A message from Principal Steven McFarlane
Kilmer Community,
It’s been an interesting return from Winter Break, but nevertheless, today was energizing to get everyone back in the building. January is a busy month as we kick off academic advising. There are a lot of moving parts as we focus on the here and now, while also preparing students for next year. Please take the time to review the blurbs below.
Lastly, as I mentioned before break, we’ll spend time the next few weeks reteaching and reemphasizing our school behavior expectations. We would appreciate your help in talking with your child about the importance of following rules and expectations at Kilmer. Through our collective efforts, we can ensure that Kilmer continues to be a fun and productive learning environment for our students and staff.
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!
Kyle J. - Thank you for being proactive and helping a new student locate the website and information necessary to complete the class assignment. You're very kind, helpful, and most of all, thoughtful.
Sanjana S. - Sanjana is dedicated to improving and learning. She is a role model for other students.
Viviana M.P. - Viviana, thank you for being a positive influence in our Health & PE class. You are helpful in our class and are a good role model for your peers. Keep up the good work.
 Upcoming Dates:
Course Registration Events:
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January 14 - Madison High School’s Rising 9th Curriculum Night, 6:00-8:00 pm
- Presentation: 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (Auditorium)
- Curriculum Fair/Electives Showcase: 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Town Hall, Small Gym)
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January 27 - Marshall High School IB Night, Monday, January 27 at 5:00 pm in the Kilmer Middle School Cafeteria.
- The Marshall IB Coordinators and IB Student Executive Board will be presenting at Kilmer on Monday, January 27 at 5 p.m. There will be an overview of the IB program, recommendations of courses Kilmer students should take in middle school, and most importantly, student voices about different aspects of IB courses at Marshall.
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January 30 - Rising 8th Grade Math Night, Thursday, January 30 at 5:00 pm
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February 6 - Marshall High School’s Rising 9th Grade Orientation
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Winter Testing
- iReady Testing January 15th during Learning Seminar Flipped Schedule (Snow Date: January 17th)
- MAP Testing January 22nd during Learning Seminar Flipped Schedule (Snow Date: January 24th). Students who don’t finish during Learning Seminar
- FCPS School Calendar 2024-25
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A huge thank you to the custodial team! They’ve worked tirelessly the past few days and the sidewalks around our building look fantastic.
Course Registration for the 2025-2026 School Year
At Kilmer Middle School, our goal is to provide a challenging academic program. We encourage students to select courses that reflect their abilities, strengths, and interests to create a balanced academic schedule. To help guide course selection decisions, teachers will provide feedback, and students will have multiple opportunities to explore course options. These opportunities include curriculum night events, content-specific presentations, and course videos showcasing next-grade-level options. All students will participate in one-on-one academic advising sessions with their school counselor to finalize their course selections for the 2025-2026 school year.
We will continue to share important event and activity dates related to course registration throughout January and February. Visit the Course Registration page on the Kilmer Website to learn more about the academic advising timeline.
Crosstown Hoops and Tryouts - Updated Dates for Boys
Kilmer’s Annual Crosstown Hoops Basketball Game against Thoreau MS will be held on Thursday, April 3 at Marshall High School. All students are welcome to try out. We play the following games: 7th grade girls, 7th grade boys, 8th grade girls, 8th grade boys.
All tryouts will be held during our After School Program:
- 7th Grade Boys - Wed/Thurs, January 22nd & 23rd, 2nd block
- *Boys must attend both dates for tryouts.
- 7th Grade Girls - Tuesday, January 14th, 1st block
- 8th Grade Boys - Wed/Thurs, January 22nd & 23rd, 1st block
- *Boys must attend both dates for tryouts.
- 8th Grade Girls - Tuesday, January 14th, 2nd block
Health and Physical Education FLE Announcement
Instruction of the Human Growth and Development unit (gender separate) will take place from January 30 through February 5th during HPE class. Instruction of the Emotional and Social Health unit will take place during regular health class during the 3rd quarter.
A parent preview night will be held both in person and virtually on January 6, 2025 from 4:00pm to 5:30pm. The in person option will be held in the Kilmer Library. The virtual option can be accessed at the link below:
https://myfcpsk12.zoom.us/j/92612134506
If you choose to opt your student out of any or all of these lessons, please print and fill out the opt out form for your student’s grade level and have your student return the form to Ms. Wood in student services. The opt out forms can be found at the following link: https://kilmerms.fcps.edu/department/health-physical-education
To view the lessons in both FLE units please login to schoology and click on the All Parents/Guardians course. On that page there is a folder called Parent Preview - FLE Instruction with the FLE lessons.
If you have any questions, please contact your student’s HPE teacher.
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
Attendance Reminder
Getting your student into the habit of daily attendance helps reduce their stress and makes it easier to connect with friends and teachers. We understand each year may present extenuating circumstances that lead to missed days. However, we hope to increase timely communication regarding absences as they occur to prevent patterns that could impact your student’s well-being.
Please read the tips below to support regular school attendance and foster a positive attitude regarding school and education:
- Scheduling: Schedule family vacations, trips, appointments, and other out-of-school activities during school holidays. See the FCPS calendar.
- Engagement: Help your student stay engaged by asking open-ended questions about what is going on in school. Encourage those conversations, daily!
- Monitor Attendance: Monitor your student's attendance in ParentVue. By the end of the school year, if a student misses just two days each month, they may be considered chronically absent.
- Social-Emotional Health: If your student expresses anxiety about school, contact your student’s counselor.
Missing even a few days can negatively impact a child's academic achievement and we want to partner with you to work toward your child's success. If you have additional questions, please contact your child’s school counselor, we would be happy to speak with you further about how we can support your child’s attendance for the rest of the school year.
Lightspeed Parent Report
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