Kilmer MS Newsletter - May 5, 2023

A message from Principal Steven McFarlane

image

Kilmer Community, 

At the beginning of April we created a tardy competition for students. I told the school that the interdisciplinary team that had the fewest amount of unexcused tardies for the month of April would win a mini-party during recess. Each week I would update the totals for each team through our News Show, and this week I announced that the Comets won for the month of April. I was proud of all the students because each week the competition got tighter and tighter. I highlight this for two reasons, first it was a fun way to incentivize students to stay focused and prioritize class time for the remainder of the year, but also this is what we try to do daily with our students. Provide super clear expectations, hold them to a high standard, and support them along the way. The competition started over this week and we’ll run it one more time for the month of May.

Another thing I’ve been talking to students about is “intent vs. impact.” Oftentimes we’ll hear about students doing or saying something that upsets another student. When we look into the situation the response we’ll get is, “I was just joking,” Regardless of our intent, we can’t ignore the impact of our words and actions. We’ll continue to have these conversations with students as they grow and develop through middle school. 

Additionally, the year is winding down and it is time to celebrate our 8th grade students as they transition to high school. All 8th grade students have been invited to attend the St. James field trip. Students received the permission slip and St. James waiver from their English teacher. To attend the field trip, students should return the forms to their English teacher by May 19th. The cost of the trip is $50. This includes transportation and lunch. Payment should be via MySchoolBucks by going to "School Store Payments," clicking "Browse All Items," and filtering by "Kilmer Middle." Given that there are many items under Kilmer, "St. James" might not appear on the first screen, click "Next" to allow you to continue to the next page until you find "St. James". Also, we recognize that there are families for whom this cost will be prohibitive. We welcome all who are willing and able to donate to help ensure all of our students are able to participate. Donations can be made using the steps listed above under “The St. James Field Trip Donations”. We look forward to celebrating with our 8th grade students. 

Lastly, our After School Program has been picking up! Ms. Kardelis has been working closely with Marshall High School to bring over coaches to run various clinics for volleyball, color guard, and football, just to name a few. Be sure to read Ms. Kardelis’ weekly newsletter (linked below) to see the full schedule. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend. As always, reach out if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Steven McFarlane

Principal


image

Picture(s) of the Week

image

Kilmer students competed in an American Mathematics Competition and Math Counts tournament. Our students competed as individuals and teams. They had a fantastic showing, and Mr. McFarlane was able to help present the awards and certificates. Ms. Bradford provided a fun gift for all competitors and gave them a Pi pillow.

image
image

Today the music department took almost 450 students to Hershey’s Park. These students have been working hard all year, and today was a great way to celebrate all their accomplishments!


Important Information

SCA Sponsored 8th Grade Starry Night Semi-Formal Dance

This year’s 8th grade semi-formal will be on June 9th from 6 – 8 pm at Kilmer Middle School.  Celebrate your amazing time at Kilmer with music, dancing, a photobooth, and dinner. Tickets are $10 and must be purchased at school with cash. 

Tickets will be sold 

  • Before School in the cafeteria on Friday, June 2; Monday, June 5; Tuesday, June 6; Wednesday, June 7; and Thursday, June 8. 
  • During All Lunches on Tuesday, June 6, Wednesday; June 7; and Thursday, June 8,

Our students have chosen a Starry Night theme.  If you have any star themed decorations that you no longer need, SCA would love to use your decorations for the dance this year.  

Please contact Ms. Mattix (kmattix1@fcps.edu) and Ms. Spracklin (ecaulestia@fcps.edu) with any questions. 


SOL Testing Information 2022-2023

The spring SOL testing calendar can be found below. Details about testing days and changes to the bell schedule will be communicated regularly to students ahead of the testing window. Students will receive information about testing dates, times, and locations in their fcpsschool.net email account. All testing will begin at 7:30 am on the days listed below. It is important that students come to school on time on these testing days. If a student is absent on their testing day, makeup tests can occur throughout the testing window.  

image
  • Once all tests are complete, there is a retake window for eligible students. Communication with parents of eligible students will happen at a later date. Parent permission is required for a student to retake.
    • Retakes (if eligible): Wednesday, 5/31-Friday, 6/2

If you have not done so already, please fill out the SOL retake form linked below and return it to the school testing coordinator, Marileigh Blake at mlblake@fcps.edu.

SOL Retake Form: English   Arabic   Chinese   Korean   Spanish   Urdu   Vietnamese

 

If you have any questions regarding testing, please contact Kilmer’s school test coordinator, Marileigh Blake, at mlblake@fcps.edu or 703-846-8885.


SEL Screener Parent Reports

Students in grades 3-12 took the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener in March. The SEL Screener reports will be mailed directly to families in the next week. This website includes both the Parent Report as well as a Family Guide to support you in understanding results and ideas for talking with your student about their results. Both are available in multiple languages. To learn more about SEL and how we support students at school and at home please see the FCPS SEL website. Please reach out to our school counselors, school psychologist or school social worker with any questions.


8th Grade End of Year Field Trip

The 8th grade end of year field trip will be to The St. James in Springfield. Students will have the opportunity to participate in obstacle courses, ice skating, rock climbing, a ropes course, soccer, flag football, and other organized activities and games. The cost of the trip is $50, which includes transportation and lunch. Payment will be collected via MySchoolBucks. If your child is going on the field trip, complete the St. James the Field Trip Permission Slip and the St. James Waiver. Signed forms should be returned to your child’s English teacher by May 19, 2023. Please contact the main office with any questions. 

Image

Community Conversation: School Safety and Security

FCPS will host a community conversation to discuss our approach to safety and security, and the work we do every day to keep our schools safe. Join us Monday, May 8, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at South Lakes High School. Register for the Community Conversation.

FCPS staff and experts will review our risk assessment processes, the physical measures we already have in place to protect our students and staff, pilot programs to detect vaping, and how we communicate and collaborate with our partners when there is an incident at our schools.


FCPS Summer Programs

Still looking for something to do over the summer? Check out the Kilmer MS Summer Programs Guide for a variety of recreational, academic, and enrichment summer programs available to students in FCPS. Additional information can be found on the FCPS summer learning website.


Afterschool Activities News/Updates

Each week Ms. Kardelis will post a detailed overview of our After School Program to our website. Please visit Kilmer’s website at https://kilmerms.fcps.edu/afterschool_newsletter to find the weekly After School newsletter.


Marshall HS Volleyball Team Clinic @KMS Gym

Time: 3:30 – 4:45 PM (2nd Block)

  • 5/10 (Wed.)
  • 5/16
  • 5/23

Marshall HS Color Guard Clinic 

  • 5/8 (Monday both Blocks @Kilmer Gym)

Broadway Desserts Auditions

  • Tues. 5/16 (Both Blocks) 
  • Performance > Fri. 6/02 @7PM

Marshall HS Freshman Football Strength Program 

  • When: Tuesdays >> End of school year 
  • Where: @Marshall High School > Drop off/Pick up Door 5 
  • Time: 2:55 - 3:40PM **Families responsible for transportation to & from 

Questions > Coach Masten george.masten@yahoo.com


References & Reminders

8th Grade Recognition Ceremony

The 8th Grade Recognition Ceremony will take place on June 13th and June 14th. Students will be recognized by teams. Please see below to determine when your child’s ceremony will be held.

Image

Course Registration for 2023-2024

Academic Advising for seventh and eighth grade students is now complete.  To see the list of courses your child selected for the 2023-2024 school year, please log in to your SIS ParentVUE account and click on the Course Requests tab. Directions for viewing course requests online through ParentVUE are here: Online Course Requests in ParentVue. This list of courses is NOT a schedule, but a confirmation of the courses entered into the student information system. 

  • Seventh Grade Students: Parents can request to change a course or report an error by contacting their child’s school counselor. All requests must be submitted by email no later than Friday, June 2. Schedule changes will not be accommodated at the start of the school year.
  • Eighth Grade Students: Kilmer can no longer assist with changes to high school courses. Please contact the office of student services at the high school your child is attending if you have questions about the courses listed in ParentVue.

Tutor.com - Extra Help for Students at No Cost to Families 

With Tutor.com through Schoology, FCPS students are able to get learning help at any time, even from bilingual tutors! Students in FCPS meet with tutors thousands of times each week to practice reading, prepare for an upcoming math test, write computer programs, study for the SAT, or to get feedback on scholarship essays–all at no cost to their families! If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take just a few minutes to connect with a tutor with your child. More info about Tutor.com in FCPS is available here.