Dates To Note:
Read Across America Week - See the info below!
Friday, March 5 - 2 Hour Early Release 1:30p.m.
Monday, March 8 - No School - Staff Development Day
March 9 - First and Second Grade Return to School!
March 11 and 12 - Planning Days for Grades 3-6 for Return to School (Asynchronous for Students in grades 3-6)
March 16 - Grades 3 - 6 Return to School!
March 22 - Virtual Kindergarten Orientation (link below) 8:15 a.m.
Note from Administration
Dear Parents,
We were excited to the kindergarteners in the building!! It was simply wonderful to have students back in the building. We had a great first week and look forward to seeing them next week.
We did send out an email to our first and second grade students regarding obtaining a laptop if they do not have an FCPS laptop issued to them. Please come pick up a laptop on Monday, March 1st between 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. An email will be remitted to our 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th graders, who do not have an FCPS laptop. We will have laptop pick up for the 3 - 6 graders who do NOT have an FCPS laptop on Friday, March 5th from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Please heed the calendar updates shown above. We have a 2 hour early release on March 5th and March 8th is a staff development day with no school for students. We are excited to welcome our first and second graders on March 9th.
For those parents who have a child returning, we would like to collect/confirm the mode of transportation. To share your transportation decision now, please click on your grade level link to ensure accurate information First/Second, Third/Fourth, Fifth/Sixth. Right now, changes that are made in the system cannot be uploaded into our Student Information System. We will work with transportation to get the information updated.
We are also collecting lunch information regarding the the Grab and Go lunches that are available for free to all students. Please review the menu here. Complete this form with your interest. Please email Sonia Shi, xshi@fcps.edu with questions.
Below, I have noted a parent questionnaire that will be remitted by our Human Resources department. This survey will give you the opportunity to provide feedback regarding my leadership at this school. Thanks for taking the time as we value your input! Thanks as always for your support.
Warmly,
Holly McGuigan, Principal
Reminders for Return to School In Person
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Tardy: Please make every effort to arrive in school by 8:45 – 8:55 am. Students are tardy if not in the classroom by 9 am. You must park and walk your child to the front door. Please DO NOT drop your child off and leave.
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Early Check Out: Please do not check out your students early if possible. Schedule appointments during virtual learning days. If you must check out your student, submit Early Dismissal Form online in the morning. Teachers and office will be notified automatically and simultaneously. Please do not come to school without online request first. Students will only be released to parents/guardians and authorized emergency contacts. Latest Checkout is 2:45pm.
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All parents with students attending must complete the Health Screening Commitment form before student(s) return to school buildings. This document confirms that a parent, caregiver, or guardian will complete a daily health screening and will keep their students home should they become ill. When you log onto ParentVUE the option to complete the Health Screener should pop up automatically. Reach out our school SIA, Tracy Dean, tadean@fcps.edu to set up a ParentVUE account. Student Information System - SIS Parent Account Overview.
Health and School Attendance
Absence/Late Arrival, Early Dismissal, and Transportation/Dismissal changes: Submit ALL requests online as a preferred method. Teachers and office will be notified automatically and simultaneously. For any other office-related questions, email school office at Attendance@fcps.edu.
Student Illness: Parents/guardians will be required to complete and return the Permission to Return to School/Child Care Form when the student returns. The form will be completed by the health care provider and will indicate to the school when the student may safely return.
Returning to School After Illness - Families will receive guidance from the FCHD Public Health Nurses (PHNs) and School Health Aides (SHAs), identified as the school health team, as to when their student can return to in-person learning. Students who are showing signs of COVID Like Illness may not return to school until the parent/guardian provides the school, a completed “Return to School” portion of the Sick Student Notification and Return to School Form.
Mondays Now and Going Forward
As students return to school and follow the new bell schedule, teachers will take attendance and provide brief directions for the asynchronous work on Mondays. There will be no morning meeting and KG News Show (Mondays only). This routine will be a work in progress. Please have your child check in with your teacher - every Monday!
Opportunity to Provide Input!
This spring, all KG parents 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 the opportunity for you to share anonymous input about topics related to our school. Understanding that this has been an unusual year, the impacts of COVID-19 will be taken into consideration when reviewing the feedback. The questionnaire will be collected online between March 8 and March 19. When you receive an email from FCPS Surveys, please take a few minutes to complete it! Your input matters!
Yearbook Photos - In Person or Virtual! New date and times for in person!
You may now sign up for an in person photo session by appointment only! We have new dates and links for the sign up for Monday, March 15th. 9:00am - 3:00pm. There will be NO walk-ins due to COVID guidelines. Please sign up for an appointment using the link here. http://pickatime.com/vos/kentgardenses Order pictures here. Note the following guidelines when coming in person:
- All individuals including school staff, VOS photography staff, students and family members will be expected to wear facial coverings and adhere to physical distancing guidelines. Parents do not come in the building.
- Students wishing to purchase a picture package will have the opportunity to do so online both before and after picture day. Paper picture orders will not be accepted at the camera.
- All picture packages will be delivered via USPS shipping to a home address.
- Instant IDs will be given to students on-site upon exiting the photography location.
- Student will enter the cafeteria through Door 7 and exit through Door 8
- Parents MUST wait in the car and your student will be escorted out to you.
Order your Yearbook here! The school code is: 21772
Additional Pictures for the Yearbook!
Yes, we want all the additional pictures that we can get! Simply make sure that they are appropriate for the school yearbook. We will collect the other photos that you have sent to our gmail account and combine with the new photos.
Follow the instructions here. We have included information on how to upload pictures etc. If prompted for a school code Kent Gardens is: 21772
It will be a great yearbook!
Read Across America!
Join us in reading and exploring books! A favorite every year - please do help us celebrate and read by wearing your best items to match the day! Please do email your child's pictures to gardensKent1717@gmail.com
Family Life Education (FLE) Information Session
Join us to talk with school staff about the FLE program. This meeting will provide an overview of when and how FLE lessons will be delivered and allow you the opportunity to ask any questions you might have. The meeting will be held virtually on March 3, 2021 at 6 p.m. using this link.
If you would like to opt your child out of one or more lessons, please fill out the form and remit to your child's teacher and the office staff, Iveliz Charles at icharles@fcps.edu or Sonia Shi, xshi@fcps.edu.
Virtual Kindergarten Orientation
We will host a virtual kindergarten orientation on March 22nd at 8:15 – 9:00 a.m. We look forward to introducing our new kindergarten parents to our school as well as our teachers. We will have some of our students share virtually some highlights of the year! Please join us at this link!
Do You Have a Rising Kindergarten Student for the 2021-22 School Year
You may register now by completing the FCPS registration forms and remitting your registration documents to Tracy Dean, tadean@fcps.edu . In order to collect additional information regarding your child, we request that you complete this form. Completion will help us with placement information and ensure that we have proper staffing based on enrollment. To ensure that you receive future communications, we encourage you to self-enroll and subscribe to News You Choose and select Kent Gardens. We look forward to seeing and meeting your child in 2021-2022.
Positivity Project: Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm is the ability to bring life and excitement to different situations. It often leads to a higher level of involvement and engagement both for individuals and for groups. Those who demonstrate zest and enthusiasm bring an energy and level of intensity to individual and group work. These people are often identified as early leaders and innovators as a result of their outward excitement about a task or project. Look for these people to recruit new group members and generate ideas.
“If you have zest and enthusiasm, you attract zest and enthusiasm. Life does give back in kind.” -Norman Vincent Peale
Common Sense School Designation!
We are pleased to announce that Kent Gardens has been designated a Common Sense School. Common Sense, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids and families thrive in a world of media and technology, has recognized Kent Gardens ES as a Common Sense School.
Kent Gardens has demonstrated its commitment to taking a whole-community approach to preparing its students to think critically and use technology responsibly to learn, create, and participate while preparing them for the perils that exist in the online realm, such as plagiarism, loss of privacy, and cyberbullying. With the right support, kids can take ownership of their digital lives, engage with real issues, and change their communities for the better. The recognition acknowledges our school's commitment to creating a culture of digital citizenship.
PTA Updates - Drive in Movie!
Movie: Tom and Jerry: The Movie (original release date February 26, 2021)
Date: March 20, 2021
Where: Alamo Drive-in at One Loudoun (20575 Easthampton Plaza, Ashburn, Va 20147)
Cost: $60/car
Please join us for a fun family event - a drive-in Movie! Tom and Jerry have been family favorites for decades and now they are coming to the big screen for some new fun. The Alamo staff will be on-site offering car side delivery of all your favorite movie theater treats. We will raffle a number of fun prizes, including:
- A basketball signed by Rui Hachimura of the Washington Wizards
- A puck and a jersey signed by Holtby, formerly of the Washington Capitals.
- $200 to Eddie V's
- A private wine event for 20 people at Total Wine
- and ALOT MORE!!!! You do not have to be present to win in the raffle as the drawing will take place on March 21. You will be notified in the week following the event if you were a winner!
Tickets for the raffle and the movie will be on sale by 10 am Monday, February 22. You can purchase tickets for both on the PTA Website: March 20: KG Drive-In Movie Night! | Kent Gardens PTA
We will have safety guidelines in place to ensure the safety and health of our families. These guidelines are listed at the link above. Please review them closely and be prepared to enforce these rules with those attending the movie in your vehicle.
Please note that ticket sales for the movie will end on Wednesday, March 17, but the Raffle tickets will be available through the end of the movie on March 20th.
Bring the entire family and join the Kent Gardens PTA as we have some laughs at One Loudoun!!!! Any questions? Reach out to Elise Moss at kgptapresident@gmail.com.
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