A message from Principal Steven McFarlane
Kilmer Community,
I trust everyone’s staying safe and warm. To say it has been a herculean effort by our custodian crew to clear the snow at Kilmer is an understatement! Many of us got a taste of what they’ve been doing since Monday as we’ve shovelled (pick axed 🙂) our way out of our own homes, but imagine doing that for the whole Kilmer campus. Take a look below at a few before/after pictures. A big thank you to Kilmer’s custodial crew!
A reminder that the 2nd quarter has been extended by a couple days. When students come back on Monday morning, it will be a Green Day, followed by a Blue Day. Wednesday will be the start of the 3rd quarter/2nd Semester and it will be an Anchor Day. We’ll spend Monday and Tuesday finishing up the 1st semester and preparing students for the new semester on Wednesday.
Have a great rest of your weekend, and as always, reach out with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Steven McFarlane
Principal
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 Upcoming Dates
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February 5-6 - Yearbook Club Photos in the GIR - Schedule will be communicated via email and posted on the Student Schoology page
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February 5 – Marshall High School Rising 9th Grade Orientation, 6:00–8:00 PM at Marshall: for 8th grade families with students attending Marshall for 9th grade.
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February 6 – Marshall High School Counselor Visits at Kilmer during Learning Seminar: 8th grade students attending Marshall next year will meet their future counselor and learn about 9th grade course options and the transition to High School
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February 6 – Rising 8th Grade Elective Fair during Learning Seminar: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.
2nd Quarter Grades
The 2nd quarter now ends on Wednesday, February 3. Gradebook and Report Card Modules in SIS StudentVUE and ParentVUE will be unavailable from Wednesday, February 3 at 4:00 PM through Monday, February 9 at 6:00 AM. On February 9, 2nd quarter report cards will be visible in SIS ParentVUE. A printed version of 2nd quarter report cards will be sent home Thursday, February 26.
2nd Semester Schedule *Updated Dates*
Students and parents will be able to view second semester class schedules in SIS StudentVue and ParentVUE on Tuesday, February 3 at 4:00 PM.
New Semester Electives
- Second semester classes begin on Wednesday, February 4. The elective listed on your child’s schedule was selected during spring course registration. At this point in the school year, we are unable to accommodate elective changes, as schedule adjustments would impact other classes.
- Students who have a new elective during 5th or 6th period may also have a new lunch assignment. All students will have the opportunity to choose a new lunch table assignment for the second semester on February 10th and 11th.
Learning Seminar Class Changes
- A significant number of students will have changes to their 8th and/or 9th period Learning Seminar classes. Students will remain with one of their current teachers. Learning Seminar periods are flexible and may change throughout the school year to ensure students receive subject-specific support, allow teachers to work with different groups of students based on current data and instructional needs, and offer teacher-sponsored enrichment activities for some students.
- Due to school-wide course selection activities on Friday, February 6, students with a change to their Learning Seminar class will begin their new 8th or 9th period Learning Seminar on Wednesday, February 11. Updated schedules will be visible in SIS StudentVUE and ParentVUE on February 10.
Upcoming Course Selection Activities
During the weeks of February 2 - February 13, students will begin learning about course options and engage in conversations with their teachers about course selections for next school year. Students can also explore course offerings independently by visiting the Kilmer Academic Advising Google Site, which includes course videos and resources to support informed decision-making. Students can access the link on Schoology.
Upcoming 7th Grade Activities:
- Friday, February 6 – Elective Fair & Course Selection Lesson (Learning Seminar)
- 7th grade students will participate in a Rising 8th Grade Elective Fair, giving them the opportunity to learn about elective options and ask questions to support course selections.
- During the course selection lesson, students will also learn how to enter their initial course requests in SIS StudentVUE.
Upcoming 8th Grade Activities:
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Thursday, February 5 – Marshall High School Rising 9th Grade Orientation
- Location: Marshall High School, 6:00-8:00 PM
- Friday, February 6 – Marshall High School Counselor Visits (Learning Seminar)
- Marshall High School counselors will meet with 8th grade students planning to attend Marshall to discuss course options for the 2026–2027 school year.
- Students will be assigned to a Learning Seminar classroom based on their designated Marshall counselor; students not attending Marshall will also be assigned a classroom.
- Student location assignments will be emailed and posted next week.
- Marshall counselors will present during either the first or second Learning Seminar block. When counselors are not presenting, teachers will guide students through entering initial course requests in SIS StudentVUE.
February–March – One on One Academic Advising for ALL Students
Each student will meet individually with their school counselor to review and finalize course selections in SIS StudentVUE. Students will reflect on their choices, consider honors options aligned to their strengths and interests, and balance coursework with extracurricular commitments. After these meetings, students and parents can view course selections in SIS StudentVUE and ParentVUE.
Snow Day Photos
If your family had a chance to enjoy the snow, we would love to see it! Please feel free to share any snow-day photos of your students with Paige Knisley, Yearbook sponsor. She would love to include some winter moments in this year’s yearbook. Photos can be emailed to paknisley@fcps.edu.
Digital Detox Day - February 9th
To promote healthy technology habits and encourage meaningful learning experiences, we will be holding a "Digital Detox Day" on February 9. On this day, all classroom activities will be conducted without the use of student laptops. Students may still bring their laptops to school if they need to use it for their accommodations or after-school activities, but otherwise they will remain in their backpacks during the school day.
We recognize that our students spend a significant amount of time interacting with technology. The Digital Detox Day aims to:
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Inspire good digital citizenship: By stepping away from screens, students will gain a deeper appreciation for the balance between technology and offline activities.
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Reinforce offline learning: This day will remind us that technology is a tool, and meaningful learning can still be achieved through traditional methods like discussions, hands-on activities, and creative projects.
We believe this event will be a valuable opportunity for both students and teachers to explore alternative learning approaches and foster a deeper connection with their studies!
Upcoming Student Experience Survey (SXS): February 23, 2026
Our school will participate in the FCPS Student Experience Survey. This survey will gather important feedback from students about their school experiences to help FCPS make meaningful improvements.
All students in grades 3-6, except those who have opted out, will receive a link to the survey in their FCPS email on February 23. We will administer the survey during 5th Period Advisory on Monday, February 23. Any student may take the survey at home, if they are unable to take the survey during the school day. You will receive a communication with details on how to preview the survey and opt your child out, if you choose. The electronic opt-out form can also be accessed at this link.
FCPS believes it's important to hear from our students about what we're doing well and where we can improve. This work also aligns with the equity commitments in FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan, which include a focus on amplifying student voice and experiences as we work toward meeting plan goals.
Spring Track & Field
As a part of the FCPS Middle School Athletics Program Kilmer will host Spring Track & Field. Coaches and Volunteers Needed!
Returning Athletes from Cross Country or Crosstown Hoops:
Do Not Need to resubmit Athletic Physicals if PPE on file is dated after March 30,2025
Do Need to complete the Spring Track and Field Athletics Registration Form
Families new to MS Athletics must complete several required steps prior to participating (including practice):
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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 (dated after 3/30/26)
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Proof of Medical/Accident Insurance Coverage (on PPE Form) Any student participating in voluntary Afterschool athletic programs, must have insurance.
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Hard/paper copies of PPE and ECC Forms to 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.
- State-Mandated Concussion Education Program
Practice and Meet Details
- Practices Begin 4/07
- 2:30-3:30PM on Monday/Wednesday/Thursday
- Must participate in 4 practices for Meet Eligibility
- NO Tryouts - NO Experience Needed
- 8AM Saturday Meet Schedule:
- 4/25 Herndon HS
- 5/02 West Springfield HS
- 5/09 Marshall HS
- 5/16 Oakton HS
- 5/30 Robinson (MS T&F Champs Meet)
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.
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