So Many Opportunities to Enjoy School Friends!
Plan Forward - Dates to Mark on Your Calendar
March 3 - 28 ~ March Picture Book Madness - Read and vote each week!
March 4 - 16 - McLean Pyramid Youth Art Show
March 10 - 14 - Spring Book Fair - Parents Must attend and accompany their child(ren) for both events below)
- Parents and Pastries March 11 - 8 - 8:45 am
- Family Night March 12 - 5 - 6:30 p.m. (same as Literacy Night)
March 12 - Literacy Night 5 - 6:30 p.m.
March 17 - Three Hour Early Release
March 21 - Yearbook Order Deadline 3/21 - code 21772 -Have you ordered
March 21 - Kent Gardens' Washington Wizards game - link here!
March 21 - Kindergarten Parent Virtual Orientation - 8 am. (Sign Up Here)
March 25 - Author Candace Fleming will join us! Order here!
March 27 - PTA Meeting ~Guest Speaker - Mary Smith 7 p.m.
April 1 - Rising Parent and Student Kindergarten Tours - 2 p.m. (Sign up here)
April 4 - Class Group Picture Day!
April 9 - Purple Up Day! Order a t shirt here from FCPS.
April 25 - Bingo Night Save the Date ! More to Follow!
May 3 - Spring Spectacular Fun Run and 5K
2024-25 FCPS School Calendar
McLean Pyramid Youth Art Show
Thanks to our fabulous teachers Ms. Kladler and Ms. Leavitt! The artwork is still open to viewing through the 16th of March.
Administration Notes
Dear Parents,
We look forward to seeing everyone at the Book Fair events or at Literacy Night. Please do note that parents must accompany your child(ren) at the events.
Remember to vote for March Book Madness - we need to vote every week! The links are noted above in the calendar or below in the informational block.
A gentle reminder when picking up your child(ren), we ask that you either go through kiss and ride or as a walker. We have had many children walking through the parking lot which is truly a safety issue. If you park, you should meet them in a designated spot by the front of the school and walk together as a group when the kiss and ride car activity has lessened.
Families, educators, and community members are invited to the 2025 FCPS Family Summit: Beyond Labels: Nurturing a Culture of Belonging. Fairfax County Public Schools will be hosting the free, in-person event in collaboration with valued community partners. The summit will be held Saturday, March 15, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at South Lakes High School. Learn more about this event and register today! Contact FamilySummit@fcps.edu for more information.
Thanks as always for your support!
Warmly,
Holly McGuigan Tia Hawkins Sarah Talley
Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal
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Literacy Night ~ March 12th
5 - 6:30 p.m.
We are looking forward to Literacy Night on March 12th. We have the Book Fair, karaoke, book estimating, KG Ted Talks and more! Come enjoy the evening - our teachers will be there as well with fun activities! Parents must accompany your child(ren)!
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March Picture Book Madness
This challenge will last the month of March! Join us in reading and enjoying the books. Click on this link to have access to the books and vote! We will vote every week for the month of march! Get ready to dive into the First Annual Kent Gardens March Madness Reading Challenge Book Tournament Bracket! Each round, books will face off, and your votes will determine which book moves forward until only two finalists remain.
🔹 Round 1: Vote by Monday, 3/10 - Vote now! Link here!
🔹 Round 2: Vote by Monday, 3/17
🔹 Round 3: Vote by Monday, 3/24
🔹 Round 4 (Finals!): Vote by Monday, 3/31
📢 How to Vote: Links for each new round will be shared via News You Choose and Schoology after votes from the previous round are tallied. 📖🎉 Join us in the reading madness and help crown this year’s champion book! Let the tournament begin! Click here to have access. #kgpride #StrongerTogether #WeAllBelong
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.
Kindergarten Student/Parent Tours - Sixth Grade Students Needed
On April 1st (School Planning Day), we will host our new kindergarten families and students. We would love to have our sixth grade students support in giving the tours. Sign up with a friend(s) and we will place you in groups of 2 - 4 for the tours. Sign up here!
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.
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.
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Author Visit ~ Candace Fleming - 3/25
We are thrilled to have author, Candace Fleming, come to KG on March 25! She has written over 50 books with flair for creating stories that capture the hearts of readers of all ages! Ms. Fleming will sign copies of her books for KGES students. To order books in time for signing, use THIS order form and return it to Mrs. Hershey in the library by MARCH 11! Forms received AFTER March 11 cannot be ordered. So many wonderful books!
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Dear Families,
This week, we are reflecting and reviewing our past work. Take the time to review with your family.
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News from Shelley Lowinger - Parent Liaison
Registration opens soon for Camp Fairfax! Camp Fairfax is a weekly summer camp located in public schools and community centers throughout Fairfax County for rising 1st - 7th grade children. Each weekly session offers the opportunity for children to explore their creativity and develop their talents and skills. Camp Fairfax also provides opportunities for children to develop friendships, enjoy time outdoors, and participate in field trips. Breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack are provided. A sliding fee scale is available. Registration begins the week of March 10, based on the location name. Please visit the Camp Fairfax website for locations and registration information.
Britepaths/Financial Empowerment Center (FEC) Winter Programs-Free Tax Debt Relief Clinic - Thursday, March 20th, 1 p.m.; Financial Empowerment Center overview; Personal Finance & Career Building (Tuesdays, 7 p.m., series of 6 sessions, March-April) Financial Budgeting Strategies (English Spanish) Small Business Workshop Series
Middle School Transition Fair Future Planning for Elementary and Middle School Students in Special Education for families, caregivers and educators of students receiving special education services
2025 FCPS Family Summit - Beyond Labels: Nurturing a Culture of Belonging, Saturday, March 15th - FCPS is pleased to announce the 2025 FCPS Family Summit - Beyond Labels: Nurturing a Culture of Belonging, an event hosted by Fairfax County Public Schools in collaboration with a host of internal and external community partners. This in-person summit will be held on Saturday, March 15th, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at South Lakes High School, 11400 South Lakes Drive, Reston, VA 20191. All families are invited to attend to come together to create a safer, more supportive, and inclusive community for all. Childcare will be provided during both the morning and afternoon sessions. Special education staff will be available to care for children with high support needs. Language interpretation will be provided. For more information, please visit the Family Summit website. Register for the Family Summit
Buy the Yearbook Now!
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)!
We will be remitting you a confirmation email to families that HAVE purchased. Our goal is to ensure that we are able to confirm purchases prior to the end of the year. Thanks!
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🚀 Prepare for a Summer of Learning and Fun
Registration will be available soon for summer camps offered by Fairfax County Public Schools for all students. Career and Technical Education (CTE) camps and Institute for the Arts (IFTA) camps will be held in July at Lake Braddock Secondary School from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bus transportation will be available from select FCPS middle and high schools. Registration begins for these programs on Monday, March 10, and ends Friday, June 6.
Tech Adventure Camp (TAC) is a week-long exploratory camp designed to allow current K-5 students to explore activities in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math), culinary arts, health, trades, and business and marketing areas. Watch this video about CTE camps.
E-IFTAis a weekly arts camp for students in grades 2-5 who love to sing, dance, act, perform, make, and create. Students take part in four daily classes related to dance, music, theater, and visual art. They work with FCPS fine arts teachers who create fun and engaging classes.
For more information, see the Summer Learning page.
Women's History Month
Join us in celebrating Women's History Month! We recognized Women in Sports this past Friday on March 7th. We have the following dates whereby students can wear Spirit Wear!
March 14 - Women in Music and Art
March 21 - Women in Science
March 28 - Empowered Women
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Curiosity, and Joy for Learning
The FCPS Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Advertised Budget invests in academic growth and excellence for each and every student, which is one of the priorities of the FCPS Strategic Plan. A strong start for every student is Goal 1 of the Strategic Plan. Pre-K classrooms are making a difference in our community. In this video, we explore the importance of bringing children under the age of five together, regardless of abilities. Learn more about the FCPS FY 2026 Advertised Budget. View the Budget Development Calendar to stay up to date and learn about opportunities to provide feedback to Fairfax County and FCPS.
💬 Share Your Input on the County Budget
The Fairfax County government presented its Fiscal Year 2026 Advertised Budget Plan to the Board of Supervisors on February 18. The community is invited to share feedback through an online survey, email, phone calls, or by attending Budget Town Hall meetings.
Spring Book Fair
 Our Spring Book runs March 7-14, but you can also shop online through March 21st. Volunteers are KEY to ensuring our Spring Book Fair runs smoothly! Remember the joy of walking into a freshly set up book fair, breathing in the smell of new books, and itching with excitement to pick out a new book to call your very own? You can help create that feeling for our Kent Gardens community by volunteering for the Fair. Sign up here!
Reusable Shopping Bags - Student Book Purchases can be unwieldy for little arms. We encourage families to send students with reusable shopping bags on book buying days at our family shopping events. We are also taking donations of shopping bags (reusable OR plastic bags) which can be dropped off with Mrs. Hershey in the library!
Don't forget to join us on: Tuesday, March 11 for Parents & Pastries 8-845am and Wednesday, March 12 Family Buying Night @ Literacy Night 5-630pm. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult during these events!
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An Opportunity to Support!
Some of our past KG students have created this opportunity to 'give back'! We will have box in the lobby. Some ideas include the following: coloring books, crayons, markers, colored pencils, stickers and any crafts to keep the children occupied with some creativity mind!
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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
Spring Book Fair - Here is the link for the schedule and sign up. Please sign up and help support!
Spring Fun Fair! Interested in helping plan our 2025 5k and fun run? Want to design the t-shirt? Choose the medals? File the permits (you know you want to!)? Coordinate the Volunteers? Maybe you want to find the food trucks? Or DJ the event? Join our planning call via ZOOM on Thursday 2/27 at 7pm. Need the link? Email Event Coordinator Alyssa.
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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Harlem Wizards Take On FCPS Staff!
Mr. Avery and Mr. Firebaugh joined the McLean Pyramid staff to engage in a fun game of basketball with the Harlem Wizards! So much fun!
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