Gator Bytes: News and General Information for Kings Glen ES
English | Español | አማርኛ | 中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt | العربية | فارسی | اردو
Dear Gators,
We had a wonderful first few days back at school! It has been so nice to hear the excitement of student voices filling our building. Our students and staff have spent the first few days getting to know each other, building community, learning procedures, and beginning to dive into the curriculum.
Today, students that ride the school bus were given their student ID badges that they will need to use when boarding and disembarking from the bus in the morning and afternoon. During the school day, student ID badges will remain in student backpacks. Only students that ride a bus were given their student ID badges.
Tomorrow is our Strings recruitment for grades 4-6 and Band recruitment for grades 5-6. Students will have the opportunity to learn about these music opportunities from our fabulous staff!
We appreciate your partnership and all that you have done to prepare your students for a great year!
Dr. Ritter, Principal • Ms. Gibbs, Assistant Principal
|
SAVE THE DATE: Back to School Night
Thursday, September 3rd, 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Student ID Cards for Kings Glen Bus Riders
Today we have distributed student ID cards to all students who ride a FCPS school bus and were enrolled in either Kings Park or Kings Glen prior to the beginning of July. Students who ride the FCPS school bus and were not issued a pass today will be receiving one as they become available.
The cards are attached to lanyards and should remain inside your child’s backpack each day. Students will be reminded to place the lanyard in their backpack when they arrive at school and to put it on before boarding the bus at dismissal.
Students should tap their ID cards when boarding and exiting the bus. At this time, only students who use FCPS transportation services will receive an ID card.
We appreciate your patience! Bus drivers will begin checking in students, which may require additional time at each bus stop. The transportation team is working hard to minimize delays.
Learn more about the bus navigation system and student ID cards
Lake Braddock Pyramid Night - Thursday, September 10th, 5:00pm - 6:30pm
Lake Braddock will be hosting their annual Pyramid Night on Thursday, September 10th. The event includes fun games and activities like food trucks, music, an obstacle course, bounce houses, and a dunk tank from 5:00pm-6:30pm. The first home football game will follow the festival, and we hope you will be able to stay and participate. The festival is free to attend, and tickets for the Football game are available for purchase through eTix.
We are excited to share the opportunity for 10 students from Kings Glen will be selected to participate in the “Tunnel Run” to open the football game. If you are interested, in your child participating, please complete Lake Braddock Tunnel Run Interest Form (KGES) by Thursday, September 3rd. For each of the 10 students randomly chosen will receive one free student and one free guardian ticket for the football game.
Study Help and Support Available to Students in Schoology
A new Schoology Study and Support Hub is available for students in Schoology. This space was developed by the FCPS Educational Technology Team with input from students. It is designed to provide essential study tools and academic support resources directly to our learners.
Students can log in to Schoology and read their Schoology announcements or watch this video on the support hub for more information.
Volunteering at Kings Glen
If you are looking to volunteer for the 2026-2027 school year and have not already done so, complete your Volunteer FCPS registration this summer. This helps ensure a safe, consistent, and welcoming environment here at Kings Park. We thank you for your support! All volunteers must:
- Create a profile in Volunteer FCPS.
- Complete a volunteer orientation and register for opportunities through Volunteer FCPS.
- Sign in and out of schools using the visitor kiosk.
Apply Today for Free and Reduced-Price Meals!
According to the Centers for Disease Control, eating breakfast at school is associated with better attendance rates, fewer missed school days, and better test scores. Studies show that students who eat both school breakfast and lunch tend to have healthier diets than those who don't participate in school meals.
Families who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals can receive breakfast and lunch for their students at no cost or at a reduced cost. This includes more than one-third of FCPS students. Families must complete the Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FRM) application before the start of each school year. Approved applications may also qualify students for additional benefits.
The application for FRM is now available for the 2026-27 school year. Students who were approved for FRM last year are eligible for the first 30 days of school this year (or until a new application is processed). Families should reapply as soon as possible so eligible students continue to receive meals at no cost.
Access the application and view criteria and up-to-date information on the FRM webpage. Families should reach out to their schools with questions or for assistance.
Meals for Students Available Through August 21
No-cost meals will be provided to students on a first-come, first-served basis through Friday, August 21, at the sites and times listed on the FCPS Summer Food Service Program webpage. Students must remain on site while eating their meals.
Understanding Student Rights and Responsibilities Updates: New Universal Grade Matrices for Families
Families are encouraged to review the updated FCPS Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) document, which explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses in order to enhance school safety and to create a fair, equitable, and supportive school environment.
Updates for the 2026-27 school year include new Universal Grade Matrices (UGMs). UGMs are charts that show behavior expectations and school responses by grade level (K-3, 4-8, and 9-12). These at-a-glance resources (in Appendix D of the SR&R) are designed to make it easier for parents and caregivers to understand how schools respond to different types of behavior concerns.
Visit the SR&R webpage for more information and to review additional updates to the SR&R for the 2026-27 school year.
Lightspeed Updates: You Can Manage Student Web Access at Home
At Kings Glen, we acknowledge that parents are our students' first and most important teachers. Parents now have greater control over their child’s FCPS-issued device outside of school hours through Lightspeed Parent Portal.
In addition to monitoring weekly internet activity, parents can now also customize web access at home on FCPS devices through Lightspeed using Schedules and Web Rules.
With Schedules, you can set tailored times to automatically pause or restrict internet access. This makes it easier to enforce rules around homework time, family dinners, weekends, or bedtime.
In Web Rules, you can create Custom Block Lists to block specific, individual websites they do not want your child accessing at home. This allows parents greater control over what is happening online, under their own roof.
These new custom controls take effect at home, outside of school hours, and when the device is off the FCPS network. They will not override standard district filtering policies during the instructional day.
Customize Your Lightspeed Settings
All parents should be receiving weekly Lightspeed Online Student Activity Report emails. To set up these new features, click the “Log in or Register” button at the bottom of your weekly Lightspeed Online Student Activity Report email.
Visit the FCPS Lightspeed Parent Portal Guide for more information. If you have additional questions, submit a Parent Technology Support Ticket.
Parents are encouraged to discuss internet boundaries with their children so that they can understand the reasoning behind any limits and the differences between access at home and at school. Get tips on talking to your children about technology safety.
New Requirement for Student Device Use During the School Day
Starting this school year, students must use FCPS-issued devices for school-related digital activities during the instructional day. This is in accordance with a new School Board requirement, approved on July 16, which states that students may not use personal electronic communication or computing devices, including personal laptops, tablets, smartwatches, smartphones, and similar devices.
Students may only use their personal device if it is required as part of a necessary accommodation in the students’ Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan.
 |
|
KP/KG PTA News |
Join the PTA. We hope all members of the KP/KG community will consider joining the PTA this school year. Being a PTA member has numerous benefits -- it's a great way to meet new friends and become more involved in your child's school and community. Join on our website!
Thanks to all those that stopped by for a cool treat at Sweet Frog last week! More spirit nights are coming soon!
Our first meeting, where we will be approving our budget, is coming up on September 17th at Kings Park at 5:00 pm right before Back to School Night in the cafeteria. Please join us and learn about all the exciting things planned for the year!
Want to help with KP/KG PTA’s biggest fundraiser of the year? The Booster program starts on September 9th and finishes on September 18th with the Fun Run. Mark your calendars and reach out to Sarah Maccubbin-Tremper at vpfund@kpkgpta.org if you want to be involved!
Save the Date! Our popular PTA Ice Cream Social and Community Resource Fair will be held at Kings Glen on September 25th.
Keep in Touch with the PTA. A great way to keep in touch with the PTA is to subscribe to our emails and/or join our Facebook group. An updated PTA events calendar can also be found here. We will be starting our monthly newsletter in September, which is a great resource to find out more about the PTA. Reach out to board@kpkgpta.org if you have any questions.
Volunteer with the PTA. Volunteering is certainly not a requirement of joining the PTA, but we are always looking for more help! We are looking for some volunteer leads for various positions throughout the year. Check out our openings here.
Sept 3: Back to School Night (5:30-7 p.m.)
Sept 4-7: Labor Day Holiday (School Closed)
Sept 10: Lake Braddock Pyramid Night (See Above)
Sept 21: Yom Kippur (Schools Closed)
Sept 25: PTA Ice Cream Social and Community Resource Fair (See Above)
Sept 30: 3-Hr. Early Release Wednesday (Students Dismiss at 12:25 p.m.)
|
