Kilmer MS Newsletter - June 2, 2023

A message from Principal Steven McFarlane

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Kilmer Community, 

I hope to see you at the PTA Festival after school today. We’ve been watching everything get set up and it’s going to be a great time. Also, Broadway Desserts will follow at 7 pm in the cafeteria.

If you haven’t already, please mark your calendars for all the big events these last two weeks of school. Our 8th graders have the semi-formal dance next Friday. Tickets went on sale today, and will be sold before school and at all lunches next week. The cost is $10.

Our music groups are ending the year with a bang! Our band program had a fantastic performance this past Wednesday. Our Choir will have their Spring Concert next Tuesday and Orchestra will have their Spring Concert next Thursday. Both performances will be at Marshall HS. 

We are less than two weeks away from our 8th grade field trip to the St. James. Students attending the field trip are advised to dress appropriately (closed toe shoes and athletic attire). Additionally, lunch, which consists of pizza, lemonade or water and cookies or brownies is included in the price of the trip. However, please use this form to indicate if your child has any dietary restrictions. This information will allow the St. James to best provide lunch options for our students. Please note that while the St. James does have an eatery on site, it is unable to accommodate our large group.  

Sincerely,

Steven McFarlane

Principal


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Picture(s) of the Week

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Students in Ms. Jones' science class started a “big problem based engineering unit.” Students are designing, building, and racing their own mousetrap cars. They will follow all of the steps of the engineering process: identify the problem, explore/research, design, create, test it and make it better.


Important Information

Laptop and Charger Collection 

We are required to collect EACH student’s FCPSON assigned laptop and charger by the end of this school year, unless you are taking an official FCPS summer program. If you are taking an official summer program, please email Mr. Openshaw (nopenshaw@fcps.edu).  Please note that laptops and chargers must be returned to Kilmer once the summer program has concluded.

Guidelines for the collection of laptops:

  • The collection of laptops and chargers will take place on June 12th and 13th during lunch periods.
  • Students will turn in their laptop and charging cord
  • Please ensure that all personal stickers are removed from the laptop.
  • If a student has lost their laptop or their laptop charger, they should go to the MySchoolBucks store to pay for the lost laptop or laptop charger. Non-FCPSOn chargers will NOT be accepted, and students will need to pay for the missing charger. Payments will be made through MySchoolBucks. Students should bring a paper receipt from MySchoolBucks with them when they come to the laptop collection. Below are the steps for purchasing a replacement laptop charger.
    •  Have your Parent(s) and/or Guardian(s)
    •  Go to MySchoolBucks
    •  Click on the Store
    •  Look for the Laptop Charger Replacement
    • Click on that icon and make sure that it has the correct student listed
    • Purchase the replacement
    • Print out a copy of the receipt
  • Here are pictures of the three acceptable Dell 65 Watt chargers:
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  • Here is a picture of a non-accepted charger
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If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Openshaw: nopenshaw@fcps.edu


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. Attire is semi-formal. 

Tickets will be sold 

  • Before School in the cafeteria on 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.


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. Parents will receive an e-notify message with their student’s team information next week. Students will also receive an email with more details about where to report on the day of their team’s ceremony.

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Don’t Forget to Check Your Student’s Lunch Balance! 

It’s a busy time of year, and we know there are many priorities on families’ plates. As we approach the end of the school year, it is important for families to remember to check their students’ MySchoolBucks account and pay any remaining school meal balance. 

Families who earn less than 185% of poverty level qualify for free and reduced-price meals. However, an application must be completed and submitted each school year to receive that benefit. The application for the 2023-24 school year will be available near the end of August. 

If families have a current balance and think they may be eligible for free and reduced-price meals, please fill out the FRM application for the 2022-23 school year. Get more information about free and reduced-price lunch.

If you are interested in helping to relieve lunch debt for families currently going through the FRM application process, please donate to Educate Fairfax.


Student Testing Results Coming Soon

Starting in late May, caregivers will receive reports for assessments their students completed this spring. Not sure what assessments your student took this year? A list of tests by grade level is available. Scores will be delivered in SIS ParentVUE, by mail, or from the school or testing organization. Learn what to expect regarding assessment reporting practices and timelines

Some families will also receive a Virginia’s Visualization and Analytics Solution (VVAAS) Student Assessment Summary report with historical Standards of Learning (SOL) test results from 2015-2022.


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.


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.


Middle School After-School Program Survey

Kilmer Parents/Guardians & Caregivers Survey - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/C8VTDBT

  • Important component of the after-school program evaluation & critical for future funding 
  • Your responses help us assess programming for impact to drive improvements & program quality 
  • Please complete the survey regardless of the number of times or reasons your student has stayed after school FCPS Seal Approval: 23234
  • FCPS Seal Approval: 23234

References & Reminders

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. Please contact the main office with any questions. 

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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.


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.


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.