Heritage Night!
Calendar Updates
April 20 - 24 - Get 2 Green Week - See Spirit Wear Below!
April 21 - No School - (Election Day) - Teacher Planning Day
April 22 - Full Day of School (3 Hour Early Release cancelled)
April 24 - Bingo Night! Sign Up Below!
April 29 - Sixth Grade Pano Picture
May 4 - 8 - Teacher Appreciation Week (see below to support)
May 5 - Reading SOL - Grade 4 and 5
May 5 - Second Grade Field Trip - Aesops Fable
May 6 - Reading SOL - Grade 3 and 6
May 7 - Sixth Grade Field Trip - Barnes, Kyaw, Lim and Peeters
May 11 - Kindergarten Field Trip
May 12 - Math SOL - Grade 4 and 5
May 13 - 3hr Early Release Wednesday
May 14 - Math SOL - Grade 3 and 6
May 19 - Science SOL - Grade 5
May 25- Memorial Day - No School
May 26- Teacher Workday- No School for Students
May 27- Eid-al-Adha - No School
2025-26 FCPS School Calendar
Administration Note
Dear Parents,
We had a wonderful but warm week! It certainly gave us a true taste of summer. We celebrated our military families with a spirit day and a special breakfast in their honor. A truly meaningful opportunity to recognize and thank those who serve our country.
We also enjoy Heritage Night - always a special event for all of our families. Check out the fabulous pictures. A wonderful time to come together!
We have Earth Week celebration and will celebrate with Go Green and Spirit Days! Monday begins with animal attire!!
A gentle reminder that we have no school on April 21 due to the election. Teachers will be working remotely but the school is closed for the Election. We will NOT have the early release previously scheduled on April 22.
Warmly,
Holly McGuigan Tia Hawkins Sarah Talley
Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal
Get 2 Green Week!
- Monday, April 20 – Wildlife Day – Dress up as your favorite animal
- Tuesday, April 21 – Zero Waste Day - School is CLOSED (Election Day)
- Wednesday, April 22 – Earth Day - Wear blue for our watershed
- Thursday, April 23 – Climate Change Day - wear something green or with a green message
- Friday, April 24 Wear spring colors or flowers - A SHOUT Out to Spring
April Statewide Election: No School for Students
There will be no school for students on Tuesday, April 21, for the Virginia statewide election. Student activities, athletic practices, and events may proceed as scheduled. FCPS will offer lunch and a snack at no cost to children aged 18 and under on April 21 at participating schools. The meals must be eaten on site. For more information, visit the FCPS Food and Nutrition Services webpage.
Adjusted Elementary Early Release Wednesdays - Students will now have a traditional full day of instruction and be released at the regular dismissal time on April 22 and April 29, which were previously early release Wednesdays for elementary schools. This adjustment allows our staff to still have dedicated time for planning, collaboration, and professional learning without reducing instructional time on other school days.
End of Year Updates
Thursday, June 11 - Field Day - Kinder - 5th Grade - (We will post for volunteers soon)
Friday, June 12 - Field Day Rain Date K-5
Monday, June 15 - Sixth Grade Promotion - McLean HS
Tuesday, June 16 - Sixth Grade Field Day 9:30 - 11 a.m. and Sixth Grade Celebration 1 - 3 p.m. (More info to follow - we will need volunteers)
Kent Gardens is the Recipient of the Outstanding Best Buddy Chapter for 2025-26
Thanks to the hard work of Aliceson Wirth and Emily Vayo - Kent Gardens is the recipient of the Outstanding Best Buddy Chapter for the state of VA. Their work has had a HUGE impact on our culture and support of ALL of our students. Well done!!
Thanks to our AMAZING and GENEROUS Kent Gardens students, parents, and teachers, the Kent Gardens Best Buddies chapter was able to raise $461 from Kindness Gram sales in the weeks leading up to Spring Break. The KG Best Buddies delivered around 200 Kindness Grams to students and they brought everyone a lot of joy. Please join Team Kent Gardens for the Friendship Walk NEXT SATURDAY, April 25. Registration is STILL open - Come join us!
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Native Plant Instillation
We are thrilled to be the recipient of 'Revitalize, Restore and Replant' (R3) program. R3 is an award-winning program whereby ecologists from Fairfax County Stormwater Management work with students and staff at school to transform underutilized grass areas to transform the areas into thriving pollinator meadows through instillation of several hundred native plants. Our 4th graders with the support of Ms. Bulford and Ms. Waters helped prepare the areas and plant the native plants. It was an exciting week with a great deal of student engagement!
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!
Sixth Graders Field Trip!
The sixth graders enjoyed an action packed field trip supported by Calleva. They enjoyed zip lining and other team work based challenges! #kgpride #StrongerTogether
Spring Testing Season is Here! 📅
Students will be participating in spring assessments based on their grade level and courses. This includes summative assessments like Standards of Learning (SOL) tests, which measure what a student knows, and progress assessments like Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests, which measure where they are in their learning.
FCPS encourages all families to support their students in taking these tests. Virginia requires schools to test at least 95% of students on SOLs, so when families choose not to participate in testing, it can impact a school’s accreditation, accountability ratings, and ability to measure student progress accurately.
Parents and caregivers can help their children perform their best on these tests by reminding them to get a good night’s sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and the cell phone policy still applies during testing season. It is important that students attend school on scheduled testing dates. If you are aware of a conflict that may cause your student to miss a test, please notify us as soon as possible.
Learn more about how to support your child and why test participation matters.
SOL Testing Dates
- Third Grade SOL
- May 6th Reading
- May 14th Math
- 4th Grade SOL
- May 5th Reading
- May 12th Math
- 5th Grade SOL
- May 5th Reading
- May 12th Math
- May 19th Science
- 6th Grade SOL
- May 6th Reading
- May 14th Math
Positivity Project Focus - Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence
This week, our school will focus on the character strength of Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence. This means noticing and valuing the world's beauty and people's skills and not taking things for granted.
Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence involves recognizing and enjoying what is admirable. Positive psychology identifies three types of goodness: physical beauty (like sunsets or music), exceptional skills or talents, and moral goodness (like character strengths). Appreciating beauty can inspire awe, skills can generate admiration, and moral goodness can elevate us. These feelings help us forget ourselves and find more joy and meaning in the world.
This strength helps individuals experience positive emotions and connect with the world around them. It is outward-facing, focusing on external beauty and excellence, often leading to deep absorption in awe or admiration, which can help alleviate anxieties. It is also linked to other strengths, such as gratitude, curiosity, love of learning, and purpose.
To practice and encourage this strength 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.
Updates to 2026-27 School Year Calendar
The School Board voted to direct the superintendent to designate Veterans Day as a standard instructional day for the 2026-27 school year. Because this day was added, the 2026-27 school year will now end for students on Wednesday, June 16, 2027. Find additional information on BoardDocs. View the updated complete school year calendar on FCPS’ website.
The last day of school for the current school year — Wednesday, June 17, 2026 — has not changed.
Note from Parent Liaison, Shelley Lowinger
Earth Day Festival will be held on Saturday, April 25th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This fun event will be held at Lake Fairfax Park located at 1400 Lake Fairfax Drive in Reston, VA. Admission is free, and parking is $10.00 per car. The day will be filled with barnyard buddies, hands-on nature exhibits, a rock-climbing wall, sports, games and more. For more information, visit Earth Day Fest.
Virginia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics has created a platform to provide information about VA community resources. From affordable childcare to school supplies to healthcare support, use zip code to find information about services. Search this free resource to access over 466,000 local and state social care programs. Access this continuously updated platform here.
The Connected Family: Navigating the Digital World Together - Join FCPS Intervention and Prevention Services to learn how your family can build healthy and secure, and positive habits online together. This family workshop provides hands-on learning about internet safety to inform families on April 29, 2026. For more information and to register, please visit this link.
SNAP Benefits Updates - The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides a monthly amount of money to help households purchase food to ensure adults and families have nutritious meals to stay healthy. Formerly known as food stamps, Read about updates on the Fairfax County Government website here.
Family Resource Center presents Literacy Instruction for Students with Significant Disabilities Friday, April 24, 10 to 11:30 a.m. In this session participants will explore the five components of literacy and corresponding instructional practices designed to support the literacy needs of students with significant cognitive disabilities. Register here
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Camp Fairfax Summer 2026 - Camp Fairfax serves rising 1st through 7th graders and is held at public schools and community centers throughout Fairfax County. Breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack are provided. A sliding fee scale is available Camp Fairfax Summer Flyer
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The Fairfax City Parks and Recreation Department strives to provide safe, fun, and affordable camp programs for your children. We strive to provide programs that will allow children to grow and develop intellectually, physically, culturally, and socially. Campers will have the benefit of learning from role models while spending quality time with their friends in a great environment. https://www.fairfaxva.gov/Fun-Facilities/Camps-and-Classes/Summer-Camps
Elementary Institute for the Arts (E-IFTA) is a vibrant weekly arts camp designed for elementary-aged students who love to sing, dance, act, and create! Each day, campers dive into four exciting classes in dance, music, theater, and visual arts, led by passionate FCPS fine arts teachers who create fun and engaging experiences. More information and registration.
Mental Health Support - Free, virtual mental health sessions are available for high school students through our partnership with Hazel Health. This is a great way for students to access care quickly and easily from home, providing support for stress, anxiety, worry, and other concerns.
County Libraries and Parks - Fairfax County residents can take advantage of many of the free offerings the county provides to residents and students. Our incredible public libraries have a wide-selection of books and other activities that families can check out. All FCPS students also have a Library Equity Access Pass through Fairfax County Public Libraries, which allows them to check-out up to 3 items for 6 weeks. And Fairfax County’s many parks and recreation areas are open and free to residents as well.
Purple Up Breakfast!
We hosted a Purple Up Breakfast for our military students and gave them the opportunity to connect and create their 'star'! Many students wore purple in honor of the military. #kgpride #StrongerTogether #WeAllBelong
Community Conversations: Share Your Thoughts With Dr. Reid
As a listening leader, connecting with community members across our school division is critical to FCPS Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid. Her Community Conversations are opportunities for you to share your thoughts and ask questions. Events will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. (unless otherwise noted April 20, at Westgate Elementary School ; April 22, at Crestwood Elementary School. Child care and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all. Visit the superintendent’s engagement page for the most up-to-date information.
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: April 24
Collections for Givology
A student from TJHSST is collecting for Givology and is working to spread outreach and awareness about Givology’s mission in the community. Givology is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to increasing access to quality education worldwide. The mission and initiative is to fund teacher training, provide scholarships for rural girls and refugees, and build vital WASH facilities in countries like Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and Uganda. It was co-founded in 2008 by a TJ alumni, and since inception, we have raised $700,000 for 5,000+ students in 30+ countries. Their goal is to collect personal hygiene products (toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant etc.) and school supplies (pencils, erasers, crayons, etc.) to support students in under-resourced communities. The specific organization we are hoping to uplift is Mission Mochila, which is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering underprivileged youth in El-Salvador. We have a box in the lobby - drop off donations there! Informational Links: School supply/ hygiene wishlist; Mision Mochila Website; Givology Website
Bingo Night on April 24th
Calling all Lions! Mark your calendars for Bingo Night, hosted by the PTA and the 6th Grade Class. Plan to come out for a fun-filled family night full of Bingo, pizza, and prizes! We are asking for donations of new or gently used items in good working order to be used as prizes on Bingo Night. Please bring donations to the bin outside of the main office by Monday, April 20. The more the prizes, the more the fun! Buy your tickets now!
Please note, this is not a drop-off event, and an adult must accompany all children for the entire event. If you have any questions, please email KGPTABingo@gmail.com
 Teacher Appreciation Week ~ May 4 - May 8!
Teacher Appreciation Week is May 4th-8th! Here's how YOU can help!
Donate for Catering
Donate Drinks
Volunteer to help
Buy a Pizza from Timber Pizza
Now through the end of April, you can purchase a pizza online or in store at Timber Pizza (mention KG Community Heroes) to be donated for Teacher Appreciation Week. All donated pizzas will be delivered to KG on May 8th, and Timber Pizza will match every pizza purchased. We couldn't do this without you! Thank you for helping us soar!
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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