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A message from Principal Steven McFarlane
Kilmer Community,
On Tuesday, middle school athletics began as Kilmer hosted our first ever cross country team practice. It was fun to see so many kids show up to run. After watching practice on Tuesday, I decided I’d change out and run with the team on Wednesday and see if I could keep up with the middle schoolers. As I was walking out to the field a teacher stopped me and asked, “What will win out, your long stride, or their youth?” I can definitively say that youth wins every time, ha ha. Regardless, I had a blast running with the team and I hope to join them again sometime in the future.
Beginning next week, students can stay after school for clubs, activities, as well as academic help. This is an excellent opportunity for students to connect with other students and teachers. You can find more information about after-school programming and late buses below.
Also, I encourage parents to use ParentVue to look at your student's grades. If an assignment is marked as missing, students have two weeks to complete it before it becomes a zero. Encourage your student to work with their teachers to turn in missing assignments and of course, reach out to your child's teacher if you have questions.
I hope you have a great weekend, and as always, reach out if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Steven McFarlane
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Note: At Kilmer, we have “Green Days ” and “Blue Days.” On “Green Days” students attend periods 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, and on “Blue Days” students attend periods 2, 3, 4, 6, 8.
Upcoming Dates:
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Monday, September 18th - After School Clubs & Activities begin.
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Monday, September 18th - Tuesday, September 19th -
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September 20th - Math VGA Testing
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Thursday and Friday, September 21st and 22nd - Student portraits will be taken during PE classes. More information to follow.
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Tuesday and Wednesday, October 3rd and 4th - 7th grade students will participate in the Signs of Suicide mental health awareness program during their US History class. 7th grade parents received a Kilmer e-Notify email on Sept. 6 including additional information.
Tuesday marked Kilmer’s new cross-country (XC) team’s first practice. We have over 60 students who’ve joined the team and are working hard to prepare for their first middle school XC meet on Saturday, 9/30.
Student Portraits
School Picture Day is coming Thursday September 21st & Friday September 22nd, 2023. Photos will be taken in PE class and pictures will be available approximately two weeks following our school's photo day. Save time and pre-order online here: https://vando.imagequix.com/g1001028688#login. The code is your student’s ID number.
For questions about ordering please email underclass@vosphoto.com
Parent Volunteers Needed
We need some parent volunteers for our student portrait days on Thursday and Friday, September 21 and 22. The day has been split in two, from 7:30 to 10:45 and 10:30 to 2:15; we need 3 volunteers for each slot. Please access the link to sign up and support our photographers and students. We appreciate your help!
Virginia Growth Assessment
The Virginia Growth Assessment (VGA) is a test required for students in grades 3-8. For the 2023-2024 school year, students will take a reading and mathematics VGA in the fall and winter. For fall 2023, VGA will address content that was taught in the previous school year. There is no “passing” or “failing” outcome for the VGA. Results will provide starting and mid-year data about student growth and will offer information about areas of strength and growth in reading and mathematics. All middle school students take the VGA for reading. However, middle school students enrolled in a high school credit-bearing math course, such as Algebra 1, will not take a VGA for mathematics. The following information may help you and your student better understand this assessment.
- VGA must be taken in person at school.
- This online, computer-adaptive test is about half as long as the spring SOL test.
- Questions use Standards of Learning (SOL)-like items to measure current knowledge and skills in the content area.
- Student results will be used to help school staff plan for instruction and supports.
The fall reading VGA was administered today. The mathematics VGA will be given on Wednesday, September 20 (Green Day). Makeups will occur the week of October 2.
To accommodate testing, the bell schedule for these dates has been modified and is included below. Changes will be communicated with students and posted in Schoology. An email informing students of their testing location will be sent to the student’s fcpsschools.net email account the day before the test. More information can be found on the FCPS VGA Website. Please contact Marileigh Blake, our School Test Coordinator, at mlblake@fcps.edu with any questions.
World Language Credit Exam
The 2023 World Languages Credit Exam will be administered on November 8, 9, and 13, 2023. Thirty languages will be included: American Sign Language (ASL), Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (Mandarin), Farsi, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Nepali, Pashto, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Sanskrit, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, Telugu, Tigrinya, Turkish, Twi, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
If your student can write in their home language fluently and would like to take the World Language Exam for world language credit, students can access the Kilmer Student Services Course on Schoology to register. Students and parents can register together by logging into a student’s fcps laptop and selecting the dates for the exam. Registration is now open and closes on Thursday, October 5, 2023, at 4:00 p.m
Bus Capacity
All our buses are at capacity and can not take additional passengers. Students will not be allowed to ride buses other than the one they are assigned.
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Investigative Science Outreach
We are TJ Investigative Science Outreach, a student-led organization at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. We will be hosting our 11th annual science fair on March 16, 2024 and we would like to invite 5th-8th grade students from your school to participate. Admission to the science fair is completely free.
Participants will complete a research project of their choice and present at the fair in-person on March 16, 2024. We help students prepare for this fair by holding multiple sessions to teach them important skills in STEM like brainstorming, collecting data, presenting, writing an experiment summary, using statistics, creating an experimental diagram, etc.
Our first interest/brainstorming session is Friday October 6th, 2023 at 6:00 pm. We will be holding this session in-person at TJHSST and virtually on Zoom. During this session we will go over the goals and guidelines of this fair and introduce students to a multitude of project ideas. All interested students should sign up using the form at the link: https://forms.gle/RMfQYuvACK3YajRw8
If you have any questions or concerns, please email us. Feel free to also check out our website at tjsciencefair.wordpress.com or email us at tjhsstsciencefair@gmail.com.
Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist (SAPS) Introduction
Each school pyramid has a Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist (SAPS) assigned to provide substance abuse prevention, education, and intervention services. Substance Abuse Prevention Specialists are part of the FCPS Office of Student Safety and Wellness. Like school social workers, school psychologists, and school counselors, SAPS do not provide treatment services, but support students while they are in school.
Key roles of a Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist:
- Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug education for students, parents, staff, and the Fairfax County community
- Intervention services upon violation of the Student Rights and Responsibilities handbook or suspected substance use involvement
- Assessing a student’s level of substance use and, if appropriate, making referrals to the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board for additional services or other community resources as appropriate
- Group and individual interventions for students and prevention services for students, staff, parents, and the Fairfax County community
- Most importantly, building positive relationships with students to provide support and encouragement
Resources:
Free Virtual Parent Support Group
Free Online Narcan Training for Opioid Overdoses (English & Spanish)
Free Lock Boxes for Medications & Firearms
Spiritual Support by Phone for Adults
Spanish Podcast: Tips on How Parents Play an Important Role in Substance Abuse Prevention
Juvenile Court Parent Support Group
For general questions about the FCPS Substance Abuse Prevention Program, please contact the Office of Student Safety & Wellness at: (571) 423-4270.
For further Information & support:
Ally Jacobi, MSW
ajacobi1@fcps.edu
Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist for the Marshall Pyramid
Fairfax County Park Authority Program - Esports Club
Job Opportunity at Kilmer: Instructional Assistant
Do you know someone who may be interested in an Instructional Assistant position at Kilmer for the 23-24 school year? All interested candidates should apply online through FCPS Job Opportunities, and email their resume directly to Principal McFarlane at swmcfarlane@fcps.edu.
2023-2024 Student Rights and Responsibilities
FCPS’ Student Rights and Responsibilities document (SR&R) explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses to enhance school safety and to create a fair, equitable, and supportive school environment. In late June, the School Board approved changes to the SR&R for the 2023-24 school year. Updates include a revision of dress code expectations, bystander expectations for students witnessing harmful or unsafe behaviors, bullying, and substance abuse responses. Read Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid’s letter to families regarding the SR&R.
Parents/caregivers should talk to their child(ren) about expectations for this school year. Also, please log in to SIS ParentVUE and sign to acknowledge your review of the SR&R, or sign and return the signature sheet to your child’s school by Friday, September 29.
Students will participate in a review of the Student Rights and Responsibilities on Monday and Tuesday, September 18th and 19th through Social Studies classes and take a test on SR&R content on Thursday / Friday during their PE classes.
Thomas Jefferson High School Student/Parent Information Night
On Thursday, October 12th from 5:00-6:00 pm all current 8th grade students interested in applying for the freshman round of the Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology are invited to join for a one hour presentation given by a TJHSST representative in the Kilmer Cafeteria. The majority of the hour will be dedicated to a question and answer session, and we recommend that all those interested in participating view this video prior to attending the presentation. You can find additional information including important application deadlines here.
What is the After School Program?
The purpose of the Afterschool Program is to provide quality programming in the areas of academic support and enrichment, social skills and youth development, physical health and wellness, and family and community engagement. A completed Afterschool Registration Form is required for participation.
The Afterschool Program starts next week. See the schedule below:
After School Schedule
- 2:20 - 2:35 pm - (Afterschool Transition/Break) ALL Students should report to Cafeteria and Teachers/Sponsors come pick them up from the Cafeteria
- 2:30-3:30 pm - 1st Block (Teachers/Sponsors have Students complete Afterschool Attendance Form)
- 3:30-3:40 pm - Parent Pick-Up if not staying for 2nd Block
- 3:40-4:45 pm - 2nd Block (Teachers/Sponsors verify students completed After School Attendance Form)
- 4:45 pm - Afterschool Dismissal
Cell Phone/Phone Accessories Violations
During the first two weeks of school, we reminded students of the FCPS policy of “off and away” during the school day. Moving forward, if students are found in violation of this policy, staff members will confiscate the phone/accessory and turn it into the main office. Parents will be notified by the main office (via email) for the first two offenses, and students may pick up their device at the end of the day. If a student’s device is confiscated a third time, their administrator will contact their parent/guardian and enact a check-in/check-out system for two weeks. Additional violations will result in a parent/guardian pick-up. Violations are tracked by quarter.
Health Information & Emergency Care Forms
The Health Information Form (HIF) (SS/SE-71) and the Emergency Care Information form (SS/SE-3) provide valuable information regarding student health conditions. These forms are critical in the early identification of students who may need healthcare support in the educational environment. Along with the development of Healthcare Plans (HCP) and Action Plans, the Public Health Nurses (PHNs) utilize the information contained in the HIF to develop teaching strategies for FCPS staff in order to meet the requirements of Regulation 2104 Health Services-School Health-Related Needs. Parents/guardians who have a SIS ParentVUE account can verify and update the forms electronically by using the Online Verification/Update packet. For families without SIS ParentVue accounts, forms can be located on the General Registration Forms page.
Health Information & Emergency Care Forms
The Health Information Form (HIF) (SS/SE-71) and the Emergency Care Information form (SS/SE-3) provide valuable information regarding student health conditions. These forms are critical in the early identification of students who may need healthcare support in the educational environment. Along with the development of Healthcare Plans (HCP) and Action Plans, the Public Health Nurses (PHNs) utilize the information contained in the HIF to develop teaching strategies for FCPS staff in order to meet the requirements of Regulation 2104 Health Services-School Health-Related Needs. Parents/guardians who have a SIS ParentVUE account can verify and update the forms electronically by using the Online Verification/Update packet. For families without SIS ParentVue accounts, forms can be located on the General Registration Forms page.
Parental Permission to Use Digital Resources
Some FCPS-approved digital resources require parent consent before they can be used by students. Find the list of resources which require consent on the Parent Consent webpage. This page also includes directions for providing permission. Please complete the Parental Permission form at your earliest convenience.
Each digital resource used in FCPS has had an instructional and technical review. Information about the educational technology tools approved for use within FCPS can be found in the online Digital Ecosystem Library. Parents can find more information about FCPS-approved digital resources on the Digital Resources in FCPS webpage.
Lightspeed Parent Report
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