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A message from Principal Steven McFarlane
Kilmer Community,
We’ve finished the Reading and Math SOLs this week, and next week our 8th graders will take the Science SOL. I continue to stress to students that the last four weeks are busy, and there’s a balance between all the fun events and ensuring we stay focused on our classes until the end of the school year.
The deadline to sign up for the 8th grade St. James field trip has been extended to May 26, 2023. In order to attend, students must return their signed permission slip and St. James waiver to their English teacher, as well as submit the payment via MySchoolBucks. Information and the field trip forms can be found on the Kilmer website. Please reach out to Melissa Smith (mwsmith@fcps.edu) with any questions.
Also, we’re excited to have our PTA Festival again this year. The event will be Friday, June 2 from 2:30 - 5:30 PM. We will have a DJ, inflatables, art, crafts and a lot of food! The event is free, food trucks are not, so remember to get cash for the food trucks. Please consider lending a hand, or donating supplies by signing up here.
I hope everyone has a great weekend. As always, reach out if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Steven McFarlane
Principal
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Last Friday evening, Kilmer participated in Cross Town Kicks against Luther Jackson and Longfellow. Each school brought four teams and participated in a round robin tournament. The atmosphere was lively and it was a blast!
  The music department has been working hard preparing for their Spring Concerts.
PTA Festival
The Kilmer PTA is thrilled to be hosting the Kilmer Spring festival on Friday, June 2nd from 2:30 P.M -5:30 P.M at the school. We will have a DJ, inflatables, art, crafts and a lot of food! There will be popcorn, pizza, ice cream and a variety of food trucks onsite where one can buy dinner and desserts. The event is free, food trucks are not, so remember to get cash for the food trucks.We would need some help to pull this off, sign up https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090e4badaf2ea46-spring#/ if you are willing to lend a hand or some supplies!
Broadway Desserts
Broadway Desserts on Friday, June 2nd at 7pm is an evening of delicious desserts with musical entertainment provided by our Kilmer Middle School students. Each student has selected a song from any past or present Broadway show to exhibit for the evening! Tickets go on sale May 29th and are extremely limited. Email Ms. Kozik at nkozik@fcps.edu if you would like an email notification when tickets go on sale!
8th Grade Parents - Academic Career Plan Verification in Naviance
Each year, your child develops an Academic and Career Plan that supports their growth. This plan helps your child plan for their future. Your child will work with teachers and school counselors to discover their personal strengths and interests. They will also create goals to help them achieve success, plan for courses that meet high school graduation requirements, and prepare for life after high school. The development of this plan starts in middle school. Students update their plans during high school as their goals evolve. This plan supports on time graduation as well as college and career readiness. It is required by the Virginia Department of Education. Each student’s parent or guardian must review this plan at the end of 8th grade and again at the end of 10th grade.
You or your child can log into Naviance Student at www.fcps.edu/Naviance . Please review the following information together with your child: Results of the strengths and career surveys and personal, academic, and/or career goals, The draft course plan for advisory will be completed on May 30. Once in your child’s account, click the “About Me” tab and scroll down to “Portfolio.” Once you click on the Portfolio, you can view all the work that your child has completed. Once you have reviewed your child’s plan, complete the verification form . The completion of this form will serve as your signature. Please complete this form by Friday, June 30, 2023. For more information visit www.FCPS.edu and search “Academic and Career Plan.” We encourage you to continue to use Naviance Student with your child to explore college and career options. If you have questions, please contact your child’s school counselor.
Last Chance to Buy Yearbooks
The biggest moments of the Year are in the Yearbook! Your child will want to look back and share what this school year was like for them. The last day to purchase a yearbook online is this Sunday, May 21st. The Kilmer Middle School yearbook will cover the stories and memories that made this year special so be sure to order your copy today. You don’t want to miss out on this one-of-a-kind book!
Parent Registration for K-12 Learning Acceleration Grants Now Open
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is now accepting applications from parents for tutoring microgrants for their children through Governor Glenn Youngkin's K-12 Learning Acceleration Grants program. Youngkin created the program to help Virginia families address the impact of the pandemic on student learning.
The $30 million dollar program provides $1,500 grants to parents of school-age children for tutoring in English, mathematics, science, and history, as well as foreign languages required to meet diploma requirements. Children from homes with family incomes at 300% or less of the federal poverty level may qualify for $3,000 grants. Grants may also be used for support services such as speech language pathology and reading interventions.
The grant program is open to parents of any public, private, parochial, or home-school student in grades K-12 residing in Virginia. The first step in the process is to visit K-12 Learning Acceleration Grants page, where you can create an application and receive more 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.
Updates on Online Student Registration
FCPS plans to have online registration in place at all schools across the district starting June 30, ensuring a simple and efficient new student registration application process for the upcoming school year. Learn more about registration.
Middle School Athletics Coming This Fall
FCPS has designated funding in the budget for 2023-24 for middle school spring and fall athletic activities to support student well-being at no cost to students. Pending budget adoption, this will be the first time FCPS has offered middle school students a chance to participate in extracurricular sports programs. Middle schools will start with cross country this fall. Track will follow in spring 2024.
Any middle school students who would like to participate in athletics will need to have a Virginia High School League (VHSL) pre-participation examination (PPE). The physical exam form must be completed and signed by a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant. Fairfax County public high schools will offer PPEs at a cost of $50 per student through June 17. Students who receive free or reduced meals are eligible to receive an exam at no cost. Learn more about PPE and middle school athletics.
Social Media Reboot
There is SO MUCH RESEARCH about social media overuse and how it impacts many teens and adults. According to the CDC, kids aged 11-14 spend an average of 9 hours of entertainment screen time each day. According to Pew Research, the majority of teens use social media, 95% use Youtube, 67% use TikTok, etc.
Taking time off social media is a CHALLENGE. Time off one’s device frees time for hanging out with friends in real life, homework or other things you’ve been meaning to try.
Josie Blanton, a former Kilmer student, and a Girl Scout Gold Award recipient, is partnering with the KMS PTA to host the event again after much success last year. One student said: "This is a good reminder we don't need social media."
Social Media REBOOT is coming soon! Mark your calendar to join us on May 31 to PAUSE YOUR SCROLL for just one day. More info coming soon!
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.
Middle School After-School Program Survey
Below is a link for a quick survey about the Middle School After-School Program. The survey should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete. The survey is an important component of the after-school program evaluation and is critical for future funding. The more responses we receive, the more valuable and reliable the data. The responses not only allow us to assess the impact of the after-school program, but they help drive program improvement and program quality. Survey responses are accepted Mon. May 22nd – Fri. May 26th 2023. Please complete even if your student has not stayed after often or at all.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/C8VTDBT
LATE BUS Transportation Ends Thursday, May 25th
Students needing to stay after school following this date must schedule an appointment with their teacher(s). Families are responsible for transportation.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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