A message from Principal Steven McFarlane
Kilmer Community,
It was great to see our students return to school energized and ready to learn after the long weekend! Last week students began using Securly Pass to transition through the hallways and today marked our first day of movement during Learning Seminar. This means students are able to request a pass to visit a teacher during 8th and 9th period for extra help, a retake, or assistance with make-up work.
On Monday, September 8, our After School Program will host an Activities Fair (details can be found below). This is an opportunity for students and parents to learn about after school offerings. Afterschool Program activities and clubs will begin for all students on September 15.
Finally, another friendly reminder to mark your calendars for Back to School Night. We hope to see you on September 18th from 6-8 PM.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend. As always, reach out if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Steven McFarlane
Principal
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Here are just a few of the Positive Referrals received by our Kilmer Cougars from staff members this week!
Shayra M. - Every day Shayra is so kind and helpful, she also shows great leadership during group work
Katelyn K. - Katelyn, Thank you for being on task and doing your best everyday in English! I appreciate you!
Lucas H. - Prepared all of the chairs for students to arrive by taking initiative to unstack them and set them around the tables, making the classroom ready for students to learn.
Bruce M.A. - Had a positive attitude when trying something new and challenging.
Rihanna G. - Rihanna, In math class you provided peer support to not only your tablemate, but THREE other students. You used encouraging words such as "have confidence in yourself.” Thank you!
 Upcoming Dates
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September 8 - Afterschool Activities Fair, 4:00-6:00 pm, Kilmer gym; This is an opportunity for students and families to learn more about Kilmer afterschool activities, meet club sponsors, and connect with local businesses and teen centers. Visit Kilmer’s website for more information along with required forms.
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September 9 - Due to the Special Election on Tuesday, September 9th, all FCPS schools will be closed.
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September 15 - First day of afterschool program and late buses; afterschool dismissal is 4:45pm
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September 18 - Save the Date! Back-to-School Night at Kilmer MS, 6:00-8:00 pm.
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September 25-26 - School Picture Day through Health/PE Classes
Whether they're outside or in the cafeteria, students have plenty of recess options every day. On days they choose to stay inside, they can enjoy a variety of board games and activities. These kids showed off their focus and teamwork by building this amazing Jenga tower!
8th graders in Mr. Barahona's Spanish class took getting to know their classmates to the next level this week. They didn't just learn about each other—they wrote scripts and recorded conversations in Spanish, putting their language skills into practice in a fun, new way!
Algebra takes aim! 🎯 Ms. Madden's Algebra 1 students had a blast practicing their throwing skills while gathering data. They used their collected information to create and analyze scatter plots, making math fun and active.
Back-to-School Night
Back-to-School Night is scheduled for Thursday, September 18, from 6:00–8:00 p.m. Families will follow their child’s schedule and attend sessions with each teacher to learn more about the curriculum in each course. Please note that Learning Seminar, period 8 and 9 will not be part of the evening schedule. The evening will begin in 1st period and proceed throughout your child's Anchor Day schedule (Periods 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) with 5 minute transitions between classes.
To make the most of the evening, please be sure you have access to your child’s schedule and classroom locations. SIS ParentVUE Mobile App or have your child share it with you.
School Picture Day
School Picture Day is on September 25th and September 26th during Health & PE Classes. Photos will be available approximately 2-3 weeks after picture day. You may pre-order photos online at this site: https://shop.imagequix.com/g1001271139 If you have questions about ordering photos, please contact underclass@vosphoto.com.
Marshall Mayhem
Marshall Mayhem will be on September 12 from 4:30-6 PM (before the football game) in the Marshall back parking lot. This event is open to all FCPS parents and students. There will be activities, a food truck, and club booths. Tickets can be purchased (cash only) at the event.
Ensuring Student Safety: Register for Volunteer FCPS
At Kilmer, our volunteers are a vital part of our school community. We deeply value the time and care they give to our students.
Recent updates to our volunteer process focus on one primary goal: keeping students safe.
These updates — such as checks against the sex offender registry and, in some cases, criminal background checks — are safety measures that will help us maintain a secure and supportive learning environment for every student in our care.
We encourage all our parents and community members interested in supporting our students by volunteering at school to visit Kilmer, click “Learn More,” and then “Sign Up.” After you create a profile, you will view an orientation video and complete a volunteer application.
Volunteer FCPS ensures a safe, consistent, and welcoming environment at all of our schools. All volunteers must be registered in Volunteer FCPS. This includes individuals who volunteer to chaperone on field trips, work at book fairs, and help out regularly in classrooms, libraries, or cafeterias. Volunteers who work unsupervised with students will also be required to undergo a background check.
We understand these changes may seem disruptive, especially for long-time volunteers. Our intent is to ensure that our students feel safe and supported with each and every person they encounter at school.
As a reminder, all volunteers — and visitors to a school — are required to sign in by scanning their ID at our visitor kiosk. Visit the Volunteer FCPS Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more.
Lockers
The locker request form is now closed. Students who completed it can view their locker assignments and combinations in SIS StudentVUE by Wednesday, September 10. Students will practice opening their lockers during the first five minutes of Learning Seminar on that day (7th grade in 8th period, 8th grade in 9th period). Announcements will be made at the start of the periods, and adults will be available in the hallways to assist as needed.
Family Life Education (FLE) Information Night
You are invited to a preview of the Family Life Education (FLE) program at Kilmer Middle School on September 18, from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. in room B116. This is a chance to review the lessons and media and speak with Health & PE staff.
All FLE materials are available online in the Kilmer All Parents/Guardians Course on Schoology. You can access it using your SIS Parent account login.
If you don't want your child to participate in the FLE program, you can opt them out of any or all lessons. The opt-out form is available in the Parent Digital Consent (PDC) system. If you can't access PDC, you can get a paper form from the main office. Opt-out forms for students with modified curriculum are available on the FCPS website. Students who opt out will receive alternative non-FLE health instruction. For specific dates of FLE lessons, please contact your child's teacher.
Students Arriving Late
Students are expected to be in their seats by the 7:30AM late bell. Students who arrive to school after 7:30 will need to check in at the main office and receive a late pass before making their way to class. While in the main office, students will be required to lock their phone in their pouch. Please ensure your child arrives on time so they’re ready to start the day successfully. Thank you for your support!
Attendance
Our goal is to partner with families to help minimize the number of days students are absent. Getting your student into the habit of daily attendance helps reduce stress and makes it easier to connect with friends and teachers. We understand that each year presents different extenuating circumstances that lead to missed days. However, we hope to increase communication in regards to absences to reduce impact on your student’s well-being. FCPS has created a Health Flyer for Parents indicating when a parent should keep their child home from school. Please review FCPS Attendance Policies and resources to encourage regular school attendance.
Parents/legal guardians can report up to two consecutive absences through SIS ParentVUE. Learn more about attendance reporting through ParentVUE HERE. Families can also report absences by emailing KilmerMiddle.Attendance@fcps.edu or calling 703-846-8888 before 9:00 am each day. If parent contact is not made within 48 hours, the absences will be recorded as unexcused. Any student who misses 10% of the school year (18 days or more) whether the absences are unexcused, excused, or pre-arranged, is considered chronically absent and may require additional support or intervention.
Learning Seminar
On your student’s schedule, you will see an 8th & 9th period Learning Seminar course. Learning Seminar is a 90-minute academic block on Wednesdays and Fridays. During this time, students have the opportunity to:
- Visit one of their teachers for support Visit one of their teachers for extra support (beginning Friday, September 5)
- Participate in remediation or intervention to strengthen academic skills
- Work on homework, retake assessments, or engage in learning extensions
To help students structure their time during this class, each student has received a paper Student Daily Agenda. Learning Seminar is a great time for students to check Schoology and SIS StudentVUE, use those tools to update their agendas, and stay on top of their assignments.
We encourage parents to review their student’s agenda at home each night to help them strengthen time management and organizational skills throughout the year.
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, including information about how to sign up for Cross Country. If you have any questions regarding our After School Program please reach out to Kim Kardelis, After School Specialist, at kckardelis@fcps.edu.
Cross Country
Practices for Cross Country will begin on Monday, September 29. All required forms to complete are on the Kilmer After School Schoology Course.Tentative practice days are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Students must participate in at least 4 practices to meet eligibility requirements for meets. There are no tryouts and no experience is needed. The Saturday meet schedule is as follows:
- 10/18 Stone MS - 10AM
- 10/25 Franklin MS - 10AM
- 11/01 Herndon MS - 7:30AM
- 11/08 Carson MS - 7:30AM
- 11/15 Liberty MS (Championship)
There will be cross country information sessions at the Afterschool Activities & Community Fair on Monday, September 8.
Afterschool Activities & Community Fair
Join us this Monday, September 8 from 4:00-6:00 PM for our annual Afterschool Activities and Community Fair. Families are invited to learn about clubs, meet sponsors, and connect with community partners. See below for a flier that details all of the clubs and partners who will be at the fair.
Student Pickup
A few reminders from Kilmer’s main office about procedures for picking up students early or checking them in late:
- A driver’s license or similar photo ID is required to check out a student during the day. Only parents, legal guardians, and people on the student’s emergency contact list may check out a student. If someone else is picking up your student, please send an email from your email address we have on file, to KilmerMiddle.Attendance@fcps.edu that includes the full name of the person, the full name of your student, the reason for check-out, and the date of the early dismissal.
- When you arrive at the school, please ring the front entrance doorbell and let the front office know that you are checking your student in for late arrival or picking your student up for early dismissal. After entering the building, please sign your child out using the computer in the office.
- Students are not to contact their parents via cell phone/text messaging during school hours. If they need to contact you during the school day, they can use the phone in the main office.
Yearbook: Available for Pre-Order!
Get ahead of the curve and save! Pre-order your student’s yearbook by October 30th to get our lowest price of $35. Go to yearbookforever.com to place your order or scan the QR code on the graphic.
Damaged Chromebooks
All students have been given a Chromebook for the 2025-2026 school year. An important reminder, please ensure your student keeps the protective cover on. These protective covers are vital to keeping Chromebooks in great condition. If a Chromebook is damaged (meaning willfully, or by being careless), families will be charged through MySchoolBucks. A breakdown of costs are below:
Parent Digital Consent - Forms
Beginning August 1, many of the parental consent and opt-out forms will be made available through a new Parent Digital Consent System. A parent or guardian will need to log-in using their SIS ParentVue username (email address) and password. If you have just registered your SIS ParentVUE account you will need to wait 24 hours before you can log in to the Digital Consent System. The SIS ParentVUE Account Overview page has information about registration and how to get support with your account.
Some forms in the system are required (like the Digital Resource Consent), while others, like the Family Education Opt-out form, are optional. If you have more than one child in FCPS, you must fill out the forms for each student.
Cell Phones at Kilmer
The new cell phone pouches are off to a great start! Students received their pouches on Wednesday during Learning Seminar. If your student was absent, they can pick theirs up from the Main Office. For students without a cell phone, we collected their pouches on Wednesday afternoon. We'll be following up with those families within the next few days to confirm they don't have a phone.
We appreciate your support in reinforcing this policy at home. If you have any questions, please reach out to your child’s administrator:
Executive Board Contact Information
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