A message from Principal Steven McFarlane
Kilmer Community,
I was reminded this week about why Kilmer is such an amazing place. It’s not just one thing that makes Kilmer special. Instead, it’s the robust opportunities students have not only to thrive academically, but also to be a part of the Kilmer community through our groups and clubs. Students feel connected to this place through deep relationships with their peers and staff, and I see this play out each day as I walk through the halls. As soon as our dismissal bell rings, students flood to our after-school program to participate in the various activities offered—from Dungeons & Dragons club to sports to Model UN to Homework Hotspot to Battle of the Books and more. To cap it off, we’re in the season in which our music groups get to show off their hard work through holiday performances. Last night, we hosted the Marshall Pyramid Orchestra Concert here at Kilmer. Kilmer students were joined by students from Marshall and our feeder schools. It was so fun to watch Kilmer students perform alongside past and future Kilmer Cougars.
Have a wonderful weekend, and as always, reach out with any questions or concerns.
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!
Zahra S. - You contributed terrific insights to the Frankenstein discussion!
Asher Z. - Asher, thank you for ALWAYS being willing to help out students in our class. Your kindness and willingness are great life skills. I'm proud of your actions in PE and Health! Keep up the great work. Mrs. Goldsmith
Liel J. - Thank you for helping in class and always following ROAR.
Lila K. - Lila, I really appreciate how you welcomed a classmate into your small group. What a wonderful act of kindness!
Sanya S. - Sanya, you are regularly on task and respectful of your classmates' thoughts and ideas during small group time. I also appreciate how you help others with homework.
Anika P. - Anika, I appreciate how you act with empathy by encouraging others with their work, by listening carefully to the people around you, and by making eye contact to show you care about what others are saying.
 Upcoming Dates
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December 11 - Orchestra Winter Concert, 7:00 pm at Marshall HS
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December 12 - Theater’s Ha Ha Holiday Show, 7:00 pm at Kilmer MS Cafeteria
Students of the Month - Creative and Critical Thinkers
Congratulations to our November Student of the Month award recipients! Each student earned a positive referral, a $10 gift card, and a chance to win a celebration with friends at the end of the quarter.
Congratulations to: Alessio Boci, Ishti Jain, Harrison Keel, Carmen Lee, Jack McCusker, Riley Moy, Michelle Ning, Charlotte Oh, Rithwik Arikatla, Natalie Axelrod, Taylor Barr, Noah Batman, Miriam Cho, Dikanthkesan Dhanasekaran, Rosa Gomez Machado, and Reese Staadeker
This week, Kilmer’s 8th graders visited Finance Park, where they learned financial literacy, work and career readiness, and entrepreneurship.
   It’s concert season at Kilmer! Kilmer’s music department did a great job this week, showing off months of hard work!
 On Thursday evening, our Orchestra teacher, Mr. Katz, hosted the Marshall Pyramid Snow Show. Orchestra students from Marshall HS, Kilmer MS, and our feeder elementary schools came together to celebrate the holidays with some festive music!
 Kilmer’s History 7 teachers collaborated with our librarians to create a lesson with over 20 primary and secondary sources about the immigrant experience from 1870-1920, including charts, graphs, photos, and personal narratives of immigrants. The culminating activity was a CER (Claim-Evidence-Reasoning) graphic organizer/paragraph demonstrating students’ argumentative writing skills.
🍎 Kilmer SGA Holiday Food Drive! 🍎
Kilmer’s SGA is working to stock our school food pantry for the holiday season, and we need the students' help!
- 📅 When: December 8–12
- 📍 Where: Students can bring canned goods and non-perishable items and place them in the team-labeled bins located right outside Door 1, before going through the metal detectors.
- 🏆 Team Competition: All items will be sorted by team. By the end of the week, the team that collects the most items will earn a pizza party the following week!
- 🛒 Suggested Items:
- Cereal
- Tuna/Chicken cans
- Pasta
- Tomato sauce
- Ramen
- Cans of vegetables
- Granola bars / Chewy bars / Nutri-Grain bars (box of 8)
- Beans (dried)
- Peanut butter
- Cans of fruit
- Mac & cheese
- Vegetable or canola oil
- Rice (1 lb bag), white or brown
- Detergent
Thank you for helping support our Kilmer community! 🎁🍲
🎄 SGA Candy Cane Grams! 🎄
Back by popular demand, SGA will be selling Candy Cane Grams! A Candy Cane Gram is a fun way to send a small treat and a friendly note to someone special. Students can choose between mini traditional peppermint candy canes or SweetTart Tangy Fruit–flavored mini candy canes.
- 💲 Cost: 2 for $1
- 📅 Sales Period: December 11 through December 17 during all lunches
- 📬 Distribution: Candy Cane Grams will be delivered during 6th period on December 19
All proceeds support SGA activities throughout the year. Spread some holiday cheer! ❄️🍬
Save the Date: Rising 8th and 9th Grade Course Registration Events
Course registration for the 2026–2027 school year begins in January! Please mark your calendar for the following events to learn more about course options for 8th and 9th grade.
January 13 – Madison High School Rising 9th Grade Curriculum Night, 6:00–7:00 PM
- Audience: 8th Grade families with students attending Madison for 9th grade
January 16 – Madison High School Counselor Visits during Learning Seminar
- 8th grade students attending Madison will meet their future counselors and learn about 9th grade course options and the transition to High School
January 21 – Marshall High School IB Information Night, 5:00 PM
- Audience: 7th and 8th grade families
January 21 – Rising 8th Grade Math Presentation, 6:00 PM
- Audience: 7th grade families
February 5 – Marshall High School Rising 9th Grade Orientation, 6:00–8:00 PM
- Audience: 8th grade families with students attending Marshall for 9th grade
February 6 – Marshall High School Counselor Visits during Learning Seminar
- 8th grade students attending Marshall will meet their future counselor and learn about 9th grade course options and the transition to High School
February 6 – 8th Grade Elective Fair during Learning Seminar
- Current 7th grade students will explore elective course options for 8th grade
More information about course registration and academic advising will be shared in January.
Graduation Status Now Available in ParentVUE & StudentVUE
A new Graduation Status section is now available in ParentVUE and StudentVUE. The Graduation Status is a tool that helps parents and students monitor and track their progress in meeting graduation requirements. This feature includes progress towards the Standard or Advanced Studies diploma for high school students and middle school students who have enrolled in one or more high school courses. This new graduation status section is available in addition to the course history and unofficial transcript options in ParentVUE and StudentVUE. To view the graduation status section, please take the following steps:
- Login to your SIS ParentVUE Account
- Go to “Course History” for your middle or high school student
- Go to “Graduation Status” and toggle “on”
For questions about graduation requirements, please contact your school counselor. Additional information about ParentVUE is available on the following website: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/technology/student-information-system-sis-fcps/sis-parent-account-overview
Window for Full-Time AAP Referrals Closes on December 15
Parents and guardians of students in Grades 7 who would like their student to be considered for full-time Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) services in 8th grade must submit the AAP Full-Time Referral Form to Corey Thornblad, ctthornblad@fcps.edu no later than December 15, 2025.
PTA Website
Stay up to date with news and information from the PTA by visiting the PTA website: https://kilmerpta.membershiptoolkit.com/
Executive Board Contact Information
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.
New Parent Controls in Lightspeed Parent Portal - Technology Resources & Your Student
Kilmer Food Pantry
The Kilmer Food Pantry is here to support families in need within the Kilmer community. If your family would like to participate in monthly pick-ups or needs additional assistance, please contact our Family Liaison, Ms. Mabel Morales, at mvmorales@fcps.edu .
Thank you so much to the Kilmer PTA and all of our generous donors who have made this distribution possible! For more information on the Kilmer Food Pantry please visit https://kilmerpta.membershiptoolkit.com/foodpantry.
Math Tutoring Supports
Kilmer students can access free peer math tutoring from student volunteers at Thomas Jefferson High School. This program is open to all students seeking extra support with assignments and concepts. Join us every Monday morning (or Tuesday if there is no school Monday) from 7:00–7:25 AM in Room F122/123. Additionally, our Kilmer Math Department has created a peer tutoring program during Learning Seminar. Math teachers will facilitate peer tutors to work with students for math support. If you are interested in this support for your child, you can reach out to your child’s math teacher.
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