Strings Concert ~ A Success!
Thanks to Ms. Emery and Mr. Fyhr - we had a successful year in Strings! The students were amazing and we appreciate the parent support!
A Note from Administration
Dear Parents,
We had a fabulous week with many, many end of year activities. The strings and chorus performed for parents and the students. The field day was absolutely awesome with the best weather. Thanks for pivoting with us to coordinate for Friday. Sixth grade festivities are upon us!
We look forward to seeing all of you with or without your child(ren) even you older children as we say farewell to many teachers and to our retirees. So many have been at Kent Gardens for over 10 years. Join us on on June 13th at 1 p.m. We will host all who would like to bid farewell to our departing teachers and to our retirees who include: Mr. Gordon, Mme. Dwyer, Mme. Otterson, Mr. Romain and Ms. Shalhoup. Join us in the cafeteria! Students and parents from prior years are welcome! Our departing teachers include the following: Ms. Porter- departing to Cape Cod; Ms. Stieg - Off to Australia; Ms. Jordan - shifting to special education; Mme. Boehm - relocating to San Francisco; Ms. DeGrand - career shift; Mr. Blake - career shift; Mr. Mattoon and Ms. Lowery- transitioning to another FCPS school; Ms. Iyer and Ms. Barnes - career shift; Ms. Sawaya - transitioning to another FCPS school; Ms. Vinson - transitioning to another FCPS school; Ms. Arrison - supporting and caring for her mother. Ms. Smith (Brittany) will take leave for one year to care for her baby. Ms. Smith (Lisa) moving to Lancaster, PA. We are sad to have so many depart but wish them well as they move on!
As we say farewell, we are thrilled to have hired new staff members that come with wonderful experience from other FCPS schools or other schools. We are lucky to have a full staff!
Thanks as always for your support!
Holly McGuigan Tia Hawkins Sarah Talley
Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal
Dates, Attendance and Office Reminders
June 10 - Kindergarten Performance 1:30 p.m. Gym
June 10 - Sixth Grade Farewell - McLean HS 6 p.m.
June 11 - 6th Grade Field Day and Celebration
June 12 - Last Day of School - Early Release - 1:35 p.m.
June 13 - Retirement/Farewell Ceremony for our teachers! 1 - 2 p.m.
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!
Chorus Rocks!
Thanks to Ms. Paik and Ms. Lee - the students were amazing! As always, thanks for the parental support with the early drop off!
 Chorus Sign Up - Calling all Rising 5th and 6th Graders!
We are very proud of our chorus program at Kent Gardens. Students learn how to sing as an ensemble and grow their musicianship. We would love to invite your rising 5th or 6th grade student to join Chorus program at Kent Gardens Elementary! Chorus is open to all 5th and 6th grade students at KG and no choral experience is required. Chorus students can still take their instrumental program (Strings or Band), since chorus is offered in the morning. Students can take Chorus and Strings or Chorus and Band, or just Chorus only. Sign up here!
Rehearsal dates and times are generally in the morning one day a week. The specifics will be communicated in August. If you have any questions, please contact Angela Lee or Kaylie Paik
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Band and Strings Sign Up for 2024-25 School Year - Rising 4th, 5th and 6th Grade Students
We are excited about another fabulous year of band and strings!! We will introduce students to the instruments in the next month during the end of year concerts. If you know that your child will continue in band or strings or is planning on participating, please do complete the google form now. Most students play an instrument in grades 4 - 6.
Strings is offered to students in grades 4 - 6. As 4th grade is the initial entry, we typically have over 95% participation. Mr. Christoffer Fyhr, chfyhr@fcps.edu and Ahnika Emery, aremery@fcps.edu, are amazing instructors and available with questions. They will be introducing the various strings instruments – viola, violin, cello and bass to the rising 4th graders. Playing a strings instrument is a wonderful start to beginning or continuing a musical experience! Note that we do differentiate! Sign up here!
Band is offered to students in grades five and six. Band instruction begins in 5th grade. Students who participated in strings in the fourth grade either stay with the strings instruction or explore a new instrument in band. We have Mr. Brad Zimmerman, an amazing experienced FCPS band instructor, bszimmerman@fcps.edu, and Mr. Sam Gurian, sigurian@fcps.edu . They will introduce the various wind, brass and percussion instruments in the next few weeks. Here is the link to sign up now. You are welcome to reach out to the instructors or the school administration team with questions.
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Dining Room Assistant - Join the KG Team!
We are looking for assistance in the cafeteria until the end of the year and in 2024-25 - if you know someone or would like to work as a dining room assistant, please contact Holly McGuigan. The timeframe is about 3.5 hours per day and involves assisting students during lunch time as well as supervising student clean-up, keeps order, and dismisses students to their teachers. We are looking for an individual who is friendly, energetic, and assertive in maintaining expectations of cafeteria behavior, and loves working with children.
Fourth Grade and Space Projects!!
Their projects were a true testimony to their understanding and knowledge about space, planets! They are ready to move on!
Sixth Grade Updates
We have upcoming events for the sixth grade group shared below!
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Sixth Grade Farewell – Monday, June 10 – 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Invitation is linked here. The Farewell will be at McLean High School in the gym by Door 9 (the rock entrance).
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Field Day - Tuesday, June 11 – 9:15 – 10:45 a.m. Sign up here to support the activities. Calling all volunteers.
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Sixth Grade Celebration – Tuesday, June 11 ~ 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. The PTA is coordinating and have shared this sign-up link.
Lost & Found: Empty the Racks!
As the weather warms up, our kids get thirstier at recess. Make sure they have full water bottles! Missing a water bottle (or 4)? Check out the lost and found and claim yours! Label the water bottles that you send to school so that can be more easily reunited with their rightful owner!
Cool mornings and hot days means our kiddos are taking off cute sweaters and light jackets and forgetting that they ever wore one. Stop by the lost and found and take home the cooler weather gear that belongs in your coat closet instead of on our racks!
Please help us empty the racks before the end of the school year! On 6/13 during our celebration for retiring and departing teachers, our racks will be outside! Anything left will be donated!
Field Day Fun!!!
We had a fabulous time at field day - the weather was perfect. Thanks to all for pivoting to accommodate the possibility of inclement weather. A shout out to Mr. Avery and Ms. Deemer!
Health Room Notice
The school health room is reminding parents and guardians that all medication stored in the health room must be picked up no later than 1:20 pm, student dismissal time, on the last day of school, June 12. Medication left in the health room after that time will be discarded. It is school policy that medications must be picked up by the parent or guardian. Medication cannot be sent home with your student.
Medication authorization forms for next school year may be obtained from the school or online at https://www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/school-health-services. A medication authorization form is required for any medication, prescription or over-the-counter, to be kept at school.
Student Intentions If Moving
If you plan on moving or attend a different school for the 2024-25 school year, please complete this form. Note that students who are affected by the boundary change do not need to remit this form. It is to capture students who are moving out of state or otherwise.
Kindergarten Updates 2024-25
We look forward to meeting our rising kindergarten students. Our virtual parent information session is Available here. To register your child, use this link. Please share information about your rising kindergartener here. It will help us ensure that we have staffing and also support placement needs.
Thanks to our sixth graders for supporting the parent tours - they are the best!
Testing Results
Later this month, you will begin receiving your child’s spring assessment results. If you aren’t sure what assessments your child took this year, view this list of tests by grade level on FCPS’ website.
How the results are delivered depends on the test. Scores will be posted in SIS ParentVUE, or sent by mail or from the school or testing organization. Learn what to expect regarding assessment reporting practices and timelines.
Visit FCPS’ website for additional information about student assessments, including what each assessment is testing for and how to interpret the test results. Caregivers should contact their children’s teacher with any testing questions.
New SOL Growth Reports for Grade 3-8 Tests Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) test results, along with other student data, help demonstrate in which subjects or topics students may need additional academic support.
In order to help interpret SOL results for parents, the Virginia Department of Education has released new Standards of Learning Growth Parent Reports for families of students who took grade 3-8 SOL math and reading tests this spring.
The Growth Parent Report ties together scores from fall and winter Virginia Growth Assessments (VGA) with the student’s current spring SOL results to show their trend in academic progress this year.
Learn how to understand your student’s grade 3-8 SOL results and find resources to support their ongoing learning.
Adventure Begins At Your Local Library This Summer!
Kent Gardens students were treated to a visit from Marta Steenstra Davis, Youth Service Manager at Dolley Madison Library. “Ms. Marta” shared information about the summer reading program and presented books talks on possible summer reads. Learn more about the public library summer reading program at https://research.fairfaxcounty.gov/reading-challenges/summer-reading
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Fairfax County is hosting its 1st Puzzle Hunt! When: Launches June 15, 2024
The Solving Fun Puzzle Pals have been hard at work, creating an exhilarating adventure for puzzle solvers. We are thrilled to announce the Fairfax County Puzzle Hunt, a unique community event that will take you on a journey to the wonderful parks in Fairfax County. Starting this summer, solve one puzzle or do them all. Puzzles are filled with creative thinking, logic, and wordplay. They are designed to be challenging and accessible for all skill levels. Solve the puzzles and then find clues at the parks for a final meta-puzzle. Walk, bike, and roll at our wonderful local parks with friends and family. For more information go to www.solvingfun.com/fairfax.
Rising 7th Graders - Longfellow MS
Jump Start Registration Now Open! - Jump Start registration is now open on MySchoolBucks. Choose between session 1 – August 5th – 6th or session 2 – August 7th – 8th. Hours are 8:30a.m. – 12:00p.m. Look forward to learning about Longfellow with school tours, ice breakers, scavenger hunts, team building and more. If you have any questions, contact Lavina Gangwani-Colaco at lkgangwanico@fcps.edu
PTA News and Ending the Year Strong at KG!
Consider serving as a PTA board member for 2024-25. We have several open PTA Board positions - President, President-Elect, Financial Secretary.
Please email Andrea at kgptapresident@gmail.com for more information or interest in joining the Board in one of these positions. You can also serve as a committee chair or member. Be on the lookout for a sing-up genius with information on how YOU can be instrumental in helping us offer the great events and programs that really make Kent Gardens AMAZING!
Kinder Playdates
Kinder Playdates are informal gatherings on the KGES playground so our rising kindergarteners and their families can meet each other. You are welcome at any or all playdates. Information about the PTA and school programs will be available during the playdates. Remember sunscreen - the playground is not shaded. Please note, bathrooms are not available during the playdates.
Saturday, June 22, 9 – 11:00 a.m,; Wednesday, July 17, 6 - 8:00 p.m. You can confirm the status of the play dates on the KG PTA Facebook page.
Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities
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. The only limit is your imagination. Sign-up to provide treats here!
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.
Summer Basketball and Karate Camps
Announcing Basketball and Karate summer camps! This link should work we have reset it - yet again ! Registration is open now- join us for a summer of fun at Kent Gardens! View schedule and register.
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