Dates to Note
February 8 - Flippin Pizza - Restaurant Night!
February 14 - 17 - Spirit Week - Kindness
February 16 - Immersion Registration for Lottery Closes
February 21- President's Day Holiday - School Closed
March 3 - 2-hour Early Release
March 4 - Student Holiday (Professional Development Day)
March 31 - End of Third Quarter - 2 hour Early Release
April 23 - Tentative Date for KG Fun Run ~ Spring Celebration
School Calendar: 2021-22
The 2022-23 school calendar was approved by the school board recently. To find out more about next year’s school calendar, visit the FCPS website.
Counselor Appreciation Week - February 7 - 11 Let's Show some LOVE!
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National School Counseling Week highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. National School Counseling Week is always celebrated the first full week in February. The 2022 theme is School Counseling: Better Together. We are lucky to have Ms. Altman and Ms. MacDonald - the two best counselors! |
Dear Kent Gardens' Families,
We had a great week! Students are enjoying school and we are excited as we see solid academic progress. We will continue to work to partner with you regarding your child(ren).
Parking and dropping off in the neighborhood continues to be a challenge - especially in the rain and other inclement weather. We will have police presence during the week. Strong reminders from the local police department as follows:
- Driveways - Regulation is 10 feet of distance.
- Crosswalk on Macon and Lumsden - regulation is no parking nor stopping near the intersection - 20 feet of distance
- Intersections - the regulation is 20 feet of distance from intersection.
- Stop signs - regulation is 30 feet of distance
Contact Tracing Update:
While the Virginia Department of Health shifted the expectation for contact tracing in schools to only on outbreaks, the CDC continues to indicate that contact tracing, in combination with testing, wearing a well-fitting mask, and quarantine and isolation, are effective strategies to identify people with COVID-19 (cases) and to reduce transmission.
FCPS has and continues to implement CDC recommendations, to the greatest extent practicable, to prevent or reduce the spread of COVID-19 in schools and to foster the continuation of in-person learning for students and staff. As a result, FCPS will continue contact tracing until further notice.
The following changes are effective 5:00 p.m. Friday, February 4:
- FCPS Pause (Close Contact) Letter includes quarantine guidance and replaces the FCHD quarantine email to families
- FCPS Student Quarantine Exemption and Attestation Form replaces the FCHD Vaccine Verification Survey (Will be embedded in the FCPS Pause Letter and available on the FCPS webpage, physical copies will be available if needed)
Monitoring COVID-19 cases is critical to maintaining a safe in-person learning environment for all students. Please continue to let us know if your child has tested positive for COVID-19 or may be a close contact. We will work with you through the process to return your child to the classroom as quickly as possible.
Please make sure you health screen your child before sending them to school on February 6th. If your child does not feel well or presents with any COVID-like symptoms, please keep them at home and seek medical advice. We appreciate your support in keeping our Kent Gardens community healthy! For parent convenience, click here for the Daily Health Questionnaire.
Holly McGuigan Tia Hawkins Sarah Talley
Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal
Dr. Brabrand ~ Opportunity to Meet with Students
On March 9th, there is an opportunity for students to meet with Dr. Scott Brabrand and engage with him on questions/concerns that are relevant to students in our area. This event will take place at McLean Community Center 1234 Ingleside Ave. McLean, VA 22101 from 6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
For more information, please contact Mr. Jim Beggs directly at: jimbeggs@icloud.com
Positivity Project: Humility
Humble people have an accurate (not underestimated) sense of their abilities and achievements. They hold the capacity to acknowledge their mistakes and limitations, and are open to advice and new ideas. They do not show off their possessions or accomplishments.
True humility is a sign of strength; it is a quiet confidence in who you are. It requires an honest self-reflection on your strengths and weaknesses, and self-control over ego, arrogance, and vanity.
Questions you might enjoy talking about:
- How is being honest with yourself related to humility?
- Would you be a good teacher of humility?
- Why is humility important to lead others and to make a positive impact?
“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” ~Ernest Hemingway
Kindness Week ~ February 14 - 18
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Monday, Feb. 14th - Peace, Love and Kindness ~ Wear Tie- Dye! "Give a warm hello to any and all that you see"
Tuesday, Feb. 15th - Crazy For Kindness ~ Wear your Crazy Socks! "Write a kind note to a classmate who might need a boost"
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Wednesday, Feb. 16th - Workout Problems with Kindness ~ Wear your Workout Gear! "Help someone BEFORE they ask!"
Thursday, February 17th - Show Kindness through Teamwork ~ Wear your favorite jersey "Play with someone new"
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Friday, Feb. 18th - Dream about Kindness ~ Wear your PJ's! "Share a nice note with your counselor ~ It's their week!"
** Bonus Day!! Tuesday, 2/22/2022 - It's a 'Twosday! Students and staff can wear tiaras, tu-tus, ties, and tye-dye!
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Spelling Bee - Calling ALL Interested Students in Grade 3 - 6!
Would your child (in grades 3 - 6) like to participate in the Kent Gardens Spelling Bee? To enroll, please complete this registration form. The enrollment deadline is Friday, February 11th. Vocabulary is a prerequisite/component of the spelling bee. The vocabulary assessment requires that students understand the meaning of the word. The spelling bee will be organized as follows:
- The paper/pencil Vocabulary Test will be conducted during school on Wednesday, February 23rd at 9:00 a.m. Students will answer 25 multiple choice vocabulary questions. Twenty (20) participants in all with the highest scores on the Vocabulary Test will be invited to compete in the Oral Spelling Bee.
- The Oral Spelling Bee will be conducted on Wednesday, March 2nd at 2:00 p.m. in the Library
The winner of the Oral Spelling Bee will represent Kent Gardens at the Fairfax County Spelling Bee on Sunday, March 20th at Lake Braddock Secondary School! (local health regulations permitting). Please contact Sarah Talley, Assistant Principal at sjtalley@fcps.edu if you have any questions or concerns. Registration Form: https://forms.gle/rPNd8eaVq1hQPQ4Z6
Attendance Updates
If your child will be absent or late, please do use this link to notify the school. If your child has an early dismissal, please do notify the school utilizing this link.
Arrival time is 8:50 a.m. at the latest for our kiss and ride and walkers. Note that staff is not available at kiss and ride beyond that time. Please have your child arrive on time! It is essential for them to start the day in a calm manner.
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Kindergarten Registration and Interest 2022-23
We are excited to begin our thinking about 2022-23! Do you have a child at home who will be five by September 30th? Please start your registration now by filling out this google form. If you have any neighbors with little ones, please send this information to them as well. This form simply collects information in order to help us plan for staffing for the next school year.
If you are ready to register, please email Tracy Dean, tadean@fcps.edu to set up a convenient time to come into the office.
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Technology Support - ParentVue
If you or your child is experiencing issues with technology, a Student Portal is available for parents, guardians, or students to submit a request directly for technology help. For parent support with SIS or Schoology, submit a request for help through the Parent Portal. Progress reports will be available in ParentVue. Note that you can also seek additional information regarding ParentVue in this link. As noted above, progress reports are available online on January 29th.
Immersion Registration Closes 2/16
We had a successful immersion information evening. If you would like to view the slide deck as reference or if you missed the meeting, it is available here. Note the Immersion Registration Site provides additional information regarding the programs etc.
Here is the link for more information regarding the immersion programs within FCPS. The window to apply for the first grade French Immersion program is January 24, 2022 to February 16, 2022 at 4 p.m. (it will close promptly)
The link to apply is here. If you are out of boundary, you will need to obtain a SIS code from your base school. More information is available on the website.
Parents, students, and community members have a unique opportunity to help FCPS select important learning resources. These reviews do not happen frequently, so selected resources will be in classrooms for years and are a significant financial investment.
Resources for elementary language arts are being reviewed through February 28. Interested individuals can review and provide feedback on digital resources online. Physical texts can be reviewed at the Willow Oaks Administrative Center in the lobby. Please ask about the books at the reception desk from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., Monday-Friday. In-person review hours will be extended to 7 p.m. on February 3, 10, 17, and 24. You are encouraged to review both sets of resources for the full catalog of resources under review. Learn more about the elementary language arts resource review here.
Diagnostic Testing at Kent Gardens
On Monday, February 6th, students may obtain COVID-19 diagnostic testing at Kent Gardens from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. FCPS is partnering with LongView International Technology Solutions, Inc. (LTS) to provide testing services for students. We will have approximately 75 students tested. Currently, we have 130 in the consented portal.
One-time parent/legal guardian consent is required to begin COVID screening testing for a student to be tested at school. You may withdraw your consent for testing at any time. If you want your child to begin participating in COVID-19 screening testing, you must pre-register your child(ren) and provide consent using the LTS secure online portal. If you do not want your child to participate in COVID-19 screening testing, no action is required. You will have the option each week to update your child’s vaccination and consent for testing.
For all the details about optional COVID-19 screening testing, visit the FCPS website and review the FCPS COVID-19 Screening Testing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document. Screening testing is a recommended layered prevention strategy that keeps Kent Gardens safe for in-person learning. Thank you for considering enrolling your child.
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FCPS Optional Testing
Students may obtain COVID-19 diagnostic testing at six drive-through sites in Fairfax County. Diagnostic testing is provided for anyone who has symptoms or is identified as a close contact of someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
COVID-19 testing helps us reduce the virus’ spread and keep our schools safe places for all students to learn. I encourage you to utilize our new diagnostic testing services as needed.
Appointments are not required for diagnostic testing but families must register in the secure online portal. When you register and provide consent for your child to be tested, they will also be added toStenwood’s screening testing pool. If you do not wish for them to be part of the weekly screening testing pool, simply log back into the online portal after your child’s test is complete and withdraw consent.
More information about diagnostic and screening testing, including site locations and schedules, is available on our website.
Vaccine Availability
The Fairfax Health District and Fairfax County Public Schools are hosting free COVID-19 vaccine clinics at chosen schools for students 5-11 years of age. Children do not need to be an FCPS student to attend these clinics. Vaccines will not be available for those 12 years and older. Children must be accompanied by a parent or another responsible adult at all community vaccination sites.
The Fairfax County Health Department’s webpage has information about the clinics and resources for finding and scheduling a vaccine appointment. Up-to-date information about vaccination opportunities is available on our website
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Order Your Yearbook Now!
Yearbooks are sold ONLY online; Purchase one by scanning the QR code - the cost is $20. Yearbooks and order options will be delivered to the school at the end of the school year. We will close yearbook sales in February! Buy one now!
We are working on selection of the cover! We have many, many fabulous entries with over 85 entries. We have shown a few of the entries below. Amazing artwork! The back cover of the yearbook will have other entries - one per grade level. Stay tuned! THANKS to ALL! #kgpride #strongertogether #WeAllBelong
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Special Education Conference on March 26
FCPS’s 17th Annual Special Education Conference will be held virtually on Saturday, March 26, with a combination of synchronous (live) and asynchronous (recorded) sessions. Registration for this free conference will begin in March. More information on the Special Education Conference is available online.
Summer Enrichment Camps
The Career and Technical Education (CTE) office has an engaging summer planned for your student! We are offering two enrichment camps this summer - Tech Adventure Camp and CTE Summer Academy.
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Tech Adventure Camp is a weekly exploratory camp designed to give students in grades 2 – 6 the opportunity to explore STEAM, culinary, health, trades, and computer science areas.
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CTE Summer Academy is a weekly enrichment program that allows students in grades 7 - 11 to dive deeper into CTE program areas and encourages skill development and career exploration.
Register soon! Space is limited and registration is on a first-come basis until seats are filled. Scholarships are available for Free and Reduced Meal students.
PTA News and Updates
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - "FOOD BUS" - COLLECTION/DELIVERY TO SHARE FOOD BANK ON FRIDAYS Have you heard about the KGES Food Bus Program? Our children participate in a powerful program that takes place in our school cafeteria every day at lunchtime. The KG PTA sponsors a program called the Food Bus, where children are encouraged to safely store any uneaten packaged food or whole fruits purchased from the cafeteria line in a designated refrigerator, as opposed to throwing it away.
Each Friday, a parent volunteer drives it over to the McLean Baptist Church, where it gets safely stored at SHARE for their Saturday distribution. Interested in getting involved in this program? We can use your help! See our Sign Up Genius below for more details. Service hours available if your middle/high-schooler helps you! Sign up now to help deliver the food every Friday after the last lunch period to McLean Baptist Church. If you have any questions, feel free to email juliebrowndc@aol.com. Thank you for your ongoing support. We could not do this amazing program without you.
6TH GRADE PROMOTION - We are looking for form a 6th Grade Promotion Team to help celebrate and send our 6th Graders off and on their way this spring! If you would like to be a part of the planning and celebration committee, please email Andrea Hager at KGPTAPresidentElect@gmail.com.
SPIRIT WEAR & CLASS SHIRTS: While we offer many styles in our current in-stock shop Spirit Wear, we have also launched an on-demand spirit wear store: kgpride.itemorder.com Families can find a wide range of items for both kids & adults with merchandise options previously not offered. All items ship directly from the manufacturer to the customer, and new styles and colors will be added shortly. Class Shirts for each grade level are still available to buy - Click here!
DONATION DRIVE FOR REFUGEES:As a KG Family, we have been supporting the Fresh Start Refugee Assistance Center, a 501(c)3 organization that provides resettlement services to newly arrived refugees. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated so far. You can drop off items at Mariam Afzal's home - please email mmasheeb@gmail.com for the address. If you would like to make a monetary donation, click here. Thank you so much for your support!
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