Earth Week - Spirit Week - Join In!!
Monday 4/21 - Watershed Day - Wear Blue!
Tuesday 4/22 - Earth Day - Wear Green! Come Clean Up Sign Up Here!
Wednesday 4/23 - Zero Waste Day - Wear White
Thursday - 4/24 - Climate Change Day - Wear Red!
Friday - 4/25 - Wildlife Day and Arbor Day - Wear a Nature Print!
Kent Gardens Clean Up - April 22nd 3:45 - 4:30
Join us for a quick clean up of the Kent Gardens grounds right after school on Tuesday, April 22nd! It is the official Earth Day! We will meet in the cafeteria after school at 3: 45 p.m. and then dismiss from the cafeteria at 4:30 p.m.
We will coordinate a walking clean up of the grounds. All parents are welcome! Note that students may NOT participate without parent approval through this google form. Students in Grades 3 - 6 may join us after school with parental permission. Students in kindergarten, first or second grade who desire to join should be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Plan Forward - Dates to Mark on Your Calendar
April 21 - 25 Earth Day Appreciation Week- It is a Spirit Week! See the info below! We have a Clean Up Day on Tuesday, April !
April 22 - Bus Driver Appreciation Day
April 22 - McLean Pyramid Talk - Learn Like A Pro! 6 - 7 p.m. See notes below - come join!
April 25 - Bingo Night - Registration Closed
April 28 - Three Hour Early Release
April 29 - Sixth Grade Pano Picture
April 29 - Longfellow Spring Open House 6 - 7 p.m.
May 3 - Spring Spectacular Fun Run and 5K
May 4 - Grounds Sprucing, Planting and Cleaning Up! (More info. to come)
May 5 - 9 Teacher/Staff Appreciation Day
May 7 - Bike/Walk/Roll to School - Get a treat and sign the banner!
2024-25 FCPS School Calendar
2025-26 FCPS School Calendar
McLean Pyramid Book Talk: Learn Like A Pro
The McLean Pyramid Principals invite parents and students to a book talk at Longfellow Middle School on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, from 6:00-7:00pm. We will be discussing Learn Like a Pro, by Barbara Oakley. The goal of the book talk will be to provide strategies that both parents and students can use at home to support learning, growth, and independence. We invite all parents to join us in reading this text, but reading the text is not a prerequisite for attending our book talk.
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Administration Notes
Dear Parents,
We hope ALL enjoyed spring break! We look forward to seeing everyone for the return of school. We enjoyed celebrating our military students and families and our students and staff wore purple!
We have the McLean Pyramid Principals Book Talk on Tuesday Night - It is not required to read the book but an opportunity to learn more about strategies that parents and students can use at home.
This week we start with Earth Week! We have spirit days outlined above and also a clean up day on Tuesday. Sign up here - your child MUST be picked up at the school at 4:30 p.m..
We have lots of upcoming events and - take the time time to mark the dates on your calendar.
Thanks as always for your support!
Warmly,
Holly McGuigan Tia Hawkins Sarah Talley
Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal
Save the Date! SOL Testing Calendar Below!
Purple Up Day!
We wore purple to honor and celebrate the resilience, courage and contributions of FCPS military-connected children.
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 and Intention
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.
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.
Kindergarten Field Trip!
Dear Families,
This week, our school will focus on the character strength of Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence. This means noticing and valuing the world's beauty and people's skills and not taking things for granted. Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence involves recognizing and enjoying what is admirable. Positive psychology identifies three types of goodness: physical beauty (like sunsets or music), exceptional skills or talents, and moral goodness (like character strengths). Appreciating beauty can inspire awe, skills can generate admiration, and moral goodness can elevate us. These feelings help us forget ourselves and find more joy and meaning in the world.
This strength helps individuals experience positive emotions and connect with the world around them. It is outward-facing, focusing on external beauty and excellence, often leading to deep absorption in awe or admiration, which can help alleviate anxieties. It is also linked to other strengths, such as gratitude, curiosity, love of learning, and purpose.
To practice and encourage this strength 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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Assistant Principal Appreciation Day!
We love our assistant principals! We are thankful and appreciate Ms. Hawkins and Ms. Talley for ALL that they do! The week prior to spring break - we celebrated and appreciated their hard work!
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Longfellow ~ Rising 7th Grader Updates
We invite all Rising 7th Grade and new FCPS families to join us for Longfellow Middle School’s Spring Open House on Tuesday, April 29th, from 6:00–7:00 PM. This is a great opportunity to tour the school, meet staff, and ask any questions as you prepare for the 2025–26 school year. We look forward to welcoming you!
Save the Date! Jump Start is an opportunity for students to learn more about middle school and meet other students before the school year begins. Jump Start dates are August 4-7. Students choose to attend during Session 1 (Monday & Tuesday) or Session 2 (Wednesday & Thursday) from 8:30 - 12:00 each day. Further details forthcoming regarding the registration process! If you have any questions feel free to contact our After-School Specialist, Lavina Gangwani-Colaco - lkgangwanico@fcps.edu.
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News from Shelley Lowinger - Parent Liaison
The Reading Opens the World Book Drive and Family Literacy Fair has been rescheduled to Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. at the Lorton Community Center, 9520 Richmond Hwy, Lorton, VA 22079. For more information, please contact David Walrod: dpwalrod@fcft.org, 703-451-6840.
Multilingual Parent Information Line - ☎️ Parent Information Phone Line Available in Eight Languages Parents/caregivers who speak Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, or Vietnamese may call a telephone information line for general information about FCPS. View the list of phone numbers.
The Family Resource Center has published a Guide to Summer Camps for 2025. This comprehensive document has opportunities for all ages and abilities, as well as offerings for special interests. This document is accessible from the FRC website and can be shared with families in your community.
Summer Camp Programs - It’s not too early to start thinking about summer camp! Check out this link to learn more about summer camp options.
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.
E-IFTA is 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.
Bingo Night is Sold Out!
Bingo Night is Sold Out - Support the event by donating 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.
There are no tickets left at this time for purchase - we look forward to the event!
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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
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 Teacher Appreciation Week Is Coming Soon!
Teacher Appreciation Week will be May 5 - 9th this year. There’s no place like Kent Gardens, and we’re thrilled to celebrate teachers and staff during Teacher Appreciation Week. The PTA will be treating KG staff to a mix of breakfasts, lunches, and fun surprises all week long—but here’s how students and families can get involved, too! To help make this week a success, the PTA needs YOU!
Below is a schedule for the week. Remember- participation is completely optional! Do whatever works best for you and your family.
MONDAY, MAY 5th: Bring in a note of appreciation! Your student, or you, can write/draw a note of appreciation and hand it to your teacher today!
TUESDAY, MAY 6th: Bring in 1 flower! Bring 1 flower and drop it at the front table when you arrive at school. The flowers will be arranged into beautiful bouquets—one for each teacher to take home and enjoy! (Volunteer to help arrange flowers HERE).
WEDNESDAY, MAY 7th: Bring in a favorite thing! Room parents will be sharing a list of each teacher’s favorite things—like snacks, plants, or supplies (and class-matched specialist!). Feel free to send in a small item, have your child draw a picture of one of their teacher’s favorite things, or simply share a smile—because that might just be everyone’s favorite thing!
THURSDAY, MAY 8th: Wear your teacher’s favorite color! (or KG spirit wear!) Wear your teacher’s favorite color to show your appreciation—room parents will share it with you! KG Spirit Wear or your class shirt are great options too.
Your support helps make our teachers and staff feel seen, valued, and celebrated—thank you! Feel free to contact Kelly Chapman with questions at kellypcscrima@gmail.com.
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!
 Join us on May 3rd at 9am for our 'May the 4th Be with You 5k' (3-4-5) and Fun Run! Dress is your best costume to battle the Dark Side and use the Force to leave no Jedi behind as you run through the streets of McLean!
This year, we're adding an additional element of competition to our popular 5k! The grade with the MOST registrations in the 5k will receive a special prize! Medals will be offered for the top 3 female and male finishers in each 5k age group and the 1st place female and male finisher in each 5k age group will receive a gift card to PR Running with special awards for the top 3 female and male overall finishers!
Come early for our pre-race warmup with local elite running club, Virginia House of Speed, and stay after for a post-race stretch with KGES parent and yoga instructor, Anahita Reilly! Local running groups and vendors will be on site and we are SO excited to welcome Anna Sudha Community Kitchen who will be providing food during the event! Their goal is to spread love through food and every dollar you spend will go to help them provide meals to shelters across Northern Virginia!
Not up for the 5k (3.1 miles)? No worries. We'll run our annual non-chipped 1k Fun Run at 10am! 5K Registration is $30 through Race Day, but registrations after April 26 are not guaranteed a performance t-shirt. Fun Run is $20 through Race Day. May the course be with you! Register today!
We'll need volunteers to help make this event a success! Sign-up genius will open AFTER spring break!
Jennifer Nielsen - Author Visit
We thoroughly enjoyed having Jennifer Nielsen at our school. Our students and staff were enthralled!
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