A message from Principal Steven McFarlane
Kilmer Community,
As I mentioned in my message on Tuesday, the Virginia Department of Education has a new system for evaluating schools. This system is called the School Performance and Support Framework, and it established four new school performance categories:
- Distinguished: Exceeds state standards
- On Track: Meets state standards
- Off Track: Below state standards
- Needs Intensive Support: Significantly below state standards
Based on data from the last school year, Kilmer was rated as Distinguished. This shows that our school is exceeding expectations set by the Commonwealth of Virginia around student performance. We are incredibly proud of this achievement and will continue our daily work of giving each and every student a high-quality education, while supporting them every step of the way.
A big shoutout to our awesome Kilmer PTA for the fantastic Holiday Goodie Bags delivered on Thursday. Your kindness brought lots of smiles to our staff. Thank you for always stepping up and making our school experience top-notch. The PTA’s support means the world, and we're grateful for the positive impact you bring to our school community.
Finally, if your child is interested in trying out for the Cross Town Hoops basketball teams in 2026, please be sure to read the blurb below because there are some changes, especially as it relates to student physicals and being “cleared” to try out.
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!
Owen O. - You have been so on top of your game this year in every way, but especially in History! I loved how you were so proactive about making a Learning Seminar pass to come and take the test you missed with no reminders. That is seriously impressive! Keep up the awesome work!
Caitlin A. - Caitlin showed outstanding character during our sewing unit by willingly helping the class without being asked (separating thread). Her positive attitude and willingness to lead by example truly made a difference.
Abasin Z. - Abasin, you are a wonderful role model for your classmates. I am so impressed at how engaged you are in class, and I appreciate how willing you are to volunteer and share your ideas. You are a bright student and have come a long way since the first day of school. Keep it up!
Ayaan A. - Ayaan, you did an amazing job taking a leadership role during our Developmental Dilemmas lab! You were supportive of your table group and helped everyone figure out their points for each round. You also led your group in great discussion about the choices that needed to be made for your city!
Samanatha S. - Thank you for staying after class to help reset our classroom by pushing in chairs, putting books away, and straightening things up -- all without being asked! I really appreciate your help. -Mrs. Smith
 Upcoming Dates
Save the Date: Rising 8th and 9th Grade Course Registration Events
Course Selection 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: Audience, 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: Audience, 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: Audience, Current 7th grade students will explore elective course options for 8th grade
Families can access the Course Selection page on the Kilmer website to explore course options, review course selection information, and view academic advising timelines for all grade levels.
Congratulations to Kilmer’s Outstanding Employees! Each staff member now moves on to the pyramid level in their respective categories. Pictured above from left to right: Claire O’Brien—Outstanding New Teacher; Monica Schmitt—Outstanding Professional; Erin Kestler—Outstanding Leader; Kristen Mattix—Outstanding Teacher; Giau Ngo—Outstanding Operational Employee.
 Thank you to the PTA’s Hospitality Committee for organizing holiday gift bags for Kilmer’s staff. We were blown away by the generosity of our Kilmer families!
Last Friday, SGA hosted a Winter Wonderland Dance for our students. Over 300 7th and 8th grade students came to the dance and enjoyed activities such as the photo booth, cookie decorating, and of course, dancing!
This week, our Advanced Theater students learned about monologues. Students wrote a monologue, traded with a classmate, and then memorized and performed their peer’s monologue for the group. Great job, Advanced Theater students!
SGA Spirit Week - December 12-19
Join us in a Spirit Week, hosted by SGA, to celebrate the holiday season.
Monday, Dec. 15: Meme Day 📱
Tuesday, Dec. 16: Whiteout ⚪️❄️
Wednesday, Dec. 17: Blackout ⚫️
Thursday, Dec. 18: Adam Sandler Day (dress like one of his characters) 🎥🍿
Friday, Dec. 19: PJ Day & Holiday Hats Day 🎩
🎄 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! ❄️🍬
Kilmer SGA Holiday Food Drive!
We had so much success last week, that we are extending our food drive! Kilmer’s SGA is working to stock our school food pantry for the holiday season, and we need the students' help!
- 📅 When: Now until December 18
- 📍 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! 🎁🍲
🎭 Support Our School Musical! 🎭
Show your theatre pride with this year’s Once Upon a Mattress – Youth Edition musical t-shirt!
Shirts are $25 and, this year, you get to choose your shirt color! Orders can be placed THIS ORDER FORMPayment (cash or check) is due by December 19th.
Grab a shirt, pick your favorite color, and help cheer on our amazing cast and crew!
Crosstown Hoops
Kilmer will compete in its annual basketball tournament versus Thoreau Middle School on Thursday, April 9th at Madison HS. This event is a fundraiser sponsored by the Kilmer PTA. School administration will determine “eligibility” to participate based on students being in good standing.
All participants must submit a valid Middle School Sports Athletic Physical Examination. Physicals are valid for 14 months, and physicals submitted for other FCPS MS sports also meet this requirement.
Families must complete several required steps before tryouts:
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Afterschool Registration Consent
- FCPS Middle School Sports Athletic Participation/Parental Consent/Physical Examination (PPE) Form
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The PPE Form, must be completely filled in and properly signed (pages 1-3) attesting that you have been examined, found to be physically fit for athletic competition no more than 14 calendar months prior to the date on which report was signed.
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Proof of Medical/Accident Insurance Coverage (on PPE Form) Any student participating in voluntary Afterschool athletic programs, must have insurance.
- Hard/paper copies of PPE and ECC Forms must be turned in at the Main Office for review, processing and approval. *Students may not be cleared for participation the same day they submit forms. **Blank copies are available in the Main Office.
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Athletic Registration Form * Link coming soon
Tryouts 2:30 - 3:30PM
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7th & 8th Grade Girls (Ms. Zein)
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7th Grade Boys (Mr. Gonzalez)
- Tues. Jan. 20
- Thurs. Jan. 22
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8th Grade Boys (Mr. Sirdofsky)
- Thurs. Feb. 19
- Tues. Feb. 24
- Thurs. Feb. 26
- Students must be cleared (Athletic Physicals and All forms completed) by Ms. KK before in order to try out.
- Late Bus Transportation at 4:45 PM
- Students may not leave and return for tryouts - they must have appropriate footwear.
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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