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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 week's issue:
KJMS Event Calendar
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March 18 - District Band Assessment at
- Lake Braddock Secondary School (Saturday)
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March 25 - District Choral Assessment at KJMS (Saturday)
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March 27- 30 - Field Trip to Finance Park - Civic Classes
- see schedule section below
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April 3-April 7- Spring Break - Main office will be closed
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April 13 - End of 3rd Quarter-2 Hour Early Release (12:15 PM)
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April 13 - 7:00 PM PTA Meeting (Zoom link)
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April 14 - Teacher Workday/Student Holiday/Orthodox Good Friday
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April 21 - Eid al Fitr/Student/Teacher Holiday-Schools closed
Good afternoon, KJMS Families,
May the luck of the Irish be in the air today in your homes! Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Our halls were full of green clothing, face paint, and green hair today. Our Eagles were doing a great job celebrating today. Our teachers began the day with their own chance at luck by drawing from the Lollipop tree, getting a baggie of sweets, and selecting a donut (provided by our community supporters of School Business Partners. See the pics in the collage below to see the fun that was had by all!
This past Monday, we began the week with a tremendous presentation on the opioid crisis. All seated in our very own Fairfax High School, we were able to hear from experts and laypeople about the dangers of opioids and how to keep our children and community safe. If you were unable to attend, these sessions may be repeated in other parts of FCPS, so be sure to get to the next one. You may be surprised at what you will learn. Next week, we will be sharing information about substance abuse prevention with all students. More information about the presentation will come to your parent emails soon!
In closing, please save the date of the evening of Tuesday, April 25, 2023. We will be presenting a Fairfax Pyramid family event at Fairfax High School that will give families resources to support their children at home. Topics will include social and emotional support and community resources that will help you with the needs of our children. We hope that you will be able to attend and partner with us in meeting the needs of our students who are growing up in a time that differs greatly from when we, the adults, grew up during our childhoods.
Enjoy the longer daylight hours,
Tammy Silipigni,
Principal
Monday, March 13, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid and Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis hosted nearly 400 families, staff, and community members for a conversation on the dangers of fentanyl. During this impactful event, audience members heard testimonials from individuals affected by the opioid epidemic and learned facts from medical experts and law enforcement representatives. The conversation will continue on Monday, April 24, with our next community meeting on the critical topic of fentanyl danger and opioid awareness. More information is coming soon. Visit our Opioid Awareness webpage for updates as they become available. Visit the Fairfax County Government webpage on opioids for information on how you can take action and how to get help for yourself or loved ones.
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This past weekend was the District XI Middle School Orchestra Assessment. This included 7 schools, 8 directors, parents & families, volunteers, 4 judges, and a partridge in a pear tree. This event has been in the making all year long with very detailed organization and preparation for the schools to come and perform.
We hosted a smooth event with all the volunteers working well to provide the best experience for the schools coming to perform. As the chair and host of the event I couldn’t have been prouder of the way our community came together to host this large and important event.
Not only did the event run smoothly but our 2 advanced orchestras performed extremely well for their assessments. The 8th period Symphonic Orchestra performed at a VBODA grade III and received a Superior Rating. The 3rd period Chamber Orchestra performed at a VBODA grade V (this is usually a high school advanced orchestra level) and received ALL superiors from the judges with glowing comments. I can’t wait to receive the recording because they sounded phenomenal.
Anna Sengstack,
Orchestra Teacher
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- March 27th – Nighthawks (Coyne’s Civics Classes)
- March 28th – Panthers (S. Kim’s Civics Classes)
- March 29th – Highlanders (Long’s/Wright’s Civics Classes)
- March 30th – Cavaliers (Sterzinger’s Civics Classes) and Calderon’s Panthers’ Students Only
Our Staff Appreciation Week is rapidly approaching, May 8- May 12, and we are looking for your help! We are asking for donations of gift cards and/or gift baskets. We need to collect a total of 150 gift cards, to cover our entire staff. We plan to raffle off any gift baskets and other items, we acquire. Thank you in advance for your donations and generosity and thank you for helping make our Staff Appreciation Week a memorable one. Donations can be dropped off in the main office.
Another way to express your "thank you" for a staff member is by using the FCPS Cares Program. This program is an opportunity for parents, 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.
FCPS has partnered with Hazel Health to begin offering virtual mental health services to high school students via live video sessions. Starting Monday, April 10, parents/caregivers who have been struggling to find a therapist for their child or who notice changes in their child’s behavior will be able to connect them virtually with a licensed therapist.
Teletherapy services for students are short-term, evidence-based, and culturally-responsive. Teletherapy is available on any device, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Therapists will be locally-licensed clinicians; 50% of whom identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC); and 40% of whom are bilingual. More than 15 languages are available.
Hazel Health’s licensed therapists can help students who are experiencing:
- Mood/behavior changes, lack of motivation, grief/loss.
- Anxiety, worry, fears.
- Bullying, sexual identity challenges, challenging peer and family relationships.
- Academic stress.
The first step for parents is to provide information through an opt-in form. Visit FCPS’ Teletherapy webpage for details.
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Participants will have an opportunity to learn about the suggested updates and ask questions via Zoom Chat. Language interpretation will be available in Spanish. A certified deaf interpreter will be available as well.
Beginning Monday, March 20, families and staff will also be able to provide feedback on proposed updates to the SR&R via a short survey. Please stay tuned for details. Visit FCPS’ website for more information.
One of our fall 2023 issues will feature our second annual Northern Virginia Magazine Teacher of the Year award. Northern Virginia magazine established this award to recognize the very best educators in our region, and we need your help finding who those top teachers are. The teacher selected as Teacher of the Year will be awarded with a $10,000 prize. To read more details of this award and to submit a nomination, click here.
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Does your student like inventing and/or robotics? If so, the Thinkabit Summer Camp is the place to be!
- This FREE camp will run from June 20-23, 2023 – 9AM-1PM at Katherine Johnson Middle School
- Rising 6th, 7th, and 8th graders are invited to apply
- All supplies are provided, they just need to bring a lunch
- Students must have their own transportation to and from camp
Click here to apply to the Thinkabit Summer Camp
April is the Month of the Military Child! Every year we take the opportunity to recognize military-connected youth for their service and contribution to our community. Fairfax County Public Schools is proud to have over 14,000 military-connected youth as a part of our student body. We appreciate the varied life experiences they bring to our school community, and recognize their strength and resilience. To show our support, we are inviting all Fairfax County students, families, school employees, and community members to “Purple Up!” on April 19 for military children. Why purple? Purple symbolizes all branches of the military as a combination of Army green, Marine Corps red, and Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force and Space Force blue. Learn more about Month of the Military Child and FCPS’ resources for military
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 The FCPS Purple Up! t-shirt is available for order now through March 16 here! Purple Up! FCPS!
Visit the New KJMS PTA Spirit wear online web store. webpage.
Lunchtime Parent Volunteers
Lunchtime is the busiest time of day in our library. We are seeking parent volunteers to help supervise students having fun in the library between 10:45-12:45. Interested?
Volunteer Sign-Up Genius
On Display
There’s still time to check out our Black History Month display to learn more about important events in Black History, as well as important people, past and present. Next up in March is Women’s History Month. We celebrate our namesake, Katherine Johnson, in both months.
Currently Popular
One of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus is our current most popular title. Right behind is A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson.
#TeamLibrary has an Amazon Wish List!
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
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- The Dangers of Fentanyl
- Mental Health Therapy for High School Students
- Proposed Updates to SR&R
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving the weekly newsletter, sign up today.
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
Upcoming Webinars for Parents
FCPS’ Parent Resource Center (PRC) is dedicated to helping adults support the success of all students. Upcoming PRC webinars include:
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Unlocking the Mysteries of Sleep and the Developing Brain: Tuesday, March 28, at 10 a.m.
Presented by experts at the National Institute of Mental Health, this two-part webinar will provide an overview of the sleep and wake cycle, illustrate the consequences of insufficient sleep, and other information.
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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!
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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.
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