A message from Principal Steven McFarlane
Kilmer Community,
We were excited to welcome back our Kilmer students from spring break and we’ve definitely hit the ground running. It will be a sprint to the finish line with SOLs, final exams, field trips, and end of year celebrations. Please check the calendar for upcoming events and reminders.
This week is Administrative Professionals Week. A very special thanks to Toni Pierce, Maria Yeager, Daniela Oliveros, Jessica Rosas-Diego, and Gail Wood for all that they do to support our staff and students each and every day.
We’ve gotten even more press on our Positive Referral program. You can check out all of the stories below. Thanks to all of the staff members and students who were featured!
Have a great weekend and as always, reach out with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Steven McFarlane
Principal
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Kilmer’s Positive Referral Program
Over the past few weeks many local news outlets have covered Kilmer’s Positive Referral Program. In case you missed it, below are the various articles/clips that have been published highlighting the fantastic staff and students we have here. Check them out below!
Congratulations to Juliet and Jonah Lee!
Juliet (current 8th grader) and Jonah (former Kilmer student and current Marshall 10th grader) Lee were featured in a Vienna Patch article for their service to our community. You can check out the article here!
Kilmer Middle School student Juliet Lee and George C. Marshall High School 10th grader Jonah Lee received a Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Youth Grant through Youth Service America to complete a community service project addressing hunger. Their event, Tiny Feet, Big Impact: Fun Run to Fight Youth Hunger, will be held on April 26.
The Lee siblings are among 45 young leaders across the U.S. receiving grants for projects with an ultimate goal of ending childhood hunger. Grant recipients will work on the goal through awareness, service, advocacy and philanthropic activities. The grant recipients' programs are part of Global Youth Service Day from April 25 to 27.
 Upcoming Dates
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May 1 - Drama Field Trip, 9:30-1:00 pm
- Students in Theater classes will attend the musical at Madison HS
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May 1 - 7th Grade Dance, 2:30-4:30 pm in the Cafeteria
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May 2 - Music Department Field Trip to Hershey Park, 7:30 am-9:00 pm
- Students attending the trip should report to school on time and go directly to their music classroom in H hall. Buses will leave at 8:00 am and return to Kilmer between 8:30 pm and 9:00 pm. Please be in contact with your child for pick-up when they return.
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May 7 - Reading SOL (all students), 9th period flipped bell schedule
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May 14 - Math SOL (all students), 8th period flipped bell schedule
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May 16 - Science SOL (8th grade) and Diagnostic Science Test (7th grade), 8th period flipped bell schedule
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May 22 - SAVE THE DATE! Kilmer’s PTA will be hosting a Spring Festival after school. More details to come!
📚 Kilmer’s Battle of the Books Champions! 📚 Last night (Wednesday, April 23), our nine‑member Kilmer Battle of the Books team faced off against 15 other middle‑school teams in the Cross‑County Championship at Fairfax High School. Our readers showed superb knowledge, teamwork, and spirit—and had an absolute blast doing it! The gym rang with cheers from students and families celebrating books and the joy of reading. Way to go, team! #KilmerReads #ReadersAreLeaders
🐾 Future Cougars on Campus! 🐾Our rising 7th‑graders spent the day exploring Kilmer, greeted by the Kilmer Cougar mascot. Excitement was everywhere as 6th graders enjoyed campus tours, transition activities, and a student‑led Q&A panel that answered all their “middle‑school” questions. We can’t wait to welcome these future Cougars back in the fall! #WelcomeFutureCougars #ClassOf2031
🎻A Proud Moment at Cross‑Town Hoops! 🎻Mr. Katz and his dedicated students posed for a picture before performing the National Anthem at Cross‑Town Hoops game earlier this month. They spent countless extra hours rehearsing to make the moment special, and their performance made us all proud. Thank you for sharing your talent and school spirit! 👏🏀
☀️ Patio > Cafeteria! ☀️With the gorgeous spring weather, Kilmer’s cafeteria tables sit empty while our patio is packed with students soaking up the sunshine at lunch. Fresh air, friends, and good vibes—just another beautiful day at Kilmer! 🌸🪑→🌞 #SpringAtKilmer #LunchOutdoors
3rd Quarter Report Cards and Honor Roll Certificates
A printed copy of third quarter report cards and honor roll certificates for students who earned all A's or all A's and B's will be sent home on Tuesday, April 29.
7th Grade Dance - “Catch a Wave”
7th graders are invited to attend the 7th Grade Dance on Thursday, May 1 from 2:30-4:30pm in the Cafeteria. Students must have a ticket to enter the dance. Tickets are on sale during all lunches Friday, April 25 and Monday, April 29-Thursday, May 1. Tickets are $5 each and can be paid via cash or check.
- There will be snacks and soda available at the dance for $1 each.
- Once students choose to leave the dance, they will not be able to reenter. You may pick your child up or they can take the late bus home at 4:30pm.
- The “Catch a Wave” dance is Hawaiin/Luau themed. Students may dress to theme, however they are expected to follow school dress code expectations.
Yearbook Sales
As we enter the 4th quarter, it’s time to ask yourself: Have you purchased this year’s yearbook yet? Yearbooks are still available for preorder online at www.walsworth.com. Simply click "Buy a Yearbook" and search for Kilmer MS. The cost is $45 per book.
Don’t delay—once we sell out, we can’t order any more books. Guarantee your copy today by purchasing your yearbook now!
Website store: https://yearbookforever.com/school-store/4plJHPnxG3fG90oaVoBKB0O9
Sugar Shockers Health Promotion
Next week, Kilmer Middle School’s Public Health Nurse will host an interactive display during lunch for students to learn about added sugars in their diet. The display teaches middle schoolers how much sugar is recommended in a daily diet and provides a visual of how many teaspoons of sugar are in some of their favorite drinks and snacks. Encourage your student to check it out during lunch!
Science 8 SOL After-School Review Sessions
All 8th graders will be taking the Science 8 SOL on Friday, May 16. The Science 8 SOL includes topics from 6th grade, 7th grade, and 8th grade Science classes. In addition to reviewing topics in Science 8 classes, teachers are offering after school review sessions, focused on 7th grade topics. All 8th graders are invited to attend.
Upcoming Madison HS Musical
Join one of our feeder high schools, James Madison HS, for their production of Mean Girls the Musical featuring past Kilmer students! Show dates are May 1st-3rd.
Please note the production is rated PG13 due to subject matter and language.
https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/15627/james-madison-high-school-theatre
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
8th Grade Promotion Ceremonies
Save the date for the 8th Grade Team Promotion Ceremony! More information will be coming soon. If you need to know which team your child is on, please refer to their class schedule in SIS or reach out to their counselor.
8th Grade End of Year Celebration at Dave & Busters
To celebrate the culmination of middle school, we invite all 8th grade students who are in good academic and disciplinary standing on a field trip to Dave & Buster’s in Fairfax, VA. Students will receive field trip forms when we return from Spring Break.
While the cost of the trip is $50 per student, Kilmer has families for whom this cost will be prohibitive. To assist all of our eligible students to be able to participate, please consider contributing a donation. Donations, of any amount, may be made on MySchoolBucks, April 4–20, 2025. Please note that any payments made during this time will be considered a donation. Individual student payments will begin on April 21, 2025. Thank you for your consideration of this if you are able.
8th Grade Semi-Formal Dance
The 8th grade dance is a time for 8th graders to celebrate their time at Kilmer with music, dancing, a photobooth, and dinner. This year’s 8th grade semi-formal will be on Friday, June 6th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Kilmer Middle School.
- Doors will close at 6:30 p.m., students will not be admitted late.
- There is no readmittance if a student decides to leave the dance prior to 8:00pm.
- Attire is semi-formal.
- Tickets are $10 and must be purchased during the school day, prior to the dance. No tickets will be sold at the door. Tickets may be purchased with cash during all lunches Thursday, May 29th – Tuesday, June 3rd.
Please contact Mr. Phil Prevost (pmprevost@fcps.edu) with any questions.
Lightspeed Parent Report
Course Registration for 25-26
Course registration for the 2025-2026 school year is now closed. You can view your child’s selected courses in SIS ParentVUE under the Course Requests tab. Instructions for accessing course requests are available here: Online Course Requests in ParentVue. The list of course requests is not a final schedule, but a confirmation of courses entered into the student information system.
7th Grade Students: To request a course change, please email a Kilmer counselor by Friday, May 2. Schedule changes cannot be accommodated at the start of the school year.
Please note:
- Elective choices may change due to space limitations and scheduling conflicts.
- Music placements will be updated after spring auditions.
- Special education and ESOL course placements may change based on their English language proficiency or IEP service hours.
8th Grade Students: Kilmer is no longer able to assist with changes to high school courses. If you have questions about 9th grade courses, please contact the Office of Student Services at your child's high school.
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