Katherine Johnson MS - January 13, 2023

To read this newsletter in other languages, please visit our website.

Para leer este boletín en otros idiomas, visite nuestro sitio web.

이 소식지를 다른 언어로 읽으려면, 우리 웹사이트를 방문하시기 바랍니다.

.يرجى زيارة موقعنا الألكتروني لقراءة هذه النشرة الإخبارية بلغات أخرى


in this issue:


Important Dates

  • January 14 - KMJS Band Boot Camp at KJMS (Saturday)
  • January 16 - Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday (Holiday)
  • January 17 & 18 -- Math Inventory
  • January 18 - KJMS Virtual Curriculum Night - 6PM - 8PM
    • More details to come in next newsletter
  • January 20 - Fairfax High School Curriculum & Rising 9 Night
  • January 20 - 23 -- VGA Make-Ups
  • January 20 & 21 --- Junior District Orchestra Event at GMU
  • January 25 - End of Second Quarter - 2-hour Early Release (12:15PM)
  • January 26 - Student Holiday
  • January 27 - Student Holiday
  • January 27 - KJMS Orchestra Boot Camp for
    • Orchestra periods 3 and 8)
  • January 30 - Third Quarter Begins (EVEN Day- pd. 2,4,6,8)
  • January 30 - February 3 - The Wizard of OZ Auditions
    • The Show will happen on:
      • May 4 (7PM), May 5 (7PM), & May 6 (2PM)

KJMS Course Selection Events

2023-24 School Year

Dear KJMS Families,

It is that time of year! Course Selection events are occurring beginning next week! We begin with current 8th graders (Rising 9th grade) with a visit from FHS counselors and an FHS Elective Fair, both here at KJMS during Teacher Advisory. Families are also invited to attend the FHS Info Night on January 20, 2023 – 6:00 PM-8:00 PM.

Next week, KJMS will also host a Virtual Curriculum Night on January 18 from 6:00PM-8:00PM! Staff will host info sessions about all of the classes you can take at KJMS. This event is geared towards students and families that will be in the 7th grade next year, but future 8th graders (current 7th graders) are welcome too. There will be information sessions for core 7th grade classes and for 7th and 8th grade elective classes. Links for all sessions will be posted on the school’s website on January 18 no later than 3:00pm. Families are encouraged to attend the sessions they are curious about to help them choose classes for next year.

The week after that, the focus will shift to current 7th graders (Rising 8th grade) with Course Selection activities during TA.

All families are encouraged to visit the KJMS Website for more information.

Consider looking at the Course Catalog on our website, the links are listed below. If you have questions, ask your student to connect with their KJMS Counselor. Counselors will sit 1-on-1 will all students in January and February to help them individually.

Rising 8th Grader (current 7th grader) Course Selection (2023-2024)

Rising 9th grade (current 8th graders) KJMS Events and Deadlines FHS Info and Course Catalog


We Need Your Feedback

We would like to add our KJMS community feed back to add to the packet that will go to the pyramid level.  If you would like to provide feedback for one or all winners, please take 2-3 minutes to complete google forms (links) provided below.

Please provide your feedback by January 27. 

Outstanding New Teacher – Andy Phung

Outstanding Leader - John McCaughan (Assistant Principal)

Outstanding Operational Employee - Griselda (Gigi) Mendoza (Instruction Assistant)

If you have any questions, please contact our Award Liaison, Emily Gardiner at eegardiner@fcps.edu

Thank you. 


Lost and Found Items

Lost and Found Items

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Over the past months, we have accumulated many misplaced items. Beginning on January 10, during each lunch period, several announcements were made for student to look through the lost and found items, but not much was reclaimed. Please encourage your student to check for their lost items if they did not look through it this week. The lost and found location is in the cafeteria. At the end of the school day on Friday, January 20, any remaining items will be donated to a local charitable organization. Thank you.


CTE Summer Academy Information

The Career and Technical Education (CTE) office is once again planning an engaging summer enrichment program for students! For our current 7th to 11th grade students, we have CTE Summer Academy.

CTE Summer Academy flier for more information.


COVID-19 Compensatory Education Plan Meetings for Families of Students with Disabilities

COVID-19 Compensatory Education Plan Meetings for Families of Students with DisabilitiesFairfax County Public Schools is committed to implementing a plan for COVID-19 compensatory education as part of its obligation to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to students with disabilities. Please join us at an informational meeting for parents/guardians and other stakeholders:

Visit our website to see what language interpretation services will be available at each meeting and to learn more about the COVID-19 Compensatory Education Plan.


Strategic Planning

Beginning January 30, FCPS will host a series of community forums as part of our Strategic Plan development process. The schedule and locations for the sessions are posted on FCPS' Strategic Planning webpage. Planning teams, which include a diverse range of voices from the FCPS community, are continuing to review student achievement, access, and survey data;and crafting a collective vision for the school division. Key communicators will soon receive strategic planning materials to share with their groups and networks. Preparations for divisionwide student focus groups are underway, and there will be opportunities for employees to engage in a survey and “reality check” sessions in the upcoming months. For the latest information, please visit the Strategic Planning web page and check it often.  


Survey of Climate and Working Conditions – February 15 and 17

Fairfax County Public Schools will participate in the 2023 Virginia School Survey of Climate and Working Conditions. KJMS will administer the survey on February 15th and 17th.

The purpose of the survey is to provide schools with information on school climate, safety, and working conditions in order to maintain a safe and orderly school environment conducive to learning. The survey is a component of the annual school safety audit which school divisions are required to submit to the Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety (VCSCS), according to the Code of Virginia.

The survey is voluntary and your child can decide not to participate. No action will be taken against you, your child, or the school if your child does not participate.

Please contact Griselda Mendoza at gmendoza@fcps.edu for any question you have regarding the survey.


Calendar Reminder

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Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. Learn more about Martin Luther King Jr. 

FCPS students continue to find incredible ways to serve their community while building Portrait of a Graduate skills such as becoming an ethical and global citizen. FCPS is excited to collaborate again with Volunteer Fairfax for the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend of Service, Saturday, January 14, to Monday, January 16. This service opportunity helps empower individuals and strengthens communities while honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Volunteer Fairfax will host several ways for the community to get involved including volunteer activities for students and adults of all ages. To learn more about the MLK Jr. Weekend of Service and the specific service activities, visit Volunteer Fairfax’s website.

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In the Orthodox church, Epiphany is celebrated on January 19 and celebrates the baptism of Jesus rather than the arrival of the Magi. This observance commemorates Christ's baptism by John the Forerunner (John the Baptist) in the River Jordan, beginning of Christ's ministry on earth and revealing the Holy Trinity of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to mankind. The school calendar recognizes many religious and cultural observances (O days) during the school year. There is school on these days, however, the School Board has directed that tests, quizzes, field trips, graduation, homecoming, or FCPS-scheduled athletic events will not be held on these observance days. See the complete 2022-23 school year calendar.

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The Lunar New Year is a holiday that marks the first new moon of the lunisolar calendar, which is the calendar traditionally used in many east Asian countries including China, Vietnam, Singapore, and South Korea. In these and other Asian countries, it is one of the most important holidays of the year. The Lunar New Year is all about ushering in luck and prosperity with family.Read more about Lunar New Year and its animal symbols in National Geographic Kids


Preparing For a Virtual Learning Day Due to Inclement Weather

Due to the cumulative learning loss of students during this pandemic and in order to maximize instructional time, FCPS will implement virtual learning for day 6 and beyond in which school buildings are closed due to inclement weather.

The first 5 inclement weather days will continue to be traditional inclement weather days. Following that, FCPS will utilize flexibility provided by the General Assembly to have unscheduled virtual learning days, wherever possible. Virtual Learning on these days will be synchronous instruction following the Inclement Weather Virtual Learning Day Schedule which includes a 2-hour delay.


To Order A KJMS Yearbook (22-23)

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Credit card orders through Barksdale website only
No Service Fees:
To pay by credit card, visit www.barksdalephoto.com go to
“What are you looking for?”, click “Order Your Yearbook” and enter
0037625YB as the Access Code.


PTA Spirit Wear - SALE

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www.katherinejohnsonspiritwear.com


KJMS Family Liaisons

If you need to contact one of our parent liaisons, Ana Maxey (Mon.,Thur., Fri.) or Jennie Choi (Tues. & Wed.), please call 703-934-2454 and leave a message with your name, your student's name and phone number. You may also contact them via email: Ana Maxey at ajmaxey@fcps.edu  or Jennie Choi at jchoi4@fcps.edu


Counselor Information

Who is your school counselor for SY 22-23?

7th Grade Teams

8th Grade Team

Captains –Tyisha Williamson

Highlanders – Tyisha Williamson

Hokies – Dayle Ranallo

Panthers – Dayle Ranallo

Patriots – Friday Oeur

Nighthawks – Friday Oeur

Spartans – Curtiss Barnes

Cavaliers – Curtiss Barnes


FCPS Weekly News

In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:

    • Salad Bars Returning to Elementary Schools
    • COVID-19 Compensatory Education Plan Meetings for Families of Students with Disabilities
    • Tutor.com for Free College Prep

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving the weekly newsletter, sign up today.  


Parent Resource Center

The Parent Resource Center (PRC) offers free workshops (webinars), consultations, a lending library, and resources to help adults support the success of all students, including those with learning challenges, special needs, and disabilities.


FCPS Cares

FCPS Cares
 

The FCPS CARES Program is an opportunity for families, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story, so we can all acknowledge the good work of FCPS employees at Katherine Johnson MS. We love our staff members; let's tell them how we feel!


Stay in Touch with Us


Parents who speak Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, or Vietnamese can call a telephone information line for general information about FCPS and to receive support if they are having difficulty communicating with their children's schools due to a language barrier.