Key Middle School Families

Important Dates: 

Mar 19: No After-School Program (all students depart at 2:15 PM)

Mar 20: Eid al-Fitr Holiday (No School)

Mar 25: Multicultural Night (6pm - 8pm @ Key MS)

Mar 27: End of 3rd Quarter (2-hour Early Release) - No After-School Program

Mar 30 - Apr 3: Spring Break

April 6: No School (Teacher Workday)

April 10: No School (School Planning Day)

March:

• Women's History Month
• Irish American Heritage Month
• National Nutrition Month
• Brain Injury Awareness Month
• Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

Let's all be kind to one another.

Black History Month Door Decorating Contest

Parent Survey As part of our IB Self-Study process, we are inviting all parents to complete a brief survey to help us reflect on our program and identify areas for growth. Your feedback is an essential part of ensuring that we continue to provide a high-quality, supportive learning environment for our students. The survey should only take a few minutes to complete, and your responses will remain confidential.  Here is the survey to complete. We greatly appreciate your time and thoughtful input. Danielle Danz IBMYP Coordinator School Test Coordinator Key Middle School

Girls Basketball Summer Camp - Lewis HS

Click the flyer to register for the camp.

School Breakfast Week

Celebrating the Power of School Breakfast

Multiple studies show that school breakfast is important in supporting overall student health by improving students’ diets and combating food insecurity. Also, students who eat school breakfast consume more fruit and fiber than their peers. 

This National School Breakfast Week, FCPS Food and Nutrition Services reminds families that they are dedicated to providing flavorful, healthy, sustainable, and student-focused meals. New menu items have been launched this year based on student feedback. 

Would you like to know what’s for breakfast? View Nutrition Services’ printable menus. 

Celebrando el Poder del Desayuno Escolar

Múltiples estudios han demostrado que el desayuno escolar es importante para la salud general de los estudiantes, para mejorar sus dietas y para combatir la inseguridad alimentaria. Los estudiantes que desayunan en la escuela consumen más frutas y fibra que los que no lo hacen.

Esta Semana Nacional del Desayuno Escolar, los Servicios de Alimentación y Nutrición de FCPS (FNS, por sus siglas en inglés) quiere recordarles a las familias, que ellos se dedican a ofrecer comidas que son sabrosas, saludables, sostenibles y enfocadas en los propios estudiantes. En respuesta a sugerencias de los estudiantes, este año se han lanzado nuevas cómidas.

¿Quiere saber qué hay para desayunar hoy? Los Servicios de Nutrición tiene disponibles menús imprimibles.

Become Unskippable: Fentanyl Awareness

Become Unskippable: Share the Facts About Fentanyl With Teens

Talking with teens about the facts of fentanyl is a conversation you can’t skip. Learning about fentanyl gives teens a better understanding of the risks and effects of the drug, and what they can do to keep themselves and their communities safe. 

Share these important facts with your child:

• Even half a fentanyl-laced pill can be fatal. Just a few salt-sized grains of fentanyl are enough to cause an overdose.
• More than half of local street pills contain a deadly dose of fentanyl. As of 2023, seven in 10 counterfeit pills in the U.S. contain enough fentanyl to cause a fatal overdose.
• Fentanyl is usually taken accidentally. Many people have no idea they’ve taken it until they overdose because you can’t see, smell, or taste it in pills and powders.
• Overdose can happen in an instant. In as little as four minutes, the lack of oxygen can lead to brain damage and even death.

Learn more about how to have conversations with your child in a way that will make you Become Unskippable.

Spanish: 

Haga que sea inevitable: Comparta las Verdades

Hablar con los adolescentes acerca de las verdades del fentanilo es una conversación que no puede dejar pasar. Saber estas verdades sobre el fentanilo, ayuda a los jóvenes a entender mejor los riesgos y efectos de esta droga.

Comparta estos importantes datos con sus niños:

• ¡Consumir sólo la mitad de una píldora de fentanilo puede ser fatal! Sólo hacen falta unos pocos gramos del tamaño de un grano de sal de fentanilo, para producir una sobredosis. 

• ¡Más de la mitad de las píldoras que circulan en las calles contienen una dosis mortal de fentanilo! Hasta el 2023, 7 de cada 10 píldoras de imitación encontradas en el país, contenían una dosis de fentanilo suficiente para producir una sobredosis mortal.
• ¡El fentanilo usualmente se consume por accidente! Mucha gente no tiene idea de que lo tomaron puesto que no podemos verlo, olerlo, ni probarlo cuando consumimos una píldora o algún polvo.
• Una sobredosis puede ocurrir en un instante. La falta de oxígeno puede causar daños al cerebro o incluso la muerte, en tan sólo cuatro minutos.

Sepa más sobre cómo hablar con sus niños (en inglés, puede traducirla arriba a la derecha) de una forma tal que no puedan evitar tener esa conversación.

Ramadan and Meal Kits

Ramadan - February 18 - March 19, 2026

Friday, February 28 marks the beginning of Ramadan, a month that is observed by a large number of students, families, and staff in the Key community.

In alignment with FCPS regulations and expectations, Key MS ensures that students and staff of all religious backgrounds have reasonable accommodation and access to meditation and silent reflection spaces within the school building. Students whose religious beliefs require them to pray at a specific time that coincides with instructional time can be accommodated with written parental permission. 

To provide permission for your child, please complete this Google form. If you cannot access the form, please reach out to your child’s counselor to get a paper copy of the form.

Student Fasting Meal Kits

Until March 19, 2026, a Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) waiver allows students fasting during the school day to request take-home meal kits. These kits include a complete school breakfast and lunch to be eaten after the school day ends.

Important Meal Kit Information: 

• Kits are charged based on a student’s meal status (Free, Reduced, or Paid).
• Students may claim one breakfast and one lunch kit per day.
• Students who eat a meal at school during the day are not eligible for a take-home kit on the same day.
• Kits are distributed at the end of the school day. Students must pick up their own kits; adults are not permitted to collect them.

Parents or guardians must submit a weekly request form via the FCPS FNS website by the deadlines:

• March 2, 2026 for the week of March 9, 2026
• March 9, 2026 for the week of March 16, 2026

Forms must be submitted on time to receive meal kits for the following week.

Key MS Sports Information Attention Parents!! If you would like your student to participate in Middle School Track, your student must be registered through the MS Sports Registration Link for Spring 2026.   MS Sports Registration Link for Spring 2026. Again, as always, students are not allowed to practice with the school until all of the initial Big 3 steps below are complete and correctly submitted. Online Registration- filled in by the family for each student.  (siblings completed separately for everything) PPE- NEW Forms- Families need to turn in at least pages 1,2,3.       ANY physical done on or after July 1st, 2025, must be on the NEW forms.  Old forms dated before July 1st, 2025, will not be accepted    (Additional information and guidance here.  Please read) Emergency Care Form- Same form.  No Changes.  Fresh form must be completed for every student- every season.

Key MS Multicultural Night Info

Celebrate Our School’s Cultural Diversity at Key Middle School! 

When: March 25th. From 6-8 pm at Key Middle School

Join us for a Multicultural Night, an exciting evening where students, families, and staff come together to explore and celebrate cultures from around the world. Enjoy a vibrant experience featuring cultural booths, food, arts and crafts, music, and live performances and more that reflect the richness of our school community.

We encourage everyone to participate. This event is a wonderful opportunity for our students and families to learn about one another, build connections, and celebrate what makes our community unique. Families are welcome to represent their country, state, heritage, or cultural background.

Four Ways to Participate: Use the QR code on the flyer or the participant sign-up form below.

Cultural Booth: Host or participate in a booth that showcases an aspect of your culture, such as traditions, clothing, history, food, or customs.

Cultural Food/Dish: Share a traditional dish or snack that represents your culture.

Art & Craft Workshops: Lead a hands-on workshop featuring cultural arts and crafts such as origami, henna-inspired art, cultural heritage art or other creative ideas.

Performance & Demonstration: Share your culture through music, dance, storytelling, poetry, or other live demonstrations. Students, families, and staff are all welcome to participate.

Deadline to register: March 1st, 2026

If you would like to host a booth, provide food, lead a workshop, or participate in a performance, please sign up by answering the questions in the attached form. All questions are required; However, if a question does not apply to you, please select, or enter “N/A".

Participation Sign-Up Form

https://forms.gle/id1BXYWo4s2VUgc7A

Thank you for making this event a memorable experience! We can’t wait to celebrate the diversity, creativity, and unity of the Key Middle School community together!

Cell Phone Policy Reminder Help Keep Key MS Phone-Free! Please remind your student that cell phones and personal devices (AirPods, earbuds, headsets, other items connected to the internet) must be off and away for the entire school day (bell to bell). Cell phones are also not permitted to be used as an instructional tool. FCPS’ cell phone policy helps students stay focused, safe, and engaged at school. Visit FCPS’ cell phone policy webpage for more information and answers to frequently asked questions, including consequences for cell phone policy violations and exceptions for students with medical conditions or IEP/504 plans.  If you need to contact your student during the school day, please call our front office at (703) 313-3900.  ¡Ayúdenos a Mantener Key MS Libre de Celulares! Por favor, recuérdale a su estudiante que los teléfonos celulares y dispositivos personales (como airpods, earbuds, audífonos, u otros aparatos conectados a internet) deben estar apagados y guardados durante todo el día de clases (del timbre de entrada hasta el de salida). Los teléfonos celulares tampoco están permitidos para ser usados como herramienta instruccional. La política de FCPS sobre teléfonos celulares ayuda a los estudiantes a mantenerse enfocados, seguros e involucrados en la escuela. Visite nuestra página web de la política sobre teléfonos celulares para que encuentre más información y respuestas a las preguntas comunes, incluyendo también las consecuencias a las violaciones a la política sobre teléfonos celulares, las excepciones dadas a estudiantes que tengan alguna enfermedad o que estén en planes IEP/504, y más.  Si necesita contactar a su estudiante durante el día de clases, por favor llame a nuestra oficina principal al (703) 313-3900.

2026 CTE Summer Academy

CTE (Career and Technical Education) Summer Academy is a weekly enrichment program that allows students to dive deeper into CTE program areas, and encourages skill development and career exploration.

Students choose 4 classes each week they participate and learn new content, discover interests, and build their skills.

• Eligibility: Current 6 to 11 graders
• Time - 8:30 am to 2 pm* *Early drop off begins at 7:30 am; after care ends at 5 pm

New to 2026! We’re offering after care!

• Location - Robinson SS
• Transportation from select FCPS schools is provided!
• Cost - $300 per week Back for 2026 programs, we will be offering tuition assistance. More information on our webpages.
• Dates -

1. Week 1: July 6 - 10

1. Week 2: July 13 - 17

1. Week 3: July 20 - 24

1. Week 4: July 27 - 31

New to 2026! We’re offering a 4th week of our programs!

• Different weekly offerings; weekly themes and class offerings can be found on our webpages!

Students will choose four (4) classes each week to build their own specialized summer learning program. Courses are available in all CTE program areas: Business and Information Technology, Family and Consumer Sciences, Health and Medical, Marketing, Technology and Engineering, and Trade and Industrial.

Classes offered through CTE Summer Academy are introductory and do not require previous knowledge of the content. 

For the list and schedule of classes being offered, please visit our webpage!

Registration is open from February 2 to June 5, 2026.

Students can register online by visiting the CTE Summer Academy webpage and clicking on the register button.

Visit the CTE Summer Academy webpage: bit.ly/FCPS_CSA for more information!

For questions, please contact Beth Mehr at bgmehr@fcps.edu

FCPS App

• More News and Updates on-the-Go With the FCPS AppGone are the days of digging through emails or hunting for bookmarks. The FCPS app provides a custom experience that is both powerful and easy to use. Here’s how it makes life easier:

• Customized for Your Family: Do you have students at two (or more!) schools? You can "follow" multiple schools to get a feed of news, notices, and events.
• No Sign-In Required: Access essential content like district-wide announcements, live updates, and school calendars instantly. There’s no password to remember, and no login is required.