Gator Bytes: News and General Information for Kings Glen ES

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A Message from Principal Ritter Dear Kings Glen Families, This week, we have been celebrating Staff Appreciation Week, and the energy in our building has been nothing short of magical. At Kings Glen, we know that our teachers and staff are the heartbeat of our school. They are the mentors, the cheerleaders, and the architects of curiosity who show up every single day to ensure our Gators feel safe, challenged, and loved. We want to send huge kudos to our incredible KP/KG PTA and the entire school community. You have truly outdone yourselves! Our staff has felt absolutely showered with gratitude this week. From the delicious meals and thoughtful treats to the beautiful decorations and the touching notes of appreciation from your children; your kindness has filled our buckets and energized our team for the final stretch of the school year. It is often said that it takes a village to raise a child, but it also takes a supportive community to sustain a school. Seeing the partnership between our families and our staff throughout the school year and especially this week has been a powerful reminder of why Kings Glen is such a special place to work and learn. To our teachers and staff: Thank you for your tireless dedication and for the passion you bring to your classrooms. And to our families: Thank you for recognizing and celebrating the hard work that happens within these walls.  We are so grateful for your partnership!

Extra! Extra! Code UP! Art & Engineering Summer Enrichment Program:  Interest Forms Due This Friday, May 8th!

Camp Dates:  July 6th-23rd

Give your child a summer that sparks curiosity and builds real-world skills! We are thrilled to invite rising 4th–6th graders to join us for our hands-on Art in Engineering summer program. This unique experience blends the technical world of engineering with the creative world of art, allowing students to design, build, and explore.  Register today!

Program Details

• Open to all rising 4th–6th grade students attending Kings Glen in the Fall of 2026.
• July 6-23, 2026 (Monday through Thursday; no classes on Fridays)
• Note: Students must be able to attend all three weeks.
• Time: 8:30 am – 1:00 pm (exact time being finalized).
• Location: Kings Glen Elementary School.
• Transportation: One bus will be available for student use.

What Will Your Child Do?

This program integrates principles of structural, environmental, and mechanical engineering with artistic exploration. The weekly themes include Week 1: Solar, Week 2: Motion, and Week 3: Putting it all together.

• Discover Science & Engineering: Explore energy flow in ecosystems and thermal energy while creating a functioning solar oven. Students will master simple machines and gear ratios while understanding tension and load distribution in bridge and house designs.
• Learn to Code: Students will learn coding basics and physical computing using micro:bits and robotics. They will create unique projects ranging from simple animations to environmental data collectors.
• Artistic Exploration: Students will capture the natural environment through Plein Air sketching, explore UV light and chemical reactions through Cyanotype photography, and learn storytelling via Stop Motion Animation.
• Outdoor Investigation: Participants will take walking field trips to observe nature and collect real-world data, such as light levels, temperature, and water quality.
• Collaborate: Students will work individually and in teams to solve challenges, ultimately integrating their individual projects into a single "City Project."

If you are interested in having your child participate, please sign up using this link.  Interest Forms are due Friday, May 8th.  Families will be notified no later than Friday, May 15th if their child was selected to attend.  Should you have any questions, feel free to email KGNotes@fcps.edu.  We look forward to a summer of building, coding, and creating!

Positivity Project at Kings Glen Kings Glen is partnering with The Positivity Project (P2) to empower students to build positive relationships and become their best selves. During our classroom Morning Meetings, short videos, class discussions and activities focus on one of the 24 character strengths that are the foundation of Positive Psychology. Gators explore their strengths and how to have positive relationships. P2 also offers short lessons for families at home. Week of May 4-May 8:  Enthusiasm

TREX Recycling - Quarterly Goal Met!

Big news! Thanks to your incredible commitment to sustainability, we have officially met our quarterly goal for TREX recycling program and have recycled hundreds of pounds of plastic this school year. From bread bags to bubble wrap, your efforts have kept a massive amount of plastic out of landfills. Because we’ve reached our for this quarter, we will be pausing our plastic collection for the remainder of the school year. We want to extend a huge thank you to every student, parent, and staff member who brought in their recyclables. Please use local grocery store drop-offs to continue recycling plastics until our next collection drive begins!

Spring SOL Reading, Math and Science Testing Dates

For your planning purposes and reference, please see the Spring 2026 Standards of Learning (SOL) Testing Dates.  When possible, please avoid scheduling appointments and/or activities that would prevent your child from arriving at school on time or staying the entire day on the days your child(ren) are participating in an SOL Assessment.

Upcoming SOL Testing Dates:

Reminder:  3-Hour Early Release Wednesday, May 13th

Kings Glen’s last student 3-hour Early Release Wednesday of the school year is Wednesday, March 13th.

Oh, Baby ~ Look How Much You've Grown! Attention 6th Grade Families Please send one picture of your 6th grader as a baby or from their early years to Ms. Stottlemyer for a 6th grade bulletin board!

Purchase Your 6th Grade Panoramic Picture! Any student who has not had a chance to order a Panoramic photo, it’s not too late!  All orders using the link below will ship to the address entered at checkout.  https://shop.imagequix.com/s1802883809 For questions or about ordering, please contact Victor O'Neill Studio at underclass@vosphoto.com.

Rising 7th Grade Parent Information Night

Monday, May 18 from 6:30-7:30pm at Lake Braddock SS

This is a parent-only event to learn about topics related to your child's transition to middle school.  Spanish and Korean interpreters will be available.  Parents should enter through Entrance 14 and proceed to the Little Theatre.

• What to expect with the transition to middle school and how to best support your child
• Differences between elementary school and middle school
• Communicating with your child and your child’s teachers
• Student attendance and check-in/check-out procedures
• After-school activities
• Developmental changes and needs of the middle school child

AAA School Safety Patrol Applications

Interest Forms Due Wednesday, May 13th

4th and 5th grade students are invited to apply to be considered for the Kings Glen School Safety Patrol Program for the 2026-2027 school year.  We have bus patrols, walking patrols, and on-campus patrols who work to keep students safe.  Applications are on Kings Glen Schoology – Students or are available from Ms. Hettema, Patrol Sponsor.  All applications are due no later than Wednesday, May 13th.

Student Leadership Council Officer Elections

Interest Forms Due Friday, May 15th

Student Leadership Council Officer elections for the 2026-27 school year will be held soon. If your 4th or 5th grader is interested in running for an Officer position, interest forms are available from Ms. Stottlemyer and due by May 15.

Spring Music Concerts at the Glen! Music is in bloom!  Please join us to support the hard work of all our Gator musicians. Students must arrive at Kings Glen at 6 p.m. to warmup and the concerts will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the gym.  We hope to see you there! 4th Grade Strings:  Thursday, May 21st 5th/6th Grade Strings:  Wednesday, June 3rd 5th/6th Grade Band:  Thursday, June 4th 5th/6th Grade Chorus:  Tuesday, June 9th

Hey Gators - Got Talent?

After a multi-year hiatus, the Talent Show is back! Students will perform at school on the last day, June 17th. Auditions will be held for students to present any talent of their choice— singing, dancing, magic, comedy, and more— in a 4 minute or shorter demonstration. Keep setups simple and bring minimal equipment. Stay tuned—more information coming next week! 

Central Fairfax Band Camp June 22-July 2, 2026 This camp is available to all rising 5th through 9th grade students. Beginner and current band students are encouraged to attend. Ms. VanValkenburg hopes to see you there! Where:  Fairfax High School When:  June 22-July 2, 2026, 8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Cost:  $285 Application Open Now:  robinsonband.org/centralfairfaxbandcamp

Get2Green Student Action Summit

Thursday, May 14th

The Get2Green Student Action Summit will be held on Thursday, May 14th from 5:30-7:30pm at Willow Oaks Welcome Center. The summit is geared towards grades K-12 FCPS students for an evening of learning and connecting around environmental action at their schools. The evening will include an opportunity for student sharing and facilitated discussion. Elementary school students must be accompanied by a parent/guardian adult. If you are interested in attending, please register here.

Nominations Open for the Bussey Memorial Equity Award

Nominations are now open for the 2026 Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award. This award recognizes an employee, student, or community member who has demonstrated significant and impactful efforts to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of students from groups who are marginalized or underserved.

Any staff, student, or community member can nominate an individual for the award. All nomination materials must be submitted by Monday, May 18.  

The Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee (MSAOC) sponsors this award to honor the legacy of Dr. Bussey, a founding member of the MSAOC and a longtime advocate for students and families. 

Full details and the nomination information form can be found at the Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award webpage.

KP/KG PTA News

Our last newsletter of the school year is now available here!

It’s not too late to join in the Staff Appreciation Week fun!  Check out the schedule. We still need a few helping hands for setup and cleanup and donations for the rest of the week. Many hands make light work, and most volunteer shifts take only about 30 minutes. We can’t do it alone - please consider lending a hand to help make the week special for our amazing staff! 

The annual Kings Park vs Kings Glen Staff Kickball Game and End of Year Celebration will be held on May 8th at Kings Glen from 6:30-8pm. Join us for a night of kickball, activities, and food trucks!  All students must be accompanied and supervised by an adult. The parking lot will be closed for this event and street parking is limited, so please walk if possible. 

Date Change: Our final PTA General Membership Meeting will now be held on May 20th at 6:00 pm at Kings Glen.  We will be electing the new officers for the 2026-27 KP/KG PTA Board, hearing updates from the administration, and reflecting back on the school year. Stay afterwards for a small social honoring our wonderful volunteers who helped us throughout the year. We hope to see you there!

Information about supply kits for next school year is coming soon.  We have partnered with the same vendor, and the complete school supply kit will be delivered for FREE to the schools before Open House in August.

May 8:  Code UP! Art & Engineering Summer Enrichment Program Interest Forms Due (See Above)

May 8:  Kings Park vs Kings Glen Staff Kickball Game (6:30 p.m., Kings Glen)

May 7:  Grade 5 Reading SOL

May 12:  Grade 4 Math SOL

May 13:  3-Hour Early Release Wednesday (Students Dismiss at 12:25 p.m.)

May 13:  Safety Patrol Applications Due (See Above)

May 14:  Grade 5 Math SOL

May 14:  Get2Green Student Action Summit (5:30 p.m.; See Above)

May 15:  Grade 6 Math SOL

May 15:  Student Leadership Council Officer Interest Forms Due

May 18:  Rising 7th Grade Parent Meeting at LBSS (6:30 p.m.; See Above)

May 19:  Grade 5 Science SOL

May 20:  PTA Meeting (Elections for SY2026-27 Board; See Above)

May 21:  4th Grade Strings Spring Concert (6:30 p.m.)

May 25:  Memorial Day (School Closed)

May 26:  Teacher Workday (No School for Students)

May 27:  Eid al-Adha (School Closed)

June 3:  5th/6th Grade Strings Concert (6:30 p.m.)

June 4:  5th/6th Grade Band Concert (6:30 p.m.)

June 9:  5th/6th Grade Chorus Concert (6:30 p.m.)

June 11:  Field Day (9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.)

June 12:  Lake Braddock SS Gradu