A message from Principal Steven McFarlane
Kilmer Community,
It’s been a fantastic week! The first week back is always filled with a mixture of emotions. Students are excited and a bit nervous, but quickly they settle into their new routine, getting to know their teachers and new friends along the way.
As educators, we know how important it is for us to teach, and reteach, expectations to students. I spent time this week on the PA system walking students through the schedule. Students have done an amazing job learning how to safely maneuver the hallways, transition to/from recess, as well as lunches. Additionally, teachers have been doing the same thing inside their classrooms. We know that it’s imperative to explicitly teach routines and procedures so our students are set up for success throughout the year.
Finally, beginning Monday, Kilmer is continuing our program to celebrate positive student behavior. Teachers and staff are encouraged to write a “Positive Referral” to students who demonstrate exemplary behavior. Every Thursday/Friday, students who have been recognized by a staff member during the week will receive a special note. Along with the note, students will also receive a voucher to redeem for a reward during lunch on Fridays. Additionally, we will showcase a copy of the note in the Main Hall to inspire other students to make positive choices. We look forward to celebrating how Kilmer students make a positive impact every day!
Have a great weekend. As always, reach out if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Steven McFarlane
Principal
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 Upcoming Dates:
Students have settled into the lunch routine, and many of them have been bringing cards to play with friends.
Welcome to Joe Gillen, our new Science 7 teacher. Students eagerly asked him questions about his favorite sports teams and experience as a researcher.
Science 8 students collaborate to identify the most important Lab Safety rules in Mr. Mahowald’s class.
Algebra students in Mr. Prevost’s class collect data on baskets made to ultimately perform data analysis and construct a scatter plot.
Attendance
Our goal is to partner with families to help minimize the number of days students are absent. Getting your student into the habit of daily attendance helps reduce stress and makes it easier to connect with friends and teachers. We understand that each year presents different extenuating circumstances that lead to missed days. However, we hope to increase communication in regards to absences to reduce impact on your student’s well-being. FCPS has created a Health Flyer for Parents indicating when a parent should keep their child home from school. Please review FCPS Attendance Policies and resources to encourage regular school attendance.
Beginning in the 24-25 school year, parents/legal guardians can report up to two consecutive absences through SIS ParentVUE. Learn more about attendance reporting through ParentVUE HERE. Families can also report absences by emailing KilmerMiddle.Attendance@fcps.edu or calling 703-846-8888 before 9:00 am each day. If parent contact is not made within 48 hours, the absences will be recorded as unexcused.
Locker Update
Students will have the option to request a hall locker during the third week of school. A locker request form will be posted on Schoology, Tuesday, Sept. 3. Students will have until Friday, September 9 to submit their request. Students who make a request will receive their locker assignments and locker combinations by email on Monday, September 16. The dates to request a locker have been updated to allow students time to determine whether or not one will be needed this school year. With the introduction of FCPS laptops, the amount of lockers requested by students has significantly decreased over the past couple years. If your child is in need of a locker prior to these dates, please contact your child’s school counselor.
Damaged Chromebooks
All students have been given a brand new Chromebook for the 2024-2025 school year. An important reminder, please ensure your student keeps the protective cover on. These protective covers are vital to keeping Chromebooks in great condition. If a Chromebook is damaged (meaning willfully, or by being careless), families will be charged through MySchoolBucks. A breakdown of costs are below:
Parent Digital Consent - Forms
Beginning August 1, many of the parental consent and opt-out forms will be made available through a new Parent Digital Consent System. A parent or guardian will need to log-in using their SIS ParentVue username (email address) and password. If you have just registered your SIS ParentVUE account you will need to wait 24 hours before you can log in to the Digital Consent System. The SIS ParentVUE Account Overview page has information about registration and how to get support with your account.
Some forms in the system are required (like the Digital Resource Consent), while others, like the Family Education Opt-out form, are optional. If you have more than one child in FCPS, you must fill out the forms for each.
Free and Reduced-Price Meals
The application for free and reduced-priced meals is now available for the 2024-25 school year. Students who were approved for free and reduced-price lunch last year are eligible for the first 30 days of school this year (or until a new application is processed). Families should re-apply as soon as possible for the 2024-25 school year, so eligible students continue to receive meals at no cost.
Lightspeed Parent Report
The After School Program & Athletics Welcome Letter is linked on the Kilmer website, https://kilmerms.fcps.edu/afterschool_newsletter. Topics include:
- What is the After School Program?
- When does After School start?
- How do students sign up?
- Middle school athletics
Hello Kilmer Families!
We can't believe the first day of Kilmer MS is just around the corner! The Kilmer PTA is planning some exciting events for the fall that will help the students and their families get acclimated, have fun, and build community. We will be promoting these events through both Kilmer's brand new facebook group and our email newsletter. Please be sure to sign up for one or ideally both so you can stay in-the-know! Unless you opt-in, you will not hear from us!
- Click here to join the new Kilmer PTA facebook group. The group is private and limited to Kilmer families and staff - so please be sure to answer the security questions so we can approve your membership. You may also use this group to post questions and other information related to Kilmer.
- Kilmer has a brand new website through Membership Toolkit. When you visit this site, please be sure to create an account and add in your information for the student directory. Joining the Kilmer website is free and will allow you to receive the Kilmer PTA's email newsletter as well as access the student directory. Please be sure to add your email - and you will be able to select what, if any, information is made public to the other Kilmer families. Any shared emails will only be used to send Kilmer PTA related info.
- While on our website, you will be able to JOIN THE PTA! Kilmer PTA membership is only $20 for families and $10 for teachers. The Kilmer PTA relies on membership funds to host fun events for students including the Fall and Spring Festivals, support teacher appreciation, and so much more! Joining the PTA does not require you to volunteer in any way - but we'd love to have your help if you would like to get involved!
We are looking forward to a wonderful year! To get more involved with the PTA or if you have any questions, please reach out to us!
Wendy Rosner - president@kilmerpta.org
Laura Roper - treasurer@kilmerpta.org
Mandy Ryan - secretary@kilmerpta.org
Middle School Sports – Cross Country
Kilmer hosts Fall Cross Country as a part of FCPS Middle School Athletics Program and is open to all–no experience required! Practices will be held after school beginning in September (details forthcoming).Late Bus Transportation is provided at 4:45pm. Cross Country Meets begin September 21st (tentative). Students must participate in at least 3 practices prior to competing.
What Is Required? Students and parents will need to complete these steps prior to participating, including:
Kilmer Afterschool Registration Form (Must be signed into student’s FCPS Google Account)
FALL 2024 Middle School Sports Participant Registration Form
Each Student-Athlete and a Parent/Guardian will review the FCPS Middle School Sports Athletic Health Education Program prior to the student’s participation in middle school athletic activities.
- Check ‘I Agree’ button to indicate this was completed
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Link embedded near end of Registration Form (second to last question…Health Education Program)
Once completed, the forms below must be submitted to the Main Office collection box for Ms. Kardelis, After-School Program Specialist to review and process:
FCPS Middle School Sports Athletic Participation/Parental Consent/Physical Examination Form (PPE). The exam must be completed by a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant. Please note that the form must be dated on or after May 1, 2024, for the 2024-2025 school year. Student-Athletes in FCPS are required to be covered by medical insurance.
Emergency Care Card information
Bell Schedule
The bell schedule is on the Kilmer Website along with a PDF link for families who want to download and/or print.The first day of school is our Anchor Day (see schedule below), and we’ll walk students through all schedules (Anchor, Green, and Blue) the first couple weeks of school. Students can identify their assigned lunch based on their 5th period and 6th period teacher. The teacher lunch schedule can be found below the bell schedule.
Updating Student Information Through SIS ParentVUE
The Online Verification Update (OVU) packet in SIS ParentVUE allows parents to review and update phone numbers, emergency contacts, and health information (such as health conditions and immunizations). The enrolling parent can access OVU through their SIS ParentVUE account. Parents/Guardians can continue to use traditional paper forms to submit changes to Kilmer Middle School. Paper forms can be submitted to the Kilmer Student Services Office.
Important: Do not use the OVU packet if your address has changed or if you moved to another FCPS school. Contact the Kilmer Student Services Office directly to complete address updates or to withdraw and transfer your student to the new school.
7th Grade Immunization Requirement
All students entering 7th grade are required to receive one dose of each of the following immunizations prior to the beginning of school: Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis booster (Tdap), Meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY) and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
- To meet the Meningococcal (MenACWY) requirement, the vaccination must be administered at age 10 or older.
- As a parent/guardian, you may decide that your child not receive the HPV vaccination. The school does not require documentation if a parent/guardian elects for their student not to receive the HPV vaccination.
If you have not submitted immunization documentation to your child’s elementary school this past spring or to Kilmer Middle School this summer, please submit an updated immunization record showing that your child has received the missing immunization(s) to KMSImmunization@fcps.edu. Starting Monday, September 30, students who have not provided proof of immunization will not be allowed to attend school.
If you have questions regarding your child’s immunization status, please contact Gail Wood, Student Services Assistant at gmwood@fcps.edu.
Cell Phone Pilot Study
As a reminder, Kilmer is in the “control group” that will not use cell phone storage pouches. Our focus is on consistently implementing the current cell phone policy with fidelity. At Kilmer, that means from 7:30am to 2:15pm, cell phones and devices (including tablets and Airpods) must be off and away in backpacks (not pockets). Smart watches may be worn, but the phone, messaging, and internet viewing features must be off (in airplane mode). These expectations and routines will be shared with staff and students each day through announcements, and all students will participate in a cell phone lesson during Learning Seminar classes next week.
All middle schools will follow the same guidance and collect the phone if a student is not adhering to the “off and away” expectation during the school day:
We appreciate your support in reinforcing these policies at home and ensuring your child understands the importance of following them.
Securly Pass
Our biggest priority at Kilmer is the safety of all of our students, including knowing where students are in case of emergencies. To support us in this work, Kilmer, along with many schools across FCPS, will be implementing Securly Pass for the 2024-2025 school year.
Securly Pass is an online platform that allows Kilmer staff to issue hall passes to students anytime they need to leave a classroom. This new platform helps us to manage how many students are in the hallways during the school day, helps us keep students in the classroom during essential instruction, and creates a safe environment for our students.
Students are able to access Securly Pass through their school-issued device using any web browser. Students may request a pass to leave the classroom or request an appointment with a staff member (counselor, administrator, clinic team, etc.). Staff are able to automatically approve the passes quickly, with limited impact on the instruction of the classroom.
Students will have three hall passes per day for their personal use but can request additional passes from their teachers if the need arises. While students are out of the classroom, the pass system monitors how long they are gone so that teachers can focus on the remaining students in the classroom. Our administrative team and security staff are able to monitor active hall passes building wide to ensure we are able to provide effective supervision in appropriate areas.
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