 Congratulations to Kristen Mattix and Shannon Johnson who are the raffle winners on our Friday finale Teacher Appreciation Week!
A message from Principal, Amy Miller:
Dear Kilmer Families,
We are excited to be running student focus groups over the next few weeks. The purpose of the focus groups is for students to share and provide feedback on their middle school experience. The opportunity to participate in a student focus group was discussed in PAWS and a follow up email was sent to students. If your student would like to participate and has not had the chance to sign-up, they can let their school counselor or Ms. Kardelis know. We are looking forward to hearing from our students.
As we continue to focus on a strong end to the school year, we are also excited to be preparing for five days a week of in-person learning in the fall. The Fall 2021 planning website is a great resource to review the most current information about school this fall. The site is continually updated as new information becomes available and will serve as a great resource.
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
Sincerely,
Amy Miller
Principal
End of Year Grading Flexibility
On May 5, additional information was sent via a Kilmer enotify regarding the 2020-2021 End of Year Grading Flexibility for Middle School Students. As shared in an email from the Superintendent’s Office, FCPS has adopted a series of secondary grading policy changes to help our students achieve a strong finish to the school year. Third quarter report cards and the Pass - No Mark Status Form are available in ParentVue and were also mailed home to all families last week. Should you wish to designate one or more courses as Pass status for anticipated grades of “A” through “C-”, the Pass-No Mark Status Form must be submitted to your school counselor/Student Services by June 1, 2021. Access the Pass-No Mark Status Form here: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/forms/se358.pdf
FCPS is adjusting the grading policy for the 2020-21 school year, to ensure students are not penalized by the challenges brought on by pandemic learning. Additional information including considerations and frequently asked questions are available at the following link: https://www.fcps.edu/academics/grading-and-reporting/secondary
8th grade End of Year Celebration
The SCA will be sponsoring a fantastic End of Year Event for our 8th graders. We will be hosting a Paint Night for 8th graders on Thursday, June 3rd at 5pm. Paint Night will be led by Mr. Raubacher! We will be painting a Kilmer specific design. Students can sign up to participate in a virtual or in-person setting. The event will be live-streamed for students participating virtually. This event is free but we do need you to sign up so we are sure to have enough materials for all. Please use this link to let us know if you plan to attend. All materials will be provided. We will have a process for students participating virtually to pick up materials; you only need to wear suitable clothing for painting. We can’t wait to paint with you 😊
Health and PE
On Thursday, May 27, and Friday, May 28th the Kilmer Health and Physical Education teachers will teach the Human Growth and Development Unit in a gender-separate classroom setting for those attending school in person and an assigned teacher’s office hours for virtual students.
Click on the link to read an overview of the materials at your leisure.
https://www.fcps.edu/academics/middle-school-academics-7-8/family-life-education-fle
To view grade-specific lessons, log in to FCPS 24-7 Parent View: Click on E-Cart: Click Family life Curriculum.
https://fcps.blackboard.com/
The School Board has approved a revision to regulation 3204 to allow FLE opt-out forms to be distributed electronically for the school year 2020-2021. Parents/guardians wishing to opt their child out of instruction may complete and return the opt-out form or scan or email a copy of the completed form to Sarah Groh at sfgroh@fcps.edu. Click the link and scroll to the bottom for opt-out, specifically for 7th and 8th grade. FLE Opt-Out Request Forms
If you have any questions, please contact your child’s Health & Physical Education Teacher.
Sean Kenney- 8th-grade boys spkennney@fcps.edu
Kachiri Terry-8th grade girls kmterry@fcps.edu
Marianne Simonton-8th grade girls MRSimonton@fcps.edu
Tim Prosser-7th grade boys TSprosser@fcps.edu
Josh Hecht-7th grade boys MrHecht@fcps.edu
Ann Mackenzie-7th grade girls ahmackenzie@fcps.edu
National Junior Honor Society: End of Year Announcements
The next mandatory all candidate meeting is after school on Tuesday, May 18, in the NJHS BBCU link from 2:45-3:45. This meeting will focus on Stage 4: Reflection and Stage 5: Demonstration. Come prepared with questions about the NJHS e-product that is due by June 2. Instructions and rubric are located within the NJHS Schoology course. Additionally, information for candidates who would like to participate in the Induction Ceremony is located in the NJHS Schoology course.
National Junior Honor Society Gallery Walk and Induction Ceremony
Kilmer’s National Junior Honor Society will host a virtual Service Learning Gallery and Induction Ceremony at 6:00 p.m. on June 8, 2021, for parents, community members and students. This exciting evening will showcase NJHS candidates and their service learning projects. The NJHS Induction Ceremony will be live streamed and recorded.
Who is Invited to Join Kilmer’s National Junior Honor Society?
We typically send out the NJHS application information around the start of the school year to students who met the Kilmer NJHS GPA requirement (3.7) for their 7th grade year. In 2020-2021, we were delayed in our application process, but we anticipate returning to our normal timelines in 2021-2022. In addition to sending information out to those who qualify, we provide Kilmer News You Choose announcements so parents and students may look for the invitation.
Kilmer’s NJHS: Incorporating Service Learning Into Education
Kilmer Middle School’s National Junior Honor Society focuses on Service Learning, using the model presented by FCPS Service Learning and The Complete Guide to Service Learning manual by Cathryn Berger Kaye, M.A.
In order to realize the five components of NJHS: Citizenship, Scholarship, Character, Leadership, and Service, Kilmer’s NJHS uses a guided research-based learning method to help students address an authentic community need. Student initiative and structured time for reflection on the service experience are key elements. Students finish the year able to demonstrate their acquired skills and knowledge in a Community Night at Kilmer, with a Service Learning Gallery and Induction into the National Junior Honor Society.
More information is available on the Kilmer Middle School website.
What’s on the Shelf: News from the Kilmer Library
As we head into the end of the school year, we want to remind families that all library books are due back to Kilmer no later than Friday, May 28. Over the next few weeks, students will regularly receive overdue notices reflecting the books they have out. Encourage your student to check their FCPSSchools.net e-mail account.
We know that students may still have books checked out from elementary school -- please feel free to return those books to Kilmer as well and we'll get them back to where they belong.
To return books:
- In-person students can easily drop books off in the BOOK RETURN basket on the library table in the main hallway outside the cafeteria at any point.
- Virtual students are encouraged to bring their books in when they visit the building to take SOLs.
- If your student is not coming into the building, weather permitting, we will have a library book return cart outside of Kilmer’s Door #1 from 8:30am - 1pm on Monday, May 17 and Monday, May 24.
- Alternatively books can be dropped off to the main office at any point during school hours
Questions? Reach out to Gretchen Hazlin, librarian: gehazlin@fcps.edu.
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