Spirit Day!
We all wore our jerseys and celebrated the end of the week! #kgpride #StrongerTogether #WeAllBelong
Plan Forward - Dates to Mark on Your Calendar
February 3 - 7 - School Counselor Appreciation Week
February 4- 2nd quarter report cards available in SIS ParentVUE
February 8 - Book Fair Planning Meeting - Cafeteria (PTA info below)
February 11 - Spelling Bee KG Library 2 p.m.
February 13 - Math/STEAM Night! 5 - 6:30 p.m. Middle or high schooler volunteer? Here is a link - thanks for spreading the word!
February 13 - Immersion Registration Link Closed
February 17 - President's Day Holiday
February 20 - School Club Pictures
February 24 - Three Hour Early Release Monday
February 28 - PTA Meeting 9 a.m.
March 10 - 14 - Spring Book Fair
March 12 - Literacy Night 5 - 6:30 p.m. Middle or high schooler volunteer? Here is a link - thanks for spreading the word!
March 21 - Yearbook Order Deadline
March 21 - Kent Gardens' Washington Wizards game - come watch with your friends - link below!
March 27 - PTA Meeting with Guest Speaker - Mary Smith 7 p.m. (See info. below!)
May 3 - Spring Spectacular Fun Run and 5K
2024-25 FCPS School Calendar
Administration Notes
Dear Parents,
Please note that we have a 3 hour early release this month. We will be using the past dates decisions on student pick up etc. You will receive an email indicating your past decision. Call the office to change your child(ren)s departure.
This week is Counselor Appreciation Week - what would we do without our simply FABULOUS counselors!! Show Ms. Altman and Ms. Fernandez some love!
Math/STEAM Night is coming up on 2/13! We have some fabulous vendors and great activities. Do you know a middle/high school student that needs volunteer hours? Here is a link!
Warmly,
Holly McGuigan Tia Hawkins Sarah Talley
Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal
Counselor Appreciation Week! - Feb 3 - 7
We simply LOVE ♥ and APPRECIATE our counselors! Please show your support and join us in thanking Mrs. Fernandez and Ms. Altman for all they do for our school!
STEAM Night! February 13th 5 - 6:30 p.m.
We are looking forward to STEAM Night on February 13th. We have the Mad Scientist, Robotics and more! Come enjoy the evening - our teachers will be there as well with fun activities!
Do you know a middle or high schooler that would like to volunteer? Here is a link - thanks for spreading the word!
The 6th Grade will be hosting a fundraising booth during this year's STEAM night that will feature baked goods and creative items for sale, all contributed by our amazing community. Proceeds go towards the 6th grade promotion ceremony and party. The 6th graders need our community's help with donations of baked goods and small items to make this a success. Stay tuned for a sign-up genius and more information!
Student Intentions - 2025-26 School Year
Please indicate your child(ren)'s intention for the next school year if you are moving or will attend another school. One form should be completed for each child ONLY if you are moving or will attend another school. This input will support our staffing and planning for the next school year. This information is non binding but will simply be used to plan. If you are returning, you do NOT need to complete this form. The link to the form is here.
Rising Kindergarten Student Intention 2025-26
Please complete this form if you have a rising kindergartner and plan on attending Kent Gardens. If you are hopeful to attend, you may complete but please note your status in the form below. We are not using this data for evaluative purposes nor for placement purposes but merely to collect information for the beginning of the school year. All students come in at various levels academically and socially. We are excited for our 2025-26 kindergarten students!
Kindergarten Parent Information Meeting will be through Zoom (link to follow) on March 21st at 8 a.m. Sign up here to receive the link.
The Parent Tour and Kindergarten Student Orientation is on Tuesday, April at 1st 2:00 p.m. (Parents and students attend together) Link is here to reserve your tour time.
Kindergarten Registration
If you have a child who will be 5 years old by September 30, they are eligible to attend Kindergarten for the upcoming year. Registration paperwork can be downloaded at this link. Once you have completed the paperwork and gathered the required documents, please come into the front office to meet with our registrar, Annie Joseph.
Alternatively, you can now choose to use online registration tool. If you choose the online option, you will then have to come into the office with the child’s original birth certificate, your proof of residence (deed/lease) and your ID. You can contact Annie Joseph to coordinate a convenient time.
Immersion Registration
FCPS offers DLI programs in French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish. Online lottery application closed on February 13 at 4 pm for rising kindergarten and first graders dependent upon the school. A SIS account is required to complete the application. If a student is not currently enrolled in FCPS, registration at the base school is required. Please contact Annie Joseph, ajoseph@fcps.edu if you need a create an account and live in our boundary. FCPS does not provide transportation for students who live outside the attendance area of the DLI school. A one-time fee of $100 must be paid upon acceptance of an out-of-boundary placement (see Notice 5922).
Program Sites and Informational Meetings - The dates for various schools are in this link. For registration information, please visit: https://www.fcps.edu/registration/dual-language-immersionprograms-registration . For general program information: https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary/worldlanguages-immersion-programs
Rainy Day Recess!
Dear Families,
This week, our school community will focus on the character strength of Optimism. Optimism means that you expect the best from the future and work to achieve it. Optimistic people have hope and confidence about the future. They believe good things will come and stay positive even when faced with challenges. They turn obstacles into steps toward their goals.
Optimism isn't just seeing the world through rose-colored glasses. It's about focusing on the good in any situation, staying open to opportunities, and managing emotions. Optimistic people make great leaders and can inspire others with their positive outlook and ability to find meaning in difficult times.
To practice and encourage the character strength of optimism at home, please visit The Positivity Project’s mobile-friendly P2 for Families (available in English and Spanish), where you will watch a video together and discuss a quote and three questions. Below are links to this week’s P2 for Families lessons. Click on the grade level that best meets your child’s needs.
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News from Shelley Lowinger - Parent Liaison
Fairfax County Park Authority is celebrating the Lunar New Year on Saturday, February 8th from 6-8 p.m. at the Twin Lakes Golf Course 6201 Union Mill Road • Clifton. There will be performances, demonstrations and local food trucks. Free, registration required. Lunar New Year Flyer
Reading Opens the World Book Drive and Family Literacy Fair on Feb. 8th from 10 - 2 p.m. at the Lorton Community Center, 9520 Richmond Hwy, Lorton, VA
Free Books for Families and Educators! • Books are available on a first-come, first served basis, so arrive early! • Parents and guardians are welcome to choose up to 10 free books per child for home libraries, with a 30 books maximum limit per family. • Educators and school staff may choose up to 50 free books for their classrooms. • Fun family activities including DJ, food trucks, and free Valentine’s Day card making area!
Varsity Tutors Provides On-Demand Support at No Cost for all FCPS Students K-12 - FCPS is partnering with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with extra resources for learning. Every student can take advantage of Varsity Tutors’ services at no cost, including weekly live online classes; on-demand 24/7 chat tutoring; essay editing; and study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests. Learn more about online tutoring with Varsity Tutors.
Cold-Weather Clothing - If you need assistance getting cold-weather clothing for your family, please contact Shelley Lowinger, our Family Liaison, at rlowinger@fcps.edu. You may also contact Fairfax County Coordinated Services Planning (CSP) at (703) 222-0880. Their multilingual staff can assist with any challenges you are facing including food, shelter, employment, financial assistance and health care.
Proposed Budget
Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid presented the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Proposed Budget at the School Board meeting on Thursday, January 23. Watch a video of the presentation. The proposed budget reflects FCPS’ continued focus on providing a world-class education for each and every student while recognizing the hard work and commitment of our outstanding employees. The budget focuses on competitive compensation — including a 7% salary increase for all staff — investing in students who require additional support, and the continuation of multiyear investments. It reflects the needs of and FCPS’ commitments to Fairfax County students, families, and community members. Learn more on the Budget website.
📈 Virginia’s Student Assessment Summary for Families
This month, families of students who took any Standards of Learning (SOL) test between school years 2015-16 and 2023-24 will receive a Student Assessment Summary Report. The report shows a student’s state percentile ranking for each test. This allows families to see how their child ranked compared to all Virginia students who took the same test that year.
Reports are available now in SIS ParentVUE Documents. We will distribute them to students whose families do not have ParentVUE access. Learn how to access ParentVUE. The report is intended to help families reflect on how their child performed across all tested subjects over the years. Our staff members are committed to working with families to help every student reach their highest potential. Learn more about student assessments in FCPS.
 The QR code above and the link is here to purchase the yearbook. Use code 21772. We will close the purchase window March 21, 2025. Buy now to ensure you will have a yearbook for your child(ren)!
Longfellow Rising 7th Grader Update
It was such a pleasure meeting many of our rising 7th graders, parents, and guardians during last week’s Curriculum Night! We hope you found the evening informative and gained valuable insights into our curriculum, course offerings, and the wonderful opportunities to connect with our staff and students. If you weren’t able to attend, no problem! All presentations are available on the LMS Academic Advising website for your convenience. Thank you for your partnership—we’re excited to work together to support your student’s success as they begin their middle school journey!
Middle School Transition
The Middle School Transition Matters Newsletter: Elementary Edition is here! This Winter 2024-25 edition helps foster curiosity, self-awareness, and career readiness in elementary students. It includes practical tips, activities, and local resource ideas to connect classroom learning with real-life experiences. Highlights include: ideas for integrating transition planning into lessons and family discussions; strategies to build self-awareness and explore interests; fun ways to introduce career awareness through reflection, exploration, sharing, and activities; hands-on group projects and pre-vocational activities to build real-world work skills.
Rising 7th Grader Immunization Requirements
Parents of rising 7th graders have received an email regarding your child(ren)'s immunizations. The Code of Virginia, requires all students to be immunized against certain communicable diseases. All students entering 7th grade are required to receive one dose of each of the following immunizations prior to the beginning of school: Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis booster (Tdap), Meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY) and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Additional information regarding compliance will be in the letter.
PTA News
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!
We are still searching for a President Elect to join our PTA board. Contact Jenny Gregory, PTA President for more information
Our Next PTA Meeting: February 28 at 9am
We are still searching for a President Elect to join our PTA board. Contact Jenny Gregory, PTA President for more information!
Our next General Meeting will be February 28 at 9am in the cafeteria!
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This year, our evening PTA Meeting will be held on Thursday, March 27th at 7pm. We will have a quick meeting, followed by our guest of honor, Mary Willcox Smith. Ms. Smith is a Parent Coach, Speaker, and Author of the book Small Moments, The MicroStep Method® for the Overwhelmed Parent. Join us while she speaks on The Power of Small: How simple shifts can turn overwhelm into connection and resilience.In this engaging presentation, filled with humor, real-life stories, and transformative insights, you’ll discover how to turn daily struggles into small shifts that spark lasting change—helping you parent with confidence and ease. Parents may submit questions prior to the evening here.
Make a Difference This Year! - Volunteer Opportunities
Sixth Grade Promotion Party Planning Meeting! Join us on February 12 at 845am in the cafeteria for the 6th grade Promotion Party Planning Meeting. Volunteers will plan activities, fundraising, decorations, and food for this epic party in June to send off this year's 6th graders in true KG style (over the top awesome goodness, of course)! If you’re interested in helping and missed the very first email, email kgptapresident@gmail.com to be included.
Book Fair Planning - The Spring Book Fair is run by the PTA (with a massive assist from Mrs. Hershey and Ms. Nabaki) and helps us raise money to support Kent Gardens. For a successful book fair, we need YOUR help!
Do you love the smell of fresh books as the bankers boxes are opened? Do you remember the joy of walking into your school's book fair? Do you want to help encourage kiddos to expand their love of reading? Or maybe you just want to spend a few days hanging out with our incredible school library staff! Join us for our book fair planning meeting on Wednesday, February 19 at 9am in the Cafeteria.
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!
Come Watch the Wizards!
Please join us for Kent Gardens Elementary Night at the Wizards on Friday, March 21st! All purchasers through this special link will receive a discounted ticket price, with a portion of each ticket sold will go back to Kent Gardens Elementary PTA! After the game, join us for a concert by DJ Diesel AKA Shaquille O'Neal! https://fevo-enterprise.com/event/Kent25
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Chess Club Starts This Week
Spring Chess Club will start 2/5 and run through 5/28. Chess club will be announced at dismissal and student report to the cafeteria at 3:45 p.m. Parents pick up outside of cafeteria at 5:15 p.m. There are only a few spots open - $185 per session. Register here.
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