A Mssage from Principal Steven McFarlane
Kilmer Community,
Congrats to our Building Supervisor, Giau Ngo! Giau was recently featured in this FCPS video – Pride, Care, and Community: Meet the Custodians of FCPS. The video highlights all of the ways that FCPS custodians support our staff and students day in and day out. Thanks to Giau and our entire custodial staff for all they do!
Next week, our 7th graders will participate in the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE). As a result, we have a modified schedule with our anchor day on Wednesday. The calendar can be found below.
Our annual PTA Kilmer Fall Festival is next Thursday, October 8 from 2:30-4:30 pm. We need volunteers to make this event a success. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up to help here: Kilmer Fall Festival Volunteer Sign-up.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend. As always, reach out if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Steven McFarlane
Principal
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Here are just a few of the Positive Referrals received by our Kilmer Cougars from staff members this week!
Reema A. - Gave a new student a last minute tour. Thank you!
Tarfa T. - Tarfa, thank you so much for volunteering to take notes for your partner with an injury. Thank you for working as a team and being empathetic to others.
Skylar B. - Skylar: great work today on your classwork as well as our Push/Pull quiz. I also appreciated all of your participation in our Return Period review. Keep it up!
Luciana G.G. - Luciana, you are always a generous helper to your peers during class and offer to help others without being asked. Thank you for being such a good role model in History!
  Upcoming Dates:
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October 5-9 - 7th grade MWEE Science field trip
- Monday, October 5: Ms. Blake’s students and Ms. Zemaitis’ 1st and 3rd periods
- Tuesday, October 6: Dr. Gillen’s students
- Thursday, October 8: Ms. Lewis and Ms. Moyo’s students
- Friday, October 9: Ms. Mattix’s students and Ms. Zemaitis’ 6th and 7th periods
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October 7 - Social Emotional Learning Screener: Students will participate in the Fall SEL screener during Advisory on Wednesday, October 7. You can opt your child out of participating in the SEL Screener. The opt-out applies to the current school year and must be completed annually. For more information about the SEL Screener, access to its content, and the opt-out form, please click on the following link: Social Emotional Learning Screener (SEL).
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October 7 - Thomas Jefferson High School Student/Parent Information Night
- The TJHSST Information night is scheduled for Wednesday, October 7, from 5:00 - 6:00 PM in the Kilmer Cafeteria. All current 8th grade students interested in applying for the Freshman round of the Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology may join us for a one hour presentation given by a TJHSST representative in the Kilmer Cafeteria. The majority of the hour will be dedicated to a question and answer session, so we recommend that you review admissions information on the website prior to the session. If you have any questions about this event, please contact your student’s counselor.
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October 8 - PTA Fall Festival is from 2:30-4:30 pm (more info below)
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October 20 - 22 - SOS Mental Health Program (7th Grade only) will take place during US History Classes.
- Tuesday, October 20: Periods 1, 3, and 5
- Wednesday, October 21: Periods 2 and 4
- Thursday, October 22: Period 7 - To allow time for same day student follow-up after the SOS screening, Kilmer will follow a flipped bell schedule on this day: Periods 7, 3, 5, 1.
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FCPS School Calendar 2026-27
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Calendar Change: Eid al-Fitr - Tuesday, March 9, will be a holiday for students and staff. FCPS will mark the beginning of Eid al-Fitr with an evening-only observance day on Monday, March 8. There will be school on this day, but major school-sponsored events and activities (such as auditions or tryouts) will not take place. Wednesday, March 10, will be an observance day. There will be school on this day, but certain activities that cannot be made up (major tests, field trips, or mandatory events) will not take place.
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Ms. Schnuda and Ms. Zein (or should we say Chef Zein) got their Math 7 students in the mood for math by serving up pancakes.
Lunch time!
Whether it’s at lunch or part of the Chess Club during After School, chess is a big hit at Kilmer!
 Dungeons & Dragons during After School was in full force this week!
Student Pickup:
- A few reminders from Kilmer’s main office about procedures for picking up students early or checking them in late:
- A driver’s license or similar photo ID is required to check out a student during the day. Only parents, legal guardians, and people on the student’s emergency contact list may check out a student. If someone else is picking up your student, please send an email from your email address we have on file to KilmerMiddle.Attendance@fcps.edu that includes the full name of the person, the full name of your student, the reason for check-out, and the date of the early dismissal.
- When you arrive at the school, please ring the front entrance doorbell and let the front office know that you are checking your student in for late arrival or picking your student up for early dismissal. After entering the building, please sign your child out using the computer in the office.
- Students are not to contact their parents via cell phone or text messaging during school hours. If students need to contact you during the school day, they may use the phone in the main office.
SOS Mental Health Program - 7th Grade Only
As part of FCPS’s mental health education, all 7th grade students participate in the evidence-based Signs of Suicide (SOS) program, which teaches students how to recognize signs of depression, seek help, and ACT – Acknowledge, Care, Tell a trusted adult.
At Kilmer, the SOS lesson and mental health screening will take place during your child’s U.S. History classes on October 20–22. Families who do not want their child to participate must complete the opt-out form by Friday, October 9. No action is needed if you would like your child to participate.To learn more about SOS and resources for families, visit the SOS Parent Resource page. For additional details, 7th grade parents can refer to the Kilmer e-Notify email sent on September 23.
Kilmer Fall Festival
Students are welcome to stay after school on Thursday, October 8th for the Fall Festival from 2:15-4:30 pm. Late Buses are available, and it is free and open to all Kilmer students. There will be inflatables, games, and a photo booth. There will also be food and concessions available for purchase. We need volunteers to make this event a success. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up to help here: Kilmer Fall Festival Volunteer Sign-up.
Safe Routes to School Parent and Caregiver Survey
As part of the Fairfax County School Board’s Annual School-Based Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Assessment, the FCPS Office of Safety and Security and Safe Routes to School program are inviting parents and caregivers to share their experiences traveling to and from school.
The Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Survey asks about walking and biking routes, traffic near schools, kiss and ride experiences, accessibility, and other safety concerns.
Your feedback will help FCPS identify common issues. Your responses will be kept confidential and shared with school administrators and the Office of Safety and Security. The five-minute survey is open through Thursday, October 15.
Be sure to identify the school related to your feedback and include specific locations where you have observed a safety issue. If you have students at different schools in FCPS, please complete a different survey for each school.
If you have any questions about the survey, please contact SafeRoutestoSchool@fcps.edu.
FCPS Seeks Community Input on Middle School AAP Centers
FCPS is exploring a plan to offer Full-Time Advanced Academic Program (AAP) services at every middle school. Under the proposal, students who qualify could attend their neighborhood middle school and take advanced classes with other AAP students. The School Board has approved community engagement at Franklin, Hayfield, Holmes, Key, and Whitman middle schools, where programs could open for the 2027-28 school year. The proposal is still under consideration, and the School Board is expected to make a decision in December.
Each community meeting offers in-person and virtual participation. Upcoming meetings are scheduled for:
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Franklin Middle: Monday, October 5, at 6 p.m.
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Holmes Middle: Thursday, October 15, at 6 p.m.
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Whitman Middle: Thursday, October 22, at 6 p.m.
Current middle school students will remain at their assigned AAP centers through middle school. Learn more and find meeting sign-up forms on the Middle School AAP Centers page.
PTA Website
Stay up to date with news and information from the PTA by visiting the PTA website: https://kilmerpta.membershiptoolkit.com/
PTA Executive Board Contact Information
Register for After School Program
Complete the required Afterschool Registration to register for Middle School After-School and Sports Programs. A complete schedule and club descriptions are available via Schoology. Parents > select view as student in top right corner when in Schoology
The Afterschool Program is structured into two session blocks, 2:30 – 3:30 PM and 3:30 – 4:30 PM following the 2:15-2:30 PM Afterschool transition/break in the cafeteria. Intramural Sports available Monday-Thursday.
Late Bus Transportation is only available after the second session block at approx. 4:45 PM (Afterschool Dismissal) on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
Middle School Athletics
As a part of the FCPS Middle School Athletics Program Kilmer will host Fall Cross Country (XC), Winter Volleyball and Spring Track & Field.
Steps to participate (including practice):
ALL forms for athletic competitions must now be submitted through FinalForms online registration portal (please do not email or submit paper copies). Families received verification links via the email address tied to ParentVUE Account from FinalForms.
Parents > Search email for “FinalForms” (it may have been routed to spam/junk).
Upcoming Dates
A complete schedule and club descriptions are available via Schoology. Parents > select view as student in top right corner when in Schoology
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Wednesday, Oct.7
- Math Support 2:30-3:30 PM
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Thursday, Oct.8
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PTA Fall Festival 2:30-4:30 PM
- Afterschool Registration Form must be completed
- Students must sign up through Schoology
- Late Bus Transportation Provided
- StudentVUE > Student Info > Additional Transportation
- Late Bus Number/Stop will be different from AM/PM
- All other Clubs/Activities canceled
- Students may not leave and return
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Friday, Oct.9
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NO Afterschool Activities (No Friday activities if the following Monday is a Student Holiday)
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Thursday, Oct.15
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Volleyball Intramurals/Clinic 2:30-4:30 PM
- No Experience necessary
- All Students are welcome
- Athletic Physical not required
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Friday, Oct.16
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Chess Club (Silver Knights) 2:30-3:30 PM
- No experience necessary
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Friday, Oct.23
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Aviation Club 2:30-3:30 PM (meets bi-weekly)
- NO Late Bus Transportation
QUESTIONS? Ask the After-School Program Specialist Ms. Kardelis (F107).
Important Message from the Town of Vienna
Town of Vienna Parks and Recreation needs our help keeping community spaces safe and clean! Please note that e-bikes and e-scooters are strictly prohibited on all athletic fields, including Waters Field. Additionally, Waters Field is NOT permitted as an after-school hangout spot for students.
Recent misuse has led to safety hazards, litter, and turf damage, prompting local officials and police to increase preventive measures and lock field gates. We ask parents to discuss these rules with their students to help preserve these spaces for scheduled athletic use. Thank you for your support in keeping our community grounds safe!
Superintendent Community Conversations
Join us for a series of Community Conversations that will be held across the school division. Share your thoughts with Dr. Reid and ask her questions. Click on the date to register for any of the following events:
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Monday, October 19, at 6:30 p.m., at Spring Hill Elementary School
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Monday, October 26, at 6:30 p.m., at Beech Tree Elementary School
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Thursday, October 29, at 6:30 p.m., at North Springfield Elementary School
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Friday, November 13, at 6:30 p.m., at Powell Elementary School
Registration is not required, but it helps with planning.
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