Back to School Night! August 28th
We look forward to seeing all of you on Wednesday, August 28th for Back to School Night. This evening is for parents and is not intended for children to attend. Below is the schedule for the evening:
Grades K-3 Information
- 5:00 pm - 5:40 pm- Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd Grade Meetings with non-Immersion Homeroom Teachers
- 5:30 – 5:55 p.m. – Teacher Switch for p.m. for Immersion (1st/2nd) and 3rd Grade Teachers
- Special Education teachers will be available with grade level classrooms
Parents in Kinder, First and Second may depart or visit the specialists in the times below beginning at 5:45 p.m. or 6 p.m. The sessions will begin at 5:45 pm and at 6:00 p.m. See the information below.
Specialists Meetings – Open to K-6 Parents
- 5:45 pm- 6:15 pm- Art, P.E., Music, FLES, STEAM, Band and Strings in the Cafeteria
- 5:45 pm- 6:15 pm- AART, ESOL teachers, Counselors, Librarian, Reading Specialist, Special Educ. Lead in the Library
- 5:45 pm- 6:15 pm- Special Education teachers available in their respective rooms
- Sessions are open to all parents. Teachers will introduce themselves at 5:45 p.m. and another session at 6 p.m.
Grades 4-6 Information
- 6:15 pm - 7:15 pm- 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade Meetings with Teachers
- Special Education teachers will be available with grade level classrooms
- 6:45 p.m. Teacher Switch for the afternoon class for all students
Patrols Supporting our Arrival and Dismissal!!
Plan Forward - Dates to Mark on Your Calendar
August 26: First PTA Meeting - Special Officer Election and "Get to Know Volunteer Opportunities" on August 26th, 9 a.m.
August 28: Back-to-School Night (Parents/Caregivers Only)
Grades K-3: 5 - 6:00 p.m.; Grades 4 - 6: 6:15 - 7:15 p.m.
August 30 and Sept. 2: School Holidays
2024-25 FCPS School Calendar
Back to School Picnic!
Thanks to our PTA for a wonderful event. We had an amazing turnout and all enjoyed socializing and getting to know our new and returning families. Join us at the PTA meeting on Monday, August 26th at 9 a.m. in the cafeteria. There will be an officer election and other discussions regarding volunteer opportunities.
Administration Highlights
Dear Parents,
We had a wonderful time at the Back to School Picnic hosted by the PTA. The food trucks were a 'hit' and we had beautiful weather. Check out the pictures above which tell the story. Note that we also post on Facebook @KentGardensES to check out the individual pictures.
On Monday August 26th, the PTA has it's first meeting at 9 a.m. in the cafeteria ~ Please do join the meeting and learning about volunteer opportunities and new information regarding for officer information and other important announcements for the start of the year.
Most importantly, we have Back to School Night on Wednesday, August 28th. See additional details below. Kindergarten through third grade begins at 5 pm. Specialists will be available from 5:45 - 6:15 p.m. Grades 4 - 6 will begin at 6:15 p.m. All parents should go directly to your child's homeroom for the initial meeting.
For safety purposes, we have included a form for parents to complete to ensure that we understand your child's transportation for both arrival and dismissal. Please do begin the school year with the usual mode of transportation to ensure routines are being established.
Finally, note the sign up below for band, strings and chorus. We have a vibrant and wonderful music program at Kent Gardens! This week the students have been meeting the teachers! We look forward to having all of our fourth graders participate in strings and fifth and sixth graders may choose band or strings and can also choose to participate in chorus.
See you all tomorrow morning!
Warmly,
Holly McGuigan Tia Hawkins Sarah Talley
Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal
Early Release Mondays - Complete the Survey! 50% Response rate to date! We Need 100% Response Rate to Ensure your Child's Safety
*New* Monday Early Release Schedule We require 100% response for ALL students for safety purposes. Currently, we have a 50% response rate. To plan for childcare needs during the early release Mondays, please complete this form: https://forms.gle/8WwWE8cVHpd7ft3j6 for each of your children who are enrolled at Kent Gardens.
Note that the early release is 12:35 p.m. on the following days: September 23, October 28, November 25, February 24, March 17, April 28, and May 19. This time will be utilized for teacher plan time to support students and complete required teacher professional development connected to the new Virginia Literacy Act. There are new reading and math standards and other initiatives. Additional information can be found on the FCPS Early Release Mondays webpage. If you have immediate questions, please email ESPlanning@fcps.edu.
Band and Strings Sign Up for 2024-25 School Year - 4th, 5th and 6th Grade Students
We are excited about another fabulous year of band and strings! We will introduce students to the instruments during the first weeks of school. 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. David Funderburk dwfunderburk@fcps.edu and Ms. Tzu-Ching Tai, tetai@fcps.edu are amazing instructors and available with questions. They will be introducing the various string instruments – viola, violin, cello, and bass to the 4th graders. Playing a string 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. Students who participated in strings in the fourth grade either stay with the strings instruction or explore a new instrument in band. Our amazing, experienced FCPS band instructors, Mr. Brad Zimmerman, an amazing, experienced FCPS band instructor, bszimmerman@fcps.edu, and Ms. Allison Parrell, akparrell@fcps.edu 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. .
Chorus 2024-25 Sign-up for Rising 5th and 6th Graders
Are you interested in joining the chorus? Please sign up in the google form here. Chorus class will be held once a week. Some requirements to join:
- Students should attend 2 after school (evening) concert performances (dates TBD). Possible additional performances may arise.
- Attend weekly before school rehearsals regularly.
If you have questions please contact Ms. Kaylie Paik, hpaik@fcps.edu (6th grade chorus) or Ms. Angela Lee, ajlee@fcps.edu (5th grade chorus)
#kgpride #BeTheGold #StrongerTogether #YouBelong
Our vision for the 2024-25 school year will incorporate 'kintsugi' practice. Collectively, we will 'BeTheGold' - being resilient and supportive.
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KG Important Apps and Links
Click on the image below to go to the website with the links and QR codes or clidk this link to support the QR codes below for parents. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the KG Important Apps and Links. These links include lunch information through MySchoolBucks, Here Come the Bus App, Digital Consent Form, Schoology, etc.
Parent Reminders for the 2024-25 School Year
Sign Up for SIS ParentVUE - Access your student’s attendance records, grades, and assignments at any time with SIS ParentVUE. Parents/caregivers should receive an activation code when they register their child. Contact the school registrar [add contact info] if you need a code.
Need help creating an account? This video walks through the steps. Find out more about SIS ParentVUE.
Update Your Contact Information - To be sure you receive important information from your schools, update your phone numbers and/or email addresses in the Parent/Guardian section of SIS ParentVUE.
Update Immunizations and Records
Immunizations are required for all students to attend school in Virginia. This is an important part of protecting them from certain diseases and keeping them healthy. Please log in to SIS ParentVUE to see what immunizations your child has recorded.
Parental Digital Consent Updates
We also want to inform you that the new Parent Digital Consent site is live! Student consent forms previously available on ParentVue have been moved to the Parent Digital Consent System (PDC). Families can log into the PDC using their ParentVue credentials to complete consent forms assigned to their child. If you have a new ParentVue account, you must wait 24 hours after it is created to use the PDC.
Forms available include: School Counseling Opt-out, Digital Resources Consent, SEL Screener Opt-Out, Family Life Education Opt-out, SOL Retest Permission, Objection to Release of Directory Information to the Public, Objection to Release of Information to Outside Organizations
Recess ~ Wonderful Weather Week!
Free and Reduced-Priced 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, so eligible students continue to receive meals at no cost.
PTA News ~ First PTA Meeting - Monday, August 26 9 a.m.
At our FIRST PTA meeting of the year, we'll be holding a special election. While everyone is welcome, ONLY those who have joined the PTA for the SY 24-25 will be eligible to vote. Join today! We'll also be sharing the myriad ways you can volunteer! Whether as a room parent, member of a committee, or supporting our awesome events through your time and in-kind donations, you make our community better! Consider taking on an open board position:
1.President Elect 2. Financial Treasurer and 3. VP of Events
Make plans to attend and learn more about how your PTA is ROARing into this new school year at Kent Gardens! Our next General Meeting will be Friday 9/27 at 9am!
Join the PTA now!
We are looking forward to having a strong year and supporting the school. Get connected, access great resources, affect change, be a role model and, most importantly, benefit your child. How? By joining the PTA!
Join the Kent Gardens Parent Teacher Association (PTA) ~Make a Difference This Year!
Join a Committee - Be on the lookout for an upcoming SignUp Genius with dates for events and programs for this year! Please consider signing up as a Chair/Co-Chair or Committee Member! Sign-ups at Back to School Night on 8/28!
Be a Room Parent - Room Parents help support teachers by organizing class t-shirts, connecting parents with each other, and taking the burden of class parties off of teachers so they can focus on teaching our kids! Being a room parent can feel daunting, but you CAN do it! Consider stepping up for 2024-25. There'll be a meeting in early September for all Room Parents!
Teacher and Staff Love Wednesdays - The KGES Wellness Committee has shared that teachers and staff LOVE when there is coffee/tea available for them in the lounge...and they REALLY love treats! Help us shower our teachers and staff with love every Wednesday this year by bringing in coffee/tea, snacks, bags of mini candies, or whatever goodies you think might help sweeten their day. You can also help stack the staff lounge with paper plates/cups/napkins...etc. Please choose a slot to volunteer and drop off in the Staff Lounge by 8am on Wednesdays to show some love and support for our fabulous teachers and staff.
Parent Coordinator for Chess Club
We are in need a parent coordinator for Chess Club to run smoothly. If you would like to volunteer, please email either Mr. David Mehler, our Chess Club instructor, or our PTA President at kgptapresident@gmail.com.
Girls on the Run Volunteer Coaches- The KGES Girls on the Run currently does not have any coaches confirmed for the fall and cannot run the program if we don't find one or two adults to volunteer. Practices would take place either M/W or Tu/Th between 3:45-5 p.m. The kids of any parent volunteers are guaranteed a spot in the program and coaches' kids get a registration discount. Please contact Danielle Newman if you're interested in volunteering. Registration for girls opens Aug. 19.
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Kent Gardens “One & Done”
Our 2025 Goal: Raise $45,000 by September 30th. Thanks to our generous donors we have raised $10,000 before school even started!
This campaign is a one-time donation to the school. Your donations provide the majority of our operating revenue and help enable us to give funds back to the school, programming, and the teachers. Through the generosity of our families, in the 2023-2024 school year, we were able to provide the following:
- Heritage, STEM and Literacy nights - teacher supply grants and appreciation week - replacement of all the cafeteria tables - purchase of new picnic tables and additional classroom wardrobes - solar eclipse glasses
The first 200 donors will receive KGES PTA supporter car magnets. Stay tuned for our class competition in September. The suggested contribution is $175 per family, but any amount helps us make Kent Gardens a GREAT place to be! Donate here and consider covering your fees to make sure your full donation goes to supporting our school.
After School Academies - Sign Up Now!
 Your KGES PTA is so excited to offer the Afterschool Academies for the Fall 2024! Registration opens Tuesday 9/10 at 9am and will close through Tuesday 9/17 at 1159pm, but don't wait around! Popular classes will fill up fast!
This fall, we're thrilled to see classes with Ms. Altman, Mr. Avery, Mr. Biggs, Mr. Blake, Ms. Deemer, Ms. Elpant, Ms. Klader, Ms. MacDonald, and Ms. Nabaki. Our teachers are AMAZING so register early to avoid being waitlisted!
Science Olympiad
Science Olympiad will be gearing up for another successful year with Mr. Shivnen! Grades 3-4 and 5-6th will compete against other schools in Virginia Science Olympiad (VASO). Sign up quickly as Parent Meetings will start soon! 3-4th grades' meeting will be Friday, Sept 6th at 8am, and 5-6th grades' meeting will be held on Friday, Sept 13th at 8am, room number to be announced. Consider signing up to be a Parent Science Olympiad Chair! If interested, email Mr. Shivnen at jjshivnen@fcps.edu
Click Here to register for Grades 3-4 ($100)
Click Here to register for Grades 5-6 ($150)
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Math Competition Clubs (MC2)
3rd Grade: Math Club will include 3rd graders again this year! This is an investment in our future MC2 teams. The 3rd grade MC2 will meet once a week at Kent Gardens 7:45 – 8:35 AM. Students will attend one of two sessions on Wednesday or Thursday. The program will run from September 18th through April 10th. Instruction will be provided by long-time MC2 coach Jeff Shivnen. 3rd grade Math Club will use Virginia Math League and MATH COUNTS Competition level resources. Students who are interested in extending their math appreciation are invited to sign up. Cost: $295 for the year. Click here to register your 3rd grader for Math Competition Club!
4th-6th Grade: Calling all Mathletes! Does your student have a strong interest in math? Math Competition Club may be for you! This is for 4th-6th Graders who are eager to learn advanced math concepts and apply them to compete against other schools and students. Classes will begin in September and the program wraps up in March (exact dates will be sent out). We will have a hybrid program, with one class in person from 4-5pm, and the second class online from 445-545pm. Intermediate Class will be held on Monday/Wednesday and Advanced Class will be held on Tuesday/Thursday. See our website for more information! Program price is $850 for the year. To register, CLICK HERE!
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Chess Club
Want to have fun and learn new strategic skills? Join Chess Club! Any Kent Gardens student in 2nd through 6th grade may sign up. Chess Club will meet on Wednesdays from 3:45pm to 5:15pm in the cafeteria at Kent Gardens Elementary. The Fall session will start in September and continue through January, exact dates will be announced soon. $185 for the session.
IMPORTANT! We are in need of a parent coordinator for Chess Club to run smoothly. If you would like to volunteer, please email either Mr. David Mehler, our Chess Club instructor, or our PTA President at kgptapresident@gmail.com. Click here to register for Chess Club!
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