Leprechaun Fun!
Plan Forward - Dates to Mark on Your Calendar
March 3 - 4/6 ~ March Picture Book Madness - Read and vote each week!
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 7 - Quarter 3 Progress Reports Available in ParentVue
April 7 - Jennifer Nielson - Author Presentation Grades 4 - 6 Order forms here
April 8 - Silver Diner Fundraiser - 4 - 8 p.m. 20% comes back to KGES!
April 9 - Purple Up Day! Wear Purple!
April 25 - Bingo Night Save the Date ! Sign up here to attend!
May 3 - Spring Spectacular Fun Run and 5K
2024-25 FCPS School Calendar
Administration Notes
Dear Parents,
We enjoyed hosting the virtual kindergarten orientation for our parents. Here is the link to slide deck so you can access on your own time. Note that we would like everyone to complete the kindergarten interest form, tour sign up and lastly register.
Class placement discussions will be taking place soon. Here is a link for parents to provide your input. We will close this opportunity on April 11th. Thanks in advance for your partnership with us! We cannot guarantee requests but will do our best.
Join us for the evening PTA meeting on March 27th at 7 p.m. The PTA has a guest speaker, Mary Smith. She 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. Join us to hear stories and insights on how small shifts can have meaningful and lasting change.
Last but not least, purchase your yearbook now for your child(ren). We have extended the date through this week! See the information below!
Thanks as always for your support!
Warmly,
Holly McGuigan Tia Hawkins Sarah Talley
Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal
Jennifer Nielsen - April 7th
We are so excited to welcome New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Neilson to Kent Gardens next month! She will be talking to students in 4TH-6TH GRADE on Monday, April 7th.
Mrs. Hershey is organizing a pre-order of her most popular books so that your student can have them signed during her visit. These ORDER FORMS ARE DUE NEXT FRIDAY, MARCH 28TH. A link to the order form is here, but paper copies can also be picked up in the Kent Gardens library. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students! A huge thank you to Mrs. Hershey and our Kent Gardens staff for making it possible.
|
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. Link here!
📚🏀 First Annual Kent Gardens March Madness Reading Challenge! 🏀📚
We are at the Final Four! 🔹 Round 3: Vote by Wednesday, 3/26
📢 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 Class Placement 2025-26 ~ Parent Input Opportunity
Here is the link to provide input on your child(ren)'s class placement. Note that we will do our best to use your input but cannot make guarantees. We appreciate your continued partnership! Here is the link to provide input - it will be open until April 11th. Thanks!
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 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 took place on March 21st. Here is the link to review the slide deck.
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.
 |
|
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.
|
Dear Families,
This week, we are reviewing all of our positive attributes. Enjoy being positive!
|
News from Shelley Lowinger - Parent Liaison
Upcoming Family Resource Center Workshops
Calming the Chaos: Teaching Emotional Regulation to Twice-Exceptional (2e) Students on March 25, 2025, 10 - 11:30 a.m. Join Dr. Oladimeji as she supports families to understand the unique emotional regulation challenges of Twice Exceptional (2e) students, including the interaction between giftedness and disabilities, identify proactive strategies to help 2e students recognize, express, and manage emotions effectively, Implement practical tools and techniques at home to foster emotional self-regulation and resilience and collaborate with schools and professionals to support emotional growth in their child’s academic and social environments. Register here
SIB Shops - The Sibshop workshops are for children in grades 2-6 enrolled in Fairfax County Public Schools who have siblings with special needs to meet other siblings in a relaxed setting. Celebrate the many contributions made by brothers and sisters of children with special needs, share sibling experiences, and receive peer support. Play games and have fun! This session will be hosted at 3001 Vaden Dr. Fairfax. On April 1, 1 - 4:00 P.M. Register here
Sib Teen - SibTeen is a community-building group for middle school siblings of children with disabilities. We have fun activities, both recreational and art-based, as well as discussion activities. It’s a unique opportunity for students to share about their lives and support each other while normalizing their life experiences. This session will be hosted at 12111 Braddock Rd, Fairfax on April 1, 1 - 4:00P.M. Register here
Fairfax County Park Authority Camps and Classes for Adults -Pickleball lessons, art classes, adventure camp and more! Fun is not just for kids in Fairfax — take some much-needed selfcare time and take a peek at these camps and classes specifically for adults.
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 24. 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!
|
🚀 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.
Join us for Bingo Night!
It's baaaack! Join us Friday, April 25th for a night of prizes, raffles, food, and BINGO! TICKETS ARE REQUIRED. Tickets which include your bingo cards are required for entry so register NOW as this event WILL SELL OUT! Add a pizza bundle (2 slices of pizza and 1 bottle of water) for $16/person! Pizza is available as a pre-order ONLY! But bring cash for other concessions and our 50/50 raffle!
THIS IS NOT A DROP-OFF EVENT! All students must be accompanied by a responsible adult!
DONATE PRIZES - We are looking for new or gently used toys/games/puzzles for Bingo Night prizes which can be dropped off in the designated box located in the office! Want to donate, but need ideas? Visit this Amazon link for inspiration! Questions? Email KGPTABingo@gmail.com.
|
Women's History Month
Join us in celebrating Women's History Month! We recognized Women in Music and Art this past Friday on March 7th. We have the following dates whereby students can wear Spirit Wear!
March 28 - Empowered Women
|
Silver Diner Opportunity!
Join the KG community at Silver Diner on April 8th. 20% of incremental sales will go to our school when you 'dine in' or order to go! Come between 4 - 8 pm. on April 8th at the Tysons location -
8101 Fletcher St. McLean, VA 22101
We look forward to seeing you and your families there!
|
Next Steps in the Budget Process
The next steps in the FCPS FY 2026 Budget process include the School Board presenting the budget to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, April 22. The Board of Supervisors will then conduct public hearings Tuesday, April 22, through Thursday, April 24. Community members can submit testimony or sign up to speak.
Visit the county government website to view the Fairfax County FY 2026 Advertised Budget. The community is also invited to complete an online survey to provide feedback on the county’s FY 2026 Advertised Budget.
Learn more about the FCPS FY 2026 Budget process.
Give Your Kids a Strong Start: Apply for Early Childhood Education Programs
FCPS Pre-K and Early Head Start programs provide a high-quality early learning experience for qualifying children with economic and educational risk factors ages 6 weeks to 4 years living in Fairfax County. Pre-K prioritizes 4-year-old applicants but also accepts applications for children 3 years old by September 30. Early Head Start is located at three elementary schools — Clearview, Crestwood, and Dogwood — and accepts applications from expectant mothers and for children 6 weeks to 2 years old.
Families are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, however, space is limited and provided based on need, not “first come, first serve.” Applications are accepted online, by email, by postal mail, or in person at our office at 7423 Camp Alger Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia 22042. If you have a question about the application process or status, please call 703-208-7900 (English) or 703-208-7901 (Spanish).
 |
|
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!
|
PTA Meeting and Guest Speaker -
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 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!
Third Grade Field Trip Fun!
|
