Administration Updates

Dear Kent Gardens Families,

It has been a wonderful first week of school! Our students’ enthusiasm, excitement, and smiles were truly the highlight of the week. It has been such a joy to welcome everyone back and see our classrooms filled with curiosity, laughter, and learning.

Thank you, as well, for helping make arrival and dismissal run so smoothly. Your patience, flexibility, and support made such a difference, and we are so grateful for your partnership as we settle into our routines.

Our classrooms were abuzz with exciting energy all week, and we can’t wait to carry that momentum into next week!

Thank you for your continued partnership. We value each and every family and feel so fortunate to begin this school year together.

Warmly, 

Kelly Cabezas, Tia Hawkins and Sarah Talley

Upcoming Dates

August 31- 9:00 am Principal Coffee- Join us to meet Kelly Cabezas, Principal

September 2 - BTSN - 5 - 7:15 p.m.  More information coming. 

September 4 and 7 - Labor Day Break - No School

FCPS School Year Calendar 2026-27

Follow Kent Gardens on Instagram!

Kent Gardens recently joined Instagram! 

Please follow us @kentgardenses 

Dismissal Procedures

Thank you for your patience this week as we navigate arrival and dismissal. 

Kiss and Ride Reminders:

• Cars should line up along Melbourne Dr. To get in to the line, please drive down Dean Dr. off of Westmoreland St.  During Kiss and Ride, we will use Lumsden St. as the exit. There is no parking on Melbourne St during dismissal. 
• When there is a bus behind you, please be aware that this bus may pass you to get to the school.
• Please adhere to all the directions of the police officer who has been directing traffic.

Other Dismissal Reminders:

• If your child rides a bike or electric scooter, please remind your child to walk the bike in the front of the school.  There are many buses coming in and out of the bus loop and we want to make sure the students are safe. 
• Walkers will exit the doors through the cafeteria (doors 7 & 8)
• Students are not permitted to play on the playground after school unless they have an adult with them. 

Back to School Night

We invite you to Back to School Night on Wednesday, September 2.  This is a wonderful opportunity for your child's teacher to share more information about their grade level. This event is intended for parents/caregivers only, students should not attend. We hope you can join us! 

Grades K-2 Information

• 5:00 p.m. - 5:25 p.m.- Kinder, 1st, and 2nd grades in homerooms
• 5:25 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.- Switch for afternoon classes for 1st and 2nd grade Immersion 
• 5:30 p.m. - 5:55 p.m.- 1st and 2nd grade Immersion afternoon classes

Grades 3-6 Information

• 6:00 p.m. - 6:25 p.m. -  3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Grade homeroom classes
• 6:25 p.m.  - 6:30 p.m. -  Switch to afternoon classes
• 6:30 p.m. – 6:55 p.m. – Afternoon classes

Please take a moment to watch the Welcome Back videos from our school board members. You can find the videos here. 

Please be mindful of where you park and be respectful of our neighbors’ driveways.  Please walk or carpool if possible; parking will be limited. We appreciate your kindness and consideration for this busy evening!

Parent Documentation (ParentVue)

If you haven't already, please take a moment to update your child's information in ParetnVue. Each year, parents are asked to update this information. We collect important information through ParentVue, including your needs for the Early Release Wednesdays. 

In ParentVue:

• Sign the digital SR&R form found on ParentVUE upon login.
• Complete the Online Verification/Update (OVU) packet in SIS ParentVUE. Within this packet, you will need to confirm whether or not child care on the four early release Wednesdays will be needed. It will be under the “Student” section. If your plans change during the school year, please notify your child’s school directly.

In the Parent Digital Consent System:

• Log in to the Parent Digital Consent System to complete digital consent forms. These also include optional forms that include FLE Opt Out and  SEL, school counseling, etc.

Attention 4-6 grade parents

Each year, students in grade 4-6 have the opportunity to participate in additional music electives.  To help us in planning for this school year, we are asking families to fill out the interest form for chorus, band & strings. 

Grade 4-6:  Please fill out this form for Strings

Grade 5-6: Please fill out this form for Band

Grade 5-6: Please fill out this form for chorus.

During the first couple of weeks of school, students will be attending a presentation about the different instruments and opportunities. 

We encourage all students to participate in these exciting opportunities! 

Transportation Patience and Safety

Thank you for your patience as we all get used to new routines this school year. We appreciate our families following Kiss and Ride procedures and being patient while waiting for your child’s bus. 

If your child’s bus is delayed, you may access the Bus Delay Notification System or use the Here Comes the Bus mobile app to receive the delayed bus report. Email messages will be sent to announce significant bus delays. Please contact the Transportation Office at [phone number] with any additional questions. For concerns after 5:30 p.m., contact the FCPS Office of Safety and Security at 571-423-2000. 

Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE to make sure you receive email messages about bus delays.

FCPS News

• In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
  • Everything You Need to Do in SIS ParentVUE
  • Permission Forms for School Resources
  • Follow Multiple Schools in the App

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today. 

AAP Continuum of Services 

The FCPS AAP program offers multiple entry points for students, providing deeper learning opportunities tailored to their evolving academic needs. Students are organized into academic clusters to foster continuous growth.

Upcoming AAP Parent Information Meetings

• Continuum of Services: Monday, September 14, at 9:00 a.m. in the cafeteria.
• FCPS Referral Process: Thursday, October 1, at 9:00 a.m. in the cafeteria.

Referral Deadlines and Procedures

• For New FCPS Families: Families new to FCPS as of January 1, 2026, may apply for Fall screening. Referrals are due by October 15, 2026. Please inform your classroom teacher if you are submitting a referral, including the specific level of service requested.
• For KGES Families: Spring referrals are due by December 15, 2026. Please notify your classroom teacher of your intent to submit a referral, along with the requested level of service.

Elementary Levels of Service (Grades K-8)

• Access to Rigor (Grades K-6)
• Description: All students participate in opportunities to think critically, reason, and problem-solve. Instruction incorporates the AAP Curriculum Framework.
• Referral Required: No, all students receive access to rigor
• Subject-Specific Services (Grades K-6)
• Description: Students are evaluated for specific subjects and receive differentiated instruction using the AAP Curriculum Framework. Annual re-evaluation is required.
• Referral Required: Yes
• Part-Time Service (Grades 3-6)
• Description: Identified in multiple subject areas, students engage with the AAP Curriculum Framework through Grade 6.
• Referral Required: Yes
• Full-Time Service (Grades 3-8)
• Description: Students identified for differentiation across all four content areas. Instruction is cluster-based and utilizes the AAP Curriculum Framework to provide acceleration, depth, and complexity.
• Referral Required: Yes

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. 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. A principal or the principal’s designee may approve a limited, course-specific exception for students enrolled in a specialized class when the curriculum requires a technology tool or software that isn’t available on a standard FCPS-issued device.    Families can help support this requirement by reminding students to bring their FCPS-issued device each day and use it for all school-related digital activities unless an approved exception applies.

Help Your Child Navigate the Lunch Line

Check out some tips to help your child get through the lunch line quickly and have more time to eat:

• Teach your child their student ID number to receive meals at school.
• Sign up for and add money to MySchoolBucks to purchase meals at school.
• Apply for free and reduced-price meals. Students who were approved for free and reduced-price meals last year are eligible for the first 30 days of school this year (or until a new application is processed). Families should submit a new application as soon as possible, so eligible students continue to receive meals at no cost.

If your child has any food allergies, learn how to submit accommodations for dietary restrictions and allergens. 

Access menus for breakfast, lunch, and other school meals, as well as allergen and nutrition information.

Early Release Wednesdays

Kent Gardens Elementary School will release students at 12:35 pm on early release days. As we continue to focus on attendance at KGES, we hope you will consider making doctor and other appointments on these afternoons when possible.  Please log on to ParentVue and update your child's dismissal time.

• September 30
• November 18
• January 13
• April 7

FCPS has created this webpage to provide detailed information about the early release Wednesdays. 

SEL Screener Parent/Guardian Notification

The Fall Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener will be administered to students in grades 3 through 12 in October. Students use the SEL Screener twice a year to share their perspectives on how well their school and community help them develop skills they need to succeed. The screener works by asking questions or presenting statements that students can think about and respond to. This gives students a way to share how well their school community makes them feel valued, included, and supported.

After each screening, results are available in the Documents tab of SIS ParentVUE and mailed to families without a ParentVUE account. For more information, including SEL Screener questions and opt-out information, please visit the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage. 

Student ID Cards for Kent Gardens Bus Riders

We will begin distributing student ID cards to all our students who ride the school bus or use FCPS transportation services. ID cards will be passed out over the next couple of weeks to each classroom. 

ID cards should be worn or attached to your child’s backpack and brought to the bus each day. 

Students who have student ID cards should begin tapping as they board and exit the bus. Only students who use FCPS transportation services will be provided with a student ID card at this time.

We ask for your patience! Bus drivers are checking in students and may need some extra time at each bus stop while they do this. The transportation team is working hard to minimize any potential delays.

Learn more about the bus navigation and student ID cards.