Spirit Wear - Looking Forward to STEAM and Literacy Night! 2/26
Wednesday, 2/25 - Hats Off to Reading - Wear your favorite hat!
Thursday, 2/26 - Dress like a mad scientist - wear your crazy hair !
Friday, 2/27 - Pajama Day with a stuffie! Relax at the end of the week!
STEAM/Math/Literacy Night 2/26 5:15 - 6:45 p.m.
We are looking forward to seeing everyone on Thursday, February 26 for a combined event - STEAM/Math and Literacy Night. All of our teachers will be participating. We also have other vendors coming to support the event that include Mad Scientist, Experimental Geo Lab (GMU), Wheats and other vendors. We have the wonderful estimation table with some very cool items to take home for the closest guess! If you know of a middle or high school student who wants to participate and volunteer, here is the sign up!
Plan Forward - Dates to Mark on your Calendar
February 25, 26, 27 - Spirit Wear Days - Fav Hat, Crazy Hair, PJ Day!
February 26 - STEAM and Literacy Night - 5:15 - 6:45 p.m. Student volunteer sign up here.
February 27 - PTA Meeting 8:45 a.m. Cafeteria
March 3 - Author Visit
March 5 - Student Spring Pictures - Photos will be available approximately 10 days after the picture day. Parents will have the option to purchase at that time.
March 6 - 13 - Spring Book Fair
March 18 - Three Hour Early Release
March 20 - Eid al-Fitr School Holiday
March 25 - Parent Coffee 8:45 a.m.
March 26 - Virtual Kindergarten Orientation Meeting by Zoom (8 - 8:45 a.m. link to follow to those signed up in google form below)
March 27 - Two Hour Early Release and End of Quarter
March 30 - April 3 - Spring Break and April 6 - Teacher Workday
April 10 - Kindergarten Tours/Orientation 9 - 10 a.m. and Teacher Workday
April 14 - Class Group Pictures
April 18 - Heritage Night (rescheduled)
April 22 - Three Hour Early Release
April 24 - Bingo Night!
2025-26 FCPS School Calendar
Administration Note
Dear Parents,
Thanks for supporting the traffic flow by utilizing Dean Drive or Van Fleet Drive to enter into Kent Gardens and departing on Lumsden. If we do have inclement weather, let's continue to follow this pattern. It definitely reduced congestion and promoted safety. Thanks in advance!
The Advisory Committee for Students with Disabilities (ACSD) is seeking nominations for the First-Class Awards and as parents you can nominate teachers through March 13th. The First-Class Awards is an annual celebration of individuals in Fairfax County who implement, or design programs and activities which include students with disabilities that result in improving outcomes. Award winners will be recognized at the Special Ed Family Conference on April 18, 2026. Do you know an FCPS employee who: models excellence in special education, positively impacts both disabled and non-disabled students and champions inclusive practices and mindsets. Nominate them for a First Class Award!
Keeping students and staff safe is a priority for all of us. Students and staff regularly practice these all types of drills every school year including lockdowns. Virginia Law (22.1-137.2) requires schools to notify parents at least 24 hours before a school practices a lockdown drill. However, we are not required to share the exact date and time of the drill. FCPS lockdown drills are instruction and classroom based. We will conduct a lockdown drill at our school soon. Additional information on our lockdown drill program to include parent tips and FAQs can be found on the Emergency Planning and Crisis Response web page.
We look forward to seeing everyone on Thursday night for STEAM/Math/Literacy Night. All of our teachers are supporting with activities and we have outside vendors! The estimation table is ready to go as well! Check out the spirit wear for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday!
Warmly,
Holly McGuigan Tia Hawkins Sarah Talley
Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal
Student Intentions for Next School Year 2026-27
As we plan forward for the next school year, please complete this google form if your child(ren) are NOT returning. It does not need to be completed if your child(ren) are returning to Kent Gardens. It is not binding, we are merely using this information to guide our thinking on numbers as we plan forward! Thanks in advance!
House Day !!
Our Houses met together as a group - our Blue Team celebrated the most tickets. The classes also met with their Buddies and enjoyed various activities while building connections. So fun!
Visit with the Fire Department
Our kindergarteners thoroughly enjoyed visiting with the fire department. They learned a great deal about safety and also had fun experiencing their fire trucks!
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Rooted in Resilience: Echoes of Excellence
Families and community members are invited to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and uplift the voices shaping our future at FCPS’ Second Annual Black History Month Celebration. Rooted in Resilience: Echoes of Excellence will take place on Wednesday, February 25, at 6 p.m., at Carter G. Woodson High School.
The event will honor the rich history, strength, and contributions of the Black community through inspiring student performances and a powerful keynote address by Rev. Vernon C. Walton, pastor of First Baptist Church of Vienna. Light refreshments will be available.
Yearbook Cover Winners!
Thanks to all students who participated in the yearbook cover contest. We had so many entries. We will display one from every grade level and will have a front page and an inside cover page with two winners. Their entries were so wonderful and we wanted to support the students and their hard work! So simply amazing!! Order your yearbook now - www.yearbookordercenter.com with code 21772 Or scan the QR code below!
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Yearbook Order Now Available!
Order your yearbook now! www.yearbookordercenter.com with code 21772
Or scan the QR code !
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New Raptor Visitor Check In - Download App Now!
We are excited to announce that our school is now using the new Raptor Visitor Management System (VMS). This upgrade is part of our school’s and FCPS’ ongoing commitment to enhancing school safety and streamlining the process for visitors at our school. The VMS ensures that no visitor is on the sex offender registry. Please download the RaptorSafe App to your mobile phone so that you can quickly sign in as a visitor or volunteer at Kent Gardens.
For most visitors, the user experience will be the same when you check-in at the front office.
We are excited to begin using the New RaptorSafe system to keep our building safe and to know who is visiting.
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🍌🥪Student Fasting Meal Kits
From February 18 to March 19, students who are fasting during the day can take school meals home. These kits include one breakfast and one lunch to be eaten after the school day ends.
Families must fill out a request form each week for every student who wants a kit. The first deadline is Wednesday, February 11, for the week of February 16. Please note other important details below:
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Cost: Meals are charged just like a normal school day.
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Pickup: Students must grab their kits at the end of the school day.
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Menu: Kits include school meals that are easy to heat at home.
Visit the Food and Nutrition webpage for forms, deadlines, and other information. Please contact the Office of Food and Nutrition Services with any questions at FCPSFNS@fcps.edu or 703-813-4800.
Spelling Bee Contest Update!
We had a challenging, quick paced Spelling Bee Contest. Students showed that they had studied and were well prepared. We do have a 6th grade winner who will participate in the next challenge. (note that not all are pictured to the left who participated). Thanks to ALL for participating!
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Kindergarten Registration
If you have a child who will be 5 years old by September 30, they are eligible to attend Kindergarten for the upcoming year. You can now choose to use online registration tool. With the online option, you will then have to come into the office with the child’s original birth certificate, your proof of residence (deed/lease) and your ID. You can contact Annie Joseph to coordinate a convenient time.
Rising Kindergarten Student Intention 2026-27
Please complete this form if you have a rising kindergartner and plan on attending Kent Gardens. If you are hopeful to attend, you may complete but please note your status in the form below. We are not using this data for evaluative purposes nor for placement purposes but merely to collect information for the beginning of the school year. All students come in at various levels academically and socially. Here is the link for online registration. We are excited for our 2026-27 kindergarten students!
Kindergarten Parent Information Meeting will be through Zoom (link to follow) on March 26th at 8 a.m. Sign up here to receive the link.
The Parent Tour and Kindergarten Student Orientation is on Friday, April 10 at 9 a.m. (Parents and students attend together) Link is here to reserve your tour time.
Positivity Project Focus - Humility
This week, our school community will focus on the character strength of Humility. Humility means not seeking attention and letting your actions speak for themselves. Humble people understand their abilities and achievements without underestimating them. They can admit mistakes, accept advice, and are open to new ideas. They don't show off their successes or possessions.
Developing humility helps people reflect on how they can improve and work well with others. It allows them to grow and become valuable team members.
To practice and encourage the character strength of humility at home, please visit The Positivity Project’s mobile-friendly P2 for Families (available in English and Spanish), where you will watch a video together and discuss a quote and three questions. Below are links to this week’s P2 for Families lessons. Click on the grade level that best meets your child’s needs.
More House Day Fun!
Middle School Transition Fair - Special Education Focus
Families are invited to FCPS' Middle School Transition Fair, an evening for families of elementary and middle school students receiving special education services to learn about planning for the future. At this event, families can meet Career and Transition Services (CTS) representatives and other support staff, learn about postsecondary education, employment, and community supports, and hear from a student and parent panel sharing real transition experiences.
The fair will be held on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, from 6:30–8:30 p.m. at Luther Jackson Middle School. Language support will be available. This is a great opportunity to ask questions, connect with resources, and feel more confident about your child’s next steps. We hope to see you there! Event Flyer and Translations; Event registration link
FCPS Spirit Day
We only captured a few pics of staff and students wearing our brightest clothes to bring on the warmth!
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2026 Special Education Family Conference - Date Change - Now 4/18
The 2026 Special Education Family Conference, Stronger Together: Connecting Families and Schools, date has been rescheduled to April 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Marshall High School. Update information is available on the FCPS Conference webpage.
Note from Parent Liaison, Shelley Lowinger
Family Resource Center In-Person Presentation - The School Just Called...Now What Do I Ask...
Wednesday, February 25 from 10-11:30 a.m. 2334 Gallows Road, Room 100 Dunn Loring, VA 22027. This in-person workshop will give you the tools to feel prepared and confident when communicating about your child. Using the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) from the Right Question Institute, you’ll learn how to turn worry into clarity by asking better questions; navigate conversations with teachers, administrators, and special education staff and advocate for your child’s needs with confidence and purpose. Register here
Family Resource Center Webinar : You Can't Pour from an Empty Cup: Tips for Self-Care- Kinship Series - Friday, February 27, 2026, from 10-11:30am. Join licensed clinical social worker and kinship caregiver Dr. Monique Lilakos to learn more about stress management and self-care.Register here
FCPS Military Families e-Newsletter and Outreach- Monthly workshops, webinars, or family engagement events will be available for military families throughout the school year. Please check the Family Academy Catalog CLICK HERE under "Military-Connected Families Offerings" for more information on these events as they are posted. For more information and/or to connect with FCPS resources, email us at militaryfamilies@fcps.edu.
Sign-Up for News You Choose - Military Families e-Newsletter
Purple Up! Store Now Open - Fairfax County Public Schools will celebrate Purple Up! Day on April 15, 2026 in honor of the Month of the Military Child. Purple Up! spirit wear is now available through our Custom Ink pop-up store. Items include T-shirts, hoodies, pajama pants, key chains, and yard signs. Spirit Wear Store (families): https://www.customink.com/s/fcps-purple-up-spirit-wear-store
Pop Tab Collecting - 6th Grade Community Service Group
The 6th grade community service group is participating in a Pop Tab Collection to benefit The Ronald McDonald House in Northern Virginia. We would love the entire KGES community help by collecting the little tabs you pull to open soda, soup, or other aluminum cans. Although the Pop Tabs are small and easily discarded, when our entire community works together to collect them, they add up and do great things. These Pop Tabs will be recycled and a check for the tabs will be sent to the Ronald McDonald House. This collection will support the programs by easing the hardship of childhood illness on children and their families. The collection will start on February 18th and run through March 18th (Global Recycling Day). Look for the labeled donation boxes by our KGES House ticket boxes. Make sure your child places their tabs in their appropriate colored boxes.
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Best Buddies Had Fun!
Our KG Best Buddies enjoyed dancing and playing games with other 'Best Buddies' groups in the area.
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Summer Learning
Prepare for Summer Learning and Fun for Students - Registration is open or will be available soon for summer camps and learning opportunities offered by Fairfax County Public Schools for all students.
Career and Technical Education camps and Institute for the Arts camps will be held in July at Robinson Secondary School from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bus transportation will be available from select FCPS middle and high schools. Tuition assistance is available to FCPS families eligible for free or reduced meals.
Tech Adventure Camp (TAC) is a week-long exploratory camp that allows current K-5 students to explore STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math), culinary, health, trades, and business and marketing areas. Watch this video about CTE camps. Registration is open through Friday, June 5.
Elementary Institute for the Arts (E-IFTA) is a weekly fine and performing arts camp for students in grades K-5 who love to sing, dance, act, perform, make, and create. Students attend four daily classes in dance, music, theater, and visual arts and work with experienced educators who create engaging, fun classes.
New this year: Students in the above camps can also register for aftercare, which is available from 2 to 5 p.m.
KG PTA News and Updates
Join the PTA Now!
The PTA at KGES is SUPER BUSY! When you join the PTA, you help support the work we do at our school AND the advocacy work that the PTA does at all levels of the government! Membership in the KGES PTA needs to be renewed every year and you don't have to wait for the school year to start. You can join the PTA NOW!
OUR NEXT PTA MEETING WILL BE: February 27 8:45 - Cafeteria
Girls On The Run Spring Session!
Sign up now for the spring session. Registration for Girls on the Run will take place Feb. 2-Feb. 23 at gotrnova.org. The program is open to girls in grades 3-6. Practices begin March 2 on Mondays and Wednesdays between 3:45-5 p.m. We, unfortunately, are not planning a Tuesday/Thursday team this spring because our usual enrollment numbers aren't large enough to support two teams. Please contact Danielle Newman at kges.gotr@gmail.com with any questions.
Book Fair is Coming March 6 - 13! Shop the Online Fair beginning February 5!
Our Spring Book Fair will be held March 6-13, but our ONLINE FAIR opens February 5. That gives you a WHOLE MONTH to look over the online fair and find those books that get us through the grey, wintry days and celebrate the month of February!
This Spring, the PTA is excited to offer Kent Gardens A NEW way to chase that book fair joy! We'll be setting sail for to find Treasured Tales with Literati!
Literati offers us MORE of what we love at Kent Gardens! More books for advanced readers, more curated titles, more ways to shop, and REALLY EXCITING Book Clubs! In addition to single titles, you can join Literati's book club and receive a personalized monthly box of books that deliver a choice of beautiful books, curated for YOUR reader. We're incredibly excited about all of these opportunities and we'll be sharing more about the fair in upcoming ROARs! You don't have to wait until March 6 to join a book club or check out our online store! You can access our online shop beginning February 5 here!
Lost and Found - Mark Your Child's Names!
Be sure to label all clothing items and please consider purchasing from Mabel's Labels to ensure that your items makes it home again!
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