A message from Principal Steven McFarlane
Kilmer Community,
As Thanksgiving approaches, one of the things I am most thankful for is our Kilmer staff. Our team works tirelessly to make this a safe and supportive learning environment for all of our students. Whether it’s getting here before the sun rises to set up their room for learning, teaching engaging lessons to our students, supervising kids during recess, reteaching behavior expectations in the hallway, or running an after school club - our Kilmer staff gives their ALL to make this a special place.
I also want to thank staff and students alike for a strong start using the Open Gate weapons detection system. We’ll continue to get better and better. Parents and guardians, if you could please encourage your student to clean out their backpacks to streamline the process, we would greatly appreciate it.
On behalf of the Kilmer staff, I hope that everyone has a wonderful and restful Thanksgiving with friends and family. Our next newsletter will arrive in your inbox in two weeks—Friday, December 5, 2025.
Have a wonderful weekend, and as always, reach out with any questions or concerns.
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!
Xavier H. - Xavier came to the library for a history lesson. He did a great job staying engaged and working with his peers!
Ava H. - Ava is always eager to help and shows great respect toward others. She readily supports classmates who are struggling to understand a problem. She often stays after class to tidy up—putting calculators away and making sure all the chairs are pushed in.
Gabriel L. - Gabriel is highly dedicated to his work and a strong commitment to learning. He prioritizes his responsibilities and manages his time effectively!
Hannah L. - Hannah acts as a positive influence on her peers and is always polite when speaking with adults :)
Yahir H.C. - Yahir, Yet again you were so focused on our whole class novel! Keep up the good work!
 Upcoming Dates
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November 24 & 25 - No afterschool activities/club or late bus transportation the week of Thanksgiving Break
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November 26-28 - Thanksgiving Break
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December 1-5 - Finance Park 8th Grade field trip
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December 2 - Band Winter Concert, 7:00 pm at Marshall HS
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December 3 - Chorus Winter Concert, 7:00 pm at Marshall HS
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December 4 - Orchestra Pyramid Snow Show Concert, 7:00 pm at Kilmer MS
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December 5 - SGA Winter Dance, 6-8 pm
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December 11 - Orchestra Winter Concert, 7:00 pm at Marshall HS
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December 12 - Theater’s Ha Ha Holiday Show, 7:00 pm at Kilmer MS Cafeteria
A big thank you to our Student Ambassadors who helped organize the holiday food pantry
Congratulations to our Kilmer runners who competed in the FCPS Championship Meet this past Saturday at Liberty Middle School!
A little rain didn’t spoil the fun as we flipped to indoor recess.
New Parent Controls in Lightspeed Parent Portal - Technology Resources & Your Student
Congratulations to Kilmer Orchestra Students - Junior District 12 Honors Orchestra
This past Tuesday, we had several Kilmer Orchestra students audition for the Junior District 12 Honors Orchestra, a highly competitive audition. Students selected to participate have the opportunity to perform with this ‘all-star’ ensemble in January at the event held at Langley HS.
We are thrilled that 12 of our students were selected to participate in this ensemble, and we also had 3 students selected as alternates. Congratulations to:
8th Grade:
- Miriam Cho – Violin
- Arjav Prabhu – Violin
- Nathaniel Oelrich – Viola
- Cathy Yu – Viola
- Vio Lee- Cello
- Rose McCreesh – Bass
- Vivienne Lee – Viola
7th Grade:
- Arya Meggers – Violin
- Callie Arrington – Violin
- Hwang – Violin
- Carmen Lee – Viola
- Charlotte Oh – Cello
- Connor Ouyang – Cello
- Isabella Lee – Violin alternate
- Lynn Choi – Violin alternate
- Aijia (Ellie) Jiang- Viola alternate
Volunteer Opportunity - Empower Our 8th Graders at JA Finance Park
We need your help to bring the 8th grade field trip to JA Finance Park to life! This essential experiential program, designed to prepare our students for life and work in the real world, allows them to practice crucial financial capability by simulating real-world budgeting, spending, and bill payment decisions. As a JA Volunteer, your 4.5-hour commitment (including a brief morning training) is invaluable; you will guide a small group of students through this simulation, sharing your personal life experiences to make their financial future tangible and relatable. Your expertise and commitment are key to ensuring our students leave 100% inspired and prepared for financial success. Please review the information on our webpage to sign up.
Complete your Federal Impact Aid Survey in SIS ParentVUE
FCPS is asking all families to fill out a Federal Impact Aid Survey. The form is available in SIS ParentVUE under Online Packets, which is in the upper right corner of the screen after logging in. Please complete it as soon as possible. Students who have not yet completed the Impact Aid survey in ParentVUE were given a paper copy of the form on Thursday, November 20. Please return the completed form as soon as possible. Forms may be turned in during lunch in the cafeteria or dropped off in the Student Services office.
Completing this form for each school-aged child in every household is important. This year, FCPS expects to receive approximately $4 million in Impact Aid funding. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers. For more information, visit the Federal Impact Aid Survey page.
Fall Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener Results
The Fall SEL Screener for students in grades 3–12 helps schools better understand students’ social and emotional well-being so we can provide the right support to help them thrive. Student results are now available to families in ParentVUE. Families without an active ParentVUE account will receive a copy mailed home with their student's report card. You can find more information about how to understand and respond to your student’s SEL Screener results here. Families are also welcome to contact their child’s school counselor with questions about the SEL Screener or their student’s results.
PTA Website
Stay up to date with news and information from the PTA by visiting the PTA website: https://kilmerpta.membershiptoolkit.com/
Executive Board Contact Information
After School Activities News/Updates
Each week Ms. Kardelis will post a detailed overview of our After School Program to our website. Please visit Kilmer’s website at https://kilmerms.fcps.edu/afterschool_newsletter to find the weekly After School newsletter. If you have any questions regarding our After School Program please reach out to Kim Kardelis, After School Specialist, at kckardelis@fcps.edu.
Kilmer Food Pantry
The Kilmer Food Pantry is here to support families in need within the Kilmer community. If your family would like to participate in monthly pick-ups or needs additional assistance, please contact our Family Liaison, Ms. Mabel Morales, at mvmorales@fcps.edu .
Thank you so much to the Kilmer PTA and all of our generous donors who have made this distribution possible! For more information on the Kilmer Food Pantry please visit https://kilmerpta.membershiptoolkit.com/foodpantry.
Math Tutoring Supports
Kilmer students can access free peer math tutoring from student volunteers at Thomas Jefferson High School. This program is open to all students seeking extra support with assignments and concepts. Join us every Monday morning (or Tuesday if there is no school Monday) from 7:00–7:25 AM in Room F122/123. Additionally, our Kilmer Math Department has created a peer tutoring program during Learning Seminar. Math teachers will facilitate peer tutors to work with students for math support. If you are interested in this support for your child, you can reach out to your child’s math teacher.
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