Three Hour Early Release
Please note that the first Three Hour Early Release is upcoming on 9/23. We have reached out to all families and will continue to contact families who have NOT responded. Look for personal emails or we will be contacting the enrolling parent directly by phone. We must have information on dismissal for every child. It is for your child's safety. If you have questions, feel free to contact the office with updated information by emailing or calling Sonia Shi
The dates for the Three Hour Early Release are as follows: 9/23, 10/28, 12/9 (change from 11/25), 2/24, 3/17, 4/28 and 5/19. Note the change in the November 25th date - it is now December 9th.
We will be remitting confirmation emails. This week, enrolling parents should look for an email. If there is a change, please email or call Sonia Shi.
A Peak Inside the Classrooms!
Administration Notes
Dear Parents,
We had a busy week at school. Students are truly settling in and getting used to the structures and routines.
Please do note that immunization records must be up to date for all children and we do require evidence of the records by 9/30. Without these records, students will NOT be able to attend school. See the section below for additional information.
Keeping students and staff safe is a priority for all of us. We have a crisis management and emergency preparedness plan for our school that is reviewed and updated regularly. Our plan includes procedures on how to respond to incidents such as fires and tornadoes. Students and staff regularly practice these drills every school year. We also practice lockdown drills and will practice a lockdown this week.
A new Virginia Law (22.1-137.2) requires schools to notify parents at least 24 hours before a school practices a lockdown drill. However, we are not required to share the exact date and time of the drill. We are required to practice lockdown drills two times a year. FCPS lockdown drills do not include any type of active shooter scenario training, they are instruction and classroom based.
Additional information on our lockdown drill program to include parent tips and FAQs can be found on the Emergency Planning and Crisis Response web page. After reviewing this content, you should discuss the value of these safety drills with your child.
Keeping our school safe and secure for all students and staff involves the participation of the entire school community, and we thank you for your help to keep our school safe.
Finally 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.
Thanks as always for your support!
Warmly,
Holly McGuigan Tia Hawkins Sarah Talley
Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal
Band and Strings Have Begun!
Thanks to our fabulous teachers - the students are beginning to learn how to play their instruments and learn new music!
Plan Forward - Dates to Mark on Your Calendar
September 18: Advanced Academic Program meeting with Ms. Bulford - come learn about the referral process to support your child. 9 a.m. Cafeteria
September 23: Three Hour Early Release - Confirmation emails will be remitted - please do contact office with questions.
September 26: Author Visit Joanna Ho for Kinder - Third Grade
September 27: First PTA Meeting 9 a.m. Cafeteria
September 27: Wear Red, White and Blue Day! Blue Star Welcome!!
September 30: All Students Immunization Records Up to Date and Submitted to School ~ Required for School Attendance
2024-25 FCPS School Calendar
Immunization Updates - 9/30 Deadline
Please check with your health care provider as soon as possible to make sure your child is up to date on the immunizations required by the state of Virginia. Starting Monday, September 30, students who have not provided proof of immunization will not be allowed to attend school.
You may check your child’s immunization compliance and submit their immunization record in SIS ParentVUE. Records may also be delivered to your school’s front office to Annie Joseph. Please contact Ms. Joseph with questions.
Alternative immunization documents (below) may also be provided to your school’s front office, but they may not be uploaded in ParentVUE:
- A health care provider’s written statement specifying all administered immunizations.
- A health care provider’s written statement of a permanent or temporary medical exemption.
- A notarized Religious Exemption form objecting to the administration of immunizations due to conflicts with their religious tenets or practices.
Find more information on immunizations.
Blue Star Welcome Week! 9/23 - 9/27
Blue Star Welcome Week is an opportunity for our community to welcome our military-connected families and show them our appreciation for their service and sacrifices. Please help us welcome our military families during Blue Star Welcome Week, September 23 - September 27, 2024, and throughout the year!
Kent Gardens will celebrate by wearing red, white and blue on September 27th! We will also share notecards for all of our military families on Friday 9/27. We look forward to your support!
Our Character Strength of the Week - Being Present....
This week, our school community will focus on the Other People Mindset of Being present and giving others my attention. This means when we are with other people, we are present and give them our full attention.
In today's world, it's easy to get distracted by phone calls, messages, and social media. These distractions can pull us away from what's most important — our relationships with other people.
Just as plants need sunlight to grow, our relationships need attention. If we don’t give our full attention when we are with our family, friends, and even colleagues, we can't build strong relationships. It’s crucial to put down our phones and tablets and really listen when others are talking. Positive relationships are the foundation of a positive culture, and we can’t build positive relationships without attention.
To practice and encourage the Other People Mindset of being present and giving others our attention, please visit the Positivity Project’s P2 for Families. There, you will watch a video clip together and discuss a quote and three questions.
|
Author Visit - Joanna Ho!!
 We are SO excited to welcome author Joanna Ho to KGES on 9/26 for students in grades K-3! Students can order books for Ms. Ho to personalize. Child’s Play is discounting the books by 20% and she will personalize them when she is here. Orders MUST BE RECEIVED by MONDAY, September 16! Use this order form and return to Mrs. Hershey in the library!
Introducing Family Buddy Program
Are you a new family that just moved to the Kent Gardens Elementary School? Are you new to KGES and seeking to connect with others in our school community? Do you have questions about school or would like to meet other KGES families? Or, are you a current Kent Gardens family and are interested in hosting a new family in town? Good news! We have just the program for you! form
To welcome new families to our school and help them get acclimated more quickly, we are thrilled to announce our new Family Buddy Program. This program partners new families with returning families to be a useful resource with school information and a new connection to the community. Our Family Buddy Program is an effort to build community and help welcome new families to Kent Gardens. It matches existing school families with new families to ensure a smooth transition to school.
Who can be a Buddy Family? A Buddy Family is any KGES family enrolled in the 2024-2025 school year and willing to be a resource for questions that a new family may have throughout the school year.
How does the Family Buddy Program work? Participating KGES families will be paired with another family that best matches their child(ren)’s grade level (depending on participation). We asked that Buddy Families reach out to their new families within 1 week of being matched and meet in person at KGES events or own their own.
What makes the Family Buddy Program so awesome? As a Family Buddy, you will help a new family feel comfortable and become accustomed to KGES and provide seasoned and friendly advice on school happenings. And as a new family, you will benefit from an established KGES family’s knowledge and experiences helping to make a smooth transition.
If you are a new family and interested in participating in our Family Buddy Program or are a returning family wanting to help, please complete this form by September 27th and we will partner families by early October. Please note: by participating in this program, you are giving permission to share your contact information with the new or returning Buddy Family. Depending on participation, effort will be made to match families up with same grade level or age of KGES students. Questions about our Family Buddy Program? Contact Shelley Lowinger, our Family Liaison at rlowinger@fcps.edu.
Inside or Outside - We Love to Share Our Happiness! #kgpride #BeTheGold
Family Literacy Program
The Family Literacy Program is part of the Office for ESOL Services in Fairfax County Public Schools. It is designed to empower and connect English Learner (EL) families to their community and with their children’s school. Adult learners acquire basic English language skills while learning how to understand, participate, and support in their children’s education in Fairfax County Public Schools. Access more information at this link!
PTA Highlights
|
Join the PTA for SY 24-25
PTA membership for the school year costs $20 and is about more than monthly meetings and the odd event here and there. The PTA supports schools and that means staff, teachers, students and their families in ways that go beyond what any one group would be capable of on their own. Make joining the PTA at Kent Gardens a priority. We can't be the PTA we are without parents and other caring adults like YOU!
One & Done Campaign
Thanks to our generous donors we have raised over $30,000!!
Let’s make our lion roar!! Our class competition has begun!! The class with the highest participation per grade will win a popsicle party and lunch for their teacher!! Competition ends September 30. The early classroom leaders are:
Kindergarten - Schuetz, Gilani; First - Allen, Le Moigne; Second - Krafchick, Vance; Third - Hinton, Johnson; Fourth - Esparcel, Firebaugh Fifth - Caron, Biggs; Sixth - Lim, Kyaw
Reminder - The first 200 donors will receive KGES PTA supporter car magnets which will be distributed to students 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!
|
Our Next PTA Meeting: Friday 9/27 @9am
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 VP of Events
Contact Jenny Gregory, PTA President for more information!
We look forward to seeing you at the PTA meeting on Friday 9/27 at 9am!
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!
Ways to 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! Remember - we cannot offer the great events and programs without our volunteer support! Look for sign-ups at the next PTA meeting.
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.
KGES Food Bus Food Rescue Program Volunteers Needed
|
|
|
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.
|
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! Fifth and sixth grades meeting will be held on Friday, Sept 13th at 8am, Room 116. Consider signing up to be a Parent Science Olympiad Chair! If interested, email Mr. Shivnen.
Register for Grades 3-4 ($100)
Register for Grades 5-6 ($150)
Math Counts Sign Up
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. 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. Register 4th-6th graders for MC2!
Register for 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. The club will run Sept 18th through January 22nd. Deadline to register is Friday Sept 13th, or until full.
Register for Chess Club!
Girls On The Run! Looking for Coaches!
Registration for Girls on the Run is now open through Sept. 17 at gotrnova.org. We only have enough coaches to field one team and could use at least one more adult coach who can volunteer either M/W or Tu/Th between 3:45-5 p.m. The kids of 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.
STEAM Classes are FUN!!
We have embraced Ms. Cantanucci and her fun classes!
|
