Dates to Note
March 17 - 28 - McLean Youth Art Show (see the note below)
March 28 - 31 - Student Sponsored Spirit Week! Join in the fun!
March 30 - PTA Sponsored Restaurant Night - Union Restaurant in McLean
March 31 - Kindergarten Parent Tour and Student Meet and Greet 2:15 - 3:00 p.m. (SIGN UP is required for the student meet and greet- see the info below)
March 31 - End of Third Quarter - 2 hour Early Release
April 1 - Student Holiday - Teacher Professional Development/Workday
April 4 - 8 - Spring Break
April 8 - 15 - April is the Month of the Military Child - Celebrate ALL Week! (see below)
April 23 - Spring Spectacular - Fun Run and more activities! (see below)
June 8 - Sixth Grade Promotion 6:00 p.m. (save the date!)
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.
Dear Kent Gardens' Families,
We are already planning for the next school year! Let us know if your child(ren) might NOT return the next school year. This feedback is not binding but for planning purposes. Please use this link to indicate IF you are considering or planning to move. We appreciate the forward thinking!
Order your yearbook now! See the information below - we are shutting down by April 18th! Does your sixth grader need one? Please order now.
Some highlights to note for the upcoming weeks:
- March 28 - March 31st - Student Led Sprit Week! Join in the FUN!
- March 31 - In person Kindergarten Parent Tour and Student Meet and Greet (Sign up required - see info below)
- March 31 - Two Hour Early Release
Please make sure you health screen your child before sending them to school on March 28th. 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.
Thanks for your continued support!
Holly McGuigan Tia Hawkins Sarah Talley
Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal
Student Led Spirit Week!!! Join in the FUN!!
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Spring Pictures NOW Available Online!
Spring Portraits are now available to view and order online! This is the link for you to access
https://vando.imagequix.com/g1000911785
Please remember, the online code is your child's Student ID number. Please direct parent questions/concerns regarding picture day to underclass@vosphoto.com
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Virtual Family Engagement Night
Thanks to all of you for joining us for our first Family Engagement Night last week. We shared information regarding the short videos prepared by our teachers for parents to support learning at home in reading and math as well as other content areas. We have uploaded 37 teacher videos available for parents to access by grade level and topic. Please access the videos at this link here.
McLean Youth Art Exhibit
Join us in celebrating our KGES students with their accomplishments in art this year. Works have been collected throughout the school year and will be displayed at the McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) in the Emerson Gallery, located at the McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Avenue, McLean, VA 22101. The exhibit will be held March 17 - March 28. A huge THANKS to Heather Devlin and Sarah Kladler - their instruction and engagement with the students is simply amazing!
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.
Student Intentions....2022-23
We are already planning for the next school year! Let us know if your child(ren) might not return the next school year. This feedback is not binding but for planning purposes. Please use this link to indicate IF you are considering or planning to move.
Positivity Project: Humor
Humor is a sense of playfulness and lightness. It is a way of looking at and describing the world that brings laughter to people. A person with the strength of humor is skilled at seeing at the funny side of things, bringing smiles and laughter to others, and identifying and communicating the absurdities in life. People with this strength don’t specifically need to be joke tellers, although many are.
“Humor is mankind’s greatest blessing.” ~ Mark Twain
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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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Kindergarten Orientation and Tour!
Thanks for joining us for the virtual Parent Orientation. If you missed it, here is the link to the slide deck.
This Thursday, March 31st, we will hold parent tours and a student 'meet and greet' with the teachers from 2:15 - 3:15 p.m. Note that March 31st is a student early release day. It is REQUIRED to sign up for one of the two sessions. Please sign up here for one of the two sessions. Parents will drop off your child(ren) in a designated kindergarten classroom and our School Student Ambassadors will conduct the parent tours. Students will meet their parents on the playground after the tour. We look forward to seeing you!
KG FUN!
April is the Month of the Military Child
Our counselors are busy supporting the upcoming Month of the Military Child (April). They have been conducting student interviews for the morning news show. In addition, they will have certificates for military students and will have military student lunch bunches. We will place purple ribbons on trees. It will be a great week. We look forward to celebrating all of our military children and families. Stay tuned for our Spirit Week information to support our military children!
Family Engagement Survey Closes April 3rd
FCPS is partnering with independent firm K12 Insight to administer the Family Engagement Survey to better recognize, understand, respect, and address family strengths and needs in our school community. The survey will be open March 13 - April 3.
Survey results will be used to develop a plan to improve family and school partnerships throughout the division. For more information, please check out the survey webpage. On March 13, the link will be sent to your email and will also go live here: Family Engagement Survey Link. If you need a paper copy of the survey, please reach out to our front office and we can provide one for you. Please find translated information below.
English - Spanish - Arabic - Chinese - Korean - Vietnamese
Recess Engagement!
We had a 'Playworks' consultant observe and join in our recess fun. This resource is connected to our ESSER monies. We will take the input and incorporate into recess activities going forward!
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.
SOL Dates for 3rd- 6th Grade Students
State assessments measure the extent to which students have learned the content and skills reflected in state standards. The format for state assessments vary by grade level and content area. These include:
- Standards of Learning (SOL) standardized tests in reading, mathematics, and science; More information can be found on the SOL assessments webpage;
- Local alternative assessments (LAAs) including performance-based assessments (PBAs) completed as part of classroom instruction throughout the school year for science, writing, and social studies; More information can be found on the LAA and PBA webpage.
- Calendar dates are detailed below. Please plan around these scheduled dates so that your child is available during testing time:
- Grade 3
- Reading - Thursday, May 12
- Math - Thursday, May 19
- Grade 4
- Reading - Wednesday, May 11
- Math - Wednesday, May 18
- Grade 5
- Reading -Thursday, May 5
- Science - Tuesday, May 10
- Math - Tuesday, May 17
- Grade 6
- Reading - Monday, May 9
- Math - Monday, May 16
Student Tutoring Available
We are excited to share a new resource that is available to all Kent Gardens' students by mid April to support learning. All FCPS students will have unlimited access to online tutoring support services through Tutor.com at no cost. Tutoring services may be accessed before, during, or after school hours and/or on weekends through a link in Schoology. For more information, see the FCPS website. Check out the frequently asked questions for more information.
Students will automatically have access to the Tutor.com tutoring service unless a parent/guardian submits an opt-out request. If a parent/guardian does not want their student(s) to have access to this online tutoring resource, complete the opt-out via SIS ParentVUE by April 11, 2022.
- Directions to opt-out via SIS ParentVUE:
- Parent/Guardian logs into SIS ParentVUE ; Select Student
- Click on Student Info from the menu bar on the left and then click on Edit Information at the top of the Student Info screen
- Change the value for Tutor.com Access to “No” under the Changed Value column and click on Save Changes
- If the opt out is desired for additional students, the parent/guardian must select each student individually and repeat the process.
If unable to opt-out via SIS ParentVUE, a parent/guardian can submit the hard copy Online Tutoring Services Notice and Opt-Out form sent home by the student’s school or download and print a form from the list below. Opt-Out forms should be submitted to the student’s school by April 11, 2022.
Student Screening Testing
FCPS will move to a dynamic testing plan. Screening testing will be available during moderate, substantial and high community transmission to the greatest extent practicable in alignment with CDC guidance. Screening testing for students will not be offered during low transmission.
At this time, we will still have student testing until notified that transmission rates are consistently lower. Despite low transmission, there will be testing on Monday, March 28th. Please note it is a random selection. We will continue to test until we receive further guidance.
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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Last Call for Ordering a 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 April 18th! 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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Hockey Inspiration at KG!
PTA News and Updates
SPRING SPECTACULAR!
Our Spring Spectacular 5k and 1K is back!!!! Join us on Saturday, April 23 for a run or walk with your Kent Gardens friends. Stay for a while after the race to enjoy treats from the Kona Ice Food truck and Cafe Kindred coffee & pastries. The 5K will kick off at 9:00 am and the 1K fun run at 9:45.
Registration Fees: 5K: $30 through April 11, $35 April 12 – Race Day Fun Run $20 through April 11, $35 April 12 – Race Day
Online Registration will close on Thursday, April 21 at 8pm. *Please note: Any runner registered after April 8 will not be guaranteed a Spring Spectacular T-shirt. We hope to see you at the finish line!!!
Volunteer Opportunities:
1) Race Day Crew - help out along the race route (Middle School and High School students are welcome to volunteer!)
2) Registration Packet Distribution - help handout registration packets on Friday 4/22.
Please look for an upcoming Signup Genius to help make this day a success!
INTERNATIONAL FLAG PARADE
Celebrate Kent Gardens' diverse community and military families during our International Flag Parade! The parade will follow the Spring Spectacular race on April 23rd. Click here and sign up to represent a country or where your military family has lived. Stay tuned for more details and please contact kgptaevents@gmail.com for more information or volunteer opportunities.
PTA BOARD POSITIONS
We have several PTA Board positions available next year as our current Officers are completing their terms: VP Enrichment, VP Special Programs, Secretary, Financial Secretary, and President-Elect.
If anyone is interested in being a part of the Board or learning more, please contact Andrea at KGPTAPresidentElect@gmail.com
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