A message from Principal Steven McFarlane
Kilmer Community,
It is with a heavy heart that I reach out today. I could not let the weekend pass without acknowledging the unspeakable tragedy that occurred this week. Many in our community are grieving, as the families we lost were deeply connected—not just to us, but to the broader community and even the national figure skating community.
As we all process this heartbreaking loss, I hope you take care of yourselves and each other. Our thoughts and prayers are with the immediate families and with our entire community. There are no words to fully capture this loss, which only underscores how deeply interconnected we all are.
Please know that from the moment we learned of this tragedy, we put support systems in place for our students and staff. Our staff has been, and will continue to, keep a close eye on your children to watch for signs of unusual stress or difficult emotions, so they can refer these students to a member of our crisis support team.
If you feel that your child would benefit from talking with one of our support staff, please call us at 703-846-8806. For after-hours support, please contact the 988 Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You might also find this resource helpful when talking to your child.
As always, reach out with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Steven McFarlane
Principal
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 Upcoming Dates:
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February 5 - Marshall High School counselors will meet with 8th grade students planning to attend Marshall for 9th grade during Learning Seminar to discuss course options for the 2025-2026 school year.
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February 6 - Marshall High School’s Rising 9th Grade Orientation, 5:30-8:00 pm (Snow Date: February 11)
- FCPS School Calendar 2024-25
2nd Quarter Grades
Gradebook and Report Card Modules in SIS StudentVUE and ParentVUE will be unavailable from Tuesday, January 28th @ 4PM through Tuesday, February 4th @ 6AM. On February 4, 2nd quarter report cards will be visible in SIS. A printed version of 2nd quarter report cards will be sent home on Friday, February 14.
Course Registration for the 2025-2026 School Year
Course registration for the 2025-2026 school year will take place over the next two months. To guide students in selecting courses, teachers will provide feedback, and students will have several opportunities to explore their options.
Upcoming 7th Grade Activities:
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Monday, February 2 and Thursday, February 3 - Course Kick-off for the 2025-2026 School Year
- 7th grade teachers will introduce students to 8th grade course content and options, covering: Differences between general education and honors courses, Course expectations, Content-specific details and elective options.
- Students are encouraged to ask questions and seek feedback from their teachers to help them select courses that align with their academic strengths and interests.
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Wednesday, February 5 and Monday, February 10 - Learning Seminar and Advisory Course Registration Lesson
- Students will use SIS StudentVUE to select their initial courses following the course kick-off.
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February - March: One-on-One Academic Advising
- Each student will meet with their school counselor to finalize course selections in SIS StudentVUE. During these sessions, students will reflect on their choices and consider enrolling in honors courses that match their strengths and interests while balancing their workload and extracurricular activities. After meeting with their counselor, students and parents can view course selections in SIS StudentVUE and ParentVUE.
Upcoming 8th Grade Activities:
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Wednesday, February 5 - Marshall High School counselors will meet with 8th grade students and Learning Seminar Course Registration Lesson
- Students will be assigned to a Learning Seminar teacher based on their designated Marshall counselor. Those not attending Marshall will also be assigned to a classroom. Student location assignments will be emailed to students and posted next week.
- Marshall counselors will present during the first or second block of Learning Seminar. When high school counselors are not presenting, students will receive guided instructions from their teacher on how to enter course selections into SIS StudentVUE.
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February - March: One-on-One Academic Advising
- Each student will meet with their school counselor to finalize course selections in SIS StudentVUE. During these sessions, students will reflect on their choices and consider enrolling in honors courses that match their strengths and interests while balancing their workload and extracurricular activities. After meeting with their counselor, students and parents can view course selections in SIS StudentVUE and ParentVUE.
Food Drive - Interdisciplinary Teams
For the month of February, we’ve partnered with the PTA to conduct a food drive for Kilmer’s Food Pantry. The Kilmer’s Food Pantry has supported our very own Kilmer families for years. Each month the Food Pantry invites families in to get food bags, clothing, supplies, etc. and we need our larger communities' help. From February 1-28 we’ll be hosting a friendly competition through our Interdisciplinary Teams. The Interdisciplinary Team that donates the most food will win a celebration sponsored by the PTA during Learning Seminar.
Beginning this Monday, February 3, tables/wagons will be set out in the mail hall with Interdisciplinary Team signs designating where students can drop off their canned goods. We’ll have the tables out every morning for the month of February.
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7th Grade Teams
- Starbursts - Pasta
- Sirius - Mac & Cheese
- Supernovas - Canned Tuna/Chicken
- Comets - Canned Fruit, Canned Vegetables, or Canned Tomatoes
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8th Grade Teams
- Pegasus - Canned Tuna/Chicken
- Constellations - Dried Rice
- Guardians - Dried Beans
- Voyagers - Canned Fruit, Canned Vegetables, or Canned Tomatoes
SR&R and Cell Phone Policy Survey
All FCPS families and middle and high school students have received an invitation to participate in a survey about FCPS’ Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R), cell phone policy, and cell phone storage options. The survey will be available through Monday, February 3. Please take a few moments to share your feedback and help FCPS make informed, inclusive decisions for all of our schools!
Welcome Back Ms. Kardelis!
Today we welcome back Kim Kardelis from maternity leave! A special thank you to Saundra Perry for filling in the past few months. We’re grateful for expertise and the way you just hit the ground running. Thank you for keeping our After School Program running strong!
After School Activities News/Updates:
Each week Ms. Kardelis 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 Kim Kardelis, After School Specialist, at kckardelis@fcps.edu.
Executive Board Contact Information
Lightspeed Parent Report
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