation strategies here. These mitigation strategies are in place to reduce the spread of Covid-19 in schools and are considered a third metric in addition to the current % positivity rate and the number of new cases per 100,000 people in Fairfax County. You will continue to receive additional information as we get closer to the individual grade level return dates. The next school board meeting is January 5 and more information will be forthcoming after that meeting.
As we approach the holiday break, the teachers and staff are excited to participate in spirit week! Tomorrow, we will start with decorate your door – any door will do! Please help your child participate and we will share daily! Send your pictures to Gardenskent1717@gmail.com. Below, we have shared the other days of the week in order for you to support your child and participate in the fun.
This past week, we celebrated Inclusive Week at school and many studentss learned about various cultures. We continue to be thankful for your support and are looking forward to ending this week strong and with holiday spirit! We wish all of our families Happy Hanukkah and Happy Holidays and hope all will enjoy the upcoming winter break! Hopeful for a bit of snow as well – stay tuned!
Warmly,
Holly McGuigan, Principal
Spirit Week - December 14th - 18th
Plan ahead and enjoy participating in the upcoming Spirit Week! Teachers will be participating as well!! We will recognize the Door Decoration contestant winners! The Staff Sing Along will take place in the morning news show. Please do participate and remit pictures to Gardenskent1717@gmaill.com. We look forward to a great week!
Positivity Project: Self-Control
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This week, we are focusing on Self-Control. You have the ability to control your emotions and behaviors. You think before you act.
“By constant self-discipline and self-control, you can develop greatness of character.”
~Grenville Kleise
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Questions you might enjoy talking about:
- Do you consider yourself to be a person who has self-control? What things do you do that indicate this?
- Why is self-regulation important?
- What happens when your emotions take over? How can you work on developing greater self-control?
French Seal of Excellence Awards ~ French Immersion Program
Kent Gardens Elementary has been awarded the Label FrancEducation delivered by the French Ministries of Education and Foreign Affairs. This seal of excellence is valid for three years and recognizes the quality of the French immersion program at our institution. It provides a dual guarantee for families: first, the assurance of high quality French bilingual teaching, and secondly that of belonging to a national and global network, with over 456 Label FrancEducation programs across 60 countries.
School Monitors and Substitutes Needed at Kent Gardens
We will not be able to use volunteers in the school building, but we are looking to hire school monitors to support teachers and students during the school week on Tuesday through Friday once students return. Please email Holly McGuigan if you are thinking about these opportunities and we can discuss more details.
New employment opportunity in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS)!
FCPS schools and centers will be hiring classroom monitors to provide in-person classroom assistance for students when a staff member remains virtual. If you would like more information about the position, please review the job description and qualifications online and apply if interested. Please feel free to share information about this opportunity with anyone else you think may be interested.
FCPS is seeking individuals to serve as substitute teachers!
Are you or somebody you know interested in substitute teaching with FCPS? Apply here or attend one of our Friday information sessions to learn more! To sign up for a session visit our substitute information page here. Say Yes 2 FCPS!
Support Share of McLean this Holiday Season!
The holiday season is a time of thankfulness, celebration, and love. Sadly, there are many hungry local families, children, and seniors in need. This year, the need is even greater than usual.
Please consider supporting SHARE of McLean this holiday season. Share, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation providing emergency assistance since 1969 in McLean and nearby areas of Northern Virginia. SHARE is collecting Target and Walmart gift cards to distribute to clients. (Suggested donation amount is $25, but all donations are appreciated.)
To participate, visit the SHARE Wish Tree in the McLean Giant. Families can purchase Target gift cards and turn them in to customer service. You can also drop gift cards off to the box in the Kent Gardens front office through December 18, 2020.
To learn more about SHARE and other ways in which you can help, visit their website. Thank you so much for your support in helping our neighbors in need. We truly are #strongertogether.
Longfellow Transition - Rising 7th Grade
Virtual Curriculum Night- January 14 from 6:00pm-8:00pm
Please join us for our Virtual Rising 7th Grade Curriculum Night on Thursday, January 14 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. During this evening you will learn about middle courses, student life, the after school program, and the registration process. *Early sessions for Special Education and ESOL Information will take place at 5:30pm.
Virtual Family Registration Night- January 21 from 6:00pm-7:00pm
Please bring your students and join us for Family Registration Night on Thursday, January 21 from 6:00pm to 7:00pm. Longfellow counselors will review how to sign up for classes, walk you through the process, and be available to answer questions.
Links to these events will be sent out in advance. We will also post a recording on our Longfellow homepage, if you are unable to attend. If you have any questions, please contact Marissa Brooks, Director of Student Services, at MLBrooks@fcps.edu
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