Kilmer Community,
This week we had a special surprise! Kelly Colis and Tommy McFly visited Kilmer staff to drop off Georgetown Cupcakes as part of their annual “Teacher Tour.” Kilmer was nominated for our Positive Referral program by parent Courtney McCreesh. Each week I highlight just a few of the Positive Referrals submitted by staff for students. In its essence, the Positive Referral program captures a snapshot of the thousands of positive student interactions and contributions that occur daily at Kilmer. To date, almost 600 Positive Referrals have been submitted by Kilmer staff, and that number continues to grow. Next time you’re in the building, stop by the cafeteria windows to check out some of the Positive Referral submissions.
Please welcome Ms. Saundra Perry, Acting After School Coordinator. Ms. Perry is a retired After School Coordinator filling in while Ms. Kardelis is out on maternity leave. Be sure to read Ms. Perry’s bio below, and you can direct any After School Program questions to her at slperry@fcps.edu.
Lastly, we hope to see you at the Fall Festival this afternoon (2:30-5:00 pm). 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. A reminder that 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!
Dean S. - Dean I am so proud of you! You model maturity, responsibility, and great engagement in our class, please keep up the good work!
Gelder T. R. - Gelder, thanks so much for helping to clean up your breakfast table. When you went to throw away your own trash you walked by a few of your friends and offered to take their trash as well. It's the little things that add up, and I'm appreciative of the positive impact you make here at Kilmer.
Nirvanna C. - Nirvanna thank you for always demonstrating maturity and responsibility in English! Keep up the good work!
DJ C. - DJ always has a positive attitude and comes to every class prepared and more importantly excited to learn. He is a leader in our classroom!
Steven J. - Steven is responsible, hardworking, and consistently follows directions. He actively participates in group work, encouraging others to share their ideas, and sets a great example for his classmates.
 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
   Thanks to parent Courtney McCreesh for nominating the Kilmer staff for the Teacher Tour! We enjoyed the treats that came with our selection!
Outstanding Employee Awards Program
Nominations will open for the Outstanding Employee Awards on Monday October 21, 2024! To submit a nomination for a Kilmer Middle School Outstanding Employee in one or more of the categories below, please complete the Kilmer Middle School Outstanding Employee Awards Nomination Form.
You may nominate one employee at our school or multiple employees (one individual may only nominate one employee per category).
All that is required for a preliminary nomination is a paragraph or two about how this employee demonstrates exceptional work in one more of the criteria for that award category. The google form link has more information regarding the criteria for each of these awards. The eligibility requirements are below.
Outstanding Teacher
- Eligibility: Has at least three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district). Ex: Teacher or Librarian with 3+ years of experience
Outstanding New Teacher
- Eligibility: Has up to three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district). Ex: Teacher or Librarian with less than three years of experience
Outstanding Leader
- Eligibility: At least one year of experience in their current position and location as a Schedule-C or School-Based Administrator scale employee. This does not include the principal. Ex: Assistant Principal, Director of Student Services
Outstanding Professional Employee
- Eligibility: At least one year experience in current position as a Schedule-B employee or other non-instructional employee in a school that supports school leadership at their current location. Ex: School Based Technology Specialist (SBTS), Psychologist, Social Worker, School Counselor, Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART), Instructional Coach, Testing Coordinator, Clinicians, Speech Pathologist, After-School Specialist, Resource Teachers, MTSS Coordinator, Assessment Coach or Special Education Department Chair
Outstanding Operational Employee
- Eligibility: At least one year of experience in current position as Schedule-A or Classroom Instructional Support Scale employee at their current location Ex: Administrative Assistants, Office Assistants, Librarians, Finance Tech, Custodial staff, Food Services staff, Instructional Aids, Public Health Attendant, Public Health Training Attendant, Parent Liaison)
The deadline to submit a nomination is Friday, November 8, 2024. If you have any questions, please contact Melissa Smith, Assistant Principal, mwsmith@fcps.edu.
Impact Aid Survey Opens Monday, October 21
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is eligible for federal Impact Aid grants due to the federal presence in our area. The grants from these programs will become part of FCPS' general operating budget. They are critical to ensuring that students receive an excellent education. FCPS anticipates receiving approximately $3,000,000 in Impact Aid funds.
FCPS uses the survey for Federal Impact Aid to identify federally connected students. On Monday, October 21, the survey will be available to FCPS families online through ParentVue, in the “Online Packets” section. Click here for directions on how to access the survey. Families without ParentVUE can request a paper copy of the survey from their child's school. FCPS staff will process the information with the utmost confidentiality.
1st Quarter Grades
Student gradebooks in SIS ParentVUE and StudentVUE will be unavailable from Mon, Oct 28, 2024 @ 4:00 PM until Tue, Nov 12, 2024 @ 6:00 AM. At the end of this window, 1st quarter grades will be posted in SIS ParentVue and StudentVUE.
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.
Virtual Java Classes for Middle School Students
Fairfax High School students are offering a virtual workshop to middle school students in Basic Java and Advanced Java coding. They are doing this as a fundraiser to help buy supplies for their robotics club, as well as pay for competition fees. If your student is interested, please sign up below or reach out to the club sponsor, and chemistry teacher at Fairfax HS, Geeta Sridharan gsridharan@fcps.edu.
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)
While Ms. Kim Kardelis is out on maternity leave, Kilmer’s lucky to have Ms. Saundra Perry serving as our Acting After School Coordinator. Please see her bio below, and reach out to Ms. Perry at slperry@fcps.edu with any questions related to Kilmer’s After School Program.
Saundra Perry, a New York native has over 25 years’ experience in Human Service (Specialized in Prevention Services) with Fairfax County Government and Fairfax County Public Schools. Before retirement, she served as the After School Specialist at Walt Whitman Middle School. During her tenure with the County and FCPS she was a part of teams involved in the initial development of programs such as Road DAWG (Don’t Associate with Gangs), Girl Power and Fairfax County Golf initiative and Cops & Kids (Basketball program with local officers and students). She also began the annual Military Family Night tradition at Walt Whitman Middle to honor the military families.
After retirement, she worked as a substitute teacher, and temporary after school specialist at Herndon Middle and Whitman Middle. Recent projects included working 3 years for Fairfax County Health Department Covid project. She has a passion for service.
She graduated from Hampton University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and completed graduate work in Organizational Leadership.
Her loves are her three adult children, and her light are her three grandchildren.
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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.
Executive Board Contact Information
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
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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