Friday, May 8, 2015

Weekly Announcements and Reminders

Upcoming Dates

Tuesday, May 12^th – PTA meeting, 9:30, Kilmer Library

Wednesday, May 20 to 22 – PALS Testing

Monday, May 25 – Memorial Day

Wednesday, May 27 – SOLs begin

Monday, June 8^th - Orchestra Concert

Tuesday, June 9 – 7^th grade NJHS Induction

Wednesday, June 10^th – 8^th grade Awards

Thursday, June 11^th – Choir Concert

Friday, June 12^th – Band Concert

Saturday, June 13^th – 8^th Grade Dance

ANNOUNCEMENTS

From the Principal’s Desk:   We are always proud to see Kilmer students excel and demonstrate their accomplishments.  Recently, our Technology Student Association came in 8^th overall across the state in middle school excellence. Our students won 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place in several categories. Congratulations to our team and their sponsors, Mr. Sizemore and Mr. Schweitzer – what a fabulous accomplishment for a first year chapter!

National Junior Honor Society (NJHS)

Attention Parents of 8^th grade NJHS members – Thank you for supporting your student in National Junior Honor Society this year.  We have had a very successful year in many service projects helping the school, as well as helping the larger community through projects like the Food Drive and Sports Equipment Drive. 

Attention Parents of 7^th grade NJHS candidates – Students were notified through a letter in PAWS if they meet the academic requirement (cumulative GPA of 3.7 or higher) and qualify to apply for membership.  Please ask your son or daughter for the letter which contains information on how to submit their name for consideration.  The process is outlined in the letter, and the packet can be found online at http://www.fcps.edu/KilmerMS/academics/njhs.html .   Please note that completing and submitting a packet does not guarantee selection to the National Junior Honor Society.

What to do if your child is not feeling well at school?

Parents, please encourage your child to go to the clinic in the event that they do not feel well. A number of students are texting/calling their parent using their own device, and are not going to the clinic to see if the school could help them with their needs. If a student needs to go home due to an illness, the clinic aide should be the first point of contact to the parent.

Student Awards & Achievements

Throughout the year Kilmer students have had great success both inside and outside of the classroom. Please take a moment to complete this form if you have competed on behalf of Kilmer MS in a competition and are the recipient of an award or recognition (i.e. Science, Math, Technology, Chess, Art, Model UN). We would like to keep a portfolio of our students' (7th and 8th grade) accomplishments.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1OacWtLYgOfdqKPlPatR3JSMtUXjZmydsFQboXaGOfZw/viewform

Those students in 8th grade may receive an invitation to the 8th Grade awards ceremony (invite only) on June 10th. The form must be completed by May 15th for 8th Grade Award considerations.

REMINDERS

Dress Code

As detailed in the Kilmer MS agenda and the Student Rights and Responsibilities booklet, appropriate student attire is important.  Spring is here and we have started to notice clothing that is inappropriate for school. Please take a few minutes to review these guidelines with your student, including skirt, shorts and dress length and tightness, need for belts so pants don’t fall down and the prohibition of sleep or loungewear.  Students will be asked to change into PE clothes if their outfits don’t comply.

Electronic Devices

Kilmer supports the use of technology in the classroom, including the use of personal devices.  We encourage you to help your child employ basic safety practices to prevent those devices from being lost or misplaced. This might include applying a security code, placing an online tracking system to the device, or ensuring that the device is secure in your child’s locker or on their person.  As stated in the Kilmer agenda, electronic devices are only to be used in the classroom with explicit teacher direction; they are not to be on or in use elsewhere in the building during the hours of 7:40 am and 2:45 pm.  

Summer Programs

Fairfax County has a number of summer programs available for middle school students, including academic and institutes and camps. Please follow this link: http://www.fcps.edu/is/summer/index.shtml

In addition, the VIP Summer Camp is offered again this year. What is your middle school student doing this summer? Like you, we believe your child is a very important person and deserves a summer experience that is safe and full of fitness, friends, fun and enrichment.  FCPS and Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services (DNCS) have teamed up to offer a 5 week camp for rising 7th, 8th and 9th graders.  Our camp will be a combination of students from the following middle schools: Glasgow, Holmes, Jackson, Kilmer, Poe, and Thoreau.  There is a one-time $25 fee per participant and bus transportation will be provided from various pick-up locations which will be communicated in June prior to the start of camp.  Campers will have a great time playing sports, games, doing arts and crafts and exploring concepts in science and technology. Field trips to local water parks and amusement parks also give campers exciting experiences to look forward to with their new friends.  The staff is led by your local After-School Specialists and trained DNCS staff.  

The Keep in Touch subscription service (KIT Plus) is a self-subscribing, self-updating, and self-unsubscribing service. To update your contact information and/or topic selections, or to unsubscribe, go to: http://www.fcps.edu/kit/index.shtml#update for instructions. Schools and offices cannot update or delete subscribers.

Parents of FCPS students may update contact information online through weCare@School http://www.fcps.edu/news/wecare.shtml, a feature of FCPS 24-7 Learning (Blackboard) or by contacting the student information officer at their child(ren)'s school to have the contact information updated in the student information system.

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