A Note from Administration
Dear Parents/Guardians,
This week with the snow proved to be busy with the snow and other events. A shout out to our chorus who did a wonderful job with Ms. Lee at McLean High School. Thanks to all of you for supporting!
We also have rescheduled the PTA meeting to Thursday, January 25th in the morning with a parent coffee preceding the meeting at 8:15 a.m. Note that there will be google form coming very soon for the boundary decisions. At this time, all parents who are in the designated area should respond to the Facilities google form with your intentions. It will ensure that you have busing at the designated school. If you have questions/concern, you may email Holly McGuigan. Note that I do not make decisions around exceptions. The region will make determinations after the google form completion and numbers are evaluated.
Next week, it will be the end of the second quarter. We are happy with the progress with all of our students that we have seen to date. As a reminder, we have a 2 hour early release on Thursday and a student holiday on Friday.
Thanks for the yearbook covers - so much creativity! Stay tuned and buy your yearbook now at this link. The code is 21772. Thanks for supporting #kgpride!
We look forward to enjoying Math/STEAM Night. If you have a middle school or high school student who would like to support, here is a google link! The students can get credit for the hours! It will be a FUN night!
Warmly,
Holly McGuigan Sarah Talley Tia Hawkins
Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal
Dates, Attendance and Office Reminders
January 25 - Rescheduled Parent Coffee 8:15 a.m. in Library followed by PTA Meeting at 8:45 a.m. in cafeteria.
January 25 - End of Quarter and 2 Hour Early Release
January 25 - Open Houses at various schools for new boundary (see below)
January 26 - Teacher Workday (No School for Students)
February 6 - Fourth Grade Strings Concert
February 15 - Math/STEAM Night
February 19 - President's Day - No School
FCPS annual calendar is here. Attendance link is here. Please do use our links at the Kent Gardens website to notify of tardy, early pick up, absence or change in dismissal (temporary transportation change). Office Reminders are here for your review.
Early Check Out: If you must check out your student early, submit online request preferably before 9:30 am. Your notification helps your teachers and office to coordinate, prepare and locate your child. Sign out on the Office Sign out clipboard and wait in the lobby/office. We will call the student upon your arrival. Students will only be released to parents, guardians, and authorized emergency contacts. Please be prepared and have your drivers license or other identification ready. The latest checkout is 2:45pm.
Kent Gardens also posts pictures weekly on Facebook. Many new pictures are uploaded this week! Like our site to see pictures of our daily work and activities!
Spelling Bee - KG Registration Is Open
Would your child (in grades 3 - 6) like to participate in the Kent Gardens Spelling Bee? To enroll, please complete this registration form. The enrollment deadline is Wednesday, January 31st.
A vocabulary assessment is a prerequisite/component of the Spelling Bee.
The Spelling Bee will be organized as follows:
1. The paper/pencil Vocabulary Test will be conducted during school on Friday, February 2nd at 9:15 a.m. (Snow date: Friday, February 9th at 9:15 a.m.) Students will answer 25 multiple-choice vocabulary questions. The top fifteen (15) participants with the highest scores on the Vocabulary Test will be invited to compete in the Oral Spelling Bee.
All students in Grades 3 through 6 will be tested on the same words.
2. The Oral Spelling Bee will be conducted on Wednesday, February 21st at 3:45 p.m. in the Library. (Snow date: TBD.)
3. The winner of the Oral Spelling Bee will represent Kent Gardens at the 2024 Fairfax County Spelling Bee on SUNDAY, MARCH 17, 2024, 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM, at Lake Braddock Secondary School, Burke, VA. (The competition will be in-person, local health regulations permitting.)
4. The speller who wins the title of Fairfax County Spelling Bee Champion earns the right to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, to be held during Bee Week, May 26-31, 2024, at the Gaylord Hotel and Resort in National Harbor, MD.
Please contact Sheri Emory, Reading Specialist, at saemory@fcps.edu if you have any questions or concerns.
McLean Pyramid Concert
Thanks to Ms. Lee - a wonderful pyramid concert with the other McLean schools. We appreciate your support and the sixth grade chorus!
Dual Language Immersion Registration
All rising kindergarten and first grade students who live in Fairfax County may enter a lottery to participate in Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs. In DLI programs, students are learning elementary content in two languages with students spending half of the day learning in either language. English Language Arts and Social Studies are taught in English. Math, Science, Health, and Target Language Arts are taught in another language. FCPS offers DLI programs in French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish. Online lottery application begins on January 22nd at 9 a.m. A SIS account is required to complete the application. If a student is not currently enrolled in FCPS, registration at the base school is required. FCPS does not provide transportation for students who live outside the attendance area of the DLI school. A one-time fee of $100 must be paid upon acceptance of an out-of-boundary placement (see Notice 5922).
If you missed the immersion meeting, you can access at this link. There is also a virtual meeting on February 1st. For more information including program sites and information sessions, please visit this link.
Sixth Grade Moments
Our sixth graders created chess pieces in art! Amazing and fun work! Our sixth grade teachers also joined for a special picture!
 Kent Gardens Boundary Update - Open Houses
FCPS made its recommendation for a boundary adjustment to address the overcrowding issue at Kent Gardens and recommended "Scenario B". Scenario B reassigns an estimated 380 students among five elementary schools. A map can be found here (scroll to Scenario B).
- Rising Kindergarten and 1st-grade students will be reassigned to attend the newly assigned school for the 2024-25 school year.
- Rising 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th-grade students have the option to attend the newly assigned school or remain at their prior assigned school for the 2024-25 school year and until they matriculate to middle school.
The adopted phasing plan allows students/caregivers the option to remain at their current school or change schools the next school year. The phasing plan allows continuity for students enrolled in the French Immersion program at Kent Garden, which starts at first grade.
Students that are involved in phasing over the next several years will be provided bus transportation to their elementary school. We need those that are involved in the affected neighborhoods to fill out the form indicating which school your child will attend by the February deadline so our transportation staff has maximum planning time.
The McLean Elementary Boundary Webpage will continue to be updated with important news going forward. All schools who will be receiving students from KG are hosting an Open House for new families on Thursday, January 25th at 3PM. Note that the Facilities office will release a google form in the next week or so. This form should be completed by all of our affected families with your intentions.
Chesterbrook ES- 1753 Kirby Rd, McLean, VA 22101
Churchill Road ES- 7100 Churchill Rd, McLean, VA 22101
Haycock ES- 6616 Haycock Rd, Falls Church, VA 22043
Franklin Sherman ES- 6633 Brawner St, McLean, VA 22101
Order your KG Yearbook Now!
Use the QR code and order today! The code is 21772 accessible at Yearbookorddercenter.com
We had an amazing number of entries - stay tuned for the yearbook finalists!! Thanks to ALL who participated - we appreciate your participation and hard work! #kgpride
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Longfellow Information for Future 7th Graders
It was so nice meeting many of our rising 7th graders, parents, & guardians during curriculum night! We hope that you were able to learn about the curriculum, course offerings, and connect with staff & students. If you were unable to attend, no worries! You can access all our presentations on the LMS Academic Advising website! Please be on the lookout for future programs and activities to ensure a smooth transition for all rising 7th grade students! Thank you and we look forward to fostering healthy partnerships with every one of you. LMS Academic Advising website
PTA News
NEXT PTA Meeting is reset for 1/25
What happens at a PTA meeting? And why should you attend? Not only do you get to hear about ALL the ways that you can support our school through your time, talents, and financial gifts, but you get to hear about timely information from Mrs. McGuigan, the PTA, and other parents about what's happening in the life of our school. At our 10/26 meeting, we learned more about FCPS plans for KGES' capacity challenges, upcoming events, and ways to help out KGES.
Join us on January 25 at 8:45 am in the Cafeteria for our next meeting! Principal McGuigan is going to be hosting a Parent's Coffee prior to the meeting on 1/25.
Come for coffee & conversation with Principal McGuigan at 8:15am in the library and stay for the PTA meeting at 8:45am - we will transition to the cafeteria!
Come volunteer this year! Fill out the PTA's volunteer interest form and let us know if you'd like to be matched with an opportunity to give back to this amazing community! Find the form here!
Ways to Get Involved at Kent Gardens
Girls on the Run needs volunteers!
The KGES Girls on the Run program is seeking coaches and practice partners for its spring season. Practices will take place either M/W or Tu/Th between 3:45-5 p.m. Coaches complete program training in February to prepare for the spring season, which runs from March-May. We also need parent practice partners, who help at practices but do not have to complete the February training. The kids of any parent volunteers are guaranteed a spot in the program. The KGES program is very popular but we had a coaching shortage last fall and had to limit the number of participants. We need more volunteers to run the program this spring! Contact Danielle Newman for more info at kges.gotr@gmail.com.
KGES Food Bus Food Rescue Program Volunteers Needed on FRIDAYS
Do you have a half-hour to spare on Friday afternoons to deliver food to SHARE of McLean Food Pantry at McLean Baptist Church? Interested in getting involved in this program? Please sign up here and/or email lanavu@gmail.com or beccadw@gmail.com with questions.
Service hours available for middle/high school students!
Thank you for your ongoing support. We could not do this amazing program without you.
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Teacher Love Days on Wednesdays
Sign-up to provide treats for our KG staff on Wednesday! Are you a blue-ribbon award winning baker? No. That's okay. Our teachers appreciate ALL treats that we deliver to the teacher's lounge every Wednesday. You can create little bags of candy, stop by your favorite bakery, or whip up great-grandma's kugel or simply bring some coffee to share. The only limit is your imagination. Sign-up to provide treats here!
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Chess Club Open for Spring Enrollment
Any Kent Gardens student in 2nd through 6th grade may join the Chess Club. All are welcome: Girls! Boys! New and experienced players!
Chess Club meets on Wednesdays from 3:45pm to 5:15pm in the cafeteria at Kent Gardens Elementary.
The Spring session will start on Wednesday, February 7th, and end May 29th. Registration deadline is Friday, February 2nd, or until we hit max capacity of 100 students, whichever comes first.
Our Chess Club instructor is Mr. David Mehler, from the U.S. Chess Center. He organizes games and provides small group instruction. He has taught Chess since 1972, and has been teaching Chess Club to our students since 1990. He is one of the first nationally certified Professional Chess Coaches in the USA (the highest level)!
Sign up for Chess Club at: https://kentgardenspta.com/product/chess-club/
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