Lunch ~ Smiles All Around!
Plan Forward - Dates to Mark on Your Calendar
September 2: School Holiday
September 23: Three Hour Early Release - Emails remitted to enrolling parents who have not responded or were undecided on dismissal.
September 27: First PTA Meeting 9 a.m.
2024-25 FCPS School Calendar
Positivity Project - Our Platform For Character Building for the School Year 2024-25
We have adopted the Positivity Project for this school year. This week, our school community will focus on the character strength of Teamwork. Teamwork means you work well as a member of a group or team. You are loyal, reliable, and dedicated to helping your team achieve its goals.
Teamwork involves prioritizing group success. Those strong in teamwork help all group members succeed, committing time and resources to the group's goals. They often delay personal accomplishments to ensure the group's overall success, which fosters positive feelings and counters selfishness and egotism.
For individuals, teamwork often means deferring or delaying individual accomplishments in order to ensure that the group maintains a high level of success. Their commitment to the larger group effort makes them good teammates. The positive feelings associated with being part of a larger whole — can be highly beneficial and combat selfishness and egotism.
To practice and encourage the character strength of teamwork at home, please visit the Positivity Project’s mobile-friendly P2 for Families. There, you will watch a video clip together and discuss a quote and three questions related to teamwork. Thank you for your continued support!
Administration Highlights
Dear Parents,
We hope all are enjoying this four day holiday. We had a packed week with Back to School Night on August 28th. We enjoyed having Dr. Michelle Reid, our Superintendent join us. She was very impressed with our teachers and your support!
Students are definitely settling into a routine. We had our first fire drill and it was successful. We will have another in a week or so to get us organized. Other future safety practices that will occur in month of September include Bus Evacuation Practice and Lockdown Practice (more to follow on this topic).
We have shared highlights for the week that include:
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Positivity Project Highlights (see details above)
- Technology Updates: The students received their laptops this week. Please sign the Digital Consent Release. (Information below). Note that parents can also track their child(ren)s internet usage. Here is the link to sign up for Lightspeed. It is a great tool to ensure your child's safety when browsing. Teachers use it during the school day routinely.
- If you haven't signed up for ParentVue, please do so. It is important to be able to access progress reports and more through this platform!
We are thrilled to host 4 French student interns in November of this school year. We are looking for 4 host families for these students for the month of November. The students may not be fully fluent and will need transportation to/from school for the month of November. If interested, please complete this google form which includes additional information.
We will continue to keep you updated with upcoming events. Have a wonderful extended weekend.
Warmly,
Holly McGuigan Tia Hawkins Sarah Talley
Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal
Introducing Our New Family Liaison ~ Shelley Lowinger
My name is Shelley Lowinger, and I am the Family Liaison for Kent Gardens Elementary School this year. I am a school support staff that connects parents to resources needed between home and school to further students’ success. My role is to support and facilitate communication between families and our wonderful school community. I encourage you to reach out to me to learn more about community and school events and can help you navigate any questions you may have regarding resources that you may need. As we begin this new school year, I encourage you to be an active participant in our school community. Your involvement and support are important to the success of our students.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need assistance or have any questions. I will regularly be at KGES on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and Fridays from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Kindly note that my schedule will be adjusted and flexible depending on school events, meetings, and school holidays. My email address is rlowinger@fcps.edu.
I look forward to partnering and supporting your family and sharing successes. We are going to have a terrific school year growing and learning together!
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Band, Strings, and Chorus Begin This Week!
We are excited to begin band, strings and chorus this week. The students should store their instruments in the front racks. The band, strings and chorus teachers are excited to start!
KG Ted Talks Begin This Week
If your child signed up for the KG Ted Talks with Lisa Waters and Peggy Tuma, they are planning on beginning this week. Please contact them with questions.
#kgpride #BeTheGold #StrongerTogether #YouBelong
Our vision for the 2024-25 school year will incorporate 'kintsugi' practice. Collectively, we will 'BeTheGold' - being resilient and supportive. We introduced to the students this week!
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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.
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
Inside the School~ !
PTA Updates ! Next Meeting: 9/27 9 a.m.
At our FIRST PTA meeting of the year, we approved the new board, accepted the PTA summer audit, and heard from Principal McGuigan about a need to think creatively about funding the yearbook!
Our Board for the 24-24 School Year is:
President – Jenny Gregory; President Elect – open; Treasurer – Hilary Mossberg; Financial Secretary – Cozie Sawyer; Secretary – Bethany Nguyen; VP Communications – Adrienne Denk; VP Enrichment – Kelly Pidgeon; VP Special Programs/Room Parent Coordinator – Rebecca Neumann; VP Events & Fundraising – open; Past President – Andrea Hager
We currently have open positions! Do you feel called to take a leadership role? Consider serving as:
President Elect or VP of Events
Contact Jenny Gregory, PTA President for more information!
Our next General Meeting will be Friday 9/27 at 9am!
Kent Gardens “One & Done”
Our 2025 Goal: Raise $45,000 by September 30th. Thanks to our generous donors we have raised $20,000 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.
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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 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!
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! 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- 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 site is here.https://www.gotrnova.org/
KGES Food Bus Food Rescue Program Volunteers Needed
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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 beccadw@gmail.com or lanavu@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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Lost and Found Updates
Join our virtual Lost and Found using our new FB group, The Things You Lose. Join the group to make sure you can see what's been lost so that hopefully it can be found.
Last year, our Lost & Found regularly had hundreds of items in it, requiring 4 hanging racks, 200 hangers, and so much staff and volunteer time. This year, your PTA is working hard to help keep this area much more manageable. We currently have over 20 items in the KGES lost and found! Let's reunite these items with their owners! Items with a Red Tag (items found in August) will be donated to housing insecure families on 10/18!
After School Academies - Sign Up Opens 9/10!
 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. Fernandez 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 4:45-5:45pm. 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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School Supplies Drive
All school supplies go to SHARE of McLean. Donations may be dropped off at Kent Gardens in the front lobby. Items needed include, crayola markers, colored pencils, #2 pencils, sticky notes, highlighters, eraser, white board markers, index, cards, composition notebooks, spiral notebooks, small scissors, plastic pencil cases, backpacks, TI-84plus or other graphing calculators (new or gently used). Thanks for your generosity! Deadline is September 6th - !
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