Kilmer Community,
It’s hard to believe we are in the final few weeks of the 1st Quarter. Please continue to review SIS/Schoology with your student, and if you have any questions feel free to contact your student’s teacher.
We hope to see you at our Fall Festival next Friday, October 18th from 2:30-5:00 PM. If you’re able, please Sign Up To Volunteer. We will have inflatables, a live DJ, food trucks, concessions, and a photo booth to capture all the fun memories. The event is free, but the food trucks are not, so remember to bring cash. I will communicate with students next week that if they are going to the Festival they need to report directly there after school, or if they head home they’ll need to come back with an adult. Students will not be allowed to leave campus and then reenter the Festival without an adult.
Have a wonderful weekend and as always, reach out with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Steven McFarlane
Principal
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Here are just a few of the Positive Referrals received by our Kilmer Cougars from staff members this week!
Kawsar K. - Kawsar was very focused in History class when we were reviewing for our Unit 2 test on Westward Expansion. She made sure to have me check her answers and ask for help when she needed it! :) I am so proud of you for working hard!
Daniel O. M. - You did a great job presenting your project to me in Ms. Batson's class. That was a tough assignment which required you to speak in front of many adults, and I am proud of the work you did.
Katelyn A. - Katelyn's class was playing a review game with bingo chips, and someone had spilled a lot of them on the floor. As soon as she saw what had happened, she immediately started cleaning them up (even though she had nothing to do with making the mess). I appreciate her help and thoughtfulness!
Cyra S. - Helped to create a poster explaining class guidelines for Lexia completion.
Kaelyn H. - Kaelyn thank you for helping pick up the fitness 500 worksheets without being asked to. Your kindness does not go unnoticed and thank you for being a great role model for your peers!
 Upcoming Dates:
- October 31st - End of 1st Quarter, 2-Hour Early Release (12:15 PM dismissal)
- November 1 - Holiday, No school
- November 4 - School Planning Day, No students
- November 5 - Teacher Workday, No students
- FCPS School Calendar 2024-25
 Students in Ms. Lal, Mr. Collymore, and Ms. Alvarez’s classes celebrated Osman’s birthday this week!
 While delivering Positive Referrals to students this week, I had the pleasure of stopping by Ms. Bonneau’s room and got to watch the Wind Ensemble in action.
 Students in Ms. Batson’s English Language Development class worked on a project where they had to design a game they thought would be beneficial to students at Kilmer. Afterwards, they presented their projects to teachers, counselors, and administrators.
Kilmer MS Fall Festival
Date and Time: Friday, October 18th, 2:15 PM- 5:00 PM
Location: Kilmer Middle, right after school
Join us for the Kilmer Fall Festival on Friday, October 18th, right after school until 5 PM! It's going to be an afternoon full of fun and excitement for everyone. We’ll have inflatables, including the thrilling "Leaps and Bounds Challenge" and "Human Foosball." The kids can dance to the tunes spun by our DJ, grab a bite from the food trucks or concession stands, and capture memories at our photo booth.
What to Expect:
- Inflatables: "The Leaps and Bounds Challenge" & "Human Foosball"
- Live DJ
- Delicious food from food trucks and concessions
- A fun photo booth to capture all the memories
Fall Festival Volunteers Needed! We cannot run the Fall Festival without some additional parent volunteers. We need adults to help with the flow of lines for the inflatables and food trucks! We have two different shifts available - please consider signing up for one or both. Thank you for volunteering! Sign Up To Volunteer at the Fall Festival
Upcoming Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Assessment
The Virginia Literacy Act (VLA) and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) require schools to provide reading and mathematics screening tests for all students in grades 6-8. These assessments also fulfill a requirement for reading and mathematics growth assessments under the Virginia Assessment Program (VAP). Test results help families and teachers know how to support each student’s learning and development. The Academic Screening, Growth, and Diagnostic Tests webpage provides more information on these tests.
The Math MAP Growth Assessment will be delivered to all students, regardless of course, during math class during the following dates.
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8th Grade
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7th Grade
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Thursday, October 17
Friday, October 18
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Tuesday, October 22
Wednesday, October 23
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Winter and spring retests are required for students scheduled for spring SOL 6-8 Math and Reading tests. Retests provide additional growth data to guide instruction. Students scheduled for SOL Algebra 1, Geometry, or Algebra 2 tests will retest with MAP Growth Math if they score below benchmark or if additional growth data is needed for the student. Based on academic screening results, some students may require a reading plan or math intervention plan. Some students may require additional diagnostic tests to help teachers determine specific areas for support. If you have questions about academic screening, growth, or diagnostic tests, please contact your student’s teacher or the school's test coordinator.
Reflections Art Contest
Calling all creatives! Are you into art, photography, music, dance, film, or writing? Enter the Reflections Art Contest! This year's theme is "Accepting Imperfection"! You can enter one submission each in any (or all!) of the six categories! Deadline for entries is November 15.
- For ARTWORK file: name, category and division - e.g., JaneSmith.VisualArts.Middleschool.Entry
- For ENTRY FORM file: Similar naming convention: JaneSmith.VisualArts.Middleschool.Form
- Upload these files to the contest DROPBOX.
- Questions: Reflections@kilmerpta.org (use non-school email)
TJ Investigative Science Fair Interest Meeting
Please note the date/format has been changed to October 18 and will now be virtual. Scan the QR code below for more information. Feel free to also check out their website at tjsciencefair.wordpress.com or email them at tjhsstsciencefair@gmail.com.Click to edit this placeholder text.
Reminder to Order School Pictures
School Photos are now online! Families should have received an E-proof via email. Please remember to check your spam. For any questions about your student's school pictures please contact: underclass@vosphoto.com
Join the School Book Committee
We are excited to invite parents to join our School Book Committee! This is a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with other parents and educators to select and promote texts that enrich our students' reading experiences. As part of the committee, you will choose new titles for the Language Arts curriculum should the need to review arise. Your input is invaluable in ensuring our texts reflect the diverse interests and needs of our students.
If you're interested in joining or would like more information, please email Erin Dwyer at edwyer@fcps.edu
After School Activities News/Updates
Each week Ms. Perry will post a detailed overview of our After School Program to our website. Please visit Kilmer’s website at https://kilmerms.fcps.edu/afterschool_newsletter to find the weekly After School newsletter. If you have any questions regarding our After School Program please reach out to Saundra Perry (Acting After School Specialist) at slperry@fcps.edu.
October PTA Meeting
Join us for our next PTA meeting on Tuesday, October 15, at 7 PM. Whether you prefer to attend in person or online, we’ve got you covered! Come hear important updates, share your thoughts, and connect with other parents and staff. We hope to see you there! A link to the meeting will be shared closer to the date.
Executive Board Contact Information
On Time to Class
To help create a smooth and effective learning environment, we ask that students make every effort to arrive on time to each class. Please review Kilmer’s response to tardies outlined below. These will begin on October 1, 2024. Parents/guardians will be notified if your child is assigned lunch or after school detention.
- Tardy Sweeps: Tardy sweeps will begin in October and occur randomly throughout the year. A tardy sweep means if your child arrives to class after the bell, the teacher’s door will be locked, and a staff member will record the tardy. Students who are recorded in a tardy sweep will be assigned lunch detention.
- Class Tardies: Students may receive an office referral from their teacher if they reach four tardies to a single class. Students who receive an office referral will be assigned after school detention.
- Excessive Tardies: Students who reach a total of 10 or more tardies in a calendar month will be assigned an after school detention.
Regularly monitoring your student's tardies in ParentVue helps ensure they stay on track with punctuality and reinforces good habits for academic success. It is important for students to be in all classes on time every day, we will work with you and your child should there be issues or concerns that prevent them from getting to classes on time.
Lightspeed Parent Report
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